Desogestrel Side Effects
- Those using desogestrel may experience a severe allergic reaction. As explained by Drugs.com, symptoms include difficulty breathing, chest pain or tightness, breast lumps, swollen legs, swelling of the mouth, tongue, face and lips, vision changes, coughing up blood, dark urine, dizziness or fainting and loss of appetite. Other symptoms are missed periods, mood changes, numbness of the arms or legs, severe stomach pain, slurred speech, shortness of breath, sleep abnormalities, fatigue, vaginal infections and yellowing of the skin. Contact your doctor immediately if any of these occur.
- There are many common gastrointestinal and genitourinary side effects connected to desogestrel. Drugs.com reports that these include nausea, vomiting, cramps, bloating, jaundice, changes in weight and appetite and gallbladder disease. Common genitourinary side effects are long gaps between periods, absence of periods, bleeding, spotting, vaginal infections and temporary infertility. These generally occur within the first couple of cycles of desogestrel and stop after patients stop taking the drug.
- There has been a connection between desogestrel use and liver tumors and breast cancer. Drugs.com states that information on breast cancer and desogestrel are conflicting and studies are continuing to come to a clear relationship between the two. There also is a discrepancy on the relationship between desogestrel use and cervical cancer. Cardiovascular side effects have included a decrease in white blood cells, high blood pressure, blood clots, hemorrhaging and heart attack. Drugs.com states that women taking high or low doses of this drug can experience serious side effects.
- Endocrine and hepatic side effects are rare, states Drugs.com. Reported endocrine side effects include adverse effects on lipid profiles, decrease in good cholesterol, increase in bad cholesterol, a decrease in glucose tolerance and conception delay. Hepatic side effects have included cancer of the liver, tumors on the liver, blockage of bile flow from the liver and hepatic granulomas (small clumps of abnormal cells in the liver). Though rare, these can be serious, and use of desogestrel may need to be stopped.
- Additional side effects include onset of panic disorder, depression, intolerance to contact lenses and partial or complete loss of vision. Respiratory side effects have included pulmonary embolism, states Drugs.com. More common side effects include breast tenderness, acne, oily skin, hair loss and nervousness. Drugs.com states that to avoid increased risk of blood clots, strokes and heart problems, women (especially 35 or older) should not smoke. Before taking desogestrel, talk to your doctor about possible complications