What is Menest?

Commonly Used Brand Name(s)Alora, Cenestin, Climara, Divigel, Elestrin, Emcyt, Enjuvia, Esclim, Estinyl, EstroGel, Evamist, Femtrace, Gynodiol, Menest, Menostar, Minivelle, Ogen .625, Ogen 1.25, Ogen 2.5, Premarin, Vivelle, Vivelle-Dot, Estraderm, Estradot Transdermal, Estradot Transdermal Therapeutic System, Estradot Transdermal Therapeutic System, Estrogel, Oesclim, Rhoxal-Estradiol Derm 50, Rhoxal-Estradiol Derm 75, Roxal-Estradiol Derm 100, Vivelle 100 Mcg, Vivelle 25 Mcg

OverviewTOP

Estrogens are female hormones. They are produced by the body and are necessary for the normal sexual development of the female and for the regulation of the menstrual cycle during the childbearing years.

The ovaries begin to produce less estrogen after menopause (the change of life). This medicine is prescribed to make up for the lower amount of estrogen. Estrogens help relieve signs of menopause, such as hot flashes and unusual sweating, chills, faintness, or dizziness.

Estrogens are prescribed for several reasons:

To provide additional hormone when the body does not produce enough of its own, such as during menopause or when female puberty (development of female sexual organs) does not occur on time. Other conditions include a genital skin condition (vulvar atrophy), inflammation of the vagina (atrophic vaginitis), or ovary problems (female hypogonadism or failure or removal of both ovaries).
To help prevent weakening of bones (osteoporosis) in women past menopause.
In the treatment of selected cases of breast cancer in men and women.
In the treatment of cancer of the prostate in men.

Estrogens may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

There is no medical evidence to support the belief that the use of estrogens will keep the patient feeling young, keep the skin soft, or delay the appearance of wrinkles. Nor has it been proven that the use of estrogens during menopause will relieve emotional and nervous symptoms, unless these symptoms are caused by other menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes or hot flushes.

Estrogens are available only with your doctor's prescription.

Proper UseTOP

Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it and do not take or use it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. For patients taking any of the estrogens by mouth, try to take the medicine at the same time each day to reduce the possibility of side effects and to allow it to work better.

This medicine usually comes with patient information or directions. Read and follow the instructions in the insert carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.

For patients taking any of the estrogens by mouth or by injection:

Nausea may occur during the first few weeks after you start taking estrogens. This effect usually disappears with continued use. If the nausea is bothersome, it can usually be prevented or reduced by taking each dose with food or immediately after food.

For patients using the transdermal (skin patch):

Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before and after handling the patch.
Apply the patch to a clean, dry, non-oily skin area of your lower abdomen, hips below the waist, or buttocks that has little or no hair and is free of cuts or irritation. The manufacturer of the 0.025-mg patch recommends that its patch be applied to the buttocks only. Furthermore, each new patch should be applied to a new site of application. For instance, if the old patch is taken off the left buttock, then apply the new patch to the right buttock.
Do not apply to the breasts. Also, do not apply to the waistline or anywhere else where tight clothes may rub the patch loose.
Press the patch firmly in place with the palm of your hand for about 10 seconds. Make sure there is good contact, especially around the edges.
If a patch becomes loose or falls off, you may reapply it or discard it and apply a new patch.
Each dose is best applied to a different area of skin on your lower abdomen, hips below the waist, or buttocks so that at least 1 week goes by before the same area is used again. This will help prevent skin irritation.

For patients using the topical emulsion (skin lotion):

Washing and drying hands thoroughly before each application.
Apply while you are sitting comfortably. Apply one pouch to each leg every morning.
Apply the entire contents of one pouch to clean, dry skin on the left thigh. Rub the emulsion into the entire thigh and calf for 3 minutes until thoroughly absorbed.
Apply entire contents of the second pouch to clean, dry skin on the right thigh. Rub the emulsion into the entire thigh and calf for 3 minutes until thoroughly absorbed.
Rub any remaining emulsion on both hands on the buttocks.
Washing and drying hands thoroughly after application.
To avoid transfer to other individuals, allow the application areas to dry completely before covering with clothing.

If you are using the Evamist® transdermal spray:

Spray the medicine on your skin on the inside of your forearm, between the elbow and the wrist.
Do not allow your child to touch the area of the arm where the medicine was sprayed. If you cannot avoid to come nearer with your child, wear clothes with long sleeves to cover the application site.
If your child comes in direct contact with the arm where the medicine was sprayed, wash your child's skin right away with soap and water.
Do not allow your pets to lick or touch the arm where the medicine was sprayed.

