Femodene

What Is Femodene?

Femodene is a combined hormonal contraceptive pill. It contains two hormones that mimic the natural female reproductive hormones: 30 micrograms of ethinylestradiol and 75 micrograms of gestodene.

Femodene is used to prevent unwanted pregnancy, and is sometimes also prescribed for problems like heavy, irregular or painful periods. Taking Femodene pills results in lighter and regular menstrual bleeding.

The combined contraceptive pill is one of the most relied upon forms of reversible contraception, providing women with more than 99% protection against unwanted pregnancy when used correctly. However, when typical use is considered, which includes factors such as missing a pill or vomiting and diarrhoea, the pill's effectiveness is closer to 91%. This means that around 9 women out of 100 will get pregnant every year when taking the combined pill incorrectly.

The combined pill does not protect against sexually transmitted infections; condoms are the most reliable contraceptive method to protect you against STIs.

How Does Femodene Work?

Femodene interferes with the natural menstrual cycle by controlling the release of an egg from the ovaries (ovulation) and its implantation in the womb (uterus). Its active ingredients work together to stop you getting pregnant in 3 ways:

• Preventing ovulation by suppressing the surge in luteinising hormone(LH) to stop the release of an egg from the ovaries. 
• Thickening cervical mucus to make it difficult for sperm to cross the cervix and reach the egg in the womb and fertilise it.
• Thinning the womb lining to stop a fertilised egg from implanting itself there.

These mechanisms work in tandem to effectively reduce your risk of pregnancy.

How Do I Take Femodene?

Femodene comes in a 21-pill strip calendar pack marked with the days of the week.

Take Pills for 21 Days

Take one Femodene pill daily for 21 days, at the same time each day. Start by taking the pill on the correct day of the week, following the directions indicated by the arrows printed on the blister pack, and complete the 21 tablets. Swallow the pill whole with water. Do not crush or chew the tablet.

Pill-Free Week

After 21 days of taking pills, take seven pill-free days. You should have a withdrawal bleed similar to a period during this break. You will remain protected against pregnancy during the pill-free week.

Starting a New Pack

If you are taking Femodene for the first time, it’s advisable to start taking pills on days 1 to 5 of your period and mark the name of the weekday on the strip. If you are taking Femodene regularly, you will begin the new pack on the same day of the week every time.

What Do I Do if I Miss a Dose of the Femodene Pill?

If you have missed a Femodene pill, what you will need to do will depend on how late you are taking your pill.

If you are less than 12 hours late, take the missed pill straight away and continue taking your pills as usual at the normal time, even if this means taking two pills on the same day. You will still be protected against pregnancy and should not need to use extra contraception.

If you are more than 12 hours late or you have missed more than one pill, your contraceptive protection may be reduced. You should:

1. Take the most recently missed pill as soon as you remember, even if it means taking two at the same time. Skip any earlier missed pills.
2. Continue taking a pill every day at the usual time for the next 7 days.
3. If you finish the strip in these 7 days, start the next strip straight away and miss the usual 7-day pill-free break. You probably won’t have a withdrawal bleed until you finish the second strip. If you do not have a bleed at the end of the second strip, take a pregnancy test.
4. You should use extra contraception, such as condoms, for seven days after missing a pill.
5. If you have missed one or more pills in the first week of your strip (days 1 to 7) and you had unprotected sex during this time, there is a chance you could become pregnant. Speak to a clinician, family planning nurse, or pharmacist as soon as possible, as they may recommend emergency contraception.

If you have missed any pills and you do not bleed during your pill-free break, you could be pregnant. You should take a home pregnancy test or contact your clinician for further advice.

If you start a strip late or make your pill-free break longer than seven days, you may not be protected from pregnancy. If you had sex in the last 7 days, you may need emergency contraception. Speak to a clinician for more advice. You should also use extra contraception for 7 days, such as condoms. 

What Should I Do if I Accidentally Take More Femodene Than I Should?

If you take more Femodene than you should, it is unlikely to cause you harm, but you may feel or be sick or have vaginal bleeding. If you get any of these symptoms, speak to your clinician for more advice.

