drospirenone and ethinyloestradiol
Consumer Medicine Information
This leaflet answers some common questions about PALANDRA ED. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking PALANDRA ED against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns, or are unsure about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist for more advice.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.
PALANDRA ED is a combined oral contraceptive, commonly known as a ‘birth control pill’ or ‘the Pill’.
PALANDRA ED is used to prevent pregnancy.
You may also experience the following benefits:
Some conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancy (where the foetus is carried outside of your womb), lumpy breasts and cancer of the uterus (womb) and ovaries may be less common in women taking the Pill.
When taken correctly, it prevents you from becoming pregnant in several ways including:
When the Pill is taken by women under close observation in clinical trials, it is more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. However, in real life the Pill is around 92% effective. This is because pills might be missed, or taken with medicines that may interfere with their effectiveness, or may not be absorbed due to vomiting and diarrhoea.
Like all oral contraceptives, PALANDRA ED is intended to prevent pregnancy. It does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
Do not take PALANDRA ED if you have an allergy to:
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
Do not take PALANDRA ED if you are taking antiviral medicines which contain ombitasvir, paritaprevir, or dasabuvir, and combinations of these. These antiviral medicines are used to treatment chronic (long-term) hepatitis C (an infectious disease that affects the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus).
Do not take PALANDRA ED if you have or have had a blood clot in:
Do not take PALANDRA ED if you have or are concerned about an increased risk of blood clots. Blood clots are rare. Very occasionally blood clots may cause serious permanent disabilities, or may even be fatal.
You are more at risk of having a blood clot when you take the Pill. But the risk of having a blood clot when taking the Pill is less than the risk during pregnancy.
Do not take PALANDRA ED if you are concerned about an increased risk of blood clots because of age or smoking. The risk of having a heart attack or stroke increases as you get older. It also increases if you smoke. You should stop smoking when taking the Pill, especially if you are older than 35 years of age.
Do not take PALANDRA ED if you have, or have had:
If any of these conditions appear for the first time while using the Pill, stop taking it at once and tell your doctor. In the meantime use non-hormonal (barrier) methods of contraception (such as condoms or a diaphragm).
Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
Do not give this medicine to a child.
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack and blister. The expiry date is printed on the carton and on each blister after “EXP” (e.g. 11 18 refers to November 2018). The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. If it has expired return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
Do not take this medicine if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. If the packaging is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if:
Tell your doctor if you have, or have had any of the following medical conditions:
Ask your doctor to check if you:
If any of the above conditions appear for the first time, recur or worsen while taking PALANDRA ED, you should tell your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding. PALANDRA ED is generally not recommended if you are breastfeeding.
PALANDRA ED contains lactose. If you have an intolerance to some sugars, tell your doctor before you start taking PALANDRA ED.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start taking PALANDRA ED.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you get without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and PALANDRA ED may interfere with each other. These include:
These medicines may be affected by PALANDRA ED, or may affect how well it works. Your doctor may need to alter the dose of these medicines, or prescribe a different medicine.
Some medicines
You might have an increase in potassium in the blood if you are taking PALANDRA ED with medicines that may increase potassium levels in the blood.
These include:
In a study of women taking drospirenone together with an ACE inhibitor, no significant differences were observed in the potassium levels when compared to the placebo.
You may need to use additional barrier methods of contraception (such as condoms or a diaphragm) while you are taking any of these medicines and for some time after stopping them. Your doctor will be able to tell you how long you will need to use additional contraceptive methods.
Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines that you need to be careful with or avoid while taking this medicine.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you do not understand the instructions on the pack, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
Take one tablet daily at about the same time every day. You must take PALANDRA ED every day regardless of how often you have sex. This will also help you remember when to take it.
Swallow the tablet whole with a full glass of water. It does not matter if you take it before or after food.
Each blister pack is marked with the day of the week.
Take your first light yellow (active) tablet from the green area on the blister pack corresponding to the day of the week.
Follow the direction of the arrows on the blister pack until all the tablets have been taken.
A period should begin 2-3 days after starting to take the white inactive tablets and may not have finished before the next pack is started.
Always start a new blister pack on the same day of the week as your previous pack.
If you are starting PALANDRA ED after a natural cycle, and you have not used a hormonal contraceptive in the past month, start on the first day of your period, i.e. on the first day of your menstrual bleeding.
You may also start on days 2-5 of your period, but in that case make sure you also use additional barrier contraceptive precautions (e.g. condom) for the first 7 days of tablet-taking.
Your doctor will advise you when to start if you
Changing from a combined oral contraceptive:
Start taking PALANDRA ED on the day after taking the last active tablet in your previous Pill pack. Bleeding may not occur until the end of the first pack of PALANDRA ED.
You can also switch to PALANDRA ED after taking one or more inactive tablets in your previous Pill pack, but no later than the day after taking the last inactive tablet.
If you are not sure which were the active/inactive tablets in your previous Pill pack, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Your previous Pill pack may have different colour tablets to those of PALANDRA ED.
