Estrogens and Progestins (Ovarian Hormone Therapy) (Systemic)
Before Using This MedicineIn deciding to use a medicine,
the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will
do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For estrogens and progestins,
the following should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual
or allergic reaction to estrogens or progestins. Also tell your health care
professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives,
or dyes
Pregnancy - Estrogens and progestins 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.
Breast-feeding - Estrogens and progestins pass into the breast
milk and can change the content or lower the amount of breast milk. Use of
this medicine is not recommended in nursing mothers.
Older adults - Many medicines have not been studied specifically
in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly
the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects
or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use
of estrogens and progestins in the elderly with use in other age groups.
Other medicines - 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
estrogens and progestins, it is especially important that your health care
professional know if you are taking any of the following:
-
Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) - Estrogens can prevent cyclosporine's
removal from the body; this can lead to kidney or liver problems caused by
too much cyclosporine
Other medical problems - The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of estrogens and progestins. Make sure you tell
your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
-
Blood clotting problems (or history of during previous estrogen therapy) - Estrogens
usually are not used until blood clotting problems stop; using estrogens is
not a problem for most patients without a history of blood clotting problems
due to estrogen use
-
Breast cancer or
-
Bone cancer or
-
Cancer of the uterus or
-
Fibroid tumors of the uterus - Estrogens may interfere with the
treatment of breast or bone cancer or worsen cancer of the uterus when these
conditions are present
-
Changes in genital or vaginal bleeding of unknown causes - Use
of estrogens may delay diagnosis or worsen condition. The reason for the bleeding
should be determined before estrogens are used
-
Endometriosis or
-
High cholesterol or triglycerides (or history of) or
-
Pancreatitis (inflammation of pancreas) - Estrogens may worsen
these conditions; while estrogens can improve blood cholesterol, they may
worsen blood triglycerides for some people
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