DosingTOP

The dose medicines in this class will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

For conjugated estrogens

For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For treating breast cancer in women after menopause and in men:
  - Adults—10 milligrams (mg) three times a day for at least 3 months.
- For treating a genital skin condition (vulvar atrophy), inflammation of the vagina (atrophic vaginitis), or symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—0.3 milligram (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month. Your doctor may change the dose based on how your body responds to the medication.
- To prevent loss of bone (osteoporosis):
  - Adults—0.3 milligram (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month. Your doctor may change the dose based on how your body responds to the medication.
- For treating ovary problems (female hypogonadism or for starting puberty):
  - Adults and teenagers—0.3 to 0.625 milligram (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine only on certain days of the month.
- For treating ovary problems (failure or removal of both ovaries):
  - Adults—1.25 milligram (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
- For treating prostate cancer:
  - Adults—1.25 to 2.5 milligram (mg) three times a day.
For injection dosage form:
- For controlling abnormal bleeding of the uterus:
  - Adults—25 milligrams (mg) injected into a muscle or vein. This may be repeated in six to twelve hours if needed.

For esterified estrogens

For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For treating breast cancer in women after menopause and in men:
  - Adults—10 milligrams (mg) three times a day for at least three months.
- For treating a genital skin condition (vulvar atrophy) or inflammation of the vagina (atrophic vaginitis), or to prevent loss of bone (osteoporosis):
  - Adults—0.3 to 1.25 mg a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
- For treating ovary problems (failure or removal of both ovaries):
  - Adults—1.25 mg a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
- For treating ovary problems (female hypogonadism):
  - Adults—2.5 to 7.5 mg a day. This dose may be divided up and taken in smaller doses. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
- For treating symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—0.625 to 1.25 mg a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
- For treating prostate cancer:
  - Adults—1.25 to 2.5 mg three times a day.

For estradiol

For oral dosage form:
- For treating breast cancer in women after menopause and in men:
  - Adults—10 milligrams (mg) three times a day for at least 3 months.
- For treating a genital skin condition (vulvar atrophy), inflammation of the vagina (atrophic vaginitis), ovary problems (female hypogonadism or failure or removal of both ovaries), or symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—At first, 1 to 2 milligrams (mg) one time per day for at least 3 months. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month. Your doctor may also need to change the dose based on how your body responds to the medication.
- For treating prostate cancer:
  - Adults—1 to 2 milligrams (mg) three times a day.
- To prevent loss of bone (osteoporosis):
  - Adults—0.5 milligram (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
For topical emulsion dosage form (skin lotion):
- For treating symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—1.74 grams (one pouch) applied to the skin of each leg (thigh and calf) once a day in the morning.
For transdermal dosage form (skin patches):
- For treating a genital skin condition (vulvar atrophy), inflammation of the vagina (atrophic vaginitis), symptoms of menopause, ovary problems (female hypogonadism or failure or removal of both ovaries), or to prevent loss of bone (osteoporosis):
  - Adults—0.025 to 0.1 milligram (mg) (one patch) applied to the skin and worn for one week. Then, remove that patch and apply a new one. A new patch should be applied once a week for three weeks. During the fourth week, you may or may not wear a patch. Your health care professional will tell you what you should do for this fourth week. After the fourth week, you will repeat the cycle.
  - Adults—0.025 to 0.1 mg (one patch) applied to the skin and worn for one half of a week. Then, remove that patch and apply and wear a new patch for the rest of the week. A new patch should be applied two times a week for three weeks. During the fourth week, you may or may not apply new patches. Your health care professional will tell you what you should do for this fourth week. After the fourth week, you will repeat the cycle.

For estradiol cypionate

For injection dosage form:
- For treating ovary problems (female hypogonadism):
  - Adults—1.5 to 2 milligrams (mg) injected into a muscle once a month.
- For treating symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—1 to 5 milligrams (mg) injected into a muscle every 3 to 4 weeks.

For estradiol valerate

For injection dosage form:
- For treating a genital skin condition (vulvar atrophy), inflammation of the vagina (atrophic vaginitis), symptoms of menopause, or ovary problems (female hypogonadism or failure or removal of both ovaries):
  - Adults—10 to 20 milligrams (mg) injected into a muscle every 4 weeks as needed.
- For treating prostate cancer:
  - Adults—30 milligrams (mg) injected into a muscle every 1 or 2 weeks.

For estrone

For injection dosage form:
- For controlling abnormal bleeding of the uterus:
  - Adults—2 to 5 milligrams (mg) a day, injected into a muscle for several days.
- For treating a genital skin condition (vulvar atrophy), inflammation of the vagina (atrophic vaginitis), or symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—0.1 to 0.5 milligram (mg) injected into a muscle 2 or 3 times a week. Your doctor may want you to receive the medicine each week or only during certain weeks of the month.
- For treating ovary problems (female hypogonadism or failure or removal of both ovaries):
  - Adults—0.1 to 1 milligram (mg) a week. This is injected into a muscle as a single dose or divided into more than one dose. Your doctor may want you to receive the medicine each week or only during certain weeks of the month.
- For treating prostate cancer:
  - Adults—2 to 4 milligrams (mg) injected into a muscle 2 or 3 times a week.

For estropipate

For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For treating a genital skin condition (vulvar atrophy), inflammation of the vagina (atrophic vaginitis), or symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—0.75 to 6 milligrams (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
- For treating ovary problems (female hypogonadism or failure or removal of both ovaries):
  - Adults—1.5 to 9 milligrams (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
- To prevent loss of bone (osteoporosis):
  - Adults—0.75 milligram (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day for twenty-five days of a thirty-one–day cycle.

