Package Leaflet: Information for the User
Levobel Daily 0.10 mg/0.02 mg film-coated tablets EFG
Levonorgestrel/Ethinylestradiol
Read this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Important things to know about combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs):
Contents of the package leaflet
Contents of the pack and further information
Levobel Daily is a contraceptive pill and is used to prevent pregnancy.
Each pink tablet contains a small amount of two different female hormones, called levonorgestrel, a progestagen, and ethinylestradiol, an estrogen.
The white tablets do not contain active ingredients and are called placebo tablets.
Contraceptives that contain two hormones are called “combined contraceptives”. Levobel Daily is called a “low-dose” contraceptive because it only contains a small amount of hormones.
General considerations Before you start using Levobel Daily, you should read the information about blood clots in section 2. It is particularly important that you read the symptoms of a blood clot (see section 2 "Blood clots"). Before you can start taking Levobel Daily, your doctor will ask you some questions about your medical history and that of your close relatives. Your doctor will also measure your blood pressure and, depending on your personal situation, may perform other tests. This leaflet describes several situations in which you should stop taking Levobel Daily, or in which the reliability of Levobel Daily may be reduced. In these situations, you should not have sex or should take additional non-hormonal contraceptive precautions, for example, use a condom or another barrier method. Do not use the rhythm or temperature method. These methods may not be reliable since Levobel Daily alters the monthly changes in body temperature and cervical mucus. When taken correctly, combined oral contraceptives have a failure rate of about 1% per year. The failure rate may increase when not all pills are taken or when taken incorrectly, if you have stomach upsets or when taking other medications or herbal preparations. Levobel Daily, like other hormonal contraceptives, does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) or any other sexually transmitted disease. |
Do not take Levobel Daily
You should not use Levobel Daily if you have any of the conditions listed below. Inform your doctor if you have any of the conditions listed below. Your doctor will discuss with you what other form of contraception would be more suitable.
If any of the above conditions occur while you are using Levobel, stop taking the pills immediately and consult your doctor.
Warnings and precautions
When should you consult your doctor?
Seek urgent medical attention
To obtain a description of the symptoms of these serious side effects, see "How to recognize a blood clot".
Tell your doctor if you suffer from any of the following conditions
In some situations, you should be extra careful while using Levobel Daily or any other combined contraceptive, and your doctor may need to examine you regularly. If any of the following conditions develop or worsen while you are using Levobel Daily, you should also inform your doctor.
BLOOD CLOTS
The use of a combined hormonal contraceptive like Levobel Daily increases your risk of having a blood clot compared to not using it. In rare cases, a blood clot can block blood vessels and cause serious problems.
Blood clots can form:
Recovery from blood clots is not always complete. In rare cases, there can be serious long-term effects or, very rarely, they can be fatal.
It is essential to remember that the overall risk of a harmful blood clot due to Levobel Daily is small.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE A BLOOD CLOT
Seek urgent medical attention if you notice any of the following signs or symptoms.
Are you experiencing any of these signs? | What might you be suffering from? |
| Deep vein thrombosis |
If you are unsure, consult a doctor, as some of these symptoms, such as cough or shortness of breath, can be confused with a milder condition like a respiratory infection (e.g., a "common cold"). | Pulmonary embolism |
Symptoms that occur more frequently in one eye:
| Retinal vein thrombosis (blood clot in the eye) |
| Heart attack |
Sometimes the symptoms of a stroke can be brief, with almost immediate and complete recovery, but you should still seek urgent medical attention, as you may be at risk of having another stroke. | Stroke |
| Blood clots that block other blood vessels |
BLOOD CLOTS IN A VEIN
What can happen if a blood clot forms in a vein?
When is the risk of a blood clot in a vein higher?
The risk of having a blood clot in a vein is higher during the first year you take a combined hormonal contraceptive for the first time. The risk may also be higher if you start taking a combined hormonal contraceptive (the same medication or a different one) after an interruption of 4 weeks or more.
After the first year, the risk decreases, but it is always slightly higher than if you were not taking a combined hormonal contraceptive.
When you stop taking Levobel Daily, your risk of having a blood clot returns to normal within a few weeks.
What is the risk of having a blood clot?
The risk depends on your natural risk of VTE and the type of combined hormonal contraceptive you are taking.
