MIRCETTE DRUG INFO
HOW TO USE: Take mircette pills by mouth. Before you start
taking these pills decide what is a suitable time of day and always take
them at the same time of day and in the order directed. Swallow the pills
with a drink of water. Take with food to reduce stomach upset. Do not take
more often than directed.
Most products (except Mircette™)
contain a 21-day supply of pills containing the active ingredients. Some
products contain an additional 7 pills containing iron or inactive
ingredients to be taken during the week of menstruation; this reduces the
chance of missing the first day of the next cycle. Most products are to be
started on the first Sunday after you start your period or on the first
day of your period. You may need to ask your health care provider which
day you should start your packet.
If you are taking the Mircette™
product, most of the 28 tablets contain active hormones. This product
should be started on the first Sunday after you start your period or on
the first day of your period.
Before starting this medication,
read the paper on your prescription provided by your pharmacist. This
paper will tell you about the specific product you are taking. Make
certain you understand the instructions.
Keep an extra month's
supply of your pills available to ensure that you will not miss the first
day of the next cycle.
Contact your pediatrician or health care
professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care
may be needed.
SIDE EFFECTS: Severe side effects are
relatively rare in women who are healthy and do not smoke while they are
taking oral contraceptives. On average, more women have problems due to
complications from getting pregnant than have problems with oral
contraceptives. Many of the minor side effects may go away as your body
adjusts to the medicine. However, the potential for severe side effects
does exist and you may want to discuss these with your health care
provider.
The following symptoms or side effects may be related to
blood clots and require immediate medical or emergency help: chest pain;
coughing up blood; dizziness or fainting spells; leg, arm or groin pain;
severe or sudden headaches; stomach pain (severe); sudden shortness of
breath; sudden loss of coordination, especially on one side of the body;
swelling of the hands, feet or ankles, or rapid weight gain; vision or
speech problems; weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, especially on
one side of the body.
Other serious side effects are rare. Contact
your health care provider as soon as you can if the following side effects
occur: breast tissue changes or discharge; changes in vaginal bleeding
during your period or between your periods; headaches or migraines;
increases in blood sugar, especially if you have diabetes; increases in
blood pressure, especially if you are known to have high blood pressure;
symptoms of vaginal infection (itching, irritation or unusual discharge);
tenderness in the upper abdomen; vomiting; yellowing of the eyes or skin.
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report
to your health care provider if they continue or are bothersome):
breakthrough bleeding and spotting that continues beyond the 3 initial
cycles of pills; breast tenderness; mild stomach upset; mood changes,
anxiety, depression, frustration, anger, or emotional outbursts; increased
or decreased appetite; increased sensitivity to sun or ultraviolet light;
nausea; skin rash, acne, or brown spots on the skin; tiredness; weight
gain.
PRECAUTIONS: Visit your health care provider for
regular checks on your progress. You should have a complete check-up every
6 to 12 months. If you have any unusual vaginal bleeding contact your
prescriber or health care professional for advice. If you miss a period,
the possibility of pregnancy must be considered. See your prescriber or
health care provider as soon as you can.
Use an additional method
of contraception during the first cycle that you take these tablets.
If you stop taking these tablets and want to get pregnant, a
return to normal ovulation can take some time. You may not return to
normal ovulation and fertility for 3 to 6 months. Discuss your pregnancy
plans with your health care provider.
If you are taking oral
contraceptives for the treatment of acne, hirsutism (male-like hair
growth), endometriosis or other hormone related problems, it may take
several months of continued treatment to notice improvement in your
symptoms or condition.
Tobacco smoking increases the risk of
getting a blood clot or having a stroke while you are taking mircette,
especially if you are more than 35 years old. You are strongly advised not
to smoke.
Oral contraceptives can increase your sensitivity to the
sun and you may burn more easily. Use sunscreen and protective clothing
during long periods outdoors. Tanning booths should be used with caution.
If you wear contact lenses and notice visual changes, or if the
lenses begin to feel uncomfortable, consult your eye care specialist.
In some women, tenderness, swelling, or minor bleeding of the gums
may occur. Notify your dentist if this happens. Brushing and flossing your
teeth regularly may help limit this. See your dentist regularly and inform
your dentist of the medicines you are taking.
You may get a
vaginal yeast infection. If you have never had a yeast infection before,
see your prescriber or other health care provider to confirm the problem.
If you have had yeast infections in the past and are comfortable with
self-medicating the problem, get and use a nonprescription medication to
treat the yeast infection.
If you are going to have elective
surgery, you may need to stop taking your contraceptive pills one month
beforehand. Consult your health care professional for advice prior to
scheduling the surgery.
Taking contraceptive pills does not
protect you against HIV infection (AIDS) or any other sexually transmitted
diseases.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Antibiotics or medicines for
infections, especially rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, and griseofulvin;
aprepitant, a medicine used for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting;
barbiturate medicines for producing sleep or treating seizures
(convulsions); bosentan; carbamazepine; caffeine; clofibrate;
cyclosporine; dantrolene; grapefruit juice; hydrocortisone; medicines for
anxiety or sleeping problems, such as diazepam or temazepam; medicines for
mental depression; medicines for diabetes, including troglitazone and
pioglitazone; mineral oil; modafinil; mycophenolate; nefazodone;
oxcarbazepine; phenytoin; prednisolone; ritonavir or other medicines for
the treatment of the HIV virus or AIDS; selegiline; soy isoflavones
supplements; St. John's wort; tamoxifen or raloxifene; theophylline;
topiramate; warfarin.
Tell your prescriber or health care
professional about all other medicines you are taking, including
non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products.
Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a
frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you
use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check
before stopping or starting any of your medicines.
NOTES:
Prescriber needs to know if you have or ever had any of these conditions:
blood clots; blood sugar problems, like diabetes; cancer of the breast,
cervix, ovary, uterus, vagina, or unusual vaginal bleeding that has not
been evaluated by a health care professional; depression; fibroids;
gallbladder disease; heart or circulation problems; high blood pressure;
jaundice; liver disease; menstrual problems; migraine headaches; tobacco
smoker; stroke; an unusual or allergic reaction to estrogen/progestin,
other hormones, medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives; pregnant or
trying to get pregnant; breast-feeding.
MISSED DOSE: Try
not to miss a dose. If you do, it may be necessary to consult your health
care professional, especially if you are taking Mircette™.
For
all products (except Mircette™)
21-day schedule: If you miss one dose,
take it as soon as you remember and then take the next pill at the regular
time as usual. You may take 2 tablets in one day. If you miss two doses
(days) in a row, take 2 tablets for the next 2 days, then, continue with
your regular schedule. Whenever 1 or 2 doses are missed, you should use a
second method of contraception for the next 7 days in addition to taking
the pills. If you miss three doses in a row, you should notify your
physician or other health care professional for instructions. You will
probably need to throw away the rest of the tablets in that cycle pack and
start over. Another method of contraception should be used until at least
7 doses have been taken in the new cycle. Missing a pill can cause
spotting or light bleeding. Make sure that no more than 7 days pass at the
end of the 21 day cycle, before you start your next pack of pills.
28-day schedule: Follow the same directions as above for the first
21 days of the schedule. If you miss 1 of the last 7 pills, you can either
double the dose or skip it, but it is important to start the next month's
cycle on the scheduled day.
For Mircette™: You will need to
contact your health care provider for specific instructions based on which
tablets have been missed, for how many days they have been missed, and
based on what week of your current cycle you are currently taking tablets.
STORAGE: Keep out of the reach of children.
Store
at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F).
Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the
expiration date. |
