Climara

Climara is a prescription drug used for treating menopausal symptoms. It is also approved for preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and treating hormone deficiency in younger women whose ovaries do not produce enough estrogen. Climara comes as a skin patch and is available in six different strengths. While most people tolerate the medication well, potential side effects include headaches, breast pain, and abdominal pain.

 

What Is Climara?

Climara® (estradiol patch) is a prescription hormone replacement medication. It comes as a patch that is applied to the skin once a week. The medication is approved for the following uses:
 
  • Treating menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, or vaginal dryness
  • Replacing hormones in younger women whose ovaries do not produce enough estrogen (or who have had their ovaries removed)
  • Preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
     
(Click Climara Uses for more information, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Who Makes It?

Brand-name Climara is made by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. Generic Climara patches are made by Mylan Pharmaceuticals.
 

How Does Climara Work?

Climara contains estradiol, an estrogen hormone. Estradiol is the predominant estrogen in premenopausal women. This medication helps to relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing the estrogen that the ovaries no longer produce. Because estrogen helps to keep the bones strong, the decrease in estrogen during menopause causes a significant weakening of the bones, often resulting in osteoporosis. By providing estrogen, Climara can help prevent these menopause-related bone changes.
 
(Climara Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;