Estradiol valerate + Dienogest
Before starting to take Elliade, the information about blood clots in section 2 should be read. It is especially important to read about the symptoms of blood clots.
Before starting to take Elliade, the doctor will ask a few questions about the patient's health and the health of their close relatives. The doctor will also measure blood pressure and, depending on the patient's condition, may perform other tests.
This leaflet describes several situations in which the use of Elliade should be stopped or in which the reliability of the medicine may be reduced. In such situations, the patient should refrain from sexual intercourse or use additional, non-hormonal contraceptive measures, such as condoms or other mechanical methods. The calendar method or temperature measurement method should not be used. These methods may be unreliable because Elliade modifies the monthly changes in body temperature and cervical mucus.
Elliade should not be taken if the patient has any of the conditions listed below. If the patient has any of the conditions listed below, they should inform their doctor. The doctor will discuss with the patient which other contraceptive measure will be more suitable.
Do not take Elliade:
When to contact a doctor
The doctor should be contacted immediately
In order to get a description of the serious side effects listed, see "How to recognize the formation of blood clots".
In certain situations, special care should be taken when taking Elliade or any other combined contraceptive pill; regular medical check-ups may also be necessary. If these symptoms occur or worsen while taking Elliade, the doctor should also be told if:
The doctor should be consulted before taking Elliade.
Additional information for special patient groups
Use in children
Elliade is not intended for use in girls before their first menstrual period.
The use of combined hormonal contraceptives, such as Elliade, is associated with an increased risk of blood clots compared to not using the medicine. In rare cases, a blood clot can block a blood vessel and cause serious complications.
Blood clots can form:
Not everyone who has a blood clot will fully recover. In rare cases, the effects of a blood clot can be permanent or, very rarely, fatal.
The doctor should be contacted immediately if any of the following symptoms are noticed.
Why is the patient likely to be sick?
If the patient is unsure, they should contact their doctor, as some of these symptoms, such as coughing or shortness of breath, may be mistaken for milder conditions, such as a respiratory infection (e.g., a cold).
Symptoms usually occur in one eye:
| Heart attack |
| Stroke |
| Blood clots blocking other blood vessels |
The risk of blood clots in veins 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 a 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 the patient stops taking Elliade, the risk of blood clots returns to normal within a few weeks.
The risk of blood clots associated with taking Elliade 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.
Traveling by air (>4 hours) may temporarily increase the risk of blood clots, especially if the patient has another risk factor.
The doctor should be told if any of these risk factors are present, even if the patient is unsure. The doctor may decide to stop the patient from taking Elliade.
The doctor should be told if any of the above conditions change while taking Elliade, for example, if someone in the patient's close family is diagnosed with a blood clot without a known cause, or if the patient gains significant weight.
Similarly to blood clots in veins, blood clots in arteries can cause serious consequences, such as a heart attack or stroke.
It should be emphasized that the risk of heart attack or stroke associated with taking Elliade is very small, but it may increase:
If the patient has more than one of the above conditions or if any of them are severe, the risk of blood clots may be even higher.
The doctor should be told if any of the above conditions change while taking Elliade, for example, if the patient starts smoking, someone in their close family is diagnosed with a blood clot without a known cause, or if the patient gains significant weight.
Women taking combined contraceptives have a slightly higher incidence of breast cancer, but it is not known if this is caused by the pill. For example, the higher detection of tumors in women taking combined contraceptives may be due to the fact that these women are more frequently examined by doctors. The risk of breast cancer decreases gradually after stopping combined hormonal contraceptives. It is essential to regularly examine the breasts and consult a doctor if any lump is felt.
Women taking contraceptive pills have been reported to have: rarely - benign liver tumors, and even more rarely - malignant liver tumors. In individual cases, these tumors have led to life-threatening internal bleeding. If a patient experiences unusual, severe abdominal pain, they should consult a doctor.
Some studies suggest that long-term use of contraceptive pills increases the risk of cervical cancer. However, it is not clear to what extent sexual behavior or other factors, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), increase this risk.
Some women taking hormonal contraceptives, including those containing estradiol valerate and dienogest, have reported depression or low mood. Depression can be severe and sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts. If mood changes and symptoms of depression occur, the patient should consult their doctor as soon as possible for further medical advice.
During the first few months of taking Elliade, unexpected bleeding may occur. Usually, bleeding starts on the 26th day, i.e., on the day of taking the second brown tablet, or within a few subsequent days. According to the diaries kept by women participating in the clinical trial of the medicine containing estradiol valerate and dienogest, such bleeding occurred frequently (reported by 10-18% of women). If unexpected bleeding occurs for longer than 3 months in a row or starts after several months, the doctor should determine the cause.
