Microgynon 30 Contraceptive Pill

I have been taking Microgynon 30 for 5 and a half years and have found it really reliable. I have never been on any other contraceptive pills as I have never had any problems with this one so cannot compare but this is a great contraceptive pill to me.

I started my period really young and had always suffered from really bad period pains, I would have to have days off school, and the pain was so bad that I'd end up crying. When I was 15 the doctor recommended that I tried the contraceptive pill as it had been known to help period pains, I spoke to my mum and she agreed that this would be worth a try.

I took the pill daily, with a month off inbetween to have a period, after two or three months I started to notice a difference and after six months of using the pill I noticed a huge difference, I could get on with every day things and my period was just something in the background. I also found my periods got lighter and didn't last as long. They used to last 7 days and now they last 5 days and are never heavy even if I go back to back with the pill.

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How your body gets ready for pregnancy
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You can usually become pregnant from when you start to have periods, up until menopause which can be between late 40's and 60 these days. Every menstrual cycle takes about 28 days. About half way through your cycle an egg is released from one of your ovaries into a fallopian tube. This is called ovulation. The egg travels down the fallopian tube towards your womb. When you have sex, millions of sperm are released into your vagina. Some of these sperm travel up through the womb into your fallopian tubes. If there is an egg in one of these tubes, and a sperm reaches it, you can become pregnant. A fertilised egg gets embedded in the lining of your womb and takes 9 months to grow into a baby. As an egg can live up to two days, and sperm can live up to five days you can become pregnant if you have had sex up to five days before ovulation and for some time afterwards. If a sperm does not fertilise an egg, the egg is lost at the end of the menstrual cycle with the lining of your womb. This is called a period.

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How natural hormones work
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Your menstrual cycle is controlled by two sex hormones made by your ovaries: one called oestrogen, the other called progesterone. Oestrogen increases during the first half of your menstural cycle and makes your womb develop a thick linin, ready to recieve an egg if conception happens. Progesterone comes later in the cycle and changes the lining of the womb still further to prepare it for pregnancy. If you do not become pregnant you make less of these hormones and this causes the lining of your womb to break down and the lining leaves your body as a period. But during pregnancy your ovaries and then the placenta carry on making progesterone and oestrogen to stop any more eggs being released.

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How the pill works
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A pill such as Microgynon 30 contains hormones which are like those your body produces (oestrogen and progesterone). These help stop you concieving again when you are already pregnant. The contraceptive pill protects you against getting pregnant in 3 ways:
- No egg is released to be fertilised by sperm
- The fluid in the neck of your womb thickens so it is more difficult for sperm to enter.
- The lining of the womb does not thicken enough for an egg to grow in it.

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How effective the pill is
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The contraceptive pill is one of the most effective contraceptive methods apart from sterilisaton. But this can only be true when taken correctly.

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What Microgynon 30 contains
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Each memo strip of Microgynon 30 contains 21 yellow sugar coated tablets containing 150 micrograms of the progestogen levonorgstrel and 30 micrograms of the oestrogn ethinylestradiol. The sugar coated tablets are small and easy to swallow.

Microgynon 30 also contains the following inactive ingredients:
Lactose, maize starch, povidone, magnesium sterarate (E 572), sucrose, polythylene glycol 6000, calcium carbonate (E170), talc, montan glycol wax, titanium dioxide (E171), glycerin (E422), ferric oxide pigment yellow (E172).

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What microgynon 30 is and what it is used for
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Microgynon 30 is a combined oral contraceptive pill. Combined oral contraceptive pills contain oestrogen and progesterone. When used correctly it prevents pregnancy.

