Symptom Experience After Discontinuing Use of Estrogen Plus Progestin

Interview with Judith K. Ockene, PhD, MEd, author of Symptom Experience After Discontinuing Use of Estrogen Plus Progestin, published in the July 13 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. Summary Points: 1. Of the women who stopped E plus P, 21.2% had menopausal symptoms (hot flashes or night sweats) after stopping study medication compared to 4.8% of women who were on placebo. 2. Of the women who had menopausal symptoms when they started the study (about 12%) and were in the active hormone group, over 50% had a recurrence of symptoms after they stopped MHT compared to 21% of placebo users who had a recurrence of symptoms. 3. Women in the E plus P group reported higher rates of pain or stiffness (36.8%) after they stopped study medication compared to women who had been on placebo (22.2%). 4. Women who had symptoms after they stopped study medication reported using a wide range of strategies to manage symptoms and a large proportion found the strategies to be helpful.