An Introduction to Side Effects of Lutera
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with
Lutera™ (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol); however, not all women who use the contraceptive will experience side effects. In fact, most women tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Lutera. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Lutera side effects with you. Lutera is equivalent to Alesse® and Aviane® birth control pills. The information in this article also applies to both of these medications.)
Side Effects of Lutera to Report
Some side effects with Lutera, while occurring infrequently, are potentially serious and should be reported immediately to your healthcare provider. These include but are not limited to:
- Vision or speech changes
- Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
- Severe headache
- Signs of liver damage, such as:
- Yellow eyes or skin (jaundice)
- Dark urine
- Upper-right abdominal pain
- Pain in the calf
- Leg cramps
- Leg or foot swelling
- Signs of a blood clot in the lung, such as:
- Shortness of breath
- Sharp chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pain or heaviness, which may be signs of a heart attack
- Sudden loss of vision or vision changes, which can be a sign of a blood clot in the eye
- Signs of an allergic reaction, such as:
- Unexplained rash
- Hives
- Itching
- Unexplained swelling
- Wheezing
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing.
