Package Leaflet: Information for the User
Drelle0.02 mg/3 mg Film-Coated Tablets
Ethinylestradiol/Drospirenone
Read this package leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Important things you should know about combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs):
General Considerations Before starting Drelle, read the information about blood clots in section 2. It is particularly important that you read the symptoms of a blood clot (see section 2 “Blood Clots”). Before you can start taking Drelle, your doctor will ask you some questions about your personal and family medical history. The doctor will also measure your blood pressure and, depending on your health status, perform other tests. In this prospectus, several situations are described in which you should interrupt taking Drelle or in which the effect of Drelle may decrease. In these situations, you should not have sexual intercourse or take additional non-hormonal contraceptive precautions, such as the use of a condom or other barrier method. Do not use the rhythm or basal body temperature method. These methods may not be reliable because Drelle alters the monthly changes in body temperature and cervical mucus. Drelle, like other hormonal contraceptives, does not protect against HIV (AIDS) or any other sexually transmitted disease. |
Do not take Drelle
Do not take Drelle if you have any of the conditions listed below. Inform your doctor if you have any of the conditions listed below. Your doctor will discuss with you what other form of contraception would be more suitable.
Do not take Drelle if you have hepatitis C and are taking medications that contain ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (see also the section “Other medications and Drelle”).
Warnings and Precautions
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting Drelle.
When to consult a doctor? Seek immediate medical attention
For a description of the symptoms of these serious side effects, see “How to recognize a blood clot”. |
Inform your doctor if you suffer from any of the following conditions
In some situations, you should be particularly careful while using Drelle or any other combined hormonal contraceptive, and your doctor may need to perform regular check-ups. If you develop any of the following situations, inform your doctor before taking Drelle. If the condition develops or worsens while you are using Drelle, also inform your doctor.
BLOOD CLOTS
The use of a combined hormonal contraceptive like Drelle increases the risk of suffering ablood clotcompared to not using it. In rare cases, a blood clot can block blood vessels and cause serious problems.
Blood clots can form:
The recovery of blood clots is not always complete. In rare cases, there may be long-lasting or very rarely fatal effects.
It is essential to remember that the overall risk of a harmful blood clot due to Drelle is small.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE A BLOOD CLOT
Seek immediate medical attentionif you notice any of the following signs or symptoms.
Do you experience any of these signs? | What could you be suffering from? |
| Deep vein thrombosis |
If you are unsure, consult a doctor, as some of these symptoms, such as coughing or shortness of breath, can be confused with a milder condition like a common cold. | Pulmonary embolism |
Symptoms that occur more frequently in one eye:
| Retinal vein thrombosis (blood clot in the eye). |
| Heart attack. |
Sometimes, the symptoms of a stroke may be brief, with almost immediate and complete recovery, but you should still seek medical attention as you may be at risk of another stroke. | Stroke |
| Blood clots that block other blood vessels. |
BLOOD CLOTS IN A VEIN
What can happen if a blood clot forms in a vein?
When is the risk of a blood clot in a vein higher?
The risk of a blood clot in a vein is higher during the first year in which you take a combined hormonal contraceptive for the first time. The risk may be higher if you restart taking a combined hormonal contraceptive (the same medication or a different medication) after a break of 4 weeks or more.
After the first year, the risk decreases, but it is always slightly higher than if you were not taking a combined hormonal contraceptive.
When you stop taking Drelle, the risk of a blood clot in a vein returns to normal in a few weeks.
What is the risk of a blood clot in a vein?
The risk depends on your natural risk of VTE and the type of combined hormonal contraceptive you are taking.
The overall risk of a blood clot in the leg or lung (DVT or PE) with Drelle is small.
Risk of developing a blood clot in a year | |
Women whodo not usea combined hormonal contraceptive and who are not pregnant | About 2 of every 10,000 women |
Women who use a combined hormonal contraceptive containinglevonorgestrel, noretisterone, or norgestimato | About 5‑7 of every 10,000 women |
Women who use Drelle | About 9‑12 of every 10,000 women |
Factors that increase the risk of a blood clot in a vein
The risk of having a blood clot with Drelle is small, but some conditions increase the risk. Your risk is higher:
The risk of a blood clot in a vein increases the more conditions you have.
Long flights (more than 4 hours) may temporarily increase the risk of a blood clot, especially if you have any of the other risk factors listed.
It is essential to inform your doctor if you suffer from any of the conditions above, even if you are unsure. Your doctor may decide that you need to interrupt the use of Drelle.
