What should I tell my care team before I take this medication?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Adrenal gland disease
- Blood vessel disease or blood clots
- Breast, cervical, endometrial, ovarian, liver, or uterine cancer
- Depression
- Diabetes (high blood sugar)
- Gallbladder disease
- Heart disease or recent heart attack
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- High potassium level
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Migraine headaches
- Stroke
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Thyroid disease
- Tobacco smoker
- An unusual or allergic reaction to estrogens, progestins, folates, or other medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- Breast-feeding
What may interact with this medication?
Do not take this medication with any of the following:
- Aminoglutethimide
- Amprenavir, fosamprenavir
- Atazanavir; cobicistat
- Anastrozole
- Bosentan
- Exemestane
- Letrozole
- Metyrapone
- Testolactone
This medication may also interact with the following:
- Acetaminophen
- Antiviral medications for HIV or AIDS
- Aprepitant
- Atorvastatin
- Barbiturates
- Certain antibiotics, such as rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, and possibly penicillins or tetracyclines
- Certain diuretics, such as amiloride, spironolactone, triamterene
- Certain medications for fungal infections, such as griseofulvin, ketoconazole, itraconazole
- Certain medications for high blood pressure or heart conditions, such as ACE-inhibitors, Angiotensin-II receptor blockers, eplerenone
- Certain medications for seizures, such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin
- Cholestyramine
- Cobicistat
- Corticosteroids, such as hydrocortisone and prednisolone
- Cyclosporine
- Dantrolene
- Felbamate
- Grapefruit juice
- Heparin
- Lamotrigine
- Medications for diabetes, including pioglitazone
- Methotrexate
- Modafinil
- NSAIDs
- Potassium supplements
- Pyrimethamine
- Raloxifene
- St. John's wort
- Sulfasalazine
- Tamoxifen
- Topiramate
- Thyroid hormones
- Warfarin
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medication?
Use an additional method of contraception during the first cycle that you take this medication.
If you have any reason to think you are pregnant, stop taking this medication right away and contact your care team.
Smoking increases the risk of getting a blood clot or having a stroke while you are taking birth control pills, especially if you are more than 35 years old. You are strongly advised not to smoke.
This medication can make your body retain fluid, making your fingers, hands, or ankles swell. Your blood pressure can go up. Contact your care team if you feel you are retaining fluid.
This medication may affect blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, check with your care team before you change your diet or the dose of your diabetic medication.
This medication can make you more sensitive to the sun. Keep out of the sun. If you cannot avoid being in the sun, wear protective clothing and use sunscreen. Do not use sun lamps or tanning beds/booths.
If you wear contact lenses and notice visual changes, or if the lenses begin to feel uncomfortable, consult your care team.
In some women, tenderness, swelling, or minor bleeding of the gums may occur. Notify your dentist if this happens. Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly may help limit this. See your dentist regularly and inform your dentist of the medications you are taking.
If you are going to have elective surgery, you may need to stop taking this medication before the surgery. Consult your care team for advice.
This medication does not protect you against HIV infection (AIDS) or any other sexually transmitted infections.
What are the most serious risks of this medication?
This medication can increase the risk of serious blood clots, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. This risk increases if you are older than 35 years of age or use tobacco. You are strongly advised not to use tobacco.