Alesse (Levonorgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol) Drug Information: Overdosage and Contraindications

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May 23, 2012

Alesse

Information on Birth Control Pills »

What are birth control pills and how do they work?

Birth control pills are also known as oral contraceptives (OCs) or, simply, “the pill.” They offer protection against pregnancy by blocking the union of sperm and egg, thereby preventing conception.

Oral contraceptives or birth control pills contain synthetic female hormones. They work largely by preventing the release of an egg from an ovary, or ovulation. If no egg is released, there can be no pregnancy.

Stopping ovulation is not the only way birth control pills can work. The progestin or synthetic progesterone in birth control pills also changes the physical and chemical environment of the female reproductive tract, making it hostile for sperm.

What are the different types of birth control pills?

The active ingredients in birth control pills are synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Combination oral contraceptives are birth control...

Read the Information on Birth Control Pills article »

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OVERDOSE

Symptoms of oral contraceptive overdosage in adults and children may include nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness/fatigue; withdrawal bleeding may occur in females. There is no specific antidote and further treatment of overdose, if necessary, is directed to the symptoms.

NONCONTRACEPTIVE HEALTH BENEFITS

The following noncontraceptive health benefits related to the use of oral contraceptives are supported by epidemiological studies which largely utilized oral-contraceptive formulations containing doses exceeding 0.035 mg of ethinyl estradiol or 0.05 mg of mestranol.

Effects on menses:

Increased menstrual cycle regularity

Decreased blood loss and decreased incidence of iron-deficiency anemia

Decreased incidence of dysmenorrhea

Effects related to inhibition of ovulation:

Decreased incidence of functional ovarian cysts

Decreased incidence of ectopic pregnancies

Effects from long-term use:

Decreased incidence of fibroadenomas and fibrocystic disease of the breast

Decreased incidence of acute pelvic inflammatory disease

Decreased incidence of endometrial cancer

Decreased incidence of ovarian cancer

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Combination oral contraceptives should not be used in women with any of the following conditions:

Thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders

A past history of deep-vein thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders

Cerebrovascular or coronary artery disease (current or past history) Thrombogenic valvulopathies

Thrombogenic rhythm disorders

Major surgery with prolonged immobilization Diabetes with vascular involvement Headaches with focal neurological symptoms Uncontrolled hypertension

Known or suspected carcinoma of the breast or personal history of breast cancer

Carcinoma of the endometrium or other known or suspected estrogen-dependent neoplasia

Undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding

Cholestatic jaundice of pregnancy or jaundice with prior pill use

Hepatic adenomas or carcinomas, or active liver disease, as long as liver function has not returned to normal

Known or suspected pregnancy

Hypersensitivity to any of the components of Alesse (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol)