Estradiol Tips from Pharmacists

• Oral estradiol is associated with a higher risk of serious health conditions, such as heart attack and stroke. If you only have symptoms affecting the vagina locally, such as vaginal dryness, talk to your doctor about using estradiol vaginal cream or estradiol gel instead of tablets.

• Estradiol can increase the risk of breast carcinoma. Follow your doctor’s recommendations for doing a monthly self-breast exam and getting screening tests done to detect breast tumors early.

• If you still have a uterus, keep your appointments for endometrial sampling for early detection of uterine cancer.]

• Tell your healthcare providers you are on estradiol before any surgery. You may need to stop taking this medicine for 4-6 weeks because it can increase the risk of blood clots.