Vagifem is a vaginal tablet (pessary) that contains 10 mcg oestradiol (a type of oestrogen) and is used to treat local vaginal symptoms associated with hormonal changes related to menopause.
Please be aware that this medication will not help with more generalised menopausal symptoms ( eg hot fluses, night sweats, mood problems
While it is a type of HRT, it is considered to be very safe as it only acts on the vaginal tissues and contains a very low dose of hormone; using 10mcg vagifem pessaries for one year is equivalent to one 1mg oestradiol HRT tablet (one oral oestrogen HRT tablet).
When using vagifem ,the level of oestrogen in the blood is the same as menopausal women who are not using vaginal oestrogen, and so there is no significant risk of concerning side effects such as breast cancer, blood clots and heart disease compared with other oestrogen treatments (oral HRT & combined contraceptive pill).