1. Birth Control Slideshow Pictures

What happens if I miss a dose (NuvaRing)?

If the ring ever falls out during the 3-week wearing time, rinse it with warm water and reinsert it. If it slides down into the lower part of the vagina, use a finger to push it in farther. If the ring is lost, a new vaginal ring should be inserted as soon as possible and the schedule continued without change. Do not leave a ring out for longer than 3 hours.

During week 1 or 2 of wearing time: If a ring has been out of the vagina for more than 3 hours, you may not be protected from pregnancy. You must use a back-up birth control until the new or replaced ring has been in place for 7 days in a row.

During week 3 of wearing time: If a ring has been out of the vagina for more than 3 hours, you may either insert a new ring and start a new 3-week cycle, or you may wait 7 days (and have a menstrual period) before you insert a new ring. You must use back-up birth control until the new or replaced ring has been in place for 7 days in a row.

Avoid leaving the vaginal ring in place for longer than 3 weeks. Call your doctor if you get off the proper schedule for use and non-use of the vaginal ring. Do not wear more than one ring at a time.

What happens if I overdose (NuvaRing)?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, or vaginal bleeding.

What should I avoid while using ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel (NuvaRing)?

Do not smoke while using this medication, especially if you are older than 35. Smoking can increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack caused by birth control pills.

Ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases--including HIV and AIDS. Using a condom is the only way to protect yourself from these diseases.

While using the ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel vaginal ring, do not use a diaphragm as back-up birth control. The vaginal ring may interfere with the correct placement and position of the diaphragm

Vaginal lubricants, spermicides, and yeast infection treatments should not affect the vaginal ring. However, talk to your doctor before using other vaginal products while using the ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel vaginal ring.

What other drugs will affect ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel (NuvaRing)?

Some drugs can make ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel less effective, which may result in pregnancy. Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ascorbic acid (vitamin C);
• griseofulvin (Grisactin, Grifulvin V, Fulvicin PG);
• rifampin (Rifadin);
• modafinil (Provigil);
• St. John's wort;
• seizure medicines such as phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), felbamate (Felbatol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), topiramate (Topamax), or primidone (Mysoline);
• a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); or
• HIV medicines such as atazanavir (Reyataz), tipranavir (Aptivus), indinavir (Crixivan), saquinavir (Invirase), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra), or nelfinavir (Viracept).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about ethinyl estradiol and etonogestrel.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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