Hormonal Contraceptive Agents/Telaprevir Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Telaprevir may speed up how quickly your body processes your hormonal contraceptive.
What might happen:
Hormonal contraceptive products (such as "the pill", the "mini-pill", Norplant, birth control injections, and the patch) may not prevent you from becoming pregnant while you are taking telaprevir. Telaprevir is used with another medicine, ribavirin, which may cause birth defects.
What you should do about this interaction:
You should not rely on a hormonal contraceptive agent as your method of birth control while taking telaprevir. Discuss birth control options with the doctor that prescribed telaprevir for you and with your gynecologist (OB/GYN). You should use two other methods of birth control (such as an intrauterine device [IUD] and/or barrier methods) while taking telaprevir and ribavirin and for six months after finishing your therapy. Be sure to undergo a pregnancy test every month. If you think that you may be pregnant, contact your doctor right away.Emergency contraceptives may be less effective also. You may need a larger dose than normal. Discuss the dose and the need to confirm that you do not become pregnant with a pregnancy test with your healthcare professional.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
- 1.Incivek (telaprevir) US prescribing information. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated October, 2013.
- 2.Garg V, van Heeswijk R, Yang Y, Kauffman R, Smith F, Adda N. The Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between an Oral Contraceptive Containing Ethinyl Estradiol and Norethindrone and the HCV Protease Inhibitor Telaprevir. J Clin Pharmacol 2011 Oct 30.
- 3.Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Levonorgestrel-containing emergency hormonal contraception: advice on interactions with hepatic enzyme inducers and contraceptive efficacy. available at: https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/levonorgestrel-containing-emergency- hormonal-contraception-advice-on-interactions-with-hepatic-enzyme-inducers -and-contraceptive-efficacy September 15, 2016..
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CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.