Menopause and Hormone Therapy
What Is Natural Menopause?
Natural menopause begins when your monthly menstrual periods end for 12 consecutive months. It's part of the natural aging process and is caused by a decrease in the production of female hormones by your ovaries. The most common age for natural menopause is the late 40s or early 50s, but some women go through it in their 30s or even earlier.
What Is Surgical Menopause?
Surgical menopause can be brought on due to the sudden loss of estrogen when your ovaries are removed, usually at the time of hysterectomy. It can occur at any age if you have not already gone through natural menopause.
If you've had a hysterectomy, please go to the Surgical Menopause section to find out more.
Combination Hormone Therapy
Women who still have their uterus and are considering taking hormone therapy are usually advised to use a progestin in combination with estrogen. This is because using estrogen alone can cause the lining of the uterus to thicken which in turn can lead to an increase in the risk of cancer of the uterus, also known as endometrial cancer.
Progestins will counteract the effects of estrogen and may prevent the thickening of the uterine lining, and may reduce the risk of endometrial cancer in women using estrogen therapy.
Using estrogen and progestin together is known as combination hormone therapy (HT).
Initially, medication to help treat menopausal symptoms was only available in pill form (oral therapy), an option that's still available. Today, there are different forms of hormone therapy available in addition to pills. The once-a-week CLIMARA PRO® transdermal (literally, "through the skin") patch is an efficient form of hormone therapy. In fact, women have been using the CLIMARA PRO patch for years to treat moderate to severe hot flashes and help prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become thin and fragile, which makes them more likely to break. It occurs most often in women who have gone through menopause.
CLIMARA PRO is the only combination, once-a-week hormone therapy patch approved for the relief of hot flashes and the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. When prescribing solely for osteoporosis, other treatments should be considered.
Ask your healthcare provider today about CLIMARA PRO.
Click here to find out more about different Forms of Hormone Therapy.
Important Safety Information
What is CLIMARA used for?
CLIMARA is used after menopause to:
- Reduce moderate to severe hot flashes
- Treat moderate to severe dryness, itching, and burning in or around the vagina
- Treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogen naturally
- Help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones)
When prescribing solely for vaginal dryness or osteoporosis, other treatments should be considered.
What is the most important information I should know about CLIMARA (an estrogen hormone)?
- Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus.
Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb). Your healthcare provider should check any unusual vaginal bleeding to find out the cause.
- Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, or dementia.
Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attack, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia.
You and your healthcare provider should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with CLIMARA.
What is CLIMARA PRO used for?
CLIMARA PRO is used after menopause to:
- Reduce moderate to severe hot flashes.
- Help prevent osteoporosis (thin weak bones).
When prescribing solely for osteoporosis, other treatments should be considered.
What is the most important information I should know about CLIMARA PRO (combination of estrogen and progestin hormones)?
- Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes.
Using estrogens and progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots.
- Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent dementia
Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia.
You and your healthcare provider should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with CLIMARA PRO.
Who should not use CLIMARA and CLIMARA PRO? Do not use CLIMARA PRO if you have had your uterus removed (hysterectomy).
Do not start using CLIMARA if you have unusual vaginal bleeding, currently have or have had certain cancers, had a stroke or heart attack in the past year, currently have or have had blood clots, currently have or have had liver problems, are allergic to CLIMARA or CLIMARA PRO or any of its ingredients, or think you may be pregnant.
What are the warnings of less common but serious side effects of CLIMARA or CLIMARA PRO?
Warnings of less common but serious side effects of CLIMARA or CLIMARA PRO include breast lumps, unusual vaginal bleeding, dizziness and faintness, changes in speech, severe headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath, pains in your legs, changes in vision, and vomiting. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of these warning signs, or any other unusual symptom that concerns you.
What are common side effects of CLIMARA or CLIMARA PRO?
Common side effects of CLIMARA include headache, breast pain, irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting, stomach/abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea and vomiting, and hair loss.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
For important risk and use information, please see the full prescribing information.
