Estrostep Fe

What is Estrostep Fe?

Estrostep Fe (like all oral contraceptives) is intended to prevent pregnancy. It does not protect against transmission of HIV (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases. Estrostep Fe is also sold under the brand name Tilia Fe.

What you should know about oral contraceptives

Any woman who considers using oral contraceptives (the “birth control pill” or “the pill”) should understand the benefits and risks of using this form of birth control. This leaflet will give you much of the information you will need to make this decision and will also help you determine if you are at risk of developing any of the serious side effects of the pill. It will tell you how to use the pill properly so that it will be as effective as possible. However, this leaflet is not a replacement for a careful discussion between you and your healthcare provider. You should discuss the information provided in this leaflet with him or her, both when you first start taking the pill and during your revisits. You should also follow your healthcare provider’s advice with regard to regular check-ups while you are on the pill.

Effectiveness of oral contraceptives

Oral contraceptives or “birth control pills” or “the pill” are used to prevent pregnancy and are more effective than other nonsurgical methods of birth control. When they are taken correctly, the chance of becoming pregnant is less than 1% (1 pregnancy per 100 women per year of use) when used perfectly, without missing any pills. Typical failure rates are actually 5% per year. The chance of becoming pregnant increases with each missed pill during a menstrual cycle.

In comparison, typical failure rates for other methods of birth control during the first year of use are as follows:

• Implant: <1%
• Injection: <1%
• IUD: <1 to 2%
• Diaphragm with spermicides: 20%
• Spermicides alone: 26%
• Vaginal Sponge: 20 to 40%
• Female sterilization: <1%
• Male sterilization: <1%
• Cervical Cap: 20 to 40%
• Condom alone (male): 14%
• Condom alone (female): 21%
• Periodic abstinence: 25%
• Withdrawal: 19%
• No method: 85%

Estrostep Fe may also be taken to treat moderate acne if all of the following are true:

• Your doctor says it is safe for you to use the pill
• You are at least 15 years old
• You have started having menstrual periods
• You want to use the pill for birth control
• You plan to stay on the pill for at least 6 months
• Your acne has not improved with acne medicines that you put on your skin

Estrostep Fe users who started with about 74 acne pimples had about 42 pimples after 6 months of treatment. Placebo users who started with about 72 acne pimples had about 49 pimples after six months of treatment. Use Estrostep Fe to treat acne only if you want the pill for birth control and plan to stay on it for at least 6 months.

Health benefits from oral contraceptives

In addition to preventing pregnancy, use of oral contraceptives may provide certain benefits. They are:

• Menstrual cycles may become more regular.
• Blood flow during menstruation may be lighter and less iron may be lost. Therefore, anemia due to iron deficiency is less likely to occur.
• Pain or other symptoms during menstruation may be encountered less frequently.
• Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy may occur less frequently.
• Noncancerous cysts or lumps in the breast may occur less frequently.
• Acute pelvic inflammatory disease may occur less frequently.
• Oral contraceptive use may provide some protection against developing two forms of cancer: cancer of the ovaries and cancer of the lining of the uterus.

If you want more information about birth control pills, ask your doctor or pharmacist. They have a more technical leaflet called the “Physician Insert”, which you may wish to read.

Remembering to take tablets according to schedule is stressed because of its importance in providing you the greatest degree of protection.

What is the most important information I should know about Estrostep Fe?

Estrostep Fe (like all oral contraceptives) is intended to prevent pregnancy. It does not protect against transmission of HIV (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Who should not take oral contraceptives including Estrostep Fe?

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from oral contraceptive use. This risk increases with age and with heavy smoking (15 or more cigarettes per day) and is quite marked in women over 35 years of age. Women who use oral contraceptives should be strongly advised not to smoke.

