Levonorgestrel
About Levonorgestrel
Levonorgestrel is an oral medicine used as an emergency contraceptive to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or birth control failure. It is designed to act as a backup method and is not intended for regular use. This tablet helps prevent pregnancy if taken as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.
Because this is an emergency medicine, it should not be taken frequently or as a substitute for regular birth control. You can take this tablet with or without food, but taking it with a full glass of water is recommended. While no specific diet is required, avoiding alcohol after taking it can prevent stomach upset and vomiting.
Some people may experience mild, temporary side effects like nausea, tiredness, or temporary changes in their monthly period. If you experience severe lower abdominal pain or vomit within two hours of taking the tablet, you should consult your doctor immediately. These symptoms require prompt professional evaluation to ensure the medicine works safely.
Before taking this medicine, talk to your doctor if you have severe liver damage, undiagnosed vaginal bleeding, or if you suspect you are already pregnant. Do not take this if you are already pregnant, as it will not terminate an existing pregnancy.
Certain medicines, such as those for epilepsy or tuberculosis, can make this treatment less effective, which is why you should discuss your current medications with a healthcare provider. If you are breastfeeding, consult your doctor or pharmacist to understand how to time your doses safely, though it is generally safe for this group. Elderly individuals do not typically require this medication, but always seek professional advice for any specific health concerns.
Uses of Levonorgestrel
• Emergency Contraception: Levonorgestrel is used as an emergency contraceptive pill to avoid pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of intercourse.
• Post-Coital Contraception: Levonorgestrel is used to prevent pregnancy when other techniques such as condoms or birth control tablets are ineffective.
• Regulating Menstrual Cycle: Under doctor supervision, Levonorgestrel is primarily used to regulate the menstrual cycle for some people.
• When usual Contraceptives Are Not Available: It helps women avoid pregnancy when they are unable to take their usual contraceptive pills.
Medicinal Benefits
Levonorgestrel provides critical support and reassurance during unexpected situations where pregnancy prevention is needed. Its primary benefits include:
- Highly effective backup protection: It significantly reduces the chance of unplanned pregnancy when used quickly after unprotected sex.
- Convenience and ease of use: Delivered as a simple, single-dose oral tablet, it does not require an ongoing medical procedure or complex routine.
- Rapid reassurance: It offers a reliable window of opportunity to prevent pregnancy, helping to ease anxiety after a contraceptive mishap.
Directions for Use
- Levonorgestrel can be taken with or without food. However, taking it with food may help prevent nausea and stomach upset.
- It should be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, either when no contraception was used during the sexual intercourse or if the usual contraceptive method has failed.
- Swallow Levonorgestrel as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, break, or chew it.
Storage
Side Effects of Levonorgestrel
Like all medicines, Levonorgestrel can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Most side effects are mild and go away on their own within a few days.
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Nausea or feeling sick to your stomach
- Tiredness, fatigue, or mild dizziness
- Lower stomach pain or cramping
- Headache
- Changes in your next monthly period, which may be earlier, later, heavier, or lighter than usual
Breast tenderness
Serious Side Effects (Call a doctor right away):
- Severe, sharp pain in your lower stomach or side, which may be a sign of a pregnancy outside the womb (ectopic pregnancy)
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat, hives, and difficulty breathing
- Severe, persistent dizziness or fainting
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Drug Warnings
- Always inspect the packaging before taking the medicine; do not take the tablet if the blister pack is torn, punctured, or damaged.
- Remember that this medicine is designed strictly as an emergency backup and should not be used as a regular, long-term method of birth control.
- This medication does not protect you from HIV, AIDS, or other sexually transmitted infections; always use condoms to prevent these diseases.
- If you vomit within two hours of taking the tablet, the active medicine may not have entered your system, so you must consult a healthcare provider immediately about a replacement dose.
- Be aware that if you experience severe pain in your lower stomach three to five weeks after use, you must seek medical attention immediately to check for an ectopic pregnancy.
Drug Interactions
Before using Levonorgestrel, it is important to understand how it interacts with other substances or underlying health conditions. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about all the products you currently use.
Drug-Drug Interactions
- Certain anti-seizure medicines (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital): These medicines can increase the activity of liver enzymes that break down Levonorgestrel, potentially reducing its effectiveness and increasing the risk of contraceptive failure.
- Tuberculosis medicines (e.g., rifampin/rifampicin): Rifampin and similar medicines may significantly reduce the levels of Levonorgestrel in the body, making it less effective at preventing pregnancy.
- Certain HIV medicines (e.g., efavirenz): Some antiretroviral medicines can lower the concentration of Levonorgestrel in the bloodstream, which may reduce contraceptive protection.
- Hypericum perforatum: This herbal supplement can speed up the breakdown of Levonorgestrel in the body, potentially reducing its effectiveness and increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy.
Drug-Food Interactions
- Food and alcohol: No specific food interactions have been established for Levonorgestrel. However, excessive alcohol consumption may increase the risk of nausea or vomiting, which could interfere with absorption if vomiting occurs shortly after taking the tablet. Consult your doctor if vomiting occurs after a dose.
Drug-Disease Interactions
- Severe liver disease: Do not use Levonorgestrel if you have severe liver impairment, as your liver may not be able to process the medicine properly, increasing the risk of adverse effects.
