Healthy Recipes

Eating Healthy has never been so easy with our recipe catalog

from simple soups to full gourmet meals, we have your new family recipe book here at your fingertips

Gluten Free

Gluten Free

Diabetes Friendly

Diabetes Friendly

Real Food Revolution

Real Food Revolution

More Special Diets

More Special Diets

Go Here Test

Drospirenone-Ethinyl Estradiol

This form:

Warning

Do not use this medication if you smoke cigarettes/use tobacco and are over 35 years old. Smoking raises your risk of stroke, heart attack, blood clots, and high blood pressure from hormonal birth control (such as the pill, patch, ring). The risk of these serious problems increases with age and with the number of cigarettes you smoke. Do not smoke or use tobacco.

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 that has caused kidney/eye/nerve/blood vessel disease, 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 problems (such as liver tumor, active liver disease), 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 breastfeeding.

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, tell 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.

Copyright © 2024 TraceGains, Inc. All rights reserved.

RxAnswers™ is a copyrighted combined product from TraceGains and First DataBank, Inc.

Drug information is selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First DataBank, Inc. This is a summary and does not contain all possible information about this product. For complete information about this product or your specific health needs, ask your healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your healthcare professional if you have any questions about this product or your medical condition. This information is not intended as individual medical advice and does not substitute for the knowledge and judgment of your healthcare professional. This information does not contain any assurances that this product is safe, effective or appropriate for you.

This information is intended only for residents of the United States. Products sold under the same brand names in other countries may contain different ingredients.

Learn more about First DataBank

There are some limitations on the information provided in “Nutrient Interactions.” Do NOT rely solely on the information in this article. Please read the disclaimer.

Learn more about TraceGains, the company.

TraceGains and/or its suppliers make no warranties or representations as to the accuracy or completeness of this content herein or that of any organization referred or linked to within this content and will not be liable for any damages arising out of your access to or use of any information found herein or that of any organization referred to within this content.

Information expires December 2024.