Prescription medication · Combined Oral Contraceptive
ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone
Also sold as Loestrin, Junel. Lo Loestrin Fe is used to prevent pregnancy.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 14
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone (Loestrin) is a prescription Combined Oral Contraceptive, with 14 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone (Loestrin) is a prescription Combined Oral Contraceptive. Lo Loestrin Fe is used to prevent pregnancy.
Lo Loestrin Fe is a birth control pill. It helps prevent pregnancy in women.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone is currently listed as to be discontinued by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc..
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.18/unit
Generic Available
Yes (1 manufacturer)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Lo Loestrin Fe is used to prevent pregnancy.
Common side effects
Nausea or vomiting, Headache, Irregular bleeding
Key warnings
Cigarette smoking increases your risk of serious heart problems from birth control pills.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Lo Loestrin Fe contains two hormones: norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol. These hormones prevent ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). They also change the lining of the uterus, making it harder for a fertilized egg to implant.
Serious Warnings
Cigarette smoking increases your risk of serious heart problems from birth control pills. This risk is higher if you are over 35 and smoke. Women over 35 who smoke should not use Lo Loestrin Fe.
Known Drug Interactions
7.2 Increase i n Plasma Levels of Ethinyl Estradiol Associated with Co-Administered Drugs Co-administration of atorvastatin and certain COCs containing ethinyl estradiol increase AUC values for ethinyl estradiol by approximately 20 percent.
Mechanism: Atorvastatin increases the amount of birth control hormone that stays in your blood. This happens because the statin changes how the body processes the hormone.
7.2 Increase i n Plasma Levels of Ethinyl Estradiol Associated with Co-Administered Drugs Co-administration of atorvastatin and certain COCs containing ethinyl estradiol increase AUC values for ethinyl estradiol by approximately 20 percent. Ascorbic acid and acetaminophen may increase plasma ethinyl estradiol levels, possibly by inhibition of conjugation. 7.4 Changes in Plasma Levels of Co-Administered Drugs COCs containing some synthetic estrogens (for example, ethinyl estradiol) may inhibit the metabolism of other compounds.
Mechanism: Taking these two medications together can slow down how your body breaks down estrogen. This can cause the level of estrogen in your blood to rise.
COCs have been shown to significantly decrease plasma concentrations of lamotrigine, likely due to induction of lamotrigine glucuronidation. This may reduce seizure control; therefore, dosage adjustments of lamotrigine may be necessary.
Mechanism: The birth control pill causes your body to break down the seizure medication much faster than usual. This can lower the amount of medicine in your blood and make it less effective.
John’s wort topiramate HIV protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors : Significant changes (increase or decrease) in the plasma levels of the estrogen and progestin have been noted in some cases of co-administration of HIV protease inhibitors or of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
Mechanism: This medication can change the levels of birth control hormones in your body. It may cause the hormones to increase or decrease, which can affect how well the birth control works.
Ascorbic acid and acetaminophen may increase plasma ethinyl estradiol levels, possibly by inhibition of conjugation.
Mechanism: Acetaminophen can interfere with how your body clears out birth control hormones. This leads to higher levels of the hormone staying in your bloodstream.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
What should I do if I experience breakthrough bleeding?
Can Lo Loestrin Fe protect me from STIs?
What if I vomit after taking a pill?
Can I take Lo Loestrin Fe if I have high blood pressure?
Does Lo Loestrin Fe cause weight gain?
Can Lo Loestrin Fe affect my mood?
Is it safe to take Lo Loestrin Fe long term?
Can I start Lo Loestrin Fe at any time during my cycle?
What if I have surgery?
Can other medications affect Lo Loestrin Fe?
What are the common side effects of ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone?
Does ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone interact with other medications?
What drug class is ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone?
Is ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone currently in shortage?
Related Medications in Combined Oral Contraceptive
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bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens
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Duavee is a combination medicine containing estrogen and a drug that blocks estrogen in some parts of the body.
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cabergoline
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clomiphene
Clomid, Serophene
Clomiphene citrate is a medicine that helps women ovulate.
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Medication Guides
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What the FDA Data Shows for ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone
The FDA label for ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone (sold under brand names such as Loestrin, Junel) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Combined Oral Contraceptive class. Lo Loestrin Fe is used to prevent pregnancy. Official labeling lists 10 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea or vomiting, Headache, Irregular bleeding.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. The database also lists 14 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.18.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: March 7, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages