Marolin®

Marvelon comes in strips of 21 pills, each marked with a day of the week.

• Take your pill at the same time every day.
• Start by taking a pill marked with the correct day of the week.
• Follow the direction of the arrows on the strip. Take one pill each day, until you have finished all 21 pills.
• Swallow each pill whole, with water if necessary. Do not chew the pill.

Contraindications:

You should not use Marolin if you have any of the conditions listed below. If you do have any of the conditions listed below, you must tell your doctor. Your doctor will discuss with you what other form of birth control would be more appropriate.

• If you have (or have ever had) a blood clot in a blood vessel of your legs (deep vein thrombosis, DVT), your lungs (pulmonary embolus, PE) or other organs;
• If you know 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;
• If you need an operation or if you are off your feet for a long time.
• If you have ever had a heart attack or stroke
• If you have (or have ever had) angina pectoris (a condition that causes severe chest pain and may be a first sign of a heart attack) or transient ischaemic attack [TIA -temporary stroke symptoms])
• If you have any of the following diseases that may increase your risk of a clot in the arteries:
  • severe diabetes with blood vessel damage,
  • very high blood pressure,
  • a very high level of fat in the blood (cholesterol or triglycerides),
  • a condition known as hyperhomocysteinaemia;
• If you have (or have ever had) a type of migraine called ‘migraine with aura’;
• If you have or have recently had a severe liver disease;
• If you have ever had a liver tumour;
• If you have or have had a pancreatitis (an inflammation of the pancreas) associated with high levels of fatty substances in your blood;

Interactions:

Anticoagulants, OCPs, Antibiotics, Barbiturates, Carbamazepine, Griseofulvin, Phenytoin, Rifampine

Pregnancy and Lactation:

Use is contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation

Warning and Precaution:

Tell your doctor if any of the following conditions apply to you.

• If you have ever had problems with your heart, circulation or blood clotting.
• If you have diabetes.
• If you have ever had kidney or liver problems.
• If you have ever had severe depression.
• If you have ever had migraines.
• If you have had problems while pregnant or while using the pill, like:
  • itching of the whole body (pruritus),
  • jaundice which was not caused by infection,
  • gall stones,
  • systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE),
  • a blister-like rash, called herpes gestationis,
  • a hearing problem called otosclerosis,
  • other rare conditions called porphyria and hereditary angioedema.
• If you have brown patches on your face or body (chloasma) – if so avoid too much exposure to the sun or ultraviolet light.
• If you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (chronic inflammatory bowel disease).
• If you have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE – a disease affecting your natural defence system).
• If you have haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS – a disorder of blood clotting causing failure of the kidneys).
• If you have sickle cell anaemia (an inherited disease of the red blood cells).
• If you have elevated levels of fat in the blood (hypertriglyceridaemia) or a positive family history for this condition. Hypertriglyceridaemia has been associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
• If you need an operation, or you are off your feet for a long time.
• If you have just given birth you are at an increased risk of blood clots. You should ask your doctor how soon after delivery you can start taking Marolin.
• If you have an inflammation in the veins under the skin (superficial thrombophlebitis).
• If you have varicose veins.

Adverse Reactions:

Like all medicines, Marolin can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If you get any side effect, particularly if severe and persistent, or have any change to your health that you think may be due to Marolin, please talk to your doctor.

An increased risk of blood clots in your veins (venous thromboembolism (VTE)) or blood clots in your arteries (arterial thromboembolism (ATE)) is present for all women taking combined hormonal contraceptives.

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• Headache;
• Putting on weight;
• Breast problems, such as painful or tender breasts;
• Depression or mood changes;
• Stomach problems, such as nausea; abdominal pain;

Storage:

Store below 30 and protect from light and moisture.