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Mircette
Information on Birth Control Pills »
What are birth control pills and how do they work?
Birth control pills are also known as oral contraceptives (OCs) or, simply, “the pill.” They offer protection against pregnancy by blocking the union of sperm and egg, thereby preventing conception.
Oral contraceptives or birth control pills contain synthetic female hormones. They work largely by preventing the release of an egg from an ovary, or ovulation. If no egg is released, there can be no pregnancy.
Stopping ovulation is not the only way birth control pills can work. The progestin or synthetic progesterone in birth control pills also changes the physical and chemical environment of the female reproductive tract, making it hostile for sperm.
What are the different types of birth control pills?
The active ingredients in birth control pills are synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Combination oral contraceptives are birth control...
Mircette
Mircette®
(desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol)
Patients should be counseled that this product does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.
DRUG DESCRIPTION
Mircette® (desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol) Tablets provide an oral contraceptive regimen of 21 white tablets each containing 0.15 mg desogestrel (13-ethyl-11- methylene-18,19-dinor-17 alpha-pregn- 4-en- 20-yn-17-ol), 0.02 mg ethinyl estradiol (19-nor-17 alpha-pregna-1,3,5 (10)-trien-20-yne-3,17-diol), and inactive ingredients which include vitamin E, corn starch, povidone, stearic acid, colloidal silicon dioxide, lactose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, and talc, followed by 2 green tablets with the following inactive ingredients: lactose, corn starch, magnesium stearate, FD&C Blue No. 2 aluminum lake, yellow ferric oxide, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, and talc. Mircette® (desogestrel, ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol) also contains 5 yellow tablets containing 0.01 mg ethinyl estradiol (19-nor-17 alpha-pregna-1,3,5 (10)-trien-20-yne-3,17-diol) and inactive ingredients which include vitamin E, corn starch, povidone, stearic acid, colloidal silicon dioxide, lactose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, talc, and yellow ferric oxide. The molecular weights for desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol are 310.48 and 296.40 respectively. The structural formulas are as follows:
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What are the possible side effects of ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
- sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance;
- chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill...
Read All Potential Side Effects and See Pictures of Mircette »
What are the precautions when taking desogestrel, ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol (Mircette)?
See also Warning section.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to ethinyl estradiol or desogestrel; or to any other estrogen or progestin; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
This medication should not be used if you have certain medical conditions. Before using this product, consult your doctor or pharmacist if you have: history of stroke or other blood clots (e.g., in the legs, eyes, lungs), severe high blood pressure, abnormal breast exam, cancer (especially endometrial or breast cancer), diabetes that has caused kidney/eye/nerve/blood vessel disease, severe headaches, history of heart...
Last reviewed on RxList: 5/2/2008
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.
Next: Drug Description
Additional Mircette Information
Mircette - User Reviews
Mircette User Reviews
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