Ethinylestradiol/norethisterone

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Ethinylestradiol/norethisterone
Combination of
Ethinylestradiol Estrogen
Norethisterone Progestogen
Clinical data
Trade names Alyacen, Aranelle, Balziva, others
Other namesEE/NET
AHFS/Drugs.com Monograph
MedlinePlus a601050
License data
Routes of
administration 		By mouth
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
  • None
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)

Ethinylestradiol/norethisterone (EE/NET), or ethinylestradiol/norethindrone, is a combination birth control pill which contains ethinylestradiol (EE), an estrogen and norethisterone (NET), a progestin. [1] It is used for birth control, symptoms of menstruation, endometriosis, and menopausal symptoms. [1] [2] Other uses include acne. [1] It is taken by mouth. [1] Some preparations of EE/NET additionally contain an iron supplement in the form of ferrous fumarate. [3]

Side effects can include nausea, headache, blood clots, breast pain, depression, and liver problems. [2] Use is not recommended during pregnancy, the initial three weeks after childbirth, and in those at high risk of blood clots. [2] [4] It, however, may be started immediately after a miscarriage or abortion. [4] Smoking while using combined birth control pills is not recommended. [5] It works by stopping ovulation, making the uterus not suitable for implantation, and making the mucus at the opening to the cervix thick. [4]

This combination pill was approved for medical use in the United States in 1964. [6] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. [7] It is available as a generic medication. [8] It is marketed under a large number of brand names. [9] In 2023, the combination of ethinylestradiol with norethisterone or with norethisterone acetate was the 79th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 8 million prescriptions. [10] [11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone (HRT) medical facts from Drugs.com". www.drugs.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 World Health Organization (2009). Stuart MC, Kouimtzi M, Hill SR (eds.). WHO Model Formulary 2008. World Health Organization. p. 365. hdl: 10665/44053 . ISBN   9789241547659.
  3. ↑ Hamilton, Richard J. (30 April 2020). Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2020 Deluxe Lab-Coat Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning. pp. 347–. ISBN   978-1-284-40304-6.
  4. 1 2 3 "Brevinor Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) - (eMC)". www.medicines.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "Estrogen-Progestin Combinations". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  6. ↑ Haussman, Melissa (2013). Reproductive Rights and the State: Getting the Birth Control, RU-486, Morning-after Pills and the Gardasil Vaccine to the U.S. Market. ABC-CLIO. p. 72. ISBN   9780313398223. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016.
  7. ↑ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  8. ↑ Hamilton, Richart (2015). Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2015 Deluxe Lab-Coat Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 353. ISBN   9781284057560.
  9. ↑ "Alyacen 1/35 (birth control) medical facts from Drugs.com". www.drugs.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "Top 300 of 2023". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  11. ↑ "Ethinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone Drug Usage Statistics, United States, 2013 - 2023". ClinCalc. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
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