Medine.co.uk

Lovette Ed 0.02mg/ 3 Mg Film-Coated Tablets


Important things to know about combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs):

•    They are one of the most reliable reversible methods of contraception if used correctly.

•    They slightly increase the risk of having a blood clot in the veins and arteries, especially in the first year or when restarting a combined hormonal contraceptive following a break of 4 or more weeks.

•    Please be alert and see your doctor if you think you may have symptoms of a blood clot (see section 2 "Blood clots”).

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

•    Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.

•    If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

•    This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them.

•    If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This include any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.

See section 4.

Are you experiencing any of these signs?

What are you possibly suffering from?

• swelling of one leg or along a vein in the leg or foot especially when accompanied by:

•    pain or tenderness in the leg which may be felt only when standing or walking;

•    increased warmth in the affected leg;

•    change in colour of the skin on the leg e.g. turning pale, red or blue.

Deep vein thrombosis

•    sudden unexplained breathlessness or rapid breathing;

•    sudden cough without an obvious cause, which may bring up blood;

•    sharp chest pain which may increase with deep breathing;

•    severe light headedness or dizziness;

•    rapid or irregular heartbeat;

•    severe pain in your stomach.

Pulmonary embolism

If you are unsure, talk to a doctor as some of these symptoms such as coughing or being short of breath may be mistaken for a milder condition such as a respiratory tract infection (e.g. a 'common cold').

Symptoms most commonly occur in one eye:

•    immediate loss of vision or

•    painless blurring of vision which can progress to loss of vision.

Retinal vein thrombosis (blood clot in the eye)

•    chest pain, discomfort, pressure, heaviness;

•    sensation of squeezing or fullness in the chest, arm or below the breastbone;

•    fullness, indigestion or choking feeling;

•    upper body discomfort radiating to the back, Jaw, throat, arm and stomach;

•    sweating, nausea, vomiting or dizziness;

•    extreme weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath;

•    rapid or irregular heartbeats.

Heart attack

•    sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body;

•    sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding;

•    sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes;

•    sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination;

•    sudden, severe or prolonged headache with no known cause;

•    loss of consciousness or fainting with or without seizure.

Stroke

Sometimes the symptoms of stroke can be brief with an almost immediate and full recovery, but you should still seek urgent medical attention as you may be at risk of another stroke.

•    swelling and slight blue discolouration of an extremity;

•    severe pain in your stomach (acute abdomen).

Blood clots blocking other blood vessels

blood clots in a vein


What is in this leaflet:

1.    What Lovette ED is and what it is used for

2.    What you need to know before you use Lovette ED

3.    How to take Lovette ED

4.    Possible side effects

5.    How to store Lovette ED

6.    Contents of the pack and other information

1.    what lovette ed is and what it is used for

•    Lovette ED is a contraceptive pill and is used to prevent pregnancy.

•    Each of the 21 white tablets contains a small amount of different female hormones, namely ethinylestradiol and drospirenone.

•    The 7 green tablets contain no active substances and are also called placebo tablets.

•    Contraceptive pills that contain two hormones are called ''combination'' pills.

2.    what you need to know before you use lovette ed

General notes

Before you start using Lovette ED you should read the information on blood clots in section 2. It is particularly important to read the symptoms of a blood clot - see Section 2 "Blood clots”.

Before you can begin taking Lovette ED, your doctor will ask you some questions about your personal health history and that of your close relatives. The doctor will also measure your blood pressure, and depending upon your personal situation, may also carry out some other tests.

In this leaflet, several situations are described where you should stop using Lovette ED, or where the reliability of Lovette ED may be decreased. In such situations you should either not have sex or you should take extra non-hormonal contraceptive precautions, e.g., use a condom or another barrier method.

Do not use rhythm or temperature methods. These methods can be unreliable because Lovette ED alters the monthly changes of the body temperature and of the cervical mucus.

Lovette ED, like other hormonal contraceptives, does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) or any other sexually transmitted disease.