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Contra-indications & Medical Facts
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There are several contra-indications restricting the use of Microgynon 30, you should speak to your doctor before you use it:
- if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant
- you have or have had blood clots in the legs, lungs, eyes or anywhere else or have ever had these. If you have had a heart attack or if you have any medical conditions which makes you more at risk of developing blood clots.
- if any member of your close family has or has had blood clots, a heart attack or stroke.
- abnormal red blood cells (sickle cell anaemia)
- disorders of blood fat (lipid) metabolism
- cancer of the breast or of the lining of the womb or have ever had this
- abnormal bleeding from your vagina or an unknown cause
- certain types of jaundice
- severe diabetes with changes to the blood vessels
- liver tumours
- any other long term liver disease
- allergy to any ingredients in Microgynon 30

Do not take Microgynon 30 if you have had any of these conditions when you were pregnant:
- itching of your whole body (pruritus of pregnany)
- worsening of inherited deafness (otoscleroris)
- the rash known as herpes gestationis
- jaundice

If you have or have suffered any of the above then you should consult your doctor and they will advise you of another method of contraception that will be suitable.

If you experience any of the following whilst taking Microgynon 30 you should consult your doctor immediately. In the meantime stop taking Microgynon 30 and use another method of contraception.
- Migrane for the first time or if an existing migrane occurs more often than before.
- Unusually bad headaches or of you have headaches more often than before.
- Sudden changes to your eyesight, hearing, speech, sense of smell,taste or touch.
- Unusual pains in your leg or unusual swellin of your arms or legs, sharp pains in your chest or sudden shortness of breath, crushing pains or feelings of heavyness in your chest, coughing for no apparent reason, dizziness or fainting or if one side of your body becomes very weak or numb.
These may be symptoms of a blood clot formation or symptoms of an inflammation of veins combined with the formation of blood clots.
- Your skin becomes jaundice.
- You develop hepatitus or your whole body starts itching.
- An increase number of fits
- A large increase of blood pressure
- Severe depression
- Severe upper abdominal pains or unusal swellings in your abdomen
- Definate worsening of conditions which had got worse during a perious pregnancy or while takiing the pill in the past.
- You become or think you may be pregnant.
- You have surgery or immobolisation. You must stop taking Microgynon 30 six weeks before a planned major operation. Also if you are immobolised for a long time. Your doctor will advise you when you are able to take Microgynon 30 again.

Before Microgynon 30 your doctor should take a medical history by asking you some questions about yourself and your family. Your doctor should also ask you these questions on a regular basis when you return for more pills. You are usually prescribed with a 3 month supply and you have to return to your doctor every 3 months for a check up for a re-prescription. Some doctors, as mine will prescribe you with a 6 month supply if they think you will be suitable. In the check up the doctor will take your blood pressure and may check your breasts, abdomen and pelvic organs if they think it is necessary. You may also need a cervical smear test. Your doctor may also check you are not pregnant.

You must tell your doctor as soon as you can if you suffer from any of the following conditions and they worsen while you are taking the pill-
-severe depression
-varicose veins
-diabetes
-high blood pressure
-fits
-inherited form of deafness known as otosclerosis
-mutiple sclerosis
-porphyria
-calcium deficency with cramps
-sydengams chorea
-breast problems (past of present)
- diseases of the heart or blood vessels
-kidney diseases
-distrubed liver function
-you are obese
-intolerance to contact lenses
- systemic lupus erythematosus-SLE
-asthma
-uterine fibroids
-gallstones
migrane
-chloasma
-any disease that is prone to worsen during pregancy
-phlebitis.

When you stop taking Microgynon it may take some time for your regular periods to return.

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Taking other medication with Microgynon 30
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Some medicines may stop Microgynon 30 from working properly. These include antibiotics. If you are taking these medicines you may still be able to use Microgynon 30 but you will also need to use extra contraception methods while you are taking the other medicine for 7 days after you stop taking it. If your present pack ends before these 7 days, start the next pack the next day without a break. This means taking a pill every day during your normal 7 pill free days.

If you go back to back with your packs you will not have a period till the end of the second pack.

If you are using rifampicin you will need to use another method of contaception as well as Microgynon 30 and for 4 weeks after you stop taking Rifampicin. If you are diabetic your doctor may alter the dose of your medicine required to treat your diabetes. The herbal remedy St Johns Wort should not be taken at the same time as Microgynon 20. If you already take St Johns Wort, stop taking it and mention to your doctor when you next visit.

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Blood tests
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Before you have a blood test you must state you are taking the pill because oral contraception can affect the result of some tests.

