Lessina Side Effects

Chest pain, sudden loss of vision, and high blood pressure are some of the potentially serious side effects that may occur with Lessina. Side effects of this form of birth control, however, are minor in most cases. Some of the more common (and usually less serious) Lessina side effects include breast tenderness, headaches, and bloating.

 

An Introduction to Lessina Side Effects

Lessina® (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol) is a generic version of Levlite®. As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Lessina; however, not all women who use the contraceptive will experience side effects. In fact, most women tolerate it quite well. If side effects 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 Lessina. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Lessina side effects with you.)
 

Side Effects With Lessina to Report

There are a number of side effects with Lessina that you should report 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, 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
  • 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
  • Heavy vaginal bleeding between periods (light bleeding or spotting is normal)
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • High cholesterol
  • Depression or other emotional changes
  • Migraines (or changes in your migraines, if you have had them before)
  • Breast lumps
  • Signs of an allergic reaction, including unexplained rash, hives, itching, unexplained swelling, wheezing, or difficulty breathing or swallowing.
     
(Lessina Side Effects Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;