Take Famila 28 by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually once daily. Pick a time of day that is easy for you to remember, and take your pill at the same time each day.
If you are taking the chewable tablet, you may either swallow it whole or chew it thoroughly and swallow. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s directions for your brand.
It is very important to continue taking Famila 28 exactly as prescribed by your doctor. With certain brands of birth control pills, the amount of estrogen and progestin in each active tablet will vary at different times in the cycle.
It is very important that you follow the package instructions to find the first tablet, start with the first tablet in the pack, and take them in the correct order. Do not skip any doses.
Pregnancy is more likely if you miss pills, start a new pack late, or take your pill at a different time of the day than usual.
Vomiting or diarrhea can prevent your birth control pills from working well. If you have vomiting or diarrhea, you may need to use a backup birth control method (such as condoms, or spermicide).
Your pill pack contains 21 pills with active medication. It may also contain 7 reminder pills with no medication. Take one active pill (with hormones) once daily for 21 days in a row.
If you are using a product with 28 tablets, take an inactive pill once daily for 7 days in a row after you have taken the last active pill unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
If you are using a product with 21 tablets, do not take any tablets for 7 days unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
You should have your period during the fourth week of the cycle. After you have taken the last inactive tablet in the pack or gone 7 days without taking an active tablet, start a new pack the next day whether or not you have your period. If you do not get your period, consult your doctor.
For the first cycle of use only, use an additional form of non-hormonal birth control (such as condoms, or spermicide) for the first 7 days to prevent pregnancy until the medication has enough time to work.
If you start on the first day of your period, you do not need to use backup birth control the first week.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about how to switch from other forms of hormonal birth control (such as patches, and other birth control pills) to this product.
Famila 28 Side Effects:
Famila 28 may cause Nausea, vomiting, headache, bloating, breast tenderness, swelling of the ankles/feet (fluid retention), or weight change may occur.
Vaginal bleeding between periods (spotting) or missed/irregular periods may occur, especially during the first few months of use. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
If you miss 2 periods Famila 28 in a row (or 1 period if the pill has not been used properly), contact your doctor for a pregnancy test.
Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
This medication Famila 28 may raise your blood pressure. Check your blood pressure regularly and tell your doctor if the results are high.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including lumps in the breast, mental/mood changes (such as new/worsening depression), severe stomach/abdominal pain, unusual changes in vaginal bleeding (such as continuous spotting, sudden heavy bleeding, missed periods), dark urine, yellowing eyes/skin.
Famila 28 medication may rarely cause serious (sometimes fatal) problems from blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and stroke).
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including:
- rash
- itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat)
- severe dizziness
- trouble breathing
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Precautions while taking Famila 28:
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to any estrogens (such as ethinyl estradiol, mestranol) or any progestins (such as norethindrone, desogestrel); or if you have any other allergies.
This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of:
- blood clots (for example, in the legs, eyes, and lungs)
- blood clotting disorders (such as protein C or protein S deficiency)
- high blood pressure
- abnormal breast exam
- cancer (especially endometrial or breast cancer)
- high cholesterol or triglyceride (blood fat) levels
- depression
- diabetes
- family or personal history of a certain swelling disorder (angioedema)
- gallbladder problems
- severe headaches/migraines
- heart problems (such as heart valve disease, irregular heartbeat, previous heart attack)
- history of yellowing eyes/skin (jaundice) during pregnancy or while using hormonal birth control (such as pills, patches)
- kidney disease
- liver disease (including tumors)
- stroke
- swelling (edema)
- thyroid problems
- unexplained vaginal bleeding
If you have diabetes, this medication may affect your blood sugar. Check your blood sugar regularly as directed and share the results with your doctor.
Tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of high blood sugar such as increased thirst/urination. Your doctor may need to adjust your diabetes medication, exercise program, or diet.
Chewable tablets may contain sugar and/or aspartame. Caution is advised if you have diabetes, phenylketonuria (PKU), or any other condition that requires you to limit/avoid these substances in your diet.
Tell your doctor if you just had or will be having surgery or if you will be confined to a bed or chair for a long time (such as a long plane flight).
These conditions increase your risk of getting blood clots, especially if you are using hormonal birth control. You may need to stop this medication for a time or take special precautions.
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
This medication may cause blotchy, dark areas on your face and skin (melasma). Sunlight may worsen this effect. Limit your time in the sun. Avoid tanning booths and sunlamps. Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing when outdoors.
If you are nearsighted or wear contact lenses, you may develop vision problems or trouble wearing your contact lenses. Contact your eye doctor if these problems occur.
It may take longer for you to become pregnant after you stop taking birth control pills. Consult your doctor.
Famila 28 may decrease breast milk production. A small amount passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.
Interactions while using Famila 28:
Famila 28 Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions.
Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist.
Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor’s approval.
Some products that may interact with this drug include:
- aromatase inhibitors (such as anastrozole, and exemestane)
- ospemifene
- tamoxifen
- tizanidine
- tranexamic acid
- certain combination products used to treat chronic hepatitis C (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir with or without dasabuvir)
Some drugs may cause hormonal birth control to work less well by decreasing the amount of birth control hormones in your body.
This effect can result in pregnancy. Examples include griseofulvin, modafinil, rifamycins (such as rifampin, rifabutin), St. John’s wort, drugs used to treat seizures (such as barbiturates, carbamazepine, felbamate, phenytoin, primidone, topiramate), HIV drugs (such as nelfinavir, nevirapine, ritonavir), among others.
Tell your doctor when you start any new drug, and discuss if you should use additional reliable birth control. Also tell your doctor if you have any new spotting or breakthrough bleeding, because these may be signs that your birth control is not working well.
This medication may interfere with certain laboratory tests (such as blood clotting factors, thyroid), possibly causing false test results. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this medication.
Overdose of Famila-28:
Notes
Do not share this Famila 28 with others.
Keep all regular medical and laboratory appointments. You should have regular complete physical exams which include laboratory and medical tests (such as blood pressure, breast exam, pelvic exam, Pap smear) to monitor your progress and check for side effects. Follow your doctor’s instructions for examining your breasts, and report any lumps right away. Consult your doctor for more details.
Missed Dose
Refer to the product package information for advice on missed doses. You may need to use back-up birth control (such as condoms, or spermicide) to prevent pregnancy. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
If you often forget to take your pills as directed, contact your doctor to discuss switching to another form of birth control.
Storage
Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store it in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.
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