(017) Systemic Estradiol Menopause Management: Return to the Old-Fashioned Way
Authors: Goldstein S , Uloko M , Stearns H , Goldstein I 
Published: June 2023

Introduction

The mean systemic estradiol value in menopausal women is &lt; 10 pg/ml, consistent with ovarian failure. Such low values are associated with multiple symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood changes and irritability, cognitive changes, weight gain and slowed metabolism. Contemporary management with systemic estradiol, maximizing safety and efficacy, emphasizes non-oral, non-injection estradiol replacement therapies including systemic daily gels, twice weekly or weekly patches or three-month vaginal rings. Most women (&gt;60%) who try these systemic therapies in our sexual medicine clinic have been successful at reducing bothersome symptoms. We have identified a subset of women who cannot achieve sufficient symptom relief despite using contemporary estradiol strategies due to lack of efficacy, negative side effects, (rings cannot stay in the vagina or values are too high initially and then too low, patches cause rashes or fall off, gels are too messy) or financial concerns. For these patients, we have advised a return to the “old-fashioned way” using weekly intramuscular (IM) injection of either estradiol valerate or cypionate. Estradiol cypionate was first described as well as introduced for medical use in 1952.

Objectives

This study examines the experiences of this subset of women in one practice using weekly injections of estradiol valerate or cypionate for either efficacy or financial reasons.

Methods

This chart review identified a subset of 16 patients (mean age 59 +/− 8 years) at a single site who had been prescribed estradiol valerate or cypionate when symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) persisted despite use of estradiol replacement gels, patches or rings, or cost was prohibitive. We have advised weekly IM injection of either estradiol valerate (20 mg/ml; starting dose 0.05 ml or 1 mg) or estradiol cypionate (5 mg/ml; starting dose 0.2 ml or 1 mg). We compared relief of bothersome symptoms from earlier estradiol treatments to current IM injection and compared monthly costs of each treatment based on GoodRx prices, assuming medications were not covered by insurance.

Results

All patients using weekly injections of estradiol valerate or cypionate had their estradiol-based GSM symptoms ameliorated without complaint of inconvenience or discomfort using injections. The risks of IM injections of estradiol are similar to those of topical administration, requiring concomitant progesterone use in women with a uterus. Concerning finances, using a GoodRx coupon, a 5 ml bottle of estradiol valerate costs approximately $50 and should last at least one year, reducing monthly cost to approximately $5/month. A 5 ml bottle of estradiol cypionate costs approximately $150 and should last at least 6 months, thus about $25/month. In contrast, generic patches are approximately $40/month, gels $150/month and the ring $170/month. While there remains an abhorrence for injections, the motivation for systemic estradiol replacement superseded any inconvenience of using an injectable medication and the 27-gauge ½ inch needle is associated with minimal pain. No significant side effects were noted with IM injection.

Conclusions

For certain individuals, sometimes the “old-fashioned way” works better both in terms of efficacy and cost, providing relief of bothersome menopausal symptoms.

Disclosure

No.