Do not use Lovette ED

You should not use Lovette ED if you have any of the conditions listed below. If you do have any of the conditions listed below, you must tell your doctor. Your doctor will discuss with you what other form of birth control would be more appropriate:

•    if you are allergic to ethinylestradiol or drospirenone, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6.). This may cause itching, rash or swelling.

•    if you have (or have ever had) a blood clot in a blood vessel of your legs (deep vein thrombosis, DVT), your lungs (pulmonary embolus, PE) or other organs.

•    if you know you have a disorder affecting your blood clotting - for instance, protein C deficiency, protein S deficiency, antithrombin-NI deficiency, Factor V Leiden or antiphospholipid antibodies.

•    if you need an operation or if you are off your feet for a long time (see section 'Blood clots').

•    if you have ever had a heart attack or a stroke.

•    if you have (or have ever had) angina pectoris (a condition that causes severe chest pain and may be a first sign of a heart attack) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA - temporary stroke symptoms) .

•    if you have any of the following diseases that may increase your risk of a clot in the arteries:

-    severe diabetes with blood vessel damage

-    very high blood pressure

-    a very high level of fat in the blood (cholesterol or triglycerides)

-    a condition known as hyperhomocysteinaemia.

•    if you have (or    have    ever had) a type of migraine called 'migraine with    aura'.

•    if you have (or    have    ever had) a liver disease and your liver function is    still not

normal.

•    if your kidneys are not working well (renal failure).

•    if you have (or    have    ever had) a tumour in the liver.

•    if you have (or    have    ever had) or if you are suspected of having breast    cancer or

cancer of the genital organs.

•    if you have any unexplained bleeding from the vagina.

•    Lovette ED contains soya oil. If you are allergic to peanut or soya, do not use this medicinal product.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Lovette ED.

When should you contact your doctor?

Seek urgent medical attention

• if you notice possible signs of a blood clot that may mean you are suffering from a blood clot in the leg (i.e. deep vein thrombosis), a blood clot in the lung (i.e. pulmonary embolism), a heart attack or a stroke (see 'Blood clots' section below).

For a description of the symptoms of these serious side effects please go to

"How to recognise a blood clot”.

Tell your doctor if any of the following conditions apply to you.

If some situations you need to take special care while using Lovette ED or any other combination pill, and your doctor may need to examine you regularly. If any of the following conditions applies to you, you must inform your doctor before starting to use Lovette ED.

If the condition develops, or gets worse while you are using Lovette ED, you should also tell your doctor.

•    if a close relative has or has ever had breast cancer;

•    if you have a disease of the liver or the gallbladder;

•    if you have diabetes;

•    if you have depression;

•    if you have epilepsy (see "Other medicines and Lovette ED”);

•    if you have a disease that first appeared during pregnancy or earlier use of sex hormones (for example, hearing loss, a blood disease called porphyria, skin rash with blisters during pregnancy (gestational herpes), a nerve disease causing sudden movements of the body (Sydenham's chorea));

•    if you have or have ever had chloasma (a discoloration of the skin, especially on the face or neck known as "pregnancy patches”). If so, avoid direct sunlight or ultraviolet light;

•    If you have hereditary angioedema, products containing oestrogens may cause or worsen symptoms. You should see your doctor immediately if you experience symptoms of angioedema such as swollen face, tongue and/or throat and/or difficulty swallowing or hives together with difficulty breathing;

•    if you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (chronic inflammatory bowel disease);

•    if you have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE - a disease affecting your natural defence system);

•    if you have haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS - a disorder of blood clotting causing failure of the kidneys);

•    if you have sickle cell anaemia (an inherited disease of the red blood cells);

•    if you have elevated levels of fat in the blood (hypertriglyceridaemia) or a positive family history for this condition. Hypertriglyceridaemia has been associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);

•    if you need an operation, or you are off your feet for a long time (see in section 2 'Blood clots');

•    if you have Just given birth you are at an increased risk of blood clots. You should ask your doctor how soon after delivery you can start taking Lovette ED ;

•    if you have an inflammation in the veins under the skin (superficial thrombophlebitis);

•    if you have varicose veins.

blood clots

Using a combined hormonal contraceptive such as Lovette ED increases your risk of developing a blood clot compared with not using one. In rare cases a blood clot can block blood vessels and cause serious problems.

