Mercilon combined oral contraceptive pill

If the condition develops, or gets worse while you are using Mercilon, you should also tell your doctor:

• If you have ever had problems with your heart, circulation or blood clotting.
• If you have diabetes.
• If you have ever had kidney or liver problems.
• If you have ever had severe depression.
• If you have ever had migraines.
• If you have had problems while pregnant or while using the pill, like:
    - itching of the whole body (pruritus),
    - jaundice which was not caused by infection,
    - gallstones,
    - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 
    - a blister-like rash, called herpes gestationis,
    - a hearing problem called otosclerosis,
    - other rare conditions called porphyria, hereditary and acquired angioedema [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 potentially with difficulty breathing. Products containing          oestrogens may cause or worsen the symptoms of hereditary and acquired angioedema].

• If you have brown patches on your face or body (chloasma) – if so avoid too much exposure to the sun or ultraviolet light.
• 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 
• 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 Mercilon 
• If you have an inflammation in the veins under the skin (superficial thrombophlebitis).
• If you have varicose veins.

Take Mercilon every day for 21 days.

Mercilon comes in strips of 21 pills, each marked with a day of the week.

• Take your pill at the same time every day.
• Start by taking a pill marked with the correct day of the week.
• Follow the direction of the arrows on the strip. Take one pill each day, until you have finished all 21 pills.
• Swallow each pill whole, with water if necessary. Do not chew the pill.

The active substances are desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol. Each tablet contains: 150 micrograms
of the progestogen desogestrel, and 20 micrograms of the oestrogen ethinyl estradiol.
The other ingredients are: dl-alpha-tocopherol, potato starch, povidone, stearic acid, aerosol and
lactose.

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

• Headache;
• Putting on weight;
• Breast problems, such as painful or tender breasts;
• Depression or mood changes;
• Stomach problems, such as nausea; abdominal pain;

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

• Migraine (see a doctor as soon as possible if this is your first migraine or it’s worse than usual, or if the headache is severe, unusual or long lasting);
• Fluid retention (swollen hands, ankles or feet – a sign of fluid retention);
• Decreased sexual desire;
• Vomiting;
• Diarrhoea;
• Skin problems, such as rash or hives;
• Breast enlargement;

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1000 people)

• Changes in vaginal secretions–Irregular vaginal bleeding - see section 4.3, Bleeding between periods should not last long;
• Breasts producing a milky fluid from the nipples;
• Hypersensitivity reactions;
• Discomfort of the eyes if you wear contact lenses;
• Erythema nodosum (bruise-like swelling to the shins);
• Erythema multiforme (this is a skin condition);
• Decreased weight;
• Increased sexual desire;
• Harmful blood clots in a vein or artery for example:
o in a leg or foot (i.e. DVT);
o in a lung (i.e. PE);
o heart attack;
o stroke;
o mini-stroke or temporary stroke-like symptoms, known as a transient ischaemic attack (TIA);
o blood clots in the liver, stomach/intestine, kidneys or eye.