17. What are some side effects of estrogens and progestins?
Less common but serious side effects include:- Breast
cancer
- Uterine
cancer
- Stroke
- Heart
attack
- Blood
clots
- Gallbladder
disease
- Ovarian cancer
Common side effects include:
- Headache
- Breast
pain
- Irregular
vaginal bleeding or spotting
- Stomach
cramps
- Nausea and
vomiting
- Hair loss
These are not all the possible side effects of Premarin or Prempro. For more information, a health care provider or pharmacist should be consulted.
18. Should women stop taking estrogens and progestins for cardiovascular protection?
Estrogens and progestin drug products have never been FDA-approved for heart attack prevention. The FDA has not allowed any claims about benefits for prevention of heart disease. Now, the WHI study findings clearly show an increased risk for heart attack and stroke in women taking Prempro.Women should not take estrogens and progestins to prevent heart attacks or stroke. Women should talk to their doctor about other medications or lifestyle measures (such as smoking cessation) to reduce the risk of heart attacks.
19. What does this mean for use of estrogen alone?
In the Premarin substudy of the WHI, an increase in the number of heart attacks and strokes has been observed in women receiving Premarin compared to placebo. These observations are preliminary, and the study is continuing. There are other side effects associated with the use of Premarin that women should discuss with their health care provider.20. Are there medicines other than estrogen hormones for prevention of osteoporosis?
Additional drugs that are FDA-approved for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis include:
- Bisphosphonates
- alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel)
- Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators- raloxifene (Evista)
