Desogestrel + Ethinylestradiol
Marvelon is a combined oral contraceptive. Each tablet contains a small dose of two different female hormones. These are desogestrel (progestogen) and ethinylestradiol (estrogen). Due to the small hormone content, Marvelon is called a low-dose contraceptive pill. Marvelon belongs to the monophasic, combined oral contraceptives, as all tablets in the package contain the same amount of hormones.
Marvelon is used to prevent pregnancy.
The method of oral contraception is a very effective method of birth control. The possibility of becoming pregnant while taking contraceptive pills (provided that the patient does not forget to take the pills) is very small.
Before starting to take Marvelon, you should read the information about blood clots in section 2. It is especially important to read about the symptoms of blood clots (see section 2 "Blood clots").
Most of the situations described in this leaflet indicate when a tablet should be discontinued or when the effectiveness of the tablet may be reduced. In these situations, you should refrain from sexual intercourse or use additional, non-hormonal contraceptive methods, such as a condom or another mechanical method. You should not use the calendar method or the temperature measurement method. These methods may be ineffective because contraceptive pills cause changes in temperature and cervical mucus that occur during the menstrual cycle.
Marvelon is prescribed by a doctor individually for each patient. Marvelon should not be given to others.
Marvelon should not be used to delay the start of bleeding.
In exceptional cases, when there is a need to delay the day of bleeding, you should consult a doctor.
Do not use Marvelon if you have any of the conditions listed below. If you have any of the conditions listed below, you should inform your doctor. The doctor will discuss with you which other contraceptive method will be more suitable.
If any of the above conditions occur for the first time while using Marvelon, the medicine should be discontinued and a doctor should be consulted, and a non-hormonal contraceptive method should be used during this time (see also section 2 "General notes").
Before starting to use Marvelon, you should discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist.
When should you contact your doctor?
You should see your doctor immediately
If these symptoms occur or worsen while using Marvelon, you should also tell your doctor.
If any of the above factors occur for the first time while taking the tablets, you should contact your doctor immediately.
The use of combined hormonal contraceptives, such as Marvelon, is associated with an increased risk of blood clots compared to not using the therapy.
Blood clots can form
Not everyone recovers fully after a blood clot. In rare cases, the effects of a blood clot can be permanent or, very rarely, fatal.
You should see 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?
If you are unsure, you should see your doctor,
as some of these symptoms, such as coughing or shortness of breath, may be mistaken for less serious conditions, such as a respiratory infection (e.g., a cold).
Pulmonary embolism
Most symptoms occur in one eye:
seizures. In some cases, stroke symptoms may be temporary with almost immediate and complete recovery, however, you should see your doctor immediately, as you may be at risk of having another stroke. | |
The risk of forming blood clots 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 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 you stop using Marvelon, the risk of blood clots returns to normal within a few weeks.
The risk depends on the natural risk of venous thromboembolism and the type of combined hormonal contraceptive used.
The overall risk of blood clots in the legs or lungs associated with Marvelon is small.
Risk of blood clots in a year | |
Women who do not use combined hormonal pills/patches/systems and are not pregnant | About 2 out of 10,000 women |
Women using combined hormonal contraceptive pills containing levonorgestrel, norethisterone, or norgestimate | About 5-7 out of 10,000 women |
Women using Marvelon | About 9-12 out of 10,000 women |
The risk of blood clots associated with Marvelon 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.
Air travel (>4 hours) may temporarily increase the risk of blood clots, especially if you have another risk factor.
It is essential to tell your doctor if any of the above factors apply to you, even if you are unsure. Your doctor may decide to stop using Marvelon.
You should inform your doctor if any of the above conditions change while using Marvelon, e.g., if you start smoking, if someone in your immediate 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 have serious consequences, such as a heart attack or stroke.
It is essential to note that the risk of heart attack or stroke associated with Marvelon is very small, but it may increase:
You should inform your doctor if any of the above conditions change while using Marvelon, e.g., if you start smoking, if someone in your immediate family is diagnosed with a blood clot without a known cause, or if you gain significant weight.
