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Overview: Opill is a birth control pill that is available without a prescription. You must take this medicine at the same time every day for it to work well. Common side effects include bleeding between periods, headache, dizziness, and nausea. Tell your health care provider right away if you get sudden or severe pain in your stomach area, a yellowish color to your skin or eyes, headaches that start with vision changes, or worsening migraine episodes. Opill does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. 

Uses

What is Opill used for?

Opill (norgestrel) is a birth control pill that is commonly used to prevent pregnancy. 

Opill may also be used for other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

How does Opill work (mechanism of action)?

Opill is a progestin-only birth control pill. It prevents pregnancy by thickening your cervical mucus to prevent sperm from reaching your egg. Opill may also stop the release of an egg from your ovaries.

How is Opill supplied (dosage forms)?

Brands and other names

  • Opill

Dosage forms and strengths

  • 0.075 mg oral tablets

How should I store Opill?

Store Opill at room temperature, between 68 F and 77 F (20 C and 25 C). Do not flush the medicine down the toilet. 

Side Effects

What are the most common side effects of Opill?

The most common side effects of Opill are listed below. Tell your health care provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you.

  • Irregular periods, including bleeding between periods
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Increased appetite
  • Stomach pain, cramps, or bloating

There may be other side effects of Opill that are not listed here. Contact your health care provider if you think you are having a side effect of a medicine. In the U.S., you can report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088). In Canada, you can report side effects to Health Canada at www.health.gc.ca/medeffect or by calling 866-234-2345.

What are the serious side effects of Opill?

While less common, the most serious side effects of Opill are described below, along with what to do if they happen.

Severe Allergic Reactions. Opill may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Stop taking Opill and get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.

  • Breathing problems or wheezing
  • Racing heart
  • Fever or general ill feeling
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat
  • Trouble swallowing or throat tightness
  • Itching or skin rash
  • Bumps on the skin called hives that can be red, pink, white, or brown depending on your skin tone
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, or fainting
  • Stomach cramps
  • Joint pain

Headache or Migraine. Keep taking Opill and call your health care provider right away if you get new headaches, migraine attacks that keep coming back or cause you a lot of pain, or migraine with aura (vision or hearing changes, muscle weakness, tingling, or trouble speaking). Some types of headaches or migraine may increase your risk of having a stroke. 

Liver Damage. Liver damage, also called hepatotoxicity, can happen when taking Opill. Call your health care provider if you have any of the following symptoms of liver problems.

  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Stomach or belly pain
  • Fever
  • Weakness or unusual tiredness
  • Itching
  • Loss of appetite
  • Light-colored poop
  • Dark-colored urine
  • Your skin or the whites of your eyes turning yellowish in color (also called jaundice)

Ectopic Pregnancy. Opill may cause an ectopic pregnancy, which is a pregnancy that occurs outside your uterus (womb). Call your health care provider right away if you get sudden or severe stomach pain while taking Opill or become pregnant.

Warnings & Precautions

Who should not use Opill?

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not take Opill.

  • FD&C yellow No. 5 (tartrazine)
  • Norgestrel
  • Opill
  • Any of the ingredients in the specific product 

Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in Opill.

Breast Cancer. Do not take Opill if you have or have had breast cancer. 

Pregnancy. Do not take Opill if you are pregnant. If you become pregnant, contact your health care provider right away. See the Pregnancy section for more details.

Drug Interactions. Opill should not be taken while you are using certain other medicines. Before taking Opill, tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. See the Interactions section for more details.

Emergency Contraception Use. Do not take Opill as an emergency contraceptive, also known as a morning-after pill. Opill does not protect against pregnancy when taken after unprotected sex. 

Men. Men should not take Opill. Opill is indicated for women for pregnancy prevention. 

What should I know about Opill before using it?

You can start Opill on any day of the month except if you have taken the emergency contraceptive pill, ulipristal (Ella) in the past five days. Taking Opill within five days of taking the emergency contraceptive pill can make both not work to prevent a pregnancy. If you have taken the emergency contraceptive pill, ulipristal (Ella), use a condom or other barrier method every time you have sex until you get your period.

If you are stopping the use of a birth control pill, vaginal ring, or patch, you can start Opill the day after you stop the other birth control method. Opill can take up to two days (48 hours) to start working. So, use a barrier method, such as a condom, every time you have sex during the first two days (48 hours) after starting the medicine. 

