Vienva dosage: A detailed guide

This article describes Vienva’s dosage and strength and gives details on how to take it. You’ll also find information on cost savings and coupon options for Vienva. If you want to know more about Vienva, see this overview article. It covers details about the drug’s uses, side effects, ways to save on cost, and more.

Vienva is a brand-name medication that comes as a blister pack of 28 oral tablets. It’s available in a generic version called levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol. This article describes dosages of Vienva.

Boxed warning: Risk of heart and blood vessel problems in some people

Vienva has a boxed warning for the risk of heart and blood vessel problems in some people. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

For details, see the “Boxed warning for Vienva” section at the end of this article.

Form and strength of Vienva

Vienva comes as follows:

• Form: blister pack of 28 tablets that you swallow:
  • 21 white tablets with active drug (“active” tablets)
  • 7 peach tablets without active drug (“reminder” tablets)
• Strength of active tablets: 0.1 milligrams (mg) levonorgestrel/0.02 mg ethinyl estradiol

Note: An active drug is the ingredient that makes the drug work. With Vienva, the active drug is levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol. Levonorgestrel is a type of hormone called a progestin. Ethinyl estradiol is a type of hormone called an estrogen.

Dosage of Vienva

This article describes the recommended dosage for Vienva. This is provided by the drugmaker.

If your doctor prescribes this medication, you should follow the dosage they prescribe. Your doctor will determine the dosage that best meets your needs. Do not change your dosage of Vienva without your doctor’s recommendation.

Usual recommended dosage of Vienva

Vienva is prescribed to help prevent pregnancy in females of any age who can become pregnant. Vienva is a form of hormonal birth control. (Sex and gender exist on spectrums. In this article, we use the term “female” to refer to a person’s sex assigned at birth.)

The usual recommended dosage of Vienva is one tablet per day. Your doctor will tell you what day to take your first dose of Vienva. Typically, it’ll be the day your period starts or the Sunday right after your period starts. You’ll take the tablets in the order indicated on the Vienva blister pack as follows:

• Days 1–21: one white (active) tablet per day
• Days 22–28: one peach (reminder) tablet per day

You’ll start a new blister pack after you finish the reminder tablets.

Backup birth control

You may need to use a backup form of birth control to help prevent pregnancy. A backup form means a barrier method, such as a condom, a diaphragm, or spermicide. You should use a backup form if:

• You’re starting or switching to Vienva for the first time.
• You missed a dose of active medication (a white tablet).*

You should use a backup form when starting or restarting Vienva. This is because it takes about 7 days for Vienva to start working effectively. Your doctor or pharmacist can advise on whether you’ll need to use a backup method.

* For more information about missed doses, see the “Missed dose of Vienva” section below.

Dosage of Vienva in children

Vienva is prescribed to help prevent pregnancy in females of reproductive age. This includes females younger than age 18 years. The Vienva dosage for children is the same as the dosage for adults. For details, see “Usual recommended dosage of Vienva” just above.

Missed dose of Vienva

If you miss a dose of Vienva, your next dose depends on certain factors. These include:

• the day you started Vienva
• whether you missed an active (white) tablet or reminder (peach) tablet
• how many doses you missed
• the week you missed your dose

Missed doses of Vienva can make the drug less effective in helping prevent pregnancy. So talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you realize you forgot to take a dose of Vienva. They can help you understand the missed dose instructions for your medication. They can also advise on whether you’ll need to use a backup form of birth control, such as a condom.

The drugmaker makes the following recommendations for missed doses of active tablets.

If you miss one active tablet at any time:

• Take the tablet as soon as you remember. It’s OK to take two tablets on one day.
• Use a backup birth control method for 7 days.

If you miss two active tablets in a row in Week 1 or Week 2:

• Take two tablets one day and two tablets the next day.
• Use a backup birth control method for 7 days.

If you miss two active tablets in a row in Week 3 or three or more active tablets in a row at any time:

• Start a new blister pack: Take the Day 1 tablet right away or wait until Sunday.
• Use a backup birth control method for 7 days after you begin the new blister pack.

If you miss a reminder tablet, you do not need to take any action. Begin the next blister pack as scheduled.

For tips on how to plan your doses of Vienva and avoid missing a dose, read this article. You could also try:

• downloading a reminder app on your phone
• setting an alarm
• putting a note where you’ll see it, such as on your calendar, bathroom mirror, or bedside table

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about missed doses.

Frequently asked questions

Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about Vienva and its dosage.