Blood clots can develop

•    in veins (referred to as a 'venous thrombosis', 'venous thromboembolism' or VTE)

•    in the arteries (referred to as an 'arterial thrombosis', 'arterial thromboembolism' or ATE).

Recovery from blood clots is not always complete. Rarely, there may be serious lasting effects or, very rarely, they may be fatal.

It is important to remember that the overall risk of a harmful blood clot due to any Lovette ED is small.

how to recognise a blood clot

Seek urgent medical attention if you notice any of the following signs or symptoms:

What can happen if a blood clot forms in a vein?

•    The use of combined hormonal contraceptives has been connected with an increase in the risk of blood clots in the vein (venous thrombosis). However, these side effects are rare. Most frequently, they occur in the first year of use of a combined hormonal contraceptive.

•    If a blood clot forms in a vein in the leg or foot it can cause a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

•    If a blood clot travels from the leg and lodges in the lung it can cause a pulmonary embolism.

•    Very rarely a clot may form in a vein in another organ such as the eye (retinal vein thrombosis).

When is the risk of developing a blood clot in a vein highest?

The risk of developing a blood clot in a vein is highest during the first year of taking a combined hormonal contraceptive for the first time. The risk may also be higher if you restart taking a combined hormonal contraceptive (the same product or a different product) after a break of 4 weeks or more.

After the first year, the risk gets smaller but is always slightly higher than if you were not using a combined hormonal contraceptive.

When you stop Lovette ED your risk of a blood clot returns to normal within a few weeks.

What is the risk of developing a blood clot?

The risk depends on your natural risk of VTE and the type of combined hormonal contraceptive you are taking.

The overall risk of a blood clot in the leg or lung (DVT or PE) with Lovette ED is small.

•    Out of 10,000 women who are not using any combined hormonal contraceptive and are not pregnant, about 2 will develop a blood clot in a year.

•    Out of 10,000 women who are using a combined hormonal contraceptive that contains levonorgestrel, norethisterone, or norgestimate about 5-7 will develop a blood clot in a year.

•    Out of 10,000 women who are using a combined hormonal contraceptive that contains drospirenone, such as Lovette ED between about 9 and 12 women will develop a blood clot in a year.

•    The risk of having a blood clot will vary according to your personal medical history (see "Factors that increase your risk of a blood clot” below).

Risk of developing a blood clot in a year

Women who are not using a combined hormonal pill/patch/ring and are not pregnant

About 2 out of 10,000 women

Women using a combined hormonal contraceptive pill containing levonorgestrel, norethisterone or norgestimate

About 5-7 out of 10,000 women

Women using Lovette ED

About 9-12 out of 10,000 women

Factors that increase your risk of a blood clot in a vein

The risk of a blood clot with Lovette ED is small but some conditions will increase the risk. Your risk is higher:

•    if you are very overweight (body mass index or BMI over 30kg/m2);

•    if one of your immediate family has had a blood clot in the leg, lung or other organ at a young age (e.g. below the age of about 50). In this case you could have a hereditary blood clotting disorder;

• if you need to have an operation, or if you are off your feet for a long time because of an injury or illness, or you have your leg in a cast. The use of Lovette ED may need to be stopped several weeks before surgery or while you are less mobile. If you need to stop Lovette ED ask your doctor when you can start using it again;

•    as you get older (particularly above about 35 years);

•    if you gave birth less than a few weeks ago.

The risk of developing a blood clot increases the more conditions you have.

Air travel (>4 hours) may temporarily increase your risk of a blood clot, particularly if you have some of the other factors listed.

It is important to tell your doctor if any of these conditions apply to you, even if you are unsure. Your doctor may decide that Lovette ED needs to be stopped.

If any of the above conditions change while you are using Lovette ED, for example a close family member experiences a thrombosis for no known reason; or you gain a lot of weight, tell your doctor.

blood clots in an artery

What can happen if a blood clot forms in an artery?

