The need for emergency contraception in modern society increases, and this makes pharmaceutical companies to produce new drugs that prevent unwanted pregnancies. Today, there are effective drugs for emergency contraception, but their effectiveness depends on correct application.

Drugs for emergency contraception containing large doses of progestogens

Progestin - a synthetic analogue of the female hormone progesterone gentle. The medicines for emergency contraception active substance is a progestogen levonorgestrel. In our country you can buy in a drugstore drugs in this group postinor Postinor - used very carefully!   eskapel and that makes the Hungarian pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter. In other countries, selling and other drugs in this group.

Postinor - a drug company Gedeon Richter has released first. In one of its packaging is two tablets, each containing 750 mg of levonorgestrel. Take the tablet as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, but no later than three days. First, a first tablet, and 12 (max 16) hours - second. If within three hours after the first or the second tablet vomiting occurred, it is recommended to adopt another tablet.

Eskapel also contains levonorgestrel, but at twice the dose greater than postinor, each tablet contains it 1, 5 mg. Therefore, the second taking the pill is not required. But if within three hours after ingestion has occurred vomiting eskapel tablet should be taken again.

Action large doses of progestin is associated with the suppression of the formation of female sex hormones estrogen, cause the egg matures. Immature egg can not get out of the follicle and regress. Lack of Ovulation Ovulation - How to determine as accurately as possible?   making pregnancy impossible. In addition, progestogens inhibit proliferation of the mucosa of the uterus (the endometrium), which makes it impossible to introduce the embryo into the uterine wall.

The use of high doses of progestin hormone is a blow for women, so use this method often can not. It is strictly forbidden to use it twice within one menstrual cycle. A positive feature of progestins is that they do not have harmful effects on the fetus, and if a woman decides to continue the pregnancy after taking the Postinor or eskapel, on the child is not affected.

The use of high doses of combined oral contraceptives for emergency contraception

The method is called the Yuzpe regimen (on behalf of the Canadian doctor, the first to apply it). The simplicity of the method is that you can take any hormonal contraceptive, were at hand to calculate the dose of hormones contained therein. But not all are simply the best: produce estrogen increased the risk of complications (eg, severe complications such as thrombosis and embolism), and the method is less efficient than using only progestin. In addition, after the application of this method to maintain a pregnancy can not be: there is no guarantee that high doses of combined hormonal contraceptives did not have a negative impact on the fetus.

In any case, it is used as intended obstetrician-gynecologist.

Applications for emergency contraception mifepristone

Today, emergency contraception drugs are used, the main active ingredient of which is mifepristone Mifepristone: medical termination of pregnancy by the French pharmacists   (zhenale, ginepriston), which in large doses used for medical abortion in early pregnancy. Small doses of the drug have no abortive effect. The action of these preparations is based on the fact that the mifepristone, not being a hormone inhibits the action of progesterone. And since it is progesterone Progesterone - norm and pathology   promotes ovulation, it does not occur, which makes it impossible to pregnancy. Mifepristone also inhibits the secretory phase of the mucous membrane of the uterus and development of the embryo it becomes problematic.

Mifepristone is more effective than postinor and eskapel and causes less complications. Negative properties of this drug is toxic to the fetus: after use to keep the pregnancy is not worth it.

Every modern woman must always be observed at the same obstetrician who, knowing all the features of the body it will be able to recommend the most appropriate methods and preparations for a planned (ongoing) and for emergency contraception.

Galina Romanenko

As the manufacturer of Postinor (Hungarian pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter) does not indicate in the instructions that the combination of Postinor and alcohol is contraindicated, it is obvious that nothing terrible in this case should not happen. But that's only worth combining heavy doses of hormones with alcohol and why?

Postinor plus alcohol - the effects on the liver

Postinor can not be used in violation of liver function due to the fact that it decomposes in it for metabolites. If abnormal liver function blood Postinor number increases dramatically. And since Postinor contains a very large dose of levonorgestrel - a synthetic analogue of the natural female sex hubbub progesterone Progesterone - norm and pathology Then its action may be unpredictable.

Upon receipt of alcohol liver function may be slightly reduced. As far as it depends, firstly, on the dose and strength alcohol, and secondly - on the individual. Now, not all women know how their liver is functioning properly, it is possible that there are some minor violations in its work, for example, due to the absence or lack of a particular enzyme. And no one knows how to react, "the loaded hard work" for the processing of Postinor liver to alcohol consumption.

Postinor plus alcohol - the possibility of severe bleeding

After receiving Postinor, it passes its effect, rejected the mucous membrane of the uterus, and may start to bleed heavily, as postinor contains a large dose of hormones. This condition can itself be hazardous to the point of requiring emergency medical care.

If we accept at this time the alcohol, the threat of bleeding may sharply increase. Alcohol has a biphasic effect on blood vessels. In a first phase, immediately after the reception, it causes a sharp expansion of the blood vessels (thus increasing the risk of uncontrolled bleeding). In the second phase of intoxication blood vessels constrict.

This effect of alcohol may pose a threat of severe bleeding.

Postinor and alcohol - and if you still become pregnant?

Postinor is an effective contraceptive drug for emergency prevention of pregnancy, but 100% efficiency no one hormonal contraceptive, and therefore the application of Postinor pregnancy can occur.

As the effects of large doses of levonorgestrel at a fertilized egg? It is believed that the expression of negative impacts (including teratogenicity - causing abnormal development) in the fertilized egg does not have this drug. Especially in the first week after fertilization there is off-line and does not depend on the mother's body (embryo powered stocks that were in the egg). Not completely the impact of large doses of progestogens on the fetus has not been studied. However, if a pregnant woman takes postinor, this is no reason for abortion.

Now imagine a situation when a woman is confident that prevent pregnancy, drinking alcohol, which, unlike Postinor has a very negative effect on the fetus, and pregnancy still occurs. Here we have a problem: how will affect the embryo combination postinor plus alcohol, no one knows. Here, too, a lot depends on the individual woman, as well as on the number and strength of the received alcohol.

If a woman does decide to continue the pregnancy, and will be regularly seen in the antenatal clinic, the chance to prevent the birth of a sick child is still there, as in the survey identified virtually all the anomalies of development and a woman can always terminate the pregnancy according to indications from the fetus.

If pregnancy will be put on the course and monitoring in the antenatal clinic (including a variety of research) will be carried out regularly, the probability of a sick child grows.

So drink or not to drink?

The pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter, which produces postinor Postinor - used very carefully! , Produces high quality medicines and always very detailed in the instructions to them any possible (even if in practice they do not occur) complications. And if about Postinor combination with alcohol it says nothing, then a small amount of alcohol is unlikely to cause complications and certainly not reduce the effectiveness of the drug. At the same time, of course, the producers did not take into account the effects of alcohol on the fetus if the pregnancy occurred yet.

Postinor combination with alcohol is unlikely to give an immediate serious complication, but whether or not "worth it"?

Galina Romanenko