Combined Contraceptive Pill

The daily dosage is one coated tablet.

You should try to take your pill at about the same time each day. You may find it easiest to take it either last thing at night or first thing in the morning.

Swallow each pill whole, with water if necessary.

Each pack of Rigevidon contains 1 memo strip of 21 coated tablets or 3 memo strips of 21 coated tablets. The memo strip has been designed to help you remember to take your pills.

The pack is marked with the day of the week on which each pill should be taken. Following the direction of the arrow printed on the pack you should take one pill each day for 21 days until the strip is empty. Then you have 7 days when you do not take a pill. During the 7 pill-free days, on day 2 or 3, you will have menstruation-like withdrawal bleeding, i.e. your monthly period. Start your next strip on the 8th day (following the 7 pill-free days) – even if the bleeding has not yet ended. As long as you take Rigevidon correctly, you will always start each new strip on the same day of the week, and you will always have your monthly period on the same day of the month.

If no oral contraception has been used during the preceding cycle

Take the first pill on the first day of your period. This is the first day of your cycle - the day when bleeding starts. Take a pill marked for that day of the week (for example, if it is Tuesday when your period starts, take the pill marked Tuesday on the pack). Follow the direction of the arrow and continue taking one pill each day until the strip is empty. If you start on day 2-5 of your period, you should use another method of contraception as well, such as the condom, for the first seven pill-taking days, but this is only for the first pack. You do not need to use any other form of contraception during the seven-day break provided you have taken the 21 pills properly and you start the next pack on time.

Changing to Rigevidon from another combined hormonal contraceptive

Start taking Rigevidon on the day after you take the last pill from the strip of your previous contraceptive. Do not leave a gap between packs. If your previous pill strip also contains dummy pills, you should start with Rigevidon on the day after the last active hormonal intake, but no later than on the day after the usual hormone-free interval with your previous combined hormonal contraceptive (or after taking the last dummy pill of your previous pack). When changing from a combined contraceptive vaginal ring or patch, follow the advice of your doctor. If you are unclear or have further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Changing to Rigevidon from a progestogen-only pill (POP, or minipill)

You can stop taking pills only containing progestogen any time, and start taking Rigevidon the next day at the usual time. But be sure to use additional prevention (such as condoms) during intercourse in the first 7 days, during which you take the pills. Changing to Rigevidon from a contraceptive injection or implant If you have had an injection or implant of the hormone progestogen, you can start to take Rigevidon on the day that your next injection is due, or on the day that your implant is removed. However, you should use another method of contraception (such as condoms) during intercourse in the first 7 days, during which you take the pills.

No contraindication available

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

Vaginitis, including vaginal candidiasis

mood swings including depression

changes in interest in sex

nervousness

dizziness

feeling sick, being sick, abdominal pain

acne

tender breast

breast pain 

breast enlargement and discharge

painful menstruation

abnormality of cervix (change in cervical ectropion)

vaginal secretion

no or reduced bleeding

fluid retention/edema

changes in weight.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

Changes in appetite

elevated blood pressure

abdominal cramps

bloating

rash

chloasma (yellow brown patches on the skin), which may persist

excessive hair growth

hair loss

changes in serum lipid levels including hypertriglyceridemia.

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

Severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic reaction with very rare cases of hives, swelling of face, tongue severe circulatory and respiratory disorders)

glucose intolerance

eye irritation when wearing contact lenses

yellowing of the skin (jaundice)

the skin condition erythema nodosum (characterized by painful reddish skin nodules)

harmful blood clots in a vein or artery for example: - in a leg or foot (i.e. DVT), - in a lung (i.e. PE), - heart attack, - stroke, - mini-stroke or temporary stroke-like symptoms, known as a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), - blood clots in the liver, stomach/intestine, kidneys or eye.

No alternatives available

No information leaflet available