"Rigevidon" - birth control pills containing hormones in a low dosage, used both as a contraceptive and for the treatment of a number of gynecological pathologies.
The drug is made in the form of white, coated, biconvex round tablets. One piece contains 30 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol, 150 mg of levonorgestrel.
Auxiliary components: colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, lactose monohydrate, corn starch, talc.
The shell includes: sucrose, calcium carbonate, talc, titanium dioxide, macrogol, copovidone, colloidal silicon dioxide, carmellose sodium, povidone.
Pharmacological effect
Rigevidon birth control pills are a monophasic combined oral contraceptive estrogen-progestogen drug. When taken orally, it inhibits the secretion of the pituitary gonadotropic hormones. The effect of contraception is due to several mechanisms. Levonorgestrel, a derivative of 19-nortestoterone, which surpasses progesterone, the hormone of the corpus luteum (and its synthetic analogue, pregnin), acts as a gestagenic element (progestin). It works at the receptor level. The estrogen component is ethinyl estradiol.
Due to the effect of levonorgestrel, FSH and LH are blocked, releasing hormones from the hypothalamus, suppressing the secretion of gonadotropic hormones by the pituitary gland, which inhibits the maturation and then release of the egg, prepared for fertilization (ovulation). The protective effect is enhanced by ethinyl estradiol. The high viscosity of the cervical mucus persists, which makes it difficult for sperm to penetrate the uterine cavity. Along with the contraceptive effect, with regular use, normalizes the menstrual cycle and prevents the appearance of many gynecological pathologies, including tumors.
Pharmacokinetics
Let us consider in more detail how the active components of the Rigevidon birth control pills work.
Ethinyl estradiol. This substance is almost completely and quickly excreted from the intestine. It undergoes a peculiar effect of the “first passage” through the work of the liver. The elimination half-life is approximately 26 hours.
When ethinyl estradiol is taken orally, it is excreted from the blood plasma for twelve hours. The elimination half-life is 5.8 hours.
Ethinyl estradiol metabolism occurs in the intestines and liver. The metabolites of this substance are water-soluble glucuronide or sulfate conjugates that enter the intestine with bile, where they are disintegrated by intestinal bacteria.
Metabolism occurs in the liver, elimination half-life ranges from 2 to 7 hours.
Excretion of ethinyl estradiol is carried out by the intestines and kidneys.
Levonorgestrel. This component is absorbed rapidly (less than four hours). Does not fall under the effect of “first pass” through the liver. If levonorgestrel is used simultaneously with ethinyl estradiol, there is a relationship between the maximum content and dosage in the plasma. The elimination half-life of levonorgestrel from the body is from 8 to 30 hours (16 hours on average). More levonorgestrel in the blood binds to SHBG (i.e., globulin, which binds sex hormones) and albumin. Metabolism occurs in the liver. This substance is excreted through the intestines and kidneys.
Indications
Rigevidon birth control pills are used in the following cases:
- oral contraception;
- premenstrual syndrome;
- functional deviations of the menstrual cycle (including dysmenorrhea without an organic cause, as well as difunctional metrorrhagia).
Contraindications
According to the instructions for contraceptive tablets "Rigevidon", the following are contraindications:
- severe liver pathology;
- cholecystitis;
- hereditary hyperbilirubinemia (they include Rotor, Dubin-Johnson and Gilbert syndrome);
- the presence or history of serious cerebrovascular or cardiovascular diseases;
- thromboembolism, as well as a predisposition to those;
- malignant tumors (primarily endometrial or breast cancer);
- liver tumors;
- severe forms of arterial hypertension;
- familial types of hyperlipidemia;
- sickle cell anemia;
- endocrine diseases (including severe types of diabetes mellitus);
- chronic hemolytic anemia;
- vaginal bleeding of unknown origin;
- migraine;
- a history of idiopathic jaundice during pregnancy;
- severe itching of the skin in pregnant women;
- age over 40 years;
- herpes during pregnancy;
- pregnancy itself;
- lactation period (breastfeeding);
- hypersensitivity to the composition of the drug.
You need to use the drug very carefully for diseases of the gallbladder and liver, depression, epilepsy, uterine myoma, ulcerative colitis, tuberculosis, mastopathy, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases, pathologies of the cardiovascular system, impaired renal function, arterial hypertension, varicose venous expansion, phlebitis , multiple sclerosis, minor chorea, latent tetany, intermittent porphyria, bronchial asthma, as well as adolescence (if there are no regular cycles of ovulation).
How to take birth control pills "Rigevidon"?
Dosage
The tool is taken orally, the tablets do not need to be chewed, washed down with a small amount of water. In the absence of hormonal contraception during the previous cycle of menstruation, “Rigevidon” for protection is taken from the first day of menstruation every day, one tablet for 21 days, and at the same time.
After this, you need to take a break for a week, during which bleeding similar to menstruation occurs. The next cycle is 21 days. Pills should be taken already from a new package, in which there are also 21 tablets, you need to start the next day after a break for a week, that is, on the eighth day of the cycle, including when the bleeding has not stopped. The start of taking funds from each new pack, therefore, falls on the same day of the week.
