Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, or norgestimate and ethinyl estrodiol, is a type of combination birth control pill. Each pack of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo has 28 pills: 21 active hormone pills and seven inactive pills.
Active Ingredients
Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is triphasic: Each week has a different amount of hormones, according to Drugs.com. Week one (white pills) has 0.180 mg norgestimate and 0.025 mg ethinyl estrodiol; week two (light blue pills) has 0.215 mg norgestimate and 0.025 mg ethinyl estrodiol; week three (dark blue pills) had 0.250 mg norgestimate and 0.025 mg ethinyl estrodiol.
Mechanism
Drugs.com states the main mechanism of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is the suppression of gonadotropins (hormones that affect the ovaries), which inhibits ovulation, thickens the cervical mucus and thins the endometrium.
Effectiveness
When taken every day around the same time, Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is 97.64 percent effective, according to Drugs.com.
Side Effects
Mild side effects of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, according to Drugs.com, include headaches, vaginal itching, changes in weight or appetite, increased hair growth, freckling, breast pain or tenderness, stomach cramps, bloating, vomiting and nausea. Severe side effects include swelling in the extremities, jaundice, depression, chest pain, confusion, and sudden numbness or weakness.
Warning
Drugs.com states than women with jaundice from previous birth control pill usage, severe migraines, liver disease, liver cancer, abnormal vaginal bleeding, breast cancer, uterine cancer or a history of strokes, blood clots or circulation issues should not take Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo.
