Lara Briden's Forum

Good evening! I was prescribed Estradiol and Norethindrone tablets for my perimenopausal systems. I haven't taken them because I'm afraid of the side effects and that it causes cancer, heart attack, etc. Has anyone taken them and how is it going? Is it worth it?

Thank You.

Hi Ebbie.
I want to start by clarifying what Estradiol and Norethindrone are (for those who may not know).
Estradiol is a bioidentical estrogen - i.e. the same as the estrogen we naturally make.
Norethindrone is a progestin - i.e. a chemical compound that's somewhat like progesterone, but with some significant differences.
It's common to include EITHER a progestin OR natural progesterone (e.g. Prometrium) with estrogen, because estrogen taken by itself (sometimes called "unopposed estrogen") has some risks, especially for the uterine lining.
But, I don't know of any good reason why doctors keep pushing progestins as part of the treatment for menopausal symptoms when natural progesterone is gentler and safer (which makes sense because it's the same as the progesterone we make).
I'd suggest asking your doctor if you can have Estradiol + Prometrium instead.
HTH
p.s. The risks you mention "cancer, heart attack, etc" are mostly associated with estrogen-only therapy, rather than "opposed estrogen therapy" (estrogen + progesterone). If you have a family history of cardiac issues or have specific risk factors, then these do need to be considered, but I assume your doctor would have already looked at that before prescribing.