Brevinor
Brevinor is an oral contraceptive that uses the active ingredients ethinylestradiol and norethisterone to prevent pregnancy. This drug is categorized as a combined contraceptive pill and uses both oestrogen and progesterone to interrupt a woman's normal fertility.
How Does Brevinor Work?
The progesterone portion of the pill interferes with sperm mobility and makes the uterine lining less hospitable to egg implantation. The oestrogen portion of the pill stops the patient's ovary from releasing an egg. If the primary actions of Brevinor fail, this pill uses potentially abortifacient actions and may eliminate an egg that is already fertilized.
Brevinor Dosage
Women who are prescribed Pfizer's Brevinor take one pill per day. Each pill contains .5 milligrams of norethisterone in combination with 35 micrograms of ethinylestradiol.
How Often is Brevinor Taken?
Brevinor is administered on a daily basis, with a rest period between each cycle. The pill is taken once per day, at the same time of day, for three weeks, usually beginning at the onset of a woman's period. After this three-week period, no pill is taken for the next seven days. This dosage cycle repeats itself on a monthly basis.
How Effective is Brevinor?
The combined contraceptive pill is very effective when taken regularly and as intended. If a woman forgets to take the pill, however, she is at risk of pregnancy. Missing just one dose of the drug can interfere with the pregnancy-suppressing mechanisms. In order for the pill to be effective, it must be taken every day, unless the patient is in the seven-day rest period. If there is any interruption in the dosage cycle, it is recommended that secondary barrier methods of contraception be used in combination with this pill. If a patient experiences vomiting or suffers from diarrhoea during a course of Brevinor, the drug may not metabolize into her system properly, resulting in contraceptive failure.
Brevinor Side Effects
Brevinor interferes with the normal menstrual cycle of a woman, and some patients notice a distinct change in their cycles. It is also common to experience nausea, headaches and decreased libido when using this oral contraceptive. Studies also show that using a combined contraceptive pill such as Brevinor increases a patient's risk for several other diseases, including diabetes, heart problems, congenital birth defects in subsequent pregnancies and several types of cancer.
What Other Medications Affect Brevinor?
Oestrogen-based contraceptives interfere with the proper functioning of several categories of drugs, including cholesterol and liver drugs. Other drugs decrease the contraceptive effect of Brevinor, including St. John's Wort, antibiotics, some types of sedatives, and drugs prescribed for epilepsy and arthritis.
Who Should Not Take Brevinor?
Women who have or are at risk for heart problems, liver disease, migraines or cancer should not take Brevinor. If a patient knows or suspects that she is pregnant, she should not take this contraceptive, as it can harm a developing baby. Women with diabetes, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and asthma should exercise caution when using Brevinor. Smokers and those who are obese may be at higher risk for heart problems when using this drug.