Is Vienva a low dose birth control?

Vienva may be considered a low dose birth control tablet. Sometimes, “low dose” means the dose of estrogen in the active tablet is 0.01–0.03 milligrams (mg). An example of a higher dose is 0.05 mg estrogen. Vienva contains 0.02 mg ethinyl estradiol (a type of estrogen), which falls within the range of low dose birth control. Vienva also contains levonorgestrel (a type of progestin).

Birth control pills with lower estrogen levels have a lower risk of side effects such as blood clots. To learn more about Vienva’s side effects, see this article.

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about Vienva and low dose birth control.

How does the dosage of Vienva compare with the dosage of Lutera or Sronyx?

The dosage of Vienva is similar to the dosage of Lutera and Sronyx. All three medications are hormonal birth control tablets prescribed to help prevent pregnancy. They have the same active drug* (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol) and come in the same strength.

Vienva’s recommended dosage is one tablet per day. For details, see the “Dosage of Vienva” section above.

For the recommended dosages of Lutera and Sronyx, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can also provide more details about how Vienva compares to Lutera or Sronyx.

* An active drug is the ingredient that makes the drug work.

Is Vienva taken long term?

Yes, doctors typically prescribe Vienva as a long-term treatment. If you and your doctor determine that it’s safe and effective for your condition, you’ll likely take it long term.

If you have questions about how long you should take Vienva, talk with your doctor.

How Vienva is taken

Vienva oral tablet is taken by mouth, with or without food. Vienva comes in a blister pack of 28 tablets. You’ll take one tablet per day, according to the instructions on the package labeling. Then, you’ll start a new pack. For details, see the “Dosage of Vienva” section above.

Your doctor may advise that you take this medication around the same time each day. This helps keep a consistent amount of the drug in your body. And that can help the drug work more effectively.

If it’s hard for you to swallow tablets, view this article. It provides suggestions on how to swallow medications that come in tablet form.

Also, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re having difficulty taking your medication. They can offer recommendations about taking it.

Vienva coupon

Visit this page to access Optum Perks coupons and get price estimates for Vienva when you use the coupons. These coupons can provide significant savings on your prescription costs.

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.

Overdose of Vienva

It’s important that you do not take more Vienva than your doctor prescribes. Doing so can lead to harmful effects. To learn about Vienva’s side effects, see this article.

Symptoms of Vienva overdose

Vienva overdose symptoms can include:

• irregular vaginal bleeding
• drowsiness
• fatigue (low energy)
• abdominal pain
• dizziness
• breast tenderness
• nausea
• vomiting

What to do if you take too much Vienva

If you think you’ve taken too much Vienva, call your doctor or pharmacist right away. Or you could call 800-222-1222 to speak with someone at America’s Poison Centers. You can also use its online resource. If you have severe symptoms, call 911 or a local emergency number immediately. You can also go to the closest emergency room.

What to ask your doctor

This article describes the usual recommended dosage for Vienva. If your doctor prescribes this medication, they’ll determine the dosage that’s best for you.

Do not change your dosage of Vienva without your doctor’s recommendation. You should take Vienva exactly as your doctor prescribes it. Let your doctor know if you have concerns or questions about your treatment plan.

Here’s a list of some possible questions you may want to ask your doctor:

• Do I need to take the reminder tablets as part of my Vienva dosage?
• I missed a Vienva active tablet. Which type of backup birth control method should I use?
• If I notice side effects from my Vienva dosage, what should I do?
• Will my Vienva dosage ever change?

Boxed warning for Vienva

Vienva has a boxed warning for the risk of heart and blood vessel problems in some people. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Vienva has a risk of heart and blood vessel problems, such as heart attack and stroke. This is because it can cause blood clots. The risk is higher in people who smoke or are age 35 years or older (or both). If you smoke or are age 35 years or older, your doctor will assess the risks and benefits of Vienva.

If you have a blood clot from taking Vienva, it could be a medical emergency. Some symptoms to watch out for are:

• pain or heaviness in your chest
• vision loss
• sudden severe headache
• slurred speech, weakness, or numbness in a leg or arm
• difficulty breathing and sharp chest pain
• pain in your calf

This is not a complete list of possible symptoms. If you think you’re having symptoms of a blood clot, heart attack, or stroke, call 911 or a local emergency number immediately. You can also go to your nearest emergency room.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about serious side effects of Vienva. You can also read this article.

Disclaimer: Optum Perks has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.