Changing from a progestogen-only pill (‘minipill’):
If you are switching from a progestogen-only Pill (minipill), stop taking the minipill on any day and start taking PALANDRA ED at the same time the day after you took your last minipill.
You must also use additional barrier contraceptive precautions (e.g. condoms or a diaphragm) for the first 7 days of tablet-taking when having intercourse.
Changing from an injectable, implant or progesterone-releasing intrauterine system (IUS):
Start taking PALANDRA ED when your next injection is due, or on the day that your implant or IUS is removed.
You must also use additional barrier contraceptive precautions (e.g. condoms or a diaphragm) for the first 7 days of tablet-taking when having intercourse.
Changing from a vaginal ring:
Start PALANDRA ED on the day of removal of the vaginal ring but at the latest when the next application would have been due.
You can stop taking PALANDRA ED at any time. If you are considering becoming pregnant, it is recommended that you begin taking a vitamin supplement containing folic acid. It is best that you start taking folic acid tablets before you stop taking PALANDRA ED and not stop until your doctor advises this. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about suitable supplements. It is both safe and recommended that you take folic acid during pregnancy.
If you miss a tablet and take the missed tablet within 12 hours of missing it, you should still be protected against pregnancy. If you are more than 12 hours late follow these detailed instructions:
For PALANDRA ED to be most effective, light yellow active tablets need to be taken uninterrupted for 7 days.
If you have been taking the light yellow active tablets for 7 uninterrupted days and miss a light yellow active tablet, take the missed tablet as soon as you remember, then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally, even if this means taking two tablets in one day. You will not need to use additional barrier contraceptive precautions.
The chance of pregnancy after missing a light yellow active tablet depends on when you missed the tablet. There is a higher risk of becoming pregnant if you miss a tablet at the beginning or end of a pack.
If after taking your missed tablet you have less than 7 days of light yellow active tablets left in a row, you should finish the active tablets in your pack but skip the white placebo tablets and start a new pack. This is the best way to maintain contraceptive protection. However, you may not have a period until the end of the light yellow active tablets of the second pack. You may have spotting or breakthrough bleeding on tablet-taking days.
If you have been taking the light yellow active tablets for less than 7 days and miss a light yellow active tablet, take the missed tablet as soon as you remember, then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally, even if this means taking two tablets in one day. In addition, you must also use additional barrier contraceptive precautions (e.g. condoms or a diaphragm) for the next 7 days. If you have had sexual intercourse during that time, there is a possibility of pregnancy and you may need emergency contraception.
If you forget to take more than one light yellow active tablet, seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist about what to do.
If you have had sexual intercourse in the week before missing your tablets, there is a possibility of becoming pregnant.
If you miss a white inactive tablet, you do not need to take them later because they do not contain any active ingredients. However, it is important that you discard the missed white tablet(s) to make sure that the number of days between taking active tablets is not increased as this would increase the risk of pregnancy. Continue with the next tablet at the usual time
Please see the diagram at the end of this leaflet for “Summary of advice if you missed a light yellow active tablet more than 12 hours ago”.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (Australia: 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much PALANDRA ED.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention.
If you take several light yellow active tablets at once, you may feel sick or vomit or may bleed from the vagina. Even girls who have not yet started to menstruate but have accidentally taken this medicine may experience such bleeding.
Tell any doctors, dentists and pharmacists who treat you that you are taking this medicine.
If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine. It may interfere with the results of some tests.
Have regular check-ups with your doctor. When you are taking the Pill, your doctor will tell you to return for regular check-ups, including getting a Cervical Screening Test. Your doctor will advise how often you need a Cervical Screening Test. A Cervical Screening Test can detect abnormal cells lining the cervix. Sometimes abnormal cells can progress to cancer.
If you are about to start on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking PALANDRA ED.
Stop taking PALANDRA ED and see your doctor immediately if you notice the following signs:
If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon or anaesthetist beforehand that you are taking this medicine. The risk of having blood clots is temporarily increased as a result of major surgery, any surgery to the legs or pelvis, neurosurgery or major trauma. In women who take PALANDRA ED, the risk may be higher.
In women at risk of prolonged immobilisation (including major surgery, any surgery to the legs or pelvis, neurosurgery, or major trauma), your doctor may tell you to stop taking (in the case of elective surgery at least four weeks in advance) and not resume until two weeks after complete remobilisation. Another method of contraception should be used to avoid unintentional pregnancy. Your doctor may prescribe other treatment (e.g. treatment for blood clots) if PALANDRA ED has not been discontinued in advance.
Other risk factors for blood clotting include temporary immobilisation including air travel of greater than 4 hours, particularly in women with other risk factors. Consult your doctor if you plan to air travel for greater than 4 hours.
Consult your doctor if you develop high blood pressure while taking PALANDRA ED – you may be told to stop taking it.
If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately.
