There comes a time in every family when it decides to have offspring. For the birth of a small life, future parents undergo a full examination and take medications for a favorable conception. Gynecologists often prescribe Duphaston when planning pregnancy. It is necessary to take the drug only according to indications and after familiarizing yourself with its properties.
Duphaston - properties
The drug is intended for a therapeutic effect on the body of women who have certain problems conceiving or bearing a child. These disorders can occur when levels of a steroid hormone such as progesterone are low. It is produced by the adrenal glands and ovaries; the menstrual cycle and the onset of a long-awaited pregnancy depend on it.
A woman's cycle is divided into 2 phases:
- Proliferative (follicular).
At this time, estrogens predominate in the body, thanks to which the dominant follicle matures. - Secretory (luteal).
During ovulation, the egg moves into the fallopian tube. And in its place, the formation of the corpus luteum, which synthesizes progesterone, occurs. After this, the blood supply to the mucous layer of the uterus increases, it loosens and thickens.
These processes create ideal conditions for conception and implantation of a fertilized egg. If this procedure is violated or fails in a woman’s body, the gynecologist prescribes Duphaston tablets. They contain the main active ingredient called dydrogesterone (10 mg). This is an absolutely safe synthetic hormone, similar in structure to progesterone.
Each tablet is white. Additional components are:
- silica;
- maize starch;
- magnesium stearate;
- lactose monohydrate.
The main indicator for using the drug Duphaston when planning pregnancy is the lack of your own progesterone, caused by all sorts of cases. The drug does not interfere with liver function, carbohydrate metabolism, or gastrointestinal activity. This medicine does not have contraceptive properties, does not suppress ovulation and helps restore and regulate the menstrual cycle.
How to take Duphaston for endometrial hyperplasia
- Orally in the form of tablets.
- 1 tablet of Duphaston contains 10 mg of dydrogesterone.
- 1 standard package of Duphaston contains 1 blister. The blister contains 20 tablets.
Treatment of endometrial hyperplasia is individual. It is prescribed by a doctor after diagnostic curettage of the uterine mucosa and histological examination of endometrial samples.
Regimen for taking Duphaston for endometrial hyperplasia:
The doctor prescribes which regimen to take Duphaston for endometrial hyperplasia!
Duphaston tablets
- During reproductive age:
Duphaston 10 mg per day (1 tablet per day) or 20 mg per day (1 tablet 2 times a day). Take: - from the 16th to the 25th day of the menstrual cycle. or - from the 5th to the 25th day of the cycle.
This prima regimen preserves a woman’s menstrual and reproductive function.
Treatment with Duphaston can be continued during pregnancy. It is not recommended to take the drug during breastfeeding.
- In perimenopause (age after 40-45 and before 53-55 years):
Duphaston 20 mg per day (1 tablet 2 times a day) or 30 mg per day (1 tablet 3 times a day). Take: - from the 5th to the 25th day of the cycle; or - from the 16th to the 25th day of the cycle.
We recommend reading: Endometrial hyperplasia in menopause
Standard course of treatment with Duphaston: 6 (less often 9) months.
The effectiveness of treatment is assessed by a doctor 3, 6, 12 months from the start of therapy using transvaginal ultrasound and/or endometrial biopsy.
Relapse of the disease requires a revision of treatment tactics: increasing the dose of Duphaston or replacing it with norethisterone (Norkolut, Primolut-Nor), medroxyprogesterone (Provera), etc.
Possible side effects of Duphaston:
- Rarely: allergic reactions (skin redness, itching, urticaria, angioedema);
- Rarely: headache;
- Very rare: peripheral edema;
- Very rare: dyspepsia, minor liver dysfunction;
- Feeling of tension in the mammary glands;
- Dysfunctional uterine breakthrough bleeding. They are stopped (treated) by increasing the dose of the drug.
- Menstrual irregularities
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Is it possible to drink duphaston when planning pregnancy?
Answering the question about whether you should drink Duphaston when planning a pregnancy, it should be said that it is absolutely safe, but it is taken for certain indications. The main criteria are:
- insufficiency of the second phase of the cycle;
- adenomyosis, which contributes to miscarriages and prevents a woman from bearing a baby.
If the expectant mother has a history of repeated pregnancy terminations, then the disease is referred to as “recurrent miscarriage.” In this case, the hormonal drug Duphaston must be taken when planning pregnancy in order to cure infertility. The medicine should be taken in a course over a long period of time, and the dosage should be reduced gradually.
