Oral contraceptives come in a variety of formulations. The main division is between combined oral contraceptive pills, containing both estrogen and synthetic progestogens (strictly progestins, the term used in the United States, but the former term is used in the United Kingdom), and progestogen only pills (mini-pills). Combined oral contraceptive pills also come in varying types, including varying doses of estrogen, and whether the dose of estrogen or progestogen changes from week to week.
Take Mircette pills by mouth. Before you start taking these pills decide what is a suitable time of day and always take them at the same time of day and in the order directed. Swallow the pills with a drink of water. Take with food to reduce stomach upset. Do not take more often than directed.
Most products (except Mircette) contain a 21-day supply of pills containing the active ingredients. Some products contain an additional 7 pills containing iron or inactive ingredients to be taken during the week of menstruation; this reduces the chance of missing the first day of the next cycle. Most products are to be started on the first Sunday after you start your period or on the first day of your period. You may need to ask your health care provider which day you should start your packet.
If you are taking the Mircette product, most of the 28 tablets contain active hormones. This product should be started on the first Sunday after you start your period or on the first day of your period.
Before starting Mircette, read the paper on your prescription provided by your pharmacist. This paper will tell you about the specific product you are taking. Make certain you understand the instructions.
Keep an extra month's supply of your pills available to ensure that you will not miss the first day of the next cycle.
Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.
If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking the birth control pills and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately: an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); a blood clot in the lung (shortness of breath or pain in the chest); a blood clot in an arm or leg (pain, redness, swelling, or numbness of an arm or leg); high blood pressure (severe headache, flushing, blurred vision); or liver damage (yellowing of the skin or eyes, nausea, abdominal pain or discomfort, unusual bleeding or bruising, severe fatigue). Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take the birth control pills and talk to your doctor if you experience headache or dizziness; nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; breakthrough bleeding; or breast tenderness. These side effects may disappear or be less noticeable after 3 to 6 months of birth control use. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you find any side effect very bothersome. The side effects listed below generally occur very rarely and are not considered serious. If you experience any of the following, talk to your doctor when it is convenient: depression; changes in weight or appetite; vaginal yeast infection; changes in your menstrual cycle; oily skin or acne; changes in your sex drive; lethargy or fatigue; bloating; changes in skin color; or changes in blood sugar. Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
Serious ill effects have not been reported following acute ingestion
of large doses of oral contraceptives by young children. Overdosage
may cause nausea, and withdrawal bleeding may occur in females.
NON-CONTRACEPTIVE HEALTH BENEFITS The following non-contraceptive
health benefits related to the use of oral contraceptives are supported
by epidemiologic studies which largely utilized oral contraceptive
formulations containing estrogen doses exceeding 0.035 mg of ethinyl
estradiol or 0.05 mg of mestranol. Effects on menses: • increased
menstrual cycle regularity • decreased blood loss and decreased
incidence of iron deficiency anemia • decreased incidence of dysmenorrhea
Effects related to inhibition of ovulation: • decreased incidence
of functional ovarian cysts • decreased incidence of ectopic pregnancies
Effects from long-term use: • decreased incidence of fibroadenomas
and fibrocystic disease of the breast • decreased incidence of acute
pelvic inflammatory disease