About:

Norimin tablets are a type of hormonal contraception commonly known as 'the pill' or combined oral contraceptive pill. Norimin tablets contain two active ingredients, ethinylestradiol and norethisterone. These are synthetic versions of the naturally occurring female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. Ethinylestradiol (previously spelt ethinyloestradiol in the UK) is a synthetic version of oestrogen and norethisterone is a synthetic form of progesterone.

Combined oral contraceptives like Norimin work by over-riding the normal menstrual cycle. In a woman's normal menstrual cycle, levels of the sex hormones change throughout each month. The hormones cause an egg to be released from the ovaries (ovulation) and prepare the lining of the womb for a possible pregnancy. At the end of each cycle, if the egg has not been fertilised the levels of the hormones fall, causing the womb lining to be shed as a monthly period.

The hormones also increase the thickness of the natural mucus at the neck of the womb, which makes it more difficult for sperm to cross from the vagina into the womb and reach an egg. They also change the quality of the womb lining (endometrium), making it less likely that a fertilised egg can implant there.

How Taken:

Norimin is a monophasic pill. This means that each tablet has the same dose of hormones in it. One tablet is taken every day for 21 days and you then have a seven day break from pill-taking. During your seven day break, the levels of the hormones in your blood drop, which results in a withdrawal bleed that is similar to your normal period. You start the next pack after the seven pill-free days are up, even if you are still bleeding.

The tablets come in a calender pack marked with days of the week to help you remember to take a pill every day for three weeks, followed by a week off. You will still be protected against pregnancy in your pill-free week, provided you took all the pills correctly, you start the next packet on time and nothing else happened that could make the pill less effective.

The contraceptive pill results in lighter, less painful and more regular menstrual bleeding. This means it is sometimes prescribed for women who have problems with particularly heavy, painful or irregular periods.

Missed Dose:

If you forget to take a pill, you should take it as soon as you remember (even if that means taking two pills in one day) and then continue to take your pills, one every day, as normal.

With Norimin, if you have missed ONE or TWO pills, you will still be protected against pregnancy and you don't need to use extra contraception. Take the last pill you missed as soon as you remember, then continue taking your pills, one every day, as normal.

If you forget to take THREE or more pills, you won't be protected against pregnancy. You should take the last pill you missed as soon as you remember, forget the other missed ones and then continue to take your pills, one every day, as normal. You should then either not have sex, or use an extra barrier method of contraception, eg condoms, until you have taken a pill correctly for next seven days in a row.

If the pills you missed were in the third week of your packet, you should skip the pill-free week and start a new packet straight away.

If the pills you missed were in the first week of your packet and you had unprotected sex in that week, or in the pill-free week before, it may be recommended that you take emergency contraception (the morning after pill). Ask for medical advice.

Side effects:

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. See also the warnings above. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

Common side effects: nausea and vomiting; headache/migraine; breast tenderness, enlargement; weight changes; retention of water in the body tissues (fluid retention); vaginal thrush (candidiasis); change in menstrual bleeding; menstrual spotting or breakthrough bleeding; depression; skin reactions; decreased sex drive; rise in blood pressure; irregular brown patches on the skin, usually of the face (chloasma); steepening of corneal curvature which may make contact lenses uncomfortable; disturbance in liver function; gallstones; blood clots in the blood vessels