Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi! Two questions:
1. How does progesterone affect vaginal atrophy (thinning/texture changes of the vaginal walls)?
2. Can estrofem or estelle solo (both estradiol supplements, NOT estrace) be inserted vaginally? Will they dissolve, and will they have the same full-body effects as if taken orally?
Thanks!
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Suki_girl jocircus
Posted
gailannie jocircus
Posted
Hi Jocircus, I wanted to wait a day or so to see if you got any answers. These are both good questions. I'm going to answer the 2nd and then the 1st.
#2) Both of the products you mentioned for estrogen, are both estradiol ,in either 1 or 2 mg dosages. At least with solo, it is listed as a "coated" pill. What important here is that both products are meant to be taken orally. When you take estrogen, like all hormones, they have a "first pass" through the liver. That first pass means that some/much of what you take is destroyed, so the amount you get is much smaller. The vaginal route is a a direct route into the system. All mucous membranes are. So the first thing I would mention, is that 1-2 mg orally is very different than 1-2 mg vaginally. There are women who use oral estrogen products (such as Estrace pills) in an off label way, Some have found taking it transbucally (putting it under the tongue and allowing it to slowly disolve) works better, as well as those who have used Estrace tablets vaginally. However, Estrace is a non coated pill, and can be purchased in smaller doses. A popular vaginal product is Vagifem, which comes in pill form, however it's just 10 micrograms. A 1% estrogen cream (vaginal Estrace) delivers 1 mg of estradiol.
#1) There are several forms of vaginal progesterone, as well as compounding suppositories available in many styles. One of the Rx products is called Crinone. The cream progesterone is in a applicator, used every other night for 14 days. While I found it messy, I certainly liked it. I have also done progesterone vaginally in olive oil in small capsules, and also hardened cream base pellets. So how does progesterone effect the walls of the vagina? My personal experience is that it works well, is non irritating, and very calming. Progesterone is often used when a women doesn't respond with just estrogen therapy to atrophy and dryness, and is required with estrogen use if you have a uterus. The vaginal route seems to work well for women who have difficulty taking it orally, and does what you need to protect the uterine lining.
I once saw an endocrinologist who specialized in menopause symptoms, and her standard protocol was patch estrogen (daily) with vaginal progesterone (14 days per month). I absolutely hated the patch, and the only time I felt normal was with the small dose of progesterone added twice daily. So while most women respond in a positive way to estrogen only, and often don't like progesterone, my experience is that that I only felt normal with progesterone in the mix.
Hope this helps.