 is a prescription medication used to prevent pregnancy. Lo Loestrin FE contains two hormones, ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone, which belong to a group of drugs called hormonal contraceptives. These hormones prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation and by altering cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus.This medication comes in tablet form and is taken once daily. Common side effects of Lo Loestrin FE... "Pin It")
Lo Loestrin Fe Overview
Lo Loestrin FE (generic: ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone/ferrous fumarate) is a prescription medication used to prevent pregnancy. Lo Loestrin FE contains two hormones, ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone, which belong to a group of drugs called hormonal contraceptives. These hormones prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation and by altering cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus.
Uses of Lo Loestrin Fe
Lo Loestrin FE is a prescription birth control medicine used by women to prevent pregnancy.
Side Effects of Lo Loestrin Fe
Like pregnancy, birth control pills increase the risk of serious blood clots, especially in women who have other risk factors, such as smoking, obesity, or age greater than 35. 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)
- A few women who take birth control pills may get:
- High blood pressure
- Gallbladder problems
- Rare cancerous or noncancerous liver tumors
- All of these events are uncommon in healthy women.
The most common side effects of birth control pills are:
- 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 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
Lo Loestrin Fe Interactions
Tell your doctor about all medicines and herbal products that you take. Some medicines and herbal products may make birth control pills 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 doctor may need to adjust the dose of lamotrigine.
- If you are scheduled for any laboratory tests, tell your doctor that you are taking birth control pills. Certain blood tests may be affected by birth control pills.
Lo Loestrin Fe Precautions
Your doctor will not give you Lo Loestrin Fe if you have:
- Ever had blood clots in your legs (deep vein thrombosis), lungs (pulmonary embolism), or eyes (retinal thrombosis)
- Ever had a stroke
- Ever had a heart attack
- Certain heart valve problems or heart rhythm abnormalities that can cause blood clots to form in the heart
- An inherited problem with your blood that makes it clot more than normal
- High blood pressure that medicine can't control
- Diabetes with kidney, eye, nerve, or blood vessel damage
- Ever had certain kinds of severe migraine headaches with aura, numbness, weakness or changes in vision
- Ever had breast cancer or any cancer that is sensitive to female hormones
- Liver disease, including liver tumors
Also, do not take birth control pills if you:
- Smoke and are over 35 years old
- Are or suspect you are pregnant
- Are allergic to anything in Lo Loestrin Fe
Birth control pills may not be a good choice for you if you have ever had jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) caused by pregnancy, also called cholestasis of pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you have ever had any of the above conditions (your doctor may recommend another method of birth control).
Lo Loestrin Fe Food Interactions
Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Lo Loestrin Fe there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Lo Loestrin Fe.
Inform MD
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to estrogen, progestin, or any other medications.
Tell your doctor about all medicines and herbal products that you take. Some medicines and herbal products may make birth control pills less effective, including:
- barbiturates
- bosentan
- carbamazepine
- felbamate
- griseofulvin
- oxcarbazepine
- phenytoin
- rifampin
- St. John’s wort
- topiramate
- lamotrigine
Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had blood clots in your legs, lungs, or eyes; thrombophilia (condition in which the blood clots easily); coronary artery disease (clogged blood vessels leading to the heart); cerebrovascular disease (clogging or weakening of the blood vessels within the brain or leading to the brain); stroke or mini-stroke; an irregular heartbeat; heart disease; a heart attack; chest pain; diabetes that has affected your circulation; headaches that come along with other symptoms such as vision changes, weakness, and dizziness; high blood pressure; breast cancer; cancer of the lining of the uterus, cervix, or vagina; liver cancer, liver tumors, or other types of liver disease; yellowing of the skin or eyes during pregnancy or while you were using hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, or injections); unexplained abnormal vaginal bleeding; adrenal insufficiency (condition in which the body does not produce enough of certain natural substances needed for important functions such as blood pressure); or kidney disease. Also tell your doctor if you have recently had surgery or have been unable to move around for any reason. Your doctor may tell you that you should not take certain types of oral contraceptives or that you should not take any type of oral contraceptive if you have or have had any of these conditions.
Also tell your doctor if anyone in your family has had breast cancer, if you are overweight, and if you have or have ever had problems with your breasts such as lumps, an abnormal mammogram (breast x-ray), or fibrocystic breast disease (swollen, tender breasts and/or breast lumps that are not cancer); high blood cholesterol or fats; diabetes; asthma; toxemia (high blood pressure during pregnancy); heart attack; chest pain; seizures; migraine headaches; depression; gallbladder disease; jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); and excessive weight gain and fluid retention (bloating) during the menstrual cycle.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not take oral contraceptives if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking oral contraceptives, call your doctor immediately.
If you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking oral contraceptives.
Tell your doctor if you wear contact lenses. If you notice changes in vision or ability to wear your lenses while taking oral contraceptives, see an eye doctor.
Lo Loestrin Fe and Pregnancy
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.
Lo Loestrin Fe and Lactation
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. 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.
Lo Loestrin Fe Usage
- Take one pill every day at the same time. If you miss pills you could get pregnant. This includes starting the pack late. The more pills you miss, the more likely you are to get pregnant.
- You may have spotting or light bleeding, or may feel sick to your stomach during the first few months of taking Lo Loestrin Fe. If you have spotting or light bleeding or feel sick to your stomach, do not stop taking the pill. The problem will usually go away. If it doesn't go away, check with your healthcare provider.
- Missing pills can also cause spotting or light bleeding, even when you take these missed pills later. On the days you take 2 pills to make up for missed pills, you could also feel a little sick to your stomach.
- If you have trouble remembering to take Lo Loestrin Fe, talk to your healthcare provider about how to make pill-taking easier or about using another method of birth control.
