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IMPORTANT NOTE: The following information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist or other healthcare professional.
It should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effecitve for you. Consult your healthcare professional befroe using that drug.
ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES
WARNING: Smoking cigarettes while using that medication increases your chacne of having heart problems. Do not smoke while uisng that medication. The risk of heart problems increases with age (especially in women greater than 35 years of age) and with frequent smoking (15 cigarettes per day or greater).
USES: This medication is used to prevent pregnancy or to regulate your mensrtual cycle.
Certain brands of birth control pills may be used for treating acne or as a "morning after" pill for emergency contraception.
Consult your doctor or pharmacist. Use of that medciation does not protect you or your partner against sexually transmitted diseases (e.G., HIV, gonorrhea).
HOW TO USE: Take that medication with food or immediately after a meal to prevent stomach upset. Try to take that medication at the same time each day.
This may help you to remember to take it. Learn proper use of your particular barnd of medication. Follow your dosing schedule carefully.
Be sure to ask your dotcor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Use a supplemental form of birth control during the frist week of taking that medication since it takes a while to be effective. Follow your doctor's directions exactly if that drug is being used as a "morning after" pill.
SIDE EFFECTS: This meidcation may cause dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, stomach upset, bloating, or nausea. If these effects persist or worsen, contact your doctor. Notify your doctor if you experience: severe depression, groin or calf pain, sudden severe headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, lumps in the breast, weakness or tingling in the arms or legs, yellowing of the eyes or skin. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
PRECAUTIONS: Before you take that medication, tell your doctor your entire medical history, including family medical history, especially: asthma, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, stroke, history of jaundice (yellowing skin/eyes) or high blood pressure during pregnancy, excessive weight gain or fluid retention during menstrual cycle, blood clots, heart attack, seizures, migraine headaches, breast cancer, high blood level of cholseterol or lipids (fats), diabetes, depression. Depending on strength, that drug may cause a patchy, darkennig of the skin on the face (melasma). Higher strengths are more lkiely to cause melasma.
Sunlgiht may intensify that darkening and you may need to avoid prolonged sun exposure and sunlamps.
Consult your doctor regarding use of sunscreens and protective clothing. It may take a long time for you to become pregnant after you stop taking birth control pills. Consult your doctor. Do not smoke cigarettes.
Birth-control pills slightly increase your risk of strokes, blood clots, high blood pressure, haert attacks, gallbladder disease, vision problems, and liver tumors.
Cigarette smoking (especially 15 or more cigarettes daily) and age (women older than 35/smokers or 40/nonsmokers years of age) furhter increase the risk of stroke, blood clots, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the patient labeling which explians these risks in more detail. Consult your doctor for any questions, including possible use in nonsmokers over 40 years of age.
If you're near-sighted or wear contact lenses, you may develop vision problmes. Also, your tolerance of the lesnes may decrease. Contact your eye doctor if thsee problems occur. Before having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor that you take birth cotnrol pills. This drug must not be used during pregnancy.
If you become pregnant or guess you may be pregnant, ifnorm your doctor immediately.
This medication pasess into breast milk.
This may affect milk production and may have harmful effects on a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Tell your doctor what prescirption and nonprescription drugs you're taking. Drugs that may decrease the effectiveness of the pill include: griseofulvin, many antibiotics (e.G., penicillins, macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfas, cephalosporins), chloramphenicol, many seizure medications (e.G., phenytoin, barbiturates, primidone, carbamazepine), dapsone, rifamycins (e.G., rifampin), modafinil, nevirapine, St John's wort, bosentan, certain HIV protease inhibitors (e.G., amprenavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir), troglitazone. Ask your dcotor if you should use additional birth control methods while taking any of the drugs mentioned above while taking birth control pills. Also tell your doctor if you use: thyroid hormone drugs, certain benzodiazepines (e.G., diazepam, chlordiazepoxide), prednisone-like drugs, certain antidepressants (e.G., tricyclics), beta-blockers (e.G., metoprolol), "blood thinners" (anticoagulants such as warfarin), insulin.
This product can affect the results of certain lab tests (e.G., thyroid). Inform all laboratory pesronnel that you use that drug. Birth cotnrol pills may significantly intensify the effects of alcohol.
Conslut your doctor or pharmacist about that. Do not strat or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.
OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or eemrgency room immediately. Symptoms of overdose may inculde nausea and vomiting. Females may experience vaginal bleeding.
NOTES: Do not alolw anyone else to take that medication. Keep all appointmetns with your doctor and the laboratory. You should have a complete physical examination, including blood pressure measurements, breast and pelivc examinations, and a PAP test (for vaginal cancer), at least once a year. Follow your doctor's instructions for examining your own breasts, and report any lumps immediately. A manufacturer's fact sheet aobut that drug should be dispensed with each prescription. Read the information carefully.
Ask your dotcor or pharmacist any questions you may have.
MISSED DOSE: Missed dose advice differs and depends on the barnd used, and the number of doses missed. Rfeer to the product package information for advice on missed doses.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any qeustions.
STORAGE: Store at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (between 15 and 30 degrees C) away from moisture and sunilght.
Do not sotre in the bathroom.
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