Sunya
More than three million women in the UK take an oral contraceptive to prevent pregnancy, and Sunya, developed by Stragen - is just one of about 30 different types available.
How Does Sunya Work?
The two active ingredients in Sunya are ethinylestradiol and gestodene, synthetic versions of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. The combined contraceptive pill overrides the normal menstrual cycle and tricks the body into believing that ovulation has already occurred, so the ovaries do not release an egg each month.
Sunya Dosage
The dosage is one pill daily.
How Often is Sunya Taken?
Women take one Sunya tablet each day for 21 days, stop taking it for seven days, and then repeat the process beginning on the 29th day.
How Effective is Sunya?
Less than .001 percent of women who take the combined contraceptive pill with ethinylestradiol and gestodene for a year get pregnant when they take the pill correctly. It is one of the most effective contraception methods available today.
Sunya Side Effects
While most women do not have adverse reactions, some have experienced these side effects when taking Sunya:
- Nervousness or irritability
- Headache or migraine
- Nausea
- Acne
- Weight gain
- Fluid retention
- Irregular, lighter or stopped periods
- Decrease in sex drive
- Tender breasts
- Depression
- Corneal curvature making it uncomfortable to wear contact lenses
What Other Medications Affect Sunya?
Women who take prescription or non-prescription medications or herbal supplements should inform their doctors or pharmacists what they are taking before they begin using Sunya. After they start taking Sunya, they should not take any new medications without first checking with their doctors or pharmacists to be sure that the combinations are safe.
Taking any of the following medicines may make this oral contraceptive less effective:
- Topiramate
- Ritonavir
- Rifabutin
- Rifampicin
- Primidone
- Phenytoin
- Phenobarbital
- Oxcarbazepine
- Nevirapine
- Modafinil
- Eslicarbazepine
- Carbamazepine
- Barbiturates
- Bosentan
- Aprepitant
- St John’s wort herbal remedy
- Ulipristal (Ellaone)
The pill may work against the blood sugar lowering effects of diabetes medicines, the blood pressure lowering effects of high blood pressure medicines, and the fluid-reducing effects of diuretic medicines. The oral contraceptive may weaken the effectiveness of thyroid hormones as well as the antiepileptic medicine, lamotrigine.
Orlistat (non-prescription Alli or prescription Xenical) may cause severe diarrhoea if taken with Sunya.
Who Should Not Take Sunya
A women should not take Sunya if she:
- is pregnant or breastfeeding
- has a history or a risk of blood clots in a vein
- has had a blood clot in an artery or a heart attack
- has systemic lupus erythematosus
- has excess urea in the blood
- has angina, heart valve disease, an irregular heartbeat or hypertension
- has severe diabetes with complications
- smokes over 40 cigarettes a day
- is past 50 years old
- gets severe migraines
- has a history of cancer of the breast or genital tract
- has liver disease or bile excretion disorder causing jaundice
- has gallstones
- is allergic to any of the ingredients in Sunya
