PREMARIN® Conjugated estrogens Tablets Consumer Medicine Information What is in this leaflet including for the prevention of PREMARIN is not suitable for birth osteoporosis, he or she will have control and it will not restore This leaflet answers some of the considered the benefits and risks of fertility. common questions about other treatments before prescribing This medicine is not expected to PREMARIN Tablets. It does not PREMARIN for you. affect your ability to drive a car or contain all of the available operate machinery. information. It does not take the How it works place of talking to your doctor or Menopause occurs naturally in pharmacist. All medicines have risks women, typically between the ages of and benefits. Your doctor has 45 and 55. During menopause, your Before you take weighed the risks of you taking body produces less estrogen than it PREMARIN PREMARIN against the benefits this did beforehand. This can cause medicine is expected to have for you. symptoms such as "hot flushes". When you must not take If you have any concerns about this Some women also have problems PREMARIN medicine, ask your doctor or with dryness of the vagina causing pharmacist. discomfort during or after sexual HRT should only be used if you intercourse. Some women develop have been fully informed of the Keep this leaflet with the medicine. osteoporosis during or after risks. You may need to read it again. menopause. This is a thinning of the The decision to use HRT should be bones making them weaker and more based on your particular needs and likely to break, especially the bones health, and made after a careful of the spine, hip and wrist. medical evaluation. What PREMARIN is Conjugated estrogens are like the used for Talk regularly with your doctor hormones produced by the ovaries about whether you still need before menopause. When given treatment with PREMARIN. PREMARIN is a type of treatment during or after menopause, they can called hormone replacement therapy Treatment with estrogens, with or help control the symptoms. (HRT) and contains the hormone without progestogens should be used estrogen in the form known as estrogen is used treat women who at the lowest effective dose and for conjugated estrogens. have had their uterus or "womb" the shortest period of time. removed. If you have not had your PREMARIN helps to relieve the Clinical trials have reported a slight uterus or "womb" removed, you will discomfort many women feel during increase in risk of ovarian cancer in need to take an estrogen with a women aged between 50-54 years and after menopause, including progestogen. symptoms such as "hot flushes", old when PREMARIN alone or in sweating and vaginal dryness. It Ask your doctor if you have any combination with a progestogen is helps to prevent thinning of the bones questions why PREMARIN has taken over 5 years. been prescribed for you. (osteoporosis), which can cause Do not take PREMARIN either fractures. Your doctor may have prescribed alone or with a progestogen to PREMARIN is also used to treat PREMARIN for another use. prevent heart attacks, stroke or women where either the ovary does This medicine is available only with dementia. not function properly or has been a doctor's prescription. Do not take PREMARIN if you removed. PREMARIN is not habit-forming. have an allergy, or think you have If your doctor thinks you will need to an allergy, to: take estrogens for a long time, PREMARIN 1 any medicine containing This medicine is not suitable for use kidney problems conjugated estrogens, the active in children. heart problems ingredient in PREMARIN Do not take PREMARIN if you are diabetes any of the ingredients listed at the breast feeding. migraine end of this leaflet Estrogens have been found in breast asthma any other similar medicines, such milk, and may reduce the production as other HRT medicines or oral of breast milk. epilepsy contraceptives ("birth control Do not take this medicine after the Lupus (systemic lupus pill"). expiry date (EXP) printed on the erythematosus) Some of the symptoms of an allergic pack or if the packaging is torn or hereditary angioedema (swelling reaction may include: shows signs of tampering. of the face, lips, tongue or throat shortness of breath If it is expired or damaged, return it that may cause difficulty wheezing or difficulty breathing to your pharmacist for disposal. swallowing or breathing) gall bladder disease swelling of the face, lips, tongue If you are not sure whether you or other parts of the body should start taking this medicine, a high level of blood fats talk to your doctor. rash, itching or hives on the skin. high or low levels of calcium in the blood Do not take PREMARIN if you Before you start to take have or have had any of the PREMARIN underactive thyroid gland following medical conditions: obesity. You must have a thorough medical breast cancer check-up before starting