“The morning after pill” - what don’t we know about this method of contraception?

Postinor is a branded Hungarian drug that has been registered in Ukraine. Refers to hormonal contraceptives and helps a woman prevent the onset of an unplanned pregnancy within 72 hours.

The drug contains levonorgestrel, which is a synthetic gestagen derived from progesterone. It has a triple pharmacological effect:

• Slows down the production of estrogen in the first phase of the menstrual cycle, which leads to the growth of the layer that lines the uterus and stops the process of egg maturation.
• When the second phase of the cycle occurs, the medicine changes the endometrium, which loses its ability to preserve and maintain the vital activity of the egg after fertilization.
• After unprotected sexual intercourse, it blocks the ovulation process.

In what cases is Postinor prescribed?

The drug is used by women whose periods occur regularly and without delay, as emergency contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancy in case of:

• unprotected sexual intercourse,
• misuse and violation of the barrier function of contraceptives,
• failures in the regimen of taking oral contraceptives—missing three or four tablets.

Postinor tablets are prescribed to women for a short course. The first tablet is taken orally in the first twelve and no later than 72 hours after intimacy with a partner. Then, after twelve hours, take the second one. The maximum time interval between taking two tablets is sixteen hours. Food does not affect the properties of the medication. If vomiting, the patient repeats the course of oral contraception. The medicine is swallowed and washed down with water.

The therapeutic effectiveness of the drug is proportional to the time that has passed since sexual intercourse. The earlier a woman takes the medicine, the lower the risk of becoming pregnant.

INSTRUCTIONS

on the use of Postinor® tablets - how to drink, when and how much.

Manufacturer: Gedeon Richter, Hungary. Gedeon Richter Plc. Gyömrői ut 19-21. H-1103 Budapest Hungary / JSC "Gedeon Richter", 1103 Budapest, st. Dymroyi 19-21, Hungary

Compound:

Active ingredient: Levonorgestrel, 750 mcg tablets: 2 pcs. Excipients: colloidal silicon dioxide, potato starch, magnesium stearate, talc, corn starch, lactose monohydrate.

Description

Tablets are white or almost white, disc-shaped, chamfered, with a circular engraving “INOR” on one side. Efficiency - up to 95% (subject to the instructions for use and timing of administration). The trade name is “Postinor”, ​​the analogue is “Escapelle”.

Postinor is a synthetic gestagen with a contraceptive effect, pronounced gestagenic and antiestrogenic properties. With the recommended dosing regimen, levonorgestrel suppresses ovulation and fertilization if sexual intercourse occurs on “dangerous days”, when the possibility of conceiving a child is greatest. It can also cause changes in the endometrium that prevent implantation of an already fertilized egg. Increases the viscosity of cervical mucus, which interferes with the advancement of sperm. Postinor for abortion is not effective if implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine wall has already occurred - for these purposes there are special means for medical abortion in the early stages.

Application of Postinor

With the help of Postinor tablets, pregnancy can be prevented in approximately 85% of cases. The more time passes between sexual intercourse and taking the drug, the lower its effectiveness (95% during the first 24 hours, 85% from 24 to 48 hours and 55% from 48 to 72 hours).

Thus, it is recommended to start using Postinor tablets as soon as possible (but no later than 72 hours) after sexual intercourse, if no protective measures were taken or they were insufficient.

Indications for taking Postinor are:

1. no contraception was used at all;
2. the condom broke during sexual intercourse;
3. the spermicidal tablet did not have time to dissolve;
4. you made a mistake in calculating the day of ovulation;
5. missed a dose or did not take COCs for two days in a row;
6. you have been a victim of sexual violence.

The drug is indicated for use from 16 years of age. Before you start taking it, be sure to read the instructions, ideally get a consultation with a gynecologist. Adolescents and girls under 16 years of age can take Postinor in exceptional cases (including rape); consultation with a specialist is first required to exclude pregnancy and select the likely best alternative.

How to take Postinor

Postinor is taken orally - you need to take 2 tablets in the first three days after an episode of increased risk of unwanted conception. The second tablet should be taken 12 hours (but not later than 16 hours) after taking the first tablet.

To achieve a more reliable effect, Postinor should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sexual intercourse (no later than 72 hours). If vomiting occurs within 3 hours after taking the 1st or 2nd tablet, you should take another tablet.

Postinor can be used at any time of the menstrual cycle. In case of irregular menstrual cycle, it is necessary to first exclude pregnancy using appropriate methods.

How many times can you take Postinor? After taking emergency contraception, use a local barrier method (eg, a condom) until your next period. Gynecologists do not recommend the use of the drug during repeated unprotected sexual intercourse during the same menstrual cycle due to an increased risk of uterine bleeding, menstrual irregularities and other adverse reactions.

It is unacceptable to use Postinor as a means of permanent contraception, as this reduces its effectiveness and increases the risk of increased adverse effects. As a last resort, it is allowed to take tablets no more than twice within one month.

Should I drink Postinor?

