Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOrtho Tri-Cyclen Lo EffectivenessOverviewOrtho Tri-Cyclen Lo Side EffectsOther BenefitsOrtho Tri-Cyclen Lo CostMissed Dose?Frequently Asked Questions

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Table of Contents

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo Effectiveness

Overview

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo Side Effects

Other Benefits

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo Cost

Missed Dose?

Frequently Asked Questions

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo was a brand ofcombination birth control pills. This particular brand name has been discontinued, but generic versions are available.

This is atriphasic birth control pill—this means that Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo has three different doses of hormones during the three weeks of active pills in each pack.

Triphasic pills are different from traditional monophasic pills, which are made up of the same dose of both estrogen and progestin.

Verywell / Cindy Chung

What’s In a Pack of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo?

Combination birth control pills are a highlyeffectiveand convenient form of contraception. Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo birth control pills are between 91% and 99.7% effective.

This means that with typical use, nine out of every 100 users will become pregnant during their first year on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. With perfect use, less than one will become pregnant.

The type and amount of hormones in combination birth control pills don’t change how effective the pill is. All combination pillsprevent pregnancy the same way.

Research confirms Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is still an extremely effective contraceptive method despite having lower hormone levels than some pills.

Dosage and Schedule

Each monthly pack of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo contains 28 pills. The active pills are made up of ethinyl estradiol and aprogestincalled norgestimate.

The amount of norgestimate in Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo slowly increases over the first three weeks of the pill pack, from 0.180 milligrams (mg) to 0.215 mg and 0.250 mg. The amount of estrogen stays the same, at 0.025 mg.

Triphasic birth control pills like this are meant to more closely mimic thehormonal changesof your natural menstrual cycle. Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo comes with aDIALPAK Tablet Dispenserwhich is preset for aSunday Start. However, you can also use it with a Day 1 Start.

As with any type ofhormonal contraceptive, you may experience someside effectsfrom Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, but they usually go away after the first 3 months. The most common reported side effects of the Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo birth control pill are:

Another study, published in 2009, looked at the bleeding rates of healthy, sexually active Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo users from across North America. The results showed that women using Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo had less unscheduled bleeding/spotting for the first six cycles of use.

Noncontraceptive Benefits

In general, combination birth control pills have been found to help regulate cycles, decreasepainful menstrual cramps, help withheavy menstrual bleeding, and lower the risk of colon, ovarian, andendometrial cancer.

It is thought that Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo can be especially helpful in decreasing disruptive spotting andbreakthrough bleeding— which tends to be a typical birth control pill side effect during the first three months of use.

A nationwide study published in 2003 compared women who used Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for 13 cycles to women who used Loestrin Fe (a birth control pill with lower hormone levels). The participants using Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo reported:

Some combination birth control pills can also helptreat acne. In 1997,Ortho Tri-Cyclen(NOTOrtho Tri-Cyclen Lo) received FDA approval to help treatmoderate acnein biological females who are at least 15 years old.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo isn’t FDA approved to help fight acne, but research published in 2017 suggests that lower estrogen pills (like Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo) are effective for acne treatment.

What to Consider When Choosing Birth Control

What to Do When You Miss a Pill

Because the hormone levels are different in each week of an Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo pill pack, the directions for forgetting a pill or two depend on which week it’s in.

The following is a good rule of thumb to follow(but you should always check the pill prescribing information that comes with each monthly pack.)

What to Do If You Missed a Birth Control Pill

One Missed Pill—Weeks 1, 2, or 3

If you missed ONE pill that waswhite,light blue, ordark blue:

Two Missed Pills—Weeks 1 or 2

If you missed TWO pills in a row that werewhiteorlight blue:

Two Missed Pills—Week 3

If you missed TWO pills in a row that aredark blueAND you’re aSunday starter:

If you missed TWO pills in a row that aredark blueAND you’re aDay 1 starter:

Three Missed Pills—Weeks 1, 2, and 3

If you missed THREE or more consecutivewhite,light blue, ordark bluepills AND are aSunday starter:

If you missed THREE or more consecutivewhite,light blue, ordark bluepills AND are aDay 1 starter:

Any Missed Pills—Week 4

If you missed any of the seven dark green “reminder pills”:

The price of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo ranges between $45 and $140 for one pack of pills. A generic alternative called Tri-Lo Sprintec is available, as well. Under theAffordable Care Act, you should be able to get the generic version of these birth control pills for free.

Frequently Asked QuestionsOrtho Tri-Cyclen is a hormonal birth control pill that combines synthetic estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and synthetic progesterone (norgestimate).It is a triphasic contraceptive pill, meaning it provides three different levels of hormones throughout the month. Each week of tablets is a different dose and combination of ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate. The pills for the last week of the month are placebos that do not contain any hormones.In June 2018, Janssen Pharmaceuticals discontinued manufacturing Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo after generic varieties came on the market and cut into profits.Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is available in generic versions as norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol tablets. This combination birth control pill is also sold under the names Tri-Lo Sprintec and Tri-Lo Marzia.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a hormonal birth control pill that combines synthetic estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and synthetic progesterone (norgestimate).It is a triphasic contraceptive pill, meaning it provides three different levels of hormones throughout the month. Each week of tablets is a different dose and combination of ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate. The pills for the last week of the month are placebos that do not contain any hormones.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a hormonal birth control pill that combines synthetic estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and synthetic progesterone (norgestimate).