For ethinyl estradiol

For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For treating breast cancer in women after menopause and in men:
  - Adults—1 milligram (mg) three times a day.
- For treating ovary problems (female hypogonadism or failure or removal of both ovaries):
  - Adults—0.05 milligram (mg) one to three times a day for 3 to 6 months. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.
- For treating prostate cancer:
  - Adults—0.15 to 3 milligrams (mg) a day.
- For treating symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—0.02 to 0.05 milligram (mg) a day. Your doctor may want you to take the medicine each day or only on certain days of the month.

For ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone

For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For treating symptoms of menopause:
  - Adults—1 tablet (5 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg of norethindrone) each day.
- To prevent loss of bone (osteoporosis):
  - Adults—1 tablet (5 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg of norethindrone) each day.

Missed DoseTOP

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

If you miss a dose of this medicine, apply it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.

If you forget to wear or change a patch, put one on as soon as you can. If it is almost time to put on your next patch, wait until then to apply a new patch and skip the one you missed. Do not apply extra patches to make up for a missed dose.

Use & StorageTOP

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

AllergiesTOP

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

PediatricTOP

Use of this medicine before puberty is not recommended. Growth of bones can be stopped early. Girls and boys may develop growth of breasts. Girls may have vaginal changes, including vaginal bleeding.

This medicine may be used to start puberty in teenagers with some types of delayed puberty.

GeriatricTOP

Elderly people are especially sensitive to the effects of estrogens. This may increase the chance of side effects during treatment, especially stroke, invasive breast cancer, and memory problems.

PregnancyTOP

Estrogens are not recommended for use during pregnancy or right after giving birth. Becoming pregnant or maintaining a pregnancy is not likely to occur around the time of menopause.

Certain estrogens have been shown to cause serious birth defects in humans and animals. Some daughters of women who took diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy have developed reproductive (genital) tract problems and, rarely, cancer of the vagina or cervix (opening to the uterus) when they reached childbearing age. Some sons of women who took DES during pregnancy have developed urinary-genital tract problems.

Breast FeedingTOP

Use of this medicine is not recommended in nursing mothers. Estrogens pass into the breast milk and their possible effect on the baby is not known.

Drug InteractionsTOP

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.

Dasabuvir
Ombitasvir
Paritaprevir
Ritonavir
Tranexamic Acid

Using medicines in this class 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.

Anagrelide
Aprepitant
Boceprevir
Bosentan
Bupropion
Carbamazepine
Ceritinib
Conivaptan
Dabrafenib
Darunavir
Dasabuvir
Dexamethasone
Donepezil
Eliglustat
Enzalutamide
Fosphenytoin
Glecaprevir
Griseofulvin
Idelalisib
Isotretinoin
Lesinurad
Lixisenatide
Lumacaftor
Mitotane
Modafinil
Netupitant
Oxcarbazepine
Paclitaxel
Paclitaxel Protein-Bound
Phenytoin
Pibrentasvir
Piperaquine
Pitolisant
Pixantrone
Prednisone
Rifabutin
Rifampin
St John's Wort
Sugammadex
Theophylline
Tizanidine
Topiramate
Valproic Acid

Other InteractionsTOP

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

PrecautionsTOP

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine does not cause unwanted effects. These visits will usually be every year, but some doctors require them more often.

In some patients using estrogens, tenderness, swelling, or bleeding of the gums may occur. Brushing and flossing your teeth carefully and regularly and massaging your gums may help prevent this. See your dentist regularly to have your teeth cleaned. Check with your medical doctor or dentist if you have any questions about how to take care of your teeth and gums, or if you notice any tenderness, swelling, or bleeding of your gums.

Although the incidence is low, the use of estrogens may increase you chance of getting cancer of the breast, ovaries, or uterus (womb). Therefore, it is very important that you regularly check your breasts for any unusual lumps or discharge. Report any problems to your doctor. You should also have a mammogram (x-ray pictures of the breasts) done if your doctor recommends it. Because breast cancer has occurred in men taking estrogens, regular breast self-exams and exams by your doctor for any unusual lumps or discharge should be done.

If your menstrual periods have stopped, they may start again. This effect will continue for as long as the medicine is taken. However, if taking the continuous treatment (0.625 mg conjugated estrogens and 2.5 mg medroxyprogesterone once a day), monthly bleeding usually stops within 10 months.

Also, vaginal bleeding between your regular menstrual periods may occur during the first 3 months of use. Do not stop taking your medicine. Check with your doctor if bleeding continues for an unusually long time, if your period has not started within 45 days of your last period, or if you think you are pregnant.

Tell the doctor in charge that you are using this medicine before having any laboratory test because some results may be affected.

Check with your child's doctor right away if your child starts to have the following symptoms: nipple or breast swelling or tenderness in females, or enlargement of the breasts in males. Your child may have been exposed to Evamist® transdermal spray.

Do not allow your pets to lick or touch the arm where Evamist® transdermal spray was applied. Small pets may be sensitive to this medicine. Call your pet's veterinarian if your pet starts to have the following symptoms: nipple or breast enlargement, swelling of the vulva, or any signs of illness.