Tamoxifen and natural progesterone as supplements to low-dose postmenopausal estrogen therapy.
Postmenopausal women received 1 mg estrone sulfate a day for 3 weeks in 12 sequences separated by a 7-day interval without medication and every second time by a 10-day treatment with natural progesterone, 100 mg 2 times daily (n = 16), or tamoxifen, 10 mg 2 times daily (n = 17). Both treatments alleviated climacteric symptoms, maturated the vaginal epithelium, and decreased follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin concentrations while lipid metabolism remained unaltered. In the estrogen-progesterone group 4 women (25%) were persistently amenorrheic, 12 (75%) experienced 1-5 bleedings per year, and 4 women had proliferative endometrium after treatments. In the estrogen-tamoxifen group 11 women (65%) were amenorrheic, 6 (35%) had 1-4 bleedings per year, and 5 had proliferative endometrium. With the present treatment schedules, tamoxifen was more effective than natural progesterone in inhibiting estrogen stimulation of postmenopausal endometrium.
Kauppila
A
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oulu, Finland.
Kivinen
S
S
Stenbäck
F
F
Vihko
R
R
Vuopala
S
S
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004970:Estrone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D006728:Hormones; D008055:Lipids; D013629:Tamoxifen; D004970:Estrone; D011374:Progesterone; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase