Levonelle

Levonelle works to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex by:

• stopping ovulation, which is the release of an egg from your ovaries
• making it harder for sperm to fertilise an egg that may have already been released

You should take Levonelle within 72 hours after having unprotected sex for it to be effective. You will not be protected against pregnancy if you have unprotected sex after taking Levonelle. If you're already pregnant, do not take Levonelle. If you become pregnant after taking Levonelle, it's important to see your doctor to check the pregnancy is not ectopic.

If you're breastfeeding, only a small amount of Levonelle passes into your breast milk. It is not thought to be harmful to your baby. You can continue to breastfeed as normal.

When you take Levonelle, you will not be protected against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). One way to prevent STIs is to use condoms during sex. You can go to a sexual health clinic to check if you have an STI.

Levonelle is the same as levonorgestrel because it contains the same amount of the same active ingredient. The only difference is that they have different manufacturers and may contain different inactive ingredients. Levonelle is the branded version and levonorgestrel is the generic version.

Levonelle can interact with some drugs, medicines and foods. These include medications for the treatment of:

• epilepsy, such as barbiturates, primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine
• tuberculosis, such as rifampicin, rifabutin
• HIV, such as ritonavir, efavirenz
• fungal infections, such as griseofulvin
• low moods, such as St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)

If you have taken any medications in the past 4 weeks, please get in touch with your doctor or a healthcare professional to see whether you can take Levonelle. Your doctor may suggest a different type of emergency contraception such as the copper IUD.

To take Levonelle, you swallow one tablet with water within 12 hours of having unprotected sex. You can take your Levonelle tablet up to 72 hours after sex. The sooner you take Levonelle, the more effective it will be at preventing pregnancy.

You can take Levonelle at any time of the day, with or without food. Your menstrual cycle may be affected after you take Levonelle, so your period may come sooner or later than usual.

Levonelle is not effective if you have already ovulated. Ovulation usually happens 14 days before your period starts. If you think you have already ovulated, the copper IUD is the best type of emergency contraception. Speak to your GP or sexual health clinic about this.

If you vomit within 3 hours of taking Levonelle, you’ll need to take another one as the tablet may not have had an effect yet.

If it’s been more than 72 hours since you’ve had unprotected sex, your doctor may prescribe you a different method of emergency contraception such as the copper IUD or EllaOne.

Which active ingredients does Levonelle contain?

Levonelle contains the active ingredient levonorgestrel (1500mcg).

Levonelle also contains other inactive ingredients that do not affect how Levonelle works. These include potato starch, maize starch, colloidal silica anhydrous, magnesium stearate, talc, and lactose monohydrate.

Levonelle contains lactose, so if you’re allergic to some sugars you may not be able to take Levonelle. Talk to your doctor before taking Levonelle if you’re allergic to some sugars.

What does Levonelle look like?

Each Levonelle tablet is white and round with ‘G00’ on one side.

You get one pack of Levonelle that contains 1 or 2 tablets, depending on your needs.

Information on the manufacturer

The marketing authorisation holder and manufacturer of Levonelle is Gedeon Richter Plc., Gyömrői út 19-21, 1103 Budapest, Hungary.