Almost since school age, many girls have known about the “magic pill” Postinor, which is not difficult to buy in a pharmacy in Moscow without a prescription. After all, it can help out in a difficult situation, and prices for Postinor in 2021 - 2021 still seem to be relatively affordable, even for teenage girls. Everything would be fine if it weren’t for the presence of a fairly large number of contraindications and possible side effects for this emergency contraception, which cannot be ignored, especially at a young age.

Postinor or Escapelle?

It is impossible to say which of these two drugs is better, because... in fact, these are the same medicine, because They contain the hormone levonorgestrel. There is only one difference - the composition of 1 tablet of Escapel contains 1.50 mg of active ingredient levonorgestrel, while the Postinor package contains 2 tablets (see photo) of 0.75 mg each. each.

Contraindications

1. hypersensitivity to the components of the drug;
2. severe liver failure;
3. age up to 16 years;
4. established or suspected pregnancy;
5. rare hereditary diseases such as lactose intolerance.
6. diseases of the liver and biliary tract, jaundice, Crohn's disease,
7. period of active lactation.

Postinor is contraindicated for use during pregnancy. If pregnancy occurs while using an emergency method of contraception, then based on the available data, no adverse effect of the drug on the fetus has been identified. Levonorgestrel passes into breast milk. The potential effect of the drug on the child can be practically eliminated if the mother takes both tablets immediately after the next feeding, and after taking them, refrains from feeding for 24 hours.

Side effects

• Allergic reactions: sometimes urticaria, rash, itching, swelling of the face.
• Very often - pain in the lower abdomen, acyclic spotting (bleeding); often - soreness of the mammary glands, delayed menstruation (no more than 5-7 days, if longer - it is indicated to exclude pregnancy).
• Often - nausea; often - vomiting, diarrhea.
• Periodically dizziness, headache.
• Very often - fatigue, weakness, mood changes.

The appearance of pain in the lower abdomen, in the middle, on the right or left, weakness, dizziness, increased heart rate, and fainting may indicate an ectopic (ectopic) pregnancy and requires immediate contact with a gynecological hospital to clarify the diagnosis. A woman’s history of ectopic pregnancy, tubal surgery, or pelvic inflammatory disease and adhesions may speak in favor of an ectopic pregnancy.

After taking Postinor®, menstruation usually proceeds normally and occurs on time. Sometimes menstruation may start a few days earlier or later. Women should be advised to visit a gynecologist to select and begin using one of the methods of regular contraception.

I took Postinor and became pregnant - what to do?

Does Postinor help against pregnancy? In the vast majority of cases, yes, it helps, achieving an effectiveness of 95-98% if the timing and time of taking the tablets is observed according to the instructions for use. However, the effectiveness of this drug may be affected by various factors and, unfortunately, the drug may not work or protect against unwanted conception.

How to understand that Postinor did not help? First of all, pay attention to possible early signs of pregnancy, which usually every girl can feel quite soon. Most often it is the following:

• menstruation after Postinor did not come on time and there is a delay of more than 3-5 days;
• after taking it, bleeding began 2-3 days later, continued for up to 7 days and stopped, but there was no menstruation at the scheduled time;
• taking Postinor caused vomiting after 20-30 minutes, and there is a possibility of a decrease in the effect;
• probable symptoms of conception appeared (nausea, fluid retention, taste and olfactory signals, pain in the lower abdomen, etc.);
• libido has changed, appetite has increased or, conversely, decreased;
• Pharmacy tests show questionable or weakly positive results.

Find out how to determine pregnancy or delay after taking Postinor?

The drug Postinor is not intended for abortion. Taking this drug 72 hours after PA does not save you from unwanted pregnancy, in addition, it causes severe harm to the body. Trying to terminate a pregnancy by drinking a large dose of levonorgestrel is pointless and very harmful - this will not lead to the desired effect, and all hormone-dependent target organs of the female body (ovaries, uterus, mammary glands, etc.) will be dealt a powerful blow with unpredictable consequences.

If postinor did not help and pregnancy occurred, but this is not currently part of your plans, there are civilized methods of early abortion, and there are good specialists and private clinics in Moscow where you can solve this problem with minimal losses!

Analogues of Postinor

If for some reason you cannot drink Postinor, existing analogues (in terms of active substance content or effect) can easily replace it. All drugs - analogues of Postinor are recommended only for emergency (postcoital) contraception (after unprotected sexual intercourse or the unreliability of the method of protection used)!

The active ingredient in all these drugs is the same - levonorgestrel, which suppresses ovulation and fertilization if sexual intercourse occurs in the preovulation phase, when the possibility of fertilization is greatest. They may also cause changes in the endometrium that prevent implantation. Attention!!! The drugs are ineffective if implantation has already occurred.

Analogues of Postinor according to the active substance:

• Microlute; • Levonorgestrel; • Escapelle; • Eskinor-F.

Drugs similar in effect to Postinor:

• Zhenale • Ginepristone • Mifepristone-72 (discontinued).

What's better than Postinor?

