Apri (Desogestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets) Drug Information: Overdosage and Contraindications

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May 24, 2012

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Birth Control (Types and Options) »

Introduction to birth control types and options

If a woman is sexually active and she is fertile — physically able to become pregnant — she needs to ask herself, "Do I want to become pregnant now?" If her answer is "No," she must use some method of birth control (contraception).

If a woman does not want to get pregnant at this point in her life, does she plan to become pregnant in the future? Soon? Much later? Never? Her answers to these questions can determine the method of birth control that she and her male sexual partner use — now and in the future.

There are a number of different ways to describe birth control. Terms include contraception, pregnancy prevention, fertility control, and family planning. But no matter what the process is called, sexually active people can choose from a plethora of methods to reduce the possibility of their becoming pregnant. Nevertheless, no method of birth control av...

Read the Birth Control (Types and Options) article »

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OVERDOSE

Serious ill effects have not been reported following acute ingestion of large doses of oral contraceptives by young children. Overdosage may cause nausea, and withdrawal bleeding may occur in females.

NON-CONTRACEPTIVE HEALTH BENEFITS:

The following non-contraceptive health benefits related to the use of oral contraceptives are supported by epidemiological studies which largely utilized oral contraceptive formulations containing estrogen doses exceeding 0.035 mg of ethinyl estradiol or 0.05 mg of mestranol (73-78).

Eff ects on menses:

increased menstrual cycle regularity
decreased blood loss and decreased incidence of iron deficiency anemia
decreased incidence of dysmenorrhea

Effects related to inhibition of ovulation:

decreased incidence of functional ovarian cysts
decreased incidence of ectopic pregnancies

Effects from long-term use:

decreased incidence of fibroadenomas and fibrocystic disease of the breast
decreased incidence of acute pelvic inflammatory disease
decreased incidence of endometrial cancer
decreased incidence of ovarian cancer

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Oral contraceptives like Apri (desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets) tablets should not be used in women who currently have the following conditions:

Thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders
A past history of deep vein thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders
Cerebral vascular or coronary artery disease
Known or suspected carcinoma of the breast
Carcinoma of the endometrium or other known or suspected estrogen-dependent neoplasia
Undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding
Cholestatic jaundice of pregnancy or jaundice with prior pill use
Hepatic adenomas or carcinomas
Known or suspected pregnancy

REFERENCES:

73. The Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study of the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Oral contraceptive use and the risk of ovarian cancer. JAMA 1983; 249:1596-1599. 74. The Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study of the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Combination oral contraceptive use and the risk of endometrial cancer. JAMA 1987; 257: 796-800. 75. Ory HW. Functional ovarian cysts and oral contraceptives: negative association confirmed surgically. JAMA 1974; 228: 68-69. 76. Ory HW, Cole P, Macmahon B, Hoover R. Oral contraceptives and reduced risk of benign breast disease. N Engl J Med 1976; 294:419-422. 77. Ory HW. The noncontraceptive health benefits from oral contraceptive use. Fam Plann Perspect 1982; 14:182-184. 78. Ory HW, Forrest JD, Lincoln R. Making Choices: Evaluating the health risks and benefits of birth control methods. New York, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1983; p. 1.

Last reviewed on RxList: 3/19/2008
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.