Evalon Forte 2mg Tablet (Estriol 2mg)

INTRODUCTION

EVALON FORTE 2MG contains Estriol which belongs to the group of medicines called Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT). It is used to treat menopausal symptoms such as vaginal atrophy (dryness, irritation and itching of vagina), urinary incontinence, hot flushes or night sweats caused due to estrogen deficiency among postmenopausal women (12 months since last periods) and in women who have undergone ovariectomy (surgical removal of ovaries).

Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of menstrual cycle in women. It typically occurs at the age of 40’s or 50’s in a woman’s life and is characterized by a marked decrease in female sex hormones (e.g. estrogen and progesterone). Deficiency of estrogen makes the vaginal wall very thin and causes dryness, infection and itching leading to pain during sexual intercourse.

EVALON FORTE 2MG can also be used for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection or vaginal infection and to treat infertility caused by cervical hostility (cervical mucus destroying sperm before reaching the egg). It also improves wound healing following vaginal surgery in postmenopausal women and help assess cervical smears taken from postmenopausal women. Oral estriol reduces vaginal discomfort and pain by replacing the lost estrogen that is normally produced in the body. It also alleviates infection and inflammation of the vagina caused due to surgery or infection. This medicine may take several days or weeks to show an improvement in your condition.

Considering the risks of using HRT, it should be initiated in women only when the symptoms adversely affect the quality of life. Before starting the therapy, your doctor will obtain a complete history of you and your family’s health. Physical examination of your body, including pelvic and breast areas are carried out to outweighs the risks of HRT. After starting the therapy, regular check-ups (once in a year) and regular breast screening is necessary to avoid unwanted side effects.

Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your breasts such as presence of lumps, dimpling of skin or changes in the nipples during the course of therapy. EVALON FORTE 2MG is not a contraceptive. The most common side effects of this medicine are increased vaginal discharge or bleeding, painful breasts and nausea. These side effects are usually temporary and disappears as the treatment continuous. Contact your doctor if it bothers you.

Before using this medicine, inform your doctor if you have any lung, liver, kidney or heart problems. EVALON FORTE 2MG is highly contraindicated for use in patients who have or had breast cancer, or any estrogen sensitive cancer. EVALON FORTE 2MG is for postmenopausal women only. Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant or breastfeeding without consulting your doctor.

USES OF EVALON FORTE 2MG

Treats menopausal symptoms (such as vaginal atrophy, urinary incontinence, hot flushes and night sweats) in postmenopausal or ovariectomized women
Prevents recurrent urinary tract infection or vaginal infection
Treats infertility caused by cervical hostility
Improves wound healing following vaginal surgery
Helps to assess cervical smears taken from postmenopausal women

HOW EVALON FORTE 2MG WORKS

Estriol is a Hormonal Replacement Therapy. It works by replacing the lost estrogen that is naturally produced in the body. Oral administration of estriol effectively reduces the menopausal symptoms such as vaginal itching, dryness and irritation, hot flushes and night sweats. It also induces normalization of urogenital epithelium, restores normal microflora and physiological pH in the vagina and increases the resistance of the urogenital epithelial cells to infection and inflammation.

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DIRECTIONS FOR USE

Take this medicine as directed by your physician. Swallow the medicine as whole with a sip of water. Do not crush or chew the medicine. Your doctor will decide the correct dose for you depending upon your age, body weight and health condition. Continue to take this medicine, as long as your doctor tells you to do so, to obtain better results.

SIDE EFFECTS OF EVALON FORTE 2MG

SERIOUS
Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
High blood pressure, headache, tiredness and dizziness
Migraine-like headaches
Signs of blood clot (such as swelling, redness and pain in the legs, sudden chest pain and difficulty in breathing)
COMMON
Increased vaginal discharge or bleeding
Nausea
Fluid-retention
Flu-like symptoms
Swollen and painful breasts

HOW TO MANAGE SIDE EFFECTS

Nausea:

Try taking this medicine with, or just after meals. Stick to simple meals. Do not eat rich or spicy food.

Increased vaginal discharge or bleeding:

This side effect is usually temporary and disappears as the treatment continuous. Contact your doctor if it bothers you.

OTHERS

EVALON FORTE 2MG is not recommended for use, if you:

Have or have ever had a known or suspected breast cancer
Have a known or suspected cancer that is estrogen- sensitive (such as endometrial cancer)
Have unexplained vaginal bleeding
Have untreated endometrial hyperplasia (excessive thickening of womb lining)
Have or have ever had deep venous thrombosis (blood clot in the veins of the legs) or pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs)
Have any blood clotting disorder (such as protein S, protein C or antithrombin deficiency)
Have porphyria (a rare inherited blood disorder)
Before using this medicine, inform the doctor if you:

Have fibroids in the uterus
Have diabetes
Have gall stones
Have migraine or severe headaches
Have systemic lupus erythematosus (an auto-immune disease)
Have epilepsy
Have otosclerosis (an inherited disorder causes hearing loss)
Have fluid retention (oedema)
Are going to have any surgery
This medicine should be taken with caution among patients who are at an increased risk of developing blood clot or getting an estrogen-sensitive cancer (such as having a mother, sister or grandmother who has had breast cancer). Regular check-ups and physical examination are required in such patients.

INTERACTIONS

Talk to your doctor, if you are taking,

Anticoagulants (used for blood thinning) e.g. warfarin
Medicines used to treat epilepsy (e.g. phenytoin, phenobarbital and carbamazepine)
Medicines used to treat infections (e.g. griseofulvin, troleandomycin and rifamycin)
Medicines used to treat viral infections (e.g. ritonavir, efavirenz, nevirapine or nelfinavir)
St John’s wort (an herbal medicine used to treat depression)
Corticosteroids (used to treat pain, inflammation or allergies) e.g. prednisolone. dexamethasone
Succinylcholine (a skeletal muscle relaxant)
Theophyllines (used to treat asthma or COPD)