Some women should not use the pill. For example, you should not use the pill if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant. You should also not use the pill if you have any of the following:

• A history of heart attack or stroke
• Blood clots in the legs (thrombophlebitis), lungs (pulmonary embolism), or eyes
• A history of blood clots in the deep veins of your legs
• Chest pain (angina pectoris)
• Known or suspected breast cancer or cancer of the lining of the uterus, cervix, or vagina
• Unexplained vaginal bleeding (until a diagnosis is reached by your doctor)
• Yellowing of the whites of the eyes or of the skin (jaundice) during pregnancy or during previous use of the pill
• Liver tumor (benign or cancerous)
• Known or suspected pregnancy
• Are receiving Hepatitis C drug combination containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir. This may increase levels of the liver enzyme “alanine aminotransferase” (ALT) in the blood.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had any of these conditions. Your healthcare provider can recommend a safer method of birth control.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking Estrostep Fe?

Tell your healthcare provider if you have:

• Breast nodules, fibrocystic disease of the breast, an abnormal breast x-ray or mammogram
• Diabetes
• Elevated cholesterol or triglycerides
• High blood pressure
• Migraine or other headaches or epilepsy
• Mental depression
• Gallbladder, heart, or kidney disease
• History of scanty or irregular menstrual periods

Women with any of these conditions should be checked often by their healthcare provider if they choose to use oral contraceptives.

Also, be sure to inform your doctor or healthcare provider if you smoke or are on any medications.

How should I take Estrostep Fe?

The Estrostep Fe tablet dispenser has been designed to make oral contraceptive dosing as easy and as convenient as possible. The tablets are arranged in four rows of seven tablets each, with the days of the week appearing above the first row of tablets.

• Each triangle tablet contains 1 mg norethindrone acetate and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol.
• Each square tablet contains 1 mg norethindrone acetate and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol.
• Each round tablet contains 1 mg norethindrone acetate and 35 mcg ethinyl estradiol.
• Each brown tablet contains 75 mg ferrous fumarate and is intended to help you remember to take the tablets correctly. These brown tablets are not intended to have any health benefit.

Directions

To remove a tablet, press down on it with your thumb or finger. The tablet will drop through the back of the tablet dispenser. Do not press with your thumbnail, fingernail, or any other sharp object.

How to take the pill

Important points to remember

Before you start taking your pills:

1. Be sure to read the directions:

• Before you start taking your pills.
• Anytime you are not sure what to do.

2. The right way to take the pill is to take one pill every day at the same time. If you miss pills you could get pregnant. This includes starting the pack late. The more pills you miss, the more likely you are to get pregnant.

3. Many women have spotting or light bleeding, or may feel sick to their stomach, during the first 1-3 packs of pills. If you do have spotting or light bleeding or feel sick to your stomach, do not stop taking the pill. The problem will usually go away. If it doesn’t go away, check with your doctor or clinic.

4. Missing pills can also cause spotting or light bleeding, even when you make up these missed pills. On the days you take 2 pills to make up for missed pills, you could also feel a little sick to your stomach.

5. If you have vomiting or diarrhea, for any reason, or if you take some medicines, including some antibiotics, your birth control pills may not work as well. Use a back-up birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) until you check with your doctor or clinic.

6. If you have trouble remembering to take the pill, talk to your doctor or clinic about how to make pill-taking easier or about using another method of birth control.

7. If you have any questions or are unsure about the information in this guide, call your doctor or clinic.

Before you start taking your pills

1. Decide what time of day you want to take your pill. It is important to take it at about the same time every day.

2. Look at your pill pack. The pill pack has 21 “active” white pills (with hormones) to take for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of “reminder” brown pills (without hormones).

3. Also Find:

• where on the pack to start taking pills,
• in what order to take the pills (follow the arrows), and
• the week numbers

Each Estrostep Fe tablet dispenser contains five white triangular tablets, seven white square tablets, nine white round tablets, and seven brown tablets. These tablets are to be taken in the following order: one triangular tablet each day for five days, then one square tablet each day for seven days, followed by one round tablet each day for nine days, and then one brown tablet each day for seven days.

