Levora birth control pill
Levora is a generic alternative for Nordette. It is taken for the prevention of pregnancy. The combination of estrogen and progestin prevents ovulation (the release of an egg from an ovary) and causes changes in the mucus of the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to penetrate and for an egg to implant.
How is it taken?
Levora is available as a 28-day pack. You would take 1 tablet daily by mouth for 21 days, then 1 "reminder" pill for 7 days (this is when you should get your period). Start a new pack the day after you take the last reminder pill.
"Day 1" is known as the first day of your period. Your physician may have you start your birth control pills on the first Sunday after your period starts or on Day 1 or Day 5 of your period. You should take the pill approximately the same time every day, preferably after the evening meal or at bedtime. Use of a second method of birth control (e.g., latex condoms) for the first seven days of the first cycle of pills is recommended. You may experience spotting or light bleeding or nausea during the first three months taking the pill. If you do feel sick, do not stop taking the pill. The problem usually goes away. If it does not go away, check with your physician or clinic.
If you experience vomiting or diarrhea, or if you take certain medications (such as antibiotics), your pills may not work as well. If you start a new medication while taking birth control pills, check with your physician or pharmacist to make sure that it will not reduce the effectiveness of the pills. Use a back-up method of birth control, such as latex condoms, until you are sure.
You must take Levora exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If you miss pills at any time, your risk of becoming pregnant increases. If you miss one pill, take it as soon as you remember, and take the next pill at the usual time. This means that you might take two pills in one day.
If you miss two pills in a row during the first two weeks of your cycle, take two pills on the day you remember and two pills the next day. Then take one pill a day until you finish the pack. Use a back-up method of birth control (condom or spermicide) if you have sex in the following seven days after you missed the pills.
Who shouldn't use Levora?
The pill does not suit all women. If any of the following apply to you, you may not be able to use hormonal types of birth control.
- You are, or suspect that you are pregnant
- Are breastfeeding and/or are less than 6 weeks postpartum
- Are over the age of 35
- Smoke
- Have unexplained vaginal bleeding
- Have active liver disease or a history of liver tumors
- Have a history of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure or some other condition that puts you at risk of a heart attack
- Have diabetes
- Have breast cancer, history of breast cancer or an abnormal growth in the breast
- Have a history of blood clotting problems
- Have cancer or history of cancer of the reproductive organs
- Have migraines or focal neurologic symptoms
Does Levora have any side effects?
Common side effects for combination birth control pills can be:
- Weight gain
- Nausea and vomiting (felt for the first few cycles)
- Dizziness
- Increase or decrease in acne
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Loss of libido
- Depression
- Vaginal infections
Less common but serious health risks can be:
- Blood clots in legs, lungs, heart or brain
- Stroke
- Heart attacks
- Possibly cervical cancer
If side effects persist or worsen while taking Levora contact your physician immediately. Levora will not protect you from HIV/AIDS or sexually transmitted diseases.
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13 Comments:
I'm about to start Levora and was reading up on it throughout the google.com search engine and the positive feedback vs. the negative feedback was 1:100. Most of the comments and personal experiences I read talked about hormones being completely out of wack and acne like a brooklyn style pizza. I honestly don't want to take something with so much negative feed back. I don't want to gain weight or look like a peperoni pizza. This will be my first time taking birth control and honestly with what I'm reading I would just rather be pregnant. I can handle those mood swings but the idea of something completely messing with my body and its functions connected to my brain just makes me really nervous. Has anyone had a positive experience with Levora? Please share it with me. Black_diamond060@yahoo.com
I understand your hesitancy to start taking the Pill. The side effects don't sound very appealing do they? But side effects affect every women differently. While some women gain weight, others do not. And this goes for acne - some women find that the Pill helps their acne clear up. It all comes down to the individual and her own experiences with it. If you find that the side effects are too much you have other options. And don't be afraid to discuss these with your doctor. You have a choice and a voice - use it! :-)
Have you ever thought about NFP (natural family planning)? Although natural birth control requires more effort than just popping a pill, the benefits are the same (not getting pregnant!) minus the chemicals.
Here are a few links you might want to take a look at:
The Symptothermal Method
Natural Family Planning
The Ryhthm Method
Of course there are other ways of preventing pregnancy if you don't want to do it naturally. You can use condoms (male or female) with a spermicide, the Sponge, a diaphragm, or the cervical cap.
The Today Sponge - This method of birth control offers great protection without the side effects of birth control pills.
