Definition of Drospirenone

Drospirenone is essentially a synthetic form of the female hormone progestin. It is commonly paired with either estradiol or ethinyl estradiol, both forms of estrogen. When used in combination with one of these two estrogens, it would be prescribed as a treatment for menopause or as an oral contraceptive, respectively. Though drospirenone is an important part on these combination medications, its use is really dictated by its pairing with one or the other estrogen.

Drospirenone and Estradiol

• As a woman goes through perimenopause and then menopause, her hormones will inevitably start to fluctuate. This is largely due to the decreased amount of estrogen produced by her ovaries. To bring the estrogen level back up and combat the symptoms of menopause, you may decide to go through some sort of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). But estrogen replacement alone isn't necessarily the safest method of treating menopause, as it can increase the potential of uterine cancer. By adding drospirenone to estradiol (or adding progestin to estrogen), you reduce this particular risk.

Efficacy

• The combination of drospirenone and estradiol serves to treat some of the more common symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, flushing, vaginal dryness, vaginal burning and increased episodes of sweating. Some women may continue to take this medication during postmenopause, but it isn't always necessary.

Side Effects of HRT

• As with almost any form of medication, there is the potential for certain side effects to occur when drospirenone and estradiol are used in hormone replacement therapy. This would include some mild to moderate breast pain, bloating, vaginal bleeding or discharge, weight gain and pelvic pain.

Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol

• When drospirenone is paired with ethinyl estradiol, you get another combination medication that now acts as a form of birth control. This prescription ultimately prevents you from going through ovulation, fertilization and implantation--much like other forms of the birth-control pill. Your doctor will decide if this or another oral contraceptive is right for you. While the prevention of pregnancy is the main purpose behind this medication, it is also used in the treatment of severe cases of PMS, as it does help to regulate and lessen symptoms of more intense forms of this syndrome.

Side Effects of Birth Control

• With the birth-control pill that contains both drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, there really aren't any true side effects, except that some women do experience nausea, vomiting, bloating and an increased tenderness of the breasts. But these side effects are fairly rare. The only genuine cause for any alarm would be if you were to smoke while taking this prescription oral contraceptive. When you smoke while on this medication, you are actually increasing your chances (even more so than normally) of developing cancer.