Norinyl-1 1mg/50mcg - 63 Tablets (3-month course)

Contraception Doctor Service

Norinyl-1 is one of a group of medicines called combined oral contraceptives or “the Pill”. Norinyl-1 contains two hormones - a progestogen hormone called norethisterone and an estrogen hormone called mestranol.

These two hormones act together to prevent pregnancy from occurring and help to stop you from getting pregnant, just as your natural hormones would stop you conceiving again when you are already pregnant.

The combined contraceptive pill protects you against pregnancy in two ways:

• The hormones in Norinyl-1 (mestranol and norethisterone) prevent your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation)
• They also make it difficult for sperm to reach an egg, or for an egg to implant itself in the lining of the womb.

When taken correctly, Norinyl-1 is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. Please note – you should only start Norinyl-1 if you’re sure you’re not pregnant.  

Important things that you SHOULD know about your medicine:

• Norinyl-1 is an oral contraceptive medicine for use by women
• This medicine has been prescribed for you. Do not pass it on to others
• You should take Norinyl-1 regularly as instructed by your doctor or nurse, in order for it to be effective.  When taken as instructed, it is a very effective contraceptive
• Most people do not have serious problems when taking Norinyl-1 but side effects can occur
• Taking some other medicines may stop Norinyl-1 from working properly. Check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before taking any other medicines while you are taking Norinyl-1

You can order Norinyl-1 tablets from our UK registered online pharmacy and doctor service. To see if you are suitable for this treatment, complete the online assessment and checkout. Our UK registered doctors will review the order and after approval pass the prescription to the Pharmacy team. We will then dispense and dispatch your order to your chosen address.

A good self care guide and information for contraceptives is available on the NHS website.

NHS - Contraception

Rigevidon tablets, like other hormonal contraceptives, do not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) or any other sexually transmitted disease.

What Is In Norinyl?

Norinyl is a combined oral contraceptive pill. It contains two synthetic hormones, contains two hormones - a progestogen hormone called norethisterone and an estrogen hormone called mestranol.

How Does Norinyl Work?

The hormones in Norinyl-1 (mestranol and norethisterone) prevent your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation). They also make it difficult for sperm to reach an egg, or for an egg to implant itself in the lining of the womb.

When Do I Take Norinyl?

Rigevidon is best taken at the same time each day, every day, for 21 days of your cycle. 

What Are The Advantages Of The Combined Oral Contraceptive?

• Can reduce the risk of some cancers
• Can improve acne symptoms 
• Can reduce menopausal symptoms

What are the disadvantages of the Combined Oral Contraceptive?

• Can cause headaches, breast tenderness and mood changes
• Can increase blood pressure
• Can experience breakthrough bleeding

What are the advantages of Progesterone only contraceptives?

• Reduced likelihood of side effects associated with combined pill
• Can be used during breastfeeding
• Can help with premenstrual symptoms

What are the disadvantages of Progesterone only contraceptives?

• Can cause irregular periods
• Can cause periods to be more frequent, or stop altogether
• Must be taken at the same time each day

Which pill is right for me?

Prescribers will take a thorough medical history before choosing the right contraceptive pill for you. For most people, the combined contraceptive pill works best. For those who are over 35, smoke, suffer from migraine or have other risk factors your doctor will look into, the Progesterone-only pill may be more suitable.

Am I protected straight away?

Some pills, if taken correctly, will provide protection immediately, while others take time to provide contraceptive cover. Refer to your patient information leaflet to find out when you are protected on your pill.

Do I still need to use a condom?

Although you will be covered against pregnancy with the pill, it is always advised to use a condom. This is to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

I forgot to take my pill – what should I do?

You should always take your pill around the same time each day to ensure maximum contraceptive cover. Different pills vary in the amount of time you can delay your dose. Always refer to your prescribed medication’s patient information leaflet to find more detailed information relating to missed doses.

Like all medicines, Norinyl can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. While side effects are usually uncommon and mild in nature, it is best to be aware of any that may occur. If you get any side effects, particularly if severe and persistent, or have any change to your health that you think may be due to Norinyl, please talk to your doctor.

