Elagolix: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Elagolix is a medicine sold in the U.S. under one brand, for abdominal pain. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Treats
- Abdominal Pain
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- Orilissa
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How elagolix is dosed
From the FDA label for Orilissa (application NDA210450). Other elagolix products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Normal liver function or mild hepatic impairment : 150 mg once daily for up to 24 months or 200 mg twice daily for up to 6 months. ( 2.1 ) Moderate hepatic impairment : 150 mg once daily for up to 6 months. ( 2.1 ) 2.1 Important Dosing Information Exclude pregnancy before starting ORILISSA or start ORILISSA within 7 days from the onset of menses. Take ORILISSA at approximately the same time each day, with or without food. Use the lowest effective dose, taking into account the severity of symptoms and treatment objectives [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 , 5.3 , 5.4 ) and Clinical Studies ( 14 )] . Limit the duration of use because of bone loss ( Table 1 ) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . Table 1. Recommended Dosage and Duration of Use Dosing Regimen Maximum Treatment Duration Coexisting Condition Initiate treatment with ORILISSA 150 mg once daily 24 months None Consider initiating treatment with ORILISSA 200 mg twice daily 6 months Dyspareunia Initiate treatment with ORILISSA 150 mg once daily. Use of 200 mg twice daily is not recommended. 6 months Moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh Class B) 2.2 Hepatic Impairment No dosage adjustment of ORILISSA is required in women with mild hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh A). Compared to women with normal liver function, those with moderate hepatic impairment had approximately 3-fold higher elagolix exposures and those with…
Elagolix side effects
The following serious adverse reactions are discussed elsewhere in labeling: Bone loss [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Change in menstrual bleeding pattern and reduced ability to recognize pregnancy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, and exacerbation of mood disorders [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Hepatic transaminase elevations [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Most common adverse reactions (>5%) in clinical trials included hot flushes and night sweats, headache, nausea, insomnia, amenorrhea, anxiety, arthralgia, depression-related adverse reactions and mood changes ( 6.1 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact AbbVie Inc. at 1-800-633-9110 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch Figure 1. Percent Change from Baseline in Lumbar Spine BMD in Subjects Who Received 12 Months of ORILISSA and Had Follow-up BMD 6 Months off Therapy in Studies EM-2/EM-4 Figure 2. Percent Change from Baseline in Lumbar Spine BMD in Subjects Who Received 12 Months of ORILISSA and Had Follow-up BMD 12 Months off Therapy in Studies EM-2/EM-4 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in…
Who shouldn’t take elagolix
ORILISSA is contraindicated in women: Who are pregnant [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 )] . Exposure to ORILISSA early in pregnancy may increase the risk of early pregnancy loss. With known osteoporosis because of the risk of further bone loss [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] With severe hepatic impairment [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.7 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] Taking inhibitors of organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B1 (a hepatic uptake transporter) that are known or expected to significantly increase elagolix plasma concentrations [see Drug Interactions ( 7.2 )] With known hypersensitivity reaction to ORILISSA or any of its inactive components. Reactions have included anaphylaxis and angioedema [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.2 )] . Pregnancy ( 4 ) Known osteoporosis ( 4 ) Severe hepatic impairment ( 4 ) Organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1 inhibitors that significantly increase elagolix plasma concentrations ( 4 ) Hypersensitivity reactions ( 4 , 6.2 )
Elagolix drug interactions
See full prescribing information for a list of clinically important drug interactions ( 7 ). 7.1 Potential for ORILISSA to Affect Other Drugs Elagolix is: A weak to moderate inducer of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A. Co-administration with ORILISSA may decrease plasma concentrations of drugs that are substrates of CYP3A (see Table 7). A weak inhibitor of CYP 2C19. Co-administration with ORILISSA may increase plasma concentrations of drugs that are substrates of CYP2C19 (see Table 7). An inhibitor of efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Co-administration with ORILISSA may increase plasma concentrations of drugs that are substrates of P-gp (see Table 7). The effects of co-administration of ORILISSA on concentrations of concomitant drugs and the clinical recommendations for these drug interactions are summarized in Table 7. Table 7. Drug Interactions: Effects of ORILISSA on Other Drugs Concomitant Drug Class: Drug Name Effect on Plasma Exposure of Concomitant Drug Clinical Recommendations Cardiac glycosides: digoxin ↑ digoxin Increase monitoring of digoxin concentrations and potential signs and symptoms of clinical toxicity when initiating ORILISSA in patients who are taking digoxin. If ORILISSA is discontinued, increase monitoring of digoxin concentrations. Benzodiazepines: oral midazolam ↓ midazolam Consider increasing the dose of midazolam by no more than 2-fold and individualize midazolam therapy based on the patient’s response. Statins: rosuvastatin ↓ rosuvastatin Monitor lipid levels and adjust the dose of rosuvastatin, if necessary. Proton pump inhibitors: omeprazole ↑ omeprazole No dose adjustment needed for omeprazole 40 mg once daily when co-administered with ORILISSA. When ORILISSA is used concomitantly with higher doses of omeprazole, consider dosage reduction of omeprazole. Combined hormonal contraceptives: oral ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel ↑ethinyl estradiol ↓levonorgestrel Advise women to use effective non-hormonal contraception during treatment with ORILISSA and for 28 days after discontinuing ORILISSA. See Tables 10 and 11 [ see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . The direction of the arrow indicates the direction of the change in the area under the curve (AUC) (↑= increase, ↓ = decrease). 7.2 Potential for Other Drugs to Affect ORILISSA Elagolix is a substrate of CYP3A, P-gp, and OATP1B1. Concomitant use of ORILISSA 200 mg twice daily and strong CYP3A inhibitors for more than 1 month is not recommended. Limit concomitant use of ORILISSA 150 mg once daily and strong CYP3A inhibitors to 6 months. Co-administration of ORILISSA with strong CYP3A inducers may decrease elagolix plasma concentrations and may result in a decrease of the therapeutic effects of ORILISSA. Concomitant use of ORILISSA 200 mg twice daily and rifampin is not recommended. Limit concomitant use of ORILISSA 150 mg once daily and rifampin to 6 months. The effect of concomitant use of P-gp inhibitors or inducers on the pharmacokinetics of ORILISSA is unknown. OATP1B1 inhibitors that are known or expected to significantly increase elagolix plasma concentrations are contraindicated due to increased risk of elagolix-associated adverse reactions [see Contraindications ( 4 )].
Every elagolix product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Orilissa.
Combination products containing elagolix
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
Elagolix and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for elagolix: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the use of elagolix during breastfeeding. Because elagolix is 80% bound to plasma proteins, the amount in milk is likely to be low. However, because no information is available on the use of elagolix during breastfeeding caution should be used, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised December 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about elagolix
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 74 reports naming elagolix, and the FDA flagged 20% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- bone density decreased30 reports
- alopecia5 reports
- bone loss5 reports
- aspartate aminotransferase increased4 reports
- alanine aminotransferase increased3 reports
- depression3 reports
- abnormal uterine bleeding2 reports
- ankle fracture2 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean elagolix caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is elagolix?
ORILISSA (elagolix) tablets for oral administration contain elagolix sodium, the sodium salt of the active moiety elagolix. Elagolix sodium is a nonpeptide small molecule, GnRH receptor antagonist.
Can you take elagolix with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run elagolix against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does elagolix come in?
Across the brands we track, elagolix is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic elagolix?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled elagolix product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Elagolix: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/elagolix
- MLA
- “Elagolix: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/elagolix.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for elagolix on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.