Cerazette - you should know that
Introduction - What is Cerazette?
Cerazette® is a drug in tablet form that is used to prevent pregnancy.
The active ingredient is the female sex hormone desogestrel from the progestin group. Unlike many other forms of the "pill", Cerazette® does not contain estrogens.
The drug is taken daily without a break and in most cases reliably prevents the development of pregnancy. As with all contraceptives, however, there is never 100 percent protection. In addition, the effect can be influenced by various drugs.
Various side effects can also be triggered by taking Cerazette®. Irregular vaginal bleeding is the most common.
There are a variety of methods of contraception available. Many of these are not even known in everyday life. For an overview of all contraception, read the following article: Overview of contraception methods
Indications for Cerazette
There is only one indication for which Cerazette® is approved and that is as a hormonal contraceptive or “birth control pill”.
However, the active ingredient desogestrel and other hormones from the progestogen group are occasionally prescribed for other indications. Often this is done as so-called “off-label use”, which means a prescription for an indication for which the drug is not officially approved.
Gestagens are used, for example, to regulate the cycle in the event of irregular menstrual bleeding. Some doctors also prescribe Cerazette® or similar products for hormone replacement therapy during menopause, when treatment with an estrogen-containing preparation is not possible.
Other possible indications, for which Cerazette® is also not approved, are the accompanying treatment for certain forms of uterine cancer.
Even in the case of endometriosis, in which the dislocated uterine lining of the uterus attaches itself to other organs, treatment with a progestogen-containing pill such as Cerazette® is sometimes carried out.
The respective main pages are also available for detailed information on the indications mentioned. This way you get all the important information on the topics:
- Uterine cancer - you should know that
- What medications are recommended for menopause?
Cerazette for endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition that affects many women. This leads to a settlement of cells of the uterine lining outside the uterus.
Since there is a connection to the abdominal cavity via the fallopian tubes, the cells can spread over this path and in principle implant themselves on every organ in the abdominal cavity. This can lead to severe pain, which occurs particularly during the menstrual period, as the scattered foci, like the actual uterine lining, grow and are rejected depending on the hormones.
One approach to endometriosis treatment is the continuous intake of a progestogen-containing pill such as Cerazette®. By lowering the estrogen level, the endometriosis foci should become stunted.
However, Cerazette® can only be used as off-label use, as the drug is not approved for this indication. Only preparations with the hormone Dienogest are approved for the treatment of endometriosis.
Do you have endometriosis and are you looking for the best treatment? So the following article is very important to you: What is the best way to treat endometriosis?
Cerazette for acne
Many birth control pills have the pleasant side effect that they help against acne and improve the complexion of the skin. For some young women, this effect is even a major reason why they take the pill. However, not all hormone preparations have this effect.
Cerazette® and other pills that contain the progestin desogestrel even tend to have a negative effect on the complexion and can therefore even worsen acne.
This different effect is due to the fact that the different sex hormones in the pills also influence male sex hormones, which also play a role in the female body. If a hormone preparation has an effect directed against male sex hormones (antiandrogen), a positive influence on acne can be expected.
A pill like Cerazette® has a mild androgenic effect and therefore tends to increase the tendency to oily skin and acne.
While Cerazette is not effective for acne, you can find out the best way to fight acne by following the link below: How to Get Rid of Pimples
What is a mini pill?
The term minipill refers to hormonal contraceptives in tablet form which, compared to the classic “birth control pill”, do not contain any estrogens (female sex hormones).
While most forms of the pill contain both estrogens and gestagens (pregnancy hormones), a mini pill works through the gestagens alone.
The mini pill prevents pregnancy in a different way and, unlike the mixed hormone preparations, must therefore be taken continuously without a break every day of the month. The gestagens in Cerazette® prevent sperm from entering the uterus and preventing an egg cell from implanting. Estrogens also prevent an egg cell from maturing at all.
As a result, most mini pills offer less protection against unwanted pregnancy than conventional pills.
In contrast to other forms of the minipill, however, the dosage of the progestin in Cerazette® is significantly higher, so that ovulation is prevented in many women even without estrogens as an active ingredient, and the effectiveness is roughly the same as that of a combination preparation.
Would you like to know the exact functions of the hormones and thus get a clear overview of the woman's cycle? You might also be interested in these topics:
- What are the tasks of the individual hormones in women?