The overall risk of having a blood clot in the leg or lung (DVT or PE) with Levobel Daily is small.
Risk of having a blood clot in a year | |
Women who do not usea combined hormonal pill/patch/ring and who are not pregnant. | About 2 out of 10,000 women |
Women who use a combined hormonal contraceptive pill that contains levonorgestrel, norethisterone, or norgestimate | About 5-7 out of 10,000 women |
Women who use Levobel Daily | About 5-7 out of 10,000 women |
Factors that increase your risk of a blood clot in a vein
The risk of having a blood clot with Levobel Daily is small, but some conditions increase the risk. Your risk is higher:
The risk of having a blood clot increases with the number of conditions you have.
Long-distance flights (≥ 4 hours) may temporarily increase the risk of a blood clot, especially if you have any of the other risk factors listed.
It is essential to inform your doctor if you suffer from any of the above conditions, even if you are not sure. Your doctor may decide that you should stop using Levobel Daily.
If any of the above conditions change while you are using Levobel Daily, for example, you start smoking, a close relative experiences a thrombosis without a known cause, or you gain much weight, inform your doctor.
BLOOD CLOTS IN AN ARTERY
What can happen if a blood clot forms in an artery?
Like a blood clot in a vein, a blood clot in an artery can cause serious problems. For example, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Factors that increase your risk of a blood clot in an artery
It is essential to note that the risk of a heart attack or stroke due to Levobel Daily is very small, but it may increase:
If you have one or more of these conditions or if any of them are particularly severe, the risk of having a blood clot may be increased further.
If any of the above conditions change while you are using Levobel Daily, for example, you start smoking, a close relative experiences a thrombosis without a known cause, or you gain much weight, inform your doctor.
Levobel Daily and cancer
Breast cancer has been observed slightly more frequently in women using combined contraceptives, but it is not known if this is due to the treatment. For example, it may be that more tumors are detected in women taking combined contraceptives because they are examined by a doctor more frequently. The incidence of breast tumors decreases gradually after stopping combined hormonal contraceptives. It is essential to have your breasts examined regularly, and you should see your doctor if you notice any lump.
Benign liver tumors (non-cancerous) are rare, and in an even smaller number of cases, malignant liver tumors (cancerous) have been reported in users of combined contraceptives. Consult your doctor if you experience unusually severe abdominal pain.
Psychiatric disorders
Some women using hormonal contraceptives like Levobel Daily have reported depression or a depressed mood. Depression can be severe and sometimes may induce suicidal thoughts. If you experience mood changes and depressive symptoms, contact your doctor for additional medical advice as soon as possible.
Bleeding between periods
During the first few months, you may experience some bleeding between periods. This is usually nothing to worry about and should stop within a few months. If the bleeding is heavy or persistent, you should see your doctor.
While you are taking Levobel Diario, you may have unexpected bleeding (bleeding outside of the placebo pill week). If these bleedings occur beyond a few months, or start after a few months, your doctor should investigate the cause.
What to do if you do not have your period during the placebo week
If you have taken all the active pink tablets correctly, have not had vomiting, or severe diarrhea, and have not taken any other medication, it is very unlikely that you are pregnant.
If this is not the case, or if your period does not appear for the second consecutive time, you may be pregnant. Consult your doctor immediately, as pregnancy must be ruled out before continuing to take the pill. Start the next blister pack only if you are sure you are not pregnant.
Other medications and Levobel Diario
Tell your doctor if you are taking, have recently taken, or may need to take any other medication, including herbal preparations obtained without a prescription. Also, inform any other doctor or dentist who prescribes you another medication (or the pharmacist) that you are using Levobel Diario. They may indicate that you need to take additional contraceptive precautions (e.g., condoms) and, if so, for how long. |
Some medications may affect the levels of Levobel Diario in the blood, and may make it less effective in preventing pregnancy or cause unexpected bleeding. This can occur with:
Levobel Diario may affect the effect of other medications, for example,
Do not take Levobel Diario if you have hepatitis C and are taking medications that contain ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, dasabuvir, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir, as these medications may produce increases in liver test results (increase in liver enzyme ALT).
Your doctor will prescribe another type of contraceptive before starting treatment with these medications.
Levobel Diario can be used again approximately 2 weeks after the end of this treatment. See the section "Do not take Levobel Diario".
