Lo Loestrin Fe

Generic name: Ethinyl Estradiol And Norethindrone Acetate
Dosage form: oral tablet

Usage of Lo Loestrin Fe

Lo Loestrin Fe is a low-dose combination birth control pill (oral contraceptive) containing two different female hormones. It helps to prevent pregnancy.

Lo Loestrin Fe contains an estrogen called ethinyl estradiol and a progestin called norethindrone acetate. Lo Loestrin Fe works primarily by suppressing ovulation, which is when an egg is release from one of your ovaries each month. Combined birth control pills, such as this one, also work by thickening the mucus at the neck of the uterus (womb). This makes it harder for sperm to get through and reach an egg. They also thin the lining of the uterus, which reduces the chances of a fertilized egg implanting and growing.

Lo Loestrin Fe was approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010. A generic version of Lo Loestrin Fe has not been approved.

Lo Loestrin Fe side effects

Serious side effects of Lo Loestrin Fe and other birth control pills include:

An increase the risk of serious blood clots, especially in women who have other risk factors, such as smoking, obesity, or age greater than 35 (an increased risk of serious blood clots also occurs during pregnancy). It is possible to die from a problem caused by a blood clot, such as a heart attack or a stroke. Some examples of serious blood clots are blood clots in the:

Legs (deep vein thrombosis)

Lungs (pulmonary embolus)

Eyes (loss of eyesight)

Heart (heart attack)

Brain (stroke)

High blood pressure, which may occur in a few women who take birth control pills

Gallbladder problems, which may occur in a few women who take birth control pills

Rare cancerous or noncancerous liver tumors, which may occur in a few women who take birth control pills

All of these events are uncommon in healthy women.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have:

Persistent leg pain

Sudden shortness of breath

Sudden blindness, partial or complete

Severe pain or pressure in your chest

Sudden, severe headache unlike your usual headaches

Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, or trouble speaking

Yellowing of the skin or eyeballs

Common side effects of Lo Loestrin Fe and other birth control pills include:

Spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods

Nausea

Breast tenderness

Headache

These side effects are usually mild and usually disappear with time.

Less common side effects of Lo Loestrin Fe are:

Acne

Less sexual desire

Bloating or fluid retention

Blotchy darkening of the skin, especially on the face

High blood sugar, especially in women who already have diabetes

High fat (cholesterol, triglyceride) levels in the blood

Depression, especially if you have had depression in the past. Call your healthcare provider immediately if you have any thoughts of harming yourself

Problems tolerating contact lenses

Weight gain

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you develop any side effects that concern you. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Do birth control pills cause cancer?

It is not known if hormonal birth control pills cause breast cancer. Some studies, but not all, suggest that there could be a slight increase in the risk of breast cancer among current users with longer duration of use.

If you have breast cancer now, or have had it in the past, do not use hormonal birth control because some breast cancers are sensitive to hormones.

Women who use birth control pills may have a slightly higher chance of getting cervical cancer. However, this may be due to other reasons such as having more sexual partners.

Before taking Lo Loestrin Fe

Birth control pills should not be taken during pregnancy. However, birth control pills taken by accident during pregnancy are not known to cause birth defects.

If you are breastfeeding, consider another birth control method until you are ready to stop breastfeeding. Birth control pills that contain estrogen, like Lo Loestrin Fe, may decrease the amount of milk you make. A small amount of the pill's hormones pass into breast milk.

What if I want to become pregnant?

You may stop taking Lo Loestrin Fe whenever you wish. Consider a visit with your healthcare provider for a pre-pregnancy checkup before you stop taking the pill.

How to use Lo Loestrin Fe

Take one tablet by mouth at the same time every day for 28 days.

Take tablets in the order directed on the blister pack.

Warnings

Warning To Women Who Smoke

Do not use Lo Loestrin Fe if you smoke cigarettes and are over 35 years old. Smoking increases your risk of serious cardiovascular side effects (heart and blood vessel problems) from birth control pills, including death from heart attack, blood clots or stroke. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes you smoke.

Birth control pills help to lower the chances of becoming pregnant when taken as directed. They do not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Do not skip any pills, even if you do not have sex often.

If you miss a period, you could be pregnant. However, some women miss periods or have light periods on birth control pills, even when they are not pregnant. Contact your healthcare provider for advice if you:

Think you are pregnant

Miss one period and have not taken your birth control pills every day

Miss two periods in a row

You should stop Lo Loestrin Fe at least four weeks before you have surgery and not restart it until at least two weeks after the surgery, due to an increased risk of blood clots.

If you have vomiting or diarrhea, your birth control pills may not work as well. Use another birth control method, like a condom and spermicide, until you check with your healthcare provider.

If you are scheduled for any laboratory tests, tell your healthcare provider that you are taking birth control pills. Certain blood tests may be affected by birth control pills.

How well does Lo Loestrin Fe work?

Your chance of getting pregnant depends on how well you follow the directions for taking your birth control pills. The better you follow the directions, the less chance you have of getting pregnant.

Based on the results of one clinical study, about 2 to 4 out of 100 women may get pregnant during the first year they use Lo Loestrin Fe.

Women with a BMI above 35 kg/m2 were not studied in the clinical trial, so it is not known how well this medication protects against pregnancy in such women. If you are overweight, discuss with your healthcare provider whether Lo Loestrin Fe is the best choice for you.

Birth control pills are:

Less effective than implants, injections, intrauterine devices and sterilization, which result in fewer than 1 pregnancy per 100 women in a year

As effective as a skin patch or vagina ring with hormones

Slightly more effective than condoms and diaphragms

More effective than using spermicide, withdrawal or having no sex during the most fertile days of the monthly cycle, which result in 10 to 20 pregnancies per 100 women in one year

More effective than no birth control, which results in 85 or more pregnancies per 100 women in one year

What other drugs will affect Lo Loestrin Fe

Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines and herbal products that you take. Some medicines and herbal products may make birth control pills such as Lo Loestrin Fe less effective, including:

barbiturates

Bosentan

Carbamazepine

felbamate

griseofulvin

oxcarbazepine

phenytoin

rifampin

St. John’s wort

topiramate

Consider using another birth control method when you take medicines that may make birth control pills less effective.

Birth control pills may interact with lamotrigine, an anticonvulsant used for epilepsy. This may increase the risk of seizures, so your healthcare provider may need to adjust the dose of lamotrigine.

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