Lucette Contraceptive Pill

Lucette Contraceptive Pill

What is Lucette used for?

Lucette is a combined oral contraceptive pill used to prevent pregnancy. It contains two hormones, ethinylestradiol and drospirenone, which work together to stop you from becoming pregnant.

Like all combined hormonal contraceptives, Lucette doesn’t protect against HIV or any other sexually transmitted infection.

How does Lucette work?

Lucette contains two synthetic hormones: ethinylestradiol (a synthetic oestrogen) and drospirenone (a synthetic progestogen). Together they prevent pregnancy in three ways:

1. Stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg each month
2. Thickening the mucus at the neck of the womb, making it harder for sperm to reach an egg
3. Thinning the lining of the womb, making it less likely that a fertilised egg could implant

Who can use Lucette?

Lucette is suitable for adult women who want a reliable method of contraception. It isn’t suitable for everyone, and your doctor will review your medical history before prescribing it.

Don’t use Lucette if you:

• Have or have ever had a blood clot in a vein or artery, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke
• Have a blood clotting disorder, such as protein C deficiency, protein S deficiency, antithrombin-III deficiency, Factor V Leiden or antiphospholipid antibodies
• Have severe diabetes with blood vessel damage, very high blood pressure, very high cholesterol or triglycerides, or a condition called hyperhomocysteinaemia
• Have or have ever had migraine with aura
• Have or have ever had liver disease and your liver function hasn’t returned to normal
• Have kidney failure
• Have or have ever had a liver tumour
• Have or are suspected of having breast cancer or cancer of the genital organs
• Have any unexplained vaginal bleeding
• Are allergic to ethinylestradiol, drospirenone or any other ingredient in Lucette
• Are allergic to peanuts or soya, as Lucette contains soya lecithin
• Have hepatitis C and are taking certain antiviral medicines containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, dasabuvir, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir
• Are pregnant or think you may be pregnant

Speak to your doctor before taking Lucette if you have or have ever had:

• Breast cancer in a close relative
• A liver or gallbladder disease
• Diabetes
• Depression or mood changes
• Epilepsy
• Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS)
• Sickle cell anaemia
• Elevated fat levels in the blood (hypertriglyceridaemia)
• Varicose veins or superficial thrombophlebitis
• Chloasma (skin discolouration, particularly on the face)
• A condition that first appeared during pregnancy or earlier use of hormones, such as jaundice, itching of the whole body, or gestational herpes

How To Take Lucette

Take one tablet once daily at roughly the same time each day. Lucette can be taken with or without food.

1. Take your first tablet on the first day of your period for immediate protection
2. Swallow it whole with a small amount of water
3. Continue taking one tablet each day for 21 days, following the direction of the arrows on the strip
4. Stop for 7 days – you’ll usually have a withdrawal bleed during this time
5. Start your next strip after the 7-day break, whether or not the bleeding has stopped

Side Effects of Lucette

Like all medicines, Lucette can cause side effects, though not everyone gets them.

Common Side Effects

May affect up to 1 in 10 people:

• Menstrual disorders or bleeding between periods
• Breast pain or tenderness
• Headache
• Depressed mood
• Migraine
• Nausea
• Thick, whitish vaginal discharge or vaginal yeast infection

Uncommon Side Effects

May affect up to 1 in 100 people:

• Breast enlargement
• Changes in interest in sex
• High or low blood pressure
• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Acne, skin rash, severe itching or hair loss
• Vaginal infection
• Fluid retention
• Weight changes

Rare Side Effects

May affect up to 1 in 1,000 people:

• Allergic reactions, including asthma
• Breast secretion
• Hearing impairment
• Skin conditions including painful reddish skin nodules (erythema nodosum) or a rash with target-shaped reddening or sores (erythema multiforme)
• Blood clots in a vein or artery, including DVT, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or blood clots in the liver, stomach, intestine, kidneys or eye

Stop taking Lucette and seek medical attention immediately if you experience:

• Signs of a blood clot, such as sudden swelling or pain in one leg, sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain, sudden severe headache, vision or speech problems, or sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
• Signs of angioedema, such as swollen face, tongue or throat, difficulty swallowing or hives with difficulty breathing

If you get any side effects not listed here, tell your doctor or pharmacist. You can also report side effects directly via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

Lucette Ingredients

Active ingredients: ethinylestradiol 0.03mg and drospirenone 3mg per tablet

Other ingredients: lactose monohydrate, pregelatinised maize starch, maize starch, povidone K-25, magnesium stearate, polyvinyl alcohol, titanium dioxide (E171), talc (E553b), macrogol 3350, lecithin (soya)

Lucette contains lactose. If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to some sugars, speak to your doctor before taking this medicine. Lucette also contains soya lecithin. If you’re allergic to peanuts or soya, don’t use this medicine.

Warnings and Precautions

• Lucette can slightly increase the risk of blood clots in the veins and arteries, particularly in the first year of use or when restarting after a break of 4 or more weeks. This risk is small but increases if you’re very overweight, smoke, are over 35, or have a family history of clots.
• If you smoke and are over 35, your doctor may advise you to use a different contraceptive method.
• Lucette doesn’t protect against HIV or any other sexually transmitted infection.
• Lucette is not suitable for use during pregnancy. If you become pregnant while taking it, stop immediately and contact your doctor.
• Don’t use Lucette if you’re breastfeeding without first speaking to your doctor.
• Some medicines can make Lucette less effective, including treatments for epilepsy, tuberculosis, HIV, high blood pressure in the lungs, fungal infections and St John’s Wort. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines you’re taking.
• Lucette can affect the results of certain blood tests. Tell your doctor or the laboratory that you’re taking the pill before any blood test.
• If you need surgery or are going to be immobile for a long time, tell your doctor you’re taking Lucette. You may need to stop taking it several weeks before the operation to reduce the risk of blood clots.
• If you’ve just given birth, speak to your doctor about when it’s safe to start taking Lucette, as the risk of blood clots is increased in the weeks after delivery.
• Breast cancer has been observed slightly more often in women using combination pills, though it’s not known if the pill causes this. Check your breasts regularly and report any lumps to your doctor.
• Some women using hormonal contraceptives have reported depression or depressed mood. If you experience mood changes, contact your doctor.
• If you have chloasma (brown patches on the skin), avoid excessive sun exposure or sunbed use of a sunbed while taking Lucette.
• Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
• Store below 30°C in the original packaging, away from light.
• Don’t use after the expiry date printed on the pack.