Estradiol (medication)
Estradiol is available in a variety of different formulations, including oral, intranasal, transdermal/topical, vaginal, injectable, and implantable preparations. An ester may be attached to one or both of the hydroxyl groups of estradiol to improve its oral bioavailability and/or duration of action with injection. Such modifications give rise to forms such as estradiol acetate (oral and vaginal), estradiol valerate (oral and injectable), estradiol cypionate (injectable), estradiol benzoate (injectable), estradiol undecylate (injectable), and polyestradiol phosphate (injectable; a polymerized ester of estradiol), which are all prodrugs of estradiol.
Pharmacokinetics of estradiol
Rectal administration of estriol, which has similar properties to estradiol, has also been studied. Administration of a rectal suppository containing 100 mg estriol resulted in estriol levels in pregnant women at term increasing by about 53%. Estriol levels at term are normally between 5,000 and 20,000 pg/mL, which suggests that estriol levels may have increased following the suppository by about 5,000 to 10,000 pg/mL (precise levels were not provided).