Opill - Question and Answer Guide

Opill (norgestrel 0.075mg)recently hit pharmacy shelves becoming the first birth control taken by mouth that you can buy without a prescription.¹ It’s about time. Over the counter birth control pills have been available in more than 100 countries around the world for years.² Use the question and answer (Q&A) guide below to learn more about Opill and whether it may be an option for you.

* Adapted from official labeling³

Table of Contents

Where can I buy Opill?

Is Opill a good option for me?

How do I take Opill?

What do I do if I forget to take my Opill?

Can I start taking Opill while I have my period?

How long does it take for Opill to work?

How does Opill work?

What are the side effects of Opill?

Will I still get my period taking Opill?

Who should avoid taking Opill?

Are there any drug interactions with Opill?

Can I buy Opill even if I am under 18?

Where can I buy Opill?

Each card of Opill has 28 tablets and costs about $20. You can get either 1 or 3 months at a time. Use the chart below to compare prices and shop for Opill using your favorite pharmacy.

Is Opill a good option for me?

Lifestyle, money, and safety should all play a role in what birth control you choose to use. Here are some things to consider:

• remembering to take Opill every single day at the same time is extremely important. If you don’t think you can make that work with your lifestyle Opill probably isn’t a good option for you.

• When taken correctly, Opill is about 98% effective. That means that for every 100 women that take Opill for a year, we expect almost all of them (98) to not get pregnant.

• Opill has a good safety record. The active ingredient, norgestrel, has been used alone and in combination pills (estrogen + progesterone) since 1973 by millions of women._{4, 5}

• if you don’t have health insurance Opill may be an affordable option

• if you do have health insurance and a primary care provider you might want to talk with your doctor first. Under the Affordable Care Act ( ACA ) almost all insurances are required to pay for the portion of your doctor’s visit spent talking about birth control. Insurances are also required to have birth control products on their formulary covered at no cost to you. Just be aware that not every product will be on their formulary. You may have ask your insurance company which birth control products are preferred.

• Opill will help prevent pregnancy, but it will not protect you against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV/AIDS.

Table of Contents

How do I take Opill?

Take one tablet by mouth at the same time every single day. This is VERY important, so here are a few tips that might help.

• Make taking Opill fit your lifestyle. Add your daily dose to a ritual that you already do at the same time each day. For example, if you wake up at the same time each morning make it the first thing you do. If you always brush your teeth right before bed and it’s around the same time each night, take it then. If the time you go to bed and wake up varies try and find a time in the middle of the day that you can commit to.

• Use your phone or smartwatch and set an alarm to go off daily when it’s time to take your Opill.

• Add a reminder in your calendar to take a trip to the pharmacy or order more Opill online when you will sill have 1-2 weeks of medication left. That way if life is hectic or there is an issue getting it in the mail you won’t run out.

There are no placebo tablets in Opill, so it should be taken every single day, even during your period. When you finish a pack of Opill the next pack should be started on your next scheduled dose with no breaks in between.

Table of Contents

What do I do if I forget to take my Opill?

• If you are less than 3 hours late Opill should still be effective. Take today’s tablet immediately and continue with your next dose at the usual time starting tomorrow.

• If you are more than 3 hours late or have missed one or more days:

  1. Take one tablet immediately and continue on with your normal schedule. If this means you take two tablets in one day that’s okay.
  2. You must use a second barrier method (condoms, diaphragm, etc.) when having sex for the next two days. After two days the medication will have kicked in again and you should be protected.
  3. Take a pregnancy test or talk with your doctor if your next period is late, or if you think you may be pregnant.

Table of Contents

Can I start taking Opill while I have my period?

Yes. You can start Opill at any time during your monthly cycle.

Table of Contents

How long does it take for Opill to work?

Two days (48 hours). When you first start on Opill use an extra form of barrier protection such as condoms every time you have sex for the first two days.

Table of Contents

How does Opill work?

Opill has one active ingredient, norgestrel, which acts like the hormone progesterone. It thickens the mucus in the cervix making it much harder for sperm to swim through and meet up with an awaiting egg. Norgestrel can also prevent ovulation (release of an egg), but this doesn’t happen with every cycle.

Table of Contents

What are the side effects of Opill?

Changes to your period are the most common side effect of Opill. Most of these are expected and nothing to worry about. Your period may:

• become more or less frequent

• be shorter ( more common ) or longer ( less common ) than what you are used to

• be lighter ( more common ) or heavier ( less common )

• stop altogether in some cases ( not common )

• include spotting between periods ( common ). This can also happen if you are late taking Opill or miss a dose.

Less common side effects

• nausea (taking Opill with food might help)

• headache

• dizziness

• increased appetite

• abdominal pain, cramps, or bloating

Side effects you should talk to your doctor about (keep taking Opill though)

• repeated vaginal bleeding after sex

• periods that last for more than 8 days or are very heavy

• you start having migraine headaches with aura (headaches that start with changes in your vision) or you have migraines that are getting worse

Serious side effects

There are some rare, but serious side effects of Opill. If you have any of the following get help from a health care provider right away.

• Yellowing skin or eyes, especially if you also have a fever, brown colored urine, and feel very tired. This may indicate liver problems, which is very serious and needs to be addressed quickly.

• Sever pain in your lower belly that is mostly on one side. This can be a sign of ectopic pregnancy (a fertilized egg growing in a fallopian tube).

Table of Contents

Will I still get my period taking Opill?

Some women stop having periods while taking Opill, but it’s not all that common. For more information about how your period may change see the answer to what are the side effects of Opill.

Table of Contents

Who should avoid taking Opill?

Opill is safe for most women to take, but there some situations where you should avoid Opill or consult with a medical professional first.

Do not use

• if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant

• if you have a history of breast cancer. Even if you are in remission do not Opill and talk with your doctor about other options instead.

• as an add on to other birth control products that are tablets, patches, vaginal rings, injections, implants, or an IUD (intra-uterine device). These products already have hormones in them to help prevent pregnancy

• as an emergency contraceptive. Opill will not work to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex

• if you are male

Ask a doctor before use if

• you currently have vaginal bleeding between periods and haven’t already talked to your doctor. They will want to make sure you don’t need additional workup before starting Opill

• you have liver problems. Your doctor may want to do blood work to make sure Opill will be safe or to have a baseline to make sure your liver problems do not get worse.

• you have or ever had any cancer. Opill could have an effect on some types of cancer or cancer treatments.

Table of Contents

Are there any drug interactions with Opill?

Not many, but the ones that do exist are really important because they reduce the effectiveness of Opill. Make sure you talk with your doctor or a pharmacist before using Opill if you are taking:

• seizure medications - drugs like carbamazepine and phenytoin reduce Opill drug levels in your body.

• St. Johns Wart - it’s an herbal supplement often used to help with depression.

• have recently used emergency contraception - ella (ulipristal acetate) and Opill when taken together reduce the efficacy of both medicines in preventing pregnancy.

• medication for tuberculosis

• medication for pulmonary hypertension

In most cases your doctor or pharmacist will recommend using a different birth control.

Table of Contents

Can I buy Opill even if I am under 18?

Yes. You don’t have to be 18 to buy Opill.

Table of Contents

References