FemHRT isa
pill that offers you both an estrogen and progestin....but not the same ones as are in the
commonly prescribed Prempro. Approved for controlling
hot flashes and for osteoporosis prevention, and made available on late 1999, FemHRT
offers women wanting to try continuous HRT a new option.
The big difference between FemHRT and Prempro? The progestin in FemHRT is norethrindrone acetate -- a synthetic form of progesterone
that often causes fewer side effects than medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA -- most
commonly sold under the brand name Provera). In addition, the estrogen in FemHRT
isn't the conjugated estrogen Premarin, but ethinyl estradiol -- the synthetic form of
estrogen most commonly seen in birth control pills.
As with the other oral continuous forms of HRT, the big plus to FemHRT is convenience:
you only have to take one pill a day, and that's that. And, because it is a
continuous form of HRT -- that is, you take both estrogen and progestin daily, typically,
after a few months, you stop having your period completely. (Although in some women,
this takes a little longer -- and often, in the first few months, you may experience
breakthrough bleeding). That said, many women report that breakthrough bleeding on
FemHRT is much less than that experienced on Prempro.
All said, then, this is a good option for women who want the convenience of one-pill
continuous HRT -- but who have had problems with Prempro. On the negative side,
however, FemHRT is all synthetic -- so if you're looking for a form of HRT that is
bio-identical this isn't the choice for you.
- Standard dosage: 5 mcg ethinyl estradiol, 1 mg NETA
- Pros: Appears to cause fewer side effects than the other
oral forms of combination HRT -- such as breakthrough bleeding, etc.
- Cons: Synthetic estrogen and progestin -- so it's not
bio-identical to the hormones your body naturally makes