ORTHO TRI-CTCLEN LO - ORDER ONLINE

ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN LO INFORMATION

About Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo

Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo gives you the unique combination of norgestimate (a trusted progestin) with a lower level of estrogen (25 mcg). This ensures that Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo is a highly effective contraceptive while providing cycle control with a favorable side effect profile.

Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo is a triphasic birth control pill. This means it delivers three levels of progestin and a constant level of estrogen. You get an adequate amount of hormones throughout your cycle to prevent pregnancy while minimizing side effects with a low level of hormones.

Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and Ortho Tri Cyclen both deliver low levels of progestin over the course of your cycle, Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo delivers a lower amount of estrogen.

This low level of estrogen in Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo was developed to help minimize the occurrence of nuisance side effects, such as breakthrough bleeding and spotting. Birth control pills with lower levels of estrogen can be associated with higher rates of these side effects than contraceptive pill formulations containing slightly more estrogen.

The unique combination of hormones in Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo with 3 levels of progestin and a lower level of estrogen helps to get the right balance of efficacy and tolerability.

How to use Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo

Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo is a 28-day birth control regimen. There are 21 active Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pills (7 white pills, 7 light blue pills, and 7 dark blue pills) with hormones to take for 3 weeks.

This is followed by 7 green Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pills to take for 1 week. The green pills contain no active ingredient but are intended to help you to remember take your pills correctly.

Your Ortho Dialpak pill dispenser is labeled with the days of the week, so you will know exactly which Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pill to take each day.

Be sure to take an Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pill every day at the same time.

Once you have taken the last green pill, begin a new cycle of Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pills.

Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo Side effects

Most side effects of the contraceptive pill including Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo are not serious. Those that are, occur infrequently. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks, and are increased if you smoke cigarettes.

However, Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo has been designed to help minimize the occurrence of nuisance side effects. The progestin in Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo is called norgestimate, which is associated with low rates of weight gain, acne, and other nuisance side effects. It is the most widely prescribed progestin in the United States.

Additionally, side effects such as breast tenderness and swelling are less common among women who use newer birth control pills such as Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, which typically contain lower doses of hormones.

Drug Interactions

Certain drugs may interact with birth control pills including Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and may make them less effective in preventing pregnancy or cause an increase in breakthrough bleeding. Such drugs include rifampin, drugs used for epilepsy such as barbiturates (for example, phenobarbital), anticonvulsants such as topiramate (Topamax®), carbamazepine (Tegretol®* is one brand of this drug), phenytoin (Dilantin®† is one brand of this drug), phenylbutazone (Butazolidin is one brand), certain drugs used in the treatment of HIV or AIDS, and possibly certain antibiotics. A possible interaction has been suggested with hormonal contraceptives and the herbal supplement St. John's wort based on some reports of oral contraceptive users experiencing breakthrough bleeding shortly after starting St. John's wort. Pregnancies have been reported by users of combined hormonal contraceptives who also used some form of St. John's wort. You may need to use additional contraception when you take drugs that can make oral contraceptives less effective. If you are taking any other medications or herbal medicines, be sure to tell your doctor or pharmacist.

Missed dose

If you MISS 1 white, light blue or dark blue "active" Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pill:

• Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take 2 pills in 1 day.
  
• You do not need to use a backup birth control method if you have sex.

If you MISS 2 white or light blue "active" Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pills in a row in WEEK 1 OR WEEK 2 of your pack:

• Take 2 pills on the day you remember and 2 pills the next day.
  
• Then take 1 pill a day until you finish the pack.
  
• You COULD BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a backup method for those 7 days.

If you MISS 2 dark blue "active" Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pills in a row in THE 3RD WEEK:

• If you are a Sunday Starter:
  • Keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, THROW OUT the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.
    
• If you are a Day 1 Starter:
  • 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 professional because you might be pregnant.
  
• You COULD BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a backup method for those 7 days.
  

If you MISS 3 OR MORE white, light blue, or dark blue "active" Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo pills in a row (during the first 3 weeks):

• If you are a Sunday Starter:
  • Keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, THROW OUT the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.
    
• If you are a Day 1 Starter:
  • 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 professional because you might be pregnant.
  
• You COULD BECOME PREGNANT if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You MUST use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a backup method for those 7 days.

Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo Reminder Pills

• If you forget any of the 7 green "reminder" pills in WEEK 4: THROW AWAY the pills you missed.
  
• Keep taking 1 Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo reminder pill each day until the pack is empty.
  
• You do not need a backup method.

If you are still unsure about what to do if you miss any pills:

Use a BACKUP METHOD anytime you have sex.

KEEP TAKING ONE "ACTIVE" PILL EACH DAY until you can reach your healthcare professional.

Precautions

Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo is intended to prevent pregnancy. Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo (like all oral contraceptives) does not protect against transmission of HIV (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases. A condom is the only way to protect yourself from these diseases.

Keep Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and all medicines out of reach of children.