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Thrombosis
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Some studies have suggested that the risk of developing various disorders of the circulation of blood is slightly greater in women who take the combined pill than those who don't. This can lead to thrombosis. Thrombosis is when you have a blood clot which may block a blood vessel. It may form in the veins or in the arteries. Most blood clots can be treated with no long term danger, however thrombosis may cause serious disabilities or could even kill but this is very rare. A thrombosis sometimes happens in the deep veins of the legs. If this blood clot breaks away from the veins it may reach and block arteries of the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. A thrombosis can develop whether or not you are taking the pill, it can also happen if you become pregnant. The risk is higher in people who take the pill than in people who don't take the pill, but is not as high as the risk during pregnancy. A thrombosis is most likely in the first year of taking any combined pill.

In healthy non-pregnant women not taking the pill:
about 5 cases of thrombosis occur per 100,000 women per year
In women taking combined oral contraceptive pills which contain progesteron:
about 15 cases of thrombosis occur per 100,000 women every year
In women taking combined oral contraceptives which contain progesterone gestodene or desogestel:
about 25 cases of thrombosis occur per 100,000 women every year.
In pregnant women:
about 60 cases of thrombosis occur per 100,000 women per year. That is 2 to 4 times the risk of being on the pill.

Remember the differences between the risks for the types of pills mentioned here are very small (0.01%) and your doctor will choose you the best pill to suit your needs.

You should also remember that certain conditions increase the risk of thrombosis. They include:
- age (the risk of having a heart attack or stroke increases with age)
-smoking
-if any other member of your family has had any illness caused by blood clots or had a heart attack or stroke
-if you have a disorder of the bod at (lipid) metabolism
-if you have very high blood pressure
-if you have a heart valve disorder or a certain heart rhythm disorer
-if you recently gave birth
-if you have diabetes mellitus
-if you have systemic lupid erythermatosus
-if you have haemolytic uraemic syndrome
-if you hae crohns disease or ulcerative colitis
-if you have sickle cell disease
-if you have had a brain haemorrahage
-if you have had an operation or can't move around as normal.

The risk of having a deep vein thrombrosis temporarily increases after an operation or during a period when you can't move around as normal. In women who use the pill, the risk could be higher.

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The Pill & Cancer
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The pill does give a substantial degree of protection against cancers of the ovary and the lining of the womb. An increased risk of cervical cancer in long term users of the pill has been reported in some studies. It is uncertain whether this increased risk is caused by the pill as it could be due to the effects of sexual behaviour and other factors.

Every woman is at risk of breast cancer whether or not she takes the pill. Breast cancer is rare under the age of 4 but the risk increases as a woman gets older. Breast cancer has been found slightly more often in women who take the pill than in women of the same age who do not take the pill.

If women stop taking the pill this reduces the risk so that 10 years after stopping the pill, the risk of finding breast cancer is the same as for women who have never taken the pill. Breast cancer seems less likely to have spread when found in women who have taken the pill than in women who do not take the pill. It is not certain whether the pill causes the increased risk of breast cancer. It may be that women taking the pill are examined more often, so that breast cancer is noticed earlier. The risk of finding breast cancer is not affected by how long a woman takes the pill but by the age at which she stops. This is because the risk of breast cancer strongly increases as a woman gets older.

It has not been proven that the pill causes either thrombosis or breast cancer but the figure is so low that it is not worth not taking it. If you make sure you are not at increased risk for the factors stated above then you are much less likely to get it.

If you think you are pregnant, you must stop taking Microgynon 30 and consult your doctor immediately and use another method of contraception in the mean time.

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How to take Microgynon 30
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The pack is designed to help you remember to take your pills, the pack is bright green and each pill has a day for it to be taken on.

If you are new to the pill or are starting the pill again after a break, take your first Microgynon 30 tablet on the first day of bleeding of your next period.

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Taking your first pack of Microgynon 30
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After taking your first pill, take one pill each day, following the direction of the arrows, until you have finished all 21 pills in the pack. You should try and take the pill at the same time every day and swallow the tablet whole, with water if necessary. By starting this way you will have contraceptive protection immediately.

