Uses
This medication is a combination of 2 hormones: an estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and a progestin (drospirenone). This product is used to prevent pregnancy.
This medication also may be used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) or moderate acne if you have chosen to use birth control pills as your method of pregnancy prevention.
Besides preventing pregnancy, birth control pills may make your periods more regular, decrease blood loss and painful periods, and decrease your risk of ovarian cysts.
Using this medication does not protect you or your partner against sexually transmitted diseases (such as HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia).
How To Use
Read the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist before you start using this product and each time you get a refill. The leaflet contains very important information on when to take your pills and what to do if you miss a dose. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, with or without food, usually once daily. Pick a time of day that is easy for you to remember, and take your pill at the same time each day, 24 hours apart. Taking this medication after your evening meal or at bedtime may help decrease stomach upset and nausea.
Follow the package instructions to find the first tablet, start with the first tablet in the pack, and take them in the correct order. Do not skip any doses. Pregnancy is more likely if you miss pills, start a new pack late, or take your pill at a different time of the day than usual.
Vomiting or diarrhea can prevent your birth control pills from working well. If you have vomiting or diarrhea, you may need to use a back-up birth control method (such as condoms, spermicide). Follow the directions in the Patient Information Leaflet and check with your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Your pill pack contains 24 pills with active medication (with hormones). It also contains 4 reminder pills (without hormones) at the end of the pack. Take one active pill (with hormones) once daily for 24 days in a row. After you have taken the last active pill, take a reminder pill (without hormones) once daily for 4 days in a row unless otherwise directed by your doctor. You should have your period within 3 days after you take the last active tablet in the cycle during the fourth week of the pack. After you have taken the last inactive tablet in the pack, start a new pack the next day whether or not you have your period. If you do not get your period, consult your doctor.
If this is the first time you are using this medication and you are not switching from another form of hormonal birth control (such as the patch, other birth control pills), take the first tablet in the pack on the first Sunday following the beginning of your menstrual period or on the first day of your period. If your period begins on a Sunday, begin taking this medication on that day. For the first cycle of use only, use an additional form of non-hormonal birth control (such as condoms, spermicide) for the first 7 days to prevent pregnancy until the medication has enough time to work. If you start on the first day of your period, you do not need to use back-up birth control the first week.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for information about how to switch from other forms of hormonal birth control (such as the patch, other birth control pills) to this product.
Side Effects
Nausea, vomiting, headache, bloating, breast tenderness, swelling of the ankles/feet (fluid retention), or weight change may occur. Vaginal bleeding between periods (spotting) or missed/irregular periods may occur, especially during the first few months of use. If any of these effects last or get worse, notify your doctor promptly. If you miss 2 periods in a row (or 1 period if the pill has not been used properly), contact your doctor for a pregnancy test.
Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
This medication may raise your blood pressure. Check your blood pressure regularly and tell your doctor if the results are high.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any serious side effects, including:
- unusual changes in vaginal bleeding (such as continuous spotting, sudden heavy bleeding, missed periods)
- symptoms of a high potassium blood level (such as muscle weakness, slow/irregular heartbeat)
This medication may rarely cause serious (sometimes fatal) problems from blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, heart attack). Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of this birth control pill. Get medical help right away if you experience:
- sudden shortness of breath
- chest/jaw/left arm pain
- unusual sweating
- confusion
- coughing up blood
- sudden dizziness/fainting
- pain/swelling/warmth in the groin/calf
- tingling/weakness/numbness in the arms/legs
- unusual headaches (including headaches with vision changes/lack of coordination, worsening of migraines, sudden/very severe headaches)
- trouble speaking
- weakness on one side of the body
- sudden vision changes (such as partial/complete blindness)
Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including:
- lumps in the breast
- severe stomach/abdominal pain
- dark urine
- yellowing eyes/skin
- mental/mood changes (such as new/worsening depression, suicidal thoughts)
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including:
- rash
- itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat)
- severe dizziness
- trouble breathing
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US -
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Precautions
See also Warning section.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to ethinyl estradiol or drospirenone; or to other estrogens or progestins; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of:
- adrenal gland problems
- stroke
- blood clots (such as in the legs, eyes, lungs)
- high blood pressure
- abnormal breast exam
- cancer (especially endometrial or breast cancer)
- blood clotting disorders (such as protein C or protein S deficiency)
- diabetes
- severe headaches/migraines
- family or personal history of a certain swelling disorder (angioedema)
- heart problems (such as heart valve disease, irregular heartbeat, previous heart attack)
- kidney problems
- liver disease (including tumors)
- history of yellowing eyes/skin (jaundice) during pregnancy or while using birth control pills
- unexplained vaginal bleeding
- high cholesterol or triglyceride (blood fat) levels
- depression
- swelling (edema)
- gallbladder problems
- obesity
If you have diabetes, this medication may affect your blood sugar. Check your blood sugar regularly as directed and share the results with your doctor. Tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of high blood sugar such as increased thirst/urination. Your doctor may need to adjust your diabetes medication, exercise program, or diet.