It is a triphasic contraceptive pill, meaning it provides three different levels of hormones throughout the month. Each week of tablets is a different dose and combination of ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate. The pills for the last week of the month are placebos that do not contain any hormones.

In June 2018, Janssen Pharmaceuticals discontinued manufacturing Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo after generic varieties came on the market and cut into profits.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is available in generic versions as norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol tablets. This combination birth control pill is also sold under the names Tri-Lo Sprintec and Tri-Lo Marzia.

6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hampton RM, Short M, Bieber E, et al.Comparison of a novel norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol oral contraceptive (Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo) with the oral contraceptive Loestrin Fe 1/20.Contraception. 2001;63(6):289-295. doi:10.1016/s0010-7824(01)00214-1U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed.Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo.Hampton RM, Fisher AC, Pagano S, Laguardia KD.Scheduled and unscheduled bleeding patterns with two combined hormonal contraceptives: application of new recommendations for standardization.Fertil Steril. 2009;92(2):434-40. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.07.010Poindexter AN, Burkman R, Fisher AC, Laguardia KD.Cycle control, tolerability, and satisfaction among women switching from 30-35 microg ethinyl estradiol-containing oral contraceptives to the triphasic norgestimate/25 microg ethinyl estradiol-containing oral contraceptive Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO.Int J Fertil Womens Med.2003;48(4):163-72.Trivedi MK, Shinkai K, Murase JE.A Review of hormone-based therapies to treat adult acne vulgaris in women.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):44–52. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.018Trivedi MK, Shinkai K, Murase JE.A Review of hormone-based therapies to treat adult acne vulgaris in women.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):44-52. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.018

6 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hampton RM, Short M, Bieber E, et al.Comparison of a novel norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol oral contraceptive (Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo) with the oral contraceptive Loestrin Fe 1/20.Contraception. 2001;63(6):289-295. doi:10.1016/s0010-7824(01)00214-1U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed.Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo.Hampton RM, Fisher AC, Pagano S, Laguardia KD.Scheduled and unscheduled bleeding patterns with two combined hormonal contraceptives: application of new recommendations for standardization.Fertil Steril. 2009;92(2):434-40. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.07.010Poindexter AN, Burkman R, Fisher AC, Laguardia KD.Cycle control, tolerability, and satisfaction among women switching from 30-35 microg ethinyl estradiol-containing oral contraceptives to the triphasic norgestimate/25 microg ethinyl estradiol-containing oral contraceptive Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO.Int J Fertil Womens Med.2003;48(4):163-72.Trivedi MK, Shinkai K, Murase JE.A Review of hormone-based therapies to treat adult acne vulgaris in women.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):44–52. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.018Trivedi MK, Shinkai K, Murase JE.A Review of hormone-based therapies to treat adult acne vulgaris in women.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):44-52. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.018

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Hampton RM, Short M, Bieber E, et al.Comparison of a novel norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol oral contraceptive (Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo) with the oral contraceptive Loestrin Fe 1/20.Contraception. 2001;63(6):289-295. doi:10.1016/s0010-7824(01)00214-1U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed.Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo.Hampton RM, Fisher AC, Pagano S, Laguardia KD.Scheduled and unscheduled bleeding patterns with two combined hormonal contraceptives: application of new recommendations for standardization.Fertil Steril. 2009;92(2):434-40. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.07.010Poindexter AN, Burkman R, Fisher AC, Laguardia KD.Cycle control, tolerability, and satisfaction among women switching from 30-35 microg ethinyl estradiol-containing oral contraceptives to the triphasic norgestimate/25 microg ethinyl estradiol-containing oral contraceptive Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO.Int J Fertil Womens Med.2003;48(4):163-72.Trivedi MK, Shinkai K, Murase JE.A Review of hormone-based therapies to treat adult acne vulgaris in women.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):44–52. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.018Trivedi MK, Shinkai K, Murase JE.A Review of hormone-based therapies to treat adult acne vulgaris in women.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):44-52. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.018

Hampton RM, Short M, Bieber E, et al.Comparison of a novel norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol oral contraceptive (Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo) with the oral contraceptive Loestrin Fe 1/20.Contraception. 2001;63(6):289-295. doi:10.1016/s0010-7824(01)00214-1

U.S. National Library of Medicine DailyMed.Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo.

Hampton RM, Fisher AC, Pagano S, Laguardia KD.Scheduled and unscheduled bleeding patterns with two combined hormonal contraceptives: application of new recommendations for standardization.Fertil Steril. 2009;92(2):434-40. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.07.010

Poindexter AN, Burkman R, Fisher AC, Laguardia KD.Cycle control, tolerability, and satisfaction among women switching from 30-35 microg ethinyl estradiol-containing oral contraceptives to the triphasic norgestimate/25 microg ethinyl estradiol-containing oral contraceptive Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO.Int J Fertil Womens Med.2003;48(4):163-72.

Trivedi MK, Shinkai K, Murase JE.A Review of hormone-based therapies to treat adult acne vulgaris in women.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):44–52. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.018

Trivedi MK, Shinkai K, Murase JE.A Review of hormone-based therapies to treat adult acne vulgaris in women.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):44-52. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.018

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