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Drug Uses

Mircette Tablets are indicated for the prevention of pregnancy if you elect to use this product as a method of contraception.

How Taken

Oral contraceptives must be used consistently to prevent pregnancy. Take this medication with food or immediately after a meal to avoid stomach upset. Try to take this medication at the same time each day. This may help you to remember to take it regularly. Oral contraceptives come in packets of 21 or 28 tablets. If you have a 21-tablet packet, take one tablet daily for 21 days and then wait 7 days (no tablets) before starting a new packet. If you have a 28-tablet packet, take one tablet daily for 28 days in the order specified in your packet. The last seven tablets in a 28-tablet packet are a different color. These tablets do not contain ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel; they contain iron (ferrous fumarate) or an inactive ingredient and are used to permit continuous daily dosing during the entire 28-day cycle. This eliminates the need to count the number of days between cycles. A new 28-tablet packet should be started the day after taking your 28th tablet. When first starting on this medication, use an additional method of birth control until you have correctly taken at least 7 days' worth of tablets. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully concerning when to take your first tablet (on the first or fifth day of your menstrual period, or on the first Sunday on or after bleeding begins). Take oral contraceptives exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not take more or less of this medication unless your doctor has advised you to do so. Do not stop taking this medication without talking to your doctor.

Warnings/Precautions

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have high blood pressure, angina, or heart disease; had a stroke; a bleeding or blood-clotting disorder; breast, uterine, or another hormone-related cancer; liver disease or a history of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) caused by use of birth control in the past; undiagnosed, abnormal vaginal bleeding; migraines; asthma; or seizures or epilepsy. You may not be able to take birth control pills, or you may require special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. Birth control pills are in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that birth control pills are known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can have serious negative effects on developing baby. Do not take birth control pills if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant. The hormones in birth control pills pass into breast milk and may decrease milk production. Do not take birth control pills without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Missed Dose

If you MISS 1 active [white] pill:
1. Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you take 2 pills in 1 day.
2. You do not need to use a back-up birth control method if you have sex.
If you MISS 2 active [white] pills in a row in WEEK 1 OR WEEK 2 of your pack:
1. Take 2 pills on the day you remember and 2 pills the next day.
2. Then take 1 pill a day until you finish the pack.
3. You MAY BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills.
You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms, foam, or sponge) as a back-up method for those 7 days.
If you MISS 2 active [white] pills in a row in WEEK 3:
1. If you are a Day 1 Starter:
THROW OUT the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
If you are a Sunday Starter:
Keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, THROW OUT the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.
2. You may not have your period this month but this is expected. However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call your doctor or health care provider because you might be pregnant.
3. You MAY BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms, foam, or sponge) as a back-up method for those 7 days.
If you MISS 3 OR MORE active [white] pills in a row (during the first 3 weeks):
1. If you are a Day 1 Starter:
THROW OUT the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
If you are a Sunday Starter:
Keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, THROW OUT the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.
2. You may not have your period this month but this is expected. However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call your doctor or health care provider because you might be pregnant.
3. You MAY BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms, foam, or sponge) as a back-up method for those 7 days.

Possible Side Effects

If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking the birth control pills and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately: an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); a blood clot in the lung (shortness of breath or pain in the chest); a blood clot in an arm or leg (pain, redness, swelling, or numbness of an arm or leg); high blood pressure (severe headache, flushing, blurred vision); or liver damage (yellowing of the skin or eyes, nausea, abdominal pain or discomfort, unusual bleeding or bruising, severe fatigue). Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take the birth control pills and talk to your doctor if you experience headache or dizziness; nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; breakthrough bleeding; or breast tenderness. These side effects may disappear or be less noticeable after 3 to 6 months of birth control use. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you find any side effect very bothersome. The side effects listed below generally occur very rarely and are not considered serious. If you experience any of the following, talk to your doctor when it is convenient: depression; changes in weight or appetite; vaginal yeast infection; changes in your menstrual cycle; oily skin or acne; changes in your sex drive; lethargy or fatigue; bloating; changes in skin color; or changes in blood sugar. Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

Storage

Store below 86° F (30° C).

