Gedarel

Gedarel is a low-oestrogen combined contraceptive pill that contains ethinylestradiol (an oestrogen) and desogestrel (a progestogen).

Gedarel works by using 2 types of female sex hormones. These stop you from getting pregnant by:

• preventing your ovaries from releasing an egg during ovulation
• making your cervix mucus thicken and make it harder for sperm to get through
• thinning the lining of the womb so a fertilised egg is unable to implant itself

If you take Gedarel perfectly, it can be 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.

Gedarel does not protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like HIV. Stay up to date with your smear tests to prevent STIs like HPV.

To take Gedarel, you should follow the days and arrows printed on the foil blister strip. Each blister strip has 21 pills for 1 month.

This is how you take Gedarel pills:

1. take 1 pill at the same time each day for 21 days
2. swallow each pill whole and with water
3. after 21 days, take a 7 day break where you do not take any pills
4. during your 7 day break, you’ll have a withdrawal bleed similar to having a period
5. you’ll still be protected from pregnancy during your 7 day break
6. on the day after your break finishes, start a new strip of pills
7. start a new strip of pills even if you’re still having a withdrawal bleed

If you start taking Gedarel during the first 5 days of your period, you’ll be protected from pregnancy straight away.

But if you start taking Gedarel at any other point of your menstrual cycle, you’ll need to use condoms for the first 7 days.

What do I do if I forget to take Gedarel?

If you miss a pill it might affect your contraception. A pill counts as being missed if you have taken it more than 24 hours after you should have taken it.

• If you have only missed one pill, take it as soon as you remember, even if you have to take 2 pills at once. Continue to take the rest of your pack as usual. You’ll still be protected against pregnancy.
• If you have missed 2 or more pills, take the most recently missed pill as soon as you remember and leave any previous pills in the strip. This may mean taking two pills at once. Continue to take the rest of your pack as usual. But if you have fewer than 7 pills left in the pack, start a new pack without taking a pill free break. You will need to use extra contraception such as condoms for seven days as you may be at risk of pregnancy.

If you have missed more than 2 pills in the first week of your pack you may need to use emergency contraception. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you are unsure, you can also message one of our doctors through your account.

Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you have had unprotected sex and are unsure about what to do after missing a Gedarel pill. This includes if you vomit or have diarrhoea within 3 to 4 hours of taking a Gedarel pill.

What do I do if I take Gedarel twice?

If you take Gedarel twice, you might start to feel sick, vomit or bleed from your vagina. You should speak to your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible.

Can pregnant or breastfeeding women take Gedarel?

You should not take Gedarel if you are pregnant. You should speak to your doctor for advice if you are planning on getting pregnant, or if you think you might be pregnant, before taking Gedarel.

If you are breastfeeding you might be able to take Gedarel, but this will depend on when you gave birth. You should speak to your doctor about this before using Gedarel.

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

If you stop taking Gedarel you will no longer be protected from getting pregnant. You will need to use alternative contraception like a condom. A few days after your last Gedarel pill, you will bleed from your vagina. You should speak to your doctor for advice on a different method of contraception to prevent pregnancy.

You can get side effects when you take Gedarel.

Common side effects of Gedarel include:

• mood swings
• headache
• nausea
• acne
• weight gain
• sore breasts

Uncommon side effects of Gedarel include:

• fluid retention
• low sex drive
• hearing problems
• migraine
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• rash
• breast enlargement

Rare side effects of Gedarel include:

• high sex drive
• difficulty wearing contact lenses
• itching
• skin disorders
• vaginal or breast discharge
• blood clots
• weight loss
• cancer

If you’re experiencing any side effects, please get in touch with your doctor.

Taking Gedarel does increase your risk of thrombosis (blood clot) slightly. You can get a blood clot in places like your:

• leg (deep vein thrombosis or DVT)
• lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• eye (retinal vein thrombosis)
• heart (heart attack)
• brain (stroke)

You can find out more about the side effects of Gedarel in the patient information leaflet 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.

You can use Gedarel if you:

• are not pregnant or breastfeeding
• have never had a blood clot
• have not got a blood clotting disorder
• do not have severe diabetes or
• do not have high blood pressure (hypertension)
• do not get migraines with auras
• have never had liver disease
• have never had heart disease or angina
• have not got high cholesterol
• have never had pancreatitis
• do not have cervical or breast cancer
• are not allergic to the ingredients in Gedarel
• have no history of heart attacks or strokes
• have not got endometrial hyperplasia
• do not have unexplained or unusual vaginal bleeding

Using Gedarel can depend on your age, if you smoke and your body weight. Talk to your doctor for more advice before you take Gedarel.

Do not take Gedarel if you are:

• taking medicines to treat hepatitis C
• about to have an operation where you can’t move around afterwards

You may be offered a progesterone only pill (POP) or mini pill by your doctor as alternative contraception.

Gedarel can interact with medicines used to treat:

• epilepsy such as carbamazepine, topiramate, phenytoin, lamotrigine, primidone, barbiturates
• tuberculosis such as rifampicin, rifabutin
• HIV or hepatitis C such as ritonavir, boceprevir 
• low mood such as St. John's wort
• fungal infections such as griseofulvin
• high blood pressure such as bosentan
• thyroid problems such as levothyroxine
• arthritis pain such as etoricoxib

Check with your doctor to see whether any other medications you're taking interact with Gedarel. You can also find out more in the patient information leaflet that comes in your pack of Gedarel.

The active ingredients in Gedarel 30/150 are ethinylestradiol (30mcg) and desogestrel (150mcg). The active ingredients in Gedarel 20/150 are the same, but in different quantities: ethinylestradiol (20mcg) and desogestrel (150mcg).

The other ingredients in Gedarel are potato starch, stearic acid, all-rac-alpha-tocopherol, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, silica colloidal anhydrous, povidone K30, hypromellose, macrogol 6000 and propylene glycol.

For people with lactose intolerance or hypersensitivity to any ingredients, please speak to your doctor for advice before taking Gedarel.

For full details, please check the patient information leaflet in your pack of Gedarel pills.

How should Gedarel be stored?

Store Gedarel in its original packaging and below 30ºC. You need to keep Gedarel out of the sight and reach of children.

How must Gedarel be disposed of?

You should dispose of Gedarel by taking any unwanted or expired tablets to your local pharmacy. Do not throw Gedarel tablets in the bin or down the drain at home.

What does Gedarel look like?

Gedarel is a slightly yellow, round, biconvex, film-coated pill, about 6mm in diameter. It has a P9 sign on one side and RG on the other side.

In which pack sizes is Gedarel available?

Gedarel is available in a pack size of 1, 3, 6, or 13 blister strips. Each blister strip contains 21 Gedarel pills.

Information on the manufacturer

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

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