- Hormonal Contraceptives - Which Are The Best?
Active ingredient and effect of the Cerazette
The active ingredient in Cerazette® is desogestrel, a hormone from the group of progestins that has a similar effect to progesterone (pregnancy hormone) produced by humans.
The female body is influenced by hormone intake in several ways and pregnancy is prevented. By taking the artificial hormone, the body is led to believe that you are already pregnant.
On the one hand, the consistency of the so-called cervical mucus at the transition from the vagina to the uterus is changed in such a way that sperm can no longer easily cross this barrier.
In addition, desogestrel has an influence on the uterine lining and has a negative impact on the implantation conditions for an egg cell.
Due to the high dosage of desogestrel contained in Cerazette®, most women also prevent the maturation of an egg cell, so that the protection is higher compared to comparable mini pills with a lower dosage.
At this point, in order to understand the exact mechanism of action, read the main page on the subject of "Desogestrel": How does desogestrel work?
Dosage of Cerazette
The correct dosage of Cerazette® is achieved by taking one tablet daily.
A blister pack contains 28 tablets. The days of the week are printed on the back and you should start taking the tablet from the top row with the appropriate day of the week. Another tablet should be taken every day at about the same time, according to the progression shown by the arrows. This is the best way to avoid taking the wrong dosage, for example if you are unsure whether you have already taken the tablet or not.
It is important to start with the next one the next day after using up a blister pack and not to pause and wait for the bleeding to begin with the classic pills.
What to do if I forget to take Cerazette?
In order to achieve the best possible protection against pregnancy, it is particularly important to take Cerazette® regularly. If you forgot to take the pill and you notice it after less than twelve hours, you are still reliable. The forgotten tablet should be taken immediately. The other tablets should be taken again at the usual times.
However, if it has been more than twelve hours since it should have been taken, Cerazette® may not be reliable. The longer it has been, the more the contraceptive effect is reduced. As soon as you realize that you have forgotten to take it, you should take it up and take it again at the usual times. It is also recommended to use condoms for the next seven days.
If you forget to take Cerazette®, it has been more than twelve hours ago and you have had sexual intercourse without further protection, there is a risk that you may have become pregnant.
Learn more about the topic at: Forgot the pill - what should be considered?
When should Cerazette not be used?
Cerazette® must not be given if you are allergic to the active ingredient desogestrel or any of the other ingredients contained in the pill.
In addition, certain diseases are counter-signs. These include, for example, a blood clot in the leg veins (thrombosis) or the pulmonary vessels (embolism).
In addition, the contraceptive must not be used if the liver is seriously ill.
Cerazette® must also not be given for certain types of cancer, such as special forms of breast cancer, as it can have a growth-promoting influence on the tumor.
The drug should not be taken even if vaginal bleeding has not yet been clarified.
It is known that taking pills hide the risk of thrombus formation. So it is advisable to refrain from taking it if you already have a thrombosis. How else should one use contraception? This question will be answered in the following article: Thrombosis while taking the pill
Side effect of Cerazette
As with every hormone preparation, the use of Cerazette® can lead to various side effects.
The most common type of bleeding is irregular. In some women, there is no menstrual period at all. This can be explained by the constant influence on the uterine lining.
The risk of a vaginal infection is also increased.
However, many of the possible side effects of Cerazette® are very unspecific and arise from the possible influence of hormones on cells throughout the body.
Changes in mood and decreased sexual desire are relatively common. A depressive mood can also be triggered by taking Cerazette®.
Other common side effects include headache, nausea, acne, chest pain, and an increase in body weight.
In addition, possible complaints, which are less likely to be triggered by ingestion, include hair loss, vomiting and nausea.
In rare cases, the drug leads to skin changes such as hives or a rash.
Even if one or more of the above symptoms occur while taking Cerazette®, it does not immediately mean that it is a side effect of the medication. However, you should consult the doctor who prescribed the pill as soon as possible and discuss whether you should stop Cerazette® or, if necessary, switch to another preparation.
Numerous side effects are possible with taking a pill, so it is important to address these beforehand. For this we recommend the article: Side Effects Of The Pill - What To Look For!
Bleeding when taking Cerazette
Bleeding is often listed first in the possible adverse effects of Cerazette® and comparable hormone preparations.
