What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel and rufinamide
Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel's FDA label of October 18, 2024 names rufinamide in its drug interactions section; the rufinamide label PlainMeds reads does not name ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel. The ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel label: “… felbamate, griseofulvin, oxcarbazepine, rifampicin, topiramate, rifabutin, rufinamide, aprepitant, and products containing St. John’s wort.”
Check it at the source: the ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel FDA label on DailyMed (effective October 18, 2024, Xiromed, LLC); the rufinamide FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 15, 2022, Eisai Inc.).
What does the ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel label say about rufinamide?
Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel label, drug interactionsSome drugs or herbal products that may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives include phenytoin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, bosentan, felbamate, griseofulvin, oxcarbazepine, rifampicin, topiramate, rifabutin, rufinamide, aprepitant, and products containing St. John’s wort.
Source: FDA drug label (Joyeaux), Xiromed, LLC, effective October 18, 2024 (SPL set 655b2c93-cfae-d44f-c128-c816bbd88e45), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the rufinamide label say about ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel?
Rufinamide's label (effective December 15, 2022) does not name ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Banzel), Eisai Inc., effective December 15, 2022 (SPL set 0a3fa925-1abd-458a-bd57-4ae780a1ef2d), 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
| Ethinyl estradiol/ferrous fumarate/levonorgestrel | Rufinamide | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Birth control | n/a |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $3.45 per tablet 28 tablet | $0.203 per mL 40 mg/mL suspension |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
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