estradiol

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Read the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist before you start using this medication and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist. Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor. It may be taken with or without food. You may take it with food or immediately after a meal to prevent stomach upset. Take this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to take it at the same time each day as directed. Dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Follow your dosing schedule carefully. Inform your doctor if your condition does not improve or worsens.

Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first. This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur: anastrozole, exemestane. If you are currently using either of these medications listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting estrogens. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription products you may use, especially of: "blood thinners" (anticoagulants such as warfarin), corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone), raloxifene, tamoxifen, drugs affecting liver enzymes that remove estrogens from your body (such as St. John's wort, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifamycins including rifabutin, azole antifungals including itraconazole, macrolide antibiotics including erythromycin, certain anti-seizure medications including carbamazepine). This product can affect the results of certain lab tests. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug. This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

Do not share this medication with others. Keep all medical and laboratory appointments. You should have a complete physical examination that includes blood pressure measurements and breast/pelvic examinations at regular intervals (e.g., once a year) or as directed by your doctor. Follow your doctor's instructions on how to examine your own breasts and report any lumps immediately. You should also be regularly screened for cervical cancer (e.g., Pap test) and have periodic mammograms as determined by your doctor. Consult your doctor for more details. Lifestyle changes that help promote healthy bones include increasing weight-bearing exercise, stopping smoking, limiting alcohol, and eating well-balanced meals that contain adequate calcium and vitamin D. Since you may also need to take calcium and vitamin D supplements and make lifestyle changes, consult your doctor for specific advice. Additional lifestyle changes (e.g., reducing stress, eating a low fat/low salt diet, losing weight if you are overweight) to control or prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes help to prevent heart disease and strokes. Keep your mind active with mental exercises to help prevent dementia. Discuss with your doctor lifestyle changes that might benefit you. You can also manage hot flashes by keeping a cool body temperature (e.g., using a fan, drinking cool beverages, dressing lightly/in layers, avoiding hot/spicy foods). Limiting caffeine and alcohol, exercising regularly, and learning relaxation techniques may help reduce hot flashes. Vaginal lubricants can help lessen discomfort during intercourse.

If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US National Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: severe nausea/vomiting, unusual vaginal bleeding.

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details. This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: vaginal bleeding of unknown cause, certain cancers (e.g., breast cancer-especially non-metastatic type, cancer of the uterus or ovaries), current/history of blood clots, history of stroke or heart attack, liver disease. Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: family medical history (especially breast lumps and cancer), asthma, diabetes, seizures, migraine headaches, heart disease (e.g., high blood pressure, congestive heart failure), kidney disease, underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), a certain hormone problem (hypoparathyroidism), mineral imbalance (low calcium blood level), mental/mood disorders (e.g., dementia, depression), high blood pressure during pregnancy (toxemia), yellowing eyes/skin (cholestatic jaundice) during pregnancy or with past estrogen use, uterus problems (e.g., uterine fibroids, endometriosis), high blood cholesterol/fat (triglyceride) levels, gallbladder disease, obesity, certain blood disorder (porphyria), lupus. This drug may make you dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages. If you are nearsighted or wear contact lenses, you may develop vision problems or trouble wearing your contact lenses. Contact your eye doctor if these problems occur. This drug may cause a patchy darkening of the skin on the face (melasma). Sunlight may worsen this darkening. Avoid prolonged sun exposure, tanning booths, and sunlamps. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when outdoors. Do not smoke cigarettes or use tobacco. Estrogens combined with smoking further increase your risk for stroke, blood clots, high blood pressure, and heart attacks, especially in women older than 35. If you will be having surgery or will be confined to a chair or bed for a long time (e.g., a long plane flight), tell your doctor beforehand. Special precautions may need to be taken because of the increased risk for blood clots. Caution is advised if this medicine is used in children. It may affect their growth/development. Discuss the possible effects of this medication with your doctor, and monitor your child's growth periodically. This medication must not be used during pregnancy. It may result in birth defects or cancer later in the child's life. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor immediately. This medication is not effective for preventing a miscarriage and should not be used for this purpose. Small amounts of this medication pass into breast milk. This drug may reduce the quality and amount of breast milk produced. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Store at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets. Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, stomach upset, bloating, nausea, weight changes, increased/decreased interest in sex, or breast tenderness may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: mental/mood changes (e.g., severe depression, memory loss), breast lumps, swelling of hands/feet, unusual vaginal bleeding (e.g., spotting, breakthrough bleeding, prolonged/recurrent bleeding), unusual vaginal discharge/itching/odor, yellowing eyes/skin, stomach/abdominal/pelvic pain, persistent nausea/vomiting, dark urine, worsening of seizures, signs of worsening diabetes control (e.g., increased thirst and urination). This medication may infrequently cause serious problems such as heart attacks, stroke, and blood clots. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following: chest/jaw/left arm pain, sudden severe headache, weakness on one side of the body, confusion, slurred speech, sudden vision changes (e.g., double vision, loss of vision), pain/redness/swelling of legs, trouble breathing, coughing up blood, sudden dizziness/fainting. A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing. This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist. In the US - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

Very rarely, estrogens given alone and with another hormone (progestin) for replacement therapy after menopause have caused very serious side effects. Discuss the risks and benefits of hormone treatment and your personal health history with your doctor. Estrogens have been reported to increase the chance of cancer of the uterus (endometrial cancer). Taking a progestin with estrogen decreases this risk. Tell your doctor immediately if you have any unusual vaginal bleeding. Estrogens may also increase your risk of cancer of the ovaries, stroke, dementia, and serious blood clots in the legs. Estrogen given in combination with progestin can infrequently cause heart disease (e.g., heart attacks), stroke, serious blood clots (pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis), dementia, and cancer of the breast. Some of these risks appear to depend on the length of time this drug is used and the amount of estrogen per dose. Therefore, this medication should be used for the shortest possible length of time at the lowest effective dose, so you can obtain the benefits and reduce the chance of serious side effects from long-term treatment. Discuss the details with your doctor and check with him/her regularly (e.g., every 3 to 6 months) to see if you still need to take this medication. Estrogen treatment alone does not appear to increase your risk of breast cancer when used for up to 7 years after menopause. However, talk to your doctor about the risks if you need to take estrogen for a longer period. Products that contain estrogen should not be used to prevent heart disease or dementia. If you use this drug for an extended period, you should have a complete physical exam at regular intervals (e.g., once a year) or as directed by your doctor. See Notes section.