Description and Brand Names
Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®
US Brand Name
- Bijuva
Descriptions
Estradiol and progesterone combination is used to treat moderate to severe symptoms of menopause (eg, feelings of warmth in the face, neck, and chest, or sudden strong feelings of heat and sweating [hot flashes]) in women with a uterus.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
- Capsule, Liquid Filled
- Capsule
Before Using
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of estradiol and progesterone combination in the pediatric population. Use of estradiol and progesterone combination is not indicated for use in children.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of estradiol and progesterone combination in the geriatric population. However, elderly patients are more likely to have breast cancer, strokes, or dementia, which may require caution in patients receiving estradiol and progesterone combination.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
- Tranexamic Acid
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Abametapir
- Amifampridine
- Amoxicillin
- Ampicillin
- Amprenavir
- Apalutamide
- Aprepitant
- Armodafinil
- Artemether
- Bacampicillin
- Belzutifan
- Betamethasone
- Bexarotene
- Bosentan
- Bupropion
- Carbamazepine
- Carbenicillin
- Cefaclor
- Cefadroxil
- Cefdinir
- Cefditoren
- Cefixime
- Cefpodoxime
- Cefprozil
- Ceftazidime
- Ceftibuten
- Cefuroxime
- Cenobamate
- Ceritinib
- Clarithromycin
- Clobazam
- Cloxacillin
- Colesevelam
- Conivaptan
- Cosyntropin
- Cyclacillin
- Cyclosporine
- Dabrafenib
- Darunavir
- Dexamethasone
- Dicloxacillin
- Donepezil
- Doxycycline
- Efavirenz
- Elagolix
- Elvitegravir
- Enasidenib
- Encorafenib
- Enzalutamide
- Eslicarbazepine Acetate
- Etravirine
- Fedratinib
- Fexinidazole
- Fosamprenavir
- Fosaprepitant
- Fosnetupitant
- Fosphenytoin
- Griseofulvin
- Guar Gum
- Isotretinoin
- Itraconazole
- Ivosidenib
- Lesinurad
- Lixisenatide
- Lorlatinib
- Lumacaftor
- Mavacamten
- Meropenem
- Minocycline
- Mitapivat
- Mitotane
- Mobocertinib
- Modafinil
- Mycophenolate Mofetil
- Mycophenolic Acid
- Nafcillin
- Nelfinavir
- Netupitant
- Nevirapine
- Octreotide
- Omaveloxolone
- Oxacillin
- Oxcarbazepine
- Oxytetracycline
- Penicillin G
- Penicillin G Procaine
- Penicillin V
- Phenobarbital
- Phenylbutazone
- Phenytoin
- Pitolisant
- Pixantrone
- Prednisolone
- Prednisone
- Primidone
- Repotrectinib
- Rifabutin
- Rifampin
- Rifapentine
- Ritonavir
- Rufinamide
- Secobarbital
- Somatrogon-ghla
- St John's Wort
- Sugammadex
- Sultamicillin
- Tazemetostat
- Telaprevir
- Tetracycline
- Theophylline
- Ticarcillin
- Tigecycline
- Tirzepatide
- Tizanidine
- Topiramate
- Ulipristal
- Valproic Acid
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Atazanavir
- Diazepam
- Ginseng
- Lamotrigine
- Levothyroxine
- Licorice
- Lorazepam
- Selegiline
- Tacrine
- Temazepam
- Tipranavir
- Triazolam
- Troleandomycin
- Voriconazole
- Warfarin
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following may cause an increased risk of certain side effects but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.
- Caffeine
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Abnormal or unusual vagin*l bleeding or
- Bleeding problems or
- Blood clots (eg, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism), active or history of or
- Breast cancer, known or suspected, or a history of or
- Dementia or
- Heart attack, active or history of or
- Heart or blood vessel disease or
- Liver disease or
- Protein C, protein S, or antithrombin deficiency, or other known blood clotting disorders or
- Stroke, active or history of or
- Tumors (estrogen-dependent), known or suspected—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.
