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Levonorgestrel Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of levonorgestrel include device expulsion, device dislocation, and device expulsion, based on 209,635 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Levonorgestrel side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for levonorgestrel.

1
Device Expulsion16.1%33,800
2
Device Dislocation7.9%16,629
3
Device Expulsion5.3%11,125
4
Vaginal Haemorrhage5.2%10,861
5
Genital Haemorrhage4.5%9,462
6
Menstruation Irregular4.0%8,340
7
Drug Ineffective3.6%7,499
8
Abdominal Pain Lower3.5%7,290
9
Nausea3.1%6,542
10
Pain3.1%6,500
11
Menstruation Irregular3.1%6,430
12
Procedural Pain3.0%6,380
13
Uterine Perforation3.0%6,304
14
Intra-uterine Contraceptive Device Expelled2.7%5,576
15
Headache2.5%5,337

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that levonorgestrel caused these reactions.

Report severity

34.8%Serious72,976 reports
6.4%Hospitalizations13,383 reports
0.3%Fatal525 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Levonorgestrel drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside levonorgestrel. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Ethinyl-estradiol2.2%4,582
2
Estradiol1.0%2,113
3
Sodium-oxybate0.7%1,546
4
Dupilumab0.3%618
5
Adalimumab0.3%599
6
Drospirenone0.2%490
7
Infliximab0.2%392
8
Isotretinoin0.2%317
9
Lamotrigine0.1%261
10
Ibuprofen0.1%226
11
Etonogestrel0.1%222
12
Methotrexate0.1%219
13
Norethindrone0.1%210
14
Bupropion<0.1%206
15
Fingolimod<0.1%197

Taken alongside

1
Ethinyl-estradiol3.6%7,647
2
Acetaminophen1.4%2,837
3
Ergocalciferol1.2%2,431
4
Ibuprofen1.1%2,389
5
Albuterol1.0%2,066
6
Levothyroxine-sodium0.9%1,961
7
Sertraline-hydrochloride0.7%1,449
8
Fluticasone0.7%1,394
9
Omeprazole0.6%1,355
10
Cetirizine-hydrochloride0.6%1,348
11
Dextroamphetamine0.5%1,139
12
Bupropion0.5%1,110
13
Amphetamine0.5%1,085
14
Ondansetron0.5%1,079
15
Buspirone-hydrochloride0.5%1,048

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports levonorgestrel side effects

98.1% of levonorgestrel adverse event reports involve female patients and 0.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 96%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female98.1%
Male0.9%
Unknown1.1%

Age group

< 20.2%
2–11<0.1%
12–173.5%
18–6495.9%
65+0.3%

What is levonorgestrel used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking levonorgestrel when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal CrampsAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbnormal Uterine BleedingAbnormal Withdrawal BleedingAbortion InducedAbortion SpontaneousAccidental Exposure To ProductAcneAcromegalyAddison^s DiseaseAdenoma BenignAdenomyosisAdjuvant TherapyAffective Disorder

Showing 15 of 688 indications

Levonorgestrel brand names and reporting trend

Levonorgestrel is sold under the brand name Nordette-21.

Brand names

Nordette-214,399

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking levonorgestrel with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.