For some women, the symptoms of menopause go beyond being merely uncomfortable and can seriously impact their lives, causing insomnia, bone thinning and severe hot flashes. Medications such as Femhrt, which contains a synthetic form of estrogen called ethinyl estradiol and a synthetic progestin called norethindrone acetate, can help with symptoms but can also have side effects. Follow your doctor's instructions for how long to take this drug and in what dose.
Uses
Drugs that contain estrogen and progesterone alleviate the symptoms and side effects of menopause because they fool the body into thinking that it's not in menopause. Hormone replacement drugs like Femhrt contain female hormones that replace the hormones no longer being produced in large quantities by the ovaries. This drug can relieve hot flashes, improve depression caused by menopausal hormone changes, prevent bone loss, improve vaginal dryness and decrease night sweats that can cause insomnia.
Dosing
Because hormone replacement therapy may increase your risk of certain cancers and heart disease, your doctor may limit the amount of time you take this drug. Using drugs like Femhrt for up to five years appears to be safe at this time, according to MedlinePlus. Starting the drug before age 60 and within 10 years of the start of menopause may decrease the risk of heart disease. Femhrt comes in two doses; start with the lowest dose, 0.5 mg of ethinyl estradiol and 3.5 micrograms of norethindrone.
Contraindications
Many women should not take this medication because of the possibility of serious side effects. Women who smoke should not take estrogen replacements such as Femhrt, because smoking increases the risk of developing blood clots, which can also occur with hormone replacement drugs. Pregnant women should not take Femhrt, since it could cause birth defects. Because one symptom of menopause is the same as that of pregnancy, an absence of menstrual periods, make sure you're not pregnant before starting this medication. If you have a history of breast or uterine cancer or if you have high blood pressure, liver disease or elevated cholesterol levels, take this drug only with your doctor's approval, since hormones could worsen your disease.
Considerations
While the symptoms of menopause can be annoying, they're generally not life-threatening. Taking Femhrt or another hormone replacement drug, however, could cause life-threatening complications. Take this drug only if you really need it. Do not take Femhrt if you've had a hysterectomy, since the progestin in the drug is there to induce a withdrawal bleed each month. Having a withdrawal bleed prevents the uterine lining from building up too much, which can increase your risk of uterine cancer. If you don't have a uterus, you do not need to take medication containing any type of progesterone.
