Premphase is not a birth control pill. It is used to reduce menopause symptoms. It helps reduce episodes of flushing and sweating of the upper body and face, commonly called hot flashes. It also helps treat dryness, itching, and burning around the vagina. These symptoms occur when a woman's body no longer makes the usual amount of female hormone (estrogen). This medication is a combination of 2 types of female hormones: estrogen (conjugated estrogens) and a progestin (medroxyprogesterone). A progestin is added to estrogen replacement therapy to reduce the risk of cancer of the uterus. A woman who has had her uterus removed does not need progestin and should not be treated with this combination medication.
If you need treatment only for vaginal menopause symptoms, products applied directly inside the vagina should be considered before medications that are taken by mouth, absorbed through the skin, or injected.
This medication may also be used to prevent bone loss (osteoporosis) in people at high risk who cannot take other drugs that are safe and effective to prevent or treat bone loss (e.g., raloxifene, bisphosphonates such as alendronate). These medicines should be considered for use before estrogen/progestin HRT therapy for osteoporosis.
