Bijuva Capsule: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Bijuva Capsule combines estradiol and progesterone, an estrogen and progestin used in hormone replacement therapy. It is prescribed to treat moderate to severe hot flashes and night sweats that occur during menopause. The capsule is taken once daily in the evening with food, and it should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest time needed.

What is Bijuva Capsule

Bijuva is a prescription capsule that combines two hormones, estradiol (an estrogen) and progesterone (a progestin). It is used to treat hot flashes and night sweats that happen during menopause.

Bijuva Capsule uses

• Treating moderate to severe hot flashes and night sweats caused by menopause

Benefits of Bijuva Capsule

• Helps relieve moderate to severe hot flashes associated with menopause.
• Helps reduce night sweats and other vasomotor symptoms.
• Provides estradiol replacement for menopausal estrogen deficiency.
• Includes progesterone to help protect the uterine lining from estrogen-related overgrowth.
• Offers a single oral capsule combining bioidentical estradiol and progesterone for suitable postmenopausal women with a uterus.

How Bijuva Capsule works

Estradiol replaces the estrogen your body stops making as much of during menopause. Progesterone balances the effect of estrogen, which lowers the chance of uterine cancer while you take an estrogen-containing medicine.

Bijuva Capsule dosage

Take Bijuva once a day in the evening with food. Do not share Bijuva with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. If you miss a dose, take it with food as soon as you remember; if it is within two hours of your next dose, skip the missed dose and only take the next dose; do not take double or extra doses. Bijuva should be used at the lowest possible dose for only as long as it is needed, and you should talk with your health care provider regularly (for example, every 3 to 6 months) about whether you still need it.

Available forms and strengths

• Oral capsule

Side effects of Bijuva Capsule

Common

• Breast tenderness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vaginal bleeding or discharge
• Pelvic pain

Serious

• Severe allergic reactions (breathing problems, swelling of face/lips/tongue/throat, hives, dizziness)
• Blood clots (chest pain, trouble breathing, leg or arm pain/swelling, sudden weakness on one side, sudden severe headache)
• Breast cancer (new lump, changes in breast size/shape/texture)
• Ovarian cancer (unusual vaginal discharge, belly or back pain, frequent or urgent need to pee)
• Endometrial cancer (abnormal vaginal bleeding)
• Dementia, especially age 65 or older (memory problems, confusion, personality changes)
• Gallbladder problems (yellowing skin/eyes, fever, upper stomach pain, clay-colored stool)
• Increased blood pressure (severe headache, chest pain, dizziness, trouble breathing)
• Fluid retention/edema (chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, swollen body parts)
• Blocked veins in the retina (sudden vision loss, double vision, bulging eyes)
• Enlarged uterine fibroids (heavy, long, painful periods; painful sex)
• Stroke and heart attack

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use estrogens with or without progestogens to try to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, or dementia.
• Using estrogens with progestogens may raise your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, or blood clots.
• Do not use Bijuva if you have unusual vaginal bleeding, have or had certain cancers (including breast cancer or estrogen-sensitive cancer), have or had blood clots, have had a stroke or heart attack, or have liver problems.
• Do not use Bijuva if you have had your uterus removed, since the progestin is meant to lower uterine cancer risk in people who still have a uterus.
• Smoking and tobacco use can raise your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, or blood clots while taking Bijuva.
• Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice can raise the level of estrogen in your body while taking Bijuva.
• Tell your doctor about upcoming surgery or extended bed rest, since not moving for a long time can raise your risk of side effects; your doctor may have you stop Bijuva beforehand.
• Bijuva is not usually prescribed for people who can become pregnant. Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while using Bijuva, stop using it right away and contact your health care provider.
• Bijuva can pass into breast milk. Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed; they will tell you if you should use Bijuva while breastfeeding.
• Tell your health care provider if you have kidney problems before taking Bijuva.
• Bijuva should not be used if your liver is not working as well as it should. Your health care provider may test your liver to see if it is healthy enough for you to take this medicine.
• It is not known if drinking alcohol affects Bijuva.

Storage

• Store at 20–25°C (68–77°F) at controlled room temperature.
• Keep capsules in the original, tightly closed container until use.
• Protect from excessive heat, moisture, and direct sunlight.
• Avoid storing in bathrooms or other hot and humid areas.
• Keep out of reach and sight of children and pets.

When to see a doctor

• Stop taking Bijuva and get help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as breathing problems, wheezing, racing heart, swelling of the face/lips/mouth/tongue/throat, trouble swallowing, hives, or dizziness.
• Stop taking Bijuva and get emergency help if you have signs of a blood clot, such as chest pain, fast or abnormal heartbeat, trouble breathing, sudden weakness on one side of your body, sudden severe headache, slurred speech, or vision loss.
• Call your health care provider right away if you notice a new breast or armpit lump, or changes in breast size, shape, texture, or the nipple.
• Call your health care provider right away if you have unusual vaginal discharge, belly or back pain, or a frequent or urgent need to urinate.
• Call your health care provider right away if you have any abnormal vaginal bleeding.
• Tell your health care provider right away if you or people close to you notice memory problems, confusion, trouble with familiar tasks, or personality changes.
• Call your health care provider right away if your skin or eyes turn yellow, you have fever, upper stomach pain, or clay-colored stool.
• Get medical attention right away if your blood pressure reading is very high (top number 180 or higher, or bottom number 120 or higher), or if you have a sudden severe headache, chest pain, confusion, trouble breathing, or vision changes.
• Call your health care provider right away if you have chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, or swelling in your belly or ankles.
• Immediately contact your doctor if you have sudden vision loss, double vision, or bulging of the eyes, since this could mean a blocked vein in the retina.
• If you or someone else takes too much Bijuva, get medical help right away or contact a poison control center.

Alternatives

• Estradiol + Micronized Progesterone
• Kliovance
• Activelle
• Femoston