How to Switch to Femodene from Another Contraceptive Pill

How to switch to Femodene will depend on which type of pill you are taking:

• If you are taking a 21-day pill, you can start Femodene the day after your current strip finishes. You will be protected from pregnancy from the first Femodene pill. You should have a withdrawal bleed after you have finished the first Femodene strip.
• If you are currently taking a 28-day pill, start taking Femodene the day after your last active pill. That means you will be protected from pregnancy straight away, and you will have a withdrawal bleed after the first strip of Femodene finishes.
• If you are taking a progesterone-only pill (mini pill), start taking Femodene on the first day of bleeding, even if you have taken the mini pill for that day. You will be protected against pregnancy immediately.

If you’re unsure about switching to Femodene, speak to your clinician or check the patient information leaflet for more details.

Femodene Side Effects and Cautions

Before starting any medication, it's essential to familiarise yourself with the safety information provided in the accompanying leaflet. This leaflet, known as the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL), contains important information on how to take, store, and dispose of the medication, as well as a complete list of side effects, preliminary cautions, and ingredients.

You should retain this leaflet for future reference.

Side Effects

All medications, including Femodene, can cause side effects. If you get any side effects that cause you concern or are difficult to manage, report them to your clinician. 

Potential Femodene side effects include: 

This is not an exhaustive list of Femodene side effects. For more information on the safety of Femodene, including a comprehensive list of side effects, please refer to the Patient Information Leaflet enclosed with your medicine.

If you experience any side effects, whether listed above or in the leaflet supplied with Femodene, please report them to your doctor. You can also report them directly to the Yellow Card Scheme.

Risk of Blood Clots

The combined pill, including Femodene, can increase the risk of blood clots slightly in users compared to people who do not take the combined contraceptive pill.

The risk of a blood clot in women who are not using the combined pill and are not pregnant is about 2 in 10,000 women every year. This rises to around 9 to 12 women in every 10,000 per year who use a combined pill containing gestodene, like Femodene. This is slightly increased compared to women who take a combined pill containing levonorgestrel, norethisterone, or norgestimate, where the risk is approximately 5 to 7 out of 10,000 women every year.

You can learn more about the risk of blood clots while taking Femodene in section 4.4 of the Summary of Product Characteristics, which is available online. The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) also provides guidance about the risk of blood clots while taking combined oral contraceptive pills.  

Breast Cancer Risk

If you have breast cancer or have had it in the past, you must not take the pill because it slightly increases your risk of getting it. The risk increases the longer you are on the pill, but returns to normal within 10 years of stopping.

The risk of breast cancer in women who have never taken the pill is about 16 in 10,000 will get it by the time they are 35. In women who take the pill for 5 years in their early twenties, 17 to 18 per 10,000 will have breast cancer by the time they are 35.

In women who have never taken the pill, 100 out of 10,000 will get breast cancer by the time they are 45; this increases to 110 out of 10,000 in women who take the pill for 5 years in their early thirties.

The risk of breast cancer is higher if you:

• Have a close relative who has had breast cancer
• Are overweight

You can find out more about the risk and signs in the Summary of Product Characteristics, which can be viewed online or speak to your clinician.

Allergies

Do not take Femodene if you are allergic to gestodene, ethinylestradiol or any of the other ingredients listed in the patient information leaflet.

Signs of an allergic reaction include:

• Swelling of the hands, face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
• Difficulty swallowing or breathing
• A red, bumpy rash and itching

If you get any signs of an allergic reaction, call 999 or get medical help immediately.

Rarely, Femodene can cause serious side effects which need urgent medical attention. They are:

• Blood clots in a vein or artery
• Breast cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Severe liver problems

If you are intolerant to sugar, consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking Femodene, as it contains Lactose.

What Should I Do if I am Sick (Vomit) or Have Diarrhoea When Taking Femodene?

If you are sick or have severe diarrhoea within 4 hours of taking Femodene, it may not be fully absorbed in your system, and may reduce its effectiveness. If you feel better within 12 hours of taking Femodene, you should follow the ‘lost pill’ guidance in the patient information leaflet.

If your sickness or diarrhoea continues or gets worse, speak to your clinician for more advice, as they may recommend an alternative contraceptive method.

Femodene Interactions and Warnings

Femodene is not suitable for everyone. There are several medical interactions and contraindications to be aware of before you start taking Femodene. When you request Femodene, your clinician will assess your suitability before prescribing it to ensure it is safe for you to take.