Women using contraceptive pills have a slightly higher incidence of breast cancer than women of the same age who do not use them. This small increase in breast cancer incidence gradually disappears during the 10 years after stopping the use of contraceptive pills. It is not known whether this difference is caused by the use of contraceptive pills. It may be related to the fact that women using contraceptive pills are more frequently examined by doctors and breast cancer is diagnosed earlier in them.
In very rare cases, women using contraceptive pills have been diagnosed with benign liver tumors, and even more rarely, malignant tumors. These tumors can cause bleeding into the abdominal cavity. If you experience severe abdominal pain, you should see your doctor immediately.
Chronic infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most significant risk factor for cervical cancer. It is thought that cervical cancer may occur slightly more often in women who have used contraceptive pills for an extended period. This may not be caused by contraceptive pills. It is likely related to sexual behavior or other factors.
Some women using hormonal contraceptives, including Marvelon, have reported depression or low mood. Depression can be severe and sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts. If mood changes or symptoms of depression occur, you should see your doctor as soon as possible for further medical advice.
You should always tell your doctor about the medicines or herbal products you are currently using. You should also inform your doctor or another doctor prescribing other medicines (or pharmacist) about the use of Marvelon. They may inform you about the need to use an additional contraceptive method (e.g., condoms) and if so, for how long, as well as whether it is necessary to modify the use of another medicine.
Some medicines
This applies to medicines used to treat:
If you are taking medicines or herbal products that may reduce the effectiveness of Marvelon, you should use additional mechanical contraception. Due to the fact that the effect of another medicine on Marvelon may persist for up to 28 days after stopping the medicine, it is necessary to use additional mechanical contraception during this time.
Marvelon may affect the actionof other medicines, such as, for example
If you have a hepatitis C virus infection and are taking medicines containing ombitasvir, paritaprevir, ritonavir, and dasabuvir, or glecaprevir and pibrentasvir, you should not use Marvelon, as it may cause an increase in liver function test results in the blood (increased activity of the liver enzyme ALT).
Before starting these medicines, your doctor will prescribe a different type of contraceptive.
You can resume using Marvelon about 2 weeks after completing this treatment. See section "When not to use Marvelon".
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to have a child, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.
Marvelon is contraindicated in pregnancy.
If you suspect you are pregnant while using Marvelon, you should see your doctor immediately.
Marvelon is not recommended during breastfeeding.
If you want to use Marvelon during breastfeeding, you should consult your doctor.
Using Marvelon does not affect the ability to drive or use machines.
If you have been diagnosed with an intolerance to some sugars, you should consult your doctor before taking the medicine.
There are no available clinical data on the efficacy and safety of using Marvelon in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.
Regular check-ups
Women using contraceptive pills should be informed by their doctor about the need for regular medical check-ups. These check-ups are usually performed once a year.
You should see your doctor immediately in the following cases:
This medicine should always be used as directed by your doctor. If you are unsure, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist.
The package of Marvelon contains 21 tablets. Each tablet has a symbol of the day of the week on which it should be taken. The tablets should be taken at the same time every day, if necessary, with a glass of water. You should continue taking the tablets for 21 days, following the direction of the arrows. Then, you should wait 7 days without taking tablets, during which time menstrual bleeding (withdrawal bleeding) should occur. This usually occurs 2-3 days after taking the last tablet of Marvelon. You should take the first tablet of the next package on the 8th day, even if the bleeding is still present. This means that you will always start a new package on the same day of the week and that the withdrawal bleeding will occur at approximately the same time every month.
There are no available clinical data on the efficacy and safety of using Marvelon in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.
You should start taking the first tablet of Marvelon on the first day of your menstrual cycle, i.e., the first day of menstruation. There is no need to use additional contraceptive methods.
You can also start taking the tablets between the 2nd and 5th day of your menstrual cycle, but in this case, you should use an additional contraceptive method (e.g., a condom) for the first 7 days of taking the tablets in the first cycle.
You can start taking Marvelon the day after taking the last active tablet of your previous contraceptive (without a break). If your current contraceptive has placebo tablets, you can start taking Marvelon the day after taking the last active tablet (if you are unsure which tablet is the last active one, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist). You can also start taking Marvelon later, but no later than the day after the planned break from your current contraceptive (or the day after the last placebo tablet of your current contraceptive).