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding: Patients with unusual or undiagnosed vaginal bleeding should be evaluated by a healthcare professional before starting Levonorgestrel to identify and treat any underlying medical condition.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionAlcohol is not known to cause any unpleasant side effects if taken along with Levonorgestrel. But avoid alcohol consumption while taking Levonorgestrel.
Pregnancy
unsafeLevonorgestrel is not recommended for use if you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy as this medicine is used to avoid unintended pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
unsafeLevonorgestrel should not be taken if breastfeeding as it may pass through the milk to the baby.
Driving
unsafeLevonorgestrel can affect your ability to drive or use machines. However, if you feel tired or dizzy, do not drive or operate machinery.
Liver
cautionLevonorgestrel should be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of liver disease. Your doctor may have to adjust the dose.
Kidney
cautionLevonorgestrel to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of kidney disease. Your doctor may have to adjust the dose.
Children
cautionLevonorgestrel is not recommended for children under 16 yeras of age. If necessary, your doctor will decide whether to give it.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Avoid consuming alcohol immediately after taking this medicine, as alcohol can increase nausea and trigger vomiting, which may prevent the medicine from being fully absorbed.
- If you experience dizziness or fatigue after taking the tablet, avoid driving, cycling, or operating machinery until you feel fully alert.
- Monitor your menstrual cycle closely over the next month. If your next period is delayed by more than one week, take a pregnancy test to verify if the medicine was successful.
- Use barrier contraceptive methods, such as condoms, for any sexual activity after taking this medicine until your next menstrual cycle starts, as Levonorgestrel does not provide ongoing protection.
Special Advise
- Take Levonorgestrel preferably within 72 hours (3 days) of having unprotected sex or contraceptive failure.
- Contact your doctor immediately if you experience heavy vaginal bleeding after taking this medicine.
- Consult your doctor if your periods are delayed by more than 7/10 days for a pregnancy test.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Unintended pregnancy is a condition of pregnancy that occurs either unwanted when no children or no more children are desired. Also, pregnancy is mistimed, such as the pregnancy occurring earlier than desired. Most unintended pregnancies result from not using contraception or from using contraceptives inconsistently or incorrectly.
FAQs
Levonorgestrel is a female hormone called progestin (a form of progesterone) used to prevent unintended pregnancy. Besides this, it can also used as a hormone therapy.
Some of the common side effects of Levonorgestrel are nausea, vomiting, lower abdominal pain, tiredness, headache, diarrhoea, dizziness and uterine bleeding in some cases.
Levonorgestrel is not indicated for regular birth control. It is only used as emergency contraception (within 72 hours) after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure.
Levonorgestrel does not affect fertility. Use contraception during sexual intercourse as it may lead to unwanted pregnancy if you are not planning it.
Do not take Levonorgestrel if you have a heart fitted with an artificial valve, heart diseases like high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol levels (increased fat in your blood), confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy, asthma, blood clot problems, a bleeding disorder, liver or kidney disease, anemia (low haemoglobin), or are otherwise malnourished. Taking Levonorgestrel in these conditions can cause life-threatening conditions in an individual.
Levonorgestrel should be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex when no contraception was used during the sexual intercourse or if the contraception measure was used incorrectly.
Take Levonorgestrel exactly as advised by the doctor. Levonorgestrel should be swallowed as a whole with water. It should be taken preferably within 12 hours, and no later than 72 hours (3 days) after you have had unprotected sex.
Levonorgestrel prevents about 84% of expected pregnancies if taken within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. It is more effective if you take it as soon as possible after unprotected sex.
Levonorgestrel may pass into breast milk. Please consult the doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Though Levonorgestrel considerably lowers the chance of getting pregnant, if your periods are delayed by 5 days or you have experienced unusual bleeding, you can take a pregnancy test.
Levonorgestrel does not protect against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV / AIDS. Using condoms can help protect against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV / AIDS.
An emergency contraceptive pill prevents pregnancy whereas an abortion pill ends an existing pregnancy.
Levonorgestrel is effective if you have had frequent acts of intercourse in a short span of time. However, it is important that these acts have occurred within 72 hours before taking Levonorgestrel. Also, since there is a chance of unintended pregnancy after frequent acts of unprotected sex in the same cycle, it is advisable to use a barrier contraceptive method such as condoms until the next period even after using Levonorgestrel.
To get the best results, you should take Levonorgestrel as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. The sooner you take it, the more effective it will be. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you need further guidance.
It is not recommended to use Levonorgestrel multiple times within the same menstrual cycle because it can disrupt your normal hormonal balance and cause irregular bleeding. If you need regular contraception, talk to your doctor.
It is common for your period to be a few days early or late after taking this medicine. However, if your period is delayed by more than seven days, you should take a pregnancy test and talk to your doctor.
Some clinical evidence suggests that emergency contraceptives may be less effective in individuals who weigh more than 165 pounds (75 kg). However, it is still recommended for use if needed. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have concerns about its effectiveness.
If you vomit within two hours of taking Levonorgestrel, the tablet may not have been fully absorbed, and you may need to take another dose. Contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately for advice on what to do next.
