Hormonal treatment for bleeding irregularities in Norplant implant users

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate whether prolonged or irregular bleeding during Norplant implant use could be alleviated with the use of oral hormonal medication. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred fifty users of the Norplant levonorgestrel contraceptive implant with prolonged or frequent bleeding were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 1996-03, Vol.174 (3), p.919-922
Main Authors: Alvarez-Sanchez, Francisco, Brache, Vivian, Thevenin, Francisco, Cochon, Leila, Faundes, Anibal
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Biological and medical sciences
Bleeding irregularities
Chi-Square Distribution
Contraceptive Agents, Female - adverse effects
Contraceptives, Oral, Combined - therapeutic use
Drug Implants
Estradiol Congeners - therapeutic use
Ethinyl Estradiol - therapeutic use
Female
hormonal treatment
Hormones. Endocrine system
Humans
Levonorgestrel - adverse effects
Levonorgestrel - therapeutic use
Medical sciences
Norplant implants
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Prospective Studies
Uterine Hemorrhage - chemically induced
Uterine Hemorrhage - drug therapy
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Summary:OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate whether prolonged or irregular bleeding during Norplant implant use could be alleviated with the use of oral hormonal medication. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred fifty users of the Norplant levonorgestrel contraceptive implant with prolonged or frequent bleeding were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, comparative study and assigned to one of three treatment groups for 20 days: ethinyl estradiol 50 μg, an oral contraceptive (50 μg ethinyl estradiol and 250 μg levonorgestrel), and placebo. Total days of bleeding during treatment and length of the bleeding-free interval were analyzed. RESULTS: Women treated with the levonorgestrel - ethinyl estradiol pill bled an average of 2.6 days during treatment compared with 5.4 and 12.3 days in the ethinyl estradiol and placebo groups, respectively. Differences between both hormonal groups and placebo were significant ( p < 0.00001); moreover, the combined pill was more effective than ethinyl estradiol alone ( p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The combined pill proved to be an excellent palliative treatment and is a more practical approach because of availability at all clinic sites. (A M J O BSTET G YNECOL 1996;174:919-22.)
ISSN:0002-9378
1097-6868
DOI:10.1016/S0002-9378(96)70326-5