Conjugated estrogens and Methamphetamine Hydrochloride

• Generic Name: conjugated estrogens
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Enjuvia, Premarin, Premarin Intravenous, Cenestin

Estrogen is a female sex hormone produced by the ovaries. Estrogen is necessary for many processes in the body.

Conjugated estrogens are a mixture of estrogen hormones used to treat menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal changes, and to prevent osteoporosis (bone loss) in menopausal women. Conjugated estrogens are also used to replace estrogen in women with ovarian failure or other conditions that cause a lack of natural estrogen in the body.

Conjugated estrogens are sometimes used as part of cancer treatment in both women and men.

Conjugated estrogens may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

• Generic Name: methamphetamine
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Desoxyn, Desoxyn Gradumet

Used as an adjunct to psychological, educational, social, and other remedial measures in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (hyperkinetic disorder, hyperkinetic syndrome of childhood, minimal brain dysfunction).

Almost all studies comparing behavioral therapy versus stimulants alone have shown a much stronger therapeutic effect from stimulants than from behavioral therapy, and stimulants (e.g., amphetamines, methylphenidate) remain the drugs of choice for the management of ADHD.

Drug therapy is not indicated in all patients with ADHD, and such therapy should be considered only after a complete evaluation, including medical history, has been performed.

Use should depend on age and the clinician’s assessment of the severity and duration of symptoms and should not depend solely on one or more behavioral characteristics.

Not recommended for ADHD symptoms associated with acute stress reactions.

Has been used as an adjunct to caloric restriction in the short-term (i.e., a few weeks) treatment of exogenous obesity. However, because of limited efficacy (short-lived), such use no longer is recommended.

The anorexigenic effect appears to be temporary, seldom lasting more than a few weeks, and tolerance may occur.

Obesity usually is a chronic disease, and short-term or intermittent therapy with anorexigenic drugs is unlikely to maintain long-term benefit.

Misuse and abuse have experienced a resurgence, in large part, due to the relative ease with which methamphetamine can be synthesized clandestinely from readily available chemicals such as ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine (no longer commercially available in the US), or pseudoephedrine. Recent restrictions (including enactment of the Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996, the Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act [MAPA] of 2000, and the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act [CMEA] of 2005) on the availability of these compounds are hoped to reverse this resurgence in misuse and abuse.