How to drink birth control pills "Rigevidon", it is important to find out in advance. If you switch to this drug with any other contraceptive oral drug, the scheme is similar. Reception of funds is carried out as long as there is a need for protection.
After an abortion, the use of the drug should begin on the day of the abortion, or the day after it.
After childbirth, the drug can only be prescribed to those women who do not breast-feed. It is necessary to begin to use a contraceptive not earlier than the first day of menstruation. In the lactation period, it is contraindicated to take the drug.
Many people wonder if it is possible to get pregnant by taking birth control pills "Rigevidon"? It is possible, but only in case of incorrect reception.
The missed pill should be taken over the next twelve hours. If 36 hours have passed since the last pill was taken, contraception is considered unreliable. To avoid bloody menstrual flow, the use of the drug should be continued from the already started pack, excluding only the missed pill.
If the reception is missed, it is advisable to additionally use another method of contraception, non-hormonal (for example, barrier). The dosage of the drug and the regimen for therapeutic purposes is determined by the doctor individually in each case.
According to reviews, the price of birth control pills "Rigevidon" is quite reasonable.
Side effects
Usually the drug is well tolerated.
Possible side effects of a transient nature that occur spontaneously: vomiting, engorgement of the mammary glands, nausea, headache, change in libido and weight, mood, bloody acyclic discharge; in some cases - conjunctivitis, edema, visual impairment, discomfort when wearing contact lenses (these phenomena are temporary, they disappear after stopping use without prescribing any treatment).
With prolonged use, it is very rare to experience: hearing loss, jaundice, itching, leg muscle cramps, an increase in the frequency of seizures of epilepsy (in patients with this disease).
Rarely observed: hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, decreased glucose tolerance, thrombosis, increased pressure, venous thromboembolism, skin rashes, changes in the nature of vaginal secretion, diarrhea, vaginal candidiasis, fatigue.
The price of Rigevidon birth control pills will be given below.
special instructions
Before starting to use this drug, it is recommended to undergo a gynecological and general medical examination, which includes a cytological analysis of a smear from the uterine neck, assessment of the state of the breast glands, determination of glucose, cholesterol and other indicators of liver activity in the blood, urinalysis, and pressure control.
Prescribing Rigevidon to patients with thromboembolic pathologies at a young age and increased blood clotting history is undesirable.
The use of an oral preservative is allowed no earlier than six months after the patient had viral hepatitis if liver function is normal.
If sharp pains, hepatomegaly and symptoms of intra-abdominal bleeding appear in the upper abdomen, a suspected presence of a liver tumor may appear. If necessary, the use of funds must be stopped. If the activity of the liver is impaired, then during the use of the drug “Rigevidon” a consultation with a physician is required.
If intermenstrual (acyclic) hemorrhages appear, then taking the Rigevidon remedy must be continued, since in most cases these bleedings are not dangerous and stop on their own. If intermenstrual (acyclic) bleeding recurs or does not disappear, a medical examination should be performed to exclude diseases of the reproductive system.
With diarrhea or vomiting, the drug should be continued. This is confirmed by the instructions for use to the contraceptive pill "Rigevidon".
In smoking patients who take hormonal contraceptives, there is a high risk of cardiovascular disease with significant consequences (stroke, myocardial infarction). The risk increases with age, depending on the number of cigarettes smoked per day (especially in women after 35 years).
The use of the drug should be stopped in the following situations:
- if appears for the first time or headache intensifies;
- if early symptoms of phlebothrombosis or phlebitis occur (bloating of veins in the lower extremities or unusual pains);
- if hepatitis appears without jaundice or jaundice;
- in the presence of cerebrovascular disorders;
- if stitching pains of an unclear origin appear during coughing or breathing, a feeling of tightness and pain in the chest;
- if there is a suspicion of a heart attack or thrombosis;
- with an acute decrease in visual acuity;
- if the pressure rises sharply;
- with the appearance of itching;
- if epileptic seizures become more frequent;
- approximately six weeks before the proposed surgery;
- three months before the pregnancy is planned;
- at the onset of pregnancy.
Taking a contraceptive does not affect the ability to drive vehicles or mechanisms, which can increase the risk of personal injury.
Reviews of doctors about birth control pills "Rigevidon"
On the Russian pharmaceutical market, the drug has been on sale for a long time. It contains the most studied and safe gestagen currently studied - the substance levonorgestrel. It is recommended by doctors to women as a contraceptive with a therapeutic effect in painful and heavy periods, adenomyosis. Quality and cost are comparable.
Patient Reviews
Reviews about birth control pills "Rigevidon" from patients are mostly positive. High efficiency, normalization of the cycle, lack of excess weight gain, a decrease in soreness of menstruation are noted, they become not so plentiful. Some women begin to grow hair and nails better. The cost of the drug is affordable, with excellent effect. However, patients note that you need to drink tablets only by prescription, not on their own.
Some women report a drug deficiency such as severe headache. Because of this, you have to switch to another method of contraception.
How much do Rigevidon birth control pills cost?
Price
Tablets (21 pieces) cost about three hundred rubles. Tablets in the amount of 63 pieces - about 685 rubles. It depends on the region and the pharmacy network.
We examined the Rigevidon medication instructions, price, reviews.