If any of the conditions above change while you are using Drelle, for example, a close relative experiences a blood clot without a known cause or you gain a lot of weight, inform your doctor.
BLOOD CLOTS IN AN ARTERY
What can happen if a blood clot forms in an artery?
Like a blood clot in a vein, a blood clot in an artery can cause serious problems. For example, it can cause a heart attack or a stroke.
Factors that increase the risk of a blood clot in an artery
It is essential to note that the risk of a heart attack or stroke due to Drelle is very small, but it may increase:
If you have more than one of these conditions or if any of them are particularly severe, the risk of a blood clot in an artery may be increased even further.
If any of the conditions above change while you are using Drelle, for example, you start smoking, a close relative experiences a blood clot without a known cause, or you gain a lot of weight, inform your doctor.
Drelle and cancer
In women who use combined contraceptives, a slightly higher incidence of breast cancer has been observed, but it is not known whether this is due to the treatment. For example, tumors may be more likely to be detected in women taking combined contraceptives because they are examined by their doctor more frequently. The incidence of breast tumors decreases gradually after stopping combined hormonal contraceptives. It is essential to undergo regular breast examinations and to consult your doctor if you notice any lump.
In rare cases, benign tumors in the liver and, even more rarely, malignant tumors have been reported in users of contraceptives. Consult your doctor if you experience severe abdominal pain.
Mental health disorders:
Some women who use hormonal contraceptives like Drelle have reported depression or a depressed mood. Depression can be severe and sometimes may induce suicidal thoughts. If you experience mood changes and depressive symptoms, consult your doctor for additional medical advice as soon as possible.
Spotting between periods
During the first few months of taking Drelle, you may experience unexpected bleeding (bleeding outside of the days of use of the placebo pills). If this bleeding persists beyond a few months or starts after a few months, your doctor should investigate the cause.
What to do if you do not have your period during the placebo days
If you have taken all the active pink pills correctly, have not had intense vomiting or diarrhea, and have not taken other medications, it is very unlikely that you are pregnant.
If your expected period does not come in two consecutive instances, you may be pregnant. Consult your doctor immediately. Start with the next pack only if you are sure you are not pregnant.
Other medications and Drelle
Inform your doctor who prescribed Drelle at all times about any medications or herbal preparations you are taking. Also, inform any other doctor or dentist who prescribes another medication (or your pharmacist) that you are taking Drelle. They may advise you to take additional contraceptive precautions (e.g., condoms) and, if so, for how long, or to modify the use of another medication that you need. |
Some medications may have a certain influence on Drelle and make itless effective for preventing pregnancy,or may cause unexpected bleeding. Among them are:
Do not use Drelle if you have hepatitis C and are taking medications that contain ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir, as these medications may cause increases in liver function parameters in the blood (elevated liver enzyme ALT).
Your doctor will prescribe another type of contraceptive before starting treatment with these medications.
Drelle can be restarted approximately 2 weeks after completing this treatment. See the section “Do not take Drelle”.
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before using any medication.
Taking Drelle with food and drinks
Drelle can be taken with or without food and with a little water if necessary.
Laboratory tests
If you need a blood test, inform your doctor or the laboratory staff that you are taking a contraceptive, as contraceptives can affect the results of some tests.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication.
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, do not take Drelle. If you become pregnant during treatment with Drelle, stop treatment immediately and contact your doctor. If you want to become pregnant, you can stop taking Drelle at any time (see “If you want to stop taking Drelle”).
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before using any medication.
Breastfeeding
Generally, it is not recommended to take Drelle during breastfeeding. If you want to take the contraceptive while breastfeeding, consult your doctor.
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before using any medication.
Driving and operating machinery
There is no information to suggest that the use of Drelle has any effect on your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Drelle contains lactose.
This medication contains lactose. If your doctor has told you that you have a certain sugar intolerance, consult them before taking the medication.
Each blister contains 24 active pink tablets and 4 white placebo tablets.
The Drelle tablets of different colors are ordered. A blister contains 28 tablets.
Take one Drelle tablet every day, with some water if necessary. You can take the tablets with or without food, but you must take the tablets every day approximately at the same time.
Do not confuse the tablets:take a pink tablet for the first 24 days and then a white tablet for the last 4 days. After that, you must start another blister immediately (24 pink tablets and then 4 white tablets). Therefore, there is no interval between two blisters.
Since the composition of the tablets is different, you have to start the blister with the tablet from the top left corner and take the tablets every day. Follow the direction of the arrows on the blister to take the tablets in the correct order.
