Apri drug: Uses, indications and precautions when using

Apri is used to prevent pregnancy. It contains 2 hormones, including progestin and estrogen. Apri works mainly by preventing ovulation during the menstrual cycle. It also thickens vaginal discharge to prevent an egg (fertilization) and changes the lining of the uterus (womb) to prevent a fertilized egg from attaching.

1. How to Use Apri Besides birth control, the Apri birth control pill can make your periods more regular, reduce blood loss and menstrual pain, reduce your risk of ovarian cysts, and can also treat acne treatment.
Using Apri does not protect you or your partner from the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (such as HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia ).
Read the product information given to you by your pharmacist before you start using this medicine. The information provided by the pharmacist is very important, which includes when to take the medicine and what to do if you miss a dose. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Use Apri as directed by your doctor, usually once daily. Choose a time of day that is easy for you to remember and take your medicine at the same time each day.
It is very important to get the best results from your medication that you continue to take this medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor. With certain brands of birth control pills, the amount of estrogen and progestin in each active pill will be different at different times of the cycle.
Therefore, it is very important that you follow the instructions on the product to find the first pill, starting with the first pill and taking it in the correct order. Do not skip any doses. You may be more likely to get pregnant if you miss a pill, start using a new pack of pills, or take your pill at a different time of day than usual.
Vomiting or diarrhea may interfere with oral contraceptives. Therefore, if you have vomiting or diarrhea, you may have to use a backup birth control method (such as condoms, spermicide).
Take Apri after dinner or before going to bed if you have stomach pain or nausea due to taking it. You may choose to take this medication at a different time of day if you find it easier to remember. It is very important that you take this medicine at the same time every day, 24 hours apart. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
Each apri pill pack contains 21 or 7 active pills. Take one active pill (with hormones) once daily for 21 consecutive days. If you are using a product with 28 tablets, take the inactive tablet once daily for 7 consecutive days after you took the last active tablet unless otherwise directed by your doctor. If you are using a product with 21 tablets, do not take any tablets for 7 days unless otherwise directed by your doctor. You will get your period in the fourth week of your cycle. After you take the last inactive pill in the pack or it's been 7 days without an active pill, start a new pack the next day whether or not you get your period. If you do not have periods, consult your doctor.

If this is the first time you are using Apri and you are not switching from another method of birth control (such as using another birth control pill), keep your dosing schedule on the first Sunday after the beginning of your period or on the first day of your period. If your period starts on a Sunday, start taking this medicine that day. Use for the first cycle only, use an extra form of non-hormonal birth control (such as condoms, spermicide) for the first 7 days to prevent pregnancy until the pill has had enough time to work. function. If you start on the first day of your period, you don't need to use backup birth control for the first week.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to switch from other forms of hormonal birth control (such as the patch, other birth control pills) to using apri.
2. Side Effects Using Apri may cause some side effects such as nausea, vomiting, headache, bloating, breast tenderness, swelling ankles/feet (water retention) or weight change. heavy. Vaginal bleeding between periods or missed periods/irregular periods may occur, especially during the first few months of use. If any of these side effects persist or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist right away. If you miss your period 2 times in a row (or 1 period if the pill hasn't been used correctly), contact your doctor for a pregnancy test.
The doctor judged that the benefit to you was greater than the risk of side effects from using Apri, so they prescribed you this medicine. Many people use this medication without any serious side effects.
Apri may increase blood pressure. Conduct regular blood pressure checks and let your doctor know if the results are high.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious signs, including: breast lump, mental/mood changes (such as depression/exacerbation), stomach upset thick, severe abdominal pain, unusual vaginal bleeding (such as continuous bleeding, sudden heavy bleeding, missed periods), dark urine, yellow eyes/skin.
Apri can rarely cause serious problems with blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, stroke). Get medical help right away if any of these side effects occur, including: chest/jaw/left arm pain, confusion, dizziness/sudden fainting, pain/swelling/heat in the groin /calf, difficulty speaking, sudden shortness of breath/rapid breathing, unusual headache (including headache with vision changes/lack of coordination, worse migraine, sudden/very severe headache) , unusual sweating, weakness on one side of the body, vision problems/changes (such as double vision, partial/complete blindness).
Rarely serious side effects have occurred after taking Apri. However, get medical help right away if you notice any unusual symptoms, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, shortness of breath.
The above is not a complete list of possible side effects. Contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately, if you have any unusual symptoms after taking the medicine.
Here are some side effects after using Apri:
2.1 Common side effects Abdominal bloating Acne Chest pain Dizziness Nausea Vomiting Fluid retention