Estrostep Fe will contain:

• 21 White Pills for Weeks 1, 2, and 3.
• Week 4 will contain Brown Pills Only.

4. Be sure you have ready at all times:

• another kind of birth control (such as condoms or spermicide) to use as a back-up in case you miss pills.
• An extra, full pill pack.

When to start the first pack of pills

You have a choice of which day to start taking your first pack of pills. Decide with your doctor or clinic which is the best day for you. Pick a time of day which will be easy to remember.

Day-1 Start:

1. Pick the day label strip that starts with the first day of your period. (This is the day you start bleeding or spotting, even if it is almost midnight when the bleeding begins.)
2. Place this day label strip on the tablet dispenser over the area that has the days of the week (starting with Sunday) printed on the plastic.
3. Take the first “active” white pill of the first pack during the first 24 hours of your period.
4. You will not need to use a back-up method of birth control, since you are starting the pill at the beginning of your period.

Sunday Start:

1. Take the first “active” white pill of the first pack on the Sunday after your period starts, even if you are still bleeding. If your period begins on Sunday, start the pack that same day.
2. Use another method of birth control as a back-up method if you have sex anytime from the Sunday you start your first pack until the next Sunday (7 days). Condoms or spermicide are good back-up methods of birth control.

What to do during the month

1. Take one pill at the same time every day until the pack is empty.

• Do not skip pills even if you are spotting or bleeding between monthly periods or feel sick to your stomach (nausea).
• Do not skip pills even if you do not have sex very often.

2. When you finish a pack or switch your brand of pills:

• 21 pills: Wait 7 days to start the next pack. You will probably have your period during that week. Be sure that no more than 7 days pass between 21-day packs.
• 28 pills: Start the next pack on the day after your last “reminder” pill. Do not wait any days between packs.

What to do if you miss pills

If you miss 1 white “active” pill:

• Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take 2 pills in 1 day.
• You do not need to use a back-up birth control method if you have sex.

If you miss 2 white “active” pills in a row in Week 1 or Week 2 of your pack:

• Take 2 pills on the day you remember and 2 pills the next day.
• Then take 1 pill a day until you finish the pack.
• You could get pregnant if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You must use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a back-up method of birth control until you have taken a white “active” pill every day for 7 days.

If you miss 2 white “active” pills in a row in the 3rd week:

• If you are a Day-1 Starter:
  Throw the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
  If you are a Sunday Starter:
  Keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.
• You may not have your period this month, but this is expected. However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call your doctor or clinic because you might be pregnant.
• You could get pregnant if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You must use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a back-up method of birth control until you have taken a white “active” pill every day for 7 days.

If you miss 3 or more white “active” pills in a row (during the first 3 weeks):

• If you are a Day-1 Starter:
  Throw out the rest of the pill pack and start a new pack that same day.
  If you are a Sunday Starter:
  Keep taking 1 pill every day until Sunday. On Sunday, throw out the rest of the pack and start a new pack of pills that same day.
• You may not have your period this month, but this is expected. However, if you miss your period 2 months in a row, call your doctor or clinic because you might be pregnant.
• You could get pregnant if you have sex in the 7 days after you miss pills. You must use another birth control method (such as condoms or spermicide) as a back-up method of birth control until you have taken a white “active” pill every day for 7 days.

Reminder:
If you forget any of the 7 brown “reminder” pills in week 4:

• throw away the pills you missed.
• keep taking 1 pill each day until the pack is empty.
• you do not need a back-up method.

Finally, if you are still not sure what to do about the pills you have missed:

• Use a back-up method anytime you have sex.
• keep taking one white “active” pill each day until you can reach your doctor or clinic.

