Everything to Know About Bijuva: Cost, Side Effects, & How to Save
women’s health
Middle age brings with it many milestones: Career achievements, greater personal confidence, strong relationships with friends and family—and, of course, opportunities to invest in self-care and comfort.
Menopause, one particular middle-age milestone, is one such opportunity. Many people experience menopausal symptoms starting in their ‘40s—although it can start far earlier.
Dr. Brynna Connor, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician that specializes in anti-aging and regenerative medicine, notes that “Menopause that occurs between the ages of 40 and 45 is known as early menopause. This occurs in about 5% of women, or 1 out of 20.”
Whether you’re navigating menopause or perimenopause in your ‘30s or ‘50s, you’ll need a way to mitigate a wide range of symptoms.
These may include:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Insomnia
- Vaginal dryness
- Mood changes
- Pain during sex
- Fatigue
- Feelings of loss of self
…and many more. This may not sound enjoyable (it likely won’t be!) but, fortunately, there are treatments that can make navigating menopause much, much easier.
Bijuva is one such menopause medication.
If you’re looking for relief from stubborn menopausal symptoms so you can enjoy this new chapter of your life, Bijuva may be precisely what you’re looking for.
What is Bijuva?
And what, exactly, does Bijuva bring to the table?
Bijuva (estradiol hemihydrate/progesterone) is a type of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT.
When women are going through menopause, their bodies will slow production of specific hormones like estrogen and progesterone. This relatively sudden dip in hormone levels is what causes the frustrating vaginal dryness, fatigue, and mood swings that characterize menopause.
Through HRT, people who are dealing with particularly tricky symptoms may be able to attain relief while their bodies get used to the new norm.
Is Bijuva Specifically For Menopause?
Yes, Bijuva is specifically for menopause.
There are several reasons women may need to take estrogen and progesterone—say, for example, if they are going through infertility.
Bijuva is a medication that is not recommended for women who are pregnant, attempting to get pregnant, wish to get pregnant in the future, or breastfeeding.
Instead, Bijuva is a balanced way to approach hormone regulation uniquely for people going through menopause.
How Does Bijuva Work?
Bijuva works by helping you balance your hormones during a time in your life when being unbalanced is the norm.
Bijuva has two active ingredients: Estradiol and progesterone.
Estradiol directly replaces your body’s lessening levels of estrogen.
Progesterone helps keep your uterine lining managed to avoid potentially dangerous overgrowth.
This combination therapy tends to work very well for many people. Since this helps avoid the necessity of taking multiple medications, it’s an intuitive way to keep menopause symptoms at bay.
Why Take Bijuva at Night?
For most people, it’s recommended they take Bijuva at night.
There are a couple of key reasons for this:
Taking Bijuva at night gives the medication the best chance to absorb fully. Your body’s metabolism slows down a bit when you fall asleep, which gives HRT time to seep into your body and work hard for you (instead of immediately being processed and eliminated).
Taking Bijuva at night, before bed, at the same time every night, helps maintain stable levels of the hormone in your body. When hormone levels rise and fall, that contributes to tough symptoms for you. Remember, rising and falling hormone levels are the reason you’re looking for medications in the first place!
Striving for consistent medication administration times and, therefore, consistent blood concentration levels of your HRT, can contribute to more consistent symptom relief.
How Can I Be More Consistent With My Bijuva Dosage?
Since being consistent with your Bijuva administration is so beneficial, here are a few ways to consider aiming for sustainable consistency in your Bijuva dosage:
Set a reminder in your phone or purchase a dedicated Bijuva alarm clock to give yourself a daily reminder to take the medication at the same time each night.
Stack the habit of taking Bijuva with things that you already do each and every night.
For example, if you have an already-cemented habit of brushing your teeth, put your supply of Bijuva underneath your toothbrush.
Use a pill organizer with dedicated and labeled compartments for each day of the week. This allows you to see at a glance whether you’ve taken your Bijuva for a specific day or not.
Download a medication management app, like MyTherapy or Medisafe.
This can help you with Bijuva dosage reminders, and also provide a dedicated space for you to track symptoms or take any other relevant notes about your experience with Bijuva.
If habit stacking with an existing habit (like brushing your teeth) isn’t working, create a new habit—one you really look forward to!
Consider investing in a special type of herbal tea, or checking out a book from your library that you know will hold your attention. Each night, as you enjoy your tea or your book, take your Bijuva.
Don’t underestimate the power of a visual reminder! Place a sticky note on your bedside table, your lamp, your water bottle, or your bathroom mirror to take your Bijuva.
What Happens After You Take Bijuva? Bijuva Dosage, Side Effects, and More
A typical starting dosage for most people starting with Bijuva is estradiol 1 mg/progesterone 100 mg.
If your doctor wants you to consider a larger dose, they’ll let you know what steps to take.
General Guidelines for Taking Bijuva
The cardinal rule to follow for taking Bijuva for relief (and avoiding any potential side effects) is to follow your specific healthcare provider’s directions.
Your healthcare provider is the only one who will be able to assess your unique symptoms, your health goals in menopause, your other medications, and your threshold for potential side effects. Your healthcare provider is also the person you’ll go to with any questions or concerns. Following their instructions needs to be your North Star, so make sure you understand their recommendations for taking the medication.
If you feel the need to adjust your Bijuva dosage, talk to your doctor before making any changes on your own.
Finally, even though it may seem like an annoyance, if your doctor wants to take regular blood samples or check in consistently to review your treatment plan, do so.
