Estratest Law Change January 2012

Updated

Greetings,

Since my wife has been having the same problem obtaining Estratest in California, I decided to do a little research on the problem. Here is what I found:

Estratest is a combination of Esterified Estrogens and Methyltestosterone. Methyltestosterone is a Class III restricted drug on the Drug Enforcement Administrations controlled substance schedule. Methyltestosterone is an oral steroid with mild anabolic steroid effects. Estratest had been previously exempted from the Class III restricted drug schedule.

There was a change in the law or regulations on January 1st that eliminated this exemption. This means that the drug manufacturers, distribution centers and drug stores or doctors now have a completely new system for reporting the sale and transfer of Estratest. It also requires a new prescription form and can not be prescribed for more than a six month period on any one prescription.

When they said it was "quarantined", they probably meant it was not going to be distributed until the manufacturer/distributer could meet all of the new reporting requirements for distribution of a Class III controlled substance. There could also be a problem for the manufacturers in obtaining the Methyltestosterone for inclusion in the Estratest since it is a Class III controlled substance.

At one time there were eight pharmasutical firms manufacturing Estratest. There are now only three.
Hopefully, those three firms will still find it profitable to manufacture Estratest.

It appears that post-menapausal women are the victims of the unintended consequences of the governments zeal to restrict anabolic steroid abuse.

28 Replies (2 Pages)

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1

I have called centrix pharmaceuticals , a manufacturer of Estratest, and they said that there is no hold up. 205-991-9870. In TX and TN Estratest is exempt from the controlled substance act. Call your state board of pharmacy or dea. I did and was able to get my RX fixed. They were a God send! deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2006/fr0303.htm That is the dea exemption list. There is a newer one out, although the info has not changed as far as estratest is concerned. Call State Board of Pharmacy as it can vary state to state. Greasy wheel gets the grease! I am glad that they helped me. Maybe they can help you too.

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2

Mike, I just found your message online as I am having a big problem obtaining estratest. I have side effects with the other HRT. Do you have any other leads to obtain estratest? I used to live in CA but now I live in New York. Thank you! Elena {edited for privacy}

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3

Hi Elana,

There is another thread with more information about the Estratest situation. Look at:
Discuss/Estratest-generic-on-indefinite-back-order-240263_s2.htm

My wife has somewhat solved the problem by taking Premarin daily and getting monthly testosterone shots. It was what she was doing before they came out with Estratest. Another poster on that thread got her medications through a pharmacy in Canada.

They still do not have Estratest in any form in our local pharmacies.

Good luck with your search.

Mike

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4

Yes, Mike, thank you! I read that Estratest can be ordered through a pharmacy in Canada. I also discovered what another person here mentioned -- that the equivalent product with the same active ingredients is something called Covaryx (NDC #: 1152801001). I got this from the person who listed the pharmaceutical company that produces it (Centrix). A very nice woman named Holly explained the entire situation to me and gave me great information. Wholesale distributers are McKesson, Cardinal, and AmeriSource. My local pharmacies here in NY have it listed in the computer and claimed they can order it, but there appears to be a delay in delivery as well as a very high price tag. You are right...post menopausal women who have been taking this comfortably for years are the ones suffering here. I have been having terrible side effects and am going to get some Covaryx tomorrow! One more piece of information I received was that if you tell your pharmacist you want Covaryx in place of Estratest (which they will say is inexplicably blocked in their systems), they can substitute it without a new script.

Hope this information helps someone else in need here!

Elena

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5

Well, I finally hit the end of generic Estratest here, but I found an alternative! I did more calling and found out only manufacturer of it in US is Amneal and they are waiting on exemption from either DEA or FDA. Anyhow I was told since it is no longer available it is fine to get it compounded. Call around and see if you have any pharmacies willing to do so. Not hard here. I could not get a testosterone shot. They laughed hard at that one. It sounded great to me though! Don't give up on it.

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6

Mike, I have been told it has been discontinued due to the issue with the DEA. Although it is on the exempt list, pharmacies are slow to catch up. I got my Covaryx today and I can only hope that I don't get any side effects from it. Going without Estratest the last week has resulted in all kinds of problems! Thanks for the info and I will keep you posted on the Covaryx.

