FDA approved, dispensed by a licensed US pharmacy we chose. See which one
FDA-approved estradiol gel, once a day
An estradiol gel you apply to your skin once a day, for hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. Prescribed by a Seattle provider and dispensed by a licensed US pharmacy we chose.
With the 3-month plan. $129 month to month.
You only pay if a provider prescribes.
Every prescription gives 50 meals a month to those in need.
Estradiol is the main estrogen your ovaries made before menopause. You spread a thin layer of gel on your skin once a day, it dries in a few minutes, and the estradiol passes through your skin into your bloodstream.
The FDA label for EstroGel lists treatment of moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause.
The label also lists moderate to severe vaginal and vulvar symptoms of menopause. If those are your only symptoms, it says to consider a vaginal product first.
Prefer a patch you change once or twice a week? See estradiol patch
Estradiol gel is part of your day, every day. Your provider sets how much you use with you, and your pharmacy label shows the exact amount and where to apply it.
Once a day. The amount is on your pharmacy label
Apply after your bath or shower, on clean, dry, unbroken skin.
A new pump needs priming before the first use. The EstroGel label says to press it all the way down five times and wash that gel down the sink. Follow the count in your gel's instructions.
Spread the measured amount as thinly as you can where your label says. The EstroGel label uses the whole arm, inside and outside, from wrist to shoulder. Keep it off your breasts and away from your vagina.
Don't massage or rub it in. Give it about five minutes to dry before you dress. The gel contains alcohol and can catch fire until it dries, so stay away from flames and smoking until then.
Wash your hands with soap and water right away, and keep other people from touching that skin for at least an hour.
In a label study, moisturizer applied an hour after the gel raised the estradiol absorbed by 38%. Tell your provider if you use lotion on that skin.
Sunscreen applied an hour after the gel lowered absorption by 16% in the same study.
Washing the area an hour after applying lowered estradiol levels by 22%. If you swim, leave as much time as you can between applying and swimming.
Steps and study figures from the FDA prescribing information for EstroGel 0.06% (estradiol gel). If your gel's instructions differ, follow them. Your provider's directions and your pharmacy label come first.
Estradiol gels were approved by the FDA on the strength of placebo-controlled trials. The trial below comes from the FDA label for EstroGel 0.06%, one FDA-approved estradiol gel. The gel you receive may be a different FDA-approved product than the one studied.
Average drop in moderate to severe hot flashes a day after 12 weeks, in a trial of 145 women who started with 10 to 11 a day.
EstroGel prescribing information, clinical studies, DailyMed.Estradiol levels did not change in women who touched the treated arm for 15 minutes, an hour after the gel was applied.
A label study of 24 women using EstroGel and 24 who touched them. The label still says to keep others from touching the area for at least an hour.
EstroGel prescribing information, clinical pharmacology, DailyMed.In the ESTHER study, estrogen by mouth was linked to higher odds of a blood clot in a vein than no estrogen. Estrogen through the skin was not.
A French case-control study of women after menopause, with odds ratios of 4.2 for estrogen by mouth and 0.9 through the skin. It grouped patches and gels together and did not study one gel.
ACOG Committee Opinion 556, reaffirmed 2020, citing Canonico et al., Circulation 2007. ACOG."Hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and the genitourinary syndrome of menopause"
For women younger than 60, or within 10 years of menopause onset, with no contraindications, the statement calls the benefit-risk ratio favorable for bothersome hot flashes and preventing bone loss.
The 2022 hormone therapy position statement, Menopause 2022. PubMed.Trial results describe EstroGel 0.06%, the product studied, over 12 weeks. The gel you receive may be a different FDA-approved estradiol gel. Individual results vary.
The first weeks are about building the habit. Here's what happens, in order.
Your pharmacy ships your gel to your door. Keep it at room temperature, capped, and out of reach of children.
Prime the pump if it is new, then apply the amount on your label. Pick a time you can stick with, like right after your morning shower. Coming off another estrogen? Your provider will tell you when to start.
Headache, breast tenderness or pain, stomach cramps or bloating, nausea, and irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting are common side effects listed on the label.