Overdose

Serious ill effects have not been reported following acute ingestion of large doses of oral contraceptives by young children. Over dosage may cause nausea, and withdrawal bleeding may occur in females.

More Information

Avoid smoking. Smoking greatly increases the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or blood clot formation. Birth control pills do not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV or AIDS. Using a condom is the only way to protect yourself from these diseases.

Disclaimer

This drug information is for your information purposes only, it is not intended that this information covers all uses, directions, drug interactions, precautions, or adverse effects of your medication. This is only general information, and should not be relied on for any purpose. It should not be construed as containing specific instructions for any particular patient. We disclaim all responsibility for the accuracy and reliability of this information, and/or any consequences arising from the use of this information, including damage or adverse consequences to persons or property, however such damages or consequences arise. No warranty, either expressed or implied, is made in regards to this information.

YESMEDS.COM NEWS FEEDS

What?s real and what?s hype in infomercial fitness machines; plus tests of 40 exercise equipment machines include 6 Consumer Reports Best Buys

YONKERS, NY ? Two new reports from Consumer Reports separate the wheat from the chaff in home workout equipment ?from ab crunchers, cardio gadgets, and upper-body devices sold on TV and Internet infomercials, to treadmills, elliptical exercisers, stationary bikes, heart-rate monitors, and pedometers.  All of the information in these reports and more will be available online in a special New Year?s do-it-yourself guide to diet and fitness at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.  The online guide also includes tips for building a home gym for less than $100 and the results of a new survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center that reveals the stay-skinny secrets of the forever-thin.

Consumer Reports notes that gym memberships, which peaked at 42.7 million in 2006, have slid in the past few years while sales of home equipment have continued to grow.  For those interested in building a home gym, it pays to shop carefully, taking into consideration one?s budget, space constraints, and workout preferences.  ?You don?t have to spend a lot of money to get a good workout at home,? says Gayle Williams, deputy health editor, Consumer Reports.   ?Choose what?s right for you ? not which sales pitch is the most alluring ? and then commit to doing the work.  That?s how you?ll get results.?

Sexier Abs!  Great Legs!  Buy Now!

Infomercials make a lot of big promises about the exercise machines they hawk on TV and the Web.  But do they deliver?  To find out, Consumer Reports assembled panels of testers.  One group looked at the ads and then used the devices, ranging in price from $40 for the Perfect Pushup to $2,500 for the Bowflex TreadClimber TC5000, and reported their experiences.  Consumer Reports then measured muscle activity and calories burned in another group who worked out on the machines and also on a standard treadmill and did traditional no-cost calisthenics, such as sit-ups and the bicycle maneuver for abdominal muscles and lunges for the lower body.  Consumer Reports also reviewed the dietary plans that came with some devices.  Here?s how they compare:

Abdominal Exercisers: 
The Ab Rocket ($100) claims to give its users the body they have always wanted, but most Ab Rocket exercises were slightly less effective than traditional abdominal exercises in our tests. The Rock-N-Go Exerciser ($230) barely felt like a workout  to  its users, and it was less effective at engaging abdominals than conventional exercises on a mat.  And the Red Exerciser DX ($175) claims consumers will lose 4 inches off their midsection in 2 weeks. But as Consumer Reports first reported in February 2008, some exercises with the device engaged obliques at least as much as comparable floor moves, but might not work abs as well, so those 4 inches aren?t going anywhere without serious dieting.

Cardio and Cardio Plus:
The Bowflex Treadclimber TC5000 ($2,500) is a good way to burn calories but users should watch their step as tripping is possible.  The CardioTwister ($200) provides variety to a cardio workout but testing showed that one would get more effective abdominal and leg workouts doing conventional exercises.  The Tony Little Rock ?n Roll Stepper ($80) is less effective than conventional leg exercises but a fun cardio workout for beginners who can stay balanced on it.