2.2 Uncommon side effects Deep vein clots Too much fat in the blood High blood pressure Headache Migraine Yeast infections in the vagina and vulva Abnormal glucose tolerance test results Prolonged or irregular periods Often Change in sexual preferences Unusually large breasts Headaches Skin becomes more sensitive to the sun Severe stomach cramps Stomach cramps Weight gain Weight loss Appearance of yellow-brown patches on skin 2.3 Effects rare side bile duct obstruction resulting in high levels of bilirubin Blood clot Blood clot in liver veins Breast tumor Heart attack Drug hypersensitivity reaction Liver tumor A significant type of allergic reaction called anaphylaxis Stroke A type of allergic reaction called angioedema Abnormal bleeding in the brain leading to brain tissue damage, called a hemorrhagic stroke Acute obstruction of the mesenteric vein Benign hepatocellular adenoma , a type of liver tumor Cervical dysplasia , the growth of abnormal cells in the cervix Blurring the lens of the eye is called is cataract Decreased kidney function Disease of the gallbladder Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver, a type of liver tumor Gallstones Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition affecting the kidneys and blood High levels of triglycerides blood Inflammation of the large intestine Hepatitis Hepatocellular carcinoma Blood vessel blockage Pancreatitis Sudden blindness and pain when moving the eyes Shortness of breath Unconsciousness Changes in the curvature of the cornea of ​​the eye Decrease in the frequency of a woman's menstrual periods female Skin rash No menstrual period Anxiety Back pain Bleeding unrelated to menstruation Breast milk production unrelated to childbirth or breastfeeding Changes in appetite Depression Diarrhea Difficulty sleeping Ejaculation cervical discharge Cervical growth where normal cells inside the cervix spread to the outer surface of the cervix Allergic skin reaction Erythema Nodosum, a red nodular skin condition and pain Retention of fluid in the legs, feet, arms, or hands Hair loss Hirsutism, a condition of hair growth on parts of the body that b Normally hairless Insufficient folic acid Vaginal inflammation or infection Itching Mood changes Muscle spasms Anxiety Pain during menstruation Pelvic pain Premenstrual syndrome Vaginal dryness Visible fluid retention

3. Precautions Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to any estrogens (such as ethinylestradiol, mestranol) or any progestins (such as norethindrone, desogestrel); or if you have any other allergic reactions. This product may contain inactive ingredients that have the potential to cause allergic reactions or other problems.
Before using Apri, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: blood clots (eg, in legs, eyes, lungs), blood clotting disorders (eg. such as protein C or protein S deficiency), high blood pressure, breast abnormalities, cancer (especially endometrial or breast cancer), high cholesterol or triglyceride levels (blood fats), depression colds, diabetes, family or personal history of a certain swelling disorder (angioedema), gallbladder problems, severe headaches/migraines, heart problems (such as such as valvular heart disease, irregular heartbeat, previous heart attack), history of yellowing of the eyes or skin during pregnancy or while using hormonal contraceptives (such as the pill, patch), kidney disease , liver disease (including tumors), stroke, swelling (edema), thyroid problems, unexplained vaginal bleeding.
This medicine may affect your blood sugar if you have diabetes. Regularly check your blood sugar under your doctor's guidance and share the results with your doctor. Tell your doctor right away if you develop symptoms caused by high blood sugar such as increased thirst/urination. Your doctor will use these results to adjust your diabetes medication, exercise program, or diet.
Tell your doctor if you have had or are going to have surgery or if you will be sitting in a bed or chair for long periods of time (such as a long flight). Conditions that increase your risk of blood clots, especially if you're using hormonal birth control. You may need to stop this medicine for a while or take other special precautions.
Before surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and herbal products).
Apri may cause dark areas on your face and skin (melasma). Sunlight can reduce this effect. Limit your time in the sun. When going outside, you should use sunscreen and wear protective clothing.
If you are nearsighted or wear contact lenses, you may have vision problems or difficulty wearing contact lenses. Contact your ophthalmologist if these problems occur.
It may take longer to get pregnant after you stop taking birth control pills. Consult your doctor.
This medicine should not be used during pregnancy. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor right away. If you've just had a baby or had a miscarriage/abortion after the first 3 months, talk to your doctor about reliable forms of birth control and find out when it's safe to start using birth control. contain a form of estrogen, such as the drug Apri. Taking Apri may decrease breast milk production and may cause unwanted effects on a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before using this medicine if you are breast-feeding.

4. Interactions Interactions between drugs can change the way Apri works or increase your risk of serious side effects. Send your doctor a list of all the products you use (including prescription/over-the-counter drugs and herbal products). Never start, stop or change the dose of any medicine without your doctor's prescription.
Some products that may interact with this drug include: aromatase inhibitors (such as anastrozole, exemestane), ospemifene, tamoxifen, tizanidine, tranexamic acid, certain combination products used to treat hepatitis Chronic C (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir with or without dasabuvir).
Certain medications can make hormonal birth control less effective by reducing the amount of birth control hormones in your body. This effect may lead to pregnancy, such as griseofulvin, modafinil, rifamycins (such as rifampin, rifabutin), St. John's wort, medicine used to treat epilepsy (such as barbiturates, carbamazepine, felbamate, phenytoin, primidone, topiramate), HIV medicine (such as nelfinavir, nevirapine, ritonavir).
Tell your doctor when you start using any new medicine and discuss whether you should use another reliable birth control method. Tell your doctor right away if sudden bleeding occurs, as these can be signs that birth control isn't working well.
Apri may interfere with certain laboratory tests (such as clotting factors), possibly causing false test results.
If you have overdosed and have serious symptoms such as fainting or difficulty breathing, immediately contact the emergency center for timely treatment. Symptoms of an overdose may include severe nausea, vomiting, and sudden/irregular vaginal bleeding.
Do not share Apri with others.
You should have regular physical exams, including laboratory and medical tests (such as blood pressure, breast exam, pelvic exam, uterine smear) to monitor your progress. you and check for side effects.
Consult product package information for advice if you miss a dose. You may need to use backup birth control (such as condoms, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
If you frequently forget to take your pills as directed, contact your doctor to discuss switching to another form of birth control.
Store the medicine at room temperature, away from light and moisture. Keep the medicine away from children and pets.

Article referenced source: Webmd.com