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7

Generic Estratest is not discontinued, I sell pharmaceuticals for a living. We carry both Amneal and Creekwood pharmaceuticals.

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8

That is great to know. But my CVS says the wholesalers do not have it? What are our options?

Other pharmacies are saying it is blocked out indefinitely and no timeframe or possibility to get. How do we fix this disconnect among pharmaceuticals, wholesalers, and our local pharmacies?

Thank you from someone who was a mess for two months after not being able to find a single pill in all of New York State!

Elena

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9

OK, I responded to this post yesterday but it doesn't appear to have made it.

You sell pharmaceuticals for a living but WE need to get it from pharmacies, with a script from a doc. I have called pharmaceuticals directly and they cannot sell to the individual consumer. So what to do?

As a rep, perhaps you have some practical suggestions for all of who are experiencing terrible symptoms of going without Estratest.

Thanks!

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10

I agree....great to know you sell it, but WE cannot FIND it lol! It is pretty much impossible to find. Like I posted above, I have been in contact with just about everybody, and generic and name brand is about impossible to find. I have been in mom and pop shops along with Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens. Even the Walmart and grocery store pharmacy no longer carries it. I am down to having it compounded. I pray it comes back. I was told it will. All waiting on paperwork.

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11

Yes, I have had the same problem, although I ordered it by mail from Costco. They are based in Washington State. If you go to the Costco Pharmacy website, the information is all there. You just need to send the doctor's script. Make sure your ob gyn knows the equivalent produced here now is Covaryx Double Strength. The last I spoke to them, they didn't have single strength. At the same time, I was able to order Estratest as we know it from Northwest Pharmacy in Canada. So these should be viable options until the wholesalers and pharmacies start to actually communicate with each other and get something done!!!!

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12

I have been on Estratest HS at least 5 years. I have found it to be very effective in mood stabilization, relief of (most) hot flashes and helping with sex drive and energy. I felt like a new person after I started taking it. I was told about a year ago that it was not being made by the original manufacturer. I have not had any problem getting it from my local CVS. Imagine my surprise when my doctor (who was unaware of the law change) sent my script by e-Mail and they CVS would not fill it. It can be faxed and only 3 refills. Bugger!!!! Now I have the issue of constantly going back to the doctor for the script. Really, does ANYONE believe that a man would take the estrogen to get that little dose of testosterone. Stupid, stupid government agencies and bureaucrats. Can we get this fixed?

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13

I live in Mississippi and can no longer find Estratest DS or HS. I was put on Estradiol and my hair is falling out now and my skin is dry itchy and flaky all the time. I have no energy and I feel depressed. I need to know how to find an Estratest equivalent. Please help !!!

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14

Here is a recap of the information available on this and a few other Estratest threads.

There is a supply distribution problem for the medication "estrified estrogen and methyltestosterone", but it appears to be sporadic as to locations and dates.

Solvay was the original developer of Estratest, a trademarked medication name. Other companies (Glenmark, Prasco, Breckenridge, Lannett) began producing a similar medication under different names. All of these companies have discontinued production.

These are all current Estratest equivalent manufacturers and the medication name:
Centrex makes Corvaryx in full and half strength.
Creekwood makes EEMT in full and half strength.
Amneal is also supposed to be the same composition in full and half strength.
ANI Pharmaceutical makes "estrified estrogen and methyltestosterone" by that name.
Any name with "HS" after it is the half strength medication

We visited our doctor and he gave my wife a shot of testosterone to go with the Premarin she is taking and that is working well for her. This was her treatment prior to the initial development of Estratest.

Diane received a script of EEMT 0.625/1.25 from Choice Pharmacy of Canada.

Colete spoke with a pharmacist. She suggested these alternatives for Estratest HS replacement.
1. Bio Equivalent Hormone Creams (Estradiol/Estriol + Testrostrone
2. OR Premarin Lowdose + Testosterne Cream (applied twice a week in thigh area (I believe)
3. OR Estradiol/Estriol + Testosterone Compound Capsule. This would require getting the medication from a compounding pharmacy.

