Compare Premarin vs. Minivelle
Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.
Treats low estrogen, relieves menopause symptoms, and lowers your risk of osteoporosis.
Premarin (Conjugated Estrogens) relieves menopausal symptoms and prevents bone loss. It's an oral hormone replacement, so it can have a lot of side effects, and it's important to think through the benefits and potential hassles of this drug before using it.
●●●●●
3.5/ 5 average rating with 154 reviewsforPremarin
Relieves menopause symptoms.
The Minivelle (estradiol patch) is the mini-me of estrogen patches. It's used twice a week, available in five strengths, and has the least amount of skin irritation.
●●●●●
4.2/ 5 average rating with 17 reviewsforMinivelle
Upsides
- Premarin (Conjugated Estrogens) replenishes estrogen to your whole body and relieves multiple symptoms due to low estrogen (hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness).
- Lowers your risk of fractures by keeping your bones healthy. Make sure you also take enough calcium and Vitamin D.
- Improves mood, energy, and mental alertness for some people.
- Does not expose your partner to estrogen during sexual acitivities like vaginal estrogen creams.
- Can help relieve symptoms of prostate cancer or advanced breast cancer in some people.
- Minivelle (estradiol patch) is the smallest estrogen patch available. It's the size a dime and comes in 5 different strengths.
- Causes little or no skin irritation and doesn't leave much adhesive on your skin.
- Minivelle (estradiol patch) replaces estrogen to your whole body and relieves many symptoms due to low estrogen, like hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
- By using a patch instead of a pill, there's a lower risk of side effects such as blood clots and stroke since lower amounts of estrogen are used in patches.
- Lowers your risk of fractures by keeping your bones healthy.
Downsides
- More potential side effects than estrogen creams since it exposes your whole body to estrogen.
- Increases your risk of uterine and breast cancer.
- If you have your uterus, you have to take Premarin (Conjugated Estrogens) with another hormone called progestin to lower your risk of uterine cancer.
- Increases your risk of developing blood clots and stroke.
- Can't be used in people with liver problems.
- Can be expensive since it's only available as a brand name product.
- You need to replace Minivelle (estradiol patch) twice a week, compared to other patches that are once a week.
- Patches can fall off.
- Increases your risk of uterine and breast cancer.
- Increases your risk of developing blood clots and stroke.
- Can worsen other health conditions, like high cholesterol, asthma, diabetes, fluid retention, and migraines.
- Can't be used in people with liver problems.
Used for
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Vaginal dryness and inflammation
- Low estrogen
- Primary ovarian failure
- Prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis
- Metastatic breast cancer
- Advanced prostate cancer
- Gender identity disorder (male-to-female transsexual)
- Turner syndrome
- Hot flashes
- Prevention of bone thinning in postmenopausal women
Dosage forms
- Pill
- Patch
Price
Lowest price
$151.58
Find instant savings near youLowest price
$33.76
Find instant savings near youWant to save even more money?
Sign up now for a 30-day trial and save up to 95% at CVS, Kroger, Albertsons, and other pharmacies.
Learn more
Reviews
154 reviews so far
50%
saidit'sworth it
43%
saiditworked well
11%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Premarin (Conjugated Estrogens)?
Leave a review17 reviews so far
82%
saidit'sworth it
76%
saiditworked well
18%
saidit'sa big hassle
Have you used Minivelle (estradiol patch)?
Leave a reviewSide effects
28possible side effects
- Headache13%
- Abdominal pain9%
- Breast pain7%
- Nausea5%
- Asthenia4%
- Back pain4%
- Pain4%
- Flatulence4%
- Insomnia4%
- Leukorrhea4%
- Vaginal moniliasis4%
- Leg cramps3%
- Depression3%
- Pruritus3%
- Vaginitis3%
- Pelvic pain2%
- Hypertension2%
- Diarrhea2%
- Dyspepsia2%
- Weight gain2%
- Emotional lability2%
- Hypertonia2%
- Acne2%
- Alopecia2%
- Breast enlargement2%
- Breast neoplasm2%
- Cervix disorder2%
- Vaginal hemorrhage2%
20possible side effects
- Headache26%
- Breast pain13%
- Back pain11%
- Menstrual bleeding11%
- Influenza8%
- Common cold8%
- Nausea5%
- Pain5%
- Sinus infection5%
- Lung infection5%
- Neck pain5%
- Limb pain5%
- Sinus congestion5%
- Joint pain4%
- Depression3%
- Constipation2%
- Flu-like symptoms2%
- Sinus headache2%
- Anxiety2%
- Trouble sleeping2%
Risks and risk factors
- Endometrial cancer
- Using estrogen for more than one year
- Breast cancer
- Personal or family history of breast cancer
- Duration of use
- Increased risk of blood clots and stroke
- Personal or family history of blood clots
- Obesity
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Smoking
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- High cholesterol
- Age 50 or older
- Memory loss
- Gallbladder problems
- Serious allergic reaction
- Prior severe allergic reaction to Premarin (Conjugated Estrogens)
- Harm to fetus
- Women of childbearing age
- Pancreas swelling (pancreatitis)
- High levels of triglycerides
- Endometrial cancer
- Using estrogen for more than one year
- Breast cancer
- Personal or family history of breast cancer
- Using estrogen for more than one year
- Increased risk of blood clots and stroke
- Personal or family history of blood clots
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Smoking
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- High cholesterol
- Age 50 or older
- Dementia
- Age 65 or older
- Pancreas swelling (pancreatitis)
- High levels of triglycerides