Common Side Effects of Ortho-Cyclen
Since it is difficult to obtain much information about side effects from studies that do not use a placebo (since it is difficult to know if any particular problem is actually a side effect of the medication), only vague information is available about
Ortho-Cyclen side effects. In fact, the side effects listed in the prescribing information for Ortho-Cyclen are actually side effects of all
birth control pills in general (not necessarily of Ortho-Cyclen in particular). Some of the common bothersome (but usually not dangerous)
side effects of birth control pills include:
- Changes in your eyes that make it more difficult to wear contact lenses
- Bloating
- Headaches (although birth control pills can improve headaches in some women)
- Breakthrough bleeding and spotting between periods (especially for the first few cycles)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Breast tenderness other breast changes (such as swelling)
- Changes in sex drive (often a decrease, rather than an increase).
Ortho-Cyclen Side Effects to Report
There are a number of side effects with Ortho-Cyclen that you should report to your healthcare provider. These include, but are not limited to:
- 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 a stroke, such as vision or speech changes, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, and a severe headache
- Signs of liver damage, such as yellow eyes or skin (jaundice), dark urine, and upper right abdominal pain
- Depression or other emotional changes
- Migraines (or changes in your migraines, if you have had them before)
- Breast lumps
- Signs of a blood clot in the leg, such as pain in the calf, leg cramps, and leg or foot swelling
- Signs of a blood clot in the lung, such as shortness of breath, sharp chest pain, or coughing up blood
- Heavy vaginal bleeding between periods (light bleeding or spotting is normal)
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol
- Signs of an allergic reaction, including unexplained rash, hives, itching, unexplained swelling, wheezing, or difficulty breathing or swallowing.
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