by Dr Pandula Siribaddana

Created on: September 03, 2010   Last Updated: September 04, 2010

What is Evamist?

Evamist is an etradiol containing spray which can be used to treat menopausal symptoms, particularly the ones such as hot flushes which can be rather discomforting during this period. Being a spray, the users need to place the nozzle of the canister over the skin and press fully for a single spray dose. Usually, the application needs to be done over intact skin and the most common site to be used in Evamist application is the inner aspect of the forearm. Following application, the medication is allowed to dry for about 1 – 2 minutes and the skin surface should not be washed for at least 30 minutes. The spray would be convenient for many users as some would not prefer the choice of swallowing a tablet each day to maintain blood estrogen levels during this time period.

What are the possible side effects of Evamist?

As with many of the other drugs, Evamist can also give rise to allergic reactions which can be thought of as one of the serious side effects, even though it is relatively rare. Thus, the appearance of a skin rash, hives, itching of the body, swelling of the lips, face, tongue and the throat, breathing difficulties should be considered serious and urgent medical treatment should be sorted as soon as possible.

Due to the possibility of developing deep vein thrombosis following estrogen therapy, manifestations such as calf muscle pain, leg swelling, tenderness of the calf muscles, reddening of the same region should be investigated thoroughly to exclude such a side effect.

Clotting abnormalities can also be a serious side effect in patients who are using Evamist and therefore manifestations such as vaginal bleeding also needs to be taken in seriously. Furthermore, the risk of strokes can be high in patients under estrogen therapy and therefore severe headache, numbness or weakness of the limbs, confusion, development of speech and vision problems needs to be dealt urgently.

When considering other less serious side effects, occurrence of nausea, vomiting, breast swelling, weight gain, migraine type of headaches, mood disorders, problems with sexual interactions and appearance of acne or changes in the skin color can be seen among users of Evamist. These manifestations can either be transient or else could be avoided when the dosing or the frequency of taking Evamist is adjusted to tolerable yet effective levels.

How can the side effects of Evamist be minimized?

In order to do this, one should exclude themselves from any clotting abnormalities, bleeding manifestations, past history of strokes, liver problems, breast lumps or any other hormone related cancers…etc and need to adhere to what was prescribed by the physician and should bring to his notice of any abnormal manifestations that one experiences following initiating Evamist treatment.

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