Preparation of the blister
To help you follow the order of taking, each Drelle package contains 7 adhesive strips with the 7 days of the week. Choose the strip of the week that starts with the day you take the first tablet. For example, if you take your first tablet on a Wednesday, use the strip that starts with “WED”.
Stick the adhesive strip of the week on the top of the Drelle blister, where it is indicated “Stick the adhesive strip here!”, so that the first day is placed above the tablet marked with “1”. Now you will have a day marked above each tablet and you will be able to check visually if you have taken your tablet. The arrows indicate the order of taking the tablets.
Along the 4 days when you take the placebo tablets (the placebo days), you should have menstruation (the so-called withdrawal bleeding). Usually it starts on the 2nd or 3rd day after taking the last active pink tablet of Drelle. After taking the last white tablet, start the next blister, even if menstruation has not finished. This means that you must start the next blisteron the same day of the weekthat you started the previous one and that menstruation by withdrawal should take place during the same days every month.
Since the composition of the tablets is different, you have to start the blister with the tablet from the top left corner and take the tablets every day. Follow the direction of the arrows on the blister to take the tablets in the correct order.
If you take Drelle in this way, you will also be protected against pregnancy during the 4 days when you take the placebo tablet.
When can you start with the first blister?
Start taking Drelle on the first day of your cycle (i.e., the first day of your menstruation). If you start Drelle on the first day of your menstruation, you will be protected immediately against pregnancy. You can also start between days 2-5 of your cycle, but you must use additional contraceptive methods (e.g., a condom) during the first 7 days.
You can start taking Drelle preferably on the day after taking the last active tablet (the last tablet that contains active ingredients) of your previous contraceptive, but no later than the day after the days without tablets (or after the last inactive tablet of your previous contraceptive). When changing from a vaginal combined contraceptive ring or patch, follow your doctor's recommendations.
You can change from the only progestagen pill on any day (if it is an implant or an IUD, on the same day of its removal; if it is an injectable, on the day of the next injection), but in all cases, it is recommended that you use additional contraceptive methods (e.g., a condom) during the first 7 days of taking tablets.
Follow your doctor's recommendations.
After having a child, you can start taking Drelle between 21 and 28 days. If you start later, you must use one of the so-called barrier methods (e.g., a condom) during the first 7 days of using Drelle.
If, after having a child, you have already had sexual intercourse before starting to take Drelle (again), you must be sure that you are not pregnant or wait for your next menstrual period.
Read the section “Breastfeeding”.
Consult your doctor if you have any doubts about when to start.
If you take more Drelle than you should
No serious cases of overdose of Drelle have been reported.
The symptoms that may appear if you take many tablets at once are nausea and vomiting. Adolescent girls may experience vaginal bleeding.
If you have taken more Drelle tablets than you should, or if you discover that a child has taken them, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or go to the nearest hospital immediately or call the Toxicological Information Service 91 562 04 20 indicating the medication and the amount used.
If you forgot to take Drelle
The last 4 tablets of the4th rowof the blister are placebo tablets. If you forgot to take one of these tablets, the contraceptive effect of Drelle will not be lost. You must discard the forgotten placebo tablet.
If you forgot to take an active pink tablet (tablets 1-24 of the blister), follow these steps:
The risk of incomplete protection against pregnancy is maximum if you forget to take the tablet at the beginning of the package. Therefore, you should take the following measures (see also the diagram below):
Consult your doctor.
Take the forgotten tablet as soon as you remember, although this means that you will have to take two tablets at once. Continue taking the subsequent tablets at the usual time and useadditional precautions, for example, a condom, during the next 7 days. If you have had sexual intercourse in the week before forgetting the tablet, you must know that there is a risk of pregnancy. In that case, consult your doctor.
Take the forgotten tablet as soon as you remember, although this means that you will have to take two tablets at once. Continue taking the subsequent tablets at the usual time. The contraceptive protection will not be reduced and you do not need to take additional precautions.
You can choose between two options:
Probably, you will have menstruation at the end of the second blister, during the taking of the white placebo tablets, although you may experience spotting or bleeding during the taking of the second blister.
If you follow one of these two recommendations, you will remain protected against pregnancy.
If you forgot to take a tablet from a blister and you do not have menstruation during the placebo days, this may mean that you are pregnant. In this case, you must go to your doctor before continuing with the next blister.
What should you do in case of vomiting or intense diarrhea?
If you have vomiting in the 3-4 hours after taking a tablet or experience intense diarrhea, there is a risk that the active ingredients will not be fully absorbed by the body. This is similar to what happens when you forget a tablet. After vomiting or diarrhea, you must take a tablet from a spare package as soon as possible. If possible, take it before 24 hourshave passed since the usual time you take your contraceptive. If it is not possible or more than 24 hours have passed, follow the advice in the section “If you forgot to take Drelle”.