Strengths of the drug Duphaston
Having studied the features of Duphaston according to the instructions for use for delayed menstruation, one can identify its advantages in comparison with other drugs of this type:
- Good tolerance. There are practically no cases of adverse reactions.
- There are no contraindications.
- The effect of Duphaston is 10 times stronger than that of endogenous progesterone.
- Dydrogesterone does not convert into estrogen, maintaining its positive effect on the metabolic processes of tissues and organs.
- Does not have a negative effect on liver function.
- Does not suppress ovulation.
Price of the drug Duphaston
It is believed that the drug is most effective if the cause of the delay is a lack of natural hormone. The instructions also note that it practically does not enhance changes in the endometrium and does not participate in the transition of the egg.
Another positive factor in choosing Duphaston if your period is late is the price. The cost of the drug ranges from 400-600 rubles.
The price of Duphaston for delayed periods ranges from 400 to 600 rubles maximum
Instructions: doses and dosage regimen
If Duphaston is prescribed, the instructions for use in case of a delay in menstruation will tell you how to drink it correctly. First of all, you need to remember a few simple rules:
- The tablets are taken orally.
- Absorption time takes up to 90 minutes.
- The same amount of time should be maintained between doses.
- The medicine is excreted from the body in the urine (completely on the third day).
- The drug does not have a cumulative effect, and therefore an overdose is impossible.
How does Duphaston affect the body?
The main effect of Duphaston when planning pregnancy is to restore the woman's hormonal levels. You need to take the medication for a long time - at least 6 cycles in a row. This drug is considered the safest and at the same time effective in cases of threatened miscarriage at any time, the possibility of fetal freezing, or to prevent premature birth.
When planning pregnancy, Duphaston is prescribed for the following indications:
- secondary amenorrhea, when a woman of childbearing age does not have menstruation for more than six months;
- irregular cycle - constant delays, which are confirmed in the laboratory when taking tests;
- dysmenorrhea – bleeding during menstruation or its painful course.
How does Duphaston affect ovulation?
Women who dream of becoming a mother as soon as possible often wonder how Duphaston affects ovulation. Reproduction is affected by many factors, the most important of which is the hormonal system, chronic diseases or sexually transmitted infections. The drug ensures the normal course of the menstrual cycle, but also promotes the production of progesterone.
If a woman has normal levels of this hormone, then its excess leads to blocking ovulation and the long-awaited pregnancy does not occur. Gynecologists prescribe Duphaston in the 2nd half of the cycle, but after a full examination and ultrasound. This is done in order to determine the amount of progesterone, prescribe the correct treatment, and if conception occurs, save the fetus.
How does Duphaston affect the endometrium?
The pathology of the endometrium often lies in its redundancy. This problem is associated with hormonal disorders in a woman’s body and is easily solved thanks to modern medicine. In this case, Duphaston is used during planning at the last stage of the cycle, which successfully copes with the problem. The main indications for taking the medicine are:
- endometriosis;
- corpus luteum deficiency;
- hormone-dependent dysmenorrhea;
- infertility;
- excessive growth of the endometrium, which has been exposed to estrogen.
Does Duphaston affect basal temperature?
Many women, wanting to get pregnant, monitor their basal temperature. It helps determine the day of ovulation, and this means conceiving a child. Taking Duphaston eliminates the possibility of influencing this indicator, although it is an artificial analogue of the human natural hormone. The drug can be safely taken at any stage.
Does Duphaston affect weight?
This medicine is well absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, so it does not have any effect on the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. This is the main reason that you will not gain excess weight while taking Duphaston; its use should be avoided in case of individual intolerance. A woman may gain weight due to poor metabolism or an unbalanced diet.
Women's Magazine Woman-ID
Duphaston is a hormonal drug, an analogue of progesterone with a selective effect on the uterine mucosa (endometrium). It suppresses the growth (proliferation) of the endometrium in the first phase of the menstrual cycle and ensures the onset of the secretion phase. This normalizes the menstrual cycle. Duphaston is also widely used in the first half of pregnancy as a source of progesterone.
How does duphaston work?
