Prefest
(Estradiol / Norgestimate)
Relieves menopause symptoms and lowers your risk of osteoporosis.
Our bottom line
Prefest (Estradiol / Norgestimate) is effective at treating symptoms related to menopause and bone loss. It has a difficult dosing schedule to follow, but doesn't affect your cholesterol and triglyceride levels as much as other estrogen products.
- Drug class: Women's health
- Rx status: Prescription only
- Generic status: No lower cost generic available
Upsides
- Prefest (Estradiol / Norgestimate) 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 get enough calcium and Vitamin D.
- Improves mood, energy, and mental alertness for some people.
- Good for women with an intact uterus. The norgestimate (a progestin) protects against the risk of cancer in the uterus caused by estrogen treatment.
- Doesn't affect your cholesterol levels as much as other estrogen treatments.
Downsides
- More potential side effects since it exposes your whole body to two hormones, estrogen and norgestimate (a progestin).
- Dosing schedule can be hard to follow with the 2 different kind of pills (estrogen-only and estrogen/progestin pills).
- Increases your risk of developing blood clots and stroke.
- You may get irregular bleeding and spotting that can last a few months to a year.
Prefest (Estradiol / Norgestimate) is a combination oral medicine that works to balance hormone changes in your body during and after menopause. Estradiol (an estrogen) reduces hot flashes and night sweats and prevents bone loss, but can also harm cells in the uterus after menopause. Norgestimate (a progestin) protects the uterus from damage.
- Drug class: Women's health
- Rx status: Prescription only
- Generic status: No lower cost generic available
Used for
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Vaginal dryness and inflammation
- Prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis
Dosage forms
- Pill
Prices and coupons
Skip prices section. Skip to what to expect section.- Pay as low as$168.76Retail priceRetail priceLearn more
- CostcoGet free coupon$169.51
- Get free discount$176.53
- Get free coupon$177.00
Side effect rates for Prefest (Estradiol / Norgestimate)
- Headache23%23%
- Upper respiratory-tract infection21%21%
- Breast pain16%16%
- Back pain12%12%
- Abdominal pain12%12%
- Influenza-like symptoms11%11%
- Arthralgia9%9%
- Vaginal bleeding (all)9%9%
- Dysmenorrhea8%8%
- Sinusitis8%8%
- Vaginitis7%7%
- Pharyngitis7%7%
- Fatigue6%6%
- Pain6%6%
- Nausea6%6%
- Viral infection6%6%
- Flatulence5%5%
- Tooth disorder5%5%
- Myalgia5%5%
- Dizziness5%5%
- Depression5%5%
- Coughing5%5%
The placebo bar shows how common a side effect was for people taking a sugar pill instead of Prefest.
People taking Prefest felt side effect more
People taking Prefest felt side effect less
Risks and Warnings for Prefest (Estradiol / Norgestimate)
Skip risks section. Skip to common concerns section.- Higher risk if:
- › Using estrogen for more than one year
Vaginal bleeding after menopause can be a warning sign of uterus (endometrial) cancer, so let your doctor know if you notice any unusual bleeding. When estrogen is prescribed to women after menopause who still have a uterus, progestin should be used with it to lower the risk of cancer. Low-dose vaginal estrogen products are often a better choice than oral pills for women 65 years or older who have vaginal symptoms.
This is a black box warning. The FDA requires this warning when there is a significant risk of serious or life-threatening effects that anyone taking the drug should consider.
Common concerns from people taking Prefest (Estradiol / Norgestimate)
Final section. Do you want to return to drug navigation?Research studies with real people or animals found harmful effects on unborn babies. If you’re pregnant, the risks to your unborn baby outweigh the benefits.
Tip: Always talk with your doctor before you take any medication while pregnant.- Prefest (Estradiol / Norgestimate) is a mixture of estrogen and progestin. It could cause a higher risk of ovarian cancer, especially if you have a family history of it. Your doctor can help you weigh the risks versus the benefits of this medication.
- Can cause nausea, dizziness, bloating, and breast tenderness.