Description
Gedarel is a combined oral contraceptive, also called the pill. It contains two types of female hormones: a progestogen, desogestrel, and an oestrogen, ethinylestradiol in a low dose. These help to stop you from getting pregnant, just as your natural hormones would stop you conceiving again when you are already pregnant.
The combined contraceptive pill protects you against getting pregnant in three ways. These hormones
- stop the ovary from releasing an egg each month (ovulation).
- also thicken the f luid (at the neck of the womb making it more diff icult for the sperm to reach the egg.
- alter the lining of the womb to make it less likely to accept a fertilised egg.
General information
If taken correctly, the pill is an effective reversible form of contraception. However, in certain circumstances the effectiveness of the pill may reduce or you should stop taking the pill (see later). In these cases either do not have sex, or use extra contraceptive precautions (such as condoms or spermicides) during intercourse to ensure effective contraception.
Do not use rhythm or temperature methods. These methods can be unreliable because Gedarel alters the monthly changes of body temperature and of cervical mucus.
Remember, combined oral contraceptive pills like Gedarel will not protect you against sexually-transmitted diseases (such as AIDS). Only condoms can help to do this.
Uses / Instructions
Following the direction of the arrow printed on the strip you should take one tablet each day for 21 days until the strip is empty.
Then you have 7 days when you do not take a tablet. During the 7 tablet-free days, on day 2 or 3, you will have menstruation-like withdrawal bleeding, i.e. your “monthly period”.
Rpeat this process (start taknig again on the 8th day).
Warnings
In some situations you need to take special care while using Gedarel or any other combined hormonal contraceptive, and it may be necessary that you are regularly checked by your doctor. If any of the following conditions applies to you, you must inform your doctor before starting to use Gedarel. Also if any of the following conditions develop or worsen during the use of Gedarel you must consult your doctor:
- if a close relative has or has had breast cancer
- if you have a disease of the liver or the gallbladder
- if you have diabetes
- if you have depression
- if you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (inf lammatory bowel disease)
- if you have HUS (haemolytic uraemic syndrome; a blood disease that causes kidney damage)
- if you have sickle cell anaemia (an inherited disease of the red blood cells)
- if you have epilepsy (see “Taking other medicines”)
- if you have SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus; a disease of the immune system)
- if you have a disease that f irst appeared during pregnancy or earlier use of sex hormones {for example, hearing loss, porphyria (a disease of the blood), gestational herpes (skin rash with
fluid-filled blisters during pregnancy), Sydenham’s chorea (a disease of the nerves in which sudden movements of the body occur)}
- if you have or have ever had chloasma (golden brown pigment patches, so called “pregnancy patches”, especially on the face). If this is the case, avoid direct exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light
- If you have hereditary angioedema, products containing oestrogens may induce or worsen symptoms of angioedema. You should see your doctor immediately if you experience symptoms of angioedema such as swollen face, tongue and/or pharynx and/ or diff iculty swallowing or hives together with diff iculty breathing.
Side Effects
Like all medicines, Gedarel can have side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Common and uncommon (more than 1 in 1,000 but less than 1 in 10 women):
none or reduced bleeding, tender breasts, breast enlargement, breast pain, decreased sexual desire, depression, headache, nervousness, migraine, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, acne, rash, nettle-rash (urticaria), f luid retention, high blood pressure.
See patient information leaflet for a full list of side effects.
Ingredients
The active substances are ethinylestradiol and desogestrel. One film-coated tablet contains 20 micrograms ethinylestradiol and 150 micrograms desogestrel.
The other ingredients are:
Tablet core: Potato starch; stearic acid; all-rac-alpha-tocopherol; lactose monohydrate; magnesium stearate; silica colloidal anhydrous; povidone K 30; quinoline yellow (E 104).
Tablet coating: Hypromellose; Macrogol 6000; propylene glycol.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.