Like a blood clot in a vein, a clot in an artery can cause serious problems. For example, it can cause a heart attack or a stroke.

Factors that increase your risk of a blood clot in an artery

It is important to note that the risk of a heart attack or stroke from using Lovette ED is very small but can increase:

•    with increasing age (beyond about 35 years);

   if you smoke. When using a combined hormonal contraceptive like Lovette ED you are advised to stop smoking. If you are unable to stop smoking and are older than 35 your doctor may advise you to use a different type of contraceptive;

•    if you are overweight;

•    if you have high blood pressure;

•    if a member of your immediate family has had a heart attack or stroke at a young age (less than about 50). In this case you could also have a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke;

•    if you, or someone in your immediate family, have a high level of fat in the blood (cholesterol or triglycerides);

•    if you get migraines, especially migraines with aura;

•    if you have a problem with your heart (valve disorder, disturbance of the rhythm called atrial fibrillation);

•    if you have diabetes.

If you have more than one of these conditions or if any of them are particularly severe the risk of developing a blood clot may be increased even more.

If any of the above conditions change while you are using Lovette ED, for example you start smoking, a close family member experiences a thrombosis for no known reason or you gain a lot of weight, tell your doctor.

Lovette ED and cancer

Breast cancer has been observed slightly more often in women using combination pills, but it is not known whether this is caused by the treatment. For example it may be that more tumours are detected in women on combination pills because they are examined by their doctor more often. The occurrence of breast tumours becomes gradually less after stopping the combination hormonal contraceptives.

It is important to regularly check your breasts and you should contact your doctor if you feel any lump.

In rare cases, benign liver tumours, and in even fewer cases malignant liver tumours have been reported in pill users. Contact your doctor if you have unusually severe abdominal pain.

Bleeding between periods

During the first few months that you are taking Lovette ED, you may have unexpected bleeding (bleeding outside the week when you are taking the green tablets). If this bleeding occurs for more than a few months, or if it begins after some months, your doctor must find out what is wrong.

What to do if no bleeding occurs during the placebo days

If you have taken all the white active tablets correctly, have not had vomiting or severe diarrhoea and you have not taken any other medicines, it is highly unlikely that you are pregnant.

If the expected bleeding does not happen twice in succession, you may be pregnant. Contact your doctor immediately. Do not start the next strip until you are sure that you are not pregnant.

Other medicines and Lovette ED

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. They can tell you if you need to take additional contraceptive precautions (for example condoms) and if so, for how long.

Some medicines can make Lovette ED less effective in preventing pregnancy, or can cause unexpected bleeding. These include:

•    medicines used for the treatment of

-    epilepsy (e.g. primidone, phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine);

-    tuberculosis (e.g. rifampicin);

-    HIV infections (ritonavir, nevirapine) or other infections (antibiotics such as griseofulvin, penicillin, tetracycline);

-    high blood pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs (bosentan);

-    the herbal remedy St. John's wort.

•    Lovette ED may influence the effect of other medicines, e.g.

-    medicines containing ciclosporin.

-    the anti-epileptic lamotrigine (this could lead to an increased frequency of seizures).

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine.

Taking Lovette ED with food and drink

Lovette ED may be taken with or without food, if necessary with a small amount of water.

Laboratory tests

If you need a blood test, tell your doctor or the laboratory staff that you are taking the pill, because hormonal contraceptives can affect the results of some tests.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, do not take Lovette ED. If you become pregnant while taking Lovette ED you must stop immediately and contact your doctor.

If you want to become pregnant, you can stop taking Lovette ED at any time (see also "If you want to stop taking Lovette ED”).

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine

Breast-feeding

Use of Lovette ED is generally not advisable when a woman is breast-feeding. If you want to take the pill while you are breast-feeding you should contact your doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking any medicine,

Driving and using machines

There is no information suggesting that use of Lovette ED affects driving or use of machines.

Lovette ED contains lactose, sunset yellow and soya lecithin

In Lovette ED the white active film-coated tablets contain 48.53 mg of lactose monohydrate and the green inactive ones contain 37.26 mg of lactose anhydrous.

