Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0745411 (irregular bleeding)
 386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The side-effects encountered by 1,090 patients taking the oral contraceptive pill were reviewed. The main side-effects were migraine, headaches, weight gain, depression, and irregular bleeding. Reasons for changing the Pill are discussed, and recommendations are suggested for a way of monitoring patients taking the Pill. Analysis of the results show that 50 per cent of patients are happy with their first Pill, and that the 30 microgram pill produces fewer side-effects.
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PMID:A retrospective survey of over 1,000 patients on oral contraceptives in a group practice. 95 17

A leading patient complaint is headaches which tend to occur more often in women than men. Nonvascular headache is the most common and is caused by tension or muscle contraction. Oral contraceptives (OCs) do not affect nonvascular headaches. They can also be safely used in women who experience common migraines whose symptoms do not become more severe or frequent during OC use. On the other hand, women who have classic migraine (headache accompanied by focal neurologic symptoms) or common migraine with symptoms becoming more severe or frequent during OC use should discontinue OC use. Instead, they should use a barrier method or the IUD. Estradiol treatment appears to be effective in treating menstrual migraine. Since the data are inconclusive about the effect of OCs on young women who have experienced a stroke or transient ischemic attacks, it would be best for them to use a barrier method. Most antiepileptic drugs (phenobarbital, phenytoin, paramethadione, and carbamazepine) cause enzyme induction which may be linked to decreased levels of estrogen and increases in irregular bleeding, thereby increasing the likelihood of an epileptic OC user becoming pregnant. Possible contraceptive failure exposes a developing fetus to the teratogenic properties of the antiepileptic drugs. Thus, physicians should prescribe OCs with 50 mcg of ethinyl estradiol rather than 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol. Epileptic women can also use Depo-Provera, because it is not only effective in preventing pregnancy but reduces seizure frequency. It is important for any contraceptive method chosen for epileptic women to be effective because pregnancy intensifies seizures which in turn can damage the mother and/or fetus and cause neonatal distress.
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PMID:Contraceptive methods for women with neurologic disorders. 851 48

Injectable contraceptions appeal to women who value the efficacy, convenience, and safety provided by this reversible birth control option. Since FDA approval for contraceptive use in 1992, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA)--already used by millions of women worldwide--has been used by several million U.S. women. Although women using this 3-month progestin-only injectable often experience irregular bleeding and spotting (initially), long-term DMPA use typically results in amenorrhea. Many users, including adolescents, choose DMPA because of its convenience--nearly 100% contraceptive effectiveness is achieved with 4 injections per year. Because DMPA does not contain estrogen, it represents an appropriate contraceptive choice for postpartum or lactating women, as well as those whose medical status precludes use of contraceptive doses of estrogen. Some examples include: women over age 35 who smoke, those with increased thromboembolism risk, women with cardiovascular or liver disease, as well as women with complex migraines. Although fertility resumes on the average 10 months following the last injection, suppression of ovulation occasionally persists for as long as 22 months. Consequently, DMPA is not an appropriate choice for women who may wish to conceive within the next two years. Since the use of DMPA lowers ovarian estradiol production, reversible loss of bone mineral density (BMD) may occur. Studies currently in progress may clarify DMPA's long-term impact, if any, on BMD. Therapeutic uses of DMPA include treatment of: dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia (including that associated with fibroid uterine tumors), endometriosis, endometrial hyperplasia, ovulatory pain, pain associated with ovarian adhesive disease, premenstrual dysphoria and perimenopausal symptoms.
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PMID:Injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate contraception: an update for U.S. clinicians. 960 6

The author describes a range of contraceptive methods, and their side effects, which may be acceptable for new parents. The methods are the oral contraceptive pill, Norplant, Depo-Provera, and intrauterine devices (IUD). Natural methods and permanent contraception are options described in insets. The author notes that differences in the effectiveness rates among available types of oral contraceptive pills are small enough not to merit consideration when deciding which kind of pill may be appropriate. Combination birth control pills are taken daily at the same time for 21 out of 28 days. Combination pills are not recommended for women with a history of hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases, thrombophlebitis, migraine headaches, diabetes, active gallbladder disease, or mononucleosis. Any hormonal method may be particularly risky for smokers over age 35. The mini-pill, containing a smaller amount of progesterone and no estrogen, is taken every day and is also on a 28-day cycle. Containing no estrogen, the mini-pill is often recommended for women who are nursing, who are over age 35, or who suffer from hypertension or migraines. Both adverse and positive side effects may be experienced from use. Norplant is the brand name of a contraceptive system which releases progesterone from under the skin of a woman's upper arm over the course of a five-year period. The system has a theoretical effectiveness rate of more than 99%, although the duration of effectiveness may be less than five years in overweight women. The most common side effect is irregular bleeding, and removal is often a longer and more difficult procedure than insertion. The most commonly used injectable hormonal contraceptive is Depo-Provera, a progesterone solution which works for up to three months. The majority of users experience some side effects. Finally, IUDs are highly effective and need to be replaced only every 1-10 years depending upon how they are made. Women typically experience discomfort during IUD insertion, and they should not be used by women under age 20 years, who have never had children, or who have ever had a pelvic infection.
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PMID:Birth control for new parents. 1229 Aug 91