What is Altavera: Uses, Warnings & Interactions

Your doctor will tell you how much medicine to use. Do not use more than directed.

Read and follow the patient instructions that come with this medicine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Carefully follow your doctor's instructions about when to start taking your medicine. You may begin taking the pills on the first day of your menstrual period, or on the Sunday after your period begins.

You should also use a second form of birth control (including condoms, diaphragms, or contraceptive foams and jellies) when you first start using this medicine.

Take this medicine at the same time every day. Birth control pills work best when there is no more than 24 hours between doses.

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.

You may take this medicine with food to lessen stomach upset.

Keep your pills in the container you received from the pharmacy. Take the pills in the order they appear in the container.

Take your pill at the same time every day. Swallow the tablet whole. Do not crush, break, or chew it.

If you are using the chewable tablets, you may chew the tablet completely before swallowing. Drink a full glass (8 ounces) of water right after swallowing.

If one dose is missed: Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Take 2 tablets if you do not remember until the next day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you need to USE ANOTHER KIND OF BIRTH CONTROL until your period begins.

If you miss more than one dose, read and follow the instructions on the package about missing doses carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you need more information.

If you started this medicine on the Sunday after your period started and you miss three or more pink pills in a row during any week, keep taking one pill every day until the next Sunday. Then throw away the rest of your pills and start a new pack on that same Sunday.

To prevent a pregnancy, you should use a second form of birth control for the next seven days after you miss a dose. Some other forms of birth control include condoms, diaphragms, or contraceptive foams or jellies.

This medicine has specific patient instructions on what to do if you miss a dose. Read and follow these instructions carefully, and call your doctor if you have any questions

If you miss one pink pill, take it as soon as you can. Then take your next pill at the regular time. This means you may take two pills in one day.

If you miss two pink pills in a row during Week 1 or 2, take two pills as soon as you can. Take two more pills on the next day. Then go back to your regular schedule of taking one pill every day. Use a second form of birth control until you have been taking pink pills for seven days in a row.

If you miss your pills and change your schedule, you may not have a period for that month. Make sure your doctor knows if you miss your period two months in a row, because you may be pregnant.

If you started this medicine on Day 1 of your period and you miss two pink pills in a row during Week 3, throw out the rest of your pills and start a new pack the same day. If you miss three or more pink pills in a row during any week, throw out the rest of your pills and start a new pack the same day.

You could have light bleeding or spotting any time you do not take a pill on time. The more pills you miss, the more likely you are to have bleeding.

If you started this medicine on the Sunday after your period started and you miss two pink pills in a row during Week 3, keep taking one pill every day until the next Sunday. Then throw away the rest of your pills and start a new pack on that same Sunday.

This medicine is not right for everyone. Do not use this medicine if you had an allergic reaction to levonorgestrel or ethinyl estradiol, or if you are pregnant. Do not use this medicine if you have active liver disease or liver cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, a blood vessel disorder, heart disease, high blood pressure that is not controlled, or a history of blood clots, heart attack, or stroke. Do not use this medicine if you have unusual vaginal bleeding that has not been checked by a doctor or if you ever had jaundice (yellow skin or eyes) caused by pregnancy or birth control pills.

You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to oral contraceptives, or if you are pregnant. Do not use this medicine if you have breast cancer, cancer of the uterus, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or a history of blood clots, heart attack, or stroke. Do not use this medicine if you have problems with your liver (such as liver tumor), jaundice (yellowish eyes or skin), certain types of headaches, unusual vaginal bleeding, or if you are having a surgery that needs bedrest.

Keep all medicine out of the reach of children. Never share your medicine with anyone.

You might have some light bleeding or spotting when you first start using this medicine. This is usually normal and should not last long. However, if you have heavy bleeding or the bleeding lasts more than seven days in a row, call your doctor€™s office.

If you miss two periods in a row, call your doctor for a pregnancy test before you take any more pills.

Tell any doctor or dentist who treats you that you are using this medicine. You may need to stop using this medicine several days before you have surgery or medical tests.

Tell any doctor or dentist who treats you that you are using this medicine. This medicine may affect certain medical test results.

Your doctor will do lab tests at regular visits to check on the effects of this medicine. Keep all appointments.