- If you have vomiting or diarrhea (within 3 to 4 hours after you take your pill), you should follow the instructions for “What to Do if You Miss Pills”.
- If you have any questions or are unsure about the information in this leaflet, call your healthcare provider.
Before you start taking Lo Loestrin Fe
1. Decide what time of day you want to take your pill. It is important to take it at the same time every day. 2. Look at your pill pack: The Lo Loestrin Fe pill pack has 24 "active" blue pills (with hormones) and 2 “active” white pills (with hormones) for Weeks 1, 2, 3 and part of Week 4. The pill pack also has 2 "reminder" brown pills (without hormones) for the last part of Week 4. 3. Find:
- Where on the pack to start taking pills,
- In what order to take the pills (follow the arrows), and
- The week numbers as shown in the picture above 4. Have ready at all times:
- Another kind of birth control (such as a condom and spermicide) to use as a back-up in case you miss pills
- An extra pill pack
When to start the first pack of Lo Loestrin Fe
1. Take the day label strip that starts with the first day of your period. (This is the day you start bleeding or spotting, even if it is almost midnight when the bleeding begins.)
2. Place the day label strip on the tablet dispenser over the area that has the days of the week (starting with Sunday) printed on the plastic.
3. Take the first blue pill of the first pack during the first 24 hours of your period.
4. You will not need to use a back-up method of birth control, because you are starting the pill at the beginning of your period. However, if you start Lo Loestrin Fe later than the first day of your period, or if you start after having a baby and you have not yet resumed your periods, you should use another method of birth control (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up method until you have taken 7 blue pills
When You Switch from a Different Method of Hormonal Contraception
- When you switch from another birth control pill, start Lo Loestrin Fe on the first day you would have started your previous birth control pack.
- When you switch from a vaginal ring or skin patch, finish the 21 days of use, and wait 7 days after removal of the ring or patch before starting Lo Loestrin Fe.
- When you switch from a progestin-only pill, start Lo Loestrin Fe the next day.
- When you switch from an implant, start Lo Loestrin Fe on the day of implant removal.
- If you switch from an injectable contraceptive, start Lo Loestrin Fe on the day on which the next injection would be due.
- If you switch from an IUD, discuss with your healthcare provider when to start Lo Loestrin Fe.
What to do during the month
- Take one pill at the same time every day until the pack is empty. ◦ Do not skip pills even if you are spotting or bleeding between monthly periods or feel sick to your stomach (nausea). ◦ Do not skip pills even if you do not have sex very often.
- When you finish a pack of Lo Loestrin Fe, start the next pack on the day after your last brown “reminder" pill. Do not skip any days between packs.
What to do if you miss pills
Birth control pills may not be as effective if you miss any blue or white pills, especially if you miss the first few or the last few blue pills in a pack.
If you miss ONE blue pill, follow these steps:
- Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take two pills in 1 day.
- You do not need to use a back-up birth control method if you have sex.
If you miss TWO blue pills in a row in Week 1 or Week 2 of your pack, follow these steps:
- Take 1. Two pills on the day you remember and two pills the next day. 2. One pill a day until you finish the pack.
- You could become pregnant if you have sex during the first 7 days after you restart your pills. You MUST use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up for those 7 days.
If you miss TWO pills (blue or white) in a row in Week 3 or Week 4 of your pack, follow these steps:
- Throw out the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
- You may not have your period this month but this is expected. However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call your healthcare provider because you might be pregnant.
- You could become pregnant if you have sex during the first 7 days after you restart your pills. You MUST use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up for those 7 days after you restart your pills.
If you miss THREE OR MORE pills (blue or white) in a row at any time, follow these steps:
- Throw out the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
- You may not have your period this month but this is expected. However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call your healthcare provider because you might be pregnant.
- You could become pregnant if you have sex on the days when you missed pills or during the first 7 days after restarting your pills.You MUST use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as a condom and spermicide) as a back-up the next time you have sex and for the first 7 days after you restart your pills.
If you forget either of the 2 brown "reminder" pills in Week 4, follow these steps:
- Throw away the pills you missed.
- Keep taking one pill each day until the pack is empty.
- You do not need to use a back-up method of birth control.
- If you are still not sure what to do about the pills you have missed:
- Use a back-up method of birth control anytime you have sex.
- Keep taking one pill each day until you can reach your healthcare provider.
Lo Loestrin Fe Dosage
To achieve maximum contraceptive effectiveness, Lo Loestrin Fe must be taken exactly as directed. Take one tablet by mouth at the same time every day. Tablets must be taken in the order directed on the blister pack. Tablets should not be skipped or taken at intervals exceeding 24 hours. Follow package insert instructions if you miss a dose. Lo Loestrin Fe tablets may be taken with or without food.
Lo Loestrin Fe Overdose
If you take too much Lo Loestrin Fe, call your local Poison Control Center right away.
Forms of Lo Loestrin Fe
Lo Loestrin Fe consists of 28 tablets in the following order.:
- 24 blue tablets (active), each containing 1 mg norethindrone acetate and 10 mcg ethinyl estradiol
- 2 white tablets (active), each containing 10 mcg ethinyl estradiol
- 2 brown tablets (non-hormonal placebo), each containing 75 mg ferrous fumarate. The ferrous fumarate tablets do not serve any therapeutic purpose.
Other Requirements
Store at 25º C (77º F); excursions permitted to 15 - 30º C (59 - 86º F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].
Keep this drug and all drugs out of the reach of children.
Lo Loestrin Fe FDA Warning
WARNING: CIGARETTE SMOKING AND SERIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular events from combination oral contraceptive (COC) use. This risk increases with age, particularly in women over 35 years of age, and with the number of cigarettes smoked. For this reason, COCs should not be used by women who are over 35 years of age and smoke.
