What is it used for?

• Abdominal pain and bleeding during preganancy (threatened miscarriage) or history of miscarriages (habitual abortion)
• Abdominal pain associated with menstrual periods (dysmenorrhoea)
• Absence of menstrual periods when taking oestrogens
• Endometriosis
• Female infertility
• Irregular menstrual bleeding when taking oestrogens
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Premenstrual syndrome

How does it work?

• Duphaston tablets contain the active ingredient dydrogesterone, which is a synthetic hormone similar to the naturally occurring sex hormone, progesterone. It is used in a wide range of menstrual disorders that are thought to result from a lack of progesterone in the body.
• In women, progesterone is responsible for the development of a healthy womb lining (endometrium) that is necessary for pregnancy. The body produces progesterone at certain times of the menstrual cycle, causing the womb lining to flourish. If a fertilized egg does not attach to the womb lining by the end of the monthly menstrual cycle, the levels of progesterone in the body decrease. This causes the body to shed the womb lining (a menstrual ‘period’). If a fertilized egg successfully attaches to the womb lining by the end of the monthly cycle, progesterone levels in the body remain high. This helps maintain a healthy womb lining for the ongoing pregnancy.
• As dydrogesterone helps regulate the healthy growth and normal shedding of the womb lining, it may be used in the treatment of menstrual disorders such as absent, irregular or painful menstrual periods, infertility, premenstrual syndrome and endometriosis. It may also be used to minimise the overgrowth of the womb lining due to oestrogen (the main female sex hormone) in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) following menopause. By maintaining the womb lining, dydrogesterone is also useful in helping prevent miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) in women who have suffered repeated miscarriages or who may miscarry.
• Dydrogesterone is usually taken on selected days during the menstrual cycle, depending upon the disorder that is being treated.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.

• There are no known harmful effects when this medicine is used during pregnancy.
• Small amounts of this medicine may pass into breast milk, however there are no known harmful effects when it is used by breastfeeding mothers.

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Bloating
• Skin reactions such as rash and itch
• Breast tenderness
• Menstrual spotting between periods

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.

For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

How can this medicine affect other medicines?

• There are no reported significant interactions with this medicine.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dydrogesterone

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/a6626/duphaston-discontinued-in-the-uk-march-2008/

http://www.medicines.ie/31942_duphaston-10mg-film-coated-tablets

http://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/~db5_Oe1473cc1ea6248bca768c3611a6d293b-2151419-28082014144118-635448336793226250.pdf