Tell your doctor if you just had or will be having major surgery, or if you will be confined to a chair or bed for a long time (such as a long plane flight). These conditions increase your risk of getting blood clots, especially if you are taking hormonal birth control products. You may need to stop this medication for a time or take special precautions.
Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
This product may increase your potassium levels. Before using potassium supplements or salt substitutes that contain potassium, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
This medication may cause blotchy, dark areas on your face and skin (melasma). Sunlight may worsen this effect. Limit your time in the sun. Avoid tanning booths and sunlamps. Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing when outdoors.
If you are nearsighted or wear contact lenses, you may develop vision problems or trouble wearing your contact lenses. Contact your eye doctor if these problems occur.
It may take longer for you to become pregnant after you stop taking birth control pills. Consult your doctor.
This medication should not be used during pregnancy. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor right away. If you have just given birth or had a pregnancy loss/abortion after the first 3 months, talk with your doctor about reliable forms of birth control, and find out when it is safe to start using birth control that contains a form of estrogen, such as this medication.
This medication passes into breast milk. This may affect milk production and may harm a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
Drug Interactions
See also Precautions section.
Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval.
Some products that may interact with this drug include:
- aromatase inhibitors (such as anastrozole, exemestane)
- atazanavir/cobicistat
- fezolinetant
- ospemifene
- tamoxifen
- tizanidine
- tranexamic acid
- certain combination products used to treat chronic hepatitis C (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir with or without dasabuvir)
Drospirenone may raise your potassium blood level. Tell your doctor if you are regularly taking other drugs/products that can also raise your potassium level (including aliskiren, ACE inhibitors such as enalapril/lisinopril, angiotensin receptor blockers such as losartan/valsartan, heparin, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen/naproxen, potassium-sparing "water pills"/diuretics such as eplerenone/spironolactone/triamterene).
Some drugs may cause hormonal birth control to work less well by decreasing the amount of birth control hormones in your body. This effect can result in pregnancy. Examples of these drugs include griseofulvin, modafinil, rifamycins (such as rifampin), ritonavir, St. John's wort, drugs used to treat seizures (such as barbiturates, carbamazepine, felbamate, phenytoin, primidone, topiramate), HIV drugs (such as nelfinavir, nevirapine), among others. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
Tell your doctor when you start any new drug, and discuss whether you should use additional reliable birth control. Also tell your doctor if you have any new spotting or breakthrough bleeding, because these may be signs that your birth control is not working well.
This medication may interfere with certain lab tests, possibly causing false test results. Make sure lab personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug.
Overdose
If someone has overdosed and has serious symptoms such as passing out or trouble breathing, call 911. Otherwise, call a poison control center right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Alberta residents can call PADIS (Poison and Drug Information Service) 24 hours a day at 1-800-332-1414. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: severe nausea and vomiting, sudden/unusual vaginal bleeding.
Notes
Do not share this medication with others.
Regular complete physical exams which include lab and/or medical tests (such as potassium blood level, blood pressure, breast exam, pelvic exam, Pap smear) should be done while you are taking this medication. Follow your doctor's instructions for examining your breasts, and report any lumps right away. Keep all medical and lab appointments. Consult your doctor for more details.
Missed Dose
Refer to the product package information for advice on missed doses. You may need to use back-up birth control (such as condoms, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
If you often forget to take your pills as directed, contact your doctor to discuss switching to another form of birth control.
If you have questions about missing a dose or you don't have more medication, contact your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
Storage
Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.