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or may need to take any other medication.
Laboratory tests
If you need a blood test, inform your doctor or the laboratory staff that you are taking the pill, as hormonal contraceptives affect the results of some tests.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy
Do not take Levobel Diario if you are pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking Levobel Diario, stop taking the tablets immediately and consult your doctor. If you intend to become pregnant, you can stop taking Levobel Diario at any time (see "If you interrupt treatment with Levobel Diario").
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before using any medication.
Breastfeeding
It is not recommended to take Levobel Diario during the breastfeeding period unless your doctor indicates it. If you want to take the contraceptive while breastfeeding, you should consult your doctor.
Driving and using machines
There is no information that suggests that the use of Levobel Diario has any effect on the ability to drive or use machines.
Levobel Diario contains lactose, soy, red allura AC, carmine indigo
Levobel Diario contains lactose. If your doctor has told you that you have an intolerance to certain sugars, consult with him before taking this medication.
Levobel Diario contains the azoic dyes red allura AC (E129) and carmine indigo (E132). It may cause allergic reactions.
Levobel Diario contains soybean oil. Do not use this medication in case of allergy to peanuts or soy.
Follow the administration instructions of the medication contained in this prospectus or as indicated by your doctor or pharmacist. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
If you were taking another contraceptive before starting Levobel Daily, you know that most contraceptives have 21 pills. With these contraceptives, you take a pill for 21 days and then there is a week when you do not take pills (rest week).
The system to follow when using Levobel Daily is different. After taking the 21 pink pills, you must continue taking the 7 placebo pills, and therefore, there is no rest week, but a "placebo" week (the week when you take the placebo pills from row 4). Since you have to take a pill every day and there is no interval without pills between the two packages, taking pills becomes a routine and therefore, there is less risk of forgetting to take a pill.
The two types of pills of different colors of Levobel Daily are placed in order. A package contains 28 pills.
Take a Levobel Daily pill every day, if necessary with a small amount of water. You must take the pills every day at approximately the same time.
Do not confuse the pills: take a pink pill once a day for the first 21 days, and then a white pill a day for the last 7 days. Then, you must start a new blister immediately (21 pink pills and 7 white pills). Therefore, there is no rest period between the two blisters.
The blister contains 28 pills. Daily intake for 28 consecutive days is important to maintain the contraceptive effect.
Along with the blisters, adhesive labels with the days of the week are included. Choose the label that starts with the first day you take the pill. Place the strip on the blister over the words "START. Place the label here". Each day will align with a row of pills. It is essential that you take your pill every day. Take the first pill from the first row, where the word "START" appears.
Follow the direction of the arrow indicated on the package, first take the pink pills for 21 days, and then the white pills for 7 days, until you have taken the 28 pills. Then, you must start a new blister. This means that there is no rest period between packages.
During the 7 days when you take the placebo pills (called placebo days), you should start bleeding (also called withdrawal bleeding). This normally begins on the 2nd or 3rd day after the last active pink pill of Levobel Daily. Once you have taken the last white pill, you must start with the next blister, even if you have not finished bleeding. This means that you must start a new blister on the same day of the week and that the withdrawal bleeding must occur on the same days every month.
If you use Levobel Daily in this way, you are also protected against pregnancy during the 7 days when you take the placebo pills.
When can you start with the first package
Start taking Levobel Daily on the first day of your cycle (i.e., the first day of your period). If you start taking Levobel Daily on the first day of your menstruation, you will be protected immediately against pregnancy. You can also start on days 2-5 of your cycle, but then you must use additional contraceptive methods (e.g., a condom) during the first 7 days.
Start taking Levobel Daily the day after taking the last active pill (the last pill that contains active ingredients) of your previous contraceptive, but no later than the day after the rest week of your previous hormonal contraceptive (or after taking the last placebo pill of your previous contraceptive). In the case of a vaginal ring or patch, start taking Levobel Daily the day of removal of the last ring or patch of a cycle, or no later than when the next application is due.
You can switch from the progestin-only pill to Levobel Daily on any day (if it's an implant or IUS, on the day of its removal; if it's an injectable, when the next injection is due) but in all cases, use additional contraceptive measures (e.g., a condom) during the first 7 days of pill intake.
Follow your doctor's recommendations.
