When do i start my ortho evra patch

During the patch-free week, she may select an earlier Patch Day Change by applying a new Xulane patch on the desired day. In no case should there be more than 7 consecutive patch-free days. It contains two female hormones, an estrogen called ethinyl estradiol, and a progestin called norelgestromin. Hormones from XULANE get into the blood stream and are processed by the body differently than hormones from birth control pills.

In general, increased estrogen may increase the risk of side effects. If you weigh more than lbs. Smoking increases your risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from hormonal birth control methods, including death from heart attack, blood clots or stroke. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes you smoke. Tell your healthcare professional about all medicines and herbal products that you take, including those for seizures and thyroid replacement therapy, as some of these may require dosing adjustments or may make Xulane less effective.

Use another birth control method such as a condom and spermicide or diaphragm and spermicide when you take medicines that may make the Xulane patch less effective. Xulane may cause serious side effects, including blood clots, especially if you have other risk factors, such as smoking, obesity, or age greater than Some examples of blood clots are deep vein thrombosis legs , pulmonary embolus lungs , loss of eyesight eyes , heart attack heart , and stroke brain.

These can cause death or lead to permanent disability. The risk of blood clots is highest when you first start using Xulane and when you restart Xulane or a different hormonal birth control after a break of a month or more. Some studies have reported that women who use norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol transdermal system have a higher risk of getting a blood clot. Talk with your healthcare professional about your risk of getting a blood clot before using Xulane or deciding which type of birth control is right for you.

Call your healthcare professional right away if you have:. Leg pain that will not go away; sudden shortness of breath; sudden blindness, partial or complete; severe pain or pressure in your chest; sudden, severe headache unlike your usual headaches; weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, or trouble speaking; yellowing of the skin or eyeballs.

Tell your healthcare professional about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Xulane. For more information, ask your healthcare professional or pharmacist. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www. This is not all of the information you should read prior to using Xulane.

This website is intended for residents of the United States who will have their prescription filled at a pharmacy in the United States. Some medicines and grapefruit juice may increase your level of the hormone ethinyl estradiol if used together with Xulane. About Xulane. How does Xulane work?

Limitations of Use: Xulane may be less effective in preventing pregnancy in women who weigh lbs. How do I start Xulane? How do I apply Xulane? Peel away half of the clear plastic.

If you start using the patch on the first day of your period, and up to and including the fifth day of your period, you'll be protected from pregnancy straight away. If you start using it on any other day, you need to use an additional form of contraception, such as condoms , for the first 7 days.

If you have a short menstrual cycle with your period coming every 23 days or less, starting the patch on the fifth day of your period or later means you may not be protected against pregnancy and will also need additional contraception for the first 7 days. You can talk to a GP or nurse about when the patch will start to work, and whether you need to use additional contraception in the meantime.

The contraceptive patch is very sticky and should stay on. It shouldn't come off after a shower, bath, hot tub, sauna or swim. If the patch does fall off, what you need to do depends on how long it has been off. If it's been off for 48 hours or more, or you're not sure how long:.

If you forget to take a patch off, what you should do depends on how many extra hours it has been left on. If you remove it before going over 48 hours it's been on for 8 or 9 days in total :. If a patch has been on for an extra 48 hours or longer it's been on for 10 days or more :. If you forget to take the patch off after week 3, take it off as soon as possible.

Start your patch-free break and start a new patch on your usual start day, even if you're bleeding. This means you won't have a full week of patch-free days. You'll be protected against pregnancy and won't need to use any additional contraception. You may or may not bleed on the patch-free days.

Put on a new patch as soon as you remember. This is the beginning of your new patch cycle. You'll now have a new day of the week as your start day and change day. If you're more than 24 hours late sticking on the patch the interval has been 8 days or more , you may not be protected against pregnancy and will need to use additional contraception, such as condoms, for 7 days.

See a GP or nurse for advice if you've had unprotected sex in the patch-free interval, as you may need emergency contraception. Some women don't always have a bleed in their patch-free week. This is nothing to worry about if you've used the patch properly and have not taken any medicine that could affect it. The birth control patch isn't appropriate for everyone, however. Your health care provider may advise against the patch if you:. With perfect use, pregnancy happens in less than 1 out of women during the first year of using of the birth control patch.

Pregnancy rates are estimated to be 7 to 9 out of women during a year of typical use. Typical use situations might include forgetting to change the patch on time or discovering that the patch came loose from your skin for a prolonged time. Some research shows that the birth control patch may increase estrogen levels in the body compared with combination birth control pills that are taken by mouth.

This may mean there's a slightly higher risk of estrogen-related adverse events, such as blood clots, in patch users than in people who take combination birth control pills.

You'll need to request a prescription for the birth control patch from your health care provider. Your health care provider will review your medical history and check your blood pressure. Talk to your health care provider about any medications you're taking, including nonprescription and herbal products. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

You then apply a new patch on the fifth or eighth day and start the cycle again. You can apply a new patch once a week without a break. This is called continuous use. This should reduce as you use the patch over a long period of time.

You can apply a new patch once a week without a break for at least 3 weeks. Use 3 more patches before you take another break. This is called flexible extended use. Looking for contraception?

Visit our contraception service. What our patients say Trustpilot.