These check-ins offer you a direct way to take care of your health and discuss solutions with your provider to improve your comfort and well-being.
What Are Bijuva’s Side Effects?
When you take Bijuva, you are risking the potential side effects that can accompany this medication.
Knowing what these side effects are (and when it’s a good idea to seek further medical assistance) can help you manage your experience effectively.
Common side effects of Bijuva include:
- Headaches. To manage headaches, prioritize stress-relief techniques, get a good amount of sleep, and stay hydrated.
- Breast tenderness. To support your breasts, wear high-quality bras. It may also be a good idea to experiment with reduced caffeine levels and a lower-sodium diet.
- Vaginal bleeding. If this is happening, track it. Talk to your doctor about any irregular patterns you see, and if you start bleeding severely, seek medical attention.
Serious (and rare) side effects of Bijuva include:
- Blood clots
- Stroke
- Heart attack
If you believe that you are experiencing any of these symptoms, call for medical help at once.
You may be able to manage or mitigate your risk of these more severe side effects by exercising regularly, avoiding smoking, keeping your alcohol consumption minimal, and striving for a balanced diet.
However, the best possible practice is simply to be aware of the risks, and aware of your body. If you feel like something is wrong or off, call your doctor.
How Much Does Bijuva Cost?
In the United States, people who want to take Bijuva may pay as much as $265.00 for a supply of 30 capsules ($8.80 per capsule). Since Bijuva is generally taken once daily, this amount will last a typical patient one month.
Doing some simple math may lead you to a startling realization: If you’re taking Bijuva on a regular basis, you may need to set aside over $3,000.00 yearly for just that medication. (Insurance may help, but it may not be a good idea to depend on insurance entirely to make your required menopause medications affordable.)
Fortunately, you may have other options to consider.
How Much Does Bijuva Cost in Canada or Internationally?
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, a reliable and accredited online Canadian drug store and international pharmacy, you can buy 28 capsules of Bijuva for around $44.00, or approximately $1.50 per capsule. That represents savings of up to 82%!
But wait—you might be wondering. How can a Canada drugs website offer such steep savings when compared to brick-and-mortar pharmacies in the United States?
There are a few reasons for this.
For example, in the United States, pharmaceutical companies often spend huge amounts of money marketing their drugs directly to consumers. They pass those costs directly to the people buying their medication. For another, the United States government can’t step in and set price caps or otherwise regulate how much money pharmaceutical companies can make off their drugs. This, of course, also influences how expensive prescription drugs are in the States.
Across the border, you may be able to buy prescription meds for much less. You’ll need to follow a few safety precautions to make sure you’re getting authentic medications, though. Some best practices include:
Verifying the online pharmacy’s credentials through third-party accreditation bodies. As it turns out, you don’t need to vet your online pharmacy all by yourself; there are agencies, like the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, that will handle that for you.
Check to make sure that your pharmacy of choice is on their approved list, and you’ll be a step ahead of the game.
Making sure that the pharmacy you’re looking at requires prescriptions. Prescriptions aren’t just bureaucratic paperwork, annoyingly standing between you and the medication you need to thrive. They represent a way for everyone in your care team, from your doctor to your pharmacist, to triple-check that your medications are effective and safe for you.
Allowing patients to skip the prescription isn’t actually in their best interest, so, if a pharmacy advertises that, steer clear!
Reading previous customer reviews. There’s no better way to gauge how reliable an online pharmacy is than checking out what type of experience previous customers have had. High-quality pharmacies should be pretty open about customer reviews, so check to see if the pharmacy you’re considering has options for you!
Answers to the Top Questions We See About Bijuva
Bijuva can be a complicated medicine to understand (and access, and use) properly! Here, we’ll keep things simple: These are quick answers to the most common questions people ask about Bijuva.
- 1. What is Bijuva?
- Bijuva is an accessible form of HRT, or hormone replacement therapy, that allows people who are managing challenging menopausal symptoms to treat those symptoms with estradiol and progesterone.
- 2. Are there any Bijuva side effects?
-
Bijuva’s side effects include:
- Headaches
- Breast pain or tenderness
- Vaginal bleeding
In some rare cases, patients taking Bijuva may be at risk for stroke, heart attack, and blood clots. If you are taking Bijuva and start to notice symptoms of any of these concerning cardiac conditions, talk to your doctor or call for emergency support at once.
- 3. Why take Bijuva at night?
- Many patients opt to take Bijuva at night to allow for better absorption of the drug, and to support stable levels of the hormones in their systems.
- 4. Is there a generic version of Bijuva?
- As of right now, brand-name Bijuva is the only version of this drug that’s available.
- 5. Can Bijuva cause hair loss or weight loss?
- Estradiol therapy can cause hair loss in some cases, but hair loss isn’t a specifically reported symptom of Bijuva. Bijuva isn’t usually associated with weight loss, either.
Ready to Buy Bijuva for Reliably Affordable Prices?
Bijuva can make moving through menopause a much easier and more comfortable experience for many people–especially if you’re able to purchase your Bijuva without breaking the bank!
That’s where we come in. Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, a CIPA-approved online pharmacy website, you can buy Bijuva quickly, safely, and affordably through vetted Canadian pharmacies. If you’re interested in learning more, head to the Bijuva page or talk to a friendly member of our team to get started with your order.
The team at NorthWestPharmacy.com looks forward to helping you support your healthcare journey!