You can start taking Levobel Daily between 21 and 28 days after giving birth or having an abortion in the second trimester. If you start later than day 28, use one of the so-called barrier methods (e.g., a condom) during the first 7 days of using Levobel Daily.
If, after having a child, you have already had sexual intercourse before starting to take Levobel Daily again, you must be sure that you are not pregnant or wait for your next menstrual period before taking Levobel Daily.
Read the "Breastfeeding" section.
Ask your doctor if you are not sure when to start.
Use in children and adolescents
You should not take Levobel Daily before you start having your period.
Use in elderly patients
You should not take Levobel Daily after menopause.
Use in patients with liver problems
You should not take Levobel Daily if you have severe liver problems.
Use in patients with kidney problems
Consult your doctor before starting to take Levobel Daily if you have kidney problems.
If you take more Levobel Daily than you should
No cases have been reported in which the ingestion of an overdose of Levobel Daily has caused serious harm. If you take several pills at once, you may have symptoms of nausea or vomiting. Little girls may experience vaginal bleeding. Even girls who have not yet started their period but have accidentally taken this medication may experience such bleeding.
If you have taken too many Levobel Daily pills or discover that a child has taken them, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone 91 562 04 20, indicating the medication and the amount ingested.
If you forgot to take Levobel Daily
The pills in the fourthrow of the blister are placebo pills. If you forget to take one of these pills, it will not affect the effectiveness of Levobel Daily. Discard the forgotten pill.
If you forget to take an active pink pill (pills from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rdrow), you must do the following:
The risk of incomplete protection against pregnancy is maximum if you forget to take the pink pill at the beginning (1st row) or at the end of the blister (3rd row).
Therefore, you must follow these recommendations (see also the diagram below):
Take the last forgotten pill as soon as you remember, even if it means taking two pills at the same time. Then, continue taking the pills at the usual time. Additionally, you must use a barrier method such as a condom during the following 7 days. If you have had sexual intercourse in the 7 days prior to forgetting the pill, you should consider the possibility of pregnancy. The more pills you have forgotten, and the closer to the rest period, the higher the risk of pregnancy. Consult your doctor.
Take the last forgotten pill as soon as you remember, even if it means taking two pills at the same time. Then, continue taking the pills at the usual time. If you have taken the pills correctly in the 7 days prior to the first forgotten pill, it is not necessary to take additional precautions. If you have not taken the pills correctly or have forgotten to take more than one pill, you must use additional contraceptive measures during the following 7 days.
The risk of pregnancy increases as the rest week approaches. However, pregnancy can be avoided by adjusting the dose.
If you follow these tips, it is not necessary to take additional contraceptive precautions, as long as you have taken all the pills correctly in the 7 days prior to the first forgotten pill. If not, you must follow the first of these two options and take additional contraceptive precautions during the following 7 days.
You will probably not experience withdrawal bleeding until the end of the second package (while taking the white placebo pills), but you may experience light bleeding or bleeding similar to your period while taking the second package.
What to do in case of vomiting or severe diarrhea
Vomiting or diarrhea can make Levobel Daily less effective in preventing pregnancy.
If you vomit within 3-4 hours after taking an active pink pill or experience severe diarrhea, there is a risk that the active ingredients of the contraceptive will not be fully absorbed by the body. The situation is almost the same as when you forget to take a pill. After vomiting or having diarrhea, you must take a pink pill from a reserve package as soon as possible. If possible, take it within 12 hours after the time you usually take your contraceptive. If it is not possible or more than 12 hours have passed, follow the advice in the "If you forgot to take Levobel Daily" section.
If you do not want to change your usual pill-taking routine, you can take the extra pill from another package.
If the vomiting or diarrhea continues, consult your doctor. You will need to use additional contraceptive measures.
Delayed period: what you should know
Although it is not recommended, you can delay your period if instead of taking the white placebo pills, you start taking a new package of Levobel Daily and finish it. You may experience light bleeding or bleeding similar to your period while using the second package. Finish the second package, taking the 7 white pills from the 4th row. Then, start the next package.
It is advisable to consult your doctor before deciding to delay your menstrual period.
