Prescription Ortho Tri-Cyclen Drug Information

You will take your first 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 a spermicide, when you first start using Ortho Tri-Cyclen. Follow your doctor's instructions. Take one pill every day, no more than 24 hours apart. When the pills run out, start a new pack the following day. You may get pregnant if you do not take one pill daily. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of pills completely. The 28 day birth control pack contains seven "reminder" pills to keep you on your regular cycle. Your period will usually begin while you are using these reminder pills. Ortho Tri-Cyclen side effects Get emergency medical help if you have any signs of an allergic reaction to Ortho Tri-Cyclen: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using Ortho Tri-Cyclen and call your doctor at once if you have: signs of a stroke - sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance; signs of a blood clot in the lung - chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, coughing up blood;signs of a blood clot in your leg - pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs;heart attack symptoms - chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating;liver problems - nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, tired feeling, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);a change in the pattern or severity of migraine headaches;swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet;a breast lump; or symptoms of depression - sleep problems, weakness, tired feeling, mood changes.