If you have been told by your doctor that you have intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

The hormone-free (placebo) film-coated tablets contain "sunset yellow”colouring agent which may cause allergic reaction.

Lovette ED contains 0.070 mg soya lecithin. If you are allergic to peanut or soya, do not use this medicinal product.

3. how to take lovette ED

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Each blister contains 21 active white tablets and 7 green placebo tablets.

The two differently coloured tablets of Lovette ED are arranged in order. A strip contains 28 tablets.

Take one tablet of Lovette ED every day, if necessary with a small amount of water. You may take the tablets with or without food, but you should take the tablets every day around the same time.

Do not confuse the tablets:

Take a white tablet for the first 21 days and then a green tablet for the last 7 days. You must then start a new strip straightaway (21 white and then 7 green tablets).

So there is no gap between two strips.

Because of the different composition of the tablets it is necessary to begin with the first tablet on the upper left and that you take the tablets every day. For the correct order, follow the direction of the arrows on the strip.

Preparation of the strip

The arrows show the order you are to take the pills.

During the 7 days when you are taking the green placebo tablets (the placebo days), bleeding should begin (so-called withdrawal bleeding). This usually starts on the 2nd or 3rd day after the last white active tablet of Lovette ED. Once you have taken the last green tablet, you should start with the following strip, whether your bleeding has stopped or not. This means that you should start every strip on the same day of the week, and that the withdrawal bleed should occur on the same days each month.

If you use Lovette ED in this manner you are protected against pregnancy also during the 7 days that you are taking a placebo tablet.

When can you start with the first strip?

•    If you have not used a contraceptive with hormones in the previous month

Begin with Lovette ED on the first day of the cycle (that is, on the first day of your period). If you start Lovette ED on the first day of your period you are immediately protected against pregnancy. You may also begin on day 2-5 of the cycle, but then you must use extra protective measures (for example, a condom) for the first 7 days.

•    Changing from a combined hormonal contraceptive (combined oral contraceptive (COC), vaginal ring or transdermal patch)

You can start Lovette ED preferably on the day after the last active tablet (the last tablet containing the active substances) of your previous pill, but at the latest on the day after the tablet-free days of your previous pill finish (or after the last inactive tablet of your previous pill).When changing from a vaginal ring or transdermal patch, follow the advice of your doctor.

•    Changing from a progestogen-only method (progestogen-only pill, injection, implant or a progestogen-releasing IUD)

You may switch any day from the progestogen-only pill (from an implant or an IUD on the day of its removal;from an injectable when the next injection would be due), but in all of these cases you must use extra protective measures (for example, a condom) for the first 7 days of tablet-taking.

•    After a miscarriage

Follow the advice of your doctor.

•    After having a baby

You can start taking Lovette ED between 21 and 28 days after having a baby. If you start later than day 28, use a so-called barrier method (for example, a condom) during the first seven days of Lovette ED use.

If, after having a baby, you have had sex before starting Lovette ED (again), you must first be sure that you are not pregnant or you must wait until your next period.

•    If you are breast-feeding and want to start taking Lovette ED (again) after having a baby

Read the section on "Breast-feeding”.

Ask your doctor what to do if you are not sure when to start.

If you take more Lovette ED than you should

There are no reports of serious harmful results of taking too many Lovette ED tablets.

If you take several tablets at once then you may have symptoms of nausea or vomiting. Young girls may have bleeding from the vagina.

If you have taken too many Lovette ED tablets, or you discover that a child has taken some, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

If you forget to take Lovette ED

The tablets in the 4th row of the strip are the placebo tablets. If you forget one of these tablets, this has no effect on the reliability of Lovette ED. Discard the forgotten placebo tablet.

If you miss a white active tablet from the 1st, 2nd or 3rd row, then follow the below instructions:

•    If you are less than 12 hours late taking a tablet, the protection against pregnancy is not reduced. Take the tablet as soon as you remember and then take the following tablets again at the usual time.