There appear to be some solutions available until the supply distribution problem is resolved.
You may want to discuss all of these solutions with your doctor and/or pharmacist and see what is available in your area.

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15

I wanted to thank you all for posting here. I have been getting my Estratest from Canada and I am back to normal.

If it hadn't been for this discussion group, I would have been tearing my hair out!!

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16

My Estratest HS is Dicontinued and I was put on a generic. After only l0 days I am having hot-sweats (I can't call them flashes because they last hours) I'm not sleeping well, weight-gain, dizziness, irregular heart-beat, and am getting irritable and tearful, all textbook classic menopause symptoms. I am afraid to try another generic. What is the contact information for getting Estratest HS from Canada?

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17

Hi, I got this information from someone on here. I was able to get a script from my doctor here in New York for Estratest DS and the Canadian pharmacy filled it for 90 days for about 90$. Just FYI: After not being able to get it from CVS, I am told that their suppliers now carry it. (More expensive, but definitely worth it.) I would keep checking your local pharmacy as it seems like the suppliers are starting to carry it again. Regardless, the Canadian pharmacy is called NorthWestPharmacy.

Good luck!!!
{post was edited for policy reasons}

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18

10-7-13 Mike: Thanks for the valuable information!! I just found this Forum today.
Here are my two cents: I don't know what others mean when they say "I have been getting Estratest from"... various sources. Estratest is a brand and was permanently discontinued in mid-2009, so anyone who thinks they have been getting it since then is mistaken and have been getting generic EEMT. (Unless like me, they bought a year's worth of Estratest in 2009. That was before the DEA assigned EEMT a permanent C-3 restriction. Prior to that Solvay had received an "exemption" for Estratest.) Last month I spoke with both Creekwood and AmNeal Pharmaceuticals and learned both have entirely discontinued the manufacture of E.E.M.T. in June/July. So we are now down to 1 generic maker, A.N.I. But beware, when the other 2 makers ceased production in June/July, A.N.I. raised the price over 125%. I had been paying $60 for 90 generic pills by A.N. I. and in late August the price increased to $145. (We all know the U.S. is the only civilized nation that does not regulate pharmaceutical prices.....) For a while Walmart/Sams Club had the generic for less, but theirs was from AmNeal and thus is no longer available.

Many of us who thought actual Estratest brand med was the perfect solution, are not have such perfect results with the generics. We all know when the original patents and/or trademarks, licensing arrangements, etc. expire, our U.S. regulations permit generics to vary by as much as 10% (plus or minus), from the original branded med. Those variations are HUGE when it comes to hormones, hence many of us have not felt well since we lost Estratest itself.

P.S. I just called the Canadian firm Choice Pharmacy and was told they do not and have not carried EEMT in either strength. They tried to sell me Premarin as a substitute, which we all know it is NOT the same. I have checked with specialists in Los Angeles at UCLA, USC and Cedars Sinai and been told there is still no separate testosterone approved for women. The shots referenced must be in male dosages, which are FAR too much for women.
P.S.S. I agree with the person who posted that there isn't enough testosterone in EEMT for either gender to abuse it for muscle development. However, my state, California, has adopted the DEA's position (these are actually statutory) with respect to EEMT having a C-3 restriction. (The restriction isn't on us buying too many pills, it is on the pharmacist dispensing too many.) Today I spoke at length with the California Board of Pharmacy, which was very helpful. I also asked about compounding pharmacies, which are notoriously imprecise with these meds. I learned that I can have a compounding pharmacy send the compound for testing before I use their product. There is a cost, but if I have to resort to compounded products, it will be worth it. And tomorrow I have an appointment to speak with Centrix for info on Covaryx. If I learn anything new, I'll post it.
P.S.S.S. If anyone is afraid of HRT because of the Women's Health Initiative, I suggest you watch the VERY informative video "Hot Flash Havoc", which exposes the deceit perpetrated in the study results. Then get your doctor to watch it. (Don't assume your doctor knows more than you do on this - they are primarily concerned about malpractice issues thus they readily accepted frightening study results.)
Sorry, no time to proofread this....

