Short-Term Side Effects

The most common side effects to using Minastrin are those from people who turned out to be allergic to the active ingredients.  A small percentage of patients using the product have reported experiencing nausea, menstrual cramps, tenderness of the breast, vaginal candidiasis, bacterial vaginitis, abnormal

cervical smear, breakout of acne, sudden mood swings, and sudden weight gain. There are also very rare instances where some patients who took Minastrin experienced severe reactions such as complications arising from blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, stroke), localized pain in chest, jaw, or left arm, confusion, instances of sudden dizziness or feeling faint, pain, swelling or sensations of warmth in the groin or calf, slurred speech, sudden shortness of breath or sudden rapid breathing, unusual headaches sometimes accompanied by changes in vision, lack of coordination, worsening of migraines, sudden or very severe headaches, unusual sweating, weakness on one side of the body, double vision, and partial or complete blindness. Should any of these symptoms arise, contact your doctor immediately.

Long-Term Side Effects

There are no known long term side effects to taking Minastrin that did not face or diminish once the patient stopped taking the medication.  Consult the doctor immediately if there are any lingering, continuing or worsening side effect noticed while taking Minastrin.

Drug Interactions

Other medications that may interact with Minastrin include aromatase inhibitors such as anastrazole or exemestane, ospemifene, sodium tetradecyl sulfate, tamoxifen, and tizanidine. Medications that decrease the presence of birth control hormones in the body may also lessen the effect of Minastrin, such as griseofulvin, modafinil, rifamycins such as rifampin or rifabutin, St. John’s wort, anti-seizure medications such as barbiturates, carbamazepine, felbamate, phenytoin, primidone, or topiramate, and anti-HIV treatments such as nelfinavir, nevirapine, and ritonavir.

How It Works

Minastrin works by preventing the release of an egg cell during the ovulation phase of the menstrual cycle.  It also makes vaginal fluid thicker to help prevent sperm from reaching an egg and fertilizing it.  Minastrin also changes the lining of the uterus to prevent any fertilized egg from attaching to it.  Fertilized eggs not able to attach itself to the uterus will is ejected from the body.

Minastrin Drug Interactions

Minastrin has a possible interaction with many known medications and treatments, 483 drugs in all. If you are taking medications, you need to inform your doctor to make sure it does not pose a problem when taking Minastrin.

Minastrin Generic Alternatives

There is currently no FDA-approved generic equivalent to Minastrin that is legally available in the United States.