Progestins For Contraceptive Use (Systemic)

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. If you are using progestins for contraception you should understand how their benefits and risks compare to those of other birth control methods. This is a decision you, your sexual partner, and your doctor will make. For progestins, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to progestins. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Diet - Make certain your health care professional knows if you are on any special diet, such as a low-sodium or low-sugar diet.

Pregnancy - Use of progestin-only contraceptives during pregnancy is not recommended. Doctors should be told if pregnancy is suspected. When accidently used during pregnancy, progestins used for contraception have not caused problems.

Breast-feeding - Although progestins pass into the breast milk, the low doses of progestins used for contraception have not been shown to cause problems in nursing babies. Progestins used for contraception are recommended for nursing mothers when contraception is desired.

Adolescents - Progestins have been used by teenagers and have not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than they do in adults. You must take progestin-only oral contraceptives every day in order for them to work. Progestins do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, a risk factor for teenagers.

Older adults - This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking a progestin, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Aminoglutethimide (e.g., Cytadren) or
• Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol) or
• Phenobarbital or
• Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) or
• Rifabutin (e.g., Mycobutin) or
• Rifampin (e.g., Rifadin, Rimactane) - These medicines may decrease the effects of progestins and increase your chance of pregnancy, so use of a second form of birth control is recommended

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of progestins. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Asthma or
• Epilepsy (or history of) or
• Heart or circulation problems or
• Kidney disease (severe) or
• Migraine headaches - Progestins may cause fluid build-up and may cause these conditions to become worse

• Bleeding problems, undiagnosed, such as blood in urine or changes in vaginal bleeding - May make diagnosis of these problems more difficult

• Breast disease (such as breast lumps or cysts) (history of) - May make this condition worse in certain types of diseases that do not react in a positive way to progestins

• Central nervous system (CNS) disorders, such as mental depression (or history of) or
• High blood cholesterol - Effects of progestins may cause these conditions or may make these conditions worse
• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) - May cause a mild increase in your blood sugar and a need to change the amount of medicine you take for diabetes

• Liver disease - Effects of some progestins may be increased and may worsen this condition

• Other conditions that increase the chances for osteoporosis (brittle bones) - Since it is possible that certain doses of progestins may cause temporary thinning of the bones by changing your hormone balance, it is important that your doctor know if you have an increased risk of osteoporosis. Some things that can increase your risk for having osteoporosis include cigarette smoking, abusing alcohol, taking or drinking large amounts of caffeine, and having a family history of osteoporosis or easily broken bones. Some medicines, such as glucocorticoids (cortisone-like medicines) or anticonvulsants (seizure medicine), can also cause thinning of the bones. However, it is thought that progestins can help protect against osteoporosis in postmenopausal women