Logynon

Logynon contains 21 pills which you have to take daily. Then you do not take any pills for 7 days.

The difference is that Logynon ED contains 7 inactive pills, plus the same 21 pills as Logynon, in its 28 pill blister strip.

This means with Logynon ED you take a pill every day without a 7 day pill break. This is useful if you are worried you will forget to take your pills.

When do I start taking Logynon?

If you start taking Logynon on the first day of your period, or up to the 5th day after your period starts, you will be protected from pregnancy straight away.

If it is after the 5th day of your cycle, you will need to use condoms or another type of contraception until you have taken the pill for 7 days. If you have had unprotected sex before starting the pill or in the first 7 days, you should take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after you last had sex.

• You should take 1 Logynon pill at the same time each day. Use the numbers, colours, and arrows on the blister strip to help you take the pills in the right order. Each Logynon blister strip has 21 pills and there are 3 different colours of pills. It is very important that the pills are taken in the correct order.
• When you start taking Logynon, you should mark the day of the week that you start. You can pierce the foil disc on the back of the blister strip to mark this.
• You start with 1 light brown pill per day for 6 days, then 1 white pill per day for the next 5 days and then 1 yellow (ochre) tablet per day for the final 10 days.
• After you have taken all 21 pills, you will have a 7 day break. During this week, you might have some withdrawal bleeding. You will still be protected from pregnancy during the 7 day break as long as you have taken your pills correctly before the break started.
• Once your 7 day break is over, start taking your next strip of 21 Logynon pills.
• If you are taking Logynon ED, you will take all 28 pills. At the end of the 21 days of active pills, there are 7 large white pills that are inactive. You might have withdrawal bleeding when you start taking these pills.

If you take a Logynon pill and vomit or have diarrhoea within 4 hours, you might not be protected from pregnancy. You should keep taking your pills as normal and use condoms for the next 7 days.

What do I do if I forget to take Logynon?

There are different steps to take if you forget to take Logynon or Logynon ED.

If you forget to take a Logynon pill or an active Logynon ED pill within 12 hours or less:

• Take your Logynon pill as soon as you remember. You will still be protected from pregnancy.

If you are more than 12 hours late to take a Logynon pill or an active Logynon ED pill:

• Take your Logynon pill as soon as you remember, which might mean taking 2 pills on the same day. You should use condoms for the next 7 days.

If you forget to take more than 1 Logynon or Logynon ED pill, make sure you follow the information on the patient information leaflet in your pill packet:

• Take the most recent missed pill as soon as you remember. Use extra contraception, like condoms, for the next 7 days.
• If more than 7 pills remain in the pack then continue to take the pills as normal. Continue with a 7 day break if you are taking Logynon or take the 7 inactive pills as normal if you are taking Logynon ED.
• If you missed a pill in your first week and had sex during that week, you might be pregnant. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist for any emergency contraception.
• If less than 7 pills remain in the pack then continue to take your pills as normal. When you finish the blister strip, start the next strip straight away without taking a 7 day pill break if you are taking Logynon. If you are taking Logynon ED, skip the inactive white pills and start the next blister strip instead.

After the second blister strip, you should have a withdrawal bleed during the pill break. If you do not have one you might be pregnant, so you should take a pregnancy test if this is the case.

If you forget to take an inactive Logynon ED pill:

• Take the pill as soon as you remember. You do not need any extra contraception.

If you are unsure about what to do, speak to your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

What do I do if I take Logynon twice?

If you take Logynon twice, you might feel sick or vomit. You could also have some vaginal bleeding. Speak to a healthcare professional such as your doctor or pharmacist if you are worried about these symptoms.

Can pregnant or breastfeeding women take Logynon?

You should not take Logynon if you are pregnant. If you think you might be pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test to check before starting Logynon.

If you are breastfeeding, you might be able to take Logynon, this will depend on when you gave birth. Your doctor might recommend you take a progesterone-only pill or mini pill, as an alternative contraception.

