Premarin is a prescription medication formulated with estrogen hormones for the treatment of menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and vaginal dryness and irritation. Prolonged use of the drug can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer, which is why some women choose to stop taking Premarin. Talk with your doctor and follow these steps to stop taking Premarin.
Instructions
1. Consult with your doctor or gynecologist about stopping Premarin if you experience any of the uncomfortable side effects know to be associated with the drug. These can include back and breast pain, severe headaches and nausea, general muscle aches, sinus or upper respiratory infection and sleeplessness. Serious side effects that warrant immediate discontinuation include shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, numbness in the arms or legs, and skin yellowing, which could indicate liver problems.
2. Wean yourself off the hormone therapy with input from your doctor to prevent the rapid onset of unpleasant menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal irritation. Scaling back the dosage or reducing the frequency of your current dosage may be options for tapering off the drug. Talk to your doctor about a tapering plan.
3. Change your diet to eat more soy foods, blend foods and nutritional drinks with ground flax seeds, and consume herbs such as black cohosh, which provide hormonal benefits to compensate for the lost estrogen when you stop taking Premarin.
4. Consider an alternative form of estrogen replacement therapy, such as a different medication at a lower dosage or perhaps an estrogen patch that can be worn daily under your clothing. These are prescription medications that will require a visit to the doctor to determine which hormone therapy is best for your needs.
Tags: your doctor, stop taking, stop taking Premarin, taking Premarin, flashes vaginal
