Seasonique Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Seasonique Tablet contains ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel and belongs to the contraceptive drug class. It is a birth control pill taken in an extended-cycle pack, so periods happen only about 4 times a year instead of every month. It works mainly by preventing ovulation and is used to prevent pregnancy.

What is Seasonique Tablet

Seasonique is a birth control pill that combines two hormones, an estrogen called ethinyl estradiol and a progestin called levonorgestrel. It comes in an extended-cycle pack, so periods happen only 4 times a year instead of every month.

Seasonique Tablet uses

• Prevent pregnancy (used as an oral contraceptive)

Benefits of Seasonique Tablet

• Helps prevent pregnancy when taken correctly.
• Provides an extended-cycle contraceptive schedule, resulting in about 4 planned periods per year.
• May help reduce menstrual bleeding, cramps, and period-related discomfort in some users.

How Seasonique Tablet works

Seasonique works mainly by stopping the ovaries from releasing an egg each month. It also thickens the mucus at the cervix so sperm have a harder time reaching the egg, and it changes the lining of the uterus so a fertilized egg is less likely to implant.

Seasonique Tablet dosage

Take one pill every day at about the same time, no more than 24 hours apart. Start the first active pill on the first day of your period, or on the first Sunday after your period begins. You may need to use back-up birth control such as condoms or spermicide when you first start, and any time you have sex during the first 7 days of active pills. When the pack runs out, start the next pack the following day without any break. With this extended-cycle pill you will not have a period every month; instead you should get a period about every 12 weeks while taking the reminder pills. Use back-up birth control if you have severe vomiting or diarrhea, since this can make the pill less effective. If you need surgery, medical tests, or will be on bed rest, tell your doctor or surgeon that you are using Seasonique, since you may need to stop it for a short time. Visit your doctor regularly for check-ups while taking this medicine.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (light blue-green active tablets containing levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, and yellow tablets containing ethinyl estradiol only), packaged in an extended-cycle tablet dispenser

Side effects of Seasonique Tablet

Common

• Mild nausea, especially when first starting
• Vomiting
• Bloating, stomach cramps
• Breast tenderness or swelling, nipple discharge
• Freckles or darkening of facial skin
• Increased hair growth or loss of scalp hair
• Changes in weight or appetite
• Problems with contact lenses
• Vaginal itching or discharge
• Changes in menstrual periods, decreased sex drive
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Irregular and/or heavy vaginal bleeding, spotting between periods
• Acne (may improve or worsen)

Serious

• Sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance (possible stroke)
• Sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, coughing up blood (possible blood clot in lung)
• Pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs (possible blood clot)
• Chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling (possible heart attack)
• A change in the pattern or severity of migraine headaches
• Nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, tiredness, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, yellowing of skin or eyes (possible liver problem)
• Swelling in hands, ankles, or feet
• A breast lump
• Symptoms of depression (sleep problems, weakness, tiredness, mood changes)
• Signs of an allergic reaction: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use this medicine if you are pregnant. If you have recently had a baby, wait at least 4 weeks before starting. Stop taking it and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant or miss two periods in a row.
• The hormones in this medicine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. It may also reduce breast milk production, so it should not be used while breastfeeding.
• Tell your doctor if you have diabetes with kidney damage, as this is one of the conditions that means Seasonique should not be used.
• Do not use this medicine if you have liver disease or liver cancer. Stop the medicine if you develop jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes), since liver function may need to be checked.
• Using this medicine with alcohol may possibly raise blood levels of alcohol or its breakdown product, so it should be used with caution.
• No studies have looked at how this medicine affects the ability to drive or use machines.
• Smoking while taking this medicine, especially if you are over 35, greatly increases your risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. You should not take this medicine if you smoke and are over 35.
• Taking this medicine can increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack, and this risk is highest during your first year of use or when restarting after a break of 4 weeks or more.
• You should not take this medicine if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease, a blood clotting disorder, circulation problems, diabetic eye or kidney problems, unusual vaginal bleeding, liver disease, severe migraines, or a history of certain cancers, jaundice from birth control pills, heart attack, stroke, or blood clot.
• This medicine does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS. Only condoms can protect against these infections.
• Missing pills increases your risk of pregnancy, so it's important to carefully follow the missed-dose instructions.
• Certain other medicines, such as some antibiotics, hepatitis C medications, HIV/AIDS medications, seizure medications, or barbiturate sedatives, can make this medicine less effective at preventing pregnancy.

Storage

• Store at 20–25°C (68–77°F) at controlled room temperature.
• Keep tablets in their original packaging until ready to take.
• Protect from excessive heat, moisture, and direct sunlight.
• Avoid storing in bathrooms or other hot and humid locations.
• Keep out of reach and sight of children and pets.

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away for signs of a severe allergic reaction: hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor right away if you have persistent leg pain, sudden shortness of breath, sudden partial or complete loss of vision, severe chest pain, a sudden severe headache unlike your usual headaches, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg or trouble speaking, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
• Stop taking the medicine and call your doctor immediately if you notice sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, or vision or balance problems.
• Call your doctor if you develop chest pain or a heavy feeling in the chest, pain spreading to the jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating, or a general ill feeling, as these can be signs of a heart problem.
• Seek medical help if you notice nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, tiredness, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or yellowing of the skin or eyes, which may signal a liver problem.
• Call your doctor if you notice a breast lump or symptoms of depression such as sleep problems, weakness, tiredness, or mood changes.
• If you miss your period while taking the reminder pills, contact your doctor because you might be pregnant.
• Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have taken too much of this medicine, even if you have no symptoms; overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and vaginal bleeding.

Alternatives

• Quartette
• LoSeasonique
• Amethia
• Seasonale