Althea is a popular oral contraceptive pill. It is considered as the most popular contraceptive
pill in the Philippines and other ASEAN countries. Apart from contraception,
Althea is also used for variety of other purposes, including treating irregular
hormonal problems (like PCOS) and curing pimple outbreaks, among others. In
fact, many users consider it as a beauty pill because of its positive effect on
the facial skin.
How to Use Althea
First thing I would
like to mention here is the requirement to consult an OBGyne before starting
Althea. I understand that majority of users have successfully used it without
consulting a doctor, but it will always better to take opinion if you are
planning to use it for long term.
Further, it
comes with 21 hormonal pills. Users are required to take one pill daily at
exactly the same time for 21 days. And then, they are expected to go for 7 pill
free days. During these pill free days, they should get menstruation cycle, or withdrawal bleeding.
If you are going
to start Althea, ensure to start it on the first day of menstruation. It will
lead to better adjustment by your body and hence less side effects. It will
also make sure that you remain away from hormonal issues being faced by many
new users.
Similarly, going
for seven pill free days is necessary.
Side Effects of Althea
There are many
possible side effects of Althea. Please note that these side effects usually
happen with new users and, more importantly, for short duration. Following are some of the
prominent side effects:
-
Breast
Tenderness
-
Vomiting
Tendency
-
Nausea
-
Headache
-
Lower
Stomach Pain
-
Delayed
menstruation cycle (till 2 packs of Althea)
Because of
breast tenderness, many believe that taking Althea can lead to enlargement of
breast. That is a plain myth. Your breast will become normal over time.
Similarly, many
users get frightened when they find delayed menstruation. I would like to
reiterate here that delayed menstruation is quite common among new users and
you should not worry about that.
I should mention
here that if you take Althea daily at exactly the same time after starting it
on the first day of menstruation then you will remain away from almost all side
effects.
Who should not use Althea?
There is a set
of users who should not use Althea.
If you are
pregnant then don’t use it. As soon as you realize about pregnancy, you should
stop using it.
If you are
breastfeeding, don’t use Althea. It is because of the fact that it contains
Estrogen (along with Progesterone). Estrogen can negatively affect the breast
milk output. In that scenario, you should use Progesterone only pill, like
Daphne.
Ingredients of Althea
As mentioned
above, Althea contains Estrogen and Progesterone, in synthetic form. Both of these are female
hormones. Because of this fact, Althea is categorized as a combined hormonal contraceptive pill.
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