What is Angeliq?
Angeliq is a medication that combines both drospirenone and estradiol-17β into a singular tablet.
It’s indicated for use to treat climacteric syndrome (vasomotor symptoms), in postmenopausal women. In some cases, it’s used as treatment for vaginal itching, burning, or dryness associated with menopause.
Angeliq is only recommended for use in patients that have an intact uterus.
For more resources, including a full list of the risks and benefits of Angeliq, please review the product monograph.
How does Angeliq work?
Angeliq works by replacing some of the natural hormones that are no longer being produced by the body, due to the natural menopausal transition and postmenopause.
Angeliq is only used in women that have an intact uterus, due to the fact that estrogens may also stimulate the growth of the lining around the uterus.
This can eventually lead to endometrial hyperplasia (and overgrowth of uterus lining) or endometrial cancer, if left untreated.
The inclusion of progestin within Angeliq helps reduce the risks of this occurring.
What is Angeliq used to treat?
Angeliq has two indicated uses:
The first is as a treatment for vasomotor symptoms (i.e., hot flashes, night sweats, excessive sweating, feeling overheated), which are associated with menopause.
The second is as a treatment to help relieve moderate to severe vaginal dryness, itching, or burning in or around the vaginal, which is associated with menopause.
It’s important to note that Angeliq should only be used by women with an intact uterus.
How do you take Angeliq?
Angeliq dosages are very easy to take. You just take one tablet orally each day.
The Angeliq tablets can be taken with or without food, and the time of the day that you start taking the tablets doesn’t really matter.
It is important to try and take your Angeliq doses at the same time each day, as that will help keep the hormones in your body as stable as possible. In turn, this will help get the best possible effect out of your medication.
How long does Angeliq last after you take it?
What are the common side effects of Angeliq?
The most common side effects from taking Angeliq include:
- Abnormal pain or bloating
- Nausea or general feeling of unwell
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Mood swings
- Hot flashes or night sweats
- Nervousness
- Enlarged or lumpy breasts
- Increased size of the fibroids in the womb
- Growth of cells at the neck of the womb
- Vaginal discharge
- Breakthrough bleeding
- Depression
If you start to experience any of these symptoms severely, or any other severe symptoms that could be associated with menopause, be sure to talk to your healthcare practitioner at Felix. They may be able to suggest an Angeliq alternative that may work better for you.
MHT is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms and has been shown to prevent bone loss.
In menopausal women who start appropriately-dosed MHT prior to age 60 OR within 10 years of their last period, the health benefits outweigh the risks.
Risks of MHT are considered very rare (~1 case per 1000 to 10,000 women on MHT per year) and may include:
- risks of stroke or blood clots in legs or lungs with oral estrogen (much lower risk with estrogen gel or patch)
- risks of dementia in women older than 65 years,
- risk of breast cancer (less than ~1 case per 1000 women on MHT per year)
These conditions are all rare, but they highlight the importance of having a full discussion with your healthcare practitioner; especially if you’re experiencing moderate to severe side effects.
Individualization is key, and your MHT treatment plan should be reassessed (at least) once a year to monitor your health, as well as ensure that you are on the correct dosage and formulation.
Your practitioner can help you find balance between treating your symptoms safely, and avoiding increased risks.
Who shouldn't take Angeliq?
There are some people that shouldn’t take Angeliq, such as:
- People with active liver disease
- People that have a personal history of breast cancer of endometrial cancer
- People that have or have had liver tumours
- People with severe kidney disease
- People with very high levels of fatty acids in their blood called hypertriglyceridemia
- People with endometrial hyperplasia
- People with undiagnosed or abnormal genital bleeding
- People with a history of heart attacks, heart disease, or strokes
- People that experience migraines
- People with a history of blood clots or active thrombophlebitis
- People at a high risk of having blood clots or were born with blood clotting abnormalities
- People that have vision issues due to blood vessel disease in the eye
- People who are pregnant or believe that they could be pregnant
- People that are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed
- People that have had a hysterectomy
- People that have adrenal disease
- People that have allergies to estrogen, progestin, or any of the other ingredients in Angeliq
In addition to these people, there are others that should be extra cautious about using Angeliq. Talk to your doctor first if you:
- Are taking any other prescription or nonprescription medications
- Are current on daily, long-term treatments for chronic conditions using:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Potassium-sparing diuretics
- Potassium supplements
- Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and Angiotensin-II receptor agonists
- Heparin
- Have a history of allergies or intolerances to other medications
- Have a history of breast disease, breast biopsies, or a family history of breast cancer
- Have a history of endometrial hyperplasia
- Have uterine fibroids or endometriosis
- Have a history of liver disease or jaundice
- Have a history of itching related to estrogen use or during pregnancy
- Have high blood pressure
- Have kidney disease, asthma, or epilepsy
- Have a history of bone disease
- Have diabetes
- Have porphyria (a blood pigment disease)
- Have high prolactin levels or prolactinoma
- Have a history of high cholesterol or high triglycerides
- Smoke
- Have a history of depression
- Have a condition called hereditary angioedema
- Have had episodes of swelling in the hands, feet, face, lips, eyes, tongue, throat, or digestive tract
- Have hearing loss due to otosclerosis
- Have lupus
If any of these conditions could apply to you, your healthcare practitioner may want to suggest an Angeliq alternative that will work better for you, based on your health and medical history.
Further reading
