Contraception

It is advised that women who intend to take the morning after pill consult their medic or specialist or even pharmacist if they plan to use the morning after pill that contains levongestrel.

 

Medics belive that there might be some correlation between certain epilepsy medicines; barbiturates primidone, phenytoin and carbamazepine, and the effectiveness of the morning after pill. The MHRA now advises that women may need a double dosis of the emergency contraceptive known which we all know as the morning after pill. Another possibility may also be a different type of emergency contraception, the copper coil, of copper intrauterine device. This is inserted into the womb has no is not affected by or affects other medicines. 

 

The medical director of the Epilepsy Society Profesor Ley Sander said that women should discuss both options with their healthcare provider.

He continued:

"It is very important for women with epilepsy to talk about contraceptives with their doctor. We know that certain anti-epileptic drugs reduce the effectiveness of contraceptives such as the Pill or contraceptive implants, that contain hormones. The new advice about the morning after pill is further important information for women with epilepsy to consider. It is important to talk about this in advance with your GP or specialist nurse in order to find out whether the advice applies to the medicines you are taking. This underlines further the importance of pre-conception counselling for women with epilepsy. This is something that should be discussed by GP and patient at a yearly review which is part of the NICE guidelines for epilepsy."

 

A new information sheet has been produced by the MHRA which details the interaction between medicines and the morning after pill. The information will be made available online, via a pharmacist or via your GP.

 

Dr Sarah Branch from the MHRA said:

"This is important new advice for women who want to use the emergency contraceptive pill. It will help to protect women who are taking certain medicines against unwanted pregnancies. Our new patient information sheet provides information on what types of medicines could interfere with how the emergency contraceptive works. It tells women what steps they need to take to ensure they receive the correct dose. The earlier that emergency contraception is taken after unprotected intercourse, the better it works."

 

In the case of unprotected sex and the need for the morning after pill, Levonorgestrel must be taken within 72 hours of the unprotected intercourse.

 

Possible drug interactions were first made public with scientific evidence in 2012, and the European Medicines Agency has also reviewed it.

This May, it published its findings. They showed that levonorgestrel, with the commercial name Levonelle, interacts with some medicines that epileptic women have to take. They also interact with medicines which are prescribed to treat other conditions such as tuberculosis, HIV and fungal infections. Evidence also suggests that there is an interaction with some herbal remedies which include St Johns wort.

It then recommends that in all of the above cases, the dosis of the morning after pill taken should be doubled, or they should use a different emergency contraceptive like the coil.

 

The following are a list of names of emergency contraceptives that contain Levonorgestrel.

 

Levonelle One Step 1500 microgram tablet

Levonelle-2 750 microgram tablet (ie, for a double dose this is 4 tablets, 2 packs)

Levonelle 1500 microgram tablet · Levonorgestrel 1.5 mg tablet(s)

Melkine 1.5 mg tablet

Toomee 1.5 mg tablets

Upostelle 1500 microgram tablets

Emergency Contraceptive Consilient 1500 microgram tablet. 

Boots Emergency Contraceptive 1.5 mg tablet

Emerres Una 1.5 mg tablet

Emerres 1.5 mg tablet

Ezinelle 1.5 mg tablet

Isteranda 1.5 mg tablets