Estradiol tablet is an estrogen hormone used to treat menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal irritation. It also helps prevent bone loss (osteoporosis) after menopause. Though not as common, it's also FDA approved to treat certain advanced stages of breast and prostate cancer. The dose depends on your condition, but tablets are typically taken by mouth 1 to 3 times a day. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, headache, and breast pain.
Hot flashes, night sweats, and flushes caused by menopause
Vaginal dryness caused by menopause
Low estrogen levels due to certain conditions
Certain advanced stages of breast cancer
Certain advanced stages of prostate cancer
Prevention of bone loss (osteoporosis) after menopause
Estradiol tablet is a type of estrogen. During menopause, your body makes less estrogen, and this drop in estrogen can cause hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and bone loss. Estradiol tablet works by replacing the estrogen which can help relieve these symptoms and can protect your bones.
In some cases, estradiol tablet can also be used to treat prostate cancer by blocking certain hormones that cancer cells need to grow. At higher doses, it can treat certain types of breast cancer that have spread in the body.
Source:Â DailyMed
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
Relieves multiple menopausal symptoms
Available in many strengths, allowing you to customize your dose
Comes as a tablet that you take by mouth
Raises your risk of certain cancers, blood clots, and strokes
Some people might need to take it with another hormone called progestin
Not a first-choice medication for treating bone loss after menopause
You can take estradiol tablet with or without food.
Pay attention to whether estradiol tablet should be taken every day or in cycles. Talk with your prescriber about the schedule that works best for you.
Take estradiol tablet at the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time needed. Your prescriber will check in every 3 to 6 months to see if you still need it.
Estradiol tablet can cause serious side effects, such as heart attacks and strokes. If your menopausal symptoms only affect your vagina (like itching, dryness, or burning), ask your prescriber about other options that might be safer for you, such as a vaginal cream.
If you have a uterus, ask your prescriber if you should also take a progestin along with estradiol tablet. Adding a progestin can help lower your risk of uterine cancer.
If you're planning on having surgery or will be on bedrest, you might need to stop taking estradiol tablet for at least 4 to 6 weeks before. This medication can raise your risk of blood clots, especially when you can’t move around much.
Let your prescriber know if you notice unusual vaginal bleeding, breast lumps, vision changes, or sudden severe headaches while taking estradiol tablet. These are rare but might be signs of serious problems.
Estradiol tablet can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Risk factors: Using estradiol tablet without progestin for people with a uterus | Long-term use of estradiol tablet
Vaginal bleeding after menopause can be a sign of uterine (endometrial) cancer, so tell your prescriber right away if you notice any unusual bleeding. Using estrogen medications like estradiol tablet for more than a year can raise this risk. If you still have your uterus, your prescriber might add another hormone called a progestin to help lower this risk. That's because progestin balances out estrogen's effects by slowing the growth of your uterine lining.
Risk factors: Personal or family history of breast cancer | Using estradiol tablet and progestin together | Long-term use of estradiol tablet
Taking estrogens like estradiol tablet together with progestins can raise your risk of breast cancer. The risk goes up the longer you use this combination, so it’s best to take estradiol tablet for the shortest time needed. Call your prescriber right away if you notice breast changes such as lumps, pain, or swelling.
Risk factors: History of blood clots or stroke | Postmenopausal women using estrogen products | Using estradiol tablet with or without progestin | Obesity | History of lupus | Inactivity
Estradiol tablet can raise your risk of blood clots. This can be very serious and lead to a stroke, a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), or a blood clot in the legs (deep vein thrombosis). Share your full medical history with your prescriber before starting estradiol tablet to help lower your risk. Call 911 or get emergency help right away if you have chest pain, pain in your legs or arms, sudden severe headaches, trouble breathing, or sudden changes in speech or vision.
Risk factors: History of heart attack | Heart disease | High blood pressure | High cholesterol | Diabetes | Obesity | Smoking tobacco
Estradiol tablet shouldn't be used alone or with a progestin to try to prevent heart disease. In fact, taking estrogens like estradiol tablet can raise your risk of a heart attack. If you have any signs of a heart attack, such as chest pain, chest tightness, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, or a fast heartbeat, get emergency help right away.
