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Also see:
Triphasil
Aviane
Levlen Levlite
Levora Lutera
Lybrel Nordette
Portia
Sronyx
Tri-Levlen
Trivora
Brand Names: Alesse, Aviane,
Levlen, Levlite, Levora, Lutera, Lybrel, Nordette, Portia, Sronyx, Tri-Levlen,
Triphasil, Trivora
Drug Uses
Alesse is one of the most effective
methods for birth control (99% effective when taken as directed). Alesse
contains natural hormones that stop the ovary from releasing an egg and prevent
a man's sperm from entering the uterus. So with Alesse you can put your mind at
ease and enjoy intimate moments with your partner.
How Taken
Take the first pill in a package on the
first Sunday after your period begins (unless otherwise directed by your
doctor). Take one pill every day, no more than 24 hours after your last dose.
Try to take the pills at a time that you will remember every day--for example
just before bed, with a meal, or first thing in the morning. Taking your pill at
night may help to reduce any nausea or headache that you may experience because
of the hormones. If you are on a 28-day cycle, take one pill every day. When the
pack runs out, throw it away. Begin a new pack the following day. The 28-day
cycle contains seven pills that are either placebos (with no active ingredients)
or iron supplements. These are "reminder" pills to keep you on your regular
cycle. They are taken while you are menstruating. If you are on a 21-day cycle,
take one pill every day for 21 days, then do not take any pills for 7 days. You
should have your period during the 7 days with no pills. Resume your pills on
the 8th day with a new package. Follow your doctor's instructions about using a
second form of birth control when you first start taking birth control pills,
when you are taking antibiotics, or if you miss a pill. If you are unsure what
to do in any of these cases, talk to your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor about how
to ensure that you will not become pregnant.
Warnings/Precautions
Before taking this medication, tell your
doctor if you have high blood pressure, angina, or heart disease; have had a
stroke; have a bleeding or blood-clotting disorder; have breast, uterine, or
another hormone-related cancer; have liver disease or a history of jaundice
(yellowing of the skin and eyes) caused by use of birth control in the past;
have undiagnosed, abnormal vaginal bleeding; have migraines; have asthma; or
have seizures or epilepsy. You may not be able to take birth control pills, or
you may require a lower dose or special monitoring during treatment if you have
any of the conditions listed above. Birth control pills are in the FDA pregnancy
category X. This means that birth control pills will cause birth defects in an
unborn baby. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can have very serious negative
effects on a developing baby. Do not take birth control pills if you are
pregnant or if you think you might be pregnant. The hormones in birth control
pills pass into breast milk and may decrease milk production. Do not take birth
control pills without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a
baby.
Missed Dose
If you miss pills you could get pregnant.
This includes starting the pack late. The more pills you miss, the more likely
you are to get pregnant in the 7 days after you miss pills. The pill may not be
as effective if you miss pink active pills, and particularly if you miss the
first few or the last few pink active pills in a pack. MISSING PILLS CAN ALSO
CAUSE SPOTTING OR LIGHT BLEEDING, even when you make up these missed pills. On
the days you take 2 pills to make up for missed pills, you could also feel a
little sick to your stomach.
Possible Side Effects
-
Vaginal bleeding
-
Fluid retention
-
Melasma
Other side effects may include
nausea, breast tenderness, change in appetite, headache, nervousness,
depression, dizziness, loss of scalp hair, rash, vaginal infections,
inflammation of the pancreas, and allergic reactions. If any of these side
effects bother you, call your health-care provider.
Storage
Store at controlled room temperature 20°
to 25°C (68° to 77°F). Keep this medication in the container it came in, and out
of reach of children.
Overdose
Symptoms of oral contraceptive over dosage in adults and children may include
nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness/fatigue; withdrawal bleeding may occur in
females. There is no specific antidote and further treatment of overdose, if
necessary, is directed to the symptoms.
More Information
Your health-care provider will take a
medical and family history before prescribing oral contraceptives and will
examine you. The physical examination may be delayed to another time if you
request it and the health-care provider believes that it is appropriate to
postpone it. You should be reexamined at least once a year. Be sure to inform
your health-care provider if there is a family history of any of the conditions
listed previously in this leaflet. Be sure to keep all appointments with your
health-care provider, because this is a time to determine if there are early
signs of side effects of oral-contraceptive use. Do not use the drug for any
condition other than the one for which it was prescribed. This drug has been
prescribed specifically for you; do not give it to others who may want
birth-control pills. Avoid smoking. Smoking greatly increases your risk of a
heart attack, stroke, or blood clot formation.
Ethinyl estradiol and
levonorgestrel contains a combination of female hormones that prevent ovulation
(the release of an egg from an ovary). This medication also causes changes in
your cervical mucous and uterine lining, making it harder for sperm to reach the
uterus and harder for a fertilized egg to attach to the uterus.
Ethinyl estradiol and
levonorgestrel are used as contraception to prevent pregnancy.
Patients should be counseled that oral
contraceptives do not protect against transmission of HIV (AIDS) and other
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as chlamydia, genital herpes, genital
warts, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and syphilis.
21 pink active tablets each containing 0.10 mg of
levonorgestrel, d(-)-13b-ethyl-17a-ethinyl- 17b- hydroxygon-4-en-3-one,
a
totally synthetic progestogen, and 0.02 mg of
ethinyl estradiol,
17a-ethinyl-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-3, 17b-diol.
The inactive ingredients present
are cellulose, hypromellose, iron oxide, lactose, magnesium stearate, polacrilin
potassium, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, and wax E.
7 light-green inert tablets, each containing cellulose, FD&C blue no. 1,
hypromellose, iron oxide, lactose, magnesium stearate, polacrilin potassium,
polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, and wax E.
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