Activella and femhrt

If you've had your uterus removed, you don't need the progestin in these products, and should take a different type of hormone replacement therapy. You should also avoid Activella if you have a liver condition.

Special warnings about Activella and femhrt

In addition to increasing the chances of uterine cancer, estrogen replacement therapy may also raise the odds of breast cancer if taken at high doses or for long periods of time. Be sure to do a monthly self-exam of your breasts, and get regular mammograms.

Estrogen replacement therapy typically doubles the chances of gallbladder disease. Notify your doctor if you experience pain, tenderness, or swelling in your abdomen.

Estrogen replacement increases the risk of blood clots in the veins, especially during the first year of therapy. Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following warning signs: bulging eyes, changes in vision or speech, coughing up blood, dizziness, double vision, faintness, migraine, pains in the calves or chest, severe headache or vomiting, sudden shortness of breath, sudden vision loss, weakness or numbness of an arm or leg.

Estrogen therapy sometimes causes high blood pressure, so be sure to get periodic checkups. In women prone to high blood lipid levels, estrogen can also cause a sharp spike in triglycerides, possibly leading to pancreatitis. Fluid retention is another possibility. If it develops, it can aggravate conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, heart disease, kidney disease, and migraine.

Make sure your doctor knows if you have ever been diagnosed with depression. Treatment with the products should be discontinued if depression recurs.

If you have diabetes, watch your blood sugar levels especially carefully. There's a chance that estrogen/progestin products may make diabetes worse.

Possible food and drug interactions when taking Activella and femhrt

If estrogen is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining estrogen with the following:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Aspirin
Clofibrate (Atromid-S)
Cyclosporine (Neoral)
Morphine
Seizure medications such as Dilantin, Tegretol, and phenobarbital
Steroid medications such as prednisone (Deltasone)
Rifampin (Rifadin)
Temazepam (Restoril)
Theophylline (Theo-Dur)