WHAT IS CARPELA?

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CARPELA contains the two combination of Estradiol and Cyproterone

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WHAT CARPELA IS USED FOR?

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It is used,

nTo treat skin conditions such as acne, oily skin and excessive hair growth in women of reproductive age. Due to its contraceptive properties it should only be prescribed for you if your doctor considers that treatment with a hormonal contraceptive is appropriate
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WARNING & PRECAUTION:

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TALK TO DOCTOR

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Talk to your doctor before taking this medicine, if you:

nHave had a blood clot in the leg, lung or other organ at a young age
nAre overweight
nHave polycystic ovary syndrome
nHave recently had a baby
nHave certain rare medical conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn?s disease or ulcerative colitis
nHave sickle cell disease
nHave breast cancer, or have had it in the past
nHave ever had problems with your heart or circulation, such as high blood pressure
nHave had migraines
nAre currently suffering from depression or have done so in the past
nHave the inherited disease called porphyria
nHave inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
nHave brown patches on your face or body (chloasma)
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PREGNANCY & BREAST FEEDING

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Do not use CARPELA if you are pregnant or breast-feeding

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DRIVING & USING MACHINES

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CARPELA has no known effect on the ability to drive or use machines

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INTERACTIONS:

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Talk to doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines such as:

nPrimidone, phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, used to treat epilepsy
nRifampicin, used to treat tuberculosis
nRitonavir, nevirapine, efavirenz, used to treat HIV and Hepatitis C Virus infections
nGriseofulvin, ketoconazole, used to treat fungal infections
nEtoricoxib, used to treat arthritis, arthrosis
nBosentan, used to treat high blood pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs
nTheophylline (used to treat breathing problems)
nTizanidine (used to treat muscle pain and/or muscle cramps)
nCiclosporin
nSt. John’s wort, herbal remedy
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DIRECTIONS & FOR USE:

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Take CARPELA every day for 21 days
nIt comes in strips of 21 pills, each marked with a day of the week
nTake your pill at the same time every day
nStart by taking a pill marked with the correct day of the week
nFollow the direction of the arrows on the strip. Take one pill each day, until you have finished all 21 pills
nSwallow the medicine whole with a glass of water. Do not chew the pill
nAfter you have taken all 21 pills in the strip, you have seven days when you take no pills
nWithin a few days of taking the last pill from the strip, you should have a withdrawal bleed like a period

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If you are relying on this medicine to prevent pregnancy, always take CARPELA as described here. You don?t need to use extra contraception during the seven pill-free days if you have taken your pills correctly and start the next strip of pills on time. Check with your doctor if you are not sure

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Start your next strip on day eight. Start taking your next strip of CARPELA after the seven pill-free days (on day eight) ? even if you are still bleeding. 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. Always start the new strip on time

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If you take CARPELA correctly, you will always start each new strip on the same day of the weeIf you take more CARPELA

nIt is unlikely that taking more than one pill will do you any harm, but you may feel sick, vomit or bleed from the vagina. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms
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nIf you forget to take CARPELA
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nIf you are less than 12 hours late with a pill, take it straight away. Keep taking your pills at the usual time
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nIf you are more than 12 hours late with a pill, or you have missed more than one pill, your contraceptive protection may be reduced
nTake the most recently missed pill as soon as you remember, even if it means taking two at once
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nIf you stop taking CARPELA
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nConsult your doctor before stop taking this medicine
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SIDE EFFECTS OF CARPELA:

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SERIOUS

n• Severe depression
n• Signs of blood clot marked by an unusual sudden cough, severe pain in the chest which may reach the left arm, breathlessness, sudden changes to your hearing, sense of smell or taste, dizziness or fainting, weakness or numbness in any part of your body
n• Signs of a severe allergic reaction or worsening of hereditary angioedema, swelling of the hands, face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat. A swollen tongue/throat may lead to difficulty swallowing and breathing
n• A red bumpy rash (hives) and itching
n• Signs of breast cancer marked by dimpling of the skin, changes in the nipple or any lumps you can see or feel
n• Signs of cancer of the cervix marked by vaginal discharge that smells and/or contains blood, unusual vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain and painful sex
n• Signs of severe liver problems marked by severe pain in your stomach, yellow skin or eyes (jaundice), inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)
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COMMON

n• Feeling sick
n• Stomach ache
n• Weight gain
n• Headaches
n• Depressive moods or mood swings
n• Sore or painful breasts
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UNCOMMON

n• Being sick and stomach upsets
n• Fluid retention
n• Migraine
n• Loss of interest in sex
n• Breast enlargement
n• Skin rash, which may be itchy
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RARE

n• Poor tolerance of contact lenses
n• Increase of interest in sex
n• Vaginal or breast discharge
n• Venous blood clot
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STORAGE:

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Keep this medicine out of reach of children
nStore at room temperature (15-25°C)
nDo not use after the expiry date