Delay of menstrual period: what should you know?
Although it is not recommended, it is possible to delay your menstrual period if you do not take the white placebo tablets from the 4th row and start taking the tablets from a new blister of Drelle until the end of this new blister. You may experience spotting (drops or spots of blood) or bleeding during the use of the second blister. Finish this second blister by taking the 4 white placebo tablets from the 4th row. Then start the next blister.
Before deciding to delay your menstrual period, ask your doctor.
Change of the first day of your menstrual period: what should you know?
If you take the tablets according to the instructions, your menstrual period will startduring the placebo days. If you have to change that day, you can do it by reducing thedays of placebothe days you take the white placebo tablets (but never extending – 4 days is the maximum!). For example, if you start the placebo days on a Friday and want to change it to a Tuesday (3 days earlier), you must start a new blister 3 days earlier than usual. It is possible that you will not have bleeding during these days. Then you may experience spotting or bleeding.
If you are not sure how to proceed, consult your doctor.
If you interrupt the treatment with Drelle
You can stop taking Drelle when you want. If you do not want to become pregnant, consult your doctor about other effective methods of birth control. If you want to become pregnant, it is recommended that you stop taking Drelle and wait until your menstrual period before trying to become pregnant. This way, you will be able to calculate your estimated date of delivery more easily.
If you have any other doubts about the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them. If you experience any side effect, especially if it is severe and persistent, or if you have any health changes that you think may be due to Drelle, consult your doctor.
All women taking combined hormonal contraceptives are at a higher risk of developing blood clots in the veins (venous thromboembolism (VTE)) or blood clots in the arteries (arterial thromboembolism (ATE)). For more detailed information on the different risks of taking combined hormonal contraceptives, see section 2 “What you need to know before starting to take Drelle”.
Severe side effects
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following angioedema symptoms: swelling of the face, tongue, and/or throat and/or difficulty swallowing or potentially difficulty breathing (also see section “Warnings and precautions”).
The following side effects are related to the use of Drelle:
The risk of having a blood clot may be higher if you have any other condition that increases this risk (see section 2 for more information on conditions that increase the risk of blood clots and their symptoms).
Reporting side effects:
If you experience any type of side effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible side effect that does not appear in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the Spanish System for the Pharmacovigilance of Medicinal Products for Human Use: http;//www.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine
Keep this medication out of the sight and reach of children.
Expiration Date
Do not use this medication after the expiration date that appears on the packaging and blister after “CAD/EXP”. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
No special storage conditions are required.
Medications should not be disposed of through drains or trash. Dispose of packaging and unused medications at the SIGRE collection point at the pharmacy. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of unused packaging and medications. By doing so, you will help protect the environment.
-The active principles are etinilestradiol and drospirenona.
Cada comprimido de color rosa contienen:0,02mg of etinilestradiol and 3 mg of drospirenona.
The white tablets do not contain active principle.
-The other components are:
Active pink tablets:
Core: lactose monohydrate, pregelatinized cornstarch, povidone (E-1201), croscarmelosa sodium, polisorbate 80, magnesium stearate (E-572).
Coating: 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 placebo tablets:
Core: anhydrous lactose, povidone (E1201), magnesium stearate (E572).
Coating: polyvinyl alcohol, titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 3350, talc.
Appearance of the product and contents of the package
Cada blíster of Drelle contains 24 active tablets coated with a pink film in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th row of the blíster and 4 placebo tablets coated with a white film in the 4th row.
The Drelle tablets, both pink and white, are coated tablets, the core of the tablet is coated.
Drelle is available in packages of 1, 3, 6, and 13 blisters, each with 28 (24+4) tablets.
Only some package sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorization holder and responsible manufacturer
Marketing authorization holder
Sandoz Farmacéutica, S.A.
Centro Empresarial Parque Norte
Edificio Roble
C/ Serrano Galvache, 56
28033 Madrid
Spain
Responsible manufacturer
Laboratorios León Farma, S.A.
C/ La Vallina s/n
Polígono Industrial de Navatejera
24193 Villaquilambre, León
Spain
or
Lek Pharmaceutical d.d.
Verovskova 57
1526 Ljubljana
Slovenia
or
Salutas Pharma GmbH
Otto-von-Guericke-Allee 1
39179 Barleben
Germany
Last review date of this leaflet:March 2023
The detailed information of this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es.
Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.