Ogestrel 0.5/50 is a birth control pill containing norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, which is used to prevent pregnancy.
Contents:
Indications for use
- Oral contraception;
- Functional disorders of the menstrual cycle (including dysmenorrhea without an organic cause, dysfunctional metrorrhagia);
- Premenstrual tension syndrome.
Mechanism of action
Ogestrel 0.5/50 contains two types of hormones: estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progesterone (norgestrel). These hormones prevent the production of ovaries every month (ovulation). They also thicken the mucus in the cervix, making it harder for sperm to reach the egg, and they change the functional layer of the uterus, reducing the chance that it will be able to accept the egg.
Dosage and mode of application
Tablets are taken orally, without chewing and with a small amount of liquid.
If you did not use hormonal contraception during the previous menstrual cycle, then the drug is taken from the 1st day of menstruation, 1 tablet per day for 28 days in a row, at the same time of day. Menstrual-like bleeding occurs in the period of taking 7 inert tablets. The next 28-day cycle of taking pills from a new package containing 28 pills should be started the next day after you take the last inert pill, even if the bleeding has not stopped. Thus, you start taking pills from each new package on the same day of the week.
When switching to Ogestrel 0.5/50 from another oral contraceptive, a similar scheme is used. The drug is taken as long as the need for contraception remains.
After an abortion, you should start taking birth control pills on the day of the abortion or the day after the operation.
After delivery, the drug can be prescribed only to women who are not breastfeeding. It’s allowed to start taking contraceptive on the 1st day of menstruation. During lactation, the use of the drug is contraindicated.
Overdose
At the moment, no cases of overdose have been reported. In the case of taking an excessive dose of norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, patients may experience a headache, nausea, vomiting, pain in the epigastric region and vaginal bleeding.
There is no specific antidote. In case of overdose, a patient needs to stop taking the drug and undergo a gastric lavage. If necessary, a patient receives a symptomatic therapy.
Side effects
The drug is usually well tolerated.
- Possible side effects of a transient nature include nausea, vomiting, headache, engorgement of the mammary glands, changes in body weight and libido, changes in mood, acyclic bleeding, swelling of the eyelids, conjunctivitis, blurred vision, discomfort when wearing contact lenses;
- With prolonged use, some patients reported chloasma, hearing loss, generalized itching, jaundice, cramps of the gastrocnemius muscles, an increase in the frequency of epileptic seizures;
- Very rarely, patients reported hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycemia, decreased glucose tolerance, increased blood pressure, thrombosis and venous thromboembolism, jaundice, skin rashes, changes in the nature of vaginal secretion, candida vagina, fatigue, diarrhea.
Contraindications
Ogestrel 0.5/50 is contraindicated in the presence of the following diseases/conditions:
- severe liver disease;
- congenital hyperbilirubinemia (Gilbert syndrome, Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Rotor syndrome);
- cholecystitis;
- severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases;
- thromboembolism and predisposition to it;
- malignant tumors (primarily breast or endometrial cancer);
- liver tumors;
- familial forms of hyperlipidemia;
- severe forms of hypertension;
- endocrine diseases (including severe diabetes);
- sickle cell anemia;
- chronic hemolytic anemia;
- vaginal bleeding of unknown etiology;
- bubble skid;
- migraine;
- otosclerosis;
- history of idiopathic jaundice in pregnant women;
- severe pruritus during pregnancy;
- herpes pregnant;
- age over 40 years;
- pregnancy;
- lactation period (breastfeeding);
- hypersensitivity to norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol or other components of the drug.
The drug should be used with caution in diseases of the liver and gallbladder, epilepsy, depression, ulcerative colitis, uterus myoma, mastopathy, tuberculosis, kidney diseases, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, impaired renal function, veins, phlebitis, otosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, minor chorea, intermittent porphyria, latent tetany, bronchial asthma, in adolescence (without regular ovulatory cycles).
Interactions
- Barbiturates, some antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine, phenytoin), sulfonamides, pyrazolone derivatives can increase the metabolism of norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol that make up the drug;
- Reduced contraceptive efficacy can be observed with simultaneous use of some antimicrobial agents (ampicillin, rifampicin, chloramphenicol, neomycin, polymyxin B, sulfonamides, tetracyclines), which is associated with changes in intestinal microflora;
- When taken simultaneously with anticoagulants, coumarin or indanedione derivatives, an additional determination of the prothrombin index and a change in the dose of the anticoagulant may be required;
- When used with tricyclic antidepressants, maprotiline and beta-blockers, Ogestrel 0.5/50 may increase their bioavailability and toxicity;
- When using oral hypoglycemic drugs and insulin, it may be necessary to change their dose;
- The contraceptive can reduce the effectiveness of bromocriptine;
- When combined with drugs with a potential hepatotoxic effect, there is an increase in hepatotoxicity, especially in women over 35 years of age;
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Ogestrel 0.5/50g is contraindicated for use during pregnancy. Before starting the drug, you should exclude pregnancy. You should stop taking the drug 3 months before the planned pregnancy, during this period you should use a non-hormonal method of birth control.
Combination oral contraceptives are not used during breastfeeding, as its active ingredients are excreted in breast milk. The use of the drug is possible only if the woman does not breastfeed, and she already had menstruation after childbirth.
What if I miss a pill?
The missed pill should be taken within the next 12 hours. If the delay is over 36 hours, then contraception is unreliable. In order to avoid intermenstrual bleeding, discard the missed pills and continue taking the drug. In the case of missed pills, it is recommended to use an additional method of contraception (for example, a condom).
Precautions
Before starting hormonal contraception and every 6 months thereafter, a general medical and gynecological examination is recommended, including a cytological analysis of a smear from the cervix, assessment of the mammary glands, determination of blood glucose, cholesterol and other indicators of liver function, blood pressure control, urinalysis.
Use of Ogestrel 0.5/50 in women with thromboembolic diseases at a young age and increased blood clotting in a family history is not recommended.
The use of oral contraception is allowed no earlier than 6 months after the transferred viral hepatitis, provided that the liver function is normalized.
If you suspect a liver dysfunction when taking Ogestrel 0.5/50, consultation of the therapist is necessary.
With the onset of acyclic (intermenstrual) bleeding, the intake of birth control pills should be continued. If the acyclic (intermenstrual) bleeding does not disappear or recur, a medical examination should be conducted to exclude organic pathology of the reproductive system.
In the case of vomiting or diarrhea, the drug should be continued. In addition, a patient should use a different, non-hormonal method of contraception.
Smoking women who take combination oral contraceptives have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases with serious consequences (myocardial infarction, stroke). The risk increases with age and depending on the number of cigarettes smoked (especially in women older than 35 years).
The drug should be canceled in the following cases:
- unusual migraines;
- early signs of phlebitis or phlebothrombosis (unusual pain or distended veins in the legs);
- jaundice or hepatitis without jaundice;
- cerebrovascular disorders;
- stitching pains of unclear etiology when breathing or coughing,
- pain and chest tightness;
- acute deterioration of visual acuity;
- suspicion on thrombosis or a heart attack;
- a sharp increase in blood pressure;
- generalized itching;
- an increase in epileptic seizures;
- 3 months before the planned pregnancy;
- 6 weeks before the planned surgical intervention;
- during prolonged immobilization;
- the onset of pregnancy.
The preparation does not affect the ability to drive vehicles and work with mechanisms.