Brand name :Triphasil (Trifeme) - Oral Contraceptives
Triphasil (Trifeme) are in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means
that Triphasil (Trifeme) will cause birth defects in an unborn baby.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can have very serious negative effects
on a developing baby. Do not take Triphasil (Trifeme) if you are pregnant
or if you think you might be pregnant.
The hormones in Triphasil (Trifeme) pass into breast milk and may
decrease milk production. Do not take Triphasil (Trifeme) without first
talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take my Triphasil (Trifeme) without
a prescriptions?
Take your Triphasil (Trifeme) exactly as directed by your doctor.
If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse,
or doctor to explain them to you.
Take the first pill in a package on the first Sunday after your period
begins (unless otherwise directed by your doctor).Take one pill every
day, no more than 24 hours after your last dose. Try to take the pills
at a time that you will remember every day--for
example just before bed, with a meal, or first thing in the morning.Taking
your pill at night may help to reduce any nausea or headache that you
may experience because of the hormones.If you are on a 28-day cycle,
take one pill every day. When the pack runs out, throw it away. Begin
a new pack the following day. The 28-day
cycle contains seven pills that are either placebos (with no active
ingredients) or iron supplements. These are "reminder" pills
to keep you on your regular cycle. They are taken while you are menstruating.If
you are on a 21-day cycle, take one pill every day for 21 days, then
do not take any pills for 7 days. You should have your period
during the 7 days with no pills. Resume your pills on the 8th day with
a new package.
Follow your doctor's instructions about using a second form of birth
control when you first start taking Triphasil (Trifeme), when you are
taking antibiotics, or if you miss a pill. If you are unsure what to
do in any of these cases, talk to your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor
about how to ensure that you will not become pregnant.
Store Triphasil (Trifeme) at room temperature away from moisture and
heat.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Missing a pill increases the risk of becoming pregnant.
Follow the exact directions on your package information insert concerning
missed doses. If you do not have a package information insert, call
your pharmacist, doctor, or nurse to find out what to do.
In general:
If you miss one dose, take it as soon as you remember or take two
pills at the time of your next regularly scheduled dose. There is little
likelihood that ovulation will occur. You may, however, want to use
a second method of birth control such as a condom or a spermicidal
cream, jelly, or foam for at least seven consecutive days following
the missed tablet to ensure protection from pregnancy.
If you miss two tablets in a row, take the two missed tablets as soon
as you remember or with your next regularly scheduled dose (three total).
Or, you may take two tablets each for the next two regularly scheduled
doses (one missed tablet plus one regularly scheduled tablet for 2
days in a row). Chances are much greater that you may ovulate so you
must use another form of birth control for at least 7 days following
the missed tablets. It is even better to use a second method of birth
control until your next period.
If you miss three tablets in a row, throw away the package and start
a new package on the 7th day after the last day you took a pill. Use
another method of birth control until you have taken a pill for 7 days
in a row. Your period should occur during the 7 days without pills.
If it doesn't, have a pregnancy test before beginning a new package
of pills.
Read all of the information in your package information insert. It
may have slightly different instructions in the case of missed pills.
Talk to your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor if you have any questions.
What happens if I overdose Triphasil (Trifeme)?
Death is not likely to occur from an overdose of Triphasil (Trifeme).
Consult a doctor, an emergency room, or a poison control center for
advice.
Symptoms of an overdose include nausea, vomiting, and menstrual bleeding.
What should I avoid while taking my Triphasil (Trifeme)?
Avoid smoking. Smoking greatly increases your risk of a heart attack,
stroke, or blood clot formation.
Triphasil (Trifeme) do not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases--including
HIV and AIDS.
What are the possible side effects of my Triphasil
(Trifeme) pills?
If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop
taking your Triphasil (Trifeme) and seek emergency medical attention:
* an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat;
swelling of your 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 your Triphasil (Trifeme) 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:
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.
What other drugs will affect my Triphasil (Trifeme)?
Some drugs may decrease the effectiveness of Triphasil (Trifeme),
which may result in pregnancy. Use a second form of birth control if
you are taking
* a penicillin antibiotic such as amoxicillin (Amoxil, Polymox, Trimox,
Wymox, Utimox, A-Cillin, Larotid, Augmentin, others), ampicillin (Principen,
Omnipen, Penamp, Polycillin, Amplin, Amcill, Totacillin, others), bacampicillin
(Spectrobid), carbenicillin (Geocillin), cloxacillin (Cloxapen, Tegopen),
dicloxacillin (Dynapen, Dycill, Pathocil), nafcillin (Nafcil, Nallpen,
Unipen), oxacillin (Bactocill, Prostphlin), or penicillin (Veetids,
Pen Vee K, Bicillin, Permapen, others);
* a tetracycline antibiotic such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline
(Doryx, Doxy, Vibramycin, Vibra-Tabs, others), minocycline (Minocin), or tetracycline
(Sumycin, Teracyn, Achromycin, Robitet, Panmycin, others);
* a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital
(Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
* rifampin (Rifadin);
* phenytoin (Dilantin);
* carbamazepine (Tegretol); or
* griseofulvin (Grisactin, Grifulvin V, Fulvicin PG).
Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Triphasil (Trifeme). Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription
or over-the-counter medicines.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist has additional information about Triphasil (Trifeme)
written for health professionals that you may read.
What does my medication look like?
Many brand and generic formulations of Triphasil (Trifeme) are available.
The pills are arranged by day of use in blister or dial packs. There
may be pills of one, two, or three or more colors in the same package.
Ask your pharmacist any questions you might have about your medication
or about any pills that do not look familiar to you.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children,
never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only
for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided
by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete,
but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained
herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled
for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States
and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United
States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise.
Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients
or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational
resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring
for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as
a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge
and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning
for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed
to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or
appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility
for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information
Multum provides.
