ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN LO, Your Birth Control Pill

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Many illnesses and conditions—such as heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes—can be prevented or controlled by eating right.

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If you drink alcohol, limit the amount—no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. One drink equals a 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits, such as gin, whiskey, or rum.

Five things to consider when choosing a birth control pill

You think the Pill may be right for you. You've got a great doctor or nurse practitioner. Now, how do you choose your Pill? That's a discussion for you and your healthcare professional, but here's a guide to the top 5 things you may want to think about, and talk about, as you make this decision together:

Lifestyle: Always on the go? You'll want to make sure that you can remember to take your pill every day. Do your periods interfere with your lifestyle? Think there is nothing worse than your period starting on your first day of vacation? One of the other health benefits of the Pill is regulating your periods. With most monthly pill regimens, you'll know in advance when you'll start and you'll probably find your periods lighter and shorter. If you've got problem periods, you may be interested in extended- or continuous- use pills, but you should be prepared for a greater risk of breakthrough bleeding and spotting.
Medical and family history: Take the mystery out of your family history. Ask questions to your parents and grandparents to see if they have any history of medical conditions including blood clots, heart disease, diabetes or stroke.
Price: Most birth control pills cost about the same but you may find some price variation, depending on your insurance plan and where you live.
Reliability: For many women, the knowledge that they may have regular and reliable periods that can be shorter and lighter is exactly what they want from a birth control pill. What they don't want is to trade “scheduled” for “unscheduled” bleeding.
Convenience: One of the great things about the Pill is that you can take it and forget about it. So, your pregnancy concerns can be pushed aside and your romantic relationship can be more spontaneous.

Good luck!

$15 coupon for ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO

About the Authors

Jane Buckingham Bio >

Dr. Valerie Schulz Bio >

About Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leader in the fields of women's health and urology, celebrating 75 years of partnering with women. Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is committed to helping people live healthier lives and to meeting the needs of providers and patients with products such as
ORTHO EVRA^® (norelgestromin/ethinyl estradiol transdermal system), ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO (norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol), and ELMIRON^® (pentosan polysulfate sodium). For more information on these products, birth control, bladder health or general women's health issues, please visit www.orthowomenshealth.com.

Suppression of Menstruation with Extended OC Regimens. The Contraception Report. October 2002; vol. 13: No. 3: 11.

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What is ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO?

ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO is a prescription oral contraceptive used for the prevention of pregnancy.
ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO does not protect against HIV (AIDS) or other sexually transmitted diseases.
ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO is not indicated for use in emergency contraception.

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO?

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from hormonal contraceptive use. This risk increases with age, with heavy smoking (15 or more cigarettes per day) and in women over 35 years of age. Women who use hormonal contraceptives are strongly advised not to smoke.

Who should not use ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO?

You should not use ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant or if you have any of the following conditions:

A history of heart attack or stroke, blood clots in the legs, lungs, or eyes, a history of blood clots in the deep veins of your legs, chest pain, known or suspected breast cancer or cancer of the lining of the uterus, cervix or vagina, unexplained vaginal bleeding (until your doctor reaches a diagnosis), yellowing of the whites of your eyes or of the skin (jaundice) during pregnancy or during previous use of hormonal contraceptives, liver tumor (benign or cancerous), or if you plan to have surgery with prolonged bed rest.

Tell your healthcare professional if you have ever had any of these conditions, he/she can recommend a safer method of birth control.

What are the possible side effects of ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO?

Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting. If bleeding occurs in more than one cycle or lasts for more than a few days call your healthcare professional
Problems wearing contact lenses such as change in vision or inability to wear your lenses. If these occur, contact your healthcare professional
Fluid retention with swelling of the fingers or ankles and may raise your blood pressure. Contact your healthcare professional if you experience fluid retention.
Spotty darkening of the skin (particularly the face). This may persist after you stop using ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO
Other side effects include nausea and vomiting, change in appetite, headache, nervousness, depression, dizziness, loss of scalp hair, vaginal infections and allergic reactions.

Call your doctor immediately if you experience any of these side effects while you are using ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO:
Sharp chest pain, coughing blood or sudden shortness of breath, pain in the calf, crushing chest pain or tightness in the chest, sudden, severe, headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, disturbances of vision or speech, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, sudden or complete loss of vision, breast lumps, severe pain or tenderness in the stomach area, difficulty in sleeping, weakness, lack of energy, fatigue or change in mood, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eye along with fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, dark-colored urine or light-colored bowel movements.

What should I tell my healthcare professional before using ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO?

Tell your healthcare professional if you: Smoke, are breast-feeding, or are taking any other medications.
Also, tell your healthcare professional if you have or have had:
Breast nodules, fibrocystic disease of the breast, an abnormal breast x-ray or mammogram, a family history of breast cancer, diabetes, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, high blood pressure, migraine or other headaches or epilepsy, depression, gallbladder, liver, heart or kidney disease, history of light or irregular menstrual periods.
Tell your healthcare professional about all of the medicines you are taking, before starting and while you are using ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN^® LO including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, herbal and dietary supplements such as:

Barbiturates, bosentan, carbamazepine, phenybutazone, drugs used to treat HIV or AIDS, antibiotics, phenytoin, rifampin, topiramate, St. John’s Wort (a herbal supplement).

Also, tell your healthcare professional

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Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure if any of your medicines are listed above.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see the Detailed Patient Labeling from the full Product Information.

Five things to consider when choosing a birth control pill

About the Authors

About Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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