Plasma oestrone, oestradiol and gonadotrophin concentrations in postmenopausal patients treated with oestradiol or with a combination of oestradiol and oestriol.

The effect of adding oestriol or oestriol succinate to oestradiol in the treatment of climacteric postmenopausal patients was examined in a cross-over trial. Plasma concentrations of oestrone (E1), oestradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured by radioimmunoassay after collection over a day after each medication. The subjective effect of each therapy was evaluated by the patient herself. The combination of 1 mg oestriol with 2 mg oestradiol did not change the daily profiles of plasma E1, E2, LH and FSH in three out of four patients, compared with only 2 mg of oestradiol. The other combination, 8 mg of oestriol succinate with 1 mg oestradiol, similarly did not change the daily plasma profiles of oestrogens or gonadotrophins, compared with only 1 mg of oestradiol. Neither oestriol succinate changed the clinical response during the treatment of these climacteric patients.