Ethinylestradiol + Drospirenone
Before starting to take Axia Conti, you should read the information about blood clots (thrombosis) in section 2. It is especially important to read about the symptoms of a blood clot (see section 2 "Blood clots").
Before you can start using Axia Conti, your doctor will ask you a few questions about your health and the health of your close relatives. Your doctor will also measure your blood pressure and may perform some other examinations in individual cases.
This leaflet describes several situations in which you should stop using the medicine or in which the effectiveness of the medicine may be reduced. In such situations, you should either not have sexual intercourse or use additional non-hormonal contraceptive methods, such as condoms or other mechanical methods. You should not use the rhythm method or temperature measurement. These methods can be unreliable, as Axia Conti affects the monthly changes in body temperature and cervical mucus.
You should not use Axia Conti if you have any of the following conditions. If you have any of the following conditions, you should inform your doctor.
Your doctor will discuss with you which other contraceptive method will be more suitable for you:
You should not use Axia Conti if you have hepatitis C and are taking medicines containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, dasabuvir, glecaprevir/pibrentaswir, or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (see also section "Axia Conti and other medicines").
Children and adolescents
Axia Conti is not intended for use in girls before their first menstrual period.
Elderly patients
Axia Conti is not intended for use after menopause.
Patients with liver function disorders
You should not take Axia Conti if you have liver disease. See also sections "When not to use Axia Conti" and "Warnings and precautions".
Patients with kidney function disorders
You should not take Axia Conti if you have kidney failure or acute kidney failure. See also sections "When not to use Axia Conti" and "Warnings and precautions".
When should you contact your doctor?
You should contact your doctor immediately
To find a description of the symptoms of these serious side effects, see "How to recognize a blood clot".
In certain situations, you should be particularly careful when using Axia Conti or any other combined hormonal contraceptive. Regular examination by a doctor may also be necessary. If any of the following conditions occur, you should inform your doctor before starting to use Axia Conti. If these symptoms occur or worsen while using Axia Conti, you should also tell your doctor:
You should discuss this with your doctor before starting to use Axia Conti.
The use of combined hormonal contraceptives, such as Axia Conti, is associated with an increased risk of blood clots compared to not using the therapy. In rare cases, a blood clot can block a blood vessel and cause serious complications. Blood clots can occur
You should contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms.
Are you experiencing any of these symptoms? | Why is the patient likely to be suffering from this condition? |
| Deep vein thrombosis |
| Pulmonary embolism |
| Heart attack |
| Stroke |
| Blood clots blocking other blood vessels |
The risk of forming a blood clot in a vein is highest during the first year of using combined hormonal contraceptives for the first time. The risk may also be higher when resuming the use of combined hormonal contraceptives (the same or different medicine) after a break of 4 weeks or more.
After the first year, the risk decreases, but it is always higher compared to not using combined hormonal contraceptives.
If you stop using Axia Conti, the risk of blood clots returns to normal within a few weeks.
The risk of blood clots associated with Axia Conti is small, but some factors can increase this risk. The risk is higher:
The risk of blood clots increases with the number of risk factors present in the patient.
Long-haul flights (>4 hours) may temporarily increase the risk of blood clots, especially if the patient has another risk factor.
It is essential to tell your doctor if any of these risk factors apply to you, even if you are not sure. Your doctor may decide to stop using Axia Conti.
You should inform your doctor if any of the above conditions change while using Axia Conti, e.g., if someone in your close family is diagnosed with a blood clot without a known cause or if you gain significant weight.
Similarly to blood clots in veins, blood clots in arteries can cause serious consequences, such as a heart attack or stroke.
It is essential to note that the risk of a heart attack or stroke associated with Axia Conti is very small, but it may increase:
If you have more than one of the above conditions or if any of them are particularly severe, the risk of blood clots may be even higher.
You should inform your doctor if any of the above conditions change while using Axia Conti, e.g., if you start smoking, if someone in your close family is diagnosed with a blood clot without a known cause, or if you gain significant weight.
Women using combined contraceptives have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer, but it is not known if this is caused by the pills. It is possible that more tumors are detected in women using combined contraceptives because they are examined by doctors more often. The frequency of breast tumors decreases gradually after stopping the use of combined hormonal contraceptives. It is essential to examine your breasts regularly and contact your doctor if you feel any lump.
Women using contraceptive pills have rarely reported benign liver tumors, and even more rarely, malignant liver tumors. If you experience unusual, severe stomach pain, you should contact your doctor.
During the first few months of using Axia Conti, you may experience unexpected bleeding (bleeding outside of the placebo period). If such bleeding persists for more than a few months or starts after a few months, your doctor should investigate the cause.
