Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills
Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills (cOCP) or combined OCP, bring together 2 hormones (estro..
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Lo Loestrin Fe is a combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP) that prevents pregnancy by preventing the release of an egg (ovulation), and thickening the cervical mucus, blocking sperm from getting into the uterus and getting to the egg. Lo Loestrin Fe has 24 pills with: 1mg of norethindrone acetate and only 10 mcg of ethinyl estradiol in each active pill, 2 pills with only estrogen in them, and 2 pills with iron in them (the bleeding/placebo week). Read More
Lo Loestrin Fe is very easy to use!
Simply take one pill every day, at the same time each day. Most women find that taking Lo Loestrin Fe before bedtime or with your largest meal of the day helps reduce nausea and other side effects. It is recommended to take your first active pill the first Sunday after your period begins.
After taking 26 days of active pills (24 blue pills and 2 white pills), you’ll switch to 2 inactive pills (brown pills). These are reminder pills with no hormones that exist to keep you in the habit of taking your pill every day. These inactive pills are also known as ferrous fumarate tablets.
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 do miss one active blue pill , take two pills as soon as you remember. Then, continue to take one active pill for the rest of the pill pack. If you miss two active pills in a row take two pills per day for two days. However, if you miss three active pills in a row, do not take the missed pills. Instead you should use back up birth control for at least 7 days. The better you are at taking birth control pills at the correct time, the higher the efficacy rate.
Remember that Lo Loestrin Fe and other hormone based birth control cannot be used to prevent HIV infection or other sexually transmitted diseases. In order to prevent STDs, always use condoms when having sexual intercourse.
Take 1 pill each day.
Lo Loestrin Fe birth control pills have two main ingredients: 1 mg of norethindrone acetate and 0.01 mg of Ethinyl Estradiol in each of the 24 first tablets, plus 2 tablets that only contain 0.01 mg Ethinyl Estradiol and 2 other with no hormones and just 75 mg ferrous fumurate.
The risks are very low, but some women have experienced unwanted side effects when taking Lo Loestrin Fe. Minor ones include nausea, breast tenderness, headache and slightly elevated blood pressure or blood sugar. Women who are breastfeeding should not take Lo Loestrin Fe because it may decrease breast milk production. You may experience breakthrough bleeding when first starting Lo Loestrin Fe.
Positive side effects: reduced acne, lighter bleeds, and fewer mood swings are fairly common.
The chances of serious side effects are extremely unlikely, but some cases have been documented, such as blood clots in the head (a sudden severe headache unlike usual headaches, causing double vision, or stroke), blood clots in the chest causing severe shortness of breath, blood clots in the abdomen (causing abdominal pain), blood clots in the leg causing leg swelling and pain.
These may sound scary, but remember — they’re very rare. The risk is about 3-6 women out of 10,000 per year using the medication might get a blood clot.
Do NOT take this medication if:
You should get your period in the fourth week of the pills. After taking the inactive pills of the pack, you should start a new pack whether you are still bleeding or not. If you are concerned because you have not had your period, reach out to your primary care provider to get professional advice asap. Also notify your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of pregnancy such as morning sickness or unusual breast tenderness.
Lo Loestrin Fe is as effective as any other birth control pill. Birth control pills are 99.7% effective if perfectly used (in a research study) and 93% effective in “regular use” (when real people use it and mess up every now and then).
The two whites pills that come on the fourth week of the pack are active pills that only contain Ethinyl Estradiol (estrogen).
Lo Loestrin Fe works by preventing the release of an egg (ovulation), and thickening the cervical mucus, and blocking sperm from getting into the uterus and getting to the egg.
If you don’t have insurance, Lo Loestrin Fe is an expensive birth control pill since it is a brand name. The price is $176 for one pack (28 tablets). Unfortunately, there is no generic brand equivalent to this pill available on the market yet.
Technically, you can start taking Lo Loestrin Fe whenever you want. However, Pandia Health expert doctors recommend starting to take the medication on day 3-5 of your period to decrease the likelihood that you experience spotting.
The 2 brown pills that come at the end of each pack are two tablets containing no hormones but 75 mg of ferrous fumarate. They are there to help you keep the habit of taking a pill each day and to prevent anemia from the blood loss with monthly bleeds.
Simply skip the 4 tablets at the end of the package and start a new pack. Learn more about how to safely skip your period here.
At Pandia Health our expert doctors recommend taking Lo Loestrin Fe before going to bed or with your largest meal. Never take Lo Loestrin Fe on an empty stomach because it can make you feel nauseous.
Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills (cOCP) or combined OCP, bring together 2 hormones (estro..
Medically reviewed by Sophia Yen, MD, MPH – Written by Pandia Health Editorial Team &..