According to the diaries kept by women participating in the clinical trial of the medicine containing estradiol valerate and dienogest, bleeding did not occur on the 26th day in many cases (found in 15% of cycles).
If all tablets were taken correctly, there was no vomiting or severe diarrhea, and no other medicines were taken, the likelihood of pregnancy is low.
If the expected bleeding does not occur twice in a row or if the tablets were not taken correctly, it may indicate pregnancy. The doctor should be contacted immediately.
The next pack should not be started until it is certain that the patient is not pregnant.
The doctor prescribing Elliade should always be told what medicines or herbal products the patient is already taking. Similarly, any other doctor, including a dentist prescribing another medicine, or a pharmacist dispensing a medicine, should be told that the patient is taking Elliade. They will provide information on whether additional contraceptive measures are needed (e.g., condoms) and, if so, for how long.
Some medicines may:
This applies to medicines:
It is not known whether increased liver enzyme activity ALT can occur when taking Elliade with such a treatment regimen;
Elliade may affect the actionof other medicines, such as:
Before taking any medicine, the patient should consult their doctor or pharmacist. The doctor or pharmacist will provide information on whether additional contraceptive measures are needed (e.g., condoms) and, if so, for how long.
Elliade can be taken with or without food.
If blood tests or other lab tests need to be performed, the doctor or lab staff should be told that the patient is taking Elliade, as oral contraceptives may affect the results of some tests.
Pregnant women should not take Elliade. If the patient becomes pregnant while taking Elliade, they should stop taking it immediately and consult their doctor. If the patient wants to become pregnant, they can stop taking Elliade at any time (see also "Stopping Elliade").
It is generally not recommended to take Elliade while breastfeeding. If the patient wants to take Elliade while breastfeeding, they should consult their doctor.
Before taking any medicine, the patient should consult their doctor or pharmacist if they are pregnant or breastfeeding.
There is no information suggesting that taking Elliade affects the ability to drive or operate machinery.
If the patient has been diagnosed with intolerance to some sugars, they should consult their doctor before taking Elliade.
Each blister pack contains 26 colored tablets containing active substances and 2 white placebo tablets.
One Elliade tablet should be taken every day. The tablets can be taken with or without food, but they should be taken at approximately the same time every day.
To make it easier to follow, the tablets are marked with a number and an arrow indicating the order of taking. Start with tablet 1 and follow the direction of the arrow on the blister pack until all 28 tablets have been taken.
Usually, the so-called withdrawal bleeding starts when taking the second brown or white tablet and may not end before starting the next blister pack.
In some women, bleeding may still occur when starting a new blister pack.
Start the next blister pack without interruption, i.e., the next day after finishing the current pack, even if bleeding has not stopped.
If Elliade is taken in the above manner, protection against pregnancy is maintained during the 2 days when taking the placebo tablets.
There are no reports of serious harmful effects from taking too many Elliade tablets at once.
If several active tablets are taken at the same time, nausea or vomiting may occur. Young girls may experience vaginal bleeding.
If too many Elliade tablets are taken or if it is noticed that a child has swallowed them, the patient should contact their doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Placebo tablets:If the patient forgets to take a white tablet (2 tablets at the end of the blister pack), they do not need to take it later, as these tablets do not contain any active substances. However, it is essential to discard the missed white tablet (missed white tablets) to avoid accidentally increasing the number of days when taking placebo tablets, which could increase the risk of pregnancy. The next tablet should be taken at the usual time.
Active tablets:Depending on the day of the cycle when an active tablet is missed, additional contraceptive measures may be necessary, such as a mechanical method (e.g., condoms).
The tablets should be taken according to the following rules. See also the detailed information presented in the "Procedure in case of a missed tablet" section.
If the patient forgets to start taking tablets from a new pack, or if they forget to take one or more tablets between days 3 and 9of the pack, there is a risk that they may be pregnant (if they had sexual intercourse during the 7 days before missing the tablet). In this case, the patient should contact their doctor. The more tablets that are missed (especially between days 3 and 24), and the closer it is to the phase of taking placebo tablets, the higher the risk of reduced protection against pregnancy. See also the detailed information presented in the "Procedure in case of a missed tablet" section.
If a tablet is missed while taking active tablets and bleeding does not occur during the placebo tablet phase, it may indicate that the patient is pregnant. In this case, the patient should contact their doctor before starting the next pack.
