Cerelle

Cerelle is a progestogen-only contrapcetive pill that can be taken to prevent pregnancy. Each pill contains the active ingredient desogestrel which is a progestogen that is similar to the female sex hormone progesterone. Desogestrel works to prevent pregnancy by:

• stopping ovulation by preventing your ovaries from releasing an egg
• making the mucus in your cervix thicker so sperm finds it difficult to get through
• thinning the lining of your womb so that a fertilised egg can’t implant itself easily

If you take it as prescribed, Cerelle can be 99% effective at stopping pregnancy. Cerelle will be less effective if you vomit, have diarrhoea, miss pills or take certain medicines.

Cerelle does not protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To protect yourself from STIs, use a barrier method such as condoms, and if you’re worried, go to a sexual health clinic for regular STI checks.

Your pack of Cerelle will contain strips of 28 pills and each pill has 75mcg of desogestrel. The strip has the days of the week printed next to each pill and arrows to show which one you should take next. To take Cerelle you should:

• Take 1 pill at the same time each day, within a 12 hour timeframe
• Swallow the pill with a glass of water
• Don’t take any breaks
• Start a new strip after 28 days, on the same day as the first pill on the last strip

You can start taking Cerelle at any point during your menstrual cycle. If you start taking it on the first day, or within the first 5 days, of your period, you will be protected from pregnancy straight away. If you start taking it any time after day 5, you will need to use extra contraception, such as condoms for 2 days.

When should Cerelle not be taken?

Cerelle should not be taken if you:

• are pregnant
• have unexplained vaginal bleeding between your periods or after sex
• are allergic to any of the ingredients in Cerelle, like lactose
• have or have had breast cancer
• are taking other medication that interacts with Cerelle, such as medication for epilepsy

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

When do I start taking Cerelle?

If you start taking Cerelle during the first 5 days of your period, you will be protected from pregnancy. But if it’s after the 5th day or later, you need to take 2 pills in a row before you are protected. During these 2 days, you should use a barrier method like a condom to protect yourself from pregnancy.

What do I do if I forget to take Cerelle?

If you realise you’ve missed your Cerelle pill within 12 hours of your regular time, take the pill as usual. You’ll still be protected against pregnancy.

If you realise you’ve missed your pill and it’s been more than 12 hours since your regular time, take the pill as soon as you remember. This might mean you have to take 2 pills on the same day. You may not be protected against pregnancy so you should use extra contraception for 2 days after.

A good way to remember to take your pill each day is to set a daily alarm or try taking your pill at the same time as you do another daily activity, such as brushing your teeth.

Please see a doctor or pharmacist for advice if you’ve had unprotected sex in the 2 days before missing your pill, or you have missed more than 1 pill. You might be at risk of pregnancy and need to take emergency contraception.

Can Cerelle be taken on a regular basis?

Yes, you can take Cerelle on a regular basis. Cerelle should be taken every day with no breaks in between unless you want to plan for a baby.

What do I do if I take Cerelle twice?

You can take Cerelle twice in 1 day if you have missed a pill the day before. See a doctor or pharmacist for advice if you take too many Cerelle pills. You might vomit or have a vaginal bleed.

Can pregnant women / nursing mothers take Cerelle?

You should not take Cerelle if you are pregnant, trying for a baby, or think you might be pregnant.

For nursing mothers, you should speak to your doctor for advice before using Cerelle. In most cases, you can use Cerelle while breastfeeding, although you may produce less breast milk overall.

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

If you want to stop taking Cerelle or take any breaks, you will no longer be protected from pregnancy. You might have a withdrawal bleed from your vagina that could last a few days. Use a condom to protect yourself from pregnancy and STIs if you stop taking Cerelle. Speak to your doctor for advice and try a different method of contraception.

Most women can use Cerelle 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.

If you’re unsure about whether or not you can take Cerelle, speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

You may experience some side effects when you take Cerelle. You might get irregular bleeding. But if you get heavy bleeding for long periods of time, please see your doctor as soon as possible.

Some common side effects of Cerelle include:

• acne
• breast pain or breast tenderness
• irregular periods
• mood changes
• reduced sex drive
• headaches
• nausea
• weight gain

Some uncommon side effects of Cerelle include:

• ovarian cysts
• vomiting
• hair loss (alopecia)
• vaginal infection
• finding it difficult to wear contact lenses
• tiredness
• painful periods

You might find that these side effects become easier to manage after the first 3 months of taking Cerelle. If they don’t go away after 3 months, get in touch with your doctor and they may suggest a different contraceptive for you.

Rare side effects of Cerelle include:

• blood clots
• allergic reaction (such as swelling of the face, tongue, or throat)
• rash or hives
• breast cancer

If you’re experiencing any of these side effects, please get in touch with your doctor straight away. Your pack of Cerelle pills will come with a patient information leaflet that you can read for more information about possible side effects.

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

There are certain drugs or medicines that can interact with how Cerelle works. These include those that treat:

• epilepsy, such as primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and phenobarbital
• tuberculosis, such as rifampicin or rifabutin
• HIV, such as ritonavir or nelfinavir
• fungal infections, such as griseofulvin
• low mood, such as St John’s Wort

You can find more information about drug interactions in the patient information leaflet in your pack of Cerelle. Talk to your doctor about any other medications you’re taking to find out if they may affect how Cerelle works.

Using Cerelle does not increase the risk of blood clots, unlike with combined oral contraceptive pills. This is because there is no oestrogen in Cerelle. 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 Cerelle is desogestrel (75 micrograms).

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

If you have a lactose intolerance, please speak to your doctor for advice before taking Cerelle.

How should Cerelle be stored?

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

How must Cerelle be disposed of?

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

What does Cerelle look like?

Cerelle is a white round pill. You can read D on one side of a Cerelle pill and 75 on the other side.

In which pack sizes is Cerelle available?

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

Information on the manufacturer

The marketing authorisation holder and manufacturer for Cerelle is Gedeon Richter Plc., Gyömrői út 19-21, 1103 Budapest, Hungary.

The distributor is Consilient Health (UK) Ltd, No.1 Church Road, Richmond Upon Thames, Surrey, TW9 2QE.