Duphaston (active ingredient - dydrogesterone) is a synthetic analogue of progesterone, that is, a gestagen or progestin. It is produced in ten-milligram tablets by the American (now international) pharmaceutical company Abbott. The mechanism of action of duphaston is the same as that of progesterone, but the advantage of the synthetic analogue is that it is taken orally, unlike natural progesterone, which could only be administered as an injection of an oil solution.
The mechanism of action of duphaston is based on the fact that it selectively suppresses the growth of the endometrium and stimulates the development of the secretory stage, characteristic of the second phase of the menstrual cycle. However, it does not suppress the effect of estrogens (female sex hormones in the second half of pregnancy) and does not have a negative effect on liver function. It also does not have the properties of male sex hormones (androgens), since it is not their derivative. This is very important, since androgen derivatives contribute to weight gain and increased blood clot formation.
Duphaston is not a contraceptive drug and cannot be used for this purpose, since it does not suppress ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). Therefore, in the process of treating menstrual disorders, a woman may well become pregnant.
For what diseases is duphaston prescribed?
Duphaston is often prescribed in the initial stages of pregnancy (in the first and partly in the second trimester) to prevent miscarriage - it suppresses contractions of the uterine muscles without having any negative effect on the child.
Duphaston is widely used for menstrual irregularities (painful, irregular, prolonged heavy menstruation) associated with increased secretion of estrogen and decreased secretion of progesterone (luteal insufficiency), including infertility caused by this condition. For premenstrual syndrome, which is caused by estrogens, duphaston also has a positive effect. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding, usually caused by excess estrogen or lack of progesterone, can also be a reason for prescribing duphaston.
As is known, estrogens promote the proliferation of the endometrium, as a result of which diseases such as endometrial hyperplasia and endometriosis develop - diseases in themselves are unpleasant and, in addition, sometimes transform into a malignant tumor. Duphaston suppresses the process of formation of a malignant tumor (carcinogenesis).
Finally, duphaston is used as replacement therapy along with estrogens after removal of the ovaries (for example, for endometriosis or cancer) and during natural menopause after fifty years.
In what cases is duphaston contraindicated?
There are practically no contraindications for the use of duphaston. Absolute contraindications are individual intolerance to its components and breastfeeding (duphaston is excreted in human milk, so breastfeeding should be interrupted during its use), and relative contraindications are the presence of itching during a previous pregnancy, which indicates a reaction from the liver. In addition, since manufacturers still allow some side effects from the liver, in case of diseases of this organ, duphaston should be prescribed with caution.
Side effects of duphaston Duphaston: a helper for the desperate and its overdose
When taking duphaston, breakthrough uterine bleeding may occur, which is associated with significant growth of the endometrium under the influence of estrogens. Increasing the dose of progesterone suppresses this side effect. It is also possible to increase the sensitivity of the mammary glands.
Sometimes duphaston gives side effects from the central nervous system: headaches, including migraines, when one half of the head hurts.
When taking duphaston, side effects from the liver are not excluded, which are manifested by a slight disruption of its function with the appearance of general malaise. Weakness, pain in the right hypochondrium, and sometimes jaundice of the skin, skin rash and itching may also indicate a liver reaction.
It is extremely rare that hemolytic (with the destruction of red blood cells) anemia can develop. Also very rarely, swelling and allergic reactions develop, which occur mainly in the form of urticaria.
There have been no cases of drug overdose, but if a woman accidentally takes a lot of duphaston tablets, it is recommended to rinse her stomach.
Duphaston is a high-quality gestagen that has found wide use in clinical practice.
Galina Romanenko
How to take Duphaston when planning pregnancy?
Answering the question about how to drink Duphaston correctly when planning a pregnancy, it is worth saying that the dosage and interval should be determined by a specialist. They begin taking the medication in the second phase of the menstrual cycle, the day after ovulation. As a rule, this is only one tablet per day, but there are exceptions that depend on the characteristics of the woman’s body and the specific situation.
There is no special plan for how to take Duphaston. If the cycle consists of four weeks, then use the drug from days 11 to 25 for six months. At this time, the woman should become pregnant, but the medication should not be stopped. They continue to drink it for another 16 weeks until the placenta is fully formed and begins to produce progesterone on its own.
When should you start drinking Duphaston when planning a pregnancy?
If a married couple has been sexually active for 2 years, but the desired conception has not occurred, then in these cases doctors make the terrible diagnosis of “Infertility.” Taking Duphaston when planning a pregnancy successfully helps to cope with this disease, and the woman has the opportunity to carry and give birth to a healthy baby. The medicine is prescribed after taking hormone tests in the 2nd phase.
