Triphasil
Uses
This medication is used
to prevent pregnancy or to regulate your menstrual cycle.
Certain brands of birth control pills may be used for treating
acne or as a "morning after" pill for emergency contraception.
Consult your doctor or pharmacist. Use of this medication does
not protect you or your partner against sexually transmitted
diseases (e.g., HIV, gonorrhea).
How To Use
Take this
medication with food or immediately after a meal to prevent
stomach upset. Try to take this medication at the same time
each day. This may help you to remember to take it. Learn
proper use of your particular brand of medication. Follow your
dosing schedule carefully. Be sure to ask your doctor or
pharmacist if you have any questions. Use a supplemental form
of birth control during the first week of taking this
medication since it takes a while to be effective. Follow your
doctor's directions exactly if this drug is being used as a
"morning after" pill.
Side Effects
This medication
may cause dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, stomach upset,
bloating, or nausea. If these effects persist or worsen,
contact your doctor. Notify your doctor if you experience:
severe depression, groin or calf pain, sudden severe headache,
chest pain, shortness of breath, lumps in the breast, weakness
or tingling in the arms or legs, yellowing of the eyes or
skin. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact
your doctor or pharmacist.
Precautions
Before you take
this medication, tell your doctor your entire medical history,
including family medical history, especially: asthma, high
blood pressure, kidney disease, liver heart disease, stroke,
history of jaundice (yellowing skin/eyes) or high blood
pressure during pregnancy, excessive weight gain or fluid
retention during menstrual cycle, blood clots, heart attack,
seizures, migraine headaches, breast cancer, high blood level
of cholesterol or lipids (fats), diabetes, depression.
Depending on strength, this drug may cause a patchy, darkening
of the skin on the face (melasma). Higher strengths are more
likely to cause melasma. Sunlight may intensify this darkening
and you may need to avoid prolonged sun exposure and sunlamps.
Consult your doctor regarding use of sunscreens and protective
clothing. It may take a long time for you to become pregnant
after you stop taking birth control pills. Consult your
doctor. Do not smoke cigarettes. Birth-control pills slightly
increase your risk of strokes, blood clots, high blood
pressure, heart attacks, gallbladder disease, vision problems,
and liver tumors. Cigarette smoking (especially 15 or more
cigarettes daily) and age (women older than 35/smokers or
40/nonsmokers years of age) further increase the risk of
stroke, blood clots, high blood pressure and heart attacks.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the patient
labeling which explains these risks in more detail. Consult
your doctor for any questions, including possible use in
nonsmokers over 40 years of age. If you are near-sighted or
wear contact lenses, you may develop vision problems. Also,
your tolerance of the lenses may decrease. Contact your eye
doctor if these problems occur. Before having surgery,
including dental surgery, tell the doctor that you take birth
control pills. This drug must not be used during pregnancy. If
you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, inform your
doctor immediately. This medication passes into breast milk.
This may affect milk production and may have harmful effects
on a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before
breast-feeding.
Drug Interactions
Tell your
doctor what prescription and nonprescription drugs you are
taking. Drugs that may decrease the effectiveness of the pill
include: griseofulvin, many antibiotics (e.g., penicillins,
macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfas, cephalosporins),
chloramphenicol, many seizure medications (e.g., phenytoin,
barbiturates, primidone, carbamazepine), dapsone, rifamycins
(e.g., rifampin), modafinil, nevirapine, nelfinavir,
ritonavir, St John's wort, troglitazone. Ask your doctor if
you should use additional birth control methods while taking
any of the drugs mentioned above while taking birth control
pills. Also tell your doctor if you use: thyroid hormone
drugs, certain benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam,
chlordiazepoxide), prednisone-like drugs, certain
antidepressants (e.g., tricyclics), beta-blockers (e.g.,
metoprolol), "blood thinners" (anticoagulants such as
warfarin), insulin. This product can affect the results of
certain lab tests (e.g., thyroid). Inform all laboratory
personnel that you use this drug. Birth control pills may
significantly intensify the effects of alcohol. Consult your
doctor or pharmacist about this. Do not start or stop any
medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.
Notes
Do not allow anyone
else to take this medication. Keep all appointments with your
doctor and the laboratory. You should have a complete physical
examination, including blood pressure measurements, breast and
pelvic examinations, and a PAP test (for vaginal cancer), at
least once a year. Follow your doctor's instructions for
examining your own breasts, and report any lumps immediately.
A manufacturer's fact sheet about this drug should be
dispensed with each prescription. Read the information
carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you may
have.
Missed Dose
Missed dose
advice differs and depends on the brand used, and the number
of doses missed. Refer to the product package information for
advice on missed doses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you
have any questions.
Triphasil