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Side Effects of Kurvelo
Nausea, headaches, and breast tenderness are some of the common side effects of birth control pills, including Kurvelo. Most women tolerate this drug well; if side effects do occur, they tend to be minor and easy to treat. However, potentially dangerous side effects are also possible. If you develop a migraine, depression, or other serious reactions, contact your healthcare provider right away.
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Kurvelo® (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol). However, not all women who use this contraceptive will experience side effects. In fact, most women tolerate it quite well. If reactions 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 Kurvelo. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list with you.)
Some Kurvelo side effects are potentially serious and should be reported immediately to your healthcare provider. These include but are not limited to:
- Signs of a blood clot in the leg, such as:
- 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
- Sudden loss of vision or vision changes, which can be a sign of a blood clot in the eye
- Signs of a stroke, such as:
- Vision or speech changes
- Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
- A severe headache
- Signs of liver damage, such as:
- Yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin (jaundice)
- Dark urine
- Upper-right abdominal (stomach) pain
- High cholesterol
- Depression or other emotional changes
- Migraines, or changes in your migraines if you have had them before
- Breast lumps
- Chest pain or heaviness, which may be signs of a heart attack
- Heavy vaginal bleeding between periods (light bleeding or spotting is normal)
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Signs of an allergic reaction, such as:
- An unexplained rash
- Hives
- Itching
- Unexplained swelling
- Wheezing
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD