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Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a birth-control pill, used for the prevention of pregnancy. It may also be prescribed for the treatment of acne. Ortho Tri-Cyclen provides a low daily dose of hormones that prevent pregnancy by keeping any egg from being released, as well as by thickening the cervical mucus, thus making it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus. Ortho Tri-Cyclen is also effective in reducing mild to moderate acne in most women.

The pill's full effectiveness is reached if it is taken at the same time every day. You might want to choose a time that is easy to remember, such as bedtime.

Store at room temp.. Keep out of reach of children.

If you miss a dose of Ortho Tri-Cyclen, take it as soon as you remember, and then take your next dose at the regular time. This means you may take two doses on the same day. However, if this happens, you should let at least two days of proper dosing go by before you resume sexual activities. Alternatively, use another means of birth control after missing a dose, until your next period. If you have missed more than one dose of this pill, refer to the patient information that came with the package, or consult a physicain or pharmacist.

Side effects most commonly associated with the use of Ortho Tri-Cyclen include vomiting, nausea, bleeding between menstrual periods, breast tenderness, or weight change. If you experience one or more of these effects and they do not go away by themselves, or are bothersome, consult a physicain. If you experience any of the following rarer side effects, consult a physicain as soon as possible: continual or recurring unusual vaginal bleeding, a missed menstrual period, dizziness or fainting, swelling of fingers or ankles, headache, or difficulty wearing contact lenses. Notify a physicain immediately if you experience sharp or crushing chest pain, sudden difficulty in breathing, sudden and severe headache or leg pain, yellow skin or eyes, changes in vision, numbness in your arm or leg, or severe stomach pain.

Certain drugs taken along with birth control pills may decrease their effectiveness or increase breakthrough bleeding. These include rifampin, epilepsy medicines such as barbiturates (e.g. phenobarbital), anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine (e.g. Tegretol), phenytoin (e.g. Dilantin), phenylbutazone, and possibly certain antibiotics. When you take any of these drugs you may need to use additional birth-control methods along with oral contraceptives less effective.

If you are having any medical or dental treatments, surgery, or emergency care, tell the staff that you are using birth-control pills. If you are wearing contact lenses, you may develop problems with them. If this happens, consult a physicain. Ortho Tri-Cyclen may cause dark, patchy coloring on your face. Sun exposure may intensify the darkening. Reduce exposure to sun and sunlamps and consult a physicain. If you smoke cigarettes while using birth-control pills, it can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, blood clots, high blood pressure, or other diseases of the heart and blood vessels. If you have vomiting or diarrhea for any reason, it may decrease the effectiveness of your Ortho Tri-Cyclen. It is recommended that you use additional birth-control methods until your next period in order to prevent pregnancy. Do not use these birth-control pills if you are pregnant. If you suspect that you may be pregnant, notify a physicain immediately. Ortho Tri-Cyclen passes into breast milk. If you are or plan to start breast-feeding while using this drug, consult a physicain or pharmacist about possible risks to the baby.

Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. was formed by the 1993 merger of Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation and McNeil Pharmaceutical. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's largest manufacturers of health care products and provider of various health services. Ortho-McNeil headquarters are located in Raritan, N.J.