Contraception advice for Patients following the administration of Sugammadex

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Summary

An anaesthetic drug you received today may interfere with hormonal contraception, and increase the chance of pregnancy.

If you are taking ‘the pill’ (combined or mini), follow the missed pill advice in the packaging leaflet.

If you have a hormonal implant, coil, injection, patch or vaginal ring, you will need to use barrier contraception, such as condoms, for 7 days.

General Information

Commonly, as part of your anaesthetic, drugs are administered to relax your muscles. At the end of an operation, the action of these drugs need to be reversed before you wake up. One of these ‘reversal’ drugs which you have been given today is called Sugammadex and it has a unique interaction with the hormone progesterone. This interaction does not occur with other anaesthetic related drugs.

The drug Sugammadex may reduce the effectiveness of hormone contraceptives and may temporarily increase the risk of pregnancy.

For oral hormonal contraceptives

• The progesterone only contraceptive ‘mini-pill’
• The combined oral contraceptive ‘pill’

If you have taken your pill this morning and have been given Sugammadex, it is the equivalent to one missed pill. Please follow the missed pill advice in the package leaflet of the oral contraceptive.

If you are taking any other hormonal contraceptive

• Contraceptive implant
• Hormonal Intra-Uterine System (IUS) (eg. Mirena, Jaydess, Levosert, Liletta, or Kyleena)
• The contraceptive injection (Depo-Provera, Sayana Press or Noristerat)
• The contraceptive patch (EVRA)
• Vaginal ring

You must use a barrier method of contraception, such as condoms, for the next 7 days and follow the advice in the package leaflet of the contraceptive product.

Further help and advice