Due to the influence of the uterine lining and a disruption of the natural menstrual cycle, irregular intermenstrual bleeding can occur. On the other hand, some women do not bleed at all when taking Cerazette®.
However, if unusual bleeding occurs for the first time after starting use, the doctor who prescribed the drug should be contacted as a precaution. This can decide whether the side effects of the effect of Cerazette® are to be accepted as normal or whether a more precise diagnosis or even treatment is appropriate.
Other factors besides taking Cerazette can cause bleeding. Find out what is causing your bleeding: Spotting - what's behind it?
Weight gain from taking Cerazette
Weight gain is a common undesirable effect that can occur when taking Cerazette® and many other hormone supplements. This is caused by an increase in appetite and an increase in adipose tissue and sometimes also water retention in the tissue.
The hormone contained in Cerazette® is similar to the body's own pregnancy hormone progesterone. During pregnancy, an increase in the fat deposits is provided by nature so that a sufficient energy supply for mother and child is guaranteed. When taking Cerazette®, the body is in a certain way simulated pregnancy, so that weight gain often also occurs.
However, weight gain is not always immediately due to the use of Cerazette® or other hormone preparations. Insufficient exercise and excessive calorie intake are far more common causes.
Additional information on the side effects of the pill can be found at: Pill Side Effects - What To Look For?
Anxiety disorder when taking Cerazette
Anxiety disorders are one of the many possible side effects that can be triggered or intensified by taking Cerazette®. If you experience symptoms after you start taking the pill, you should see your doctor as soon as possible. Regardless of whether Cerazette® is responsible for the development of this mental illness or not, an anxiety disorder can often be treated well through a professional approach.
The disease "anxiety disorder" occurs in several forms, so the treatment of the respective forms differs accordingly. In order to understand the anxiety disorder in detail, it is therefore important to first get an overview, read: Overview of anxiety disorders
Headache when taking Cerazette
Cerazette® can lead to a variety of different side effects. Among other things, headaches are a possible consequence of taking the hormone preparation. If there is a temporal correlation between the new symptom and the start of tablet-taking, there may be a connection and a doctor should be consulted.
Headaches, however, are complaints that many people suffer from and that have a multitude of possible causes. In case of doubt, only pausing Cerazette® can determine whether the drug was the cause of the symptoms. If the headache persists, another cause is suspected.
Headaches are a very unspecific symptom and can appear as an accompanying symptom in numerous illnesses or have no cause at all. Find out what's causing your headache: Headache - that's behind it
Depression while taking Cerazette
Depression is a widespread disease that can have very different causes, and it is often a combination of different influencing factors. However, in some cases it remains completely unclear why depression develops.
Cerazette® can in some cases cause depression as a side effect. If symptoms such as loss of joy and listlessness occur after starting the drug, a doctor should be consulted. They will assess whether Cerazette® could be responsible for the depression and initiate suitable measures so that the disease can be treated.
Depression is not a rare disease and should not be taken lightly. The first step is therefore to first find out the cause of the development of the depression. Find out more at: What are the causes of depression?
Interaction of Cerazette
Different drugs can interact with each other when using Cerazette® at the same time. Therefore, when prescribing Cerazette®, it is important to name all the medications that you take, even if you do not need a prescription.
Correspondingly, if you are asked by a doctor about taking medication, you should state that you are using Cerazette®.
For example, there are some medicines that can make Cerazette less effective in preventing pregnancy. These include certain antibiotics. If necessary, additional contraception should be used temporarily with condoms if such a drug has to be given.
In addition, Cerazette® can, conversely, lead to an increase or decrease in other active ingredients. An example is lamotrigine, which is prescribed to treat and prevent epileptic seizures. As an interaction, the simultaneous use of Cerazette® leads to a reduction in the effect of lamotrigine.
The following article may also be of interest to you in order to avoid an unwanted surprise when you take Cerazette and another drug at the same time: Which drugs affect the way the pill works?
Price from Cerazette
The price for Cerazette® depends primarily on the size of the pack. The drug is available in a delivery volume of three times 28 tablets, which lasts for about three months. The cost of Cerazette® is around 30 euros. The price for a pack of six by 28 tablets is around 45 to 50 euros.
Since in most cases it is planned to take it over a longer period of time, it is usually worth buying the larger pack. However, if you first want to try out whether you can tolerate Cerazette® well, it can also make sense to buy the smaller delivery amount first.
