Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is one of many brands of birth-control pills on the market. The contraceptive is classified as triphasic, which means the hormone level in the pills changes three times during a woman's menstrual cycle.
Ingredients
Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is composed of the female hormones ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate. The "lo" in the drug's name stems from the amount of estrogen in the pill, 25 mcg, which is less than that found in most other birth control pills. For example, Ortho Tri-Cyclen has 35 mcg of estrogen.
Identification/Time Frame
A one-month prescription of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo consists of 28 pills. However, only the first 21 pills in the pack are considered "active" and contain hormones. The last seven pills in a pack are essentially placebos. They are designed to help keep the user in the habit of taking one pill every day, preferably at the same time.
There are four colors of pills within each pack. You take the seven white pills during the first week; the next seven days you take the light blue pills; the third week you take the dark blue pills; the last seven days you take the green pills, which are the placebos. The difference in the pills is the level of progestin each contains. The white, light blue and dark blue pills each contain, respectively, .18 mg, .215 mg and .25 mg of progestin.
Common Side Effects
It isn't unusual for women to experience at least one or two side effects of being on a contraceptive pill, and Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is no different, according to the Physicians' Desk Reference. Some of the more typical side effects include: changes in appetite or weight, a woman's hair may fall out, nausea and/or vomiting, tender breasts and changes in menstrual periods.
Serious Side Effects
Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is dispensed with warnings about potentially serious side effects of taking the drug such as weakness and numbness, sudden headaches or a change in intensity of migraines, and swelling of extremities. If allergic reactions such as hives, facial swelling or breathing problems arise, the manufacturer advises you seek medical care immediately.
Why Take It?
Because of the lower level of estrogen, women who are on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo often have more-regular periods and less breakthrough bleeding (after the first three months on the drug) than women on pills containing more estrogen, according to Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, the drug's maker.
