The levels of medication may work differently within a woman's body because of its cycles, the National Institutes of Health report. Women also have different needs for medications as well as different health issues than men. Particularly at different ages, women may need specific prescribed medications for their good health. Some medications that may find uses in men may have different effects in women.
Oral Contraceptives
Physicians may prescribe oral contraceptives for women of child-bearing age, not only to prevent pregnancy, but for some health problems. Primarily, however, women use "the pill" to prevent unwanted pregnancies because these prescription-only medicines work better than most other forms of contraception, MayoClinic.com states, but they do not prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Oral contraceptives may contain just progestin or they may contain a combination of progestin and estrogen, depending upon the type prescribed. The hormonal combination type also may be used for other medical reasons, MayoClinic.com states, such as overcoming amenorrhea--the cessation of menstrual cycles--menstruation that causes pain, heavy bleeding known as dysmenorrhea and endometriosis--a condition in which uterine tissue grows where it should not, causing pain. Doctors may prescribe these contraceptives for other reasons as well.
Tamoxifen
Doctors may prescribe tamoxifen, which serves to prevent hormonal estrogen effects in a person's body, in the treatment of breast cancer, MayoClinic.com reports. While breast cancer primarily affects women, it can affect men as well, so this medication may work for either sex. Tamoxifen may help prevent breast cancer from developing in women who have medical histories of breast cancer or close relatives with breast cancer, the National Institutes of Health state. This is a commonly prescribed medication for women to treat breast cancer. Because estrogen helps certain cancers to grow, tamoxifen helps fight the cancer by lowering estrogen levels. This also works against uterine cancer and a cancer of the skin called malignant melanoma, MayoClinic.com notes.
Calcitonin Salmon Nasal Spray
Women commonly use this medication after menopause to prevent osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones become brittle and can break more easily. The calcitonin salmon nasal spray may be used instead of estrogen hormone replacement. It works by increasing the thickness of the bone and prevents the bone from becoming thin and brittle. This medication helps in the prevention of bone fractures.
Antidepressants
While doctors may prescribe antidepressant medications for men and women to fight depression, these drugs also may help lessen the effects of premenstrual dysphoric disorder in women, too. FamilyDoctor.org states this disorder is an extreme version of premenstrual syndrome. Symptoms of PMDD, the organization reports, may include insomnia, anger, anxiety, fatigue and concentration difficulties, among others. Antidepressants of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class may help treat these symptoms. These medicines include paroxetine, sertraline, fluoxetine, escitalopram and citalopram, all classified as SSRIs, MayoClinic.com states.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Estrogen and Progestin Oral Contraceptives (Oral Route)
- MayoClinic.com: Tamoxifen (Oral Route)
- FamilyDoctor.org: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
- The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Premenstrual Syndrome
- National Institutes of Health: Calcitonin Salmon Nasal Spray