In the case of a vaginal ring or patch, you should start taking Marvelon on the day the ring or patch is removed, but no later than the day a new ring or patch would be applied.
If you have been using a progestogen-only injection, implant, or intrauterine system, you should start taking Marvelon on the day the next injection would be due or on the day the implant or intrauterine system is removed. You should also use an additional contraceptive method (e.g., a condom) for the first 7 days of taking the tablets, if you are having sexual intercourse.
After giving birth, your doctor may advise you to wait until your first menstrual period before starting to take the tablets. Your doctor may also advise you to start taking the tablets earlier. If you are breastfeeding, you should discuss the use of hormonal contraception with your doctor.
According to your doctor's instructions.
No serious harmful effects have been observed after an overdose of Marvelon. After taking several tablets at once, you may experience nausea, vomiting, or vaginal bleeding.
If a child has taken Marvelon, you should consult a doctor.
You should consult your doctor.
You should take the missed tablet as soon as possible (even if it means taking two tablets at once), and continue taking the tablets as usual. For the next 7 days, you should use an additional contraceptive method (e.g., a condom). There is a risk of pregnancy if you have had sexual intercourse in the week before missing the tablet. You should consult your doctor.
You should take the missed tablet as soon as possible (even if it means taking two tablets at once), and continue taking the tablets as usual. The effectiveness of the tablet is maintained, and there is no need to use additional contraceptive methods. If the above condition is not met or if you have missed more than one tablet, you should use an additional contraceptive method for the next 7 days.
You can stop taking Marvelon at any time. If you do not plan to become pregnant, you should ask your doctor for another contraceptive method.
In case of planning a pregnancy, it is usually recommended to wait until the first natural menstruation after stopping the tablets, which will facilitate determining the expected date of delivery.
In case of any further doubts regarding the use of this drug, you should consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, Marvelon 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 may be related to the use of Marvelon, you should consult a doctor.
All women using combined hormonal contraceptives have an increased risk of blood clots in veins (venous thromboembolism) or blood clots in arteries (arterial thrombosis). To get detailed information about the various risk factors associated with the use of combined hormonal contraceptives, you should read section 2 "Important information before using Marvelon".
You should immediately consult a doctor if you experience symptoms of angioedema, such as swelling of the face, tongue, and/or throat, and/or difficulty swallowing or urticaria potentially with dyspnea (see also section 2 "Important information before using Marvelon").
Common(occurring more frequently than in 1 in 100 women, but less frequently than in 1 in 10 women):
Uncommon(occurring more frequently than in 1 in 1000 women, but less frequently than in 1 in 100 women):
Rare(occurring more frequently than in 1 in 10,000 women, but less frequently than in 1 in 1000 women):
If you experience any side effects, including any side effects not listed in the leaflet, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist. Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Monitoring of Adverse Reactions to Medicinal Products of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products: Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw, Tel.: +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.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
The medicine should be stored out of sight and reach of children.
Do not use the medicine after the expiry date stated on the package. The expiry date refers to the last day of the specified month.
Do not store above 30°C. Do not freeze.
Store in the original package to protect from light and moisture.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. You should ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer needed. This will help protect the environment.
Do not use this medicine if you notice changes in the color of the tablets, crumbling of the tablets, or other visible signs of tablet degradation.
The active substances of the medicine are desogestrel at a dose of 0.15 mg and ethinylestradiol at a dose of 0.03 mg.
The other ingredients are: colloidal anhydrous silica, lactose monohydrate, potato starch, povidone, stearic acid, α-tocopherol.
The tablets are round, biconvex, 6 mm in diameter, marked with code 5 below TR on one side, and Organon* on the other.
21 tablets - 1 blister of 21 tablets.
63 tablets - 3 blisters of 21 tablets.
PVC/Al blister in a sachet, in a cardboard box.
Organon Polska Sp. z o.o.
ul. Marszałkowska 126/134
00-008 Warsaw
Tel.: +48 22 105 50 01
organonpolska@organon.com
N.V. Organon, Kloosterstraat 6, 5349 AB Oss, Netherlands
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