What is Climara?
Climara is a transdermal patch that contains the medication estradiol hemihydrate.
It’s indicated for use as a treatment for menopausal and postmenopausal symptoms relating to estrogen-deficiency.
Climara 50mcg patches are also indicated for use in the prevention of osteoporosis in estrogen-deficient people, or to further reduce bone loss in people that are already diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Climara 25mcg patches are not indicated for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis.
For more resources, including a full list of the risks and benefits of Climara, please review the product monograph.
How does Climara work?
Climara transdermal patches contain the estradiol hemihydrate, which is very similar to the naturally occurring hormone estrogen.
Throughout the menopausal transition, estrogen levels drop due to the body’s natural end of menstrual cycles.
These transdermal patches allow for your body to take in estradiol/estrogen gradually through the patch.
In turn, it can reduce the severity of menopause/postmenopause symptoms, and helps lower the risks of osteoporosis in estrogen deficient people.
For those that have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, Cimara patches (specifically 50mcg) can be used to help prevent further bone loss, by replacing some of the hormones that cause this condition.
What is Climara used to treat?
Climara patches have two indicated uses:
The first is as a treatment for menopause and postmenopause-related symptoms in estrogen-deficient individuals.
The second indication has two potential scenarios of use.
50 mcg Climara patches can be used as a preventative measure to reduce the risks of osteoporosis occurring in people that are estrogen deficient.
Alternatively, if a person has already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, 50mcg Climara patches can be used to help stop further bone loss.
25mcg Climara patches aren’t indicated for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis.
How do you take Climara?
Each Climara patch comes in its own individual packaging. Always follow the opening directions on the packaging to ensure that you don’t damage the patch, while opening its packaging.
Climara patches should be applied once a week, and worn for 7 consecutive days. After 7 days, the patch should be removed, and another patch should be put on. Only one patch per week should be worn, and only one patch at a time.
If you’re using the Climara patch and you have not had a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), then you should also be taking a progestin medication for a certain number of days during each cycle.
This reduces the risks of endometrial hyperplasia (overgrowth of the lining of the uterus) and endometrial carcinoma (cancer of the uterine lining) from occurring.
How long does Climara last after you take it?
What are the common side effects of Climara?
Some of the most common side effects of Climara patches include:
- Changes in body weight
- Heavy periods
- Migraines
- Fluid retention
- Persistent skin irritation
If any of these symptoms start to become severe, be sure to talk to your healthcare practitioner. They may be able to suggest an alternative dosage or medication that could work better for you.
There are some other possible side effects that require investigation. Be sure to talk to your healthcare practitioner if you start to experience:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Unexpected vaginal bleeding
- Breast lumps
- Changes in vision
- Easy bruising, excessive nose bleeds, or extremely heavy periods
- First migraine headache (if you’ve never experienced one before)
- Bloating or fluid retention lasting longer than 6 weeks
- High blood pressure
- Rapid pulse
- Dizziness
- Skin redness, swelling, tenderness, pain or hardening of tissue around a vein
Additionally, you should stop your treatments and seek immediate medical assistance if you start to experience:
- Change in speech
- Crushing chest pain or chest heaviness
- Pain or swelling in the leg
- Persistent sad mood
- Sharp pain in the chest, coughing blood, or sudden shortness of breath
- Sudden partial or complete loss of vision
- Sudden severe headache or worsening of headache, vomiting, dizziness, fainting, disturbance of vision or speech, or weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice)
Who shouldn't take Climara?
There are a number of people that shouldn’t use Climara patches, including:
- People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- People with liver disease, or that have or have had a liver tumour
- People with a history of certain types of cancer (i.e., endometrial cancer)
- People that have known, suspected, or have had breast cancer
- People that have endometrial hyperplasia (overgrowth of the lining of the uterus)
- People with undiagnosed or abnormal genital bleeding
- People with a history of heart attacks, heart disease, or strokes
- People with a history of blood clots or active thrombophlebitis (inflammation of the veins)
- People at high risk of blood clots, including those born with certain blood clotting disorders
- People with vision issues caused by blood vessel disease of the eye
- People that have ever had an allergic or unusual reaction to estrogen or any other ingredient of Climara
In addition to these people, there are others that should be cautious about using Climara patches. Be sure to tell your healthcare practitioner before starting Climara if you:
- Have a history of allergies or intolerances to any medications or other substances
- Have a history of breast disease (including lumps), breast biopsies, or a family history of breast cancer
- Have experienced any unusual or undiagnosed vaginal bleeding
- Have a history of uterine fibroids or endometriosis
- Have a history of liver disease or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Have a history of itching related to estrogen use or during pregnancy
- Have or have had chloasma (yellow-brown patches on your skin)
- Have inherited deafness (otosclerosis)
- Have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Have or have had chorea minor (illness with unusual movements)
- Have hereditary angioedema
- Have experienced episodes of rapid swelling of the hands, feet, face, lips, eyes, tongue, throat (airway blockage), or digestive tract
- Have a history of migraines
- Have a history of high blood pressure
- Have a history or family history of blood clots
- Have a personal history of heart disease or strokes
- Are undergoing surgery or are required to have long bed rest
- Have a history of kidney disease, asthma, or epilepsy
- Have a history of bone disease, including certain conditions or cancers that affect calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood
- Have diabetes
- Have porphyria (a blood pigment disease)
- Have high prolactin levels or prolactinoma
- Have a history of high cholesterol or high triglycerides
- Are pregnant or may be pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Have had a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus)
- Smoke
- Have a history of depression
Your practitioner may want to suggest an alternative dosage or medication that could work better for you, based on your health and medical history.
There are also some medications that can interact with Climara patches. Be sure to tell your healthcare practitioner if you’re taking:
- Anticoagulants, antidiabetic agents
- Drugs used for treating certain heart disease or high blood pressure (i.e., diltiazem, verapamil)
- Drugs used for treating HIV and Hepatitis C infections (i.e., nelfinavir, ritonavir, ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors, boceprevir, telaprevir, nevirapine)
- Barbiturates, carbamazepine, meprobamate, phenylbutazone, primidone, phenytoin, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, felbamate, or rifampicin
- Antibiotics (i.e., erythromycin, clarithromycin, penicillin, tetracycline)
- Antifungals (i.e., griseofulvin, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, voriconazole)
Alcohol, grapefruit juice, and St. John’s wort may also interact with Climara.
In these cases, your practitioner may want to suggest an alternative medication that won’t interact with your other ongoing medications.
Further reading
