Vagifem and high blood pressure

[newnamenellie]

I’ve been on Vagifem for around a year. I’m 47 and was prescribed it for vulva discomfort which the GP said was due to VA. I take the the normal dose of two pessaries per week.

A few days ago, I did a blood pressure reading at home as I’d been getting headaches. I have a home monitor which I got when I was pregnant as I have a mitral valve prolapse and was told to keep an eye on my BP. My heart issue is checked at the hospital every five years and is stable. I don’t check my BP regularly (can’t remember the last time), but when I checked it the other day it was very high). Luckily, I had a GP appointment booked the following day to discuss something else, but I decided to ask about this instead as I was worried.

The GP took my BP and it was very high again (around 190/90, taken three times). He was umming and ahhing about what to do and decided on me doing seven days’ monitoring at home. He said if consistently above 180 over the weekend, he’s review sooner.

Anyway, I’ve monitored at home since Friday and although not perfect, my readings are much lower now but I’m starting to question what caused the high readings from a few days ago.

I am generally healthy, normal BMI, don’t smoke, do exercise etc… I got to wondering if Vagifem could be responsible as I haven’t used it since middle of the week just gone.

Has as anyone else experienced this?

I would have thought it highly unlikely that the vagifem has caused high blood pressure as there is a minuscule amount of hormone in each pessary but ask GP.

Internal oestrogens are so low in oestrogen they don’t alter blood results - I know this because I have multiple rare autoimmune issues and have to stop certain medications for blood tests but I am always allowed to keep using Vagifem etc because it doesn’t have enough active ingredients in it to change anything so I highly doubt it has anything to do with a change in blood pressure. It’s more like to be menopause related itself or a coincidence.

Lots of things can influence blood pressure readings. Time of day, time since you last ate, a hot bath, exercise, being in pain, some types of painkillers...

There will truly be no connection. Try to put that out of your mind and focus on other things that may be causing it- maybe diet, lifestyle, stress.

Vagifem is not classed as HRT anyway. It's a very weak topical estrogen in a minute dose.

The only types of HRT that can perhaps raise BP are the old tablet forms.

Vaginal estrogens stay where they are put. They don't get into the blood stream.

It's a good idea for everyone to do a BP check once they get to middle age, maybe twice a year to monitor it.

Thanks for your responses. My readings today are much lower, in the normal range. I’m puzzled as there was nothing that I can think of which would have caused the spike, but it was a spike which lasted around 48 hours before tapering off (hopefully).

I know that Vagifem is a very low dose and stays in the vagina, BUT I know that, in my case at least, when I did the two week loading dose, I suffered from headaches which are not usual for me. Similarly, when taking the combined pill in my twenties, I had to come off it due to raised BP, so I think I am sensitive to oestrogen…

Also, the prescribing literature does mention blood pressure issues as a rare side effect. I suppose what I’m saying that is it is a possibility that Vagifem be the cause, especially given my personal history with heart problems.

@newnamenellie The Pill is 5 times as strong as HRT and the estrogen in it is synthetic, not the same as used now in Vagifem and other products. Also, the Pill contains a synthetic progestin so you won't know if it was that or the estrogen.

The leaflet only applies to systemic HRT not vaginal estrogen. There are menopause specialists on record (Youtube) saying they are pressing the manufacturers to remove the info as it's not applicable.

The amount of natural estrogen in vaginal treatments is a 1/1000th of a gram and using it for a whole year is equal to 1 daily low-dose estrogen in HRT.