Cerazette

Cerazette is a progestogen-only oral contraceptive pill. It that contains desogestrel, which is a man-made version of the female sex hormone progesterone. It is an effective form of birth control.

• Desogestrel stops your ovaries from releasing an egg. This means you won’t be able to get pregnant as there’s no egg for the sperm to reach.
• Cerazette also works by thickening the fluid around your cervix so it’s harder for the sperm to reach the egg.
• By thinning the uterus lining, Cerazette makes it harder for a fertilised egg to implant itself.

Cerazette might not work effectively if you have severe diarrhoea or vomiting, or if you miss pills.

Although Cerazette prevents you from getting pregnant, it does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like HIV. Use a condom and visit a sexual health clinic for advice if you are concerned about STIs.

Each strip of Cerazette contains 28 pills, with each pill containing 75mcg of the active ingredient desogestrel. This is how you should take Cerazette:

• Each pill has a day of the week labelled on the strip
• Take 1 pill at the same time each day
• Swallow the pill whole with water
• Do not take any breaks from taking your pill
• Start a new strip after 28 days
• You can start taking Cerazette at any point during your menstrual cycle

You should take your pill within 12 hours of the time you usually take it each day. You should try and take your pill at the same time every day so that you don’t miss a pill. You might find it useful to set an alarm each day or take it at the same time as another daily activity, such as having breakfast.

When do I start taking Cerazette?

If you start taking Cerazette during the first 5 days of your period, you will be protected from pregnancy. But if you’re not sure when your period started and it’s the second day or later, you need to take 27 pills in a row before you are protected. During these 27 days, you should use a barrier method like a condom to protect yourself from pregnancy.

What do I do if I forget to take Cerazette?

If it's within 12 hours of the usual time you take Cerazette, you can take your pill straight away and you’ll still be protected against pregnancy.

If you miss a day, or take your pill more than 12 hours after your usual time, you may not be protected against pregnancy. Take the missed pill as soon as you remember and continue taking the rest of the strip of pills as normal.

This might mean you have to take 2 pills at once on the same day. You should use extra contraception such as condoms for the next 2 days because you will be more at risk of getting pregnant. You may need emergency contraception.

Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you have had unprotected sex and are unsure about what to do after missing a Cerazette pill.

Can Cerazette also be taken on a regular basis?

Cerazette is suitable to take on a regular basis. You should take it daily and avoid missing a pill.

What if I throw up after taking Cerazette?

If you vomit or have diarrhoea within 2 hours of taking the pill, it may not have been absorbed into your body properly. In this case, take another pill as soon as possible within the 12-hour window and then continue treatment as usual.

What do I do if I take Cerazette twice?

If you take Cerazette twice because you have missed a pill and want to prevent pregnancy, this is fine. But if you take too many Cerazette pills on the same day, you may start bleeding from your vagina and feel like you need to vomit. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist on what to do next.

Can pregnant women / nursing mothers take Cerazette?

Do not take Cerazette if you are pregnant. Speak to your doctor if you are trying for a baby or think you might be pregnant.

You can use Cerazette if you are breastfeeding.

What should I watch out for if I want to stop taking Cerazette?

When you stop taking Cerazette, you will no longer be protected from pregnancy. You may start to bleed from your vagina a few days after you stop. To protect yourself from pregnancy, use a condom when you have sex. Book an appointment with your doctor for advice on a different type of contraception.

Cerazette contains the exact same active ingredient (desogestrel), and in the same amount (75mcg), as Cerelle. They work in the same way and are equally as effective at preventing pregnancy. They are made by different manufacturers and so have different inactive ingredients and brand names.

You may experience some side effects when you take Cerazette.

Common side effects of Cerazette include:

• mood changes
• lower sex drive
• headaches
• acne
• nausea
• breast pain
• irregular bleeding
• weight gain

Some uncommon side effects of Cerazette include:

• vaginal infection
• vomiting
• hair loss (alopecia)
• painful periods
• ovarian cysts
• feeling tired
• finding it hard to wear contact lenses

Rare side effects of Cerazette include:

• blood clots
• rash or hives
• allergic reaction
• breast cancer

If you experience any of these side effects, please speak to your doctor as soon as possible. You can find out more about the possible side effects of Cerazette in the patient information leaflet that comes in your pack of pills.

You can report any side effects using the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

Cerazette only contains the progestogen desogestrel. Most women can use Cerazette safely, and it can be used by many women who are unable to take contraceptive pills containing oestrogen. It can be used by women up to the age of 55.

You can message our doctors in your patient account if you have any questions about Cerazette and whether it’s right for you.

Cerazette should not be taken if:

• you are allergic to any of the ingredients in Cerazette
• you have or have had breast cancer
• you have vaginal bleeding for unknown reasons
• you are pregnant

Speak to your healthcare professional if you:

• have or have had liver disease, including jaundice or liver cancer
• have or have had heart disease or a heart attack
• have or have had breast cancer

If you take other medicines, supplements or herbal remedies, you should speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking Cerazette. This is because some medicines can interact with Cerazette and make it less effective, which can reduce your protection against pregnancy.

These include medicines that help treat:

• Epilepsy (phenytoin, carbamazepine)
• Tuberculosis (rifampicin, rifabutin)
• HIV (ritonavir, nelfinavir)
• Fungal infections (griseofulvin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole)
• Hepatitis C
• High blood pressure in the lungs blood vessels (bosentan)
• Low mood (St. John’s Wort)
• Bacterial infections (clarithromycin, erythromycin)
• High blood pressure (hypertension), angina, or heart arrhythmia (diltiazem)

Using Cerazette does not increase the risk of blood clots, unlike with combined oral contraceptive pills. This is because there is no oestrogen in Cerazette. You should still look out for any blood clots that can come up in different places like:

• Leg (deep vein thrombosis or DVT)
• Lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Eye (retinal vein thrombosis)
• Heart (heart attack)
• Brain (stroke)

The active ingredient in Cerazette is desogestrel (75 micrograms).

The other ingredients in Cerazette include: colloidal anhydrous silica, all-rac-alpha-tocopherol, maize starch, povidone, stearic acid, hypromellose, macrogol 400, talc, titanium dioxide (E171), lactose monohydrate.

For people with a lactose intolerance, please speak to your doctor for advice before taking Cerazette.

How should Cerazette be stored?

Cerazette should be stored in its original packet to protect it from being damaged by light or water. Use each Cerazette sachet within 1 month of opening it. Make sure to keep Cerazette away from children or pets.

How must Cerazette be disposed of?

Take unused or expired Cerazette pills to your nearest pharmacy for safe disposal. Don’t throw away Cerazette pills in your bin at home. This helps protect the environment too.

What does Cerazette look like?

Cerazette is a white round pill. You can read KV 2 on one side of a Cerazette pill and ORGANON* on the other side.

In which pack sizes is Cerazette available?

Cerazette is available in a pack size of 1, 3, 6 or 13 blister strips. Each Cerazette blister strip has 28 pills.

Information on the manufacturer

The Marketing Authorisation Holder of Cerazette is Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited, Hertford Road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 9BU, United Kingdom.

The Manufacturer of Cerazette is N.V. Organon, Kloosterstraat 6, 5349 AB Oss, The Netherlands.