TriNessa

TriNessa is a prescription birth control medication used to prevent pregnancy. It can also be used to treat moderate acne in females at least 15 years old who have started to have menstrual periods. It contains two hormones, norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol, which belong to a group of drugs called hormonal contraceptives. These hormones prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation and by altering cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus.

This medication comes in tablet form. It is taken once daily, with or without food.

TriNessa is a prescription birth control medication used:

• to prevent pregnancy
• to treat acne in females at least 15 years of age who have started having menstrual periods

Take TriNessa exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. 

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 such as TriNessa should be strongly advised not to smoke.

Serious side effects have been reported with TriNessa including:

• Blood clots, heart attack and stroke - Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following:
  • shortness of breath
  • sharp or crushing chest pain
  • weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
  • slurring of speech
  • coughing of blood
  • pain in the calf
  • sudden severe headache or vomiting
  • dizziness or fainting
• Hypertension - Have your blood pressure monitored by your doctor closely if taking TriNessa, especially if you have a history of hypertension or are taking medications to treat hypertension
• Lipid disorders - Women who are being treated for hyperlipidemia (high blood fat/cholesterol) should be monitored closely, as steroids can elevate lipid levels.
• Breast, ovarian, or uterine cancer - Tell your healthcare provider right away if you detect a lump in the breast.  
• Liver problems - Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following:
  • severe pain or tenderness in the stomach area
  • yellowing of the skin or eyeballs
• Severe depression - Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following:
  • difficulty sleeping
  • weakness, lack of energy, fatigue
  • change in mood
• Eye conditions - Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following:
  • unexplained partial or complete loss of vision
  • double vision
  • bulging of the eyes
• Severe migraine headaches - Tell your healthcare provider right away if you experience recurrent or persistent headaches.

• have a history of heart attack or stroke
• have blood clots in the legs, lungs, or eyes
• have a history of blood clots in the deep veins of your legs
• have chest pain (angina pectoris)
• have or have had cerebral vascular or coronary artery disease
• have disease of the heart valves with complications
• have severe hypertension (very high blood pressure)
• have diabetes with blood vessel involvement
• have headaches with focal neurological symptoms (movement disorders affecting a specific region of the body, such as the left arm or right leg)
• have had a major surgery requiring a long period of inactivity
• have, may have, or have had cancer of the breast
• have cancer of the lining of the uterus or other estrogen-dependent cancer
• have undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding
• have jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
• have liver disease with abnormal liver function
• have tumors of the liver
• are or may be pregnant
• are allergic to any component of TriNessa

Serious side effects have been reported with TriNessa. See "Drug Precautions" section.

• nausea
• spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods
• headache
• change in menstrual flow
• swelling of the fingers or ankles
• breast tenderness, enlargement, or secretion
• weight changes
• difficulty wearing contact lenses

​This is not a complete list of TriNessa side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• antibiotics such as rifampin
• antifungals such as griseofulvin, itraconazole, and ketoconazole
• barbiturates such as phenobarbital
• seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), topiramate (Topamax), and lamotrigine (Lamictal)
• certain anti-HIV medications called protease inhibitors
• St. John's Wort
• atorvastatin (Lipitor)

This is not a complete list of TriNessa interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.  

Norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol does not protect against HIV infection or other sexually-transmitted diseases and is not intended for use in emergency contraception.

Norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol can interact with certain medications such as certain antibiotics, which can reduce the effectiveness of your birth control. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to see if any of your medications may interact with your birth control.

For the first cycle, another method of birth control should be used until after the first 7 days of using Norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol.

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.