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)..
Triphasil Directions?
Take Triphasil 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.
Triphasil 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.
Triphasil 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.
Triphasil Drug Interactions?
Take Triphasil 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.
Triphasil Missed
Dose?
If you miss one dose,
take it as soon as you remember or take two
pills at the time of your next regularly scheduled
dose. There is little likelihood that ovulation
will occur. You may, however, want to use
a second method of birth control such as a
condom or a spermicidal cream, jelly, or foam
for at least seven consecutive days following
the missed tablet to ensure protection from
pregnancy.
If you miss two tablets in a row,
take the two missed tablets as soon as you
remember or with your next regularly scheduled
dose (three total). Or, you may take two
tablets each for the next two regularly
scheduled doses (one missed tablet plus
one regularly scheduled tablet for 2 days
in a row). Chances are much greater that
you may ovulate so you must use another
form of birth control for at least 7 days
following the missed tablets. It is even
better to use a second method of birth control
until your next period.
If you miss three tablets in a row,
throw away the package and start a new package
on the 7th day after the last day you took
a pill. Use another method of birth control
until you have taken a pill for 7 days in
a row. Your period should occur during the
7 days without pills. If it doesn't, have
a pregnancy test before beginning a new
package of pills.
Triphasil 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 Triphasil?
Birth control pills
contain a combination of hormones that is
used to prevent ovulation (the release of
an egg from an ovary). The pills contain a
form of estrogen and a form of progesterone,
which are both female hormones involved in
conception. Birth control pills also have
other effects that inhibit pregnancy. They
cause the cervical mucous to thicken, which
makes it harder for sperm to move toward the
uterus, and they prevent the attachment of
an egg to the uterus. Birth control pills
are used to prevent pregnancy.
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.