Tell your doctor if anyone in your endometrial or cervical cancer PREMARIN for the first time or if immediate family has had blood abnormal genital bleeding, which you are taking it again after a clots in the deep veins of the legs or blood vessels of lungs, a stroke or your doctor has not investigated break. heart attack. a problem with blood clots Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any foods, dyes preservatives or forming in your blood vessels, Taking Other Medicines such as painful inflammation of any other medicines. the veins (thrombophlebitis) or Tell your doctor if you have: Tell your doctor if you are taking birth control pills. the blockage of a blood vessel in a family history of breast cancer the legs (deep vein thrombosis or PREMARIN is not a contraceptive. nodules, lumps or cysts in your DVT), or lungs (pulmonary Since pregnancy may be possible breasts or any other benign breast embolism) early in the menopause, while you condition (not cancer) heart disease or stroke are still having menstrual periods, fibroids or other benign tumours you should ask your doctor about very high blood pressure that is of the uterus (not cancer) another (non-hormonal) method of not properly controlled unusual or irregular genital birth control. problems with your breasts that bleeding or spotting Tell your doctor or pharmacist if your doctor has not investigated endometriosis (material similar to you are taking any other medicines liver disease the uterine lining growing outside including: blood clotting problems. the uterus, causing pain or all prescription medicines bleeding) If you are not certain whether all medicines, vitamins, herbal these may apply to you, or you are high blood pressure supplements or natural therapies worried about anything in this list liver problems you buy without a prescription tell your doctor. from a pharmacy, supermarket, a condition called porphyria Do not take this medicine if you naturopath or health food shop. hearing difficulties are pregnant or think you are Some medicines may be affected by pregnant. yellowing of the whites of the PREMARIN or may affect how well Pregnancy must be excluded before eyes or skin (jaundice) during it works. You may need different pregnancy or when taking you take PREMARIN. amounts of your medicines, or you estrogen (e.g. birth control pill or may need to take different medicines. Do not give PREMARIN to a child. HRT) Your doctor will advise you. fluid retention PREMARIN 2 Tell your doctor or pharmacist if When to take PREMARIN If more than 12 hours has passed, you are taking any of the discard the missed tablet and take If you are not already using any type following: the next tablet when you normally of HRT you can start PREMARIN on would. herbal medicines containing St any convenient day. However, it is John's Wort recommended you start PREMARIN Do not take a double dose to make some medicines for epilepsy such after your last period. If you do not up for the one you missed. as phenytoin, phenobarbitone and have predictable periods, then start If you have trouble remembering carbamazepine PREMARIN on a Monday as this when to take your medicine, ask your some antibiotics and anti- matches the directions on the pharmacist for some hints. calendar pack. infectives such as rifampicin, erythromycin and clarithromycin If you are already using a different If you take too much type of HRT, your doctor can advise (Overdose) anti-fungal agents such as you when to start PREMARIN. ketoconazole and itraconazole Immediately telephone your doctor It does not matter if you take or the Poisons Information Centre thyroid replacement therapy PREMARIN before or after food. (telephone: 0800 POISON or 0800 corticosteroids, such as 764 766) or go to Accident and dexamethasone How much to take Emergency at the nearest hospital ritonavir for the treatment of HIV if you think you or anybody else For symptoms of menopause and infection has taken too much PREMARIN. prevention of osteoporosis, take one cyclosporin used to prevent organ tablet daily. Do this even if there are no signs of rejection. discomfort or poisoning. For women with a uterus, your Grapefruit juice may also affect how doctor will also prescribe a You may need urgent medical well PREMARIN works. progestogen tablet to be taken with attention. If you have not told your doctor your PREMARIN. For some women Symptoms of an overdose may about any of the above, tell them with a history of endometriosis, who include: have had a hysterectomy, a before you start taking feeling sick or vomiting PREMARIN. progestogen may also be needed. Your doctor will advise you. dizziness Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be For women without fully-functioning feeling sleepy or tired careful with or avoid while you are ovaries, your doctor will prescribe breast tenderness PREMARIN according to your taking this medicine.