Risk factors: Age over 65 | Using estradiol tablet alone or with progestin
People over 65 who use estrogen products like estradiol tablet have a higher risk of developing dementia. If you or your loved ones notice memory problems, confusion, anxiety, or trouble making decisions, tell your prescriber right away.
Risk factors: History of or current liver problems
Estradiol tablet can sometimes cause gallbladder problems, and some people have needed surgery to remove their gallbladder after starting this medication. Call your prescriber or get medical help if you have stomach pain, nausea or vomiting that doesn’t go away, fever, or yellowing of your skin or eyes.
Estradiol tablet is broken down by your liver, so if your liver isn't working well, you might have more side effects. You shouldn't take this medication if you currently have or have ever had liver problems, including liver issues during a past pregnancy.
A blood clot in the eye, called retinal vascular thrombosis, can occur in people taking estrogen products like estradiol tablet. Stop taking this medication and call your prescriber right away if you suddenly lose vision in one or both eyes, or if you notice bulging eyes, double vision, or migraines.
Risk factors: History of high triglycerides
Estradiol tablet can raise your triglyceride levels, which can lead to serious problems like inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Your prescriber might order regular blood tests to watch for this while you're taking estradiol tablet. If you experience sudden stomach or back pain, nausea, vomiting, sudden weight loss, or a fast heart rate, contact your provider or seek medical care right away.
Risk factors: Low thyroid hormone levels
Estradiol tablet can change the amount of thyroid hormone in your blood. If you take medications for low thyroid hormone levels, you might need a higher dose of thyroid replacement therapy. Your prescriber might order regular blood tests to check your thyroid hormone levels.
Risk factors: History of heart or kidney problems
Using estrogen products, like estradiol tablet, can sometimes cause your body to hold on to extra fluid, called edema. This is more likely if you have heart problems, like congestive heart failure, or kidney damage. If you notice unusual swelling in any part of your body or if you suddenly gain weight over a short period of time, let your prescriber know.
Risk factors: History of breast cancer | Cancer that has spread to the bones
Taking estradiol tablet can sometimes cause very high calcium in women with breast cancer that has spread to the bones. Signs of high calcium include feeling very thirsty, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, bone pain, muscle weakness, or confusion. Tell your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms because you might have to stop taking this medication.
Take estradiol tablet carefully if you have low parathyroid hormone levels (hypoparathyroidism). This condition affects the glands in the back of your neck and lowers your calcium levels. Let your prescriber know if you have signs of low calcium, such as burning or tingling of your fingers, toes, or lips, muscle pain and cramps, or confusion.
Risk factors: History of asthma or diabetes | History of lupus | History of seizures or migraines | Taking other medications that can cause seizures
Menopausal symptoms: The typical starting dose is 1 mg to 2 mg by mouth once a day.
You might need to take the tablet in cycles (e.g., taking it daily for 3 weeks, then stopping for 1 week, and then starting the cycle again).
Low estrogen levels: The typical starting dose is 1 mg to 2 mg by mouth once a day.
Breast cancer: The typical dose is 10 mg by mouth three times a day for at least 3 months.
Prostate cancer: The typical dose is 1 mg to 2 mg by mouth three times a day.
Prevention of bone loss (osteoporosis): Your prescriber will help you determine the lowest dose that works for you.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Abnormal vaginal bleeding
History of breast cancer (exceptions for those being treated for cancer pain)
Tumor that depends on estrogen for growth
Blood clots or blood clotting conditions
History of stroke or heart attack
Liver problems
Currently pregnant
Hot flashes, night sweats, and flushes caused by menopause
Vaginal dryness caused by menopause
Low estrogen levels due to certain conditions
Certain advanced stages of breast cancer
Certain advanced stages of prostate cancer
Prevention of bone loss (osteoporosis) after menopause
Hot flashes, night sweats, and flushes caused by menopause
Vaginal dryness caused by menopause
Low estrogen levels due to certain conditions
Certain advanced stages of breast cancer
Certain advanced stages of prostate cancer
Prevention of bone loss (osteoporosis) after menopause
Hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause
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