There are two types of Femodene, Femodene and Femodene ED. Each is taken slightly differently.
Femodene is available in strips of 21 tablets and each tablet is marked with the day of the week it should be taken on. To take Femodene:
- Swallow one tablet whole with water per day for 21 days.
- You should take each tablet at around the same time every day.
- Once you have completed the 21 tablets, you will take a 7-day break.
- On your break, you will get a ‘withdrawal bleed’, like your period.
- During your 7-day pill free break, you will still be protected from pregnancy if you took all your Femodene pills as instructed in the week before your break.
- After 7 days, start a new strip. You should start each new strip on the same day every time.
Femodene ED comes in strips of 28 tablets, and you take one tablet every day without a break. (The “ED” stands for “every day”). Each tablet is marked with the day of the week it should be taken on. Each strip contains 21 tablets containing hormones and 7 placebo or dummy tablets, these do not contain any hormones but help you count the days off.
When taking Femodene ED you should:
- Swallow one tablet whole with water each day for 28 days.
- Try to take each tablet at around the same time every day.
- During the last 7 days, you will be taking the dummy pills and you should get a ‘withdrawal bleed’ which is like your period.
- Once you have finished the strip, start a new one straight after.
When should I start taking Femodene?
You can begin taking Femodene at any time during your menstrual cycle but when you start taking it may affect how quickly you are protected from pregnancy. If you start taking Femodene on days 1-5 of your period, then you will be protected from pregnancy straight away. If you start taking it after the first 5 days, you will need to use other forms of protection for the next 7 days.
Can I take Femodene without a break?
Yes, you can take your Femodene pill every day without a break which can help reduce the symptoms associated with periods that are experienced by some women. This will also stop your monthly bleed.
Femodene ED contains 7 dummy pills which contain no hormones, so if you want to take Femodene ED back to back you should miss out the dummy or inactive pills and start the active pills in a new strip straight away.
What happens if you miss a Femodene pill?
If you miss one pill or start a new strip a day late, then take the missed pill as soon as you remember even if that means taking two pills in one day or at the same time. You should still be protected from pregnancy so you should not need to use any other form of contraception including the morning after pill. You should continue to take the rest of your strip as normal.
If your strip ends in the next 6 days, then you should skip your 7-day pill free break and continue with the next strip instead.
If it has been more than 12 hours since you missed your pill, then you may not be protected from pregnancy anymore. You should continue to take your pill as normal but should avoid having unprotected sex for 7 days. If you have had unprotected sex since you missed your pill, then you will need to use emergency contraception.
Can I take Femodene to delay my period?
Yes, you can use Femodene to delay or skip your period. If you take Femodene back to back without a week break, then you will skip your monthly bleed. If you are taking Femodene ED, just skip the 7 dummy pills and start a new strip straight away.
Can I use Femodene as emergency contraception?
Femodene cannot be used as emergency contraception.