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What is
Gestodene? |
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Gestodene may increase the chances of developing blood clots or cancers
such as breast or cervical cancer. However, it may
provide some protection against ovarian and
endometrial cancer. You and your prescriber will
need to weigh up the risks and benefits of taking
Gestodene.
Hormonal contraceptives will only prevent a pregnancy if they are taken
regularly. It is important you take this medicine at
the same time each day. If you want immediate
contraceptive cover then start to take Gestodene on
the first day of your menstrual period. If you do
not start taking Gestodene on the first day of your
menstrual period you will need to take extra
contraceptive precautions for at least seven days
until Gestodene starts to work. For more information
about starting Gestodene and if you need to take
extra contraceptive precautions ask your prescriber,
family planning nurse or read the patient
information leaflet that comes with your medicine.
Once you have started to take Gestodene, you should take it once a day
for 21 days. After this you should not take any more
tablets for the next seven days. Start a new strip
of Gestodene immediately after the seven day
tablet-free break. During this break you will
usually have a withdrawal bleed. If you do not have
a withdrawal bleed during the tablet-free break and
you have taken all your pills properly, you are very
unlikely to be pregnant. But, if you miss two
withdrawal bleeds in a row you should immediately
contact your prescriber or family planning nurse.
This is because there is a possibility that you
could be pregnant and you must not take Gestodene
during pregnancy.
In certain situations the effectiveness of Gestodene may be reduced and
you will need to take extra contraceptive
precautions. These situations include: missing a
dose by more than 12 hours; taking other medicines
that interact with Gestodene; having diarrhea,
vomiting or any medical condition which interferes
with the absorption of your medicine. If any of
these situations occur during the last seven days of
your tablet strip you should not have a tablet-free
break between strips of tablets. Start taking the
next strip of tablets without a break.
As there is no gap between strips you will not have a withdrawal bleed
at the end of the first strip. But you may have some
menstrual bleeding while you are taking the second
strip and you should have a withdrawal bleed once
you finish the second strip. For more information
about situations when the effectiveness of Gestodene
may be reduced and when to take additional
contraceptive precautions ask your prescriber,
family planning nurse or read the patient
information leaflet that comes with your medicine.
Other information
about Gestodene:
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you may have light and irregular periods or no
periods at all when you stop taking Gestodene |
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How does Gestodene
work? |
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Gestodene contains two hormones that are similar to the hormones
estrogen and progesterone that are produced by the
body. Gestodene comes in a strip of 21 tablets. Each
strip contains three types of tablets– six beige,
five dark brown and ten white tablets. These tablets
contain different amounts of estrogen and
progestogen. Gestodene is used to prevent women from
becoming pregnant. It works by preventing the
release of eggs from the ovary and changes the
lining of the uterus which makes it difficult for an
egg to develop. It also increases the thickness of
vaginal fluid which can stop a sperm from reaching
an egg.
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Who should not use Gestodene? |
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Your prescriber may
only prescribe this medicine with special care or
may not prescribe it at all if you:
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are allergic or sensitive to or have had a
reaction to any of the ingredients in the
medicine |
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are obese |
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are pregnant or think you may be pregnant |
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have a bleed in the brain |
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have a movement disorder |
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have a problem such as otosclerosis that became
worse during pregnancy or after taking oral
contraceptives |
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have an inflammatory bowel disease such as
Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis |
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have asthma |
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have blood problems |
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have cardiovascular problems |
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have chloasma |
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have diabetes or have risk factors for
developing diabetes |
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have epilepsy |
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have gallstones |
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have had certain problems during pregnancy such
as jaundice, rashes or itching |
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have high blood pressure |
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have kidney problems |
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have lupus or a lupus-like problem |
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have metabolic problems |
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have migraines |
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have multiple sclerosis |
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have or have had benign breast disease, breast
cancer or a family history of breast cancer |
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have or have had depression |
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have or have had endometrial cancer |
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have or have had liver problems such as jaundice
or liver tumors |
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have or have had phlebitis |
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have otosclerosis |
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have porphyria |
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have risk factors for developing blood clots
such as smoking, having a personal or family
history of blood clots, being over 35 years of
age, being immobile for a long period of time,
having thrombophlebitis, having problems with
blood clotting, have had recent surgery or
trauma, are about to have surgery or have given
birth in the last six to eight weeks |
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have sickle cell anaemia |
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have tetany |
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have uterine problems such as fibroids |
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have vaginal bleeding and the cause of the
bleeding is not known |
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have varicose veins |
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wear contact lenses |
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How should I use Gestodene? |
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Hormonal contraceptives will only prevent a pregnancy if they are taken
regularly. It is important you take this medicine at
the same time each day. When you first start to take
Gestodene you may need to take extra contraceptive
precautions until it starts to work. You may also
need to take extra contraceptive precautions in
certain situations. These situations include missing
a dose by more than 12 hours or vomiting within
three to four hours of taking Gestodene. Ask your
prescriber, family planning nurse or read the
patient information leaflet that comes with your
medicine for more information about when to take
additional contraceptive precautions.
Other information
about Gestodene:
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for information about when you should start to
take this medicine you should ask your
prescriber, pharmacist or read the patient
information leaflet that comes with your
medicine |
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you should start a new pack the day after you
finish the current one. Do not have a break
between packs |
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What happens if I miss a Gestodene dose?
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Take the
missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if
it is almost time for your next dose, skip the
missed dose and continue your regular dosing
schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a
missed one.
You may also need to
take extra contraceptive precautions. |
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What happens if I overdose?
