Ethinyl estradiol
Ethinyl estradiol, which is also known only as Estradiol or EE, is a synthetic hormone which is mainly used in the manufacturing of hormonal contraceptives, but it has other medical uses as well.
Ethinyl estradiol is part of a class of hormones called estrogens and just like the other hormones in this class it too plays a role in the reproductive cycle of women.
But returning the most common use of the compound, ethinyl estradiol is normally used in hormonal birth control in combination with progesterone or progestin. It is used in this field thanks to the fact that low dosages are very effective and this means that those who benefit from them can do so without a lot of side effects. Ethinyl estradiol medication comes in several forms, oral form, patch form, as a gel or as an insertable medication.
This compound does so much more than prevent unwanted pregnancies, as it was mentioned earlier it is also used in other areas of medicine such as reducing the risk of osteoporosis and breast cancer and thanks to its hormonal effect it can be used to regulate menstrual cycles of those women who need it. For instance women who experience irregular or difficult and painful menstruation can use ethinyl estradiol in order to manage their periods.
This compound’s characteristics can also help menopausal women with some of their symptoms. It is used in hormone replacement therapies and it has been proven to decrease the symptoms of menopause and thus easing the transition while keeping women at a much increased level of comfort with their own bodies.
Just like it is with most other specialized medicines, there are some individuals out there who cannot benefit from ethinyl estradiol and these are generally people with clotting disorders and especially so if they smoke. It is also known that the compound can interact in a negative manner with some forms of cancer and other medical conditions.
An interesting note about ethinyl estradiol is the fact that that our liver metabolizes it very quickly and this might cause a certain degree of concern with calculated dosages. This is the reason why it is necessary to take the drug at the same time every day or if that is not possible for some reason or another use a slow-release delivery method like a patch that will slowly diffuse the drug in the body over a longer period of time. If for some reason you missed a day take the drug as soon as you remember, but on the other hand if the next scheduled time to take is very close, skip the missed one altogether. Never take extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.
There are a couple of possible side effects associated with taking ethinyl estradiol. For instance, it can cause dizziness or abrupt changes in vision in some individuals and these effects can be made worse if the drug interacts negatively with other medicines or if taken with alcohol. It’s advisable to monitor yourself for a few days after you start taking it on a daily basis to be sure that any reactions that you might have will not affect your daily tasks.
The compound can also interfere with certain lab tests so make sure that you make those in charge of the tests aware that you are taking ethinyl estradiol.
Some other reactions to the drug might take the form of dark skin patches on your face which can be made darker when exposed to sunlight. If these appear, make sure to use sunscreen or some other sort of protection from the sun when exposed to it.
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