Estraderm Patch Novartis

What is in this leafletThis leaflet answers some common questions about the menopause ('change of life'), hormone replacement therapy and Estraderm MX.It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.The information in this leaflet was last updated on the date listed on the final page. More recent information on the medicine may be available.You should ensure that you speak to your pharmacist or doctor to obtain the most up to date information on the medicine.

You can also download the most up to date leaflet from www.novartis.com.au.Those updates may contain important information about the medicine and its use of which you should be aware.All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using this medicine against the benefits they expect it will provide.If you have any concerns about this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.Keep this leaflet with the medicine.You may need to read it again. When you must not use Estraderm MXDo not use Estraderm MX or other oestrogens, with or without a progestogen to prevent heart attacks, stroke or dementia.A study called the Women's Health Initiative indicated increased risk of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, and blood clots in the legs or lungs in women receiving treatment with a product containing conjugated oestrogens 0.625 mg and the progestogen medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). The researchers stopped the study after 5 years when it was determined the risks were greater than the benefits in this group. The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study indicated increased risk of dementia in women aged 65-79 years taking conjugated oestrogens and MPA.

There are no comparable data currently available for other doses of conjugated oestrogens and MPA or other combinations of oestrogens and progestogens. Therefore, you should assume the risks will be similar for other medicines containing oestrogen and progestogen combinations.Talk regularly with your doctor about whether you still need treatment with Estraderm MX.Treatment with oestrogens, with or without progestogens should be used at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest period of time. What Estraderm MX is used forEstraderm MX is a type of treatment called hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It is a stick-on patch that contains a hormone called oestradiol.Estraderm MX is used for the short-term relief of symptoms of the menopause.

Estraderm Patch Dose

It can also be used to prevent thinning of the bones in women with a high risk of fractures due to osteoporosis who cannot use other treatments.HRT should not be used for the long-term maintenance of general health or to prevent heart disease or dementia.Estraderm MX is not suitable for birth control and it will not restore fertility. How it worksOestradiol is a natural female sex hormone called an oestrogen. It is the same hormone that your ovaries were producing before the menopause.The menopause occurs naturally in the course of a woman's life, usually between the ages of 45 and 55.

It may happen sooner if the ovaries are removed by surgery (e.g. Total hysterectomy). After menopause, your body produces much less oestrogen than it did before. This can cause unpleasant symptoms such as a feeling of warmth in the face, neck and chest, 'hot flushes' (sudden, intense feelings of heat and sweating throughout the body), sleep problems, irritability and depression. Some women also have problems with dryness of the vagina causing discomfort during or after sex. Oestrogens can be given to reduce or eliminate these symptoms.After the age of 40, and especially after the menopause, some women develop osteoporosis. This is a thinning of the bones that makes them weaker and more likely to break, especially the bones of the spine, hip and wrist.

Exercise, calcium and vitamin D can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.Estraderm MX releases oestradiol in a continuous and controlled way just as your ovaries were doing before. Because the medicine does not have to pass through your stomach and liver, it allows you to take a much lower dose of oestrogen than would be needed in a tablet and helps to avoid some unpleasant side effects.Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.Your doctor may have prescribed it for another purpose.This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription. It is not habit-forming.