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Elestrin (Estradiol Transdermal) - Summary

 
 



ESTROGENS INCREASE THE RISK OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

Close clinical surveillance of all women taking estrogens is important. Adequate diagnostic measures, including endometrial sampling when indicated, should be undertaken to rule out malignancy in all cases of undiagnosed persistent or recurring abnormal vaginal bleeding. There is no evidence that the use of "natural" estrogens results in a different endometrial risk profile than synthetic estrogens at equivalent estrogen doses. (See WARNINGS, Malignant neoplasms, Endometrial cancer.)

CARDIOVASCULAR AND OTHER RISKS

Estrogens with or without progestins should not be used for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or dementia. (See CLINICAL STUDIES and WARNINGS, Cardiovascular disorders, and Dementia.)

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) estrogen alone substudy reported increased risks of stroke and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in postmenopausal women (50 to 79 years of age) during 6.8 years and 7.1 years, respectively, of treatment with oral conjugated estrogens (CE 0.625 mg) per day relative to placebo. (See CLINICAL STUDIES and WARNINGS, Cardiovascular disorders.)

The estrogen plus progestin WHI substudy reported increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, invasive breast cancer, pulmonary emboli, and deep vein thrombosis in postmenopausal women (50 to 79 years of age) during 5.6 years of treatment with oral conjugated estrogens (CE 0.625 mg) combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA 2.5 mg) per day relative to placebo. (See CLINICAL STUDIES and WARNINGS, Cardiovascular disorders and Malignant neoplasms, Breast cancer.)

The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS), a substudy of the WHI study, reported increased risk of developing probable dementia in postmenopausal women 65 years of age or older during 5.2 years of treatment with CE 0.625 mg alone and during 4 years of treatment with CE 0.625 mg combined with MPA 2.5 mg relative to placebo. It is unknown whether this finding applies to younger postmenopausal women. (See CLINICAL STUDIES and WARNINGS, Dementia and PRECAUTIONS, Geriatric Use.)

Other doses of conjugated equine estrogens with medroxyprogesterone acetate and other combinations and dosage forms of estrogens and progestins were not studied in the WHI clinical trials and, in the absence of comparable data, these risks should be assumed to be similar. Because of these risks, estrogens with or without progestins should be prescribed at the lowest effective doses and for the shortest duration consistent with treatment goals and risks for the individual woman.

 

ELESTRIN SUMMARY

Elestrin™ (estradiol gel) contains 0.06% estradiol in a hydroalcoholic gel base. The gel is applied onto the skin in a thin layer. The recommended area of application is the upper arm to shoulder (approximately 320 cm2). One pump actuation delivers Elestrin in a unit dose of 0.87 g, which contains 0.52 mg of estradiol. The 0.87 g dose provides systemic delivery of 0.0125 mg of estradiol daily. The 1.7 g dose, two pump actuations, provides systemic delivery of 0.0375 mg daily.

Elestrin 0.87 g/day and 1.7 g/day are indicated in the:

Treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause.


See all Elestrin indications & dosage >>

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Published Studies Related to Elestrin (Estradiol Transdermal)

Pharmacokinetics of testosterone and estradiol gel preparations in healthy young men. [2013]
The paucity of pharmacokinetic data on testosterone gel formulations and absence of such data on estradiol administration in healthy young men constitutes a fundamental gap of knowledge in behavioral endocrinological research. We addressed this issue in a double-blind and placebo controlled study in which we applied a topical gel containing either 150mg of testosterone (N=10), 2mg of estradiol (N=8) or a respective placebo (N=10) to 28 healthy young men...

Ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel pharmacokinetics with a low-dose transdermal contraceptive delivery system, AG200-15: a randomized controlled trial. [2011.11.29]
BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the ethinyl estradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (LNG) pharmacokinetic profiles of AG200-15, a transdermal contraceptive delivery system, compared with a combination oral contraceptive (COC) containing EE 35 mcg and norgestimate 250 mcg... CONCLUSIONS: EE and LNG daily exposure during AG200-15 treatment was within the range reported for a low-dose COC. The daily EE dose with AG 200-15 was equivalent to a 30-mcg COC and was safe and well tolerated. Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Naproxen or estradiol for bleeding and spotting with the levonorgestrel intrauterine system: a randomized controlled trial. [2011.09.24]
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether oral naproxen or transdermal estradiol decreases bleeding and spotting in women who are initiating the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system... CONCLUSION: The administration of naproxen resulted in a reduction in bleeding and spotting days compared with placebo. Copyright A(c) 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevention of menstrual migraine with perimenstrual transdermal 17-beta-estradiol: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study. [2011.08]
The effect of treatment with percutaneous E(2) (100 mug/24 h) during 2 weeks perimenstrually on the number and severity of menstrual migraine attacks was studied in 27 women in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial. We were not able to demonstrate any difference between E(2) supplementation and placebo on the number or severity of migraine attacks, but both regimens showed significant effects compared with before treatment.

Increased estradiol and improved sleep, but not hot flashes, predict enhanced mood during the menopausal transition. [2011.07]
BACKGROUND: The antidepressant effect of estrogen in women undergoing the menopause transition is hypothesized to be mediated by central nervous system effects of increasing estradiol on mood or through a pathway involving suppression of hot flashes and associated sleep disturbance. Estrogen therapy (ET) and the hypnotic agent zolpidem were selected as interventions in a three-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to distinguish the effects of estradiol, sleep, and hot flashes on depression... CONCLUSIONS: For women with menopause-associated depression, improvement in depression is predicted by improved sleep, and among perimenopausal women, by increasing estradiol levels. These results suggest that changes in estradiol and sleep quality, rather than hot flashes, mediate depression during the menopause transition. Therapies targeting insomnia may be valuable in treating menopause-associated depression.

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Page last updated: 2014-11-30

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