Is Low-Ogestrel The Same As Cryselle?

Hi Bella and thanks for writing to us.

It sounds like your pharmacist did dispense the correct medication to you and it’s something that I have also done hundreds of times. Cryselle is simply a generic product for Low-Ogestrel.

Comparing Low-Ogestrel and Cryselle

Both Low-Ogestrel and Cryselle contain the same amount of the active drug (norgestrel, and ethinyl estradiol), and are considered to be AB-rated by the FDA.

This means that both products contain the same amount of the same drugs (i.e. the active ingredients are the same), and they have undergone extensive testing to show that they are equivalent to each other. They can be substituted since they are considered to be therapeutically equivalent.

The only difference in these products might be the inactive ingredients in the drugs.

Inactive ingredients don’t have any effect on the action of the drug itself, but they may be there to add mass to the tablet, a dye to change the color of the tablet, help to preserve its shelf life, help it to dissolve quickly in your stomach, or a number of other things.

For the vast majority of people, the inactive ingredients shouldn’t matter or play any real impact on the action of the drug.

Generic Birth Control Products

You might also think to yourself, why does my birth control pill have so many names? It’s actually a safety feature!

There are only a few different estrogens and progestins that are combined in slightly different combinations or doses. The “birth control section” of my pharmacy would be a confusing mess if these drugs were only listed by their generic names.

On that note, you might see these different names in the future, but they are all the same drug, equivalent to your Low-Ogestrel and Cryselle: Elinest, Lo/Ovral, or Norgestrel/EE, or possibly others. They are all the same drug, but they just have a different manufacturer.

Since it is the same medication, as long as you haven’t missed a dose, and you start your new pack on time, you should still be protected from pregnancy.

Final Words

A final thing I'll say here is you'll want to make sure your doctor didn't specify to the pharmacy that they only wanted you to have the brand name, Low-Ogesterel.

Many states have generic substitution laws that require the generic be dispensed if the doctor doesn't indicate brand only.

Due to the fact you've already been getting the brand name, I'd want to make sure the doctor didn't indicate brand only. Perhaps you've been getting the brand due to your insurance formulary, but again, I'd just double-check.

Thanks again for writing to us and I hope this helps!