It is not safe to take this medicine during pregnancy. It could harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding, or if you have recently been pregnant. Tell your doctor if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, breast lumps, migraine headache, hereditary angioedema, or a history of depression, epilepsy, gallbladder disease, heart disease, kidney disease, or irregular monthly periods. Tell your doctor if you smoke, wear contact lenses, or if you are having surgery that requires inactivity for a long time.

This medicine may cause the following problems:

• Increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or blood clots

• Increased risk of cancer (including cancer of the breast, endometrium, ovaries, and cervix)

• Liver problems (including liver tumor or cancer)

• Eye or vision problems

• Gallbladder disease

• High cholesterol in the blood

• High blood pressure

Although you are using this medicine to prevent pregnancy, you should know that using this medicine while you are pregnant could harm the unborn baby. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.

Use a different kind of birth control during the first 3 weeks of oral contraceptive use to make sure you are protected from pregnancy.

Make sure your doctor knows if you are breastfeeding, or if you have lupus, edema (fluid retention), seizure disorder, asthma, migraine headaches, or a history of depression. Tell your doctor if have breast lumps, high cholesterol, gallbladder disease, liver disease, kidney disease, or irregular monthly periods.

This medicine will not protect you from getting HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. If this is a concern for you, talk with your doctor.

If you smoke while using birth control pills, you increase your risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or blood clot. Your risk is even higher if you are over age 35, if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or if you are overweight. Talk with your doctor about ways to stop smoking. Keep your diabetes under control. Ask your doctor about diet and exercise to control your weight and blood cholesterol level.

Check with your eye doctor if you wear contact lenses and you have vision problems or eye discomfort.

You should see your doctor on a regular basis (every 6 months or 1 year) while taking birth control pills.

It is best to wait 2 or 3 months after stopping birth control pills before you try to get pregnant.

Make sure your doctor knows if you are using antibiotics (such as ampicillin, rifampin, tetracycline, Omnipen®, Rimactane®) or antifungals (such as griseofulvin, Grifulvin V®), medicine for seizures (such as phenobarbital, phenylbutazone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, felbamate, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, primidone, Luminal®, Dilantin®, Tegretol®, Felbatol®, Trileptal®, Topamax®, Mysoline®), modafinil (Provigil®), or medicine to treat HIV or AIDS (such as ritonavir, Norvir®).

Tell your doctor if you are also using St. John's Wort, atorvastatin (Lipitor®), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), acetaminophen (Tylenol®), itraconazole (Sporanox®), ketoconazole (Nizoral®), cyclosporine (Gengraf®, Neoral®, Sandimmune®), prednisolone (Delta Cortef®, Prelone®), theophylline (Theo-Dur®, Slo-Phyllin®, Gyrocaps®), temazepam (Restoril®), morphine (Astramorph PF®, Duramorph®, Avinza®, MS Contin®, Roxanol®), or salicylic acid.

Do not use this medicine together with medicine to treat hepatitis C virus infection, including ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir.

Some medicines can affect how levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol works. Tell your doctor if you are using any of the following:Acetaminophen, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), atorvastatin, bosentan, cyclosporine, phenylbutazone, rifampin, St John's wort, theophyllineMedicine to treat an infection (including ampicillin, fluconazole, griseofulvin, tetracycline, troleandomycin)Medicine to treat HIV/AIDS (including indinavir, modafinil, ritonavir)Medicine to treat seizures (including carbamazepine, felbamate, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, topiramate)

Your risk of heart disease or stroke from this medicine is higher if you smoke. Your risk is also increased if you have diabetes or high cholesterol, or if you are overweight. Talk with your doctor about ways to stop smoking. Keep your diabetes under control. Ask your doctor about diet and exercise to control your weight and blood cholesterol level.

This medicine may also increase your risk of certain types of cancer. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.

Call your doctor for a pregnancy test if your menstrual period does not start when you take the last seven white pills.

Your doctor will check your progress and the effects of this medicine at regular visits. Keep all appointments.

This medicine will not protect you from getting HIV, AIDS, or other sexually transmitted diseases. If this is a concern for you, talk with your doctor.