Missed menstrual periods

At times there may be no menstrual period after a cycle of pills. Therefore, if you miss one menstrual period but have taken the pills exactly as you were supposed to, continue as usual into the next cycle. If you have not taken the pills correctly and miss a menstrual period, you may be pregnant and should stop taking oral contraceptives until your doctor or healthcare provider determines whether or not you are pregnant. Until you can get to your doctor or healthcare provider, use another form of contraception. If two consecutive menstrual periods are missed, you should stop taking pills until it is determined whether or not you are pregnant. Although there does not appear to be any increase in birth defects in newborn babies, if you become pregnant while using oral contraceptives, you should discuss the situation with your doctor or healthcare provider.

Periodic examination

Your doctor or healthcare provider will take a complete medical and family history before prescribing oral contraceptives. At that time and about once a year thereafter, he or she will generally examine your blood pressure, breasts, abdomen, and pelvic organs (including a Papanicolaou smear, i.e., test for cancer).

What are the possible side effects of Estrostep Fe?

Risks of taking oral contraceptives

1. Risk of Developing Blood Clots

Blood clots and blockage of blood vessels are the most serious side effects of taking oral contraceptives; in particular, a clot in the leg can cause thrombophlebitis, and a clot that travels to the lungs can cause a sudden blocking of the vessel carrying blood to the lungs. Rarely, clots occur in the blood vessels of the eye and may cause blindness, double vision, or impaired vision.

If you take oral contraceptives and need elective surgery, need to stay in bed for a prolonged illness, or have recently delivered a baby, you may be at risk of developing blood clots. You should consult your doctor about stopping oral contraceptives three to four weeks before surgery and not taking oral contraceptives for two weeks after surgery or during bed rest. You should also not take oral contraceptives soon after delivery of a baby. It is advisable to wait for at least four weeks after delivery if you are not breastfeeding. If you are breastfeeding, you should wait until you have weaned your child before using the pill.

2. Heart Attacks and Strokes

Oral contraceptives may increase the tendency to develop strokes (stoppage or rupture of blood vessels in the brain) and angina pectoris and heart attacks (blockage of blood vessels in the heart). Any of these conditions can cause death or disability.

Smoking greatly increases the possibility of suffering heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, smoking and the use of oral contraceptives greatly increase the chances of developing and dying of heart disease.

3. Gallbladder Disease

Oral contraceptive users probably have a greater risk than nonusers of having gallbladder disease, although this risk may be related to pills containing high doses of estrogens.

4. Liver Tumors

In rare cases, oral contraceptives can cause benign but dangerous liver tumors. These benign liver tumors can rupture and cause fatal internal bleeding. In addition, a possible but not definite association has been found with the pill and liver cancers in two studies, in which a few women who developed these very rare cancers were found to have used oral contraceptives for long periods. However, liver cancers are extremely rare. The chance of developing liver cancer from using the pill is thus even rarer.

5. Cancer of the Reproductive Organs and Breasts

Breast cancer has been diagnosed slightly more often in women who use the pill than in women of the same age who do not use the pill. This very small increase in the number of breast cancer diagnoses gradually disappears during the 10 years after stopping use of the pill. It is not known whether the increase in breast cancer diagnosis is caused by the pill. You should have regular breast examinations by a healthcare provider and examine your own breasts monthly. Tell your healthcare provider if you have a family history of breast cancer or if you have had breast nodules or an abnormal mammogram. Women who currently have or have had breast cancer should not use oral contraceptives because breast cancer is a hormone-sensitive tumor.

Some studies have found an increase in the incidence of precancerous lesions of the cervix in women who use oral contraceptives. However, this finding may be related to factors other than the use of oral contraceptives.

Estimated risk of death from a birth control method or pregnancy

All methods of birth control and pregnancy are associated with a risk of developing certain diseases which may lead to disability or death. An estimate of the number of deaths associated with different methods of birth control and pregnancy has been calculated and is shown in the following table.

