Side effects of Mercilon A Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill containing Ethinylestradiol and Desogestrel

• Abortion
• Amenorrhea - Absent Periods
• Birth Control
• Bladder Symptoms
• Cancer in Women
• Diet / Weight Loss
• Dysmenorrhea
• Endometriosis
• Female Sexual Problems
• Fibroids
• HRT Risks v Benefits
• Hysterectomy
• Infections
• Infertility
• Medication Drugs
• Menopause
• Menorrhagia Heavy Periods
• Miscarriage
• Painful Sex - Dyspareunia
• Pap Smear Test
• PCOS
• Pelvic Pain
• PMS - Premenstrual Syndrome
• Pregnancy & Childbirth
• Vaginal Discharge
• Vaginal Prolapse

Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-

Use of oral contraceptives and mortality during 14 years' follow-up of Norwegian women. (2006-01)

Myocardial infarction and third generation oral contraceptives: aggregation of recent studies. (2002-01)

The third generation pill controversy (2001-01)

Third generation oral contraceptives and risk of venous thrombosis: meta-analysis. (2001-02)

Recurrent use of newer oral contraceptives and the risk of venous thromboembolism. (2000-01)

Mortality among oral contraceptive users: 20 year follow up of women in a cohort study (1989-01)

What side effects could I have whilst taking Mercilon?

The vast majority of patients taking Mercilon feel very well but, as with any medicine that has benefits, some minor side effects are occasionally reported. These include:

altered body weight (some gain a few pounds and others lose a little).

nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting.

mastalgia (breast tenderness).

headaches (Mercilon should be stopped if they become severe).

altered libido (sex drive - Q15.5) with many women noticing an increase and others a reduction.

depression.

reduced or absent menstrual flow (Q15.4 ;24.17A).

These side effects usually settle within two or three months.


What is the effect of birth pills on body weight?

All of us are intermittently gaining or losing weight.

IInevitably some patients find that they gain weight around the time of starting Mercilon but others observe a weight loss.

In a personal computer search of the medical literature from 1966 to date I found exactly fifty papers (articles in medical journals) where weight change in relation to Mercilon had been studied.

• Thirty-six papers indicated no change, eleven found an increase varying from 0.3kg to 2.4Kg.
• Three papers found weight loss with the combined oral contraceptive pill for women who were overweight or who had polycystic ovaries.

Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-

Oral contraceptives use and weight gain in women with a Central European life-style. (2005-01)

Weight gain on the combined pill--is it real? (2000-01)

Clinical evaluation of a monophasic ethinylestradiol / desogestrel-containing oral contraceptive (1998)

Twelve years of clinical experience with an oral contraceptive containing 30mug ethinyloestradiol and 150mug desogestrel (1995)

Effects of low-dose estrogen oral contraceptives on weight, body composition, and fat distribution in young women (1995)

Efficacy and safety of a monophasic and a triphasic oral contraceptive containing norgestimate (1994)

Clinical comparison of two low-dose oral contraceptives, Minulet(TM) and Mercilon(TM), in women over 30 years of age (1994)

Clinical experience with a modern low-dose oral contraceptive in almost 100,000 users (1991)

A low-dose combination oral contraceptive. Experience with 1,700 women treated for 22,489 cycles (1981)

Will Mercilon increase my vaginal discharge?

Cervical ectopy (erosion - cervical erosion) appears to be more common in women taking the combined oral contraceptive pill although the newer lower dose pill seem to cause this less frequently. Cervical ectopy only requires treatment if there are persistent significant symptoms after excluding other problems such as infection. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that Mercilon increases the incidence of candida (thrush).

Does Mercilon increase my chance of pelvic infections?

There is no increase in the incidence of Candida infection in pill users. The incidence is the same as in women with intrauterine devices and those using no contraception. Bacterial infections that gain entry to the pelvis through the cervix are less common in pill users as the progestogen makes the cervical mucus thick. However, there is no protection against viruses or chlamydia.

Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-/p>

Methods of contraception and rates of genital infections. (1994-01)

Relationship between contraceptive method and vaginal flora. (1984-01)

What is the relationship between Mercilon and fibroids?

Surprisingly, studies show that the combined oral contraceptive pill reduces the chance of fibroid development. It is a surprise because both oestrogen and progesterone are factors in fibroid development so fibroids shrink after the menopause (HRT-Add-Back)). The current presumption is that the total of these hormones provided by the combined oral contraceptive pill in a month must be less than the natural hormone output by the ovaries.


Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-

Long-term use of combined hormonal contraception--myths and reality (2002-01)

LLow-dose combination oral contraceptives use in women with uterine leiomyomas (2002-02)

Use of oral contraceptives and uterine fibroids: Results from a case-control study (1999)

A prospective study of reproductive factors and oral contraceptive use in relation to the risk of uterine leiomyomata. (1998-01?

Contraception for the woman with fibroids. Question and answer. (1995-01)

Will Mercilon increase my blood pressure?





For the majority of women, the blood pressure increases on the combined oral contraceptive pill by an average of 1mm Hg (a tiny amount). An increase of 5-10mm Hg may be of clinical importance but 1mm really does not matter. This is an example of a statistical (mathematical) proven increase that has no consequence from the medical point of view.

