Mircette
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Mircette
MIRCETTE®
(desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol) Tablets
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 round
tablets each containing 0.15 mg desogestrel (13-ethyl11-
methylene-18,19-dinor-17 alpha-pregn- 4-en- 20-yn-17-ol), 0.02 mg ethinyl
estradiol (19-nor17 alpha-pregna-1,3,5 (10)-trien-20-yne-3,17-diol), and
inactive ingredients which include colloidal silicon dioxide, hypromellose,
lactose monohydrate, polyethylene glycol, povidone, pregelatinized starch,
stearic acid and vitamin E, followed by 2 inert light-green round tablets with
the following inactive ingredients: FD&C blue no. 1 aluminum lake, FD
&C yellow no. 6 aluminum lake, D&C yellow no. 10 aluminum lake, lactose
monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and pregelatinized
starch. Mircette® also contains 5 yellow round tablets containing 0.01 mg
ethinyl estradiol (19-nor-17 alpha-pregna-1,3,5 (10)-trien-20-yne3,17-diol) and
inactive ingredients which include colloidal silicon dioxide, D&C yellow
no. 10, aluminum lake, FD&C yellow no. 6 aluminum lake, hypromellose,
lactose monohydrate, polyethylene glycol, povidone, polysorbate 80,
pregelatinized starch, stearic acid, titanium dioxide and vitamin E. 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 feeling;
- a change in the pattern or...
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: 7/27/2012
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.
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