Annual Number of Birth-Related or Method-Related Deaths Associated with Control of Fertility Per 100,000 Nonsterile Women by Fertility Control Method According to Age

In the above table, the risk of death from any birth control method is less than the risk of childbirth, except for oral contraceptive users over the age of 35 who smoke and pill users over the age of 40 even if they do not smoke. It can be seen in the table that for women aged 15 to 39, the risk of death was highest with pregnancy (7 to 26 deaths per 100,000 women, depending on age). Among pill users who do not smoke, the risk of death was always lower than that associated with pregnancy for any age group, although over the age of 40, the risk increases to 32 deaths per 100,000 women, compared to 28 associated with pregnancy at that age. However, for pill users who smoke and are over the age of 35, the estimated number of deaths exceeds those for other methods of birth control. If a woman is over the age of 40 and smokes, her estimated risk of death is four times higher (117/100,000 women) than the estimated risk associated with pregnancy (28/100,000 women) in that age group.

The suggestion that women over 40 who don’t smoke should not take oral contraceptives is based on information from older higher dose pills and on less selective use of pills than is practiced today. An Advisory Committee of the FDA discussed this issue in 1989 and recommended that the benefits of oral contraceptive use by healthy, non-smoking women over 40 years of age may outweigh the possible risks. However, all women, especially older women, are cautioned to use the lowest dose pill that is effective.

Warning signals

If any of these adverse effects occur while you are taking oral contraceptives, call your doctor immediately:

• Sharp chest pain, coughing of blood, or sudden shortness of breath (indicating a possible clot in the lung)
• Pain in the calf (indicating a possible clot in the leg)
• Crushing chest pain or heaviness in the chest (indicating a possible heart attack)
• Sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, disturbances of vision or speech, weakness, or numbness in an arm or leg (indicating a possible stroke)
• Sudden partial or complete loss of vision (indicating a possible clot in the eye)
• Breast lumps (indicating possible breast cancer or fibrocystic disease of the breast; ask your doctor or healthcare provider to show you how to examine your breasts)
• Severe pain or tenderness in the stomach area (indicating a possible ruptured liver tumor)
• Difficulty in sleeping, weakness, lack of energy, fatigue, or change in mood (possibly indicating severe depression)
• Jaundice or a yellowing of the skin or eyeballs, accompanied frequently by fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, dark colored urine, or light-colored bowel movements (indicating possible liver problems)

Side effects of oral contraceptives

1. Vaginal Bleeding

Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting may occur while you are taking the pills. Irregular bleeding may vary from slight staining between menstrual periods to breakthrough bleeding which is a flow much like a regular period. Irregular bleeding occurs most often during the first few months of oral contraceptive use, but may also occur after you have been taking the pill for some time. Such bleeding may be temporary and usually does not indicate serious problems. It is important to continue taking your pills on schedule. If the bleeding occurs in more than one cycle or lasts for more than a few days, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider.

2. Contact Lenses

If you wear contact lenses and notice a change in vision or an inability to wear your lenses, contact your doctor or healthcare provider.

3. Fluid Retention

Oral contraceptives may cause edema (fluid retention) with swelling of the fingers or ankles and may raise your blood pressure. If you experience fluid retention, contact your doctor or healthcare provider.

4. Melasma

A spotty darkening of the skin is possible, particularly of the face.

5. Other side effects

Other side effects may include change in appetite, headache, nervousness, depression, dizziness, loss of scalp hair, rash, and vaginal infections.

If any of these side effects bother you, call your doctor or healthcare provider.

General precautions

1. Missed Periods and Use of Oral Contraceptives Before or During Early Pregnancy

There may be times when you may not menstruate regularly after you have completed taking a cycle of pills. If you have taken your pills regularly and miss one menstrual period, continue taking your pills for the next cycle but be sure to inform your healthcare provider before doing so. If you have not taken the pills daily as instructed and missed a menstrual period, or if you missed two consecutive menstrual periods, you may be pregnant. Check with your healthcare provider immediately to determine whether you are pregnant. Do not continue to take oral contraceptives until you are sure you are not pregnant, but continue to use another method of contraception.

