ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN<sup>®</sup> LO
Get to Know ORTHO TRICYCLEN<sup>®</sup> LO

Get to Know ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO


Do you want a birth control pill that gives you a high level of effectiveness and a low level of hormones ? How about one with these benefits and one that may cause less unexpected bleeding and provide more predictable periods? Here's why ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO may be right for you:

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Birth control pills are one of the most effective methods for preventing pregnancy. A clinical study* of more than 6,000 women in the United States and Canada showed that ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO is safe and effective.

Get Important Safety Information here. >

  • ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO uses a low dose of hormones while maintaining effective pregnancy prevention.
Learn more about how ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO works >

  • Ortho Women’s Health & Urology™, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen
    Pharmaceuticals, Inc. clinical study.

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Side Effects

  • Important Safety Information
    Serious as well as minor side effects have been reported with the use of oral contraceptives. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks, and are increased if you smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects, especially if you are over 35. Women who use oral contraceptives are strongly advised not to smoke. Some women should not use the Pill, including women who have blood clots certain cancers, a history of heart attack or stroke, as well as those who are or may be pregnant. The Pill does not protect against HIV or sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Please click here for full Product Information.
  • Some women have reported nausea, bloating and spotting between periods in the first several cycles. For most women it’s only temporary – side effects may subside within the first 3 months of use. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks. Be sure to discuss concerns about all possible side effects with your healthcare professional.
  • In a clinical trial*, only 4% stopped taking ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO due to unpleasant side effects. The most frequent of these side effects were headache, cervical dysplasia, emotional lability, nausea and abdominal pain.
  • In one clinical study*, fewer than 1 in 5 ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO users reported these potentially embarrassing side effects (breakthrough bleeding) in their first month on the Pill. If it does happen to you in the first month, don't panic! If after the first 3 months you experience irregular bleeding that lasts more than a few days, talk to your healthcare professional.
  • Women taking birth control pills, such as ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO, may experience shorter, lighter periods, reduced cramping and some protection against developing ovarian or uterine cancer.

About Spotting

  • If you're new to birth control pills, you might not know that breakthrough bleeding, also known as spotting or unexpected bleeding, can occur with any birth control pill, and that ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO has demonstrated low rates of unexpected bleeding.
  • Some birth control pills (oral contraceptives) containing only 20 mcg of estrogen are associated with higher rates of spotting/breakthrough bleeding than pills containing more than 20 mcg of estrogen, including those with 25 mcg of estrogen.
*Comparison of a novel norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol oral contraceptives (ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO) with the oral contraceptive Loestrin Fe 1/20.


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ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO contains 25 mcg of estrogen, which is lower than several other birth control pills. ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO is a triphasic pill, which means it delivers a different level of progestin each week. The different color pills in your DIALPAKN® Tablet Dispenser show that during each of the first 3 weeks, the level of progestin increases.*

  • Experts agree that when selecting a birth control pill (oral contraceptive) a low estrogen dose should be used to minimize potential side effects.**
  • The hormones in ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO also help to regulate your menstrual cycle, so your periods may be lighter and more predictable.
  • Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) containing only 20 mcg of estrogen are associated with higher rates of spotting/breakthrough bleeding than pills containing more than 20 mcg of estrogen, including ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO which has 25 mcg of estrogen.
Learn more about how ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN® LO works >

*Ortho Women’s Health & Urology™, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. clinical study.

**Darney P. OC Practice guidelines: Minimizing side effects. Int J Fertil, 42 (Suppl 1);158-159;1997.

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