Changing the first day of your period: what you should know
If you take the pills according to the instructions, your period will begin during the placebo days. If you need to change that day, reduce the number of placebo days - when you take the white pills - (but never increase them - the maximum is 7!). For example, if you start taking the placebo pills on Fridays and want to change to Tuesdays (3 days earlier), you must start a new package 3 days earlier than usual. You may not experience bleeding during these days. You may experience light bleeding or bleeding similar to your period later.
If you are not sure how to proceed, consult your doctor.
If you interrupt treatment with Levobel Daily
You can stop taking Levobel Daily whenever you want. If you do not want to become pregnant, consult your doctor about other effective birth control methods. If you want to become pregnant, stop taking Levobel Daily and wait until your period before trying to become pregnant. This way, you will be able to calculate the estimated date of delivery more easily.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause adverse effects, although not all people suffer from them. If you experience any adverse effect, especially if it is severe and persistent, or have any change in your health that you think may be due to Levobel Diario, consult your doctor.
Severe Adverse Effects
Contact a doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms of angioedema: swelling of the face, tongue and/or throat, and/or difficulty swallowing or urticaria with possible difficulty breathing (see also section "Warnings and Precautions").
All women who take combined hormonal contraceptives are at a higher risk of developing blood clots in the veins (venous thromboembolism (VTE)) or blood clots in the arteries (arterial thromboembolism (ATE)). For more detailed information on the different risks of taking combined hormonal contraceptives, see section 2 "What you need to know before taking Levobel Diario".
The following list of adverse effects has been associated with the use of Levobel Diario:
The likelihood of suffering a blood clot may be higher if you have any other disease that increases the risk (see section 2 for more information on diseases that increase the risk of blood clots and symptoms of a blood clot).
Description of Selected Adverse Reactions
The following adverse reactions with a very low frequency or delayed onset of symptoms are considered related to the group of combined oral contraceptives (see also sections "Do not take Levobel Diario" and "Warnings and Precautions"):
Tumors
Other Conditions
Interactions
Unexpected bleeding and/or contraceptive failures may occur due to the interaction of other medications with oral contraceptives (e.g., St. John's Wort, or medications for epilepsy, tuberculosis, HIV infections, and other infections). See section "Other medications and Levobel Diario".
The following diseases may appear or worsen with combined oral contraceptives:
Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, migraine, cervical cancer, porphyria (a metabolic disorder that causes abdominal pain and mental disorders), systemic lupus erythematosus (the body attacks and damages its own organs and tissues), herpes at the end of pregnancy, Sydenham's chorea (rapid, involuntary muscle movements), hemolytic uremic syndrome (a disorder that occurs after diarrhea caused by E. coli), liver problems with jaundice, gallbladder disorders or gallstone formation, hearing loss.
Reporting Adverse Effects
If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if it is a possible adverse effect that does not appear in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Use Medicines: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
This medicine does not require special storage conditions.
Expiration Date
Do not use this medicine after the expiration date that appears on the packaging after "CAD". The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
Medicines should not be disposed of through wastewater or household waste. Deposit the packaging and medicines you no longer need at the SIGRE Point in the pharmacy. In case of doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and medicines you no longer need. This way, you will help protect the environment.
Composition of Levobel Diario
Appearance of the Product and Package Contents
The active tablets are film-coated, pink, and round.
The placebo tablets are film-coated, white, and round.
Levobel Diario is available in blisters of 28 tablets: 21 active pink tablets and 7 placebo white tablets.
The package sizes are 1, 3, or 6 blisters, and each blister contains 28 tablets.
Only some package sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorization Holder
Laboratorios Effik, S.A.
C/ San Rafael, 3
28108 Alcobendas, Madrid
Spain
Manufacturer
Laboratorios León Farma, S.A.
Pol. Ind. Navatejera
La Vallina s/n
24193 Villaquilambre, León
Spain
This medicine is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:
Austria Melleva
Slovakia Levonille
Spain Levobel Diario
Hungary Missee 0.10 mg/0.02 mg filmtabletta
Poland Orlifique
Portugal Gesffiset
Czech Republic Asumate
Date of the last revision of this prospectus: April 2023
Updated information on this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) (http://www.aemps.gob.es/).
The average price of LEVOBEL DIARIO 0.10 mg/0.02 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS in October, 2025 is around 2.5 EUR. Prices may vary depending on the region, pharmacy, and whether a prescription is required. Always check with a local pharmacy or online source for the most accurate information.