If you vomit within 3-4 hours or have severe diarrhoea after taking a light yellow active tablet, the active ingredients may not have been completely absorbed. This is like missing a tablet. Follow the advice for missed tablets.
If you have unexpected bleeding and it continues, becomes heavy, or occurs again, tell you doctor. When taking these tablets for the first few months, you can have irregular vaginal bleeding (spotting or breakthrough bleeding) between your periods. You may need to use sanitary products, but continue to take your tablets as normal. Irregular vaginal bleeding usually stops once your body has adjusted to the Pill, usually after about 3 months.
If you have missed a period, but you have taken all your tablets, it is very unlikely that you are pregnant, as long as:
If this is so, continue to take PALANDRA ED as usual. If you have any concerns consult your doctor or pharmacist.
If you miss your period twice in a row, you may be pregnant even if you have taken the Pill correctly. Stop taking PALANDRA ED and seek advice from your doctor. You must use a non-hormonal method of contraception (such as condoms or a diaphragm) until your doctor rules out pregnancy.
PALANDRA ED will not protect you from HIV-AIDS or any other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, human papilloma virus and syphilis.
To protect yourself from STIs, you will need to use additional barrier contraceptives (e.g. condoms).
Do not take PALANDRA ED to treat any other conditions, unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not give your medicine to anyone else.
Do not stop taking your medicine or change the dosage without checking with your doctor. You may become pregnant if you are not using any other contraceptive and you stop taking PALANDRA ED, or do not take a tablet every day.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking PALANDRA ED.
This medicine helps most people, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
The following list includes the more common side effects of the Pill. These are usually mild and lessen with time.
If you notice any of the following side effects and they worry you, tell your doctor or pharmacist:
The following list includes very serious but rare side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
If you experience any of the following, tell your doctor immediately, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital:
The side effects listed above are possible signs of a blood clot (thrombosis).
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed may also occur in some people.
Blood clots may block blood vessels in your body. This type of blood clot is also called thrombosis.
Blood clots sometimes occur in the deep veins of the legs (DVT). If a blood clot breaks away from the veins where it has formed, it may reach and block the blood vessels of the lungs, causing pulmonary embolism (PE).
Blood clots can also occur in the blood vessels of the heart (causing a heart attack) or the brain (causing a stroke).
Blood clots are a rare occurrence and can develop whether or not you are taking the Pill. They can also happen during pregnancy. The risk of having blood clots is higher in Pill users than in non users, but not as high as during pregnancy.
The risk of a blood clot is highest during the first year of taking the Pill for the first time, or when re-starting after having a break from the Pill for 4 weeks or more.
If you notice possible signs of a blood clot, stop taking PALANDRA ED and consult your doctor immediately.
To prevent pregnancy, you must also use additional barrier contraceptive precautions (e.g. condoms or a diaphragm).
If you are concerned about an increased risk of blood clots while on PALANDRA ED, speak to your doctor.
Breast cancer has been diagnosed slightly more often in women who take the Pill than in women of the same age who do not take the Pill.
This slight increase in the numbers of breast cancer diagnoses gradually disappears during the course of the 10 years after women stop taking the Pill.
It is not known whether the difference is caused by the Pill. It may be that these women were examined more often, so that the breast cancer was noticed earlier.
It is important that you check your breasts regularly and contact your doctor if you feel any lumps.
In rare cases benign liver tumours and, even more rarely, malignant liver tumours have been reported in users of the Pill. These tumours may lead to internal bleeding.
Contact your doctor immediately if you have severe pain in your abdomen.
Cervical cancer has been reported to occur more often in women who have been taking the Pill for a long time. This finding may not be caused by the Pill, but may be related to sexual behaviour and other factors.
Keep your tablets in the pack until it is time to take them. If you take the tablets out of the pack they may not keep well.
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store it or any other medicine in the bathroom, near a sink, or on a window-sill. Do not leave it in the car. Heat and damp can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.
Return any unused medicine to your pharmacist.
PALANDRA ED active tablets are light yellow round, biconvex film-coated tablets with ‘DO’ marked on one side in a regular hexagon.
PALANDRA ED placebo tablets are round white tablets.
PALANDRA ED comes in a box containing either 1 or 3 blister packs. Each blister pack contains 21 light yellow active tablets and 7 white placebo tablets.
Each PALANDRA ED light yellow active tablet contains:
Active ingredients:
Inactive ingredients:
Each white placebo tablet contains:
Tablets do not contain gluten. Tablets also do not contain tartrazine or any other azo dyes.
Made in Germany for:
Bayer Australia Ltd
ABN 22 000 138 714
875 Pacific Highway
Pymble NSW 2073
PALANDRA ED
– AUST R 226239
February 2018
See TGA website (www.ebs.tga.gov.au) for latest Australian Consumer Medicine Information.
Missed a pill?
See the end of this leaflet
® Registered Trademark of the Bayer Group, Germany
© Bayer Australia Ltd All rights reserved.
Published by MIMS April 2018
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