Is it safe for me to use Estring?
I am a 67 year old woman. I went for my routine check-up & pap test. My Dr. called me to tell me that my pap test was abnormal, due to cervical atrophy. She wants me to use Estring for 3 months and then have test over. I'm afraid after reading the side effects on the packaging from the pharmacy. I was on Premarein about 15 years ago and stopped after a very short time because of vaginal bleeding. I don't want that to happen again. I had to have biopsy which was painful. There were many other side effects that give me cause to reconsider, such as dizziness, headaches, raise in cholesterol, weight gain, rasing calcium levels(my levels are on the high end already). Are there any other options? I told me Dr. that I was not in favor of using it. She said to come back in 3 months for another pap test. She said other treatments would not work. Are there any other options that you know of?
Hi Elaine,
I use Estring too but for vaginal dryness. Because of family history, I am very reticent to "take" estrogen orally but after I talked it over with my doctor, it seemed that Estring was pretty tame in comparison. From what I understand it helps restore some flexibility or health to the vaginal area and, by extension, I assume the cervix too. You should get your doctor to tell you the long-term effects of cervical atrophy, and understand why it is something you need to have addressed. Understand what other treatment options there are, if any. Only then can you make a good decision for yourself. If you have family history of hormonal cancer, then make sure your doctor knows about it. Might be time to have a follow-up discussion with her, maybe not over the phone.
Good luck,
Toni
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