Cream: 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%

Hormone imbalance associated with menopause can decrease quality of life for many women. One common menopausal symptom is a degeneration of the vaginal lining, which can make sex painful and can lead to infections. Hormone replacement therapy with estriol vaginal cream is a safe and effective way to treat this and other uncomfortable symptoms of menopause. Vaginally applied estriol can provide significant benefits with low risk for women experiencing hormone imbalance.

Estriol (also called E3) is considered to be the safest of the three estrogens. It is normally produced throughout a woman’s life, even after menopause. In Europe it has been used in hormone replacement for over 60 years because of its safety and efficacy. Vaginally applied estriol used for hormone replacement therapy does not need to be taken with progesterone to prevent estrogen dominance. This is compared to Estradiol (E2), which is safe when balanced by progesterone but if it is unopposed can cause health complications.

Estriol Provides Effective Symptom Relief

Vaginally applied estriol relieves vaginal dryness and vaginal atrophy and reduces pain during sex. Urogenital symptoms like frequency and urgency can be reduced. Besides these localized effects, estriol cream has been shown to systemically reduce other symptoms of menopause including hot flashes and night sweats. Bone density can also be improved  to prevent osteoporosis.

Vasomotor symptoms may disappear eventually for post-menopausal women, but vaginal symptoms can actually increase over time. This means there are many patients who could potentially benefit from hormone replacement with a vaginal estriol cream or suppository.

Delivery of Estriol

Delivery of estriol with a vaginal cream is considered superior to delivery with an oral capsule. The cream is a more consistent and effective method of delivery as it is does not need to be processed by the digestive system.  Vaginally applied estriol works locally to restore vaginal cells, pH, and blood flow while limiting accumulation that occurs with oral administration of hormones. It may be daily or a few days per week depending on your healthcare provider’s recommendations. The cream has an excellent safety profile and can be used for most women experiencing menopausal symptoms. Even for women who are not able to take hormone replacement orally, a topical cream applied vaginally can provide localized relief.