Vagifem

How does Vagifem affect symptoms? – Vagifem are small tablets that are inserted into the vagina. It contains artificial versions of the hormone oestrogen. Replenishing the supply of oestrogen to the vagina reduces dryness and irritation that is experienced by some women going through the menopause.

What is Vagifem most useful for? – Vagifem is most useful if you experience dryness, irritation, or pain in and around the vagina because of the menopause. Because the medicine is applied directly to the vagina and acts only in that area, it doesn’t work for other symptoms such as hot flashes.

What do reviews show? – many women who have used Vagifem gave positive views about the medicine. On the popular medicine user review site Drugs.com, Vagifem currently holds a 7.1/10 point rating. One woman wrote this about her experience:

"This medication has improved my quality of life significantly... it was super easy, no mess and no reaction and solved my issues."

However, some women have had a less positive experience:

“Vagifem kept my vagina healthy but the estrogen doesn't reach the external genital area which remains dry.”

You can use an online doctor service like ZAVA – you can use our online consultation service to buy Vagifem tablets online. We offer Vagifem to women who have never used it before as well as women who use it regularly. To get your supply, simply follow the ‘how to order’ steps to the right.

What are the advantages to using our service? – getting Vagifem through our service is one of the quickest and most convenient ways that you can get your supply. No need to make an appointment with a doctor - simply use our online consultation tool from home at a time that suits you. It’s ideal if you have a busy schedule or simply prefer not to make a face-to-face appointment. We are also regulated by the Care Quality Commission, an organisation which regulates the NHS and private healthcare providers. This means that the medicines you get through us are properly regulated.

Alternatively, you can get your supply of Vagifem through your GP – to do this, you need to make an appointment to see your doctor, or in some surgeries a web consultation or telephone consultation may be sufficient. In the consultation, your doctor may ask questions around your experience with the menopause as well as questions about your general health. If you and your doctor agree that Vagifem is the best treatment option for you, they will write you a prescription. Then, take your prescription to any pharmacy to exchange with your supply of Vagifem. If they have it in stock, you can get it in minutes. If not, you should be able to get your supply the next day or from a different pharmacy.

Even if you are satisfied with your experience with our online consultation service, it’s still important to touch base with your GP from time to time. Your GP will be able to get more information from you, or examine you, if they feel that it is needed compared to our doctors through our online consultation service. This means that they may be able to suggest alternative treatments that are more suitable for you. Also, medical conditions and other medications may interact with Vagifem. It’s important to let your doctor know if any conditions or medications change so that they can make sure Vagifem continues to be safe and effective for you.

Who is Vagifem right for? – Vagifem is suitable for women who have mainly menopause symptoms which are related to the vagina and the surrounding areas. These symptoms include dryness and irritation, painful urination, or pain when urinating or having sex.

You should not use Vagifem if you:

• Suffer from angina or have recently had a heart attack
• Have previously suffered from blood clots
• Have had breast cancer
• Suffer from bleeding from the vagina which has not been diagnosed

How to know if it's right for you – to find out whether Vagifem is right for you, you can either use our online consultation service or make a face-to-face appointment with your GP. Our questionnaire on the online consultation service is designed to find out whether Vagifem is safe and suitable for you to use. Or, your doctor can discuss the best treatment for your symptoms.

Like all medicines, Vagifem can cause side effects in some people – the common ones to look out for are listed to the right. If you experience side effects from Vagifem, you may want to keep trying the medicine for a few weeks to see if they settle down. If they don’t settle or if they bother you, it’s worth coming back to your doctor to see if there are any steps that you can take to help or, alternatively, if it’s worth changing medicines.

There may be some long-term health risks associated with taking medicines containing oestrogen – women who still have their womb are at an increased risk of cancer of the womb if they are taking oestrogen only (without another hormone called progesterone). For this reason, women who still have their womb are advised to take both the hormones oestrogen and progesterone as part of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

• Women taking both oestrogen and progesterone HRT are at an increased risk of breast cancer
• Women who have been on HRT for more than five years are at an increased risk of cancer of the ovaries
• Additionally, some women who are taking HRT are at an increased risk of blood clots in their vein or a stroke

Speak to your doctor if you are concerned with any of the long term risks above. Tell your doctor if you or a close family member has been diagnosed with any of the conditions above.

Signs of an emergency – a blood clot in the vein is a medical emergency. If you experience any of these symptoms, call 999 or get someone to take you to the nearest A&E department.

• Swelling, pain, or redness in one of your legs
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the chest

Vaginal pessaries (tablets) are thought to be one of the safest hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatments – this is because the hormones are applied directly to one of the areas that are experiencing the menopause symptoms. Side effects are caused by medicines that are absorbed into a part of the body which is not the intended area. Also, there is a very low amount of the treatment going to the rest of the body, which lowers the risk of side effects.

Advantages of Vagifem:

• Less risk of getting side effects from the medicine
• Can be less messy compared to other medications applied to vagina (e.g. creams)
• Can reduce the frequency of urinary tract infections in postmenopausal women

Disadvantages of Vagifem:

• Only works for menopause symptoms affecting the vagina (e.g. dryness, irritation, or pain)
• Applying the medicine takes some time to get used to

Alternatives to Vagifem – there are alternative treatments available if you prefer not to use Vagifem:

• Oestrogen creams – other oestrogen creams, like Ovestin, applied directly to the vagina
• HRT tablets – some people may prefer taking tablets by mouth to using Vagifem. One advantage is that tablets work better than pessaries or creams to reduce hot flashes. One disadvantage is that you are more likely to get side effects from tablets
• Natural HRT – isoflavones and black cohosh have been shown to help with hot flashes. This is an option if you prefer not to take artificial HRT. Although the evidence for these natural options is not that strong and you can’t always guarantee the safety of herbal therapies. If you do order these, be careful to do so from a reputable source