•    If you are more than 12 hours late taking a tablet, the protection against pregnancy may be reduced. The greater the number of tablets that you have forgotten, the greater is the risk of becoming pregnant.

The risk of incomplete protection against pregnancy is greatest if you forget a white tablet at the beginning or at the end of the strip. Therefore, you should keep to the following rules (see also the diagram):

   More than one tablet forgotten in this strip

Contact your doctor.

   One tablet forgotten in week 1

Take the forgotten tablet as soon as you remember, even if that means that you have to take two tablets at the same time. Continue taking the tablets at the usual time and use extra precautions for the next 7 days, for example, a condom. If you have had sex in the week before forgetting the tablet, you may be pregnant. In that case, contact your doctor.

   One tablet forgotten in week 2

Take the forgotten tablet as soon as you remember, even if that means that you have to take two tablets at the same time. Continue taking the tablets at the usual time. The protection against pregnancy is not reduced, and you do not need to take extra precautions.

   One tablet forgotten in week 3

You can choose between two possibilities:

1.    Take the forgotten tablet as soon as you remember, even if that means that you have to take two tablets at the same time. Continue taking the tablets at the usual time. Instead of taking the green placebo tablets on this strip, throw them away, and start the next strip.

Most likely, you will have a period at the end of the second strip- while taking the green placebo tablets- but you may have light or menstruation-like bleeding during the second strip.

2.    You can also stop the active white tablets and go directly to the 7 green placebo tablets (before taking the placebo tablets, record the day on which you forgot your tablet). If you want to start a new strip on the day you always start, take the placebo tablets for less than 7 days.

If you follow one of these two recommendations, you will remain protected against pregnancy.

•    If you have forgotten any of the tablets in a strip, and you do not have bleeding during the normal placebo days, you may be pregnant. Contact your doctor before you start the next strip.

What to do in the case of vomiting or severe diarrhoea

If you vomit within 3-4 hours of taking an active, white tablet or you have severe diarrhoea, there is a risk that the active substances in the pill will not be fully taken up by your body. The situation is almost the same as forgetting a tablet. After vomiting or diarrhoea, you must take another white tablet from a reserve strip as soon as possible. If possible take it within 12 hours of when you normally take your pill. If this is not possible or 12 hours have passed, you should follow the advice given under "If you forget to take Lovette ED ”.

Delaying your period: what you need to know

Even though it is not recommended, you can delay your period by not taking the green placebo tablets from the 4th row and going straight to a new strip of Lovette ED and finishing it. You may experience light or menstruation-like bleeding while using this second strip. Finish this second strip by taking the 7 green tablets from the 4th row. Then start your next strip.

You might ask your doctor for advice before deciding to delay your menstrual period.

Changing the first day of your period: what you need to know

If you take the tablets according to the instructions, then your period will begin during the placebo week. If you have to change this day, reduce the number of the placebo days-when you take the green placebo tablets- (but never increase them-7 is the maximum!). For example, if you normally start taking the placebo tablets on a Friday, and you want to change this to a Tuesday (3 days earlier) start a new strip 3 days earlier than usual. If you make the placebo interval very short (for example, 3 days or less), you may not have any bleeding during these days. You may then experience light or menstruation-like bleeding.

If you are not sure what to do, consult your doctor.

If you want to stop taking Lovette ED

You can stop taking Lovette ED whenever you want. If you do not want to become pregnant, ask your doctor for advice about other reliable methods of birth control. If you want to become pregnant, stop taking Lovette ED and wait for a menstrual period before trying to become pregnant. You will be able to calculate the expected delivery date more easily.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects although not everybody gets them. If you get any side effect, particularly if severe and persistent, or have any change to your health that you think may be due to Lovette ED, please talk to your doctor.

An increased risk of blood clots in your veins (venous thromboembolism (VTE)) or blood clots in your arteries (arterial thromboembolism (ATE)) is present for all women taking combined hormonal contraceptives. For more detailed information on the different risks from taking combined hormonal contraceptives please see section 2 "What you need to know before you use Lovette ED”.