TThe international recommendation is that the combined oral contraceptive pill should not be started or continued if your blood pressure is 160/100 or higher. High blood pressure can be a factor in heart disease and strokes and as a few women (about 1%) may develop clinically significant raised blood pressure, checks should be carried out periodically. Your blood pressure should be measured before you start Mercilon and three months later. If your blood pressure is normal it should be reviewed at six months intervals and after two years it can be reviewed annually.


Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-

Clinical inquiries. What is the risk of adverse outcomes in a woman who develops mild hypertension from OCs? (2006-01)

Hypertension, genotype and oral contraceptives. (2002-01)/a>

Does Mercilon have any effect on the blood?

All chemicals in the blood are eventually removed and eliminated from the body. The liver plays a key role in this process and this is true for oestrogens and progestogens. The oestrogen and progestogens in the combined oral contraceptive pill results in a slight alteration in the fat chemistry of the blood. There is a rise in low-density cholesterol (Q 27.4/a>) and triglycerides and a reduction of high-density cholesterol. These changes have been reduced by the more modern pills.

When we cut ourselves a blood clot forms to seal the wound and stop the bleeding.

• This involves a cascade of chemical reactions in the blood that lead to the clot forming.
• Some people are particularly prone to inappropriate blood clots, which occur within the veins usually in the legs or pelvis.
• If such a blood clot, which is called a deep venous thrombosis, becomes dislodged it can travel to the lungs and causes a pulmonary embolism, which is a serious life threatening condition.
• The combined oral contraceptive pills do have a slight adverse effect on the clotting mechanism. Again, the new low oestrogen dose preparations are less likely to lead to problems.

What is the relationship between Mercilon and thromboembolism (blood clots)?

Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are uncommon if you are young (Figure 15.1). There is a slight increased risk of these problems if you are taking a combined oral contraceptive pill and the risk is further increased for those who are overweight or who smoke. The newer and lower oestrogen dose pills probably cause fewer problems. To put the risk in context, a woman taking the combined oral contraceptive pill is more likely to be hospitalised as a result of an accident than from a complication associated with her pill.

Figure 15.1

A study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) published in 1995 provided evidence that the newer pills with their lower oestrogen content are associated with lower incidence of thromboembolism than the earlier higher oestrogen dose pills. This study also brought attention to the relationship between the progestogen in the combined oral contraceptive pill and thromboembolism.

What is the relationship between the combined oral contraceptive pill and heart attacks?


TThe combined oral contraceptive pill has slight adverse effects on the lipids (“fat” chemicals) in the blood and these changes are known risk factors for heart disease. Heart attacks before the menopause are rare. Studies of patients on the early high dose preparations of the combined oral contraceptive pill found a five-fold increase in the incidence of heart attacks. Further studies demonstrated that there are usually confounding (additional) factors contributing to the attacks. In particular, smoking increases the risks. With the more modern low dose pills the risks are probably lower. The latest evidence suggests that there is no increased risk of heart attacks for oral contraceptive users.

The current recommended advice is that smokers should discontinue the combined oral contraceptive pill at the age of 35years. The best advice is that smokers should stop smoking.


Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-/p>

The relationship between use of oral contraceptives and myocardial infarction in young women with fatal outcome, compared to those who survive: results from the MICA case-control study. (2001-01)

Oral contraceptives and myocardial infarction: Results of the MICA case-control study. (1999)

What is the relationship between Mercilon and strokes?

Strokes are uncommon in young women but there is a marginal statistical increase in those who have taken the combined oral contraceptive pill. Strokes may involve haemorrhage (bleeding) within the brain or reduced blood supply (ischaemia) to part of the brain. In young women it is the bleed variety of stroke that is the more common. One study in Europe found no significant increase in the chance of the bleed variety of stroke in association with the combined oral contraceptive pill. Smoking and high blood pressure are more important risk factors and these confuse any analysis of the risks of the combined oral contraceptive pill.


Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-/p>

Risk of stroke in women exposed to low-dose oral contraceptives: a critical evaluation of the evidence. (2004-01)

Ischemic stroke risk with oral contraceptives: A meta-analysis. (2000-01)

Does Mercilon affect the breasts?

Many women find that their breasts are slightly larger when taking the combined oral contraceptive pill. Breast discomfort (mastalgia) may respond to vitamin B 6 (pyridoxine) 50 mg once or twice daily. Otherwise a change of pill should be considered. Should milk production occur (galactorrhoea) investigation of the prolactin hormone level is indicated (hyperprolactinaemia). Benign breast disease (Q 27.16) tends to improve when the combined oral contraceptive pill is taken.

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Could I feel depressed as a result of taking Mercilon?

A few women describe a little depression when taking the combined oral contraceptive pill. The pill does not cause severe depression. If a change of pill does not solve the problem, pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) 50mg daily may be beneficial but it can take up to two months to be effective.br>

Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-

Decreased neuroactive steroids induced by combined oral contraceptive pills are not associated with mood changes. (2006-01)

Impact of oral contraceptive pill use on premenstrual mood: predictors of improvement and deterioration. (2003-01)

 






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