Sunya 20/75mcg

What is Sunya? 

Sunya is a combined contraceptive pill containing the active ingredients gestodene and ethinylestradiol, synthetic versions of the female sex hormones progestogen and oestrogen. These ingredients work together to prevent pregnancy by preventing ovulation, thickening the mucus in the cervix and thinning the lining of the womb. When used correctly, the combined contraceptive pill can be one of the most reliable reversible methods of contraception.

How Sunya prevents pregnancy

Sunya contains two synthetic female hormones to help protect against pregnancy: gestodene and ethinylestradiol. These active substances work as a contraceptive by preventing your ovaries from releasing an egg every month. These hormones also work by thickening the mucus in the cervix (the neck of the womb) so it’s harder for sperm to reach an egg, and thinning the lining of the womb so there’s less chance of a fertilised egg being able to implant itself into the womb and start growing.

Directions

Sunya comes in strips of 21 tablets all labelled with the corresponding day of the week to make it easier for you to keep track. You should take Sunya once a day, at the same time each day, with or without food.

Once you’ve finished the 21 pills in your strip, you should take a 7-day break and take no pills during this time. You’re still protected from pregnancy during that break, but you’re likely to experience a withdrawal bleed similar to a period. Once those 7 pill-free days are over you’ll need to start your next strip, even if you’re still bleeding.

If you miss a pill

If you’re less than 12 hours late in taking a pill, the protection from pregnancy won’t be reduced. If you’re more than 12 hours late, you will have to use a barrier method of contraception. The more pills you miss, the greater your risk of becoming pregnant. Follow the advice below depending on where you’re up to in your strip:

More than one pill forgotten: 

Contact your doctor or Chemist4U pharmacist.

One pill forgotten in week 1: 

Take the forgotten pill as soon as you remember, even if that means taking two in one day. Continue taking your pills at the usual time and use barrier contraception (a condom, for example) for the next 7 days. If you have had sex in the week before forgetting your pill, you could be pregnant - contact your doctor if this is the case.

One pill forgotten in week 2:

Take the forgotten pill as soon as you remember, even if that means taking two in one day. Continue taking your pills at the usual time; you are still protected from pregnancy and don’t need to use extra contraception.

One tablet forgotten in week 3:

You can either take the forgotten pill as soon as you remember, even if that means taking two in one day. Continue taking your pills at the usual time, but instead of taking the 7-day break at the end of the strip, skip this break and go straight to your next strip. Or, you can stop the strip immediately and begin the 7-day break, which will include the day you forgot your pill. After that, start your next strip as normal.

If you are sick or have severe diarrhoea within 3-4 hours of taking Suyna, your body may not have absorbed the active substances in the pill. If you can’t manage to take a spare pill within 12 hours of vomiting or having severe diarrhoea, you should follow the instructions on what to do in the event of a missed pill.

Starting Sunya

When taking Sunya for the first time, either as your first ever contraceptive or after a break from other contraceptives, you should take your first pill on the first day of your period. This way, you will be protected from pregnancy straight away. If you start taking Sunya on a different day, you will have to use a barrier method of contraception for the first 7 days of taking the pills.

If you’re changing from a different type of hormonal contraception, such as another contraceptive pill or an implant, refer to the patient information leaflet about how to switch to Sunya.

Side effects

Like all medicines, there is a possibility that you may experience side effects when taking Sunya. These should usually be mild, and not everyone will experience them. If you experience any signs of severe side effects, such as an allergic reaction or a blood clot, seek medical attention immediately. For information on severe side effects and their symptoms, refer to the patient information leaflet. Common side effects include: 

• Headaches
• Nervousness
• Poor tolerance of contact lenses
• Visual disturbances
• Nausea
• Acne
• Migraine
• Increase in weight
• Fluid retentions
• Bleeding or spotting between periods
• Absence of or reduced periods
• Sore breasts
• Loss of interest in sex
• Depressive moods
• Irritability

For information about uncommon and rare 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.

Blood clots

Using a combined contraceptive pill like Sunya can increase your risk of developing a blood clot. Whilst still rare, the risk is highest during the first year of taking the pill, and you should be aware of the symptoms. Seek emergency medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms: 

• Throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in your leg or arm
• Sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain and a cough or coughing up blood

For further information on the link between the combined contraceptive pill and blood clots, as well as more symptoms to look out for, refer to the patient information leaflet.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer has been found slightly more often in women who take a contraceptive pill compared to women who don’t. Once you stop taking the pill, the risk gradually decreases and 10 years after stopping the pill the risk will be the same as someone who has never taken a contraceptive pill. Breast cancer is still rare for anyone under the age of 40, even in women who take the pill.

Warnings

Sunya is a contraceptive treatment for females only - do not take this medication if you are male. Whilst reliable and suitable for many women, Sunya should not be taken if:

• You have (or have ever had) a blood clot in a blood vessel of your legs (deep vein thrombosis - DVT), your lungs (pulmonary embolism - PE) or any other organs.
• 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 the first sign of a heart attack, or transient ischaemic attack (TIA - temporary stroke symptoms)
• You have severe diabetes with blood vessel damage
• You have very high blood pressure
• You have a very high level of fat in the blood (cholesterol or triglycerides)
• You have 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) inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• You have (or have ever had) liver disease and your liver function is still not normal
• You have (or have ever had) a tumour in the liver
• Your kidneys are not working well (renal failure)
• You have, have had, or are suspected of having breast cancer or cancer of the genital organs
• You have any unexplained bleeding from the vagina
• You are allergic to ethinylestradiol, gestodene or any of the other ingredients in this medicine
• You have hepatitis C and are taking the medicinal products containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir

Some conditions can be affected or made worse by taking Sunya. Speak to your doctor or Chemist4U pharmacist for expert advice before taking this medicine if: 

• You are taking any other medicines or herbal remedies, including those obtained without a prescription
• You have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• You have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• You have haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
• You have sickle cell anaemia
• You have elevated levels of fat in the blood (hypertriglyceridaemia) or a positive family history for this condition
• You need an operation, or you are off your feet for a long time
• You have just given birth
• You have an inflammation in the veins under the skin (superficial thrombophlebitis)
• You have varicose veins
• A close relative has had breast cancer or breast cancer was diagnosed
• You have a disease of the liver or gallbladder
• You have diabetes
• You have epilepsy
• You have any disease that appeared during pregnancy or earlier use of sex hormones
• You have had chloasma (golden brown pigment patches known as pregnancy patches, especially on the face)
• You have hereditary angioedema (severe allergic reaction)

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

You must not take Sunya if you’re pregnant, or think you may be pregnant. You should speak to your doctor or Chemist4U pharmacist before taking Sunya if you’re breastfeeding, to make sure it’s right for you and your baby.

Important information

This product is a medicine; 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 our pharmacist before taking this product. If you suffer from any allergies, ask your doctor or our 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.

Storage

Store below 30°C in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight. Keep Sunya in the original packaging. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date printed on the packaging, referring to the last day of the stated month.