Ambelina Contraceptive Pill

Buy Ambelina

Ambelina is a combined contraceptive pill that’s used to prevent pregnancy. Each tablet contains a small amount of two different female hormones: levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol.

Ambelina, like other hormonal contraceptives, does not protect you against any sexually transmitted diseases. To protect yourself against both pregnancy and STDs, a barrier method of contraception (like a condom) is recommended alongside the pill.

How Ambelina works

The tablets work to prevent pregnancy by stopping the release of an egg from your ovaries. They also thicken the mucus in your cervix, making it harder for sperm to enter the womb.

Directions

Always take Ambelina exactly as described in the patient information leaflet or as your doctor / Chemist4U pharmacist has told you.

Each strip contains 21 tablets. You should take one Ambelina tablet every day, at the same time, with a small amount of water. Next to each tablet is the day of the week printed for when the tablet should be taken. For example, if you start on a Wednesday, choose the tablet marked with “WED” next to it. Follow the direction of the arrows on the strip until you have taken all 21 tablets.

After this, do not take any tablets for 7 days. During these tablet-free days (otherwise called a stop, gap week, or break), bleeding should begin. This is known as a “withdrawal bleed” and it usually starts on the 2nd or 3rd day of this tablet-free week.

On the 8th day after your tablet-free week, you should start your next strip of Ambelina, whether your bleeding has stopped or not. This means that you should start every new strip on the same day of the week and that the withdrawal bleeding should occur on the same days each month.

If you take Ambelina in this manner, you are also protected against pregnancy during the 7 days when you are not taking the tablets. If you forget to take Ambelina, please refer to the patient information leaflet for more information.

When you can start taking Ambelina

If you have not used any contraceptive with hormones in the previous month

You can start taking Ambelina preferably on the first day of your cycle (on the first day of your menstrual period). If you start Ambelina on the first day of your period, you are immediately protected against pregnancy.

You may also begin Ambelina on days 2-5 of your cycle, but you must then use extra protective measures (for example, a condom) for the first 7 days.

If you are changing from a combination hormonal contraceptive, vaginal ring or patch

You can start Ambelina preferably on the day after the last active tablet (the last tablet containing active substances) of your previous pill but at the latest, on the day after the tablet-free days of your previous pill. 

When changing from a combination vaginal ring or patch, follow the advice of your prescriber. 

If you are changing from a progestogen-only method (progestogen-only pill, injection, implant, or IUD)

You may switch any day from the progesterone-only pill. From an implant or an IUD on the day of its removal, and from an injectable when the next injection would be due. But, in all cases, use extra protective measures (a condom) for the first 7 days of taking Ambelina.

If you had a miscarriage

Always follow the advice of your doctor.

After having a baby

You can start taking Ambelina between 21 and 28 days after having a baby. If you start later than day 28, use a barrier method of contraception during the first 7 days. If, after having a baby, you have had sex before starting to take Ambelina, be sure that you are not pregnant or wait until your next menstrual period before taking these tablets.

While breastfeeding

Taking Ambelina while breastfeeding is generally not advised. If you want to take the pill while you’re breastfeeding, you must speak to your doctor for advice before doing so.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

If you vomit within 3-4 hours after taking a tablet or you have severe diarrhoea, there is a risk that the tablets won’t be fully absorbed in your body, making them less effective at preventing pregnancy. 

After vomiting or having diarrhoea, take another tablet from a reserve strip as soon as possible. Take it within 12 hours of when you normally take your tablets. If this is not possible or 12 hours have passed, please refer to the patient information leaflet.

Side effects

Like all products, Ambelina may cause side effects in some people, but these won’t affect everybody. Common side effects include: 

• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Increased weight
• Headache
• Depressed mood
• Altered mood
• Breast tenderness
• Breast pain

For more information on potential side effects, refer to the patient information leaflet. If you experience any side effects, including any not included in the patient information leaflet, you can report them using the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme.

Serious side effects

Seek emergency medical attention if you notice any signs of a severe allergic reaction, symptoms of which include swelling of the face and throat, skin rash, breathing difficulties and/or loss of consciousness. 

There is an increased risk of blood clots in women taking any combined contraceptive pill; however, this is rare. Certain types of cancers, such as breast and cervical cancer, have been observed slightly more often in women using any combined contraceptive pill, but this is also rare. For more information regarding these potential side effects, please refer to the patient information leaflet.