If all the active tablets have been taken correctly, no vomiting or severe diarrhea has occurred, and no other medicines have been taken, it is very unlikely that you are pregnant.
If the expected bleeding does not occur twice in a row, it may indicate pregnancy. You should contact your doctor immediately. You should only start the next pack of Axia Conti when you are sure you are not pregnant.
You should tell your doctor about all the medicines and herbal products you have taken recently or are planning to take. You should also tell any other doctor or dentist prescribing other medicines or pharmacist dispensing the medicines about using Axia Conti. They may tell you if you need to use additional contraceptive methods (e.g., condoms) and for how long or if you need to change the use of another necessary medicine.
Certain medicines may affect the level of Axia Conti in your blood and may cause it to be less effective in preventing pregnancy or may cause unexpected bleeding:
You should tell your doctor or pharmacist about all the medicines you are currently taking or have recently taken and any medicines you plan to take.
Do not use Axia Conti in patients with hepatitis C who are taking medicinal products containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, dasabuvir, glecaprevir/pibrentaswir, or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir, as this may cause abnormal liver function test results (elevated liver enzymes).
Before starting these medicines, your doctor will prescribe a different contraceptive method.
You can start taking Axia Conti again after about 2 weeks after stopping the above treatment. See section "When not to use Axia Conti".
Before taking any medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
The tablet can be taken with or without food, if necessary, with a small amount of water.
If a blood test is necessary, you should tell your doctor or laboratory staff that you are taking contraceptive pills, as hormonal contraceptives may affect the results of some tests.
Pregnant women should not take Axia Conti. If you become pregnant while using Axia Conti, you should stop taking it immediately and contact your doctor. If you want to become pregnant, you can stop using Axia Conti at any time (see also: "Stopping Axia Conti").
Before taking any medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Generally, Axia Conti is not recommended for use during breast-feeding. If you want to take contraceptive pills while breast-feeding, you should contact your doctor.
Before using any medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
There is no information suggesting that the use of Axia Conti affects the ability to drive or operate machines.
If you have been diagnosed with an intolerance to some sugars, you should contact your doctor before starting to use this medicine.
The medicine contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) of sodium per tablet, which means the medicine is considered "sodium-free".
This medicine should always be taken as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. In case of doubt, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Each blister pack contains 24 pink active tablets and 4 white placebo tablets.
The Axia Conti tablets in two different colors are arranged in the correct order. The blister pack contains 28 tablets.
You should take one Axia Conti tablet every day, with a small amount of water if necessary. The tablets can be taken with or without food, but you should take them at the same time every day.
You should be careful not to mix up the tablets:for the first 24 days, you should take a pink active tablet, and then a white tablet for the last 4 days. Then, you should start taking the tablets from a new blister pack (24 pink active tablets and 4 white tablets) immediately. There is no break between the two packs.
Due to the differences in the composition of the tablets, you should start taking the medicine from the tablet located in the top left corner of the blister pack and take them in the order indicated by the arrows on the blister pack.
To ensure that you take the tablets correctly every day, each Axia Conti blister pack comes with 7 self-adhesive strips with the days of the week printed on them. You should choose a strip that starts with the first day of your period. For example, if your period starts on a Wednesday, you should use the strip that starts with "WED".
You should stick the strip onto the blister pack in the top left corner, where it says "Start". This way, each tablet is marked, and you can check if you have taken the correct tablets. The arrows show the order in which you should take the tablets.
During the 4 days when you take the white placebo tablets (placebo days), you should experience bleeding (so-called withdrawal bleeding). It usually starts on the 2nd or 3rd day after taking the last pink active tablet. After taking the last white placebo tablet, you should start a new blister pack, regardless of whether the bleeding has stopped. This means that you should always start a new pack of Axia Conti on the same day of the week, and the withdrawal bleeding should start on the same day of the month.
Axia Conti used in this way will also protect you against pregnancy during these 4 days when you are taking the placebo tablets.
You should start using Axia Conti on the first day of your period (i.e., the first day of menstruation). If you start using Axia Conti on the first day of your period, it will protect you against pregnancy immediately. You can also start taking Axia Conti between the 2nd and 5th day of your period. However, in this case, you should use an additional contraceptive method (e.g., condoms) for the first 7 days of tablet intake.
You can start using Axia Conti the day after taking the last active tablet (containing active substances) of your previous contraceptive or at the latest on the day following the break in taking the tablets of your previous contraceptive (or after taking the last inactive tablet of your previous contraceptive pills). When switching from a combined vaginal ring system or a transdermal patch system, you should follow your doctor's instructions.
You can switch from a progestogen-only pill (from an implant or an IUS) on any day (from an injection when the next injection is due), but in all cases, you should use additional barrier methods (e.g., condoms) for the first 7 days of tablet taking.
