What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate and valproic acid
Drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate's FDA label of March 4, 2026 names valproic acid in its drug interactions section; the valproic acid label PlainMeds reads does not name drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate. The drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate label: “Drugs on Folates Several drugs have been reported to reduce folate concentrations by inhibition of the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme or by reducing folate absorption (e.g., cholestyramine), or via unknown mechanisms.”
Check it at the source: the drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 4, 2026, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.); the valproic acid FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 24, 2025, PAI Holdings, LLC dba PAI Pharma).
What does the drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate label say about valproic acid?
Drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate label, drug interactionsDrugs on Folates Several drugs have been reported to reduce folate concentrations by inhibition of the dihydrofolate reductase enzyme (e.g., methotrexate and sulfasalazine) or by reducing folate absorption (e.g., cholestyramine), or via unknown mechanisms (e.g., antiepileptics such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone and valproic acid).
Source: FDA drug label (Safyral), Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective March 4, 2026 (SPL set 97563516-306a-4e17-9690-edbda49ecd83), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the valproic acid label say about drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate?
Valproic acid's label (effective January 24, 2025) does not name drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (VALPROIC ACID), PAI Holdings, LLC dba PAI Pharma, effective January 24, 2025 (SPL set 7d5cb52e-37dd-4dfa-a6f4-09f9548846c6), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol/levomefolate | Valproic acid | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Birth control, Acne | Seizures and epilepsy, Migraine |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $1.38 per unit 3-0.02-0.451 | $0.243 per capsule 250 mg capsule |
| Shortage now | No current entry | Listed; available |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once