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Email a friendEstring For Vaginal Dryness
Newspaper Columns, Pharmacy Q&A August 29, 2007
Q. I am a 58 year-old woman, and I suffered from severe vaginal dryness after menopause. I have found great relief from Estring. It has stopped the everyday irritation I was experiencing.
My libido is still a problem but I find that once foreplay is underway, I am able to enjoy sex. I feel the ring has played an important part in this. Perhaps my experience will help others.
A. Estrogen has long been used to relieve menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness. Concerns about side effects such as blood clots or an increased risk of cancer has left many women in a quandary.
Estring is a vaginal estrogen delivery system that releases 2 mg of estradiol gradually over three months. It has been available in this country since 1996. Women whose main menopausal symptom is vaginal dryness often find Estring helpful.
Although the amount of hormone in this vaginal ring is small, it is not appropriate for women with estrogen-sensitive cancers or for those who may be pregnant.
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
© 2007 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Reader Comments
I have used Estring with great success but today my breast doctor, while reading my mammogram, mentioned that she has had several patients whose blood pressure was raised by using Estring. This has happened to me and this is the first time I have heard of this connection.
Posted by: SCS | August 31, 2007 3:42 PM
I have never heard of Estring--where do you get it?
Posted by: dkv | August 31, 2007 5:23 PM
I used the estring but found that it made me very itchy in that area. I took it out for a while and the itching stopped and later re-inserted it and the intense itching resumed.
I looked it up and that can be a side effect.
Posted by: Diane | August 31, 2007 9:24 PM
The herb Maca is what has worked for me (I'm 66), esp. since I didn't want to have anything to do with Estrogen. It also helps in the libido department as well. I've used it for several years and have not had any problems from it.
Posted by: Nita | September 3, 2007 10:36 PM