Utovlan

Utovlan tablets are a medication used to delay menstruation. They are also prescribed to treat a range of menstrual conditions, such as heavy periods, painful periods, irregular periods, PMS and endometriosis and are sometimes given to breast cancer patients. The active ingredient in Utovlan is the progestogen norethisterone. When taken as prescribed, it stops your period until you stop taking it. Please note, that Zava only prescribes Utovlan for the purpose of period delay. If you need to be treated for a menstrual disorder, please visit your local GP.

Utovlan is not a contraceptive pill and it does not prevent pregnancies. You need to make sure you are using appropriate protection, for example a condom, if you have sex while taking the tablets.

To delay your period with Utovlan, you need to take three tablets per day. The tablets need to be taken at regular intervals, one in the morning, one at midday and one in the evening. You will start your course three days before your period is due to start. If you have forgotten one dose, take it as soon as you remember and then continue your treatment at the correct time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed tablet.

Your period will return about three days after you have finished your course. If you do not experience a period and have had sexual intercourse during your treatment, visit your doctor. Your doctor will check whether you are pregnant.

Utovlan tablets contain a hormone and it is a prescription-only medication. A doctor needs to review whether Utovlan is suitable for you. While most women can take the tablets, in some cases it may be necessary to abstain from using period delay tablets.

• you are allergic to any of the ingredients in Utovlan
• you have a family history of blood clots or thrombosis
• you have ever had a blood clot or thrombosis
• you have ever had a heart attack or angina
• you have liver problems
• you are pregnant or breastfeeding
• you have ever had any unexplained vaginal bleeding
• you have ever suffered from a condition called pemphigoid gestationis (which causes an itchy rash on the abdomen) or jaundice
• you are suffering from pruritus, a generalised itch all over your body
• you suffer from the blood disease porphyria

In some cases, Utovlan may not be safe for you to use. However, your doctor may suggest that you use a different type of hormone medication called Provera. This is another type of progestogen which is felt to be safer than Utovlan in some cases. It doesn’t have a license for period delay, but it’s licensed to be used for many other period problems.

The active ingredient in Utovlan is the progestogen norethisterone. Progesterone is a naturally occurring female sex hormone. Norethisterone is a synthetic version of this hormone. The tablets also contain maize starch, lactose monohydrate, polyvidone and magnesium stearate.

Each Utovlan tablet contains 5 mg of norethisterone. In order to stop your period, you need to take three tablets every day, which amounts to a daily dose of 15mg norethisterone. When using Utovlan tablets to treat other conditions, such as heavy periods, your GP may recommend a different dosage or duration of your course.

How long you need to take Utovlan for depends on how long you would like to delay your period for. The tablets are not suitable for delaying your menstruation on a permanent basis. They are available in packs of 30, 60, or 90 tablets suitable for a treatment duration of 10, 20 or 30 days.

Stop taking Utovlan if you experience:

• feeling faint
• wheezing and difficulty breathing
• swellings of your face and tongue
• swellings of your hands and feet
• itchy skin rash
• coughing up blood
• shortness of breath
• faints and collapses
• rapid heartbeat
• symptoms of a stroke such as severe headache, visual disturbances, difficulty speaking, feeling of numbness in parts of your body
• pain or tenderness in your calf, foot, leg or ankle
• purple discolouration of your skin or your skin starts to feel warm to the touch

Seek medical help if you experience jaundice or a migraine headache for the first time.

Read the patient information leaflet for a complete list of all known side effects of Utovlan.

Utovlan tablets interact with certain kinds of medication. This includes:

• certain antibiotics (including tetracyclines, rifampicin, co-trimoxazole)
• some medicines which are used to control epilepsy (such as phenytoin, carbamazepine)
• medications used to treat HIV and AIDS, for example ritonavir and nelfinavir
• certain anticancer medicines
• the herbal remedy St. John’s Wort
• Aminoglutethimide, a medication used to treat Cushing’s Syndrome
• the drug ciclosporin, which is used to suppress the immune system
• some non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (used to treat inflammation and pain)
• some high blood pressure medications