ZOELY is an oral contraceptive, commonly known as a “Birth Control Pill” or “The Pill” that has been prescribed to help control your menstrual cycle and limit the hormonal swings of perimenopause. It will also prevent you from getting pregnant. It will not protect you from sexually transmitted infections.
Zoely is not “hormone replacement therapy”. It suppresses your natural hormonal cycling which can be chaotic during perimenopause. It can limit excessive and irregular bleeding and help psychological or mood problems. Zoely is considered a low dose pill, and it contains body-identical oestrogen (oestradiol) and a progesterone – like compound.
You will need to change hormone treatments as you journey through perimenopause.
How to use Zoely
Choose from the 7 stickers with day indicators the one that begins with your starting day, e.g. if you start on a Wednesday, use the day label sticker that starts ‘WED’. Stick it on the strip, just above the row of white active tablets where it reads ‘Place day label here’. This allows you to check whether you took your daily tablet.
Take one tablet each day at about the same time, with some liquid if necessary.
A period should begin during the 4 days that you use the yellow inactive tablets (the withdrawal bleed). Usually it will start on day 2-3 after the last white tablet and may not have finished before the next strip is started.
Start taking your next pack immediately after the last yellow inactive tablet, even if your period hasn’t finished. This means you will always start new packs on the same day of the week, and also means that you have your period on about the same days, each month.
Please read additional product information if you
- need contraception and are starting Zoely or changing from another pill, ring, patch, minipill or IUD
- want to skip a period
- forget to take a pill
- miss a period.
Risks of using the OCP
Thrombosis
A thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot which may block a blood vessel.
A thrombosis sometimes occurs in the deep veins of the legs (deep venous thrombosis). If this blood clot breaks away from the veins where it is formed, it may reach and block the arteries of the lungs, causing a so-called “pulmonary embolism”. Deep venous thrombosis is a rare occurrence. It can develop whether or not you are taking the Pill. The risk is higher in Pill-users than in non-users. The chance of getting a thrombosis is highest during the first year a woman uses the Pill.
Cancer
In studies with the combined Pill, breast cancer has been diagnosed slightly more often in women who use the Pill than in women of the same age who do not use the Pill. This slight increase in the numbers of breast cancer diagnoses gradually disappears during the course of the 10 years after stopping use of the Pill.
It is not known whether this is caused by the Pill. It may be that the women were examined more often, so that the breast cancer was noticed earlier.
Please talk to your doctor about how these risks weigh up against the benefits for you personally.
Reasons not to start Zoely
Allergies to Zoely
Unexplained vaginal bleeding
Severe liver disease
You are pregnant or breast feeding
Speak with your doctor about any risks because you have…
Blood clots
Cancer
Migraines
Stroke
Postnatal depression
Severe premenstrual mood disorder
Side effects of Zoely
All medications have the risk of side effects.
Common side effects (occurring in 10 % of users):acne; changes in the menstrual cycle (e.g. absence of menstruation or breakthrough bleeding/spotting).
Less common side effects (occurring in 1-10% of users): decreased interest in sex; depression/depressed mood; mood changes; headache or migraine; feeling sick (nausea); breast pain; pelvic pain; weight gain.
Stop taking Zoely and seek medical advice if…
Migraines are getting worse
The skin or eyes are becoming yellow
Depression is worsening
Pain in your calves or chest, sudden shortness of breath indicating possible clots*
Severe headache, vomiting, dizziness, changes in vision, speech, numbness, weakness of an arm or leg*
* go to emergency as these need immediate assessment.
For more information view official product information or contact us:
