Justima Patient Counseling Information

What to do if: The patient suffers from gastro-intestinal disturbances (e.g. vomiting, severe diarrhea): If the patient vomits, or has severe diarrhea, the active ingredients of Justima may not have been completely absorbed. If there is vomiting within 3 to 4 hours after taking the tablet, this is like missing a tablet. Therefore, follow the advice for missed tablets. If the patient has severe diarrhea, please contact the physician.
The patient has unexpected bleeding: With all Pills, for the first few months, the patient can have irregular vaginal bleeding (spotting or breakthrough bleeding) between the patient's periods. The patient may need to use sanitary protection, but continue to take the tablets as normal. Irregular vaginal bleeding usually stops once the body has adjusted to the Pill (usually after about 3 tablet-taking cycles). If it continues, becomes heavy or starts again, tell the physician.
The patient has missed a period: If the patient has taken all the tablets at the right time, and have not vomited, nor had severe diarrhea or used other medicines then the patient is very likely to be pregnant.
Continue to take Justima as usual. If the patient misses period twice in a row, the patient may be pregnant. Tell the physician immediately. Do not start the next pack of Justima until the physician has checked that the patient is not pregnant.
Changing the period: Before deciding to change the period, the patient should consult the physician.
If the patient is unsure how to proceed, consult the physician for an examination.
The patient want to delay a period: If necessary, the patient can delay the period if the patient start with the next pack of Justima immediately after finishing the current pack. The patient can continue this pack for as long as the patient wish, until this pack is empty. When the patient wishes for the period to begin, just stop tablet-taking. While using the second pack the patient may have some breakthrough bleeding or spotting on tablet-taking days. Start with the next pack after the usual 7-day tablet-free break.
The patient want to change the starting day of the period: If the patient take the tablets as directed, the patient will have period on about the same day every 4 weeks. If the patient want to change this, just shorten, (never lengthen) the next tablet-free break. For example, if the period usually starts on a Friday and in the future the patient want it to be on Tuesday (3 days earlier) the patient should now start the next pack 3 days sooner than the patient usually do. If the patient make the tablet-free break very short (e.g. 3 days or less), the patient may not have a bleeding during the break. The patient may have some breakthrough bleeding or spotting during the use of the next pack.
The patient want to stop using Justima: The patient can stop using whenever the patient wants. If the patient does not want to be pregnant, should consult the physician about using other methods for prevention.If the patient has any questions, please contact the physician.
More about the Pill: The combined pill may also have non-contraceptive health benefits. The period may be lighter and shorter. As a result, the risk of anemia may be lower.
The period pains may become less severe or may completely disappear.
In addition, some serious disorders have been reported to occur less frequently in users of the Pills containing 50 micrograms of ethinylestradiol ('high-dose Pills').
These are benign breast disease, ovarian cysts, pelvic infections (pelvic inflammatory disease or PID), ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the womb) and cancer of the endometrium (lining of the womb) and ovaries. This may also be the case for low-dose Pills but so far this has only been confirmed for endometrial and ovarian cancer.
One of the hormones in Justima, drospirenone, has special properties leading to beneficial effects in addition to contraception. Drospirenone can prevent weight-gain, and other symptoms like bloating and swelling, related to fluid retention caused by hormones both in oral contraceptives and at certain times in the menstrual cycle.
Drospirenone also has antiandrogenic activity which can help to reduce acne (pimples) and greasiness of the skin and hair. These special properties make drospirenone similar to the natural progesterone hormone produces by the body.