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19

After being assured that Covaryx was the exact same as Estratest HS, I went on Covaryx. l week was enough to send me to my gynecologist with increased heart rate, almost continual hots even my head was sweating, plus cognitive dullness and decreased memory. My gynecologist called a doctor of pharmacy at a compounding pharmacy who made it for me and after only 4 days I feel better. My pulse and heart-rate are normal, I'm not sweating and I'm not hot, and best of all I feel good. My advice is to look for a compounding pharmacy with a doctor of pharmacy. It's about quality of life.

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20

Update from Westchester county in New York on Estratest.

All of a sudden, my local CVS is carrying Estratest again DS, as well as Costco's pharmacy. I am going to stick with a Pharmacy in Canada as I send them a three-month script and I get my refills like clockwork (90 pills for 89$--CHEAP). As a side note, they are the little green pills that look familiar so psychologically it helps. I was a mess on Premarin and straight Estrogen, and although I was assured Covaryx was an identical compound of esterified estrogen and methyl testosterone, equal to what I know as Estratest (or Syntest), I was afraid to take it. I notice that the price of these meds have gone up, good ole American capitalistic supply and demand...however, if you have ever known a woman taken off her hormones, she will undoubtedly pay anything to feel "normal" again.

I too did all my research, called the pharmaceuticals themselves and even the distributors and you are right....we know more about all this then the pharmacies or doctors, so keep looking. They seem to be slowly getting them back on the market at about three times the cost. For now, I will stick with Canada!!!!

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Re: Elena (# 20) Expand Referenced Message

Hi, Are you still taking the estratest? or similar? My insurance now won't cover this? I am devastated. May I have your information-regarding access to the medication?

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27

Look what they do for men. And it's men making these decisions for women. What do they know about what menopause feels like? Then when it's all over u have no libido at all. It's terrible feeling like a eunuch. Come on people get with it. Women want the libido they once had also!!!

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26

Estratest (generic, because the brand name is no longer available, that company was sued a long time ago) IS AVAILABLE and IS STILL BEING MADE and IS NOT A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ACCORDING TO FEDERAL LAW AND MANY STATE LAWS. It is on the EXEMPTION LIST. However, many pharmacies are TOO stupid to read the exemptions list. I feel like I am on a one woman crusade to educate the stupid pharmacies. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if your pharmacy (WALGREENS) tells you it is a class III controlled substance - WRITE TO THEM AND TELL THEM IT IS EXEMPT BY FEDERAL LAW and some states (It's specifically listed on California's exception list, too. And Georgia's). Ignorance of the law by pharmacies is INEXCUSABLE. And the stupidity over that one study with HRT that has lead to such controversy is even more stupid.

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25

Hi Sarah,

My best advise would be to contact the US Embassy in New Delhi. Here is the web site: newdelhi.usembassy.gov/emergency_contact.html

Contact the US Citizens Services section and see if they can assist you. They may also be able to help at one of the consulates there. There is a complete list on their web site. Good luck :o)

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24

Help me please, I am a foreigner in India, and I can't get back to the US till the end of May, I need estratest DS, I have been on it 30yrs, and can't get it here, Any suggestions?

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23

I have taken Est Estrogen 0.625-1.25 MG for about 14 yrs . I get it at Target pharmacy it is now $47 dollars for a 30 day supply my Medicare Insurance plan , and part D prescribtion plan does not cover this do you know any where i can get this free from a place that makes them ? i am disable, and i can't afford them i don't know what to do .. Thanks

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22

Help! I have posted here before about not being able to get Estratest. I was getting it from the pharmacy in Canada but I tried to refill my script yesterday and was told they are discontinuing it. So now I am desperate. I only have about three weeks left and am already panicked about what to do. Does anyone have any updated information on where to get Estratest DS? I read here that Covaryx is a substitute but one person said she had side effects with it.

Please help if you have any information!!!

Thanks!

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21

I find it very odd about them laughing over getting a testosterone shot. Women have been doing this for many many years.

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