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[Cass63]

Hello Ladies,
Does anyone know if Estradiol vaginal cream loses strength the closer it gets to the expiration date and does not work as well? Does Estradiol vaginal cream indeed expire and become no longer useful or safe to use? All prescriptions that I receive have an expiration date stamped on the box as well as the tube. Just wondering if cream that is close to expiration date would have any effect in causing a VA flair up.
Thank you for any advice.

[Hurdity]

There will be a huge leeway in any medication, cream, tablets etc. They're simply not going to be OK one day and no good the next. Provided they are stored correctly and not at too high temperatures they should be good at least for a short time past their sell by (use by?) date, and completely OK within date - just as with food (common sense approach needed with food!). There should be no risk in any medication not working within its date as this could be hazardous for patients when dosage is crucial. I doubt it (vaginal cream) would ever be unsafe to use as such but at some given point after its expiry date it is sure to degrade in some way, I would have thought, depending on the product. Dry stuff (pills) slower to degrade than wet stuff (creams etc) - intuitively?

If your VA is flaring up, then maybe look to increasing the frequency or dosage?

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

I'm using 2 year old tubes with no ill effects.  I rarely look at dates  . 

A flair up is usually due to lack of oestrogen as levels drop.  How often do you use the product, mayB every night for the next 5?

[Cass63]

I have only used 1 gram 2x weekly since hysterectomy in 2011, but started noticing changes early last year and increased it to 2 grams 3x weekly. Then about a month or so ago I had a flair up, so I have been using almost nightly for about 2 weeks. I plan to cut back to 4x a week over the weekend. I guess it’s just trial and error.

[Cass63]

I also have wondered, does different manufacturers make a difference in the ingredients of the estradiol or is it all the same? Seems every time I get a prescription it’s a different manufacturer.

[Joaniepat]

Hello Ladies,
Does anyone know if Estradiol vaginal cream loses strength the closer it gets to the expiration date and does not work as well? Does Estradiol vaginal cream indeed expire and become no longer useful or safe to use? All prescriptions that I receive have an expiration date stamped on the box as well as the tube. Just wondering if cream that is close to expiration date would have any effect in causing a VA flair up.
Thank you for any advice.

We don't have estradiol cream in the UK, so I'm not sure if anyone on here can really answer this question. I'd say it would depend on what kind of container it is in, and how likely the contents are to become oxidised.
Our most commonly used vaginal cream is Estriol 0.1% in a metal tube, so contents don't degrade that quickly after expiry date, but do eventually, of course.
JP x

[CLKD]

Different manufacturers may make a difference in a product, a few months ago I had problems with an AD - cheaper !!!  surgery changed to a different brand without hesitation.

As we age our vaginas may require treatment more often, how about using 4 the next 7 nights to see if symptoms ease?

[Ayesha]

I can only comment on Estriol and it does have a long expiry date. I always have a back up tube and the date on that expires in 2026, so no worries of it going off!
Every manufacturer should keep to the correct ingredients and composition, it shouldn't change but who knows in reality!