I've taken Levora for about a year and a half now. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with it. The only side effects I've experience while taking levora is a LITTLE weight gain. But its not like I gained a lot of weight. I gained so little that the only people that noticed where those who really know my body...like my boyfriend and my mother. Otherwise, I had no side effects. I didn't experience headache, vomit, or extreme acne increase as listed in the side effects list. Levora is the first and only birth control I've ever taken. I started it when I was about 21, so I understand how you could be cautious about choosing the one best for you. I think that most birth controls you read up on are going to have all those crazy side effects listed. Those are just the common effects of birth control. I believe everyone reacts differently to the hormones. For example, my mother complains that birth control in general make her depressed. But I've never experience that. So maybe I got lucky and got no side effects. The point is you might experience those crazy side effects and you might not. It really depends on your body's chemistry. Maybe you should try Levora for a month or so, and see how you feel. If you don't like how your body reacts, stop taking it. Maybe you should also ask your doctor for the one that may be best for you. GOOD LUCK
I have been on this birth control for 6 years now and I love it! It is great! I gained some weight in the beginning maybe the first year but not a lot 3-5lbs around the 3rd year I actually started losing weight. My body just had to get used to it I think. I have never had any problems or any "scares", but I have never missed a pill either. I did have some acne before I started taking the pill and diminished a couple of months after being on the pill. I was 18 when I started on it and in the first month it was weird and I had some spotting, but I had never taking birth control before and that is normal. After that I have had no problems! It is wonderful and I recommend it to all my girlfriends! If you have any more questions feel free to ask me my e-mail JustReAnna@Aol.com.. Hope this helped! Good Luck!
I just started Levora 2 months ago. I have been trying all sorts of methods to lose weight for over a year with no luck. Within 3 weeks of starting Levora, I lost 4 pounds. I feel less irritable and depressed over all AND my sex drive has returned.
I understand being hesitant, but you do have to start somewhere, and there's no reason it shouldn't be Levora. The other thing you should remember - people who are typically happy with their pill, aren't going to go looking for a forum or website where they can discuss it. But people who are unhappy with it, will. So you're going to find more negative feed back than positive. I'm pretty sure this is the case with almost every birth control pill I've ever visited a forum for. Good luck!
I have been on Levora for about 6 months and I love it! I switched from Loestrin 24, which took away my libido and made me spot constantly, and I had no problems at all - no weight gain, no acne, no spotting (not even at the beginning). My sex drive came back and I feel great all the time. It's pretty astounding actually.
Of course everybody's body is different but I'm really happy with Levora.
i started taking levora a few months ago and ever since i have been a hormonal emotional wreck. i feel liek im going crazy its weighed heavily on my marriage as well. extreme mood changed and depression also i did get alot of acne. but im real sensitive to chemical imbalances its definately dependant on the person as to how it effects you.
I just started Levora yesterday, switching from the patch. I was on the patch for a year and I was very happy with it, but when I started wearing it every month after my period I would wake up the next day throwing up, sometimes for hours. I had to take 2 pills yesterday since I normally start Sunday and I couldn't see my obgyn til Monday, and I woke up this morning very ill. I would like to think it is only because I took 2 in 1 day. Also, my obgyn said I can use this like Seasonale, where I take the real pills for 3 months and only take the reminder pills 1 week after I'm done with 3 packs. This is safe, right? I tried doing a similar thing with the patch but I started bleeding after 5 weeks and had the worst period ever afterwards. And in the section where it says "do not take Levora if.." it says if you have a history of reproductive cancer. My mother died of uterine cancer and I asked my obgyn about it and she said taking this medication would help prevent it. I've heard the same of other types of contraceptives like the patch or depo provera, but will Levora increase the risk?
Hi Ebony,
"Also, my obgyn said I can use this like Seasonale, where I take the real pills for 3 months and only take the reminder pills 1 week after I'm done with 3 packs. This is safe, right?"
This seems to be a common practice for a lot of women these days. My doctor told me I could use my Yasmin this way but I didn't want to. Not because I felt it wasn't safe, but because I wanted the reassurance of getting my period every month. If your obgyn says go ahead and try it, why not try it? It may work for you.
""do not take Levora if.." it says if you have a history of reproductive cancer. My mother died of uterine cancer and I asked my obgyn about it and she said taking this medication would help prevent it. I've heard the same of other types of contraceptives like the patch or depo provera, but will Levora increase the risk?"
I found this information online that may help answer your question:
Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk
Hopefully this helps :)
ashlynn
I am about to start on Levora, and I am just coming off of Depot Lupron treatment for endometriosis. I am to use Levora like Seasonale, except going 4 months without a period instead of just 3. My biggest concern here is the weight gain. I have gained 35 pounds while on the 6 month treatment of Depot Lupron, and am scared to gain any more. I really need to lose it. Will it be possible to lose the weight while on Levora? If so, what would be the best method?
I am just now starting Levora and coming off of Yaz.. I'm concerned about the comments, that Levora will leave me with tons of weight gain and acne?? Is this a huge side effect with taking this pill??
Every woman is different when it comes to OC side effects. When I started using Yasmin I didn't gain any weight, but my friend did, so anything can happen. As for acne, majority of the time OC's appear to help clear it up.
Unfortunately there's no definitive answer, you'll just have to find out for yourself.
:-)
I started using Levora sunday and this is mi first time using "pills" as a birth control method. Am i suppose to take the different colored pills the 4th week it provides?
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