The following is a list of the side effects that have been linked with the use of ethynilestradiol/ drospirenone:

Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

•    mood swings,

•    headache,

•    abdominal pain (stomach ache),

•    acne,

•    breast pain, breast enlargement, breast tenderness, painful or irregular periods,

•    weight gain.

Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

•    Candida (fungal infection),

•    cold sores (herpes simplex),

•    allergic reactions,

•    increased appetite,

•    depression, nervousness, sleep disorder,

•    feeling of 'pins and needles', giddiness (vertigo),

•    problems with vision,

•    irregular heart beat or unusually fast heart rate,

•    high blood pressure, low blood pressure, migraine, varicose veins,

•    sore throat,

•    nausea, vomiting, inflammation of stomach and/or intestine, diarrhoea, constipation,

•    sudden swelling of the skin and/or mucous membranes (e.g. tongue or throat), and/or difficulty swallowing or hives together with difficulty breathing (angioedema), hair loss (alopecia), eczema, itching, rashes, dry skin, oily skin disorders (seborrheic dermatitis),

•    neck pain, limb pain, muscle cramps,

•    bladder infection,

•    breast lump (benign and cancer), milk production while not pregnant (galactorrhea), ovarian cysts, hot flushes, absence of periods, very heavy periods, vaginal discharge, vaginal dryness, lower abdominal (pelvic) pain, abnormal cervical smear (Papanicolaou or Pap smear), decreased interest in sex,

•    fluid retention, lack of energy, excessive thirst, increased sweating,

•    weight loss.

Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

•    harmful blood clots in a vein or artery for example: in a leg or foot (i.e. DVT), in a lung (i.e. PE), heart attack, stroke, mini-stroke or temporary stroke-like symptoms, known as a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), blood clots in the liver, stomach/ intestine, kidneys or eye. (The chance of having a blood clot may be higher if you have any other conditions that increase this risk (See section 2 for more information on the conditions that increase risk for blood clots and the symptoms of a blood clot)).

•    asthma,

•    hearing impairment,

•    blockage of a blood vessel by a clot formed elsewhere in the body,

•    erythema nodosum (characterized by painful reddish skin nodules),

•    erythema multiforme (rash with target-shaped reddening or sores).

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/vellowcard. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5.    how to store lovette ED

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not store above 25 °C. Store in the original package in order to protect from light.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the blister and carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

6.    contents of the pack and other information

What Lovette ED contains

•    The active substances are 0.02 mg ethinylestradiol and 3 mg drospirenone in each white tablet.

•    The other ingredients are:

White active film-coated tablets:

Tablet core:

lactose monohydrate, maize starch,

pregelatinised maize starch,

macrogol poly(vinyl alcohol) grafted copolymer,

magnesium stearate.

Film-coating:

poly(vinyl alcohol), titanium dioxide (E171), talc,

macrogol 3350, lecithin (soya).

Green placebo film-coated tablets:

Tablet core:

cellulose microcrystalline, lactose anhydrous, pregelatinised maize starch, magnesium stearate, silica,

colloidal anhydrous.

Film-coating:

poly(vinyl alcohol), titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 3350, talc,

indigo carmine (E132), quinoline yellow (E104), iron oxide black (E172), sunset yellow FCF (E110).

What Lovette ED looks like and contents of the pack

The active film-coated tablet is white or almost white, round, biconvex film-coated tablet, diameter about 6 mm. Engraving on one side: "G73”, other side is without engraving.

The placebo film-coated tablet is green, round, biconvex film-coated tablet, diameter about 6 mm, without engraving.

Lovette ED 0.02 mg/3 mg film-coated tablets are packed in PVC/PE/PVDC-Al blister packs. The blisters are packed into folding box with patient leaflet and etui storage bag is enclosed in each box.

Pack sizes:

1x21+7 film-coated tablets 3x21+7 film-coated tablets 6x21+7 film-coated tablets 13x21+7 film-coated tablets

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer:

Gedeon Richter PIc.

1103 Budapest,

Gyomroi ut 19-21.

Hungary

This leaflet was last revised in April 2014.

P0236


© GEDEON RICHTER