Quartette Side Effects Center

What Is Quartette?

Quartette (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol) is an estrogen/progestin combined oral contraceptive (COC) indicated for use by women to prevent pregnancy. Quartette is available in generic form.

What Are Side Effects of Quartette?

Common side effects of Quartette include:

• headaches,
• heavy/irregular vaginal bleeding,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• acne,
• menstrual cramps,
• weight gain,
• mood changes,
• depression,
• anxiety/panic attack,
• migraines.

Quartette may cause serious side effects including:

• hives,
• difficulty breathing,
• swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat,
• sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body),
• severe headache,
• slurred speech,
• balance problems,
• sudden vision loss,
• stabbing chest pain,
• shortness of breath,
• coughing up blood,
• swelling or redness in an arm or leg,
• chest pain or pressure,
• pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder,
• nausea,
• sweating,
• loss of appetite,
• upper stomach pain,
• tiredness,
• fever,
• dark urine,
• clay-colored stools,
• yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice),
• severe headache,
• blurred vision,
• pounding in your neck or ears,
• swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet,
• changes in the pattern or severity of migraine headaches,
• breast lump,
• sleep problems,
• weakness,
• tired feeling, and
• mood changes

Get medical help right away, if you have any of the symptoms listed above.

Seek medical care or call 911 at once if you have the following serious side effects:

• Serious eye symptoms such as sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
• Serious heart symptoms such as fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in your chest; shortness of breath; and sudden dizziness, lightheartedness, or passing out;
• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors.

This document does not contain all possible side effects and others may occur. Check with your physician for additional information about side effects.

Dosage for Quartette

Take a dose of one Quartette tablet daily by mouth at the same time every day for 91 Days. Take tablets in the order directed on the Extended-Cycle Tablet Dispenser.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Quartette?

Quartette may interact with phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, bosentan, felbamate, griseofulvin, oxcarbazepine, rifampicin, topiramate, St. John's wort, atorvastatin, ascorbic acid, acetaminophen, itraconazole or ketoconazole, HIV/HCV protease inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, lamotrigine, thyroid hormone replacement therapy, and drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir.

Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Quartette During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before using Quartette; it is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Breastfeeding is not recommended while using Quartette as it can decrease milk production. Small amounts of Quartette pass into breast milk. Other forms of contraception are recommended until the child is weaned.

Additional Information

Our Quartette (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using birth control pills and call your doctor at once if you have:

• signs of a stroke--sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), severe headache, slurred speech, balance problems;
• signs of a blood clot--sudden vision loss, stabbing chest pain, feeling short of breath, coughing up blood, swelling or redness in an arm or leg;
• heart attack symptoms--chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating;
• liver problems--loss of appetite, upper stomach pain, tiredness, fever, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• increased blood pressure--severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in your neck or ears;
• swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet;
• changes in the pattern or severity of migraine headaches;
• a breast lump; or
• symptoms of depression--sleep problems, weakness, tired feeling, mood changes.

Common side effects may include:

• mild nausea (especially when you first start taking this medicine), vomiting, bloating, stomach cramps;
• breast tenderness or swelling, nipple discharge;
• freckles or darkening of facial skin, increased hair growth, loss of scalp hair;
• changes in weight or appetite;
• problems with contact lenses;
• vaginal itching or discharge; or
• changes in your menstrual periods, decreased sex drive.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Read the entire detailed patient monograph for Quartette (Levonorgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol and Ethinyl Estradiol)