norethindrone acetate/ethinyl estradiol w/ ferrous (cont.)
PRECAUTIONS: Before you take this medication, tell your doctor your medical history, including: family medical history, (especially if you have asthma), high blood pressure, kidney, or liver problems, heart disease, a history of jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes), high blood pressure during pregnancy, excessive weight gain or fluid retention during menstrual cycle, strokes, blood clots, seizures, migraine headaches, breast cancer, high blood level of cholesterol or lipids (fats), diabetes, depression. It may take a long time for you to become pregnant after you stop taking birth control pills. Consult your doctor. Do not smoke cigarettes. Birth-control pills slightly increase your risk of strokes, blood clots, high blood pressure, heart attacks, gallbladder disease, vision problems, and liver tumors. Cigarette smoking (especially 15 or more cigarettes daily) and age (women older than 35/smokers or 40/nonsmokers years of age) further increase the risk of stroke, blood clots, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the patient labeling which explains these risks in more detail. Consult your doctor for any questions, including possible use in nonsmokers over 40 years of age. If you are near-sighted or wear contact lenses, you may develop vision problems. Also, your tolerance of the lenses may decrease. Contact your eye doctor if these problems occur. If you will be having surgery, be confined to a chair or bed for a long period of time (e.g., a long plane flight), or have recently delivered a baby, notify your doctor beforehand. Special precautions may need to be taken in these circumstances while you are taking this drug. Depending on strength, this drug may cause a patchy, darkening of the skin on the face (melasma). Higher strengths are more likely to cause melasma. Sunlight may intensify this darkening and you may need to avoid prolonged sun exposure and sunlamps. Consult your doctor regarding use of sunscreens and protective clothing. Accidental overdose of iron-containing products can be very dangerous and even fatal. Keep this medication out of the reach of children. If overdose occurs, call a doctor or poison control center immediately. This medication must not be used during pregnancy. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, inform your doctor immediately. This medication is excreted into breast milk and has had undesirable effects on nursing infants. Using this drug while breast-feeding is not recommended. Consult your doctor about using alternative birth control methods.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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