Warnings

Ambelina may be unsuitable for certain people. Do not take these tablets if you are allergic to ethinylestradiol, levonorgestrel or any of the other listed ingredients. Ambelina contains lactose. Do not take this product if you have been told you have an intolerance to certain sugars. Do not take this product if:

• You have (or have ever had) a blood clot in a blood vessel in your
• legs (deep vein thrombosis, DVT), your lungs (pulmonary embolus,
• PE) or other organs
• You know you have a disorder affecting your blood clotting - for
• instance, protein C deficiency, protein S deficiency, antithrombin-III
• deficiency, Factor V Leiden or antiphospholipid antibodies
• You need an operation or if you are off your feet for a long time
• You have ever had a heart attack or a stroke
• You have (or have ever had) angina pectoris (a condition that causes
• severe chest pain and may be a first sign of a heart attack) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA - temporary stroke symptoms)
• You have any of the following diseases that may increase your risk
• of a clot in the arteries: severe diabetes with blood vessel damage, very high blood pressure, a very high level of fat in the blood (cholesterol or triglycerides), a condition known as hyperhomocysteinaemia
• You have (or have ever had) a type of migraine called 'migraine with
• aura'
• You have (or have ever had) a liver disease and your liver function is
• still not normal
• You have (or have ever had) a tumour in the liver
• You have (or have ever had) or if you are suspected of having breast
• cancer or cancer of the genital organs
• You have any unexplained bleeding from the vagina
• You have hepatitis C and are taking the medicinal products containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, dasabuvir, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir or sofosbuvir, velpatasvir/voxilaprevir

Talk to your doctor or Chemist4U pharmacist before taking this product if you have any of the following: 

• If a close relative has or has ever had breast cancer
• If you have a disease of the liver or the gallbladder
• If you have diabetes
• If you have depression

• If you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (chronic inflammatory bowel disease)

• If you have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

• If you have haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
• If you have sickle cell anaemia (an inherited disease of the red blood cells)

• If you have elevated levels of fat in the blood (hypertriglyceridaemia) or a positive family history for this condition. Hypertriglyceridemia has been associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

• If you need an operation, or you are off your feet for a long time
• If you have just given birth, as you are at an increased risk of blood clots
• If you have an inflammation in the veins under the skin (superficial thrombophlebitis)

• If you have varicose veins
• If you have epilepsy
• If you have a disease that first appeared during pregnancy or earlier use of sex hormones (for example hearing loss), a blood disease called porphyria, skin rash with blisters during pregnancy (gestational herpes), a nerve disease causing sudden movements of the body (Sydenham's chorea)

• If you have or have ever had chloasma (a discolouration of the skin especially of the face or neck known as "pregnancy patches")

Using/taking other medicines

Always tell your doctor or Chemist4U pharmacist if you are using, have recently used or might use any other medicines, including herbal products. Also, tell any other prescriber who prescribes another medicine that you take Ambelina. They can tell you if you need to take additional contraceptive precautions (for example condoms) and if so, for how long.

Do not take Ambelina if:

• You have hepatitis C and are taking medicinal products containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, dasabuvir, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir as these products may cause increases in liver function blood test results (increase in ALT liver enzyme)

Some medicines can make Ambelina less effective in preventing pregnancy or can cause

unexpected bleeding. These include:

• Medicines used for the treatment of epilepsy (for example primidone, phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine); tuberculosis (for example rifampicin); HIV and hepatitis C virus infections (protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors such as ritonavir, nevirapine, efavirenz); fungal infections (e.g. griseofulvin); arthritis, arthrosis (etoricoxib); high blood pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs (bosentan)

• The herbal remedy St. John's Wort

Ambelina may influence the effect of other medicines, for example:

• Medicines containing cyclosporine
• The anti-epileptic lamotrigine (this could lead to an increased frequency of seizures)

• Theophylline (used to treat breathing problems)
• Tizanidine (used to treat muscle pain and/or muscle cramps)

Age restrictions 

Ambelina is only suitable for adults aged 18 years and over.

Storage information

Store below 30°C in a cool, dry place out of sight and reach of children. Do not use after the expiry date, referring to the last day of the month stated on the packaging. Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste.

Important information

Make sure to speak to your doctor or Chemist4U pharmacist before taking this product if you have an underlying medical problem or are taking any other medicine or complementary therapy. If your symptoms get worse or continue after taking this product, contact us or your doctor. For medical services in your area, please refer to https://www.nhs.uk

If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, speak to your doctor or Chemist4U pharmacist before taking this product. If you suffer from any allergies, ask your doctor or Chemist4U pharmacist if this medicine is right for you.

Store all medicines out of sight and reach of children.

Please read the included leaflet carefully before using this product.

Please contact your GP if appropriate regarding this product.