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There have been no
reports of serious deleterious effects from
overdose. Symptoms that may occur in this case are
nausea, vomiting and, in young girls, slight vaginal
bleeding. There are no antidotes and further
treatment should be symptomatic. |
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What should I avoid while using Gestodene? |
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Your prescriber may
only prescribe this medicine with special care or
may not prescribe it at all if you:
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Possibly
Pregnant |
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Severe disturbances of liver function, jaundice
or persistent itching during a previous
pregnancy, Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Rotor
syndrome, previous or existing liver tumors. |
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History of confirmed venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Family history of idiopathic VTE. Other known
risk factors for VTE. |
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Existing or previous arterial thrombotic or
embolic processes, conditions which predispose
to them e.g. disorders of the clotting
processes, valvular heart disease and atrial
fibrillation. |
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Sickle-cell anemia. |
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Mammary or endometrial carcinoma, or a history
of these conditions. |
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Severe diabetes mellitus with vascular changes. |
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Disorders of lipid metabolism. |
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History of herpes gestationis. |
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Deterioration of otosclerosis during pregnancy. |
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Undiagnosed abnormal vaginal bleeding. |
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Hypersensitivity to any of the components of
Gestodene. |
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What are the possible side effects of Gestodene? |
The frequency of these
side-effects is unknown
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breast tenderness |
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cervical cancer - this has been reported in
women who have taken combined estrogen and
progestogen contraceptives for a long period of
time |
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changes in libido |
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changes to menstruation or bleeding patterns
such as lighter menstrual periods, irregular
spotting or bleeding in between menstrual
periods, irregular menstrual periods or not
having a menstrual period at all. Seek immediate
medical advice if you do not have two withdrawal
bleeds in a row or if you have any spotting or
bleeding in between menstrual periods after
taking Gestodene for some time |
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changes to weight |
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changes to your awareness - seek immediate
medical advice if you suddenly develop hearing
or eye problems |
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chloasma - this may be worsened if you expose
your skin to sunlight. If you are prone to
chloasma do not expose your skin to sunlight
while taking Gestodene |
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depressed mood |
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epilepsy - you or your carer must seek immediate
medical advice if you have seizures more often |
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headaches– seek immediate medical advice if you
have an unusually bad headache or if your
headaches occur more often |
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intolerance to contact lenses - seek medical
advice if you develop an intolerance to wearing
contact lenses |
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liver problems such as liver tumors - some liver
tumors may be life-threatening. Seek medical
advice if you develop jaundice, itching or if
you have pain or discomfort in the upper part of
your stomach |
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may affect the results for certain tests |
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migraine– seek immediate medical advice if you
get a migraine-type headache for the first time
or if your migraine-type headaches become worse |
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nausea |
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reduced glucose tolerance - people with
diabetes may be advised to adjust their
anti-diabetic therapy |
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some conditions may occur for the first time or
get worse during treatment with Gestodene. If
any of these happen to you, seek medical advice.
Examples include: diabetes, raised blood
pressure, varicose veins, phlebitis,
otosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, depression,
porphyria, tetany, chorea, kidney problems,
obesity, systemic lupus erythematosus, fibroids
in the uterus, gall-stones, heart and
circulation problems, asthma, breast cancer or
other breast problems |
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stomach upsets such as diarrhea or vomiting - if
you have diarrhea or vomiting after taking
Gestodene you may need to take extra
contraceptive precautions. For more information
speak to your prescriber, family planning nurse
or read the patient information leaflet that
comes with this medicine |
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thromboembolic problems such as heart attacks,
strokes, deep vein thromboses or pulmonary
embolisms - some of these problems may be fatal.
Seek immediate medical advice if you have
feelings of pain and tightness in the chest,
pain on breathing or coughing, painful or
swollen legs |
Hormonal contraceptives may also increase the chances of developing
breast cancer. You and your prescriber will need to
weigh up the benefits and risks of taking Gestodene
before you start to take it. Women who take
Gestodene need to regularly examine their breasts
for any changes or lumps.
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What other drugs will affect Gestodene? |
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The following
medicines may interact with Gestodene:
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carbamazepine |
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griseofulvin |
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phenobarbital |
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phenylbutazone |
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phenytoin |
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primidone |
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rifampicin |
The following types
of medicine may interact with Gestodene:
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antibiotics |
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barbiturates |
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liver enzyme inducers |
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Where can I get more information? |
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If you
have questions about the medicine you are taking or
would like more information, check with your doctor,
pharmacist, or other health care provider. |
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Gestodene Storage |
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Gestodene
does not require any special
storage conditions. |
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Nursing Mothers use of Gestodene |
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The use of Gestodene
during lactation may lead to a reduction in the
volume of milk produced and to a change in its
composition. Minute amounts of the active substances
are excreted with the milk. Mothers who are
breast-feeding may be advised instead to use a
progestogen-only pill. |
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Pregnancy and use
of Gestodene |
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If pregnancy occurs
during medication with oral contraceptives, the
preparation should be withdrawn immediately.
Pregnancy is a reason for stopping immediately
because it has been suggested by some investigations
that oral contraceptives taken in early pregnancy
may slightly increase the risk of fetal
malformations. Other investigations have failed to
support these findings. The possibility therefore
cannot be excluded, but it is certain that if a risk
exists at all, it is very small. |
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Disclaimer:
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Information on this
page is provided for general information purposes.
You should not make a clinical treatment decision
based on information contained in this page without
consulting other references including the package
insert of the drug, textbooks and where relevant,
expert opinion. We cannot be held responsible for
any errors you make in administering drugs mentioned
on this page, nor for use of any erroneous
information contained on this page. |
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