What Factors Affect Estradiol Dosage?

Dosage of estradiol is affected by many different factors, the most important two being the condition the drug is being used to treat and the method of application. For most conditions, the oral dose of estradiol is no more than 2 milligrams (mg) per day. This is suitable for treatment of post menopausal issues, hypoestrogenism, oophorectomy and atrophic vaginitis. If the drug is being administered as a topical cream, however, the dosage lowers to 0.025 mg to 0.1 mg per day. For other conditions, such as osteoporosis, the oral estradiol dosage is only 0.5 mg per day.

Estradiol is an estrogen supplement that is used as a treatment in various different situations. Most often, the drug is prescribed to help the management of the symptoms associated with menopause. In addition, the drug can be used for other ailments such as osteoporosis, prostate cancer and breast cancer. Hypoestrogenism and atrophic vaginitis also benefit from estradiol. Generally, the drug is administered daily, and sometimes with a five-day break from treatment each month.

The most important factor that affects estradiol dosage is the condition that the drug is being used to treat. For most conditions, the dosage is between 1 and 2 mg per day, administered orally. This is suitable for the treatment of hypoestrogenism, atrophic vaginitis and atrophic urethritis. For post-menopausal issues, the dosage can start from as little as 0.45 mg per day but still have a maximum of 2 mg. Estradiol dosage for palliative breast cancer is much more, at 10 mg administered three times daily.

Another key factor in determining the correct estradiol dosage is the method of application of the drug. Most often, the drug is taken in the form of tablets, but it is also available as a topical patch and a vaginal cream. The topical patch is applied to the affected area, and its dosage is ordinarily lower than the oral dosage. For example, if the drug is being used to treat primary ovarian failure, the oral dosage is between 1 and 2 mg per day, while the topical patch dosage is 0.025 to 0.1 mg per day.

The patches are applied to the patient’s body, on a hairless section of skin other than the breasts. Generally, different positions must be used in a rotation, so no one place is used more than once a week. The patch is typically applied one to two times per week.