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

When you stop taking Logynon, you may have some withdrawal bleeding. If you do not want to get pregnant, you need to use another method of contraception, such as condoms. Speak to your doctor or go to a sexual health clinic for advice if you want to stop taking Logynon.

You might get side effects when you take Logynon and you can speak to your doctor at any time for advice on what to do.

Common side effects of Logynon:

• headaches
• depressed mood or mood swings
• feeling sick, being sick or having a stomach ache
• weight gain
• sore breasts
• mood swings

Less common side effects of Logynon:

• fluid retention
• migraines
• low sex drive
• skin rashes
• breast enlargement
• breakthrough bleeding that should stop after the first few months

Rare side effects of Logynon:

• weight loss
• high sex drive
• vaginal or breast discharge
• irritation when wearing contact lenses
• chloasma (yellow or brown patches on your skin)
• blood clots
• breast cancer

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

Does the risk of thrombosis increase?

You have a slightly higher risk of blood clots when taking Logynon. This is because Logynon pills contain the hormone oestrogen.

Blood clots can occur in your:

• legs (deep vein thrombosis)
• lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• heart (heart attack)
• brain (stroke)

Stop taking Logynon and call 999 if you notice any signs of blood clots such as:

• feeling short of breath
• chest pain
• blurry vision
• swelling in your calf
• feeling numb or weak on one side of your body

Logynon pills can interact with medicines. This might reduce your protection against pregnancy or affect how other medicines work.

Speak to a healthcare professional such as your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:

• epilepsy medication such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, topiramate, or lamotrigine
• barbiturates such as phenobarbital
• any products containing St. John’s wort
• HIV treatment such as ritonavir
• hepatitis C treatments such as dasabuvir
• antifungal medicines such as griseofulvin
• antibiotics such as rifampicin

Logynon may not be suitable for you if you are taking the above medication. Your doctor may advise you to take a different contraceptive or use additional contraception such as condoms.

The active ingredients in Logynon and Logynon ED are levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol in the following amounts:

• light brown pills: levonorgestrel (50 micrograms) and ethinylestradiol (30 micrograms)
• small white pills: levonorgestrel (75 micrograms) and ethinylestradiol (40 micrograms)
• yellow (ochre) pills: levonorgestrel (125 micrograms) and ethinylestradiol (30 micrograms)

The larger white pills in Logynon ED do not contain any active ingredients.

The other ingredients in Logynon are lactose, maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate (E572), sucrose, macrogol 6000, calcium carbonate (E170), talc, glycol montanate, glycerin (E422), titanium dioxide (E171), ferric oxide pigment (red and yellow) (E172).

If you have an allergy or hypersensitivity to any of these ingredients please speak to your doctor for advice before taking Logynon.

How should Logynon be stored?

You should store Logynon in its original packaging, below 30°C and away from sunlight and moisture. Keep Logynon out of the sight and reach of children and animals.

How must Logynon be disposed of?

If you want to dispose of your Logynon pills, take them to your local pharmacy. Do not throw away your Logynon pills in the bin or down the drain at home.

What does Logynon look like?

Logynon and Logynon ED pills are small and round. Each strip of tablets contains:

• 6 light brown pills
• 5 white pills
• 10 yellow (ochre) pills

Logynon ED also contains 7 larger (inactive) white pills.

In which pack sizes is Logynon available?

Logynon and Logynon ED oral contraceptive pills are available in pack sizes of 1 or 3 blister strips. Each Logynon blister strip contains 21 pills. Each Logynon ED blister strip contains 28 pills.

Information on the manufacturer

The company that holds the marketing authorisation of Logynon and Logynon ED is Bayer Plc, 400 South Oak Way, Reading, RG2 6AD.

Logynon and Logynon ED are manufactured by Bayer Weimar GmbH und Co. KG, 99427 Weimar, Germany and Bayer AG, 13342 Berlin, Germany.