Using Gedarel

Like most contraceptive pills, Gedarel is a 21-day pill that needs to be taken for 21 days out of the 28-day cycle. It is important that you take the pill as instructed, to ensure maximum effectiveness.

The pills come in strips of 21 and in each pack you are given; there will either be three, six or thirteen strips of the pill. This will depend on how long you have been using Gedarel and how often you need checkups. If you are starting of Gedarel, you will be given a couple of month’s worth of the pill to se how your body responds. On each strip, there are the days of the week printed above bubbles that contain the medication. You should take the pill that corresponds with the correct day of the week and then follow the arrows around the strip, taking a pill once a day at the same time every day. You need to take it at the same time every day to ensure that the pill will be effective, so pick a time that is convenient and set an alarm to make sure you don’t forget.

Once you have finished the strip, you take a seven day break in which you take no pills. This will allow your body a withdrawal bleed which is similar to a period. This will be shorter than a normal period and should occur within the pill free week. On the eighth pill free day, you need to start a new strip of pills, regardless of whether you are still bleeding. You may experience irregular bleeding during the first few months of the pill so therefore if you do not have a withdrawal bleed and Gedarel has been used correctly, there is little chance that you will actually be pregnant.

When you first start using the strip, it is best to start on the first day of your period, as this will offer immediate protection from pregnancy. You do not have to start during this time, you can start using Gedarel on days 2-5 of your period instead but this will not offer protection right away, as you have not started on the first day of your cycle. If you start on days 2-5, you will need to use additional contraception for the next seven days in order to be protected from pregnancy and give your body time to get used to the pills effects.

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