Change to Tri-Regol from other oral contraceptives.

Researchers analyzed data on 72 16-40 year old women patients attending the Semmelweis University Medical School in Budapest Hungary to evaluate the effectiveness of the triphasic oral contraceptive (OC) Tri-Regol (.03 .04 and .03 ethinyl estradiol and .05 .076 and .125 levonorgestrel) in women who did not tolerate other combined OCs well. Women were more likely to be intolerant of Ovidon (27 women with 7 main side effects) and Bisecurin (19 with 6 main side effects) than Rigevidon (17 with 5 main side effects) and Anteovin (9 with 4 main side effects). These 2 combined OCs had the higher hormone levels and the physicians were unjustified to use OCs with these high levels. 77.7% of the women successfully made the change to Tri-Regol. Previous side effects stopped and none of these women had any new complaints. 9.8% of the women did not tolerate Tri-Regol well e.g. 2 developed nausea and headaches thereby the physicians discontinued Tri-Regol. The remaining 12.5% of women experienced the end of only some of the previous complaints or Tri-Regol brought about additional side effects. None of the women became pregnant during the trial. The researchers concluded that Tri-Regol was just as effective and more tolerable than the other combined OCs previously used by the women. They suggested its use for young an premenopausal women. Nevertheless they did note that physicians may be justified to use the higher hormone OCs in cases with breakthrough bleeding.