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Your seven pill free days
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After you have taken all 21 tablets, you have 7 days when you take no tablets. A few days after you have taken the last pill in the pack, you will have a period. Your periods will be regular, probably lighter than before and almost always painless. The feelings that often make the last days before a period unpleasant (PMT) usually disappear. You will not have to take extra contraceptive precautions during the 7 day breaking from taking your pill as long as you have taken your pills correctly and start the next pack on time.

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Taking your next pack of Microgynon 30
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Start taking your next pack after 7 pill free days. Each new pack will begin on the same day of the week as the pack before e.g you started your first pack on a Friday, you will also start your second pack on that day. Even if you still bleeding you should still start on that day.

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What to do if you miss a period
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Occasionally you may miss a period, while this can mean you are pregnant, it is most unlikley if you have taken your pills correctly. Take your next pack as normal, if you think you may have missed a pill or could be pregnant, see your doctor.

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What to do if you take more Microgynon than you should
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An accidental overdose is unlikely to be harmful but may cause nausea, vomiting and withdrawal bleeding.

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What to do if you miss a pill
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If you are more than 12 hours late takin the pill or have missed more than one pill contraception may be lower so you must use extra protection but continue taking the rest of your pack as normal until your 7 pill free days.

If one pill is 12 hours late or less take the pill at once and keep taking your next pills at the same time, this may mean taking more than one in a day.

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Stomach upsets
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Being sick or having very bad diarrhoea may stop Microgynon 30 from working correctly and make it lrdd effective. Carry on taking the pill as normal and also use another method of contraception as well and for 7 days after you hae recovered from your upset. If you finish your pack before these 7 days start the next pack without a break. You therefore may not have a period that month.

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Bleeding between periods
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A small number of women may hve a little breakthrough bleeding or spotting while taking Microgynon 30 especially during the first few months. Normally this bleeding is nothing to worry about and will stop in a day or two. Keep taking the pills as usual and the problem should disappear after the first few packs. If the bleeding keeps returning, is annoying or long lasting then you sould consult your doctor.

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Will you put weight on?
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Unless you havetrouble keeping your weight down this is unlikely but you may find you have a bigger appetite while on the pill so should watch what you eat.

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If you want a baby
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The bleeding you have each month after each pack is not a true period. Your doctor relies on the date of your last true period before you get pregnant to tell you when your baby will be born. So, if you stop taking Microgynon 30 to have a baby, use another method of contraception until you have had a true period. However, it will not be harmful if you become pregnant straight away.

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Benefits of taking the pill
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Periods will become shorter, more regular and less painful. Heavy periods may become lighter. PMT usually dissappears and long term users of the pill have a reduced risk of cancers of the ovaries and of the lining of the womb.

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Possible side effects
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Some people can experience unwanted effects from Microgynon 30.

Serious reactions - thombosis or liver disease which are mentioned in more depth earlier in the review.

Mild reactions - some people can experience the following during the first few months of taking Microgynon 30:
- bleeding and spotting inbetween periouds but usually stops once your body has adjusted to Microgynon 30.
-headaches
-nausea and stomach upsets
-sore breasts
-depressive moods, loss of interest in sex
-changes in weight
-chloasma
-poor tolerance of contact lenses.

If any of these do not suside within a few months of taking Microgynon 30 consult your doctor.

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Storage
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Should be kept out of reach of children. There is an expiry date printed on the pack, the pills should not be taken after this date.

Although there is a higher risk of getting thrombosis there is a lower risk of getting cancer of the ovaries or womb. The risk of getting thrombosis is only slightly higher and if you have factors that would contribute to making it higher. The pro's outweight the con's as this pill protects against pregnancy, makes periods lighter and shorter and gets rid of PMT.

I think this is a great pill for me, but each persons body is different and reacts differently to different things. I have never had a problem with it but I know friends have suffered sickness, headaches etc from it. I have found it great, it has always protected me even if I have missed a pill and I have never felt ill from it, it has also made my periods shorter, lighter and pain free. If you are interested in going on this pill, then this pill is definately worth a mention to your doctor.

Hope this review has helped :)