Precautions and Warnings With Esterified Estrogens

Make sure you are aware of the precautions and warnings with esterified estrogens before starting hormone replacement therapy. Before using the drug, let your healthcare provider know if you have heart disease, high cholesterol, or unexplained vaginal bleeding. It is important to know that esterified estrogens may potentially increase the risk of dementia, gallbladder disease, and ovarian cancer.

 

Esterified Estrogens: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to using esterified estrogens (Menest®) if you have:
 
  • Had a heart attack or stroke
  • Heart disease or heart problems of any kind
  • Had a blood clot, including blood clots in the legs or lungs
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Unexplained vaginal bleeding
  • Cancer (or if you have had cancer in the past)
  • Diabetes
  • Had yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin (jaundice) during a prior pregnancy or estrogen use
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Liver disease, such as liver failure, cirrhosis, hepatitis, or liver tumors
  • Kidney disease, including kidney failure (renal failure)
  • Congestive heart failure (CHF)
  • An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
  • Low calcium levels in the blood (hypocalcemia)
  • Endometriosis
  • Any allergies, including allergies to drugs, foods, preservatives, or dyes.
     
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you:
 
  • Have an upcoming surgery
  • Smoke cigarettes
  • Are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
  • Are breastfeeding.
     
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about any other medicines you are taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 
(Precautions and Warnings With Esterified Estrogens Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;