Dienogest

Side effects tend to occur during the first few months of taking dienogest, and reduces or goes away after a period of treatment. Inform your doctor if these side effects become bothersome.

• Menstrual irregularities (if bleeding is heavy and continuous over time, it may lead to anaemia)
• Headache, Back pain
• You may take Paracetamol to relieve headaches and back pain
• Breast tenderness
• Hot flushes
• Wear loose fitting clothes or go to areas with air-conditioning
• Mood changes
• Acne
• Use gentle, fragrance-free facial cleansers. Avoid picking or squeezing pimples.
• Stomach discomfort (e.g. nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain)
• Take the medication after food to reduce these side effects.
• Weight gain
• Choose to have smaller but more frequent meals and select healthier snacks

Rare but serious side effects include the formation of blood clot. However, this side effect is rare and the doctor would have evaluated and weighed its benefits over risks before prescribing the medication for you.

The symptoms of blood clot include one or more of the following:

• Any unusual sudden cough, breathlessness or difficulty in breathing
• Severe pain in the chest which may reach the left arm
• Severe pain in legs or swelling in either of your legs
• Weakness or numbness in any part of your body
• Change in your speech, including slurring of words
• Change in your senses of hearing, smell or taste
• Vision changes such as loss of vision/ blurred vision

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

​Inform your healthcare professional if:

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies.
• You are taking hormone contraceptives (tablet, patch, intrauterine system (IUD))
• You have a history of or current medical conditions such as liver problems, stroke, heart disease, migraine headaches, epilepsy, diabetes or cancer

​Some medications including antibiotics, antifungals and St John’s wort may affect how Dienogest works or be affected by Dienogest. Please inform other healthcare professionals about the medication you are taking if you are seeing them for other medical conditions.

Avoid taking grapefruit when you are taking this medicine as grapefruit may interact with your medicine and increase the risk of side-effects.

• ​Do not stop taking your medication without checking with your healthcare professional.
• You should stop taking other hormonal treatments before starting this medication.
• You should take this medication after food.
• You may start taking this medication on any day of the menstrual cycle.
• You should take one tablet daily without break, preferably at the same time every day, regardless of menstrual bleeding.
• When a pack is finished, the next pack should be started without interruption.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose.
• If you vomit or have diarrhoea within 3 – 4 hours after taking a tablet, the tablet may not be absorbed. This is considered a missed dose and you should take another tablet.

​Keep your tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them.

​Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing into the rubbish chute or bin.