Dienogest / Estradiol Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Aug 22, 2024.

Applies to dienogest / estradiol: oral tablet.

Important warnings This medicine can cause some serious health issues

Oral route (tablet)

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular events from combination oral contraceptive (COC) use; this risk increases in women who are over 35 years of age and with number of cigarettes smoked.

COCs should not be used by women who are over 35 years of age and smoke.

Serious side effects

Along with its needed effects, dienogest / estradiol may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking dienogest / estradiol:

More common side effects

• breast pain, discomfort, or tenderness
• headache, severe and throbbing
• irregular menstrual periods
• nausea
• normal menstrual bleeding occurring earlier, possibly lasting longer than expected
• vomiting

Rare side effects

• abdominal or stomach pain
• chills
• clay-colored stools
• dark urine
• difficulty with breathing
• dizziness
• fever
• headache
• itching
• loss of appetite
• pain in the chest, groin, or legs, especially the calves
• rash
• slurred speech
• sudden loss of coordination
• sudden, severe weakness or numbness in the arm or leg
• sudden, unexplained shortness of breath
• unpleasant breath odor
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• vision changes
• vomiting of blood
• yellow eyes or skin

Incidence not known

• abdominal or stomach bloating
• anxiety
• blood in the stool
• chest pain or discomfort
• decrease in the amount of urine
• fainting
• hives
• irritation
• itching of the vagina or genitals
• joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
• large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
• noisy, rattling breathing
• pain in the ankles or knees
• pain or discomfort in the arms, jaw, back, or neck
• pain, redness, or swelling in the arm or leg
• painful, red lumps under the skin, mostly on the legs
• pelvic pain
• pounding in the ears
• redness of the skin
• shortness of breath
• slow or fast heartbeat
• stomach or pelvic discomfort, aching, or heaviness
• sweating
• swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, hands, lower legs, or feet
• thick, white vaginal discharge with mild or no odor
• tightness in the chest
• troubled breathing at rest
• troubled breathing or swallowing
• upper right abdominal or stomach pain
• weight gain
• wheezing

Other side effects

Some side effects of dienogest / estradiol may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Less common side effects

• blemishes on the skin
• increased weight
• pimples

Incidence not known

• patchy brown or dark brown discoloration of the skin

For healthcare professionals

Applies to dienogest / estradiol: oral tablet.

General adverse events

The most common adverse events were irregular uterine bleeding, nausea, breast tenderness, and headache.^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Common (1% to 10%): Liver enzymes increased (including alanine aminotransferase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased, and gamma-glutamyltransferase increased)
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Cholecystitis chronic
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver, chronic acalculous cholecystitis
• Frequency not reported: Acute cholecystitis
• Postmarketing reports: Gallbladder disease, hepatitis^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Common (1% to 10%): Amenorrhea, breast pain/discomfort/tenderness (including nipple disorder and nipple pain), dysmenorrhea, intracyclic bleeding (metrorrhagia), menstrual disorders (menstruation irregular, menorrhagia, vaginal hemorrhage, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, genital hemorrhage, abnormal withdrawal bleeding, uterine hemorrhage), genital discharge
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Urinary tract pain, breast discharge, breast enlargement, breast mass, cervical dysplasia, dyspareunia, cervical polyp, cervix erythema, fibrocystic breast disease, ovarian cyst, pelvic pain, premenstrual syndrome, vulvovaginal dryness, smear cervix abnormal, fibrocystic breast disease, uterine spasm, uterine/vaginal bleeding including spotting, vaginal discharge, vulvovaginal dryness
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Breast cyst, coital bleeding, galactorrhea, hypomenorrhea, menstruation delayed, ovarian cyst ruptured, vaginal odor, vulvovaginal burning sensation, vulvovaginal discomfort^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Common (1% to 10%): Nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain (including abdominal distension)
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Diarrhea, constipation, dry mouth
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Postmarketing reports: Gastrointestinal symptoms^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Common (1% to 10%): Tension headaches
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Dizziness, migraine (including migraine with and without aura)
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Disturbance in attention, paresthesia, vertigo^[Ref]

Nervous Very common (10% or more): Headache (12.7%)

Dermatologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Acne
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Alopecia, pruritus (including pruritus generalized and rash pruritic), rash (including rash macular), hirsutism, hyperhidrosis, rash
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Chloasma, dermatitis, neurodermatitis, pigmentation disorder, seborrhea, skin disorder (including skin tightness)
• Postmarketing reports: Chloasma, angioedema, erythema nodosum, erythema multiforme^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Common (1% to 10%): Blood pressure changes (including blood pressure increased and blood pressure decreased)
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hypertension, myocardial infarction, palpitations, phlebitis superficialis, vein pain
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hypotension, bleeding varicose vein, venous thromboembolism (VTE), arterial thromboembolism (ATE)
• Frequency not reported: Deep vein thrombosis
• Postmarketing reports: Venous and arterial thromboembolic events (including pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis, cerebral thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke)^[Ref]

Hematologic

• Rare (less than 0.1%): Lymphadenopathy^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Rare (less than 0.1%): Allergic skin reaction (including dermatitis allergic and urticaria)
• Postmarketing reports: Hypersensitivity^[Ref]

Immunologic

• Common (1% to 10%): Vulvovaginal mycotic infection (including vaginal candidiasis)
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Fungal infection, vaginal infection
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Candidiasis, herpes simplex, presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome, tinea versicolor, urinary tract infection, vaginitis bacterial, vulvovaginal mycotic infection, pelvic inflammatory disease^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Increased appetite, fluid retention
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hypertriglyceridemia^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Muscle spasms, pain in jaw
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Back pain^[Ref]

Ocular

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Dry eye, eye swelling
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Contact lens intolerance^[Ref]

Oncologic

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Breast cancer in situ, uterine leiomyoma
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Benign breast neoplasm^[Ref]

Other

• Common (1% to 10%): Increased weight, fatigue
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Edema, weight decreased, peripheral edema, pyrexia
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hot flush, sensation of heaviness, malaise, chest pain
• Postmarketing reports: Vulvovaginal candidiasis^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Common (1% to 10%): Mood changes (depression, mood swings, depressed mood, mood altered, affect lability, dysthymic disorder, crying), emotional disorder, insomnia, libido decreased
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Libido increased, nervousness, restlessness, sleep disorder, stress, irritability, nightmare
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Aggression^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Asthma, dyspnea, epistaxis^[Ref]

Further information

Dienogest/estradiol side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

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