LIZINNA

Other known brand names

Microgynon 30 ED, Levest, Yasmin, Marvelon, Cilest, Cilique

About Lizinna

Lizinna is a combined hormonal contraceptive which is used to provide protection against pregnancy. It is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.  It contains norgestimate, progesterone and ethinylestradiol, an oestrogen as its active ingredients.

Lizinna works by stopping the release of an egg each month from the ovaries, preventing ovulation during the menstrual cycle. It also makes cervical mucus thicker, making it more difficult for sperm to pass through the cervix, and makes the lining of the womb thinner, so fertilised eggs are less likely to implant in the uterus wall.

NowPatient offers the Lizinna birth control pills for the prevention of pregnancy only, following an online consultation with a prescribing clinician.

Key facts of Lizinna

• For the prevention of pregnancy
• There is no evidence that the Lizinna pill causes weight gain
• Lizinna has some common side effects which include headaches and migraine
• Can help reduce period pain and also the severity of period pain
• Can help reduce premenstrual symptoms
• It can be dangerous if you take Lizinna with certain medications. If you’re not sure if it is safe, discuss this with the prescribing clinician
• Lizinna will not prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Who is Lizinna not suitable for?

Lizinna may not be suitable for some people. To make sure it’s safe for you, speak to the prescribing clinician before taking Lizinna if you:

• Are allergic to the active ingredients nomegestrol acetate or estradiol, or inactive ingredients such as lactose
• Have ever had a blood clot in the leg or lungs
• Have a family history of heart attacks or stroke
• Have ever had angina or transient ischaemic attack
• Suffer from migraines with aura
• Have a liver disease, liver tumours or any other liver problems
• Have kidney failure
• Have ever had breast cancer or cancer of the cervix, vagina or uterus
• Have unexplained vaginal bleeding
• Have suffered from jaundice, pemphigoid gestationis (a rash involving blisters of the hands and feet), or pruritus while pregnant
• Have a family history of breast cancer
• Have pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Have diabetes
• Have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• Have haemolytic uraemic syndrome, high blood cholesterol, or sickle cell anaemia
• Have epilepsy
• Have systemic lupus erythematosus

How and where to get Lizinna?

You can buy Lizinna safely and securely from NowPatient. You can start a consultation today for free and if you qualify for treatment, you only pay for the cost of the medication. Delivery is made to your home or office from our registered pharmacy.

Our service is certified, safe and effective, and we only ever treat conditions. If you book a consultation with a prescribing clinician for a contraceptive, you can discuss if Lizinna is a suitable treatment option for you.

At the end of the consultation, the clinician will decide if a treatment plan is suitable for you. If it is, the clinician will issue you with a prescription which can then be ordered, paid for and delivered directly to your chosen address by NowPatient.

Dosage and strength for Lizinna for contraception

Each Lizinna pill contains 250 mcg of norgestimate and 35 mcg of ethinylestradiol.

Information about how to take Lizinna for contraception

To prevent pregnancy always take Lizinna as described below.

Check with your doctor or family planning nurse if you are not sure.

Take Lizinna every day for 21 days. Lizinna comes in a strip of 21 pills, each marked with a day of the week.

Take your pill at the same time every day. Start by taking a pill marked with the correct day of the week. Follow the direction of the arrows on the strip. Take one pill each day. Swallow each pill whole, with water if necessary. Do not chew the pill.

Then have seven pill-free days. After you have taken all 21 pills in the strip, you have seven days when you take no pills. So, if you take the last pill of one pack on a Friday, you will take the first pill of your next pack on the Saturday of the following week. Within a few days of taking the last pill from the strip, you should have a withdrawal bleed like a period.

This bleed may not have finished when it is time to start your next strip of pills. You don’t need to use extra contraception during these seven pill-free days–as long as you have taken your pills correctly and start the next strip of pills on time.

Then start your next strip. Start taking your next strip of Lizinna after the seven pill-free days–even if you are still bleeding. Always start the new strip on time. As long as you take Lizinna correctly, you will always start each new strip on the same day of the week.

If you forget to take a Lizinna tablet, take the missed pill as soon as you are able to do so. You will need to use extra contraception such as a condom for the next 7 days. Also, read the patient information leaflet or speak to your healthcare provider if you need further medical advice.

What happens if you take too much Lizinna?

If you take more than prescribed, then it can lead to some unpleasant side effects. You should talk to your doctor or reach out to one of our prescribing clinicians if you have taken too much Lizinna and you experience any of the following side effects.

What are the side effects of Lizinna?

Side effects of Lizinna are split into common and serious.

Common side effects include:

• Breast tenderness
• Breast pain
• Weight changes
• Breakthrough bleeding between periods
• Mood changes
• Headache and migraine
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
• Vaginal dryness
• Vaginal thrush
• High blood pressure
• Hair loss

Serious side effects include:

• Increased risk of blood clots
• Cervical cancer

If you experience any serious side effects, you should contact NHS 111.

If you experience a serious allergic reaction with the signs shown below you should contact emergency services on 999.

• Your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• You’re breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you’re choking or gasping for air)
• Your throat feels tight or you’re struggling to swallow
• Your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• You suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• Someone faints and cannot be woken up

Always report adverse effects to the MHRA yellow card reporting system. You can read more about this here How and where do I report side effects of my medication? – NowPatient

What to do if you miss a dose?

Information about taking Lizinna at the same time as other medications or herbal supplements

There is not enough evidence to suggest there are any drug interactions between herbal supplements and Lizinna. In any event, you should let your prescribing clinician know if you are taking any herbal supplements or other medications such as:

• Epilepsy treatments – phenytoin or carbamazepine
• Rifampicin
• HIV medicines – ritonavir
• Hepatitis C medicines – telaprevir or boceprevir
• Antifungal medicines – ketoconazole or griseofulvin
• St John’s Wort
• Medicines for high blood pressure, chest pain or irregular heartbeats – diltiazem or verapamil

Why might Lizinna not work for contraception?

Lizinna may not work for you and common reasons may be:

• Missed pills
• Taking other medicines that interfere with Lizinna
• Lizinna not being absorbed due to vomiting and diarrhoea

Can Lizinna taken for contraception be taken long term?

Using medication like Lizinna is safe, provided your doctor has approved it. You should speak to your doctor when deciding to stay on hormonal contraception long-term.

Is there a herbal Lizinna?

No. Herbal Lizinna does not exist. If you have been marketed such a formulation, it may be fake.

Can women use Lizinna?

Women can take Lizinna for contraception, but it is not advised when breast-feeding. Speak to your doctor if you are considering taking Lizinna while you are breastfeeding.

Should I avoid any particular food or drink when taking Lizinna?

You can eat and drink normally when taking Lizinna.

Alternatives to Lizinna

Alternative methods of contraception include:

• Implants
• Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
• Oral birth control pills (combined oral contraceptive pill and progestogen-only pill)
• Vaginal rings
• Barrier method – condoms, diaphragms
• Tubal ligation and vasectomy
• Emergency contraception
  
  

Sources

• Methods of contraception – NHS
• EMC NICE Product’s