Femodette is a type of contraceptive pill, known as the combined oral contraceptive. It contains two active ingredients - ethinylestradiol and gestodene - which are synthetic versions of the female sex hormones, oestrogen and progestogen. Femodette is prescribed primarily as a contraceptive, but some doctors may also prescribe Femodette for period delay, alleviation of period pains and to help mood swings associated with the menstrual cycle.
Femodette is a type of the combined contraceptive pill to prevent unwanted pregnancies from occurring. It works by stopping an egg from being released each month for fertilisation by releasing synthetic versions of progesterone and oestrogen into the womb. It also prevents sperm from entering through the vagina by thickening the mucus at the entrance to the womb and thinning the womb lining to make it difficult for an egg to attach itself should fertilisation occur.
The best time to start taking Femodette is on the first day of your period where it will start to work right away. If you start taking it on days 1-5 of your cycle then you'll have immediate protection. You can start taking Femodette at any time during your cycle but if it's after day five then you'll need to use an additional method of contraception, like condoms or a diaphragm, for seven days.
Femodette is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy if it is taken correctly.
The active ingredients in Femodette are progestogen gestodene and oestrogen ethinylestradiol.
The other ingredients include lactose, maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate (E572), sucrose, macrogol 6000, calcium carbonate (E170), talc, montan glycol wax.
You should ideally start taking Femodette on the first day of your period as this ensures you will have protection right away. You can begin taking the pill at any point in your cycle as long as there is no chance that you are pregnant. If you start taking it after the fifth day of your period you'll need to use additional contraception like condoms for the first seven days to ensure you are protected from pregnancy.
Femodette is taken once a day at the same time each day. The pill packs have the days of the week marked on each one to help you remember to take them. One pack lasts for 21 days. After this you take a seven day break before starting the next pack which is when you'll get your period.
Each pill contains 75 micrograms of the progestogen gestodene, and 20 micrograms of the oestrogen ethinylestradiol. One pill should be taken daily.
If it's been a full day since you were due to take your pill then this counts as a missed pill. You should take it as soon as you remember and take your next one at the correct time. It's fine to take more than one in the same day. After missing a pill you should use additional contraception, such as condoms, for the next seven days to ensure that you are protected from pregnancy.
If you take your pill later than your scheduled time then this won't affect your protection. Take the pill as soon as you remember and continue to take the rest as usual.
Common side effects that may occur when you first start taking Femodette include:
There are also some potential serious side effects associated with taking the pill. The risk is small however it's important to be aware that the pill could lead to:
If you experience any signs of a blood clot, such as pain in the leg, then seek immediate advice from a doctor.
Do not take Femodette if:
Extra care should be taken if:
Medicines which interact with Femodette include:
Drinking alcohol will not affect Femodette.
Microgynon 30, Levest, Ovranette and Rigevidon are the most commonly prescribed versions of the combined pill. Aside from the mini pill, other long term contraceptives include the contraceptive implant, patch or injection and the IUD or IUS.
Femodette differs from the mini pill as it contains both oestrogen and progesterone. The mini pill has less hormones and only contains progesterone. Both contraceptive pills work in similar ways but the mini pill must be taken within a specific time frame (either 4 hours or 12 hours) to be effective. Due to this it's efficiency rate is 84% after taking into account day to day factors which contribute to forgetting or being unable to take it on time. However, the mini pill may be a good option for women who are unable to take the combined pill.
If you are looking to switch your contraceptive pill then discuss this with one of our doctors who can recommend the best one for you. The pill isn't suitable for everyone and sometimes you'll need to try a few different types to find the one that works for you. If you are switching to Femodette then start taking it as soon as you finish your current pack, skipping the seven day break. If you are taking the progesterone only pill then begin Femodette on the first day of your period, even if that means taking the two different pills at once.
The combined pill is often prescribed to help treat acne, ease the symptoms of PMS and to make your periods lighter and less painful.
You can delay your period by running two packs of Femodette back to back instead of taking the usual seven day break. This will allow you to skip your period until you reach the end of the next pack.
If you vomit less than four hours after taking Femodette then it's likely the hormones have not been absorbed by your body. If this happens, take another pill right away and then continue with the rest of your pack as normal. If you continue to be ill then you should use additional contraception for the next seven days as your protection is likely to be affected.
Your fertility should return as soon as you stop taking Femodette. For some women, it can take six months to get pregnant but for others they may fall pregnant right away. It usually takes a few months for your menstrual cycle to return to normal as your body adjusts to its natural hormone balance.
Femodette and Femodene are two different brands of the combined contraceptive pill. They are essentially the same but contain slightly different hormonal ingredients. Desogestrel is the name of the progesterone hormone in Femodette whereas Femodene contains Gestodene.
Taking Femodette won't stop your periods unless you intentionally run two packs back to back in order to skip your period.
If you are healthy and have no underlying issues with your blood pressure then this is unlikely to be an issue. Women with existing high blood pressure may find that Femodette exacerbates this. This is something your doctor will discuss with you before prescribing the pill to determine if it is suitable. If you are a smoker over the age of 35 then you are particularly at risk.
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