Menopause is trending. Pharmacy is not.
With the proliferation and popularity of the topics of menopause and perimenopause, there are a lot of new players to contend with. Some days it may seem like everyone is vying for your time when all you need is a sound source for evidence-driven solutions. Our resource center is just that - a place for you to learn, absorb, and become empowered to make the best decisions for you.
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Our pharmacies have been in business since the 1980s and our experts have been assisting women with the transition from child bearing to not, for decades. We pride ourselves on offering unbiased and scientifically founded information to allow you and/or your patients to live their best lives.
We are committed to supporting women’s health, especially during the transitional phase of menopause. Hormonal changes during this time can significantly impact weight, metabolism, and overall wellness. That’s why we offer personalized, compounded therapies designed to address these unique challenges. Our goal is to provide effective, tailored solutions that help women feel empowered, balanced, and in control of their health throughout this important life stage.
The most common female patient complaints we hear are the frustrations and discomforts connected to hormone changes and fluctuations. Whether in perimenopause (the up to ten year period prior to the last menses) or once menopause has been reached (12 months without menses), course correcting with the replacement of sex hormones is, for many, the best course of action. With the onset of menopause, many women will feel symptoms that include hot flashes, increases in fatigue, mood swings, hair loss, dry skin and urinary tract infections. There are 34 symptoms most commonly reported with the onset of menopause and they may be present transiently or frequently. VLS Pharmacy and New Drug Loft can help.
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At every age and phase of life, women may face personal health issues that impact the health or the comfort of the genital area. Whether that takes the form of a yeast infection or vaginal bacterial overgrowth, there are compounded options to treat conditions when commercially-available drugs have fallen short or when multi-phasic therapy is needed in a single dosage form.
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Whether a woman is frustrated by chronic vaginal discomfort during intercourse or facing the challenges of infertility, we help prescribers offer custom compounds that will support the sensitivities of all sexual and reproductive needs whether that is hormone replacement therapy or other essential treatments.
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Many women no longer have to suffer in silence (or consider surgery) to address painful intercourse, urinary incontinence, and vaginal aesthetics. We prepare custom anesthetics precisely formulated for exterior vaginal procedures to help numb the area and minimize discomfort.
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Note: We also provide compounded solutions for weight management. To learn more, visit our Weight Loss Management page.
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Estrogen and progesterone production decreases abruptly once a woman reaches menopause, and the effects present as undesirable changes in the skin, including wrinkles, dryness, a lack of fullness, or even acne. Estrogen-based face creams may improve facial skin health in postmenopausal women by addressing the underlying estrogen deficiency that contributes to dryness and thinning of the skin. Estrogen face cream may also help enhance skin elasticity and hydration, helping reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
A small pilot study applied estradiol facial cream 0.01% for six months to 10 post-menopausal female patients. No hormonal side effects were noted, either clinically or by hormone monitoring, showing that topical estrogen can potentially treat skin aging in perimenopausal females. However, to minimize the risk of systemic hormonal side effects the concentrations should be limited.1
In a randomized, double-blind study, the authors showed treatment with 0.01% estradiol cream resulted in a 23 percent increase in epidermal thickness and a 38 percent increase when combined with 15% glycolic acid cream.2
In 15 postmenopausal women treated with 0.01% estrogen treatment, their epithelial and dermal thickness as well as the amount of collagen increased after 16 weeks of treatment.3 In another study of 40 post-menopausal women, 15 were administered 0.01% 17β-estradiol gel to their face. The results showed that after 24 weeks of treatment, the hyaluronic acid concentration in periauricular skin biopsies was higher.4
As with any topical medication, some traces of it will likely enter systemic circulation, making it important to determine if the medication has systemic effects. A small study showed that, after applying one gram of 0.01% estradiol ointment to the faces of women aged 46 to 66 years, there were no significant changes in serum hormone levels or vaginal smears during the estradiol treatment.3 In 15 postmenopausal women treated with 0.01% estrogen treatment, their estrogen levels did not significantly increase after the topical therapy.3
References:
Schmidt JB, Binder M, Macheiner W, Kainz C, Gitsch G, Bieglmayer C. Treatment of skin ageing symptoms in perimenopausal females with estrogen compounds. A pilot study. Maturitas. 1994;20(1):25-30. doi:10.1016/0378-5122(94)90097-3
Fuchs KO, Solis O, Tapawan R, Paranjpe J. The effects of an estrogen and glycolic acid cream on the facial skin of postmenopausal women: a randomized histologic study. Cutis. 2003;71(6):481-488.
Patriarca MT, Goldman KZ, Dos Santos JM, et al. Effects of topical estradiol on the facial skin collagen of postmenopausal women under oral hormone therapy: a pilot study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2007;130(2):202-205. doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2006.05.024
Patriarca MT, Barbosa de Moraes AR, Nader HB, et al. Hyaluronic acid concentration in postmenopausal facial skin after topical estradiol and genistein treatment: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial of efficacy. Menopause. 2013;20(3):336. doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e318269898c
Kainz C, Gitsch G, Stani J, Breitenecker G, Binder M, Schmidt JB. When applied to facial skin, does estrogen ointment have systemic effects? Arch Gynecol Obstet. 1993;253(2):71-74. doi:10.1007/BF02768732
Our pharmacies formulate bespoke medical solutions to support feminine healthcare needs including hormone replacement therapy for menopause and PMS as well as medications that support reproductive and fertility issues. Throughout the course of everyday life, we are exposed to environmental and dietary toxins, which contribute to the natural shift in hormones and the inevitable declines experienced as we age. Women may begin to experience hormone imbalances as young as 30 (sometimes younger). The result is that there is a broad range of opportunity for improving the quality of life, especially treatment for:
In order to optimize hormonal health and overall wellness, it is important to be evaluated by a highly- trained physician, have comprehensive lab testing and in-depth initial questionnaires for a thorough diagnosis, and to work with a compounding pharmacy team astute in this delicate area of medicine.
We appreciate that just as every woman is unique, many women’s health issues, concerns, and symptoms benefit from the customized solutions offered by our compounding pharmacies.
All compounds are formulated and prepared by our licensed pharmacists and are available in a variety of dosages and applications to meet patients' needs. All products are formulated using PCCA bases that have been engineered specifically for delicate areas to ensure efficacy and accurate dosing. Injectable medications are prepared in our USP <797> compliant sterile lab facilities at VLS Pharmacy.
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