Navela Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Navela Tablet contains levonorgestrel and is an emergency contraceptive that can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or if your usual contraception method has failed. It may prevent about 84% of expected pregnancies when taken within this window and works best the sooner it is taken. Navela does not terminate an existing pregnancy and is not intended for regular use as a birth control method.

What is Navela Tablet

Navela is an emergency contraceptive tablet that can be used within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected sex or if your usual contraception method has failed. It contains a synthetic hormone-like substance called levonorgestrel.

Navela Tablet uses

• Emergency contraception after unprotected sex, used within 72 hours (3 days)
• Used when no contraception was used during sex
• Used when a contraception method failed or was used incorrectly (e.g., condom broke or slipped, diaphragm moved or broke, withdrawal failed)

Benefits of Navela Tablet

• Prevents about 84% of expected pregnancies when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex
• More effective the sooner it is taken after unprotected sex
• Single-tablet formulation
• Provides an emergency contraception option
• Works best when used promptly
• Does not terminate an existing pregnancy

How Navela Tablet works

Navela is thought to work by stopping an egg from being released, by making it harder for sperm to fertilize an egg that may already be released, or by preventing a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb lining.

Navela Tablet dosage

Take the tablet as soon as possible, ideally within 12 hours and no later than 72 hours after unprotected sex. Swallow the tablet whole with water; do not chew or crush it. It can be taken with or without food, and should be taken with a full glass of water. Do not delay taking the tablet, as it works better the sooner it is taken.

If you are sick (vomit) within a few hours of taking the tablet, take another tablet right away and contact your doctor. If you are already using a regular method of contraception, you can continue taking it at your usual times.

This medicine is not meant for children and is only intended for women who have already started having periods. It should never be given to women past menopause or to girls who have not yet started their periods.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet

Side effects of Navela Tablet

Common

• Nausea
• Irregular bleeding until the next period
• Lower abdominal pain
• Tiredness/fatigue
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Changes to your period (earlier, later, lighter, or heavier than usual)
• Tender breasts
• Diarrhoea
• Dizziness

Serious

• Rash, hives, itching
• Swelling of the face
• Pelvic pain
• Painful periods

Warnings and precautions

• Do not take Navela if you are allergic to levonorgestrel or any other ingredient in the tablet.
• This medicine is not advised if you have a bowel disease like Crohn's disease, severe liver problems, a past ectopic pregnancy, or a past infection of the fallopian tubes, since these increase the risk of a new ectopic pregnancy.
• This medicine does not protect against sexually transmitted infections or HIV; only condoms can do that.
• Certain medicines, such as some epilepsy drugs, tuberculosis drugs, some HIV medicines, an antifungal medicine, and St. John's Wort, can make Navela less effective.
• Only use this medicine for emergencies, not as a regular birth control method; using it more than once in a cycle makes it less reliable and can upset your periods.
• Each tablet contains lactose, so tell your doctor if you have an intolerance to certain sugars before taking this medicine.
• Do not take this medicine if you are already pregnant, as it will not work and cannot end a pregnancy. If you become pregnant anyway after taking it, see your doctor, who may want to check it is not an ectopic pregnancy, especially if you have severe abdominal pain.
• Small amounts of the medicine may pass into breast milk, but this is not thought to be harmful. If you are worried, take the tablet right after breastfeeding, wait at least 8 hours before the next feed, and pump and discard milk during that time.
• Significant kidney disease should be discussed with a healthcare professional. This medicine is not advised if you have severe liver problems.
• No major direct interaction with alcohol is established.
• Navela is unlikely to affect your ability to drive or use machines, but do not drive or use machines if you feel tired or dizzy.

Storage

• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children
• Do not use after the expiry date on the pack and blister; the expiry date refers to the last day of that month
• Do not store above 30°C
• Keep the medicine in a cool, dry place
• Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste; ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines you no longer use

When to see a doctor

• If your period is more than 5 to 7 days late, or is unusually light or heavy, take a pregnancy test and contact your doctor as soon as possible.
• Get medical help right away if you have severe lower abdominal pain after taking this medicine, as this can be a sign of a pregnancy outside the womb (ectopic pregnancy).
• If you vomit within a few hours of taking the tablet, take another tablet right away or contact your doctor, since the medicine may not have been absorbed.
• See your doctor about three weeks after taking Navela to make sure it has worked.

Alternatives

• Ulipristal acetate