Levonorgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol, Oral (Emergency Contraceptive) LEE-voh-nor-jes-trel ETH-in-il es-tra-DY-ole

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: contraceptive (birth control)

Generic and brand names: emergency contraceptive; levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, oral

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or after a known or suspected failure of a birth control product. The kit contains a pregnancy test kit and 4 pills.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any hormones or medicines
• blood clots in your legs, lungs, brain, eyes, or head (stroke)
• asthma
• breast cancer, uterine cancer, or other hormone-related cancer
• depression
• diabetes
• heart attack, or other heart disease
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol or triglycerides
• gallbladder or kidney disease
• liver disease or liver tumor
• migraines or headaches along with vomiting, double vision, unsteadiness, weakness, or personality changes
• unexplained vaginal bleeding

Also tell your provider if you smoke, or if you have recently had major surgery and stayed in bed for several days.

Females of childbearing age: If you are pregnant, tell your healthcare provider. This medicine is a contraceptive and prevents pregnancy. It does not end a pregnancy and should not be taken if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How do I use it?

If there is any chance you may already be pregnant, take a pregnancy test before you take this medicine. If the test is positive, taking this medicine is likely to harm the baby.

If the pregnancy test is negative, take 2 pills within 72 hours of intercourse to prevent pregnancy. Then take the other 2 pills 12 hours after the first 2.

Taking this medicine with food or right after meals may lessen stomach upset. If you vomit within 1 hour after either dose of this medicine, contact your healthcare provider. Ask if you should repeat the dose and if you should take a medicine to prevent nausea and vomiting.

Be sure to read the booklet that comes in the medicine package. Follow the directions carefully.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: nausea, vomiting.

What should I watch out for?

Do not use this medicine for routine birth control. The pills in this kit do not protect you against infection with HIV or other diseases spread by unprotected sex.

If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are taking this medicine.

Diabetics: This medicine may affect your blood sugar level and change the amount of insulin or other diabetes medicines you may need. Talk to your healthcare provider about this.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you are unable to reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Unexplained partial or total loss of vision, sudden shortness of breath, chest pain.

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Lightheadedness; unusual tiredness; abnormal vaginal bleeding; numbness or weakness in an arm or leg; many severe headaches.

Other: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, change in menstrual period, breast tenderness, abdominal cramps, dizziness.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), clarithromycin (Biaxin), and erythromycin (Ery-Tabs, E.E.S.)
• antifungals such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), and voriconazole (Vfend)
• antiseizure medicines such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), ethotoin (Peganone), fosphenytoin (Cerebyx), gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenytoin (Dilantin), primidone (Mysoline), tiagabine (Gabitril), topiramate (Topamax), and valproic acid (Depacon, Depakene, Depakote)
• barbiturates such as butabarbital (Butisol), pentobarbital (Nembutal), and phenobarbital
• medicine that reduces the chance of blood clots forming such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac), and verapamil (Isoptin, Calan)
• cholesterol-lowering medicines (statins) such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and simvastatin (Zocor)
• cimetidine (Tagamet)
• corticosteroids such as cortisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisolone (Pediapred, Prelone), prednisone, and triamcinolone (Aristospan, Kenalog)
• cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf)
• dantrolene (Dantrium)
• medicines for diabetes such as acarbose (Precose), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase), metformin (Glucophage), miglitol (Glyset), nateglinide (Starlix), pioglitazone (Actos), repaglinide (Prandin), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and insulin
• medicines to treat HIV such as delavirdine (Rescriptor), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), and saquinavir (Invirase)
• natural remedies such as black cohosh, chasteberry, dong quai, evening primrose oil, ginseng, red clover, soy, St. John's wort, topical progesterone, and wild yam
• rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
• theophylline and aminophylline
• thyroid medicines such as levothyroxine (Levothroid, Synthroid, Unithroid, Levoxyl), liothyronine (Cytomel, Triostat), liotrix (Thyrolar), and thyroid USP (Armour Thyroid)
• tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin, imipramine (Tofranil), and nortriptyline (Pamelor)

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.