Do not take Norinyl-1:
• if you are allergic to norethisterone, mestranol or any of the other ingredients of this
medicine (listed in section 6).
• if you are currently pregnant.
• if you have had blood clots in the legs, blood clots in varicose veins, the lungs, the brain
or elsewhere (coronary and cerebral thrombotic disorders).
• if you or a member of your family have ever had a problem with blood clots, including
deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
• if you have had swelling (inflammation) of a vein caused by a blood clot.
• if you have had a heart attack or stroke or have had or have angina.
• if you have had or have high levels of fats in your blood (hyperlipidaemia) or other
disorders of body fats.
• if you have had or have cancer of the breast, cervix, vagina or womb.
• if you have had the following during pregnancy:
o pruritus (itching of the whole body)
o jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), for which your doctor could not find the
cause
o pemphigoid gestationis (a rash previously known as herpes gestationis typically
with blistering of the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet).
• if you have had or have severe chronic liver disease (liver tumours, Dubin-Johnson or
Rotor syndrome).
• if you have had or have vaginal bleeding, for which your doctor could not find the cause.
• if you have had or have bad migraines.
• if you have hepatitis C and are taking the medicinal products containing
ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and/or dasabuvir (see also in section ‘Other medicines
and Norinyl-1’).
 Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Norinyl-1 if you have any of the following
conditions. This will help them decide if Norinyl-1 is suitable for you:
• Migraine
• Headaches
• Slow or sudden development of visual disturbances such as complete or partial loss of
vision
• Asthma
• Epilepsy (a condition where you suffer from fits)
• Diseases of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
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• Kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis (a problem of the nervous system)
• Tetany (muscle twitches)
• Breast problems of any sort
• Varicose veins (widened or twisted vein usually in the leg)
• Liver dysfunction
• Severe depression
• Fibroids in your uterus
• Irregular periods
• Sharp pain in your abdomen
• Gallstones
• Sickle-cell anaemia
• Otosclerosis (an inherited form of deafness)
• Porphyria (a metabolic disease)
• Chloasma (brown patches on your skin which can happen during pregnancy but may not
fade completely)
• Any disease that is likely to get worse during pregnancy.
Psychiatric disorders
Some women using hormonal contraceptives including Norinyl-1 have reported depression or
depressed mood. Depression can be serious and may sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts. If you
experience mood changes and depressive symptoms contact your doctor for further medical
advice as soon as possible.
Possible risk of Thrombosis (Blood Clot)
Some evidence suggests that women who take the Pill are more likely to develop various blood
circulation disorders than women who don’t take the Pill.
A thrombosis is a blood clot. A thrombosis can develop in veins or in arteries and can cause a
blockage. The chance of a thrombosis forming in women taking the Pill and women not taking
the Pill is rare. When blood clots form in arteries they can cause chest pain (angina), strokes
(blood clots in or bleeding from the blood vessels in the brain) and heart attacks.
If blood clots form in veins they can often be treated, with no long-term danger. On rare
occasions a piece of thrombosis may break off. It can travel to the lungs to cause a condition
called pulmonary embolism. Therefore in rare cases a thrombosis can cause serious permanent
disability or could even be fatal.
It is important to note that a thrombosis can form in people who are not taking the Pill as well as
those who are taking it. The risk is higher in women who take the Pill than in women who don’t
take the Pill, but is not as high as the risk during pregnancy. The excess risk of thrombosis is
highest during the first year a woman ever uses a combined oral contraceptive pill.
For healthy non-pregnant women: the chance of having a blood clot is about 5 in 100,000 each
year.
For women taking the Pill containing either levonorgestrel or norethisterone (a second generation
Pill): the chance of having a blood clot is about 15 in 100,000 each year.
For women taking the Pill containing desogestrel or gestodene (a third generation Pill): the
chance of having a blood clot is about 25 in 100,000 each year.
For women who are pregnant: the chance of having a blood clot is about 60 in 100,000
pregnancies.
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The risk of heart attacks and strokes for women who use the combined Pill increases with age and
smoking. Other conditions also increase the risk of blood clots in the arteries. These include
being greatly overweight, having diseased arteries (atherosclerosis), high blood pressure during
pregnancy (pre-eclamptic toxaemia), high blood levels of cholesterol, and diabetes. If you have
any of these conditions, you should check with your doctor or nurse to see if the Pill is suitable
for you. Smokers over 35 are usually told to stop taking these pills.
Possible risk of Breast Cancer
Every woman is at risk of breast cancer whether or not she takes the Pill. Breast cancer is rare
under the age of 40 years, but the risk increases as a woman gets older.
Breast cancer has been found slightly more often in women who take the Pill than in women of
the same age who do not take the Pill. If women stop taking the Pill, this reduces the risk so that
10 years after stopping the Pill, the risk of finding breast cancer is the same as for women who
have never taken the Pill. Breast cancer seems less likely to have spread when found in women
who take the Pill than in women who do not take the Pill.
It is not certain whether the Pill causes the increased risk of breast cancer. It may be that women
taking the Pill are examined more often, so that breast cancer is noticed earlier. The risk of
finding breast cancer is not affected by how long a woman takes the Pill but by the age at which
she stops. This is because the risk of breast cancer strongly increases as a woman gets older.
The chart below shows the background chances of breast cancer at various ages for 10,000
women who have never taken the Pill (black bars) and for 10,000 women whilst taking the Pill
and during the 10 years after stopping it (pink bars). The small extra risk of finding breast cancer
can be seen for each age group. This small possible additional risk in women who take the Pill
has to be balanced against the fact that the Pill is a very effective contraceptive and it helps
prevent cancer of the womb or ovary