You should follow your doctor's instructions.
You can start using Axia Conti between the 21st and 28th day after giving birth. If you start using Axia Conti later than 28 days after giving birth, you should use a barrier method (e.g., condoms) for the first 7 days of tablet taking. If you have had sexual intercourse after giving birth before (re)starting Axia Conti, you should first make sure you are not pregnant or wait for your next period.
See section "Breast-feeding".
If you are unsure when to start using Axia Conti, you should consult your doctor.
There are no reports of serious harmful effects from taking too many Axia Conti tablets at once.
If you have taken several tablets at once, you may experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or vaginal bleeding. This type of bleeding may occur even in girls who have not yet started their periods, but have taken the medicine by mistake.
If you have taken too many Axia Conti tablets or if a child has swallowed some, you should contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
The last 4 tablets in the fourth rowof the blister pack are placebo tablets. If you miss one of these tablets, it will not affect the effectiveness of Axia Conti. You should discard any placebo tablets that you miss.
If you forget to take one of the pink active tablets (tablets 1-24 in the blister pack), you should:
The risk of reduced contraceptive protection is highest if you miss a pink active tablet at the beginning or end of the blister pack. In such a situation, you should follow the rules below (see also the diagram below):
You should contact your doctor.
You should take the missed tablet as soon as you remember, even if it means taking two tablets at once. You should then take the next tablets at the usual time and use additional barrier methods, such as condoms, for the next 7 days. If you have had sexual intercourse during the week before missing the tablet, you should be aware that there is a risk of pregnancy. In this case, you should contact your doctor.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If you experience any side effects, especially serious or persistent ones, or changes in your health that you think are related to the use of Axia Conti, consult your doctor. All women using combined hormonal contraceptives have an increased risk of developing blood clots in the veins (venous thromboembolism) or blood clots in the arteries (arterial thrombosis). For detailed information on the various risk factors associated with the use of combined hormonal contraceptives, see section 2 "Important information before taking Axia Conti". You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms of angioedema: swelling of the face, tongue, and/or throat, and/or difficulty swallowing or hives potentially with difficulty breathing (see also "Warnings and precautions"). The following side effects have been reported with the use of Axia Conti.
blood clots in the veins, nosebleeds, fainting,
The following side effects have also been reported, but their frequency cannot be determined from the available data: hypersensitivity, erythema multiforme (rash with redness in the shape of targets or ulcers).
If you experience any side effects, including any not listed in the leaflet, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist. Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Drug Adverse Reaction Monitoring, Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products, Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw, phone: +48 22 49 21 301, fax: +48 22 49 21 309, website: https://smz.ezdrowie.gov.pl. Side effects can also be reported to the marketing authorization holder.
Store below 30°C. The medicine should be stored out of sight and reach of children. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the package after "Do not use after" or "EXP". The expiry date refers to the last day of the given month. Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer needed. This will help protect the environment.
Each active pink film-coated tablet contains 0.02 milligrams of ethinylestradiol and 3 milligrams of drospirenone. The white film-coated tablet does not contain active substances.
Pink active film-coated tablets: lactose monohydrate, cornstarch, povidone K30, croscarmellose sodium, polysorbate 80, magnesium stearate, polyvinyl alcohol, titanium dioxide (E 171), macrogol 3350, talc, yellow iron oxide (E 172), red iron oxide (E 172), black iron oxide (E 172). White inactive film-coated tablets: anhydrous lactose, povidone K30, magnesium stearate, polyvinyl alcohol, titanium dioxide (E 171), macrogol 3350, talc
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Adamed Pharma S.A.
Pieńków, ul. M. Adamkiewicza 6A
05-152 Czosnów
Poland
Laboratorios Leon Farma, S.A.
C/ La Vallina, s/n, Polígono Industrial Navatejera,
24193 Villaquilambre (León),
Spain
Adamed Pharma S.A.
Pieńków, ul. M. Adamkiewicza 6A
05-152 Czosnów
Poland
Netherlands
Ethinylestradiol/Drospirenon 0.02 mg/3 mg, Focus, film-coated tablets
Poland:
Axia Conti
Romania
Xanthadu 3 mg/ 0.02 mg film-coated tablets
United Kingdom
Xanthadu 3 mg/0.02 mg, film-coated tablets
France
Phizoe0.02 mg/3 mg, film-coated tablet
Denmark
Etindros 24
Czech Republic
AXIA DAILY 0.02 mg/3 mg film-coated tablets
Slovakia
AXIA DAILY 0.02/3 mg film-coated tablets
Greece
Xanthadu 3 mg/0.02 mg
Date of last revision of the leaflet: April 2024
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