Vagifem Tablets

Vagifem contains the active ingredient estradiol, and you can use it as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause.

Estradiol is a type of female sex hormone called an oestrogen and is exactly the same as the natural oestrogen your ovaries produce.

During menopause, you will experience a drop in your natural oestrogen levels.

Vagifem helps to replace this oestrogen and relieve symptoms of menopause such as:

• vaginal dryness
• vaginal soreness or irritation
• wasting of the muscle (vaginal atrophy)

To use Vagifem, you need to insert one tablet into your vagina at night before you lie down to sleep.

When you first start using Vagifem, you need to use one tablet every night for 14 days in a row (2 weeks).

After the two week period, use one Vagifem tablet twice a week. You should leave a gap of 3 or 4 days between each tablet, and always insert your tablet on the same days each week.

For example, you may decide you want to insert your tablet on a Monday and Thursday every week, or Tuesday and Friday. Choose the days you are most likely to remember and mark them on a calendar so you do not miss a tablet.

To use a Vagifem you should:

1. Take one applicator, which looks like a long thin plastic stick with a tablet on one end
2. Unwrap the applicator at the end where the plunger is (not the tablet end)
3. Apply a little water-based lubricant to your vagina if it feels sore or dry
4. Get in a comfortable position and place the tablet end of the applicator into your vagina
5. Push the applicator into your vagina and stop when you feel some resistance
6. Push the plunger which is at the other end of the applicator (outside your vagina) until you feel a click
7. Now gently take the applicator out of your vagina and throw it in the bin
8. The tablet will stay inside if you lie down straight away, to give it time to stick to the wall of your vagina so you can absorb the medicine

If you’re going to have surgery, speak to your surgeon beforehand and tell them you’re using Vagifem. You may have to stop using Vagifem for a few weeks before your surgery.

Vagifem works by giving you the oestrogen you need to get relief from your menopause symptoms, such as a dry or sore vagina.

Each Vagifem tablet contains 10 mcg of the hormone estradiol, which replaces the natural oestrogen that your ovaries normally produce. The oestrogen in Vagifem tablets is identical to your natural oestrogen.

When you insert a Vagifem tablet into your vagina, the hormones are released there, so your vagina feels less dry, less sore and more comfortable.

Vagifem is effective at helping give you relief from a dry or sore vagina. It may take a few weeks of treatment to feel the effects of Vagifem, and you should use Vagifem for around 3 months to see if it works for you.

If Vagifem does not work for you, get in touch with a doctor and they can help you decide on an alternative treatment. There are also alternative HRT treatments available from ZAVA.

Common side effects of Vagifem include:

• headache
• stomach pain
• unusual vaginal bleeding, discomfort or discharge

Uncommon side effects of Vagifem include:

• fungal infection
• nausea
• rash
• weight gain
• hot flush
• high blood pressure (hypertension)

For a full list of the possible side effects, including rare side effects, please read the patient information leaflet that comes in your pack of Vagifem. If you experience any side effects when using Vagifem, please contact a doctor as soon as possible.

You can use Vagifem if you are going through your menopause and want relief from symptoms, such as a dry or sore vagina.

Do not use Vagifem if you:

• are pregnant
• are allergic to estradiol or any of the other ingredients
• have or have ever had breast cancer, endometrial cancer or ovarian cancer
• have endometrial hyperplasia (when the lining of your womb gets thicker)
• have unexplained vaginal bleeding
• have ever had a blood clot in a vein, such as deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism
• have a blood clotting disorder
• have ever had a heart attack, stroke or angina
• have ever had liver disease
• have porphyria

Speak to your doctor before you use Vagifem if you have:

• asthma
• epilepsy
• diabetes
• gallstones
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• migraines or severe headaches
• liver problems
• endometriosis
• systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• fluid retention (bloating)
• a high chance of developing breast cancer, endometrial cancer or ovarian cancer in future

If you’re not sure whether you can use Vagifem, speak to a doctor or a healthcare professional.

Vagifem can interact with other medicines that contain oestrogen or other hormones. There is a small chance that Vagifem can interact with other medicines that you use in your vagina, such as creams.

You should speak to your doctor if you’re taking or have recently taken any other medications, including HRT.

If Vagifem is not right for you, there are alternative HRT treatments that you may be able to try, such as:

• oestrogen creams, such as Estriol Cream or Ovestin cream
• HRT tablets, such as Elleste Duet, Kliovance, Kliofem, Femoston Conti, Premique, Livial (tibolone)
• HRT patches, such as Evorel Sequi or Evorel Conti

If you want to try an alternative treatment to Vagifem, please speak to a doctor for advice on a treatment that is right for you. Or you can fill out a questionnaire with ZAVA, and one of our doctors can help you within 24 hours.