In the studies for most medications, the side effects that occur in a group of people taking the drug are documented and are then compared to side effects that occur in another group of people not taking the medicine (who take a placebo with no active ingredient). This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
It is not possible to use a placebo in clinical trials for contraceptives, as this would lead to many unintentional pregnancies. Therefore, some of the possible "side effects" of Ocella may not really be true side effects, but there is no way of knowing, because the studies did not use a placebo.
These studies did show that common Ocella side effects (occurring in more than 1 percent of women) included but are not limited to:
- Headaches
- Menstrual changes or problems
- Breast pain
- Abdominal pain (stomach pain)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Vaginal discharge
- Flu symptoms, such as fever or chills
- Acne
- Vaginal yeast infection
- Diarrhea
- Back pain.
Women are often concerned about weight gain due to birth control pills, but this does not seem to be a common problem with Ocella.
There are a number of side effects with Ocella that you should report to your healthcare provider. These include but are not limited to:
- High blood potassium (hyperkalemia)
- Signs of a blood clot in the leg, such as:
- Pain in the calf
- Leg cramps
- Leg or foot swelling
- Signs of a blood clot in the lung, such as:
- Shortness of breath
- Sharp chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pain or heaviness, which may be signs of a heart attack
- Sudden loss of vision or vision changes, which can be a sign of a blood clot in the eye
- Signs of a stroke, such as:
- Vision or speech changes
- Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
- Severe headache
- Signs of liver damage, such as:
- Yellow eyes or skin (jaundice)
- Dark urine
- Upper-right abdominal pain
- Depression or other emotional changes
- Migraines
- Breast lumps
- Unusual vaginal bleeding that does not improve within a few months of starting Ocella
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia)
- Signs of an allergic reaction, including:
- Unexplained rash
- Hives
- Itching
- Unexplained swelling
- Wheezing
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing.
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