Ovranette is a monophasic birth control pill, classified as a combined oral contraceptive. Developed and manufactured in the UK by Pfizer pharmaceutical company, Ovranette is commonly prescribed not only for the prevention of unwanted pregnancy, but also for management of heavy periods marked by excessive bleeding and pain. As a hormonal combined contraceptive pill, it contains two active ingredients, synthetic, manmade hormones ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel which efficiently mimic the activity of naturally-occurring sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone, respectively. The mechanism of action of Ovranette that prevents conception is directly tied to these properties of its active ingredients.

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How reliable is Ovranette?

Just like most other birth control pills available on the UK market, Ovranette is advertised as 99% effective when it comes to preventing pregnancy. However, in order to ensure maximum level of protection, you have to be especially careful regarding various medications, remedies and foodstuffs that have been known to have an adverse impact on the efficiency of Ovranette.

If you cannot avoid consuming these remedies, you should make sure to use barrier contraceptives for as long as they are present in your system. The information provided in the official patient information leaflet contains a full list of substances that can impair the protection provided by Ovranette alongside estimates regarding how long the impairment might last. The substances in question include:

  • Epilepsy medications
  • Bosentan
  • Antibiotics
  • HIV medications
  • Aprepitant
  • Fosaprepitant
  • Modafinil
  • Barbiturates
  • St John’s wort
  • Metoclopramide
  • Medical charcoal
  • Colesevalem
  • Ciclosporin
  • Slegiline

It is also important to note that unlike majority of the birth control pills available in the UK markets, Ovranette is a monophasic treatment, meaning it contains the same amounts of both synthetic hormones in every pill. Because of this, Ovranette is significantly less likely to cause side effects related to fluctuations and imbalance in the levels of sex hormones.

How does Ovranette work?

The most commonly prescribed birth control pills available on the UK market are hormonal tablets which contain synthetic versions of naturally-occurring sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Ovranette is no different. With ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel as its active ingredients, it will efficiently mimic the activity of these hormones. But, how exactly does this work?

Progesterone plays a crucial role in the female body when it comes to various biochemical processes that aim to prepare the body for pregnancy. Most importantly, progesterone is the hormone that directs the release of the egg cell from the ovaries – a process called ovulation without which the conception is absolutely impossible. This is where Ovranette comes into play. By mimicking the activity of progesterone through levonorgestrel, it will change the detected levels of the hormone in the body, tricking it into “thinking” that ovulation already took place, so another egg cell won’t get released that month.

Oestrogen plays an important, although not as central role when it comes to conception. Of course, as the existence and efficiency of progesterone-only mini-pills highlights, synthetic oestrogen is not necessary in birth control pills for them to work. But, combined oral contraceptives such as Ovranette that do contain synthetic oestrogen (ethinylestradiol in this case), it can serve as a kind of second-line defence. By increasing the thickness of vaginal fluid, synthetic oestrogen will make it harder for sperm to navigate through the cervix and reach the fallopian tubes. And, by changing the environment by the uterine wall, it will make it significantly more for the egg cell to implant into the womb following conception.

Because of all these protections, combined contraceptive pills such as Ovranette are considered to be even more reliable as compared to their progesterone-only counterparts.

How to take Ovranette?

In order to make the most out of taking Ovranette and ensure maximum level of protection, you need to pay special attention to always use this contraceptive pill exactly as instructed by your doctor and in line with the official information that you can find in the official patient information leaflet that is issued within every pack of Ovranette. These two – the doctor’s advices and official guidelines – are the backbone of proper use of the medication. It is also important to note that in case you experience side effects with Ovranette, you should seek out a milder treatment such as Qlaria.

Below, we will provide you with some of the most general guidelines related to proper use of Ovranette. However, it is very important to note that the text that follows is intended to be used for illustrative purposes, in other words, to help you get a better idea of what taking Ovranette might involve. As such, it cannot be used as a replacement for the doctor’s instructions or the official guidelines.

  • Always take exactly as instructed
  • Never go against the official guidelines
  • Ovranette pills should be taken continuously over the period of 21 days before a 7-day break when no pills are taken
  • Following the one-week break, repeat the course
  • During the first three weeks, take one tablet daily; be careful to take each pill at roughly the same time of the day
  • Take Ovranette pills with water, never chew or break them
  • If you miss a dose, do not try to compensate by doubling the next dose; instead, please consult the leaflet on how to proceed

What are Ovranette side effects?

As was mentioned, Ovranette is a monophasic birth control pill which contains the same levels of both synthetic sex hormones in each and every pill, making it especially suitable for women who cannot use other contraceptive pills due to susceptibility to side effects rooted in imbalance and fluctuations of the sex hormones. However, this doesn’t make it completely free from side effects. Especially when it comes to those most dangerous side effects which will require you to halt treatment and seek immediate medical advice, Ovranette is very similar to other oral contraceptives on the market. This means that you will have to be careful and pay attention to any potential signs and symptoms indicative of the following:

  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Blood clot
  • Liver disease
  • Breast or cervical cancer
  • Allergic reaction

Other documented side effects, which are certainly not as dangerous, but are undoubtedly uncomfortable, include:

Frequency of occurrence Side effects
Very common (1 in 10 women or more) Headaches and migraines, irregular menstrual bleeding or spotting
Common (1 in 10 women or less) Thrush, stomach pain, weight fluctuations, dizziness, anxiety, nausea (sometimes with vomiting), acne, breast tenderness or pain
Uncommon (1 in 100 women) Diarrhoea, loss of appetite, irregular menstrual discharge, fluid retention, hives, rash, changes in blood pressure
Rare (1 in 1000 women) Changes in glucose tolerance, eye irritability and dryness, erythema nodosum, erythema multiforme, painful periods, absence of periods, vaginal discharge

Please keep in mind that this is not a full list of all documented side effects. For a more comprehensive overview, please consult the patient information leaflet that you can find within your pack of Ovranette.