Safe analogues of Postinor, safe and less harmful in their effects on the body, are zhenale and gynepristone. The price category for these contraceptive drugs is approximately the same, but the side effects are incomparably different. Below is a comparative table that analyzes the significant properties of these two pharmaceuticals.

Postinor or Zhenale - compare which is better, safer and less harmful

Legend: ✦—minimum, ✦✦✦✦✦—maximum

Postinor: consequences of taking it in women of childbearing age

Emergency contraception Postinor does not always prevent unwanted pregnancy. After taking the medicine, patients may be bothered by bleeding in the period between menstruation, which requires contacting a gynecologist. The medicine causes a week-long delay in menstruation and a feeling of swelling in the mammary glands.

You should not use the medication when you are intimate with a partner within an interval of one menstrual cycle, as the risk of bleeding increases. To protect against unplanned pregnancy after using the medication before the onset of menstruation, you need to use contraceptives that do not contain hormones: condoms, vaginal suppositories.

Price for Postinor

Advice from a gynecologist on the use of postinor and the cost of clinic services in an emergency

Contraindications for use

The drug is not prescribed for:

• hypersensitivity in the patient to the components of the drug,
• liver and kidney failure,
• jaundice,
• thrombosis,
• planning the birth of a child,
• pregnancy and breastfeeding,
• genetic diseases that are accompanied by intolerance to oligosaccharides, since the medication contains lactose,
• suspected ectopic pregnancy,
• inflammation in the fallopian tubes,
• diseases of the small intestine, as the absorption of the drug slows down.

The medication should not be taken by girls under 16 years of age, since the instructions for the drug do not contain information about conducting studies in young patients.

The medicine should not be used before the girl's first menstruation.

Contraindications and side effects of Postinor

The product is contraindicated:

• Girls under 16 years old.
• Persons who have hypersensitivity to levonorgestrel or other components included in the composition.
• During the beginning of pregnancy, including the intended one.
• With a tendency to thrombosis.
• For lactase deficiency and lactose intolerance.

If a woman is prone to ectopic pregnancy or has suffered from inflammatory diseases of the fallopian tubes in the past, then Postinor is also not recommended.

When taking the pills, breastfeeding can be continued after at least 8 hours. The most possible side effects are:

• Nausea, vomiting.
• Increased fatigue.
• Dizziness and headache.
• Pain in the lower abdomen.
• Non-menstrual bleeding.
• Delay of menstruation for 7 days and their irregularity.
• Swelling of the mammary glands.

The occurrence of undesirable effects is caused by the influence of the drug on the hormonal background of a woman. Not all side effects of Postinor may occur. The cycle may not fail.

The drug is prescribed with caution for diseases of the liver and biliary tract, and a tendency to vein thrombosis.

If signs of an ectopic pregnancy appear, such as pain in the lower abdomen, dizziness and increased heart rate, it is necessary to call an ambulance and be hospitalized in a hospital.

Frequently asked questions about Postinor

How to take Postinor?

To protect against unplanned pregnancy, women are prescribed a course of two tablets: the first is taken orally in the first twelve and no later than 72 hours after intimacy with a man, which took place without the use of contraceptives, then the second tablet is taken at a twelve-hour interval. The time interval between taking the first and second tablets is no more than sixteen hours. The medicine is swallowed and washed down with water. If vomiting, the woman repeats the course of two tablets.

How often can you take Postinor?

The medicine is used for emergency prevention of pregnancy, as the medicine causes disruption in the menstrual cycle in women.

How does Postinor work?

The drug has a double effect: it inhibits the release of the egg, which is located in the ovary, and stops the process of fertilization by sperm when it has left the ovary.

Operating principle

Levonorgestrel prevents conception, having a progestogenic and antiestrogenic effect on the body. Preventing the onset and maintenance of pregnancy is manifested in two methods:

• First, the ovulatory process is suppressed, which prevents the release of the egg of ovulation and pregnancy;
• If ovulation has occurred and the egg could be released from the ovary, levonorgestrel prevents implantation of the developing fertilized egg. Rejection of the endometrium occurs, which is manifested by the onset of bleeding, similar to menstruation.

Note!

The description of the drug Postinor on this page is a simplified author’s version of the apteka911 website, created on the basis of the instructions for use.
Before purchasing or using the drug, you should consult your doctor and read the manufacturer's original instructions (attached to each package of the drug). Information about the drug is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as a guide to self-medication. Only a doctor can decide to prescribe the drug, as well as determine the dose and methods of its use.

Which is better: POSTINOR or ESCAPELE

POSTINOR and ESCAPE.
Photo: vchemraznica.ru Both drugs are analogues of each other. Active ingredient: Levonorgestrel. Release form: tablets. The difference between the drugs is the number of tablets in the package and, accordingly, the dosage of the active substance. POSTINOR contains 750 mcg of Levonorgestrel, 2 tablets per package. The drug ESCAPEL, dosage 1.5 mg, 1 tablet in a package. Both drugs are available with a doctor's prescription.

The drugs are produced in Hungary. In terms of cost, ESCAPELE is more expensive than POSTINOR. Price per package from 422 rub.