Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol
About
Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol belongs to a group of hormonal contraceptives. It is used as an oral contraceptive to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Contraception is a procedure that aims to prevent pregnancy and is used in family planning.
Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol is made up of two medicines: Drospirenone and Ethinylestradiol. Drospirenone is a progestin (female hormones). It works by preventing the fertilization of the egg. A woman can only get pregnant if a man's sperm fertilizes her egg.
Take Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol as prescribed by your doctor. You may experience stomach pain, headache, nausea, breast pain, weight gain, and irregular uterine bleeding. Most of these side effects of Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
Before taking the Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol, let your doctor know about all your medical conditions, sensitivities, and all medications you are using. Before starting Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol, please inform your doctor if you ever have blood clots in your legs, lungs, or eyes. If you have a stroke, heart attack, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, liver, and kidney problems, then do not take Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol. Do not take Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol if you are pregnant.
Uses of Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol
Medicinal Benefits
Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol belongs to a group of hormonal contraceptives. Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol is made up of two medicines: Drospirenone and Ethinylestradiol. Drospirenone is a progestin (female hormones). It works to prevent pregnancy by preventing the release of an egg from the ovary or preventing fertilization of the egg by sperm (male reproductive cells). Ethinyl Estradiol is a female hormone (synthetic estrogen). In women, it helps maintain a normal menstrual cycle (periods). In women undergoing menopause, it works by fulfilling the deficiency of estrogen hormone as well.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol
- Stomach pain
- Headache
- Nausea
- Breast pain
- Weight gain
- Irregular uterine bleeding
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
After taking a Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol if you have allergies, stroke, blood clots in eyes, legs, and lungs, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, migraines, and angioedema (family or personal history of the swelling disorder). People having kidney and liver problems, a history of yellowing skin or eyes (jaundice), vaginal bleeding, high cholesterol, gallbladder problems, obesity, and swelling (edema) should not take this Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol may interact with HIV drugs (atazanavir/cobicistat, ospemifene, tamoxifen, tizanidine), drugs used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (ombitasvir/paritaprevir, ritonavir), drugs used in hypertension (losartan, valsartan, enalapril), and pain killers (Ibuprofen, naproxen).
Drug-Food Interactions: No interactions found.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol may interact with disease conditions, including hyperkalemia, abnormal vaginal bleeding, cancer, Hypercalcemia (increased calcium level) in breast cancer, and hypertension (high blood pressure).
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionConsuming alcohol with a Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol is not advisable as it may cause unpleasant side effects, or you may become more sensitive to the effects of alcohol.
Pregnancy
unsafeThis Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol should not be used during pregnancy. It may lead to abortion after the first 3 months if you use this Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol during pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
unsafeNot safe, this Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol may pass into breast milk. They may harm the baby and also may affect the production of milk. So, this Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol is unsafe for breastfeeding mothers.
Driving
cautionDrospirenone+ethinylestradiol may cause headaches and nausea in some people, so it may affect your ability to drive.
Liver
cautionInform your doctor before receiving the Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol if you have had a liver impairment/disorder history. Your doctor will prescribe only if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Kidney
cautionInform your doctor before receiving the Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol if you have had a liver impairment/disorder history. Your doctor will prescribe only if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Children
unsafeThis Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol may be used for controlling birth in young females but should not be used before the beginning of menstruation.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Keep your weight under control with a body mass index (BMI) of 19.5-24.9.
- Opt for a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, veggies, and low-fat dairy products.
- Quitting smoking and not drinking alcohol is the best strategy to lower the risk of any complications.
- Do regular exercise to maintain weight fluctuations caused due to Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol.
- Monitor your blood pressure regularly and if there is too much fluctuation, then immediately contact your doctor.
- Including heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid-containing food drinks in your daily diet. You can also use low-fat cooking oil like olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and coconut oil to lower your elevated blood pressure.
Special Advise
- Stop taking this Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol and inform your doctor immediately if you notice unexplained pain and swelling in your limbs, chest pain, shortness of breath, severe headache, or changes in vision. These could be symptoms of a blood clot in a vein.
- Stop taking Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol and immediately contact your doctor if you notice your skin and whites of the eye turning yellow (jaundice), severe depression, severe stomach pain, or if you think you could be pregnant.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Contraception: Contraception wants to prevent pregnancy. A woman can get pregnant if a man's sperm reaches one of her ova (eggs). Contraception tries to stop this from happening by keeping the sperm and egg separately. Therefore, stopping the production of an egg. It also stops the combined form of sperm and egg (a fertilized form of an egg) from attaching to the lining of the uterus.
FAQs
Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol works by preventing the fertilization of the egg. A woman can only get pregnant if a man's sperm fertilizes her egg.
If you vomit within 3-4 hours after taking Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol. Therefore, you should take another dose as soon as you feel well sufficient.
You may experience irregular vaginal bleeding while taking Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol. Other common side effects include nausea (feeling sick), headache, breast pain, and depression (sad mood). Most of them are temporary if these persist, contact your doctor.
If you forget to take one tablet of Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol, take it as soon as you remember, even if it means taking two tablets simultaneously and then following the usual dosing schedule. However, if you forget to take two or more doses, you may not be completely protected against pregnancy. In this case, start taking the Drospirenone+ethinylestradiol as soon as you remember and use a non-hormonal method of contraception such as condoms for at least the next seven days to prevent pregnancy. Frequent missing doses may cause spotting (bloodstain) or unexpected vaginal bleeding. If this persists, contact your doctor.
You will usually get your period within three days after taking the last pill. If you have not followed the dosing schedule like you have missed one or two pills or started taking them a day after, then you should have, the probability of pregnancy should be considered at the time of the first missed period, and you should contact your doctor.