If a side effect doesn't settle, message your provider in your patient portal.
Questions about your amount, your routine or how you are feeling go to your provider in your patient portal. You can also book a video visit at no extra cost.
Let the gel dry, wash your hands, and keep others from touching the treated skin for at least an hour after you apply it.
Your provider will talk with you about progesterone, which the label says to consider with estrogen to lower the chance of cancer of the uterine lining. See progesterone capsules
For chest pain, pain or swelling in your legs, sudden shortness of breath, changes in vision or speech, or a sudden severe headache.
From the FDA prescribing information for EstroGel 0.06% (estradiol gel). Your provider's directions and your pharmacy label come first.
We grade the pharmacies we work with in five categories. More than eighty compounding pharmacies have been through our grading so far.
A physician-led medical group. A licensed provider reviews every visit and every dose change.
The same providers, after you start
A licensed provider from Arora Health in Seattle reviews every visit and every dose change. Questions about your dose, side effects or what comes next go to them in your patient portal.
Yes. Your gel is an FDA-approved estradiol gel, made by a drug manufacturer and dispensed by a licensed US pharmacy we chose. It is not compounded.
Your provider sets the amount with you, and your pharmacy label shows it. The EstroGel label describes one press of the pump, 1.25 g of gel, once a day.
If you have a uterus, your provider will talk with you about progesterone. The label says to consider adding a progestogen for women with a uterus, to lower the chance of cancer of the uterine lining. See progesterone capsules
Yes, but they change how much estradiol you absorb. In a label study, lotion applied an hour after the gel raised absorption and sunscreen lowered it. Keep your routine the same each day and tell your provider what you use.
Both deliver estradiol through your skin. The gel is a daily routine, and the patch is changed once or twice a week. Your provider can help you choose. See estradiol patch
A licensed US pharmacy we chose. Our pharmacy network page names each pharmacy that fills orders today and its licenses.
Your pharmacy ships your gel to your door. Store it at room temperature, out of reach of children. If anything about your delivery looks off, email hello@jointhebrightside.com before you use it.
No. Insurance isn't needed, and your visit, online or on video, is included in the treatment price.
You're not charged. Your card is only charged if a licensed provider prescribes your treatment.
With the 3-month plan. $129 month to month.
You only pay if a provider prescribes.
Estrogen alone increases the chance of cancer of the lining of the uterus in women who have a uterus. Adding a progestogen lowers the chance of a thickening of the lining that can lead to cancer. Report any unusual vaginal bleeding to your provider right away. If you have a uterus, your provider will talk with you about progesterone.
The current FDA label also carries boxed warnings about heart and blood vessel problems, probable dementia and breast cancer, based on the Women's Health Initiative, which studied daily oral conjugated estrogens with or without medroxyprogesterone acetate. In that study, estrogen alone raised the risk of stroke and blood clots in the legs. Estrogen with a progestin raised the risk of blood clots in the lungs and legs, stroke, heart attack and invasive breast cancer. Both raised the risk of probable dementia in women 65 and older. Do not use estrogen, with or without a progestogen, to prevent heart disease or dementia.
Tell your provider if you have or have had unusual vaginal bleeding, breast cancer or another estrogen-sensitive cancer, blood clots, a stroke or heart attack, liver problems, a bleeding or clotting disorder, or an allergy to estradiol or the gel, and if you are or may be pregnant. Tell your provider about every medication you take, and before any surgery or bed rest, since estrogen may need to stop beforehand.
The gel can catch fire until it dries. Keep others from touching the treated skin for at least an hour. Get medical help right away for chest pain, pain or swelling in your legs, sudden shortness of breath, changes in vision or speech, or a sudden severe headache. Call your provider about a new breast lump or unusual vaginal bleeding. Common side effects include headache, breast tenderness or pain, stomach cramps or bloating, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, fluid retention and vaginal yeast infection.
Based on the current FDA prescribing information for EstroGel 0.06% (estradiol gel). This is not all the information about estradiol gel. Ask your provider or pharmacist.
