Is Activella Synthesized From a Plant?

Activella is a prescription hormone therapy developed by Nodo Nordisk, a health care company known for diabetes care and pharmaceuticals. The company also specializes in women's hormone therapy treatments.

Benefits

• Activella contains estrogen and progestin to provide a woman with the hormones her body loses during the process of menopause.

Origins

• Both estrogen and progestin are derived from plants. Estrogen is often derived from soy plants. Progestin is a synthetic form of progesterone, which is a derivative of wild yams or soy plants. Progestin starts as natural progesterone, then an added atom changes its structure.

Uses

• Activella is used to treat post-menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness and burning, as well as to prevent osteoporosis.

Considerations

• The estrogen and progestin in Activella combine to help cancel out the other's negative side effects. For example, estrogen can increase the risk of uterine cancer. Progestin helps reduce that likelihood. Also, for that reason, women who have had a hysterectomy should not take Activella.

Side Effects

• Side effects range from back pain, weight gain, hair loss and vaginal bleeding to the more extreme effects such as breast cancer, dementia and ovarian cancer.