Microval(R) - Discount Pharmacy Australia

tablets until it is confirmed if youare pregnant or not.Not taking your tablets correctlyincludes missing one or more tabletsor starting a new pack later than youshould have.Have regular check ups from yourdoctor, including a Pap smear.Oral contraceptives should not beprescribed for longer than one yearwithout your doctor carrying out acheck-up. Your doctor will adviseyou how often you need a Pap smear.A Pap smear can detect abnormalcells lining the cervix. Sometimesabnormal cells can progress tocancer. Cervical cancer has beenreported to occur more often inwomen using an oral contraceptivefor a long time. This finding maynot be caused by the oralcontraceptive, but may be related tosexual behaviour and other reasons.Perform regular breastself-examination.Breast cancer has been found slightlymore often in women who use anoral contraceptive containing both anoestrogen and progestogen than inwomen of the same age who do notuse an oral contraceptive. This slightincrease in the number of breastcancer cases gradually disappearsduring the course of the 10 yearsafter stopping use of oralcontraceptives. It is not knownwhether the oral contraceptive causesthe difference. It may be that thewomen were examined more often,so that the breast cancer was noticedearlier.If you are concerned aboutcontracting a sexually transmitteddisease (STD), ask your partner towear a condom when having sexualintercourse with you.Microval will not protect you fromHIV-AIDS or any other sexuallytransmitted diseases such aschlamydia, genital herpes, genitalwarts, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B,human papilloma virus and syphilis.To protect yourself from STDs, youneed to use a barrier contraceptivesuch as a condom.Tell your doctor you are usingMicroval at least 4 weeks beforeany planned hospitalisation orsurgery.Your doctor may tell you to stoptaking Microval several weeks beforesurgery or at the time ofimmobilisation. Your doctor will tellyou when you can start takingMicroval after you are back on yourfeet.To avoid pregnancy during thistime you must use a non-hormonalmethod of contraception such ascondoms or a diaphragm.Things you must not doDo not give Microval to anyoneelse even if they have the samecondition as you.Do not use Microval to treat anyother complaints unless yourdoctor tells you to.Do not stop taking Microval, orchange the dosage, withoutchecking with your doctor.If you stop taking Microval or do nottake a tablet every day, without usinganother form of contraception, youmay become pregnant.Side effectsTell your doctor or pharmacist assoon as possible if you do not feelwell while you are taking Microval.When used correctly, Microval is aneffective contraceptive, but it mayhave unwanted side effects in a fewpeople. All medicines can have sideeffects. Sometimes they are serious,most of the time they are not. Youmay need medical treatment if youget some of the side effects.Ask your doctor or pharmacist toanswer any questions you mayhave.The most common side effect ofMicroval is a change in menstrualbleeding. Your periods may beeither early or late, shorter or longerand/or you may have some spottingbetween periods. Taking tablets lateor missing tablets can also result insome spotting or bleeding.Tell your doctor immediately ifyou notice any of the following:* Severe pain or tenderness in thestomach.This may be a sign that you have anectopic pregnancy. An ectopicpregnancy is a pregnancy outside thewomb. Because Microval protectsagainst pregnancy, the chance ofhaving a pregnancy outside thewomb is very low. If you do getpregnant while taking Microval, youhave a slightly higher chance that thepregnancy will be ectopic than dousers of some other birth controlmethods.* Sharp or crushing chest pain,coughing of blood or suddenshortness of breath* Weakness, numbness in an arm orleg* A sharp pain or swelling in thecalf muscle* Breast lumps* Sudden severe headache orvomiting, dizziness or fainting* Migraine headaches for the firsttime* More frequent migraines if youare a migraine sufferer* Slurred speech or loss of speech* Sudden changes or loss of sight* Jaundice or yellowing of the skinor eyeballs, especially if it occurswith fever, tiredness, loss ofappetite, dark coloured urine orlight coloured bowel motions* Itchy rash, throat tightness and apuffy face.These are very serious side effects.You may need urgent medicalattention or hospitalisation. Theseside effects are rare.Tell your doctor if you notice anyof the following and they worryyou.Do not be alarmed by this list ofpossible side effects. You may notexperience any of them.MICROVAL(R) 5

Reproductive or breast problemssuch as:* Breast pain, tenderness,enlargement or milky discharge* Changes in vaginal discharge orinflammation of the vagina* Missed periods, but if you havenot taken Microval as directed,check whether you are pregnant.* Painful periods* Breakthrough bleeding orspotting or changes in menstrualblood flowSlight "spotting" of blood betweenyour menstrual periods usually stopsby itself within a few days.If this bleeding keeps going or isheavy, see your doctor.* Decreased sex driveStomach problems such as:* Nausea or vomiting* Stomach pain, bloating or crampsAbdominal pain may be associatedwith ovarian cysts are small sacs offluid in the ovary. They are morecommon among progestogen-onlycontraceptive users than among usersof most other birth control methods.Difficulties thinking or workingbecause of:* Mood disturbances, includingdepression* Headache* Nervousness* DizzinessChanges in your appearance suchas:* Hair loss or excessive hairgrowth on the face and body* Darkening areas of skin,especially on the face that maypersist* Acne* Leg cramps or pain* Tiredness* Fluid retention* Weight changes (increase ordecrease) or changes in appetite.Other side effects not listed abovemay also occur in some patients.Tell your doctor if you noticeanything else that is making youfeel unwell.Do not be alarmed by this list ofpossible side effects. You may notexperience any of them.After stopping MicrovalIf your periods do not returnwithin 2 to 3 months of stoppingMicroval tell your doctor.Some women have short-termproblems getting pregnant afterstopping Microval, especially if theyhad irregular menstrual cycles beforestarting to use an oral contraceptive.Ask your doctor or pharmacist foradvice about taking folate if youplan to become pregnant.After taking MicrovalStorageKeep your tablets in the pack untilit is time to take them.If you take the tablets out of the packthey will not keep well.Keep the tablets in a cool dry placewhere the temperature stays below30 degrees C. Do not storeMicroval or any other medicine inthe bathroom or near a sink. Donot leave it in the car or onwindowsills.Heat and dampness can destroy somemedicines.Keep it where children cannotreach it.A locked cupboard at least one and ahalf metres above the ground is agood place to store medicines.DisposalIf your doctor tells you to stoptaking Microval or the tablets havepassed their expiry date, ask yourpharmacist what to do with anythat are left over.Product descriptionWhat it looks likeMicroval comes in a box containing4 blister packs. Each blister packcontains 28 white tablets. The packis marked with days of the week nextto each tablet.IngredientsThe active ingredient in Microval islevonorgestrel.Each tablet contains 30 microgramsof levonorgestrel and the followinginactive ingredients:* Lactose* Maize starch* Povidone* Talc* Magnesium stearate* Sucrose* Macrogol 6000* Calcium carbonate* Glycol montanateMicroval does not contain gluten,tartrazine or any other azo dyes.SupplierMicroval is supplied by:Wyeth Australia Pty Ltd, ABN 16000 296 21117 - 19 Solent Circuit, NorwestBusiness Park, Baulkham Hills NSW2153Telephone numbers: (02) 9761 8200or (02) 8850 8200For further information pleasecontact Wyeth Australia on toll-free1800 500 498 or E-mail:medinfo@wyeth.comAustralian Registration Number:AUST R 10402This leaflet was prepared on 8November 2004.(R) Registered Trade MarkMICROVAL(R) 6