Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate
About
Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate belongs to the class of medications called ‘contraceptives’ primarily used for birth control and treating dysmenorrhea (irregular and painful periods). Contraception is a procedure that aims to prevent pregnancy and is used in family planning. Dysmenorrhea is irregular and painful, leading to abdominal pain, digestion problems, fainting, vomiting, and nausea.
Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate is a combination of three medicines: Levonorgesterol, Ethinylestradiol, and Ferrous fumarate. Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate works by preventing the release of an egg from ovaries and making sperm entry difficult to enter in the uterus to fertilise sperm and egg. In addition to this, Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate prevents the thickening of the uterus's inner wall, required for an egg growth in the uterus. Ferrous fumarate is required to make up for the amount of iron in the women lost during their menstrual period.
You should take this medicine as prescribed by your doctor. The common side effects are acne, amenorrhea (absence of menses), tenderness, pain, or swelling of the breasts, decrease in the secretion of breast milk after giving birth, dizziness, oedema (fluid retention), gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, and bloating, unwanted hair growth, intolerance to contact lenses, changes in sexual desire, loss of scalp hair, change in menstrual flow, dark patches on the skin, mood changes, nausea, nervousness, vaginal discharge, vomiting, and loss or gain of appetite. If the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
Do not take Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate if you are allergic to any contents of it. Please do not smoke while you are using Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate as it increases the risk of a blood clot. Inform your doctor before starting Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate if you are over 35 years, smoke, have or ever had a heart problem, uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer of breast, uterus, or vagina, liver diseases, diabetes that affect blood vessels, headache with disruption of the brain function, and prolonged immobilization due to a surgery. Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Uses of Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate
Medicinal Benefits
Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate is a combination of three medicines: Levonorgestrel, Ethinylestradiol, and Ferrous fumarate. It is primarily used for contraception (prevent pregnancy). It increases menstrual cycle regularity and decreases blood loss. It decreases the incidence of iron-deficiency anemia, dysmenorrhea (irregular or painful periods), functional ovarian cysts, and ectopic pregnancies (pregnancy outside the womb). Long-term use may decrease the incidence of fibroadenomas and fibrocystic disease of the breast (lumps in the breast), acute pelvic inflammatory disease (inflammation of the pelvic organs), and cancer of the ovary and vagina.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate
- Acne
- Amenorrhea (absence of menses)
- Tenderness, pain, or swelling of the breasts
- Decrease in secretion of breast milk after giving birth
- Dizziness
- Edema (fluid retention)
- Gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, and bloating
- Unwanted hair growth
- Intolerance to contact lenses
- Changes in sexual desire
- Loss of scalp hair
- Change in menstrual flow
- Dark patches on the skin
- Mood changes
- Nausea
- Nervousness
- Vaginal discharge
- Vomiting
- Loss or gain of appetite
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate increases the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, gallbladder disease, liver tumors, cancer of the ovary, breast, cervix, or vagina, and inflammation of the pancreas. Do not stop taking this medicine even if there is irregular menses or spotting. Missing pills can also cause spotting or light bleeding. Do not switch to another brand or another type of birth control without informing your doctor.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate may interact with an antitubercular drug (rifampicin), drugs used for epilepsy (phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, topiramate, carbamazepine, and phenylbutazone), drugs used for HIV (ritonavir and modafinil), antibiotics, penicillins, and tetracyclines, herbal products containing St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum).
Drug-Food Interactions: Alcohol consumption should be avoided while taking Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate should not be used in patients with a history of heart attack or stroke, blood clots in the legs (thrombophlebitis), lungs (pulmonary embolism), or eyes, blood clots in the deep veins of your legs, known or suspected breast cancer or cancer of the lining of the uterus, cervix, or vagina, liver tumor (benign or cancerous), angina pectoris (chest pain), unexplained vaginal bleeding, jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin) during pregnancy or during previous use of the pill, heart rhythm disorders, diabetes affecting your circulation, headaches with neurological symptoms, uncontrolled high blood pressure, liver disease, and surgery with prolonged bed rest.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionAlcohol consumption should be avoided while using Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate
Pregnancy
unsafeLevonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate is a category X drug. It is not recommended for use in pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
unsafeLevonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate should not be used in breastfeeding mothers as this medicine may get excreted in the breast milk.
Driving
safe if prescribedLevonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate may not affect your ability to drive.
Liver
cautionLevonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate should be used with caution in patients with liver diseases.
Kidney
cautionLevonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate should be used with caution in patients with kidney diseases.
Children
unsafeLevonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate is not recommended for use in children.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Keep your weight under control with body mass index (BMI) 19.5-24.9.
- Opt for a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, veggies, and low-fat dairy products.
- Quitting smoking and not drinking alcohol is the best strategy to lower the risk of any complication.
- Do regular exercise to maintain weight fluctuations caused due to Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate.
- Monitor your blood pressure daily and if there is too much fluctuation, then immediately contact your doctor.
- Try to include heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acid containing food drinks in your daily diet. You can also use low-fat cooking oil like olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and coconut oil to lower your elevated blood pressure.
Special Advise
- Before taking Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate, look at your pill pack to see if it has 28 pills. The pill pack should have 21 “active” white pills (with hormones) to take for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of brown iron-containing pills (without hormones).
- Always inform your doctor that you are taking Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate as it may alter the results of some blood tests.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Contraception: It is a procedure that aims to prevent pregnancy. A woman can only get pregnant if a man sperm fertilizes her egg. Contraception aims to prevent this from happening by keeping egg and sperm apart by stopping egg production or not letting the uterus wall become thick. As a result, no fertilization takes place, so contraception is a safe method for family planning.
Dysmenorrhea: It is irregular and painful periods leading to abdominal pain/cramps, digestion problems, fainting, vomiting, nausea. Generally, a menstrual cycle is about 25-30 days. But in dysmenorrhea, this cycle may be short or prolonged, leading to excessive pain.
FAQs
Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate is a contraceptive drug which prevents the release of an egg from the ovary. If the egg is released in the uterus, then Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate prevents the egg growth by thickening the uterus wall.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take 2 pills in 1 day. If you miss 2 pills in a row, take 2 pills on the day you remember and 2 pills on the next day, followed by one pill until the completion of the course. if you miss 3 or more white “active” pills in a row (during the first 3 weeks), throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day. You could become pregnant if you have sexual intercourse in the 7 days after you miss pills. So, you must use a condom as a back-up for those 7 days. If you have any questions regarding the missing doses, consult your doctor immediately.
Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate may cause weight gain by increasing your appetite. However, consult your doctor if you notice sudden or rapid weight gain while using this medicine.
Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate cannot prevent spread or transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like HIV, genital herpes, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. So, it is safe to use other reliable contraceptive measures such as male or female condoms or to prevent STDs.
The common side effects of Levonorgestrel+ethinylestradiol+ferrous Fumarate are acne, tenderness, pain, or swelling of the breasts, dizziness, oedema (fluid retention), abdominal pain, cramps, and bloating, unwanted hair growth, changes in sexual desire, change in menstrual flow, mood changes, nausea, vaginal discharge, vomiting, and loss or gain of appetite. If the side effects are persistent, reach out to your doctor.