Take Opill at the same time every day. Consider using a calendar or app to help you remember to take Opill at the same time each day. The medicine may not work well even if you are just three hours late taking any given pill. Talk to your health care provider about backup birth control options (such as condoms or spermicide).

A barrier method, such as a condom, is needed every time you have sex over the next two days if you miss a dose, vomit or have severe diarrhea within four hours of taking a dose, or are more than three hours late taking any given pill.

Keep Opill out of the reach of children.

Opill does not protect you from HIV, AIDS, or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). 

Take tablets in order (from left to right) at the same time every day until the pack is finished. Once you finish your pack of Opill, start the next pack. You will take a pill every day, even when you bleed. Each pill is an active pill, so you do not have a break between packs.

Your periods may be irregular, lighter, and/or shorter than usual while you are taking Opill. If you miss your period and have not taken Opill every day at the same time, call your health care provider right away.

If you start taking Opill and you have vaginal bleeding that happens because of sex, your periods last more than eight days, or you have unusually heavy periods, do not stop taking Opill, but talk to your health care provider. 

If you are allergic to aspirin, you may have an allergic reaction to Opill. Some people who are allergic to aspirin also have an allergy to a color additive in Opill called FD&C yellow No. 5, also known as tartrazine. 

What should I tell my health care provider before using Opill?

Tell your health care provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them know if Opill is right for you.

In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following.

Current and Past Health Conditions. Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following.

  • Bleeding between periods or irregular periods
  • Liver tumors or liver disease
  • Cancer or a history of cancer

Pregnancy. Do not take Opill and do tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant, stop taking Opill right away and contact your health care provider.

Breastfeeding. Opill passes into breast milk. Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Your health care provider will let you know if you should take Opill while breastfeeding.

How can I get more information about Opill?

For more information about Opill, you can visit the drugmaker’s website at www.opill.com or call them at 877-414-6859.

Interactions

Does Opill interact with foods or drinks?

There are no known interactions between Opill and foods or drinks.

It is unknown if drinking alcohol will affect Opill.

Does Opill interact with other medicines (drug interactions)?

Always tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.

In particular, make sure that you discuss if you are using any of the following before taking Opill.

  • A birth control pill, patch, vaginal ring, implant, injection, or intrauterine device (IUD) that contains hormones
  • A barbiturate, such as butalbital, phenobarbital, or primidone, which is a medicine that may be used to treat insomnia, migraine, or seizures
  • Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol, and others), which is a medicine commonly used to treat seizures or nerve pain
  • Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal, Oxtellar XR), which is a medicine used to treat seizures
  • Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek, and others), which is a medicine used to control seizures
  • Topiramate (Topamax, Trokendi XR, Qudexy XR), which is a medicine commonly used to treat seizures or prevent migraine
  • Rifampin (Rifadin), which is a medicine commonly used to treat an infection called tuberculosis
  • Rifabutin (Mycobutin), which is a medicine used to prevent Mycobacterium avium complex infection
  • Efavirenz, which is a medicine used to treat HIV/AIDS
  • Bosentan (Tracleer), which is a medicine used to treat pulmonary hypertension
  • St. John’s wort, which is a supplement that may be used for depression
  • Ulipristal acetate (Ella) within the past five days, which is used for emergency contraception after unprotected sex

This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with Opill. Always check with your health care provider.

Does interact with other drugs you are taking?

Enter your medication into the WebMD interaction checker

Overdose/Missed Dose

What should I do if I accidentally use too much Opill?

If you or someone else has used too much Opill, get medical help right away, call 911, or contact a Poison Control center at 800-222-1222.

What should I do if I miss a dose of Opill?

If you miss a dose of Opill and it has been less than three hours since you missed your dose, take the missed dose and continue taking Opill as scheduled. If it has been more than three hours since you missed your dose, take one tablet as soon as you remember and then continue to take Opill as scheduled. For example, if you forget to take your pill at bedtime, take it as soon as you remember the next morning. Then, take the next one at your usual bedtime. Thus, in some cases, you may take two doses of Opill in one day. If you miss a dose of Opill or are late by more than three hours, you must use a condom or another barrier method every time you have sex for at least two days (48 hours) after restarting the medicine. 

If you vomit or have diarrhea within four hours of taking Opill, use a condom or another barrier method every time you have sex for the next two days (48 hours). The medicine may not have had a chance to get into your body.

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