Duphaston
Main Use: Menstrual problems
Active Ingredient: Dydrogesterone.
Manufacturer: Solvay Pharmaceutical, Netherlands
How does it work?
Dydrogesterone is a synthetic hormone similar to the naturally occurring sex hormone, progesterone. It is used in a wide range of menstrual disorders that are thought to result from a lack of progesterone in the body.
In women, progesterone is responsible for the development of a healthy womb lining (endometrium) that is necessary for pregnancy. The body produces progesterone at certain times of the menstrual cycle, causing the womb lining to flourish. If a fertilized egg does not attach to the womb lining by the end of the monthly menstrual cycle, the levels of progesterone in the body decrease. This causes the body to shed the womb lining (a menstrual ‘period’). If a fertilized egg successfully attaches to the womb lining by the end of the monthly cycle, progesterone levels in the body remain high. This helps maintain a healthy womb lining for the ongoing pregnancy.
As dydrogesterone helps regulate the healthy growth and normal shedding of the womb lining, it may be used in the treatment of menstrual disorders such as absent, irregular or painful menstrual periods, infertility, premenstrual syndrome and endometriosis. It may also be used to minimise the overgrowth of the womb lining due to oestrogen (the main female sex hormone) in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) following menopause. By maintaining the womb lining, dydrogesterone is also useful in helping prevent miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) in women who have suffered repeated miscarriages or who may miscarry.
Dydrogesterone is usually taken on selected days during the menstrual cycle, depending upon the disorder that is being treated.
What is it used for?
Abdominal pain and bleeding during preganancy (threatened miscarriage) or history of miscarriages (habitual abortion)
Abdominal pain associated with menstrual periods (dysmenorrhoea)
Absence of menstrual periods when taking oestrogens
Endometriosis
Female infertility
Irregular menstrual bleeding when taking oestrogens
Irregular menstrual cycles
Premenstrual syndrome
Preventing overgrowth of the womb lining due to oestrogen in hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Use with caution in
No known conditions
Not to be used in
No known conditions
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
There are no known harmful effects when this medicine is used during pregnancy.
Small amounts of this medicine may pass into breast milk, however there are no known harmful effects when it is used by breastfeeding mothers.
Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
Headache
Nausea
Dizziness
Bloating
Skin reactions such as rash and itch
Breast tenderness
Menstrual spotting between periods
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.