Menopause Matters Forum

Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: cool4cats on November 14, 2016, 02:03:06 PM

Title: Does Vagifem contain animal by-products?
Post by: cool4cats on November 14, 2016, 02:03:06 PM

My doctor has just prescribed Vagifem pessaries, apart from the fact I'm not happy using HRT because of a history of breast cancer in my family, I'm also vegetarian and would not want to use them if they contain animal by-products like the horse's urine used in Premarin.

I've searched to find out the answer but to no avail, please does anyone here know?

Title: Re: Does Vagifem contain animal by-products?
Post by: CLKD on November 14, 2016, 02:57:04 PM

Ring your Pharmacist and explain?

As for the connection between breast disease and possible trigger of same with HRT - Quality of Life Girl, quality of Life! 

Treatment for Vaginal Atrophy is so localised there is un-likely to be any up-take from the pessaries.  I had breast disease treatment in the 1990s but there is NO way that I could have tolerated the feeling of razor blades 'up there' when atrophy struck.  Treatment is solving that problem.

Title: Re: Does Vagifem contain animal by-products?
Post by: Dancinggirl on November 14, 2016, 05:01:13 PM

I am vegetarian and as far as I know Vagifem is bio identical and is certainly not made from horses urine. It is great stuff and does wonders for our 'lady bit's
Don't worry about Vagifem and BC risk - little if any gets into our whole system - it is simply a local oestrogen to keep the urogenital area healthy and prevent infections taking hold due to the lack of oestrogen.
Make sure you do the 2 week daily load and then use 2-3 times a week to keep things healthy.  If you stop using it then symptoms may well return. Hope it helps  DG x

Title: Re: Does Vagifem contain animal by-products?
Post by: CLKD on November 14, 2016, 07:09:54 PM

VA requires Life-long treatment! 

Title: Re: Does Vagifem contain animal by-products?
Post by: Hurdity on November 14, 2016, 10:59:10 PM

Hi cool4cats

Apart from the PRE type HRT made from horse urine, all the other HRT types use estradiol which as far as I know comes from plants originally - specifically soy and yam and the hormone is manufactured from these raw materials.

As the others have said - go for it! Hardly any of it is absorbed - the leaflet warnings are the same as for full HRT.

Hurdity  x :welcomemm:

Title: Re: Does Vagifem contain animal by-products?
Post by: Taz2 on November 15, 2016, 07:37:45 AM

Hi cool4cats - if you scroll down to 6.1 you will find the list of exipients for Vagifem which may help https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/23819

Taz x