Upper Body Devices:
The Perfect Pushup ($40) and the Perfect Pullup ($100) both provide a good upper-body workout for beginners and advanced exercisers who want to add variety to their push-up and pull-up routines.  

Total-Body Exercisers:
The advanced workout with the Fluidity Bar ($240) burned fewer calories than a no-equipment circuit-training routine of lunges, crunches, and modified push-ups on the knees, Consumer Reports first reported in February 2008.  Panelists liked the workouts but found the heavy device hard to move.  It?s a pricey but potentially enjoyable alternative to strength training and stretching.

Before buying, Consumer Reports urges shoppers to:

Best Buys for Treadmills, Elliptical Exercisers, Stationary Bikes, and Pedometers

Consumer Reports tested 40 conventional exercise machines, including treadmills, elliptical exercisers, and stationary bikes for exercise range, ergonomics, construction, safety, and more.  Prices ranged from $200 to $3,300. The pricier machines generally have sturdier designs and more features, but there are bargains that can offer a good workout.  And to help step up an exercise routine, Consumer Reports tested heart-rate monitors and pedometers.  Consumer Reports recommends 6 Best Buys:

To find the right machine, Consumer Reports offers the following advice:

The full reports on infomercial fitness machines and conventional exercise machines are available in the February ?09 issue or online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

Survey of 21,000 readers reveals six stay-thin strategies; Tips for healthful meals on a budget

YONKERS, NY ? A new survey published in the February issue of Consumer Reports reveals the secrets of successful dieters, many of whom say they lost weight themselves, without the aid of a commercial diet program, medical treatment, book, or diet pills.  Their successful do-it-yourself strategies are unveiled along with tips for healthful meals on a budget in a New Year?s do-it-yourself guide to diet and fitness at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.  The online hub also includes tips for building a home gym for less than $100 and ratings for fitness equipment such as treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, heart-rate monitors, pedometers, and infomercial fitness machines.

Six Secrets of the Slim

A total of 21,632 readers completed the survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, which identified three key groups:   the ?always thin? (never overweight), ?successful losers? (once overweight but now at least 10 percent lighter, and have kept the pounds off for at least three years), and ?failed dieters? (overweight and would like to lose, but still close to heaviest weight).   The always thin comprised 16% of the sample and successful losers made up an additional 15%.  Failed dieters were, sad to say, 42%.   The remaining respondents didn?t fit into any of these categories.

In the group of ?always-thin? respondents, a mere three percent said that they never exercised and ate whatever they wanted.   In fact, the eating and exercise habits of this group look surprisingly similar to those of the ?successful losers,? encouraging news for would-be dieters who might think that the ?always thin? have a genetic edge.

Through statistical analyses, Consumer Reports was able to identify six key behaviors of these two groups whose eating and exercise habits were closely matched.  Consumer Reports defines the behaviors that correlate strongly with having a healthy body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight that takes height into account. 

Price Versus Nutrition: Making Smart Choices

Although healthful foods often cost more than high-calorie junk food, Consumer Reports unearthed some encouraging exceptions.  Two rich sources of nutrients, black beans and eggs, cost mere pennies per serving and less than plain noodles, which supply fewer nutrients. And for the same price as a doughnut, one can buy a serving of broccoli.  See our tips for cooking healthful meals on a budget.

Downturn Diet: Healthful Eating On A Budget

Consumer Reports invited its nutrition experts, other staff members, and visitors to the Health blog to share tips for putting together healthful meals for less. The ideas poured in and they?re all available in the New Year?s DIY guide at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org. Here are a few good ones:

Eat Beans: They?re inexpensive, versatile, and a great source of protein and fiber. Choose store brands: Also called ?private label,? they are often just as good as the name brand and can save you money. Plant a garden: It requires a little time, but it can have nice payoffs, including exercise. Shop the perimeter: The sections of the supermarket around the outer walls hold the nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, and low-fat dairy.  The inner aisles contain processed and snack foods. Avoid packaged drinks: Instead of buying pricey teas and fruit drinks, brew your own tea and mix in fruit juice.

The full report is available in the February ?09 issue or online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.