Lo Loestrin Fe Uses & Side Effects

Lo Loestrin Fe is a brand name oral contraceptive. It belongs to a group of hormonal contraceptives called combination birth control pills. Please continue reading to learn more about its uses and side effects.

What kind of birth control is Lo Loestrin Fe?

Lo Loestrin Fe is a combination birth control pill. It contains synthetic forms of both estrogen and progesterone hormones. Some of the advantages of this birth control method include:

No need to use a backup birth control method if you start a new pack on the first day of your period
May help menstrual periods to be more regular, lighter, and less painful
May make premenstrual syndrome (PMS) less severe
Slightly lowers the risk of ovarian, uterine, and colorectal cancers, ovarian cysts, and uterine fibroids

The disadvantages of taking this form of hormonal birth control include:

Side effects, such as headache, nausea, breast tenderness, and mood changes
May result in breakthrough bleeding or spotting between periods, especially in the first few months
Does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
May increase the risk of high blood pressure and gallbladder disease
Combination birth control pills have been linked to serious health conditions such as blood clots and cardiovascular disease in women over 35 years old who smoke
Combination birth control pills such as Lo Loestrin Fe are associated with a slight risk of breast cancer

Does Lo Loestrin Fe have a lot of hormones?

No, Lo Loestrin does not have a lot of hormones; it contains 2 female hormones, ethinyl estradiol (an estrogen) and norethindrone acetate (a progestin). In fact, it has a very low dose of estrogen compared to other birth control pills used to prevent pregnancy.

Lo Loestrin Fe contains 10 mcg (microgram) of an estrogen called ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg (milligram) of a progestin called norethindrone acetate. In addition, it has 2 brown tablets containing 75 mg of ferrous fumarate, a form of iron. For comparison, a standard combination birth control pill such as Yasmin contains 30 mcg of ethinyl estradiol (estrogen) and 3 mg of drospirenone (progesterone).

As a result, Lo Loestrin Fe is sometimes called an ultra-low dose or very low dose birth control pill.

How does Lo Loestrin Fe work?

The norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol in Lo Loestrin Fe work together to prevent ovulation. Ovulation is the time during your menstrual cycle when an egg is released from one of the ovaries, so combination birth control pills prevent your ovaries from releasing an egg.

In addition, the hormones in these combination pills also thicken the cervical mucus to prevent the sperm from reaching the egg. They also make the lining of the uterus thinner, which makes it harder for a fertilized egg to be implanted and start growing.

Are Lo Loestrin good birth control pills?

Lo Loestrin Fe (norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol tablets) is an effective method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. In the research study, women who take Lo Loestrin Fe combination oral contraceptive pills are 99% protected against pregnancy if they use the pill exactly as directed. Lo Loestrin Fe is still about 93% effective against pregnancy when occasionally not taken exactly as directed.

What are the side effects of taking Lo Loestrin Fe?

Common side effects of Lo Loestrin Fe include nausea, vomiting, headaches, bleeding irregularities, painful periods, abdominal pain, weight fluctuation, tender breasts, acne, anxiety, and depression.

Less common side effects include reduced libido (sexual desire), bloating or fluid retention, darkening of the skin, especially of the face, high blood sugar, high blood cholesterol, weight gain, and problems tolerating contact lenses.

Does Lo Loestrin cause weight gain?

Some women gain weight after starting Lo Loestrin or other combination birth control pills. However, studies have not found a direct link between oral contraceptives and weight gain. Some increase in weight can be due to fluid retention. Sometimes, the weight gain is due to lifestyle factors. A demanding job or working an office job that requires sitting at a desk for 8 hours can leave limited to no time to exercise or prepare healthy meals at home.

If you are worried about weight gain on Lo Loestrin Fe, talk to your healthcare provider about switching to other birth control pills, for example, a progestin-only pill.

What are the cons of Lo Loestrin Fe?

Like other birth control pills, Lo Loestrin Fe can increase the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from blood clots. This risk is especially high in women who are above 35 years of age, obese, or smoke cigarettes. A blood clot can be fatal if it causes a heart attack or stroke. Blood clots can also cause deep vein thrombosis in the legs, pulmonary emboli in the lungs, and vision loss.

In addition, birth control pills can lead to an increased risk of high blood pressure, gallbladder issues, liver tumors, and certain types of cancer.

Stop taking Lo Loestrin and call your doctor without delay if you develop the following signs and symptoms:

Shortness of breath
Chest pain or pressure
Persistent leg pain
Eye pain or vision changes
Sudden or severe headache
Trouble walking or talking
Numbness or weakness in a limb
Severe pain in the abdomen
Yellowed skin or eyes

Who should not take Lo Loestrin Fe?

Lo Loestrin Fe may not be right for someone who has a history of blood clots, uncontrolled high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, liver disease, liver tumors, undiagnosed abnormal uterine bleeding, or taking certain HIV medications.

How to take Lo Loestrin Fe?

If your healthcare professional is going to prescribe Lo Loestrin Fe, make sure you give them a full list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, and herbal supplements. Drug interactions between birth control pills and your other medications can make the OCPs less effective in preventing pregnancy.

If you start Lo Loestrin Fe on the first day of your menstrual cycle, you will not need backup birth control. Otherwise, you will need to use a backup method for the first 7 days to prevent pregnancy.

To use Lo Loestrin Fe, take one pill at the same time every day. Understand how to use the pill pack. Lo Loestrin Fe comes as a 28-pill pack with 24 active blue pills containing both norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol, 2 active white pills containing only ethinyl estradiol, and 2 inactive brown pills containing ferrous fumarate, a form of iron. These pills must be taken in the correct order. Start a new pack the next day after you finish a previous birth control pack. Do not skip any days in between.

Talk to your healthcare provider about what to do if you miss pills or have vomiting or diarrhea within 3-4 hours of taking a pill. If this happens, you may need to use a backup birth control method to prevent pregnancy. Do not skip pills even if you are not having sex very often. Pregnancy risk increases with more missed doses, for example, if you miss three or more pills.

Lo Loestrin Fe may cause light spotting or bleeding or make you feel sick with nausea. Do not stop taking the pill if this happens. The side effects typically go away after your body adjusts to the medicine. However, if the nausea persists or gets too severe that you can’t keep anything down, you should call your provider immediately to discuss alternative therapy and a backup birth control method if necessary. Fertility returns as soon as you stop Lo Loestrin Fe.

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