Hi,
Both Femilon and Mala-D are combined
oral contraceptive pills. If you wish you can switch over to Mala-D, continue taking Femilon pills for 21 days throughout and then wait for 7 days for beginning of the cycle. Then start a new pack of Mala-D pack from the 8th day onwards and continue to take as before. Both of the above pills are known to cause nausea,
vomiting, headache,
bloating, breast tenderness, swelling of the ankles/feet and weight gain. Irregular bleeding may occur between the periods, there is also a risk of clot formation in the veins of the leg and also
high blood pressure. Whereas 'Saheli' (
ormeloxifene) is a non-steroidal oral contraceptive pill free from side effects like nausea, vomiting, weight gain, clot formation and high blood pressure and yet equally effective in preventing an unwanted
pregnancy.
If you wish to start taking Saheli, it should be taken it should be taken immediately after stopping Femilon. It is usually taken twice a week for the first three months and once a week thereafter. Since it takes three months for Saheli pill to exert its full contraceptive benefits, so
barrier methods like condoms or diaphragms should be used along with it to get the maximum protection.
Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali, General & Family Physician