Clinical experience with tibolone (Livial ®) over 8 years

• Published in: Maturitas Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 71 - 76
• Main Authors: Ginsburg, Jean, Prelevic, Gordana, Butler, Deborah, Okolo, Stanley
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 1995; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Climacteric - physiology; Climacteric symptoms; Comparison with oestrogens; Compliance; Estrogen Replacement Therapy; Female; Hormones. Endocrine system; Humans; Medical sciences; Menstruation Disturbances - chemically induced; Middle Aged; Norpregnenes - administration & dosage; Norpregnenes - adverse effects; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Postmenopause; Tibolone; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Weight Gain; Comparison with oestrogens; Climacteric symptoms; Compliance; Tibolone; Human; Steroid; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Menopause; Female; Anabolic agent
• ISSN: 0378-5122; 1873-4111
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-5122(94)00868-8

Tibolone (Livial), a synthetic steroid, relieves climacteric symptoms and maintains skeletal integrity in postmenopausal women. We have been using this compound for 8 years and have now reviewed our clinical experience in 301 postmenopausal women. The majority (65.12%) had not previously received climacteric therapy; 34.55% had previously received oestrogen/progestogen therapy. A significant proportion of those started on tibolone were specifically referred for consideration of non-oestrogenic therapy because of a past history of breast dysfunction — 27 women with benign breast disease and 11 women who had undergone surgery for carcinoma of the breast. Overall tibolone was well tolerated and climacteric symptoms were relieved within 3–5 weeks. The major side effect was weight gain and/or a tendency to bloating and oedema which occurred in 11.28% of our women. Vaginal bleeding occurred in 33 women (12.69%) but in 17 of these women the bleeding was due to recent oestrogen therapy. Bleeding resulted from a polyp or fibroid in 11 women; no cause was found in the remaining five. Breast symptoms were reported by only 7.52% and no breast symptoms were reported in any of the 27 women referred because of benign breast disease. The total ‘drop-out-rate’ due to side effects was only 2.66% (eight women).