Levonelle is the morning after the pill which lowers the risk of pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse. It contains an active ingredient called levonorgestrel which is the synthetic version of the female sex hormone progesterone that normally occurs in the female body.
Depending on the current stage of the menstrual cycle it either prevents ovulation and fertilization of the egg or alters the lining of the womb so it cannot be implanted onto it. Levonelle tricks the body into thinking that ovulation has occurred by providing significantly higher levels of synthesized progesterone which prevents the eggs from being released from the ovaries.
Levonelle thickens the mucus at the womb’s neck which prevents the sperm from entering the womb and lessens the possibility of egg fertilization. It also alters the womb lining which in turn prevents the fertilized egg from being implanted into the womb. Once the egg gets fertilized it usually takes up to three days for it to be implanted into the womb, so Levonelle can stop the pregnancy for up to three days after the unprotected sexual intercourse occurred and it should be taken as soon as possible in order to be fully effective.
Levonelle consists of just one tablet containing double strength. Its efficiency is up to 85 percent if taken within three days of unprotected sexual intercourse. One should not delay its ingestion because the sooner it is taken the more effective it will be.
It may trigger mild or severe side effects, although some patients reported no side effects at all while other had some complications. Levonelle can cause nausea, diarrhea, vaginal bleeding unrelated to menstrual period, irregular bleeding, dizziness, fatigue and abdominal pain.
It is of utmost importance that a patient informs her doctor of any other medicines already taken, including non-prescription drugs, herbal and all other supplements. The combination of Levonelle and any other medication must be safe.
There are certain medications which may affect the efficiency of the morning after pill because of the sped up breakdown of levonorgestrel in the liver. These medications include all kinds of antiepileptic medicines, various barbiturates, nevirapine, certain types of rifamycin antibiotics, grisofulvin, HIV infection prohibitors and St. John’s wort.
Sometimes the dosage of Levonelle must be doubled because i is been taken in combination with a medication off the aforementioned list. A coil can be fitted as an added and alternative form of contraception. Levonelle may cause the levels of ciclosporin and lamotrigine in blood to be significantly increased.
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