Duphaston - dosage regimen when planning pregnancy
Future parents very often ask how to drink Duphaston when planning a pregnancy? In order to calculate the exact dosage, you need to know the exact amount of the hormone in the blood. To do this, after ovulation, tests are taken; if you do not know the exact date, then you will need:
- Monitor your basal temperature.
- Take a test for the date of conception.
- Go for an ultrasound until the doctor sees a mature follicle.
Based on the finished results, the gynecologist prescribes Duphaston; the dosage when planning pregnancy is at least 10 mg of the active substance. The maximum concentration of these enzymes in plasma occurs 2 hours after taking the medicine. The pills are not taken every day: they need to be taken after ovulation and finished on the first day of menstruation if conception has not occurred.
Duphaston when planning a pregnancy after a missed abortion?
If a woman has had spontaneous abortions in her life, the use of Duphaston when planning a pregnancy is simply mandatory. The medicine will help not only to firmly anchor the fertilized egg, but also to the onset of conception. The dosage in this case is up to 40 mg at the first dose, and then one tablet every 8 hours. The medication is continued for up to 20 weeks, if there is no threat of fading.
How to take Duphaston if your period is late
The instructions note that taking tablets in large doses or immediately is prohibited. It is necessary to follow the standard dosage or as prescribed by the doctor individually. The doctor chooses the dose according to the woman’s age and weight. When choosing Duphaston if your period is late, how to take it often depends on individual characteristics: the presence of gynecological pathologies, the course of the menstrual cycle, etc.
Duphaston is recommended for delayed menstruation and irregular cycles, used twice a day
The instructions provide an example of use for the treatment of PMS and late menstruation. You need to start taking pills on day 10-11 of the cycle and continue until day 25-26. This is why it is so important to get an individual prescription from a doctor, because the duration of the cycle can differ significantly for girls: 21-35 days. And in each case, the scheme may differ from the standard specified in the instructions.
The average dosage is 10 mg. Depending on the specific situation, the doctor prescribes 2-3 doses per day so that the body receives 20-30 mg per day. The intervals between taking pills should be the same. So, if 2 appointments are prescribed, it is better to choose a 12-hour range between them.
Timing for taking Duphaston for delayed menstruation according to instructions
The duration of taking Duphaston for delayed menstruation according to the instructions is from 3 to 6 months. Even if the effect occurs immediately, there is no need to stop treatment without the recommendation of your gynecologist. In any case, it is worth meeting the deadlines he set.
Taking Duphaston if your period is delayed according to the instructions is from 3 to 6 months; if the cycle resumes immediately after starting treatment, it is not recommended to interrupt treatment and violate the doctor’s recommendations
Features of the impact
If the doctor prescribed Duphaston for a missed period, every patient is concerned about how many days will it take for her period to start. Their onset is considered normal already 4-5 days after the first pill. However, this is observed only in 80% of cases. It is necessary to continue the course, despite the onset of menstruation, in order to restore the normal course of the cycle.
Cancellation of Duphaston when planning pregnancy
If your tests return to normal while taking the medication, then discontinuation of Duphaston is carried out gradually and only according to the regimen prescribed by your doctor. For example, today you take three pills, tomorrow – two, the day after tomorrow – one pill. When planning a pregnancy, stop taking this medication only with the onset of menstruation. This is done so that a hormonal imbalance does not occur in the woman’s body.
Duphaston - contraindications and side effects
Each medicine has its own advantages and disadvantages, side effects or cases of overdose. This drug is well tolerated, but it also has some unpleasant consequences. Women have the following reactions to the medication:
- itching;
- skin rash;
- headache or migraine;
- breakthrough bleeding;
- disturbances in the functioning of the liver.
An overdose of the drug has not yet been officially recorded, but if this happens, you just need to rinse your stomach. Duphaston has contraindications, the main ones are:
- breast-feeding;
- the presence of malignant tumors;
- blood clotting disorder;
- detection of liver diseases, for example, Dubin-Johnson or Rotor syndrome.
She simply must inform her doctor about all changes and reactions in a woman’s body, because in some cases it will be necessary to review the dosage regimen and increase the dose, and in others, on the contrary, reduce or even stop taking the drug. The health of a woman and her unborn baby is the main value of the family, which you need to constantly protect.
