Desogen

Desogen is a hormonal oral birth control method. Desogen is sold under the generic names ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel. Desogen pills are packaged 28 to a case, consisting of 21 active pills and 7 "reminder" pills. The "reminder" pills contain no hormones; they are only used to keep the patient used to taking a pill every day. When taking the "reminder" pills, you will have your menstrual period. Breakthrough, or non-menstrual bleeding, or spotting is possible at any time in your cycle, especially during the first three months of taking hormonal birth control such as Desogen. Desogen works by preventing ovulation, therefore preventing fertilization and pregnancy.

Side effects of Desogen include weight gain (which may lead to bigger breasts), hair loss, and acne. These side effects are due to the hormones in Desogen. Some patients report different types of mood changes when on Desogen. If the mood changes become severe or troublesome, notify your doctor. Rarely, serious side effects may occur, such as blood clot formation or stroke. You should tell your doctor if you have any heart conditions, history of stroke, or have had breast cancer or reproductive organ cancer.

Women who are pregnant or nursing should not take Desogen. Women on hormonal birth control such as Desogen also should not smoke, as smoking increases the risk of major side effects. Desogen should be taken exactly as prescribed, one pill per day, in the order they are packaged. Missing a dose may cause you to ovulate, and therefore you may become pregnant. Follow the directions in your pill pack if you miss a dose of Desogen, as the steps you need to take will differ, depending on how many pills you missed, and during what week in your cycle the pills were missed.

Oral birth control methods such as Desogen will not protect you against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, the use of condoms is recommended to guard against these diseases. Condoms or another birth control method should also be used during your first pack of pills, to allow the hormones time to absorb into your system and prevent ovulation. Many antibiotics can decrease the effectiveness of Desogen, so if you are prescribed antibiotics, let your doctor know you are taking Desogen. He or she may prescribe a different antibiotic, or advise you to use a backup birth control method while you are on the antibiotics.

Some people have called for Desogen and other birth control pills containing desogestrel to be banned, citing a higher risk of blood clots than other birth control pills. Therefore, you should discuss Desogen use fully with your doctor to determine if it is right for you.