- Asthma or
- Cancer, history of or
- Diabetes or
- Edema (fluid retention or body swelling) or
- Endometriosis or
- Epilepsy (seizures) or
- Gallbladder disease or
- Hereditary angioedema (swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat) or
- Hypercalcemia (high calcium in the blood) or
- Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol or fats in the blood) or
- Hypertension (high blood pressure) or
- Hypocalcemia (low calcium in the blood) or
- Hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) or
- Jaundice during pregnancy or from using hormonal therapy in the past or
- Kidney disease or
- Liver tumors or
- Migraine headache or
- Obesity or
- Porphyria (enzyme problem) or
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
Proper Use
Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered.
This medicine should come with a patient information leaflet. Read and follow these instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.
Take this medicine with food.
Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while you are using this medicine. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may change the amount of this medicine that is absorbed in the body.
Dosing
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
- For oral dosage form (capsules):
- For moderate to severe hot flashes:
- Adults—One capsule once a day, in the evening. Each capsule contains 1 milligram (mg) estradiol and 100 mg progesterone.
- Children—Use is not recommended.
- For moderate to severe hot flashes:
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
If you miss a dose and it is more than 2 hours until your next dose, take the missed dose as soon as possible with food, then go back to your regular time.
If you miss a dose and it is within 2 hours of your next evening dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.
Storage
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
Precautions
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly and does not cause unwanted effects. These visits may be every 3 to 6 months. Pelvic exam, breast exam, and mammogram (breast x-ray) may be needed to check for unwanted effects, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Be sure to keep all appointments.
It is unlikely that a postmenopausal woman may become pregnant. But, you should know that using this medicine while you are pregnant could harm your unborn baby. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.
Using this medicine over a long period of time may increase your risk of breast cancer or endometrial cancer. Talk with your doctor about this risk. Do not use this medicine if you have had your uterus (womb) removed (hysterectomy). Check with your doctor immediately if you experience abnormal vagin*l bleeding.
Using this medicine may increase your risk of dementia, especially in women 65 years of age and older.
Using this medicine may increase your risk for having blood clots, strokes, or heart attacks. This risk may continue even after you stop using the medicine. Your risk for these serious problems is even greater if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol in your blood, diabetes, or if you are overweight or smoke cigarettes. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience chest pain, confusion, difficulty speaking, double vision, headaches, an inability to move arms, legs or facial muscle, or an inability to speak.
Tell the medical doctor or dentist in charge that you are using this medicine before any kind of surgery (including dental surgery) or emergency treatment. Your doctor will decide whether you should continue using this medicine. This medicine may also affect the results of certain medical tests.
Check with your doctor immediately if severe headache or sudden loss of vision or any other change in vision occurs while you are using this medicine. Your doctor may want you to have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements.
Side Effects
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
- Breast tenderness
Less common
- Headache
- heavy non-menstrual vagin*l bleeding
- pain in the pelvis
- white or brownish vagin*l discharge
Incidence not known
- Blurred vision
- breast pain
- chest pain
- chills
- clay-colored stools
- confusion
- dark urine
- decrease in the amount of urine
- diarrhea
- fast or irregular heartbeat
- fever
- general feeling of discomfort or illness
- itching, skin rash
- lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- noisy, rattling breathing
- stomach pain
- swelling of the fingers, hands, feet, or lower legs
- trouble breathing
- unpleasant breath odor
- unusual tiredness or weakness
- unusually heavy or unexpected menstrual bleeding
- vagin*l bleeding or spotting
- vomiting of blood
- weight gain
- yellow eyes or skin
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Incidence not known
- Muscle spasms
- night sweats
- pain in the arms or legs
- sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
- stomach discomfort or swelling
- trouble sleeping
- vomiting
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Portions of this document last updated: April 01, 2024
Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/estradiol-and-progesterone-oral-route/proper-use/drg-20452213
.
