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WARNINGS Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from oral contraceptive use. This risk increases with age and with heavy smoking (15 or more cigarettes per day) and is quite marked in women over 35 years of age. Women who use oral contraceptives should be strongly advised not to smoke.

The use of oral contraceptives is associated with increased risk of several serious conditions including venous and arterial thromboembolism, thrombotic and hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction, liver tumors or other liver lesions, and gallbladder disease. The risk of morbidity and mortality increases significantly in the presence of other risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. Practitioners prescribing oral contraceptives should be familiar with the following information relating to these and other risks.

The information contained herein is principally based on studies carried out in patients who used oral contraceptives with formulations containing higher amounts of estrogens and progestogens than those in common use today. The effect of long-term use of the oral contraceptives with lesser amounts of both estrogens and progestogens remains to be determined. Throughout this labeling, epidemiological studies reported are of two types: retrospective case-control studies and prospective cohort studies.

Case-control studies provide an estimate of the relative risk of a disease, which is defined as the ratio of the incidence of a disease among oral contraceptive users to that among nonusers. The relative risk (or odds ratio) does not provide information about the actual clinical occurrence of a disease. Cohort studies provide a measure of both the relative risk and the attributable risk.

The latter is the difference in the incidence of disease between oral contraceptive users and nonusers. The attributable risk does provide information about the actual occurrence or incidence of a disease in the subject population. For further information, the reader is referred to a text on epidemiological methods.

1. Thromboembolic disorders and other vascular problems a. Myocardial infarction An increased risk of myocardial infarction has been associated with oral contraceptive use.

2-21 This increased risk is primarily in smokers or in women with other underlying risk factors for coronary artery disease such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. The relative risk for myocardial infarction in current oral contraceptive users has been estimated to be 2 to 6. The risk is very low under the age of 30.

However, there is the possibility of a risk of cardiovascular disease even in very young women who take oral contraceptives. Smoking in combination with oral contraceptive use has been reported to contribute substantially to the risk of myocardial infarction in women in their mid-thirties or older, with smoking accounting for the majority of excess cases. 22 Mortality rates associated with circulatory disease have been shown to increase substantially in smokers, especially in those 35 years of age and older among women who use oral contraceptives (see Figure 1, Table 2).

Figure 1. Circulatory disease mortality rates per 100,000 woman-years by age, smoking status, and oral contraceptive use. 14 Adapted from Layde and Beral.

14 Oral contraceptives may compound the effects of well-known cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemias, hypercholesterolemia, age, cigarette smoking, and obesity. In particular, some progestogens decrease HDL cholesterol 23-31 and cause glucose intolerance, while estrogens may create a state of hyperinsulinism. 32 Oral contraceptives have been shown to increase blood pressure among some users (see WARNING No.

9 ). Similar effects on risk factors have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Graph b.

Thromboembolism An increased risk of thromboembolic and thrombotic disease associated with the… [Excerpted — this section continues on DailyMed.]

ADVERSE REACTIONS An increased risk of the following serious adverse reactions has been associated with the use of oral contraceptives (see WARNINGS ): • Thrombophlebitis and thrombosis • Arterial thromboembolism • Pulmonary embolism • Myocardial infarction and coronary thrombosis • Cerebral hemorrhage • Cerebral thrombosis • Hypertension • Gallbladder disease • Benign and malignant liver tumors, and other hepatic lesions There is evidence of an association between the following conditions and the use of oral contraceptives, although additional confirmatory studies are needed: • Mesenteric thrombosis • Neuro-ocular lesions (e.g., retinal thrombosis and optic neuritis) The following adverse reactions have been reported in patients receiving oral contraceptives and are believed to be drug-related: • Nausea • Vomiting • Gastrointestinal symptoms (such as abdominal cramps and bloating) • Breakthrough bleeding • Spotting • Change in menstrual flow • Amenorrhea during or after use • Temporary infertility after discontinuation of use • Edema • Chloasma or melasma, which may persist • Breast changes: tenderness, enlargement, secretion • Change in weight (increase or decrease) • Change in cervical erosion or secretion • Diminution in lactation when given immediately postpartum • Cholestatic jaundice • Migraine • Rash (allergic) • Mental depression • Reduced tolerance to carbohydrates • Vaginal candidiasis • Change in corneal curvature (steepening) • Intolerance to contact lenses The following adverse reactions or conditions have been reported in users of oral contraceptives and the association has been neither confirmed nor refuted: • Premenstrual syndrome • Cataracts • Changes in appetite • Cystitis-like syndrome • Headache • Nervousness • Dizziness • Hirsutism • Loss of scalp hair • Erythema multiforme • Erythema nodosum • Hemorrhagic eruption • Vaginitis • Porphyria • Impaired renal function • Hemolytic uremic syndrome • Acne • Changes in libido • Colitis • Budd-Chiari syndrome • Endocervical hyperplasia or ectropion Post Marketing Experience Five studies that compared breast cancer risk between ever-users (current or past use) of COCs and never-users of COCs reported no association between ever use of COCs and breast cancer risk, with effect estimates ranging from 0.90 - 1.12 (Figure 2).