Do not take Femodene if you:

• Have or have ever had a blood clot in a vessel in your legs, lungs, or other organs
• Have a blood-clotting disorder
• Need an operation or are going to be off your feet for a while – you will need to stop taking Femodene 4 weeks before surgery
• Have ever had a heart attack or stroke
• Have or have ever had angina pectoris or a transient ischaemic attack
• Have a disease that increases your risk of a blood clot in the arteries, such as severe diabetes with blood vessel damage, very high blood pressure, very high blood fat levels, or hyperhomocysteinaemia
• Have or have ever had a type of migraine called ‘migraine with aura’
• Have or have ever had breast cancer
• Have ever had severe liver disease, and your liver function tests are not yet back to normal
• Have ever had liver tumours
• Are allergic to any of the ingredients in Femodene

Before taking Femodene, tell your clinician about any other medical conditions you have that are not listed here. If you are intolerant to sugar, consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking Femodene, as it contains Lactose. You may not be able to take the combined pill if you smoke and are over 35; a mini pill may be a more suitable option.

Femodene and Other Medicines

Before taking Femodene, you should let your clinician know if you are taking any prescribed, over-the-counter, or herbal medicines that may interact with Femodene, and vice versa.

Some medicines can stop Femodene from working properly, such as:

• Epilepsy medicines
• HIV and hepatitis C medicines
• Griseofulvin 
• Some antibiotics
• Certain sedatives
• St John’s Wort

Do not take Femodene if you have hepatitis C and you are taking medicines that contain:

• Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir
• Dasabuvir
• Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir 
• Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir 

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Do not take Femodene if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you become pregnant while taking Femodene, cease taking the medicine immediately and seek advice from your doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Femodene Affect My Ability to Drive or Operate Machines?

It is unlikely that Femodene will affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.

If you experience any side effects which may impair your cognitive ability, refrain from driving or operating machinery until you feel that it is safe for you to do so.

Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Femodene?

There are no special instructions regarding the consumption of food or drinks with Femodene.

While alcohol is unlikely to interfere with the effectiveness of the pill, drinking alcohol may increase your risk of suffering from side effects such as stomach aches, headaches and nausea.

Can Femodene Improve My Acne?

In some women, acne symptoms have improved while taking combined hormonal contraceptives. One study found that taking a combined pill containing 75 micrograms of gestodene and 30 mcg of ethinylestradiol improved acne in 62% of people after 9 consecutive cycles.

If you have any questions or concerns about how your body may respond to Femodene, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Can I Take Femodene Back-to-Back?

Yes, you can take Femodene back-to-back without a break to prevent a withdrawal bleed. It is a safe and effective way to take the combined pill and is also known as continuous or extended use. Some people may experience breakthrough bleeding or spotting when taking the pill in this way, especially in the first few months. Speak to your clinician if you are considering taking Femodene in this way.

How Quickly Will My Fertility Return After Stopping Femodene?

It is possible to get pregnant immediately after stopping the pill, even within 48 hours, because the hormones leave your body quickly, but most people find their menstrual cycle returns to how it was before taking the pill within 1 to 3 months of stopping.

One study found that 83% of people got pregnant within 1 year of stopping contraception. It is recommended that you wait until you have your first period after stopping Femodene before you start trying for a baby, because this will help your midwife to accurately predict when your baby is due. However, it will not cause you or your baby harm if you get pregnant before this.

If you are concerned about your fertility after stopping Femodene, speak to your clinician for advice.

Does Femodene Stop Periods?

Yes, Femodene pills can stop periods if you take them back-to-back without the 7-day break, though it’s recommended to consult your clinician before doing this. Otherwise, you will experience a withdrawal bleed, which is like a period but isn’t one.

If you’re particularly wanting to delay your period and are not currently taking a combined contraceptive pill, another option would be to look into period delay medication.

Does Femodene Reduce Libido?

Yes, it is possible for Femodene to reduce libido (sex drive). This is listed as an uncommon side effect of the medication that was reported in clinical trials. The condition was said to affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 people.

However, everybody’s response to medication is different, so not all users will experience this side effect.

Can Femodene Cause Weight Gain?

Weight gain is a potential side effect of Femodene. It is listed as a common adverse effect, reported by more than 1 in 100 people in clinical trials. That being said, studies have shown there is insufficient evidence to determine the impact that combined contraceptive pills have on weight.

Not everybody’s experience with medication is the same, so some people may notice weight gain while others will not.

How Should I Store Femodene?

Femodene should be stored out of the sight and reach of children. It should be kept in its original packaging to protect it from light and stored below 25°C. If Femodene is past its expiry date, which is printed on the strip and the outer carton, do not take it. Instead, take it to your nearest pharmacy, which will dispose of it for you.