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).
Nordette 28 Directions?
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.
Nordette 28 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.
Nordette 28 Warnings?
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.
Nordette 28 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.
Nordette 28 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.
Nordette 28 Storage?
Store it at room temperature
away from sunlight and moisture. Keep this
and all medications out of the reach of children.
Anything Else I Should
Know About Nordette 28?
Smoking cigarettes while
using this medication increases your chance
of having heart problems. Do not smoke while
using this medication. The risk of heart problems
increases with age (in women greater than
35 years of age) and with frequent smoking
(15 cigarettes per day or greater).
NOTE: The above
information is intended to supplement, not
substitute for, the expertise and judgment
of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare
professional. It should not be construed to
indicate that the use of the product is safe,
appropriate, or effective for you. Consult
your healthcare professional before taking
the product.
