These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Prempro
Question: I am looking for imformation on Prempro, specifically side effects and benefits.
Answer: Prempro is a brand name of a conjugated estrogen and medroxyprogesterone product. It
is mainly used to treat menopausal women with estrogen and progesterone replacement.
There are several ways to add estrogen to an estrogen deficient women. One way is to give
estrogen for about 21 days followed by a pulse of progesterone(or equivalent). This produces a
period and protects against uterine cancer. Another is to give estrogen and progesterone on a
daily basis – the rationale for Prempro. The side effects are the same as for estrogen plus for
progesterone. However, some advocate that the balance between the two creates less overall
risk of uterine and breast cancer. Estrogen can elevate the blood pressure, cause phlebitis and
increase the risk of blood clots, inflame the breasts, and cause fluid retention. There are
many books available in the book store since this is a very hot topic. In general, I advocate
estrogen replacement for most women in the absence of specific contraindications.
