Side effects of marvelon

Introduction

Marvelon is a type of oral contraceptive pill. It works by over-riding a normal menstrual cycle. The daily dose of hormones taken in the pill work mainly by deceiving one’s body into thinking that ovulation has already happened. Therefore the egg does not ripen and cannot be inseminated. This medication also increases the thickness of the natural mucus at the neck of the womb, making it more tricky for sperm to reach an egg. It has been proven to be very effective when it comes to preventing pregnancy.

Precautions

This medicine should not be taken by anyone who may be pregnant, has or has had thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders, cerebrovascular disorders (e.g., stroke), liver disease, liver tumors, breast cancer, heart attack, atypical vaginal bleeding, vascular disease of the eye, coronary artery disease, etc.

Risks

Women using his drug may have an increase in the risk of having breast and cervical cancer. Also, the risk of blood clots increases as one begins taking the pill. This risk is even greater in women that are passionate smokers or alcoholics. The pill may also cause menstrual irregularities.

Marvelon and Other Medications

Women with diabetes may require small adjustments in the dosage of insulin while using this contraceptive. If one is taking antibiotics while on this contraceptive, it may make them less efficient at preventing pregnancy. Some drugs, such as ritonavir, aprepitant, bosentan, nelfinavir, etc., or anti-epileptic medicines should never be taken with this contraceptive, because they significantly lessen the effectiveness of it, and, more often than not, completely stop it.

Side Effects

As for so many prescription drugs, and for this one there are a number of side effects. Common side-effects of marvelon include: abdominal cramping or bloating, vomiting, acne (usually less common after three months of treatment, and may improve if acne already exists), dizziness, nausea, breast pain, tenderness, swelling of ankles and feet, weight changes, unusual exhaustion or weakness, etc.

Less common side-effects include: increased sensitivity to sunlight, blood clots, menstrual spotting or breakthrough bleeding, increased or decreased interest in sexual intercourse, disturbance in liver function, brown, blotchy spots on the skin, gain or loss of body hair, depression, etc.

The authors present their clinical experience with a monophasic preparation consisting of 30 mcg ethynyl estradiol and 150 mcg desogestrel (Marvelon, Organon). 121 cycles of 24 fertile women were followed. The results show a full contraceptive success, a stable cycle control as well as a low incidence of the side effects. The objective of the study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of the monophasic oral contraceptive Marvelon by examining its safety and its effectiveness in controlling the menstrual cycle as well as the frequency and types of side effects.

24 healthy women with an average age of 24.5 years (range of 18-33 years) were the subjects.
23 had previous reproductive events: 18 births, 5 spontaneous abortions, and 16 induced abortions. 17 women had used contraceptives sporadically: 3 postcoital pills, 8 triphasic pills, and 6 monophasic pills.
During the year prior to initiating Marvelon use 2 women had experienced oligomenorrhea, 5 had had hypermenorrhea, 6 had had dysmenorrhea, and 3 had had irregular uterine bleeding. The observation period of contraceptive use lasted 4-6 months, during which a total of 121 cycles were evaluated without one single case of pregnancy.
This meant a 100% contraceptive safety or a Pearl index of 0. 20 of the patients had stable cycles. 4 women with 13 of the 121 cycles (10.5%) had menstrual disorders.
There were 5 cases of breakthrough bleeding and 8 cases of spotting. Weak dysmenorrhea occurred only in 2 patients.
Other side effects included: nausea (2), headache (2), nervousness (2), mastodynia (3), vertigo (1), depression (1), and increase of body weight (2).
As the duration of taking Marvelon increased the frequency of menstrual disorders declined. Not a single case of post-pill amenorrhea occurred. At the present time over 5 million women use Marvelon in the world. Epidemiological studies involving 14,903 women with a total of 98,225 menstrual cycles have revealed only 4 pregnancies or a Pearl index of 0.06. In the present study regular pseudomenstrual bleeding was confirmed in 89.5% of investigated cycles, which compares to 96.1% indicated in the literature.

✓ Fact confirmed: A clinical trial with the monophasic contraceptive Marvelon E. Rachev, L. Damianov, M. Katsarova; 1994.

Of course, one should always consult their physician, whenever one experiences anything unusual, or some of the listed side-effects. The doctor may then prescribe another medication that may be more suitable for the person in question. These side-effects depend on the individual, and while some may experience them, others may have no problems whatsoever.