Estradiol (medication)
Estradiol is also available in the U.S. in combination with progestogens for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and as a combined hormonal contraceptive:Estradiol and estradiol esters are also available in custom preparations from compounding pharmacies in the U.S. This includes subcutaneous pellet implants, which are not available in the United States as FDA-approved pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, topical creams that contain estradiol are generally regulated as cosmetics rather than as drugs in the U.S. and hence are also sold over-the-counter and may be purchased without a prescription on the Internet.
Estriol (medication)
A variety of analogues of estriol are known, including both naturally occurring isomers and synthetic substituted derivatives and esters. 16β-Epiestriol (epiestriol), 17α-epiestriol, and 16β,17α-epiestriol are isomers of estriol that are endogenous weak estrogens. Mytatrienediol (16α-methyl-16β-epiestriol 3-methyl ether) is a synthetic derivative of 16β-epiestriol that was never marketed. Estriol acetate benzoate, estriol succinate, and estriol tripropionate are synthetic estriol esters that have been marketed for medical use, whereas estriol dihexanoate, estriol dipropionate, and estriol triacetate have not been introduced. Quinestradol is the 3-cyclopentyl ether of estriol and has also been marketed. Polyestriol phosphate, an ester of estriol in the form of a polymer, has been marketed previously as well. These esters, ethers, and polymers are prodrugs of estriol. Ethinylestriol and nilestriol are synthetic C17α ethynylated derivatives of estriol. Ethinylestriol has not been marketed, but nilestriol, which is the 3-cyclopentyl ether of ethinylestriol and a prodrug of it, has been.