There is no conclusive evidence that oral contraceptive use is associated with an increase in birth defects, when taken inadvertently during early pregnancy. Previously, a few studies had reported that oral contraceptives might be associated with birth defects, but these studies have not been confirmed. Nevertheless, oral contraceptives or any other drugs should not be used during pregnancy unless clearly necessary and prescribed by your doctor. You should check with your doctor about risks to your unborn child of any medication taken during pregnancy.

2. While Breastfeeding

If you are breastfeeding, consult your doctor before starting oral contraceptives. Some of the drug will be passed on to the child in the milk. A few adverse effects on the child have been reported, including yellowing of the skin (jaundice) and breast enlargement. In addition, oral contraceptives may decrease the amount and quality of your milk. If possible, do not use oral contraceptives while breastfeeding. You should use another method of contraception since breastfeeding provides only partial protection from becoming pregnant, and this partial protection decreases significantly as you breastfeed for longer periods of time. You should consider starting oral contraceptives only after you have weaned your child completely.

3. Laboratory Tests

If you are scheduled for any laboratory tests, tell your doctor you are taking birth control pills. Certain blood tests may be affected by birth control pills.

4. Drug Interactions

Certain drugs may interact with birth control pills to make them less effective in preventing pregnancy or cause an increase in breakthrough bleeding. Such drugs include rifampin; drugs used for epilepsy such as barbiturates (for example, phenobarbital), carbamazepine, and phenytoin (Dilantin is one brand of this drug); phenylbutazone; and possibly St. John’s Wort and certain antibiotics. You may need to use additional contraception when you take drugs which can make oral contraceptives less effective.

Birth control pills interact with certain drugs. These drugs include acetaminophen, clofibric acid, cyclosporine, morphine, prednisolone, salicylic acid, temazepam, and theophylline. You should tell your doctor if you are taking any of these medications.

5. Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Estrostep Fe (like all oral contraceptives) is intended to prevent pregnancy. It does not protect against transmission of HIV (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and syphilis.

To report suspected adverse reactions, contact Allergan at 1-800-678-1605 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or WWW.FDA.GOV/MEDWATCH.

Pregnancy due to pill failure

The incidence of pill failure resulting in pregnancy is approximately 1% (i.e., one pregnancy per 100 women per year) if taken every day as directed, but more typical failure rates are about 5%. If failure does occur, the risk to the fetus is minimal.

Pregnancy after stopping the pill

There may be some delay in becoming pregnant after you stop using oral contraceptives, especially if you had irregular menstrual cycles before you used oral contraceptives. It may be advisable to postpone conception until you begin menstruating regularly once you have stopped taking the pill and desire pregnancy.

There does not appear to be any increase in birth defects in newborn babies when pregnancy occurs soon after stopping the pill.

Overdosage

Serious ill effects have not been reported following ingestion of large doses of oral contraceptives by young children. Overdosage may cause nausea and withdrawal bleeding in females. In case of overdosage, contact your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

General information about the safe and effective use of Estrostep FE

Your healthcare provider will take a medical and family history and examine you before prescribing oral contraceptives. The physical examination may be delayed to another time if you request it and your healthcare provider believes that it is a good medical practice to postpone it. You should be reexamined at least once a year. Be sure to inform your healthcare provider if there is a family history of any of the conditions listed previously in this leaflet. Be sure to keep all appointments with your healthcare provider, because this is a time to determine if there are early signs of side effects of oral contraceptive use.

Do not use the drug for any condition other than the one for which it was prescribed. This drug has been prescribed specifically for you; do not give it to others who may want birth control pills.

How should I store Estrostep Fe?

Do not store above 25° C (77° F). Protect from light.

Store tablets inside pouch when not in use.

Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children.

What are the ingredients in Estrostep Fe?

White square, round and triangle tablets

Active ingredients: norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol

Inactive ingredients: calcium stearate; lactose; cellulose, microcrystalline; starch corn

Brown tabets

Inactive ingredients: ferrous fumarate, mannitol, povidone, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate type A potato, magnesium stearate, sucrose, spearmint.