Femodette
Femodette is a hormonal oral contraceptive that falls into a category of medicines commonly known as “the pill.” Femodette is primarily used to prevent pregnancy, but it has also been shown to provide relief from acne, premenstrual symptoms and painful or heavy periods.
How Does Femodette Work?
Femodette - manufactured by Bayer, is categorised as a combined oral contraceptive pill because it has two active ingredients: ethinylestradiol and gestodene. These ingredients are synthetic versions of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, and they work by overriding the menstrual cycle in three different ways. First, they prevent an egg from being released from the ovaries each month. Secondly, they thicken the cervical mucus so that sperm have a harder time entering the uterus. Lastly, they prevent thickening of the uterine lining so that a fertilised egg cannot implant in the womb.
Femodette Dosage
A monophasic pill, Femodette has the same amount of hormones in each dose. Each pill contains 75 micrograms of gestodene and 20 micrograms of ethinylestradiol.
How Often is Femodette Taken?
You should take one Femodette pill daily for 21 days. After a break of seven days, during which you should experience a period, you will begin a new 21-day course of pills. For maximum effectiveness, you should take your pill at the same time every day.
How Effective is Femodette?
When taken as directed, Femodette is over 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.
Femodette Side Effects
Some side effects, such as nausea, headaches, breast tenderness and changes in the menstrual cycle, are due to the body adjusting to the medication and should be temporary. Talk to your doctor if these symptoms persist or become bothersome.
Hormonal contraceptives pose rare but serious risks for deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke and myocardial infarction. They may also increase your risk of breast or cervical cancer and liver tumours. Stop taking Femodette and see your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:
- severe headache
- unusual pains or swelling in the legs or chest
- breathlessness
- coughing up blood
- jaundice
- full-body itching
- rise in blood pressure
- severe depression
- severe pain in the upper abdomen
- pregnancy
What Other Medications Affect Femodette?
Medications that can decrease the efficacy of Femodette include broad-spectrum antibiotics, hepatic enzyme inducers and the herbal remedy St. John’s Wort. Femodette may interfere with the efficacy of other medications, such as insulin, oral antidiabetics, diuretics and high blood pressure medicines. Make sure your doctor is aware of all the medications you are currently taking before you begin using Femodette.
Who Should Not Take Femodette?
Do not take Femodette if you
- are pregnant or breastfeeding
- have a history of blood clot, stroke, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, angina, irregular heartbeat, severe hypertension, high cholesterol or heart valve disease
- have severe diabetes with complications
- have a history of breast, cervical, uterine or ovarian cancer
- have liver disease or gallstones
- have hereditary blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia
Femodette should be used with caution in women who
- are over 35
- smoke cigarettes
- are obese
- use a wheelchair
- are diabetic
- have mildly elevated blood pressure
- have varicose veins
- have a history of gallstones, liver disease, migraines, or severe depression
- have decreased kidney function