If vomiting occurs within 3 to 4 hours of taking an active tablet or if severe diarrhea occurs, there is a risk that the active substances from the tablet may not have been fully absorbed into the body.
This situation is very similar to missing a tablet. After vomiting or diarrhea, the patient should take another tablet as soon as possible. The patient should try to take it within 12 hours of the usual time of taking the tablet. If this is not possible, or if more than 12 hours have passed, the patient should follow the rules outlined in the "What to do if a dose of Elliade is missed" section.
Taking Elliade can be stopped at any time. If the patient does not want to become pregnant, they should consult their doctor about other effective contraceptive methods. If the patient wants to become pregnant, they can stop taking Elliade and wait for their menstrual period before trying to conceive. This way, it will be easier to calculate the expected time of delivery.
In case of doubts about taking Elliade, the patient should consult their doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, Elliade can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If any side effects occur, especially severe or persistent ones, or changes in health that the patient thinks are related to taking Elliade, they should consult their doctor.
All women taking combined hormonal contraceptives are at increased risk of blood clots in the veins (venous thromboembolism) or blood clots in the arteries (arterial thromboembolism). For detailed information on the various risk factors associated with taking combined hormonal contraceptives, see section 2 "Important information before taking Elliade".
Severe reactions related to taking the tablets, as well as related symptoms, are described in the following sections: "Blood clots" and "Elliade and cancer". These sections should be read carefully, and if necessary, the doctor should be consulted.
The drug should be stored out of sight and out of reach of children.
There are no special recommendations for storing the drug.
Do not use this drug after the expiration date stated on the packaging and on the blister after EXP. The expiration date means the last day of the given month.
The entry on the packaging after the abbreviation EXP means the expiration date, and after the abbreviation Lot means the batch number.
Drugs should not be thrown into the sewage system or household waste containers. You should ask your pharmacist how to dispose of unused drugs. This will help protect the environment.
The active substances of the drug are estradiol valerate or estradiol valerate in combination with dienogest.
Each blister (28 film-coated tablets) of the drug Elliade contains 26 tablets with active substances in 4 different colors in rows 1, 2, 3, and 4, and 2 white tablets without active substances (placebo) in row 4.
The composition of the colored tablets containing one or two active substances:
2 dark yellow tablets, each containing 3 mg of estradiol valerate.
5 pink tablets, each containing 2 mg of estradiol valerate and 2 mg of dienogest.
17 light yellow tablets, each containing 2 mg of estradiol valerate and 3 mg of dienogest.
2 brown tablets, each containing 1 mg of estradiol valerate.
The composition of the white tablets without active substances (placebo):
These tablets do not contain any active substances.
Other ingredients of the colored tablets with active substances are:
Tablet core: lactose monohydrate; corn starch; pregelatinized corn starch; povidone K25; colloidal silica anhydrous; magnesium stearate.
Tablet coating: hypromellose; macrogol 6000; iron oxide red (E172); titanium dioxide (E171); talc; iron oxide yellow (E172).
Other ingredients of the white tablets without active substances are:
Tablet core: lactose monohydrate; microcrystalline cellulose; magnesium stearate.
Tablet coating: partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol; titanium dioxide (E171); macrogol 3350; talc.
The tablets of the drug Elliade are film-coated; the tablet core is coated with a coating.
Each blister (28 film-coated tablets) contains 2 dark yellow tablets in row 1, 5 pink tablets in row 1, 17 light yellow tablets in rows 2, 3, and 4, 2 brown tablets in row 4, and 2 white tablets in row 4.
The dark yellow tablet with active substance is a round, biconvex, film-coated tablet marked with "L" on one side.
The pink tablet with active substances is a round, biconvex, film-coated tablet marked with "L" on one side.
The light yellow tablet with active substances is a round, biconvex, film-coated tablet marked with "L" on one side.
The brown tablet with active substance is a round, biconvex, film-coated tablet marked with "L" on one side.
The white tablet without active substances is a round, biconvex, film-coated tablet marked with "PL" on one side.
The drug Elliade is available in packages of 1, 3, or 6 blisters, each containing 28 tablets.
Not all package sizes may be on the market.
Polpharma S.A.
Pelplińska 19
83-200 Starogard Gdański
Phone: +48 22 364 61 01
Cyndea Pharma, S.L.
Polígono Industrial Emiliano
Revilla Sanz
Avenida Agreda 31
42110 Ólvega, Soria
Spain
Poland: Elliade
Sweden: Qleyla
Date of last revision of the leaflet:March 2025
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