What is the Cerazette Pearl Index?
The Pearl Index is a measure of how safe a method of contraception is in preventing pregnancy.
With Cerazette® this is between 0.1 and 0.9 when used correctly. This means that out of 100 women who take this pill for over a year, less than one will still get pregnant. More precisely, one to nine out of a thousand users experience an unwanted pregnancy.
Due to the high dosage of the progestin, the Pearl Index of Cerazette® corresponds to that of a classic combination pill with estrogens, as both prevent ovulation when used correctly.
In the case of mini-pills that only contain a large amount of the progestin, the Pearl Index is relatively high in practice in the range of three to four and therefore less good.
The protection provided by Cerazette® is therefore relatively good.
Find out more about the individual pill types and how good they actually are at: Which pill is the best?
Alcohol consumption - is it compatible with Cerazette?
In principle, the preventive effect of the active ingredient contained in Cerazette® is not influenced by the occasional consumption of alcohol. There is also no increased organ-damaging effect to be feared if the pill and alcohol are absorbed by the body at the same time.
Under certain circumstances, the protection against pregnancy can be reduced by taking Cerazette® while consuming alcohol.
If excessive alcohol consumption leads to vomiting before the drug has passed the stomach, in the worst case scenario it can lead to unwanted pregnancy after sexual intercourse.
At this point you can also read the main page on the topic: Pill and alcohol - are they compatible?
Alternatives to Cerazette
There are many different alternatives to Cerazette®. On the one hand, there are other pills that also only contain a progestogen as an active ingredient. The available preparations differ partly in the type and the exact effect of the hormone.
Another large group of alternative contraceptives are the classic birth control pills, which contain a combination of progestin and estrogen as active ingredients.
If you do not want to take a pill, there is another way to achieve contraception through the action of hormones. On the one hand, there are vaginal rings, which are inserted into the vagina and release the hormones into the bloodstream. On the other hand, there is the three-month injection. Here, a hormone depot is injected under the skin every three months, which is gradually absorbed by the body.
There are also several alternatives to Cerazette® that do not rely on hormones. The safest way to do this is to use condoms. With alternative forms of contraception, such as the method based on body temperature measurement or according to the menstrual cycle, the protection against unwanted pregnancy is less high.
Would you like to take a closer look at the topic of the various forms of contraception and have all the advantages and disadvantages of the individual methods in mind? So the following article is very suitable for you: Contraception - the most important at a glance
Taking Cerazette after childbirth / while breastfeeding
Cerazette® can be taken after childbirth and during breastfeeding.
The production and quality of breast milk are not influenced by the drug. Although small amounts of the active ingredient pass into breast milk, there are no health risks for the baby. Observations and studies have shown that there are no effects on the child's growth and development if the mother takes Cerazette® while breastfeeding.
Nevertheless, you should consult your gynecologist or family doctor if you want to take Cerazette® again immediately after the birth. The appropriate time to start using is between the 21st and 28th day after the birth.
If you only want to start taking it later, you should also use condoms for the first seven days. In addition, it must be ensured that the woman is not pregnant again. However, a new pregnancy is usually prevented during breastfeeding because the secreted hormone prolactin prevents egg cells from maturing.
You have just given birth and would like to take the birth control pill again, but you don't know whether it will harm your baby? Here you can read everything you need to know about medication during breastfeeding: Medication while breastfeeding - How do I protect my baby
What should be considered when stopping Cerazette?
Nothing special needs to be considered when stopping Cerazette®. The intake can be stopped from one day to the next.
Since Cerazette® has to be taken daily for optimal protection against pregnancy, there is no longer reliable protection against pregnancy from the time of discontinuation. If a pregnancy is still not desired, another contraceptive such as condoms must be used.
If you want to switch to another hormone-containing contraceptive, we recommend consulting your gynecologist. This can determine from when the new preparation should be taken and from when protection is given.
The following article may also be of interest to you with detailed information on the subject: What happens if you stop taking the pill?
Recommendation from the reading
You might also be interested in these topics:
- Overview of contraception methods
- What is a mini pill?
- How does the morning-after pill work? - An alternative if you forget to take a pill?
- What does the IUD cost?
- Pill Doesn't Work - What Is The Reason?
