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Last Reply:

Includes Expert Content

HRT

LizKroin posted:

I do not understand the huge variations in estradiol and norethindrone prescribed for HRT. I take .125 mg of estradiol and then I see Femhrt has 2.5 mcg or.0025 mg. So I'm on 50 times what Femhrt has in it. Then Activella has .1 mg norethindrone which would be 1/40 of my 5 mg. pill. I guess I could place my tongue on it every morning and that would be my daily dose. I feel like crying because the only way my HRT mad sense is if mcg.s is 1/10th and not 1/1000th. I just want ultra low dose (half of low dose) HRT. Does anybody have any ideas?

1 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:HRTI do not understand the huge variations in estradiol and norethindrone prescribed for HRT. I take .125 mg of estradiol and then I see Femhrt has 2.5 mcg or.0025 mg. So I'm on 50 times what Femhrt has in it. Then Activella has .1 mg norethindrone which would be 1/40 of my 5 mg. pill. I guess I could place my tongue on it every morning and that would be my daily dose. I feel like crying because the only way my HRT mad sense is if mcg.s is 1/10th and not 1/1000th. I just want ultra low dose (half of low dose) HRT. Does anybody have any ideas?

Mary Jane Minkin, MD responded:

Dear LizKroin,
Hope I can help. in FemHRT, the estrogen is ethinyl estradiol; 5 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol is equivalent to 1 mg of 17 beta estradiol; so basically full dose FemHRT is roughly equivalent to Activella. FemHRT does have 1 mg of norethindrone as the progestin; Activella has 0.5 mg (half as much)-but as far as strength of the medicine, most folks just count the estrogen. Now patches are a whole other dose: a 0.05 patch is ball park equivalent to 1mg of 17 beta estradiol.
Sorry it can be a bit confusing at times,
Good luck,
Mary Jane

Report This| Share this:HRTDear LizKroin,<br />Hope I can help. in FemHRT, the estrogen is ethinyl estradiol; 5 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol is equivalent to 1 mg of 17 beta estradiol; so basically full dose FemHRT is roughly equivalent to Activella. FemHRT does have 1 mg of norethindrone as the progestin; Activella has 0.5 mg (half as much)-but as far as strength of the medicine, most folks just count the estrogen. Now patches are a whole other dose: a 0.05 patch is ball park equivalent to 1mg of 17 beta estradiol.<br />Sorry it can be a bit confusing at times,<br />Good luck,<br />Mary Jane

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