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Cyproterone Acetate + Ethinyl Estradiol

Oral Contraceptive preparations Prescription
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Indications

Cyproterone Acetate + Ethinyl Estradiol tablet is used to treat women who have severe acne that hasn't improved with oral antibiotics or other available treatments. It is meant for women who also show signs of androgenization, such as seborrhea and mild hirsutism.

⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.

Pharmacology

Cyproterone is a steroid with strong antiandrogenic, progestogenic and antigonadotrophic activity. Its antiandrogenic effect comes from blocking androgen receptors. It also lowers androgen synthesis through a negative feedback effect on the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian systems. The estrogen component, Ethinylestradiol, raises the level of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and this reduces the free androgens circulating in plasma. Cyproterone has no tendency to lower SHBG levels.

When Cyproterone is used alone in women, it causes menstrual cycle disturbances. Combining it with Ethinylestradiol avoids this. When the tablet is taken in a cyclic manner, it also prevents ovulation and possible conception.

Both components are absorbed rapidly after oral use. Cyproterone has a long terminal half-life, so its plasma levels rise 4-fold after 6 to 12 days of daily dosing. In long-term therapy (36 months) with this product, there was no significant influence on lipid metabolism. A trend towards higher plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels was seen. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) fell slightly, while high density lipoprotein (HDL) rose at the same time.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Babies born to women who took estrogen/progestogen combinations in early pregnancy have been reported to have fetal abnormalities. If pregnancy is suspected, rule it out as soon as possible. Using these combinations while breast-feeding may not be advisable, because the hormonal components pass into breast milk and may reduce both its quantity and its quality. What this means for the child in the long term is not known. This medicine may also cause fluid retention, which matters in conditions such as epilepsy.

⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Dosage Reference

⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.

Adults: Cyproterone Acetate + Ethinyl Estradiol tablets should not be prescribed only for their contraceptive effect. If the patient may not take the tablets reliably and contraception is needed, a supplementary nonhormonal contraceptive method should be considered. First Treatment Course: The patient takes 1 tablet daily for 21 consecutive days, starting on day 1 of her menstrual cycle. (For the first cycle only, the first day of menstrual flow counts as Day 1.) The tablets are then stopped for 7 days (1 week). Withdrawal bleeding should usually happen during this week off. The first cycle will be a little shorter than usual, while all later cycles last 4 weeks. The patient should take the first tablet from the section of the blister pack marked with the matching day of the week (for example "Mon" for Monday) and swallow it with some liquid. She should take the tablet at the same time each day. Subsequent Courses: The patient starts her next 21-day course, and every course after it, on the same day of the week she began the first one (the same 21 days on, 7 days off). She starts 7 days after stopping, whether or not withdrawal bleeding is still going on. Treatment should continue for several months, since improvement may not be seen for at least 3 months. The treating physician should review the need to continue the tablets from time to time. The medicine should be stopped 3 to 4 cycles after the signs have completely cleared. Pregnancy should be ruled out before treatment with Cyproterone Acetate + Ethinyl Estradiol continues in a patient who has missed a menstrual period. If pregnancy is suspected, the medicine should be stopped. Missed dose: If the patient forgets a tablet at the usual time, she may take it within the next 12 hours. If more than 12 hours have passed since the usual time, she must throw away the missed tablet and take the remaining tablets in the pack at the usual time, so that premature withdrawal bleeding is avoided in this cycle. A supplementary nonhormonal method of contraception must be used until the pack is empty, to prevent pregnancy, which would mean stopping this treatment immediately.

Side Effects & Interactions

Side Effects

No side-effect data recorded yet.