Three studies compared breast cancer risk between current or recent COC users (<6 months since last use) and never users of COCs (Figure 2). One of these studies reported no association between breast cancer risk and COC use. The other two studies found an increased relative risk of 1.19 - 1.33 with current or recent use.

Both of these studies found an increased risk of breast cancer with current use of longer duration, with relative risks ranging from 1.03 with less than one year of COC use to approximately 1.4 with more than 8-10 years of COC use. Figure 2. Risk of Breast Cancer with Combined Oral Contraceptive Use RR = relative risk; OR = odds ratio; HR = hazard ratio. “ever COC” are females with current or past COC use; “never COC use” are females that never used COCs.

Figure 2. Risk of Breast Cancer with Combined Oral Contraceptive Use

Post Marketing Experience Five studies that compared breast cancer risk between ever-users (current or past use) of COCs and never-users of COCs reported no association between ever use of COCs and breast cancer risk, with effect estimates ranging from 0.90 - 1.12 (Figure 2). Three studies compared breast cancer risk between current or recent COC users (<6 months since last use) and never users of COCs (Figure 2). One of these studies reported no association between breast cancer risk and COC use.

The other two studies found an increased relative risk of 1.19 - 1.33 with current or recent use. Both of these studies found an increased risk of breast cancer with current use of longer duration, with relative risks ranging from 1.03 with less than one year of COC use to approximately 1.4 with more than 8-10 years o… [Excerpted — this section continues on DailyMed.]

PRECAUTIONS 1. Physical examination and follow-up It is good medical practice for all women to have annual history and physical examinations, including women using oral contraceptives. The physical examination, however, may be deferred until after initiation of oral contraceptives if requested by the woman and judged appropriate by the clinician.

The physical examination should include special reference to blood pressure, breasts, abdomen, and pelvic organs, including cervical cytology, and relevant laboratory tests. In case of undiagnosed, persistent, or recurrent abnormal vaginal bleeding, appropriate measures should be conducted to rule out malignancy. Women with a strong family history of breast cancer or who have breast nodules should be monitored with particular care.

2. Lipid disorders Women who are being treated for hyperlipidemias should be followed closely if they elect to use oral contraceptives. Some progestogens may elevate LDL levels and may render the control of hyperlipidemias more difficult.

3. Liver function If jaundice develops in any woman receiving oral contraceptives, they should be discontinued. Steroids may be poorly metabolized in patients with impaired liver function and should be administered with caution in such patients.

Cholestatic jaundice has been reported after combined treatment with oral contraceptives and troleandomycin. Hepatotoxicity following a combination of oral contraceptives and cyclosporine has also been reported. 4.

Fluid retention Oral contraceptives may cause some degree of fluid retention. They should be prescribed with caution, and only with careful monitoring, in patients with conditions that might be aggravated by fluid retention, such as convulsive disorders, migraine syndrome, asthma, or cardiac, hepatic, or renal dysfunction. 5.

Emotional disorders Women with a history of depression should be carefully observed and the drug discontinued if depression recurs to a serious degree. 6. Contact lenses Contact lens wearers who develop visual changes or changes in lens tolerance should be assessed by an ophthalmologist.

7. Drug interactions Reduced efficacy and increased incidence of breakthrough bleeding and menstrual irregularities have been associated with concomitant use of rifampin. A similar association, though less marked, has been suggested for barbiturates, phenylbutazone, phenytoin sodium, and possibly with griseofulvin, ampicillin, and tetracyclines.

Administration of troglitazone concomitantly with a combination oral contraceptive (estrogen and progestin) reduced the plasma concentrations of both hormones by approximately 30%. This could result in loss of contraceptive efficacy. Concomitant Use with HCV Combination Therapy – Liver Enzyme Elevation Do not co-administer ethynodiol diacetate and ethinyl estradiol with HCV drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, due to potential for ALT elevations (see Warnings , RISK OF LIVER ENZYME ELEVATIONS WITH CONCOMITANT HEPATITIS C TREATMENT ).

8. Laboratory test interactions Certain endocrine and liver function tests and blood components may be affected by oral contraceptives: a. Increased prothrombin and factors VII, VIII, IX and X; decreased antithrombin III; increased platelet aggregability. b.

Increased thyroid binding globulin (TBG), leading to increased circulating total thyroid hormone as measured by proteinbound iodine (PBI), T 4 by column or by radioimmunoassay. Free T 3 resin uptake is decreased, reflecting the elevated TBG; free T 4 concentration is unaltered. c. Other binding proteins may be elevated in the serum. d.

Sex-steroid binding globulins are increased and result in elevated levels of total circulating sex steroids and corticoids; however, free or biologically active levels remain unchanged. e. Triglycerides and phospholipids may be increased. f. Glucose tolerance may be decreased. g.

Serum folate levels may be depressed. This may be of clinical significance if… [Excerpted — this section continues on DailyMed.]