What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate and rufinamide
Ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate's FDA label of February 6, 2026 names rufinamide in its drug interactions section; the rufinamide label PlainMeds reads does not name ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate. The ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate label: “… felbamate, griseofulvin, oxcarbazepine, rifampicin, topiramate, rifabutin, rufinamide, aprepitant, and products containing St. John’s wort.”
Check it at the source: the ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 6, 2026, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA); the rufinamide FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 15, 2022, Eisai Inc.).
What does the ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate label say about rufinamide?
Ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate 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 (Norgestimate and Ethinyl Estradiol), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, effective February 6, 2026 (SPL set 8b247e46-203e-4f5b-b5a7-cbd57341c735), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the rufinamide label say about ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate?
Rufinamide's label (effective December 15, 2022) does not name ethinyl estradiol/norgestimate 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/norgestimate | Rufinamide | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Acne, Birth control | n/a |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.115 per tablet 0.25-0.035 mg 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