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Menopause in America
Over two million women, around 20 percent of the American workforce, go through menopause in the United States every year. This means that millions of women are silently pushing through menopausal symptoms, which can be extremely disruptive to everyday life. [1]
Women have to keep going on with their lives as the estrogen levels in their bodies plummet, causing hot flashes, vaginal dryness, low sex drive, chills, weight gain, and mood changes. If menopausal symptoms become hard to manage, your doctor may prescribe an EstroGel pump to treat menopause symptoms.
EstroGel is an estrogen derivative, meaning it contains the female hormone estrogen that is responsible for regulating the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. The ovaries no longer produce estrogen when a woman goes through menopause, which can throw the female body into turmoil. But who produces EstroGel, and how popular is it? Read on to learn more.
The History of Estrogen
Up until the mid-1900s, the use and existence of estrogen was not understood. Then, in 1929, estrogen was isolated for the first time. By 1942, Premarin became available in the United States. Premarin contained at least ten estrogens to be consumed as an oral female sex hormone. This drug dominated the hormone replacement market for decades, but the estrogen landscape changed drastically in 2002.
In 2002, studies began coming out detailing that long-term use of hormone replacement therapy increases the risk of breast cancer and stroke in menopausal women. [2]
Around this same time, Solvay Pharmaceuticals began developing a topical estrogen medication called EstroGel. EstroGel is a colorless gel medicine that contains estradiol. The Food and Drug Administration approved EstroGel on February 9th, 2004. This medication is also an estrogen replacement drug, but its usage has been altered to reduce cancer risk in patients taking hormones.
Solvay Pharmaceuticals
Since its inception in 2004, EstroGel has become one of the most popular estrogen medications in Canada and Europe. This medication continues to be produced by Solvay Pharmaceuticals. Solvay is a Belgium-based company that has been one of the top pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world.
Ernest Solvay founded this company in 1863, and it soon became the largest multinational pharmaceutical company in the world before World War I. Solvay diversified to make joint ventures in fuel cell technology, soil remediation, and renewable feedstock as the decades went on. Solvay continues to be active in the therapeutic areas of cardiology, gastroenterology, mental health, and women’s health.
EstroGel has been prescribed for more than 25 years in Europe and has expanded to North America since 2004. You can visit My Drug Center to get discount prices on EstroGel for your menopausal symptoms.
The Function of EstroGel
When there is less estrogen in the body, the lining of the vaginal epithelium may thin and cause vaginal dryness, itching, and difficulty in participating in sex. [3] This topical gel can reduce hot flashes and treat vaginal dryness, burning, and itching symptoms.
Back in the day, estrogen replacement therapies were used on a long-term basis to prevent cardiovascular heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia. However, long-term use increases cancer risk, so EstroGel is prescribed to treat menopausal symptoms for a specific period. You may also be prescribed progestin and estrogen therapy to balance out the estrogen levels in the body. Progestin is necessary if a woman still has her womb and has not undergone a hysterectomy.
Menopause symptoms may occur for several years, so you will likely use EstroGel medication for three to six months before a follow-up appointment with your doctor. Then, if your symptoms improve, your doctor may reduce your prescription or take you off EstroGel completely.
DISCLAIMER: The information in the article is not meant to be used for treatment or diagnosis. It is designed for general awareness and for information purposes only. Always consult a medical professional for your specific healthcare needs.