Levonorgestrel: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Levonorgestrel is a progestin sold in the U.S. under 8 brand and generic names. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Progestin
- Available as
- Implant · IUD · Tablet
- Sold as
- 8 products — Jadelle, Liletta and Mirena, and others
- Prescription?
- Both Rx and OTC forms
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
- Half-life
- about 36 hours (36 ± 13 hours at steady state)
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $192 for a 30-count supply — not your price
How Liletta is dosed
From the FDA label for Liletta (application NDA206229). Other levonorgestrel products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
The initial release rate of levonorgestrel (LNG) is approximately 20 mcg/day and declines progressively to approximately 6.5 mcg/day after 8 years; LILETTA can be removed at any time but must be removed by the end of the eighth year. ( 2.1 ) To be inserted into the uterine cavity with the provided inserter by a trained healthcare professional using strict aseptic technique. Follow insertion instructions exactly as described. ( 2.3 ) Re-examination and evaluation should be considered 4 to 6 weeks after insertion and during routine care, or more often if clinically indicated. ( 2.5 ) Figure 1a Figure 1b Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6: Close-up of Hemispherical Dome at Tip of Tube Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9: Releasing and Opening the Arms of the IUS Figure 10: Move LILETTA into the Fundal Position Figure 11: Releasing LILETTA from the Inserter Tube Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14: Removal of LILETTA 2. 1 Dosing Over Time LILETTA contains 52 mg of levonorgestrel (LNG). Initially, LNG is released in vivo at a rate of approximately 20 mcg/day. This rate decreases progressively to approximately 6.5 mcg/day after 8 years. The average in vivo release rate of LNG is approximately 13.5 mcg/day over a period of 8 years. For contraception, remove LILETTA by the end of the eighth year. LILETTA can be replaced at the time of removal with a new LILETTA if continued contraceptive…
Everything below is the FDA label for Liletta (iud). Levonorgestrel is also sold as implant and tablet, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Liletta side effects
The following serious or important adverse reactions are discussed elsewhere in the labeling: Ectopic Pregnancy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Intrauterine Pregnancy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Group A Streptococcal Sepsis (GAS) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or Endometritis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Perforation [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Expulsion [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] Ovarian Cysts [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] Bleeding Pattern Alterations [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] The most common adverse reactions reported in clinical studies (> 10% participants) are vulvovaginal mycotic infections, vaginal bacterial infections, acne, and nausea or vomiting. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact AbbVie at 1-800-678-1605 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Study Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The data described below reflect exposure of 1,751 generally healthy participants, 16 to 45 years of age, to LILETTA in a large, multi-center contraceptive study conducted in the US. Participants…
Who shouldn’t take Liletta
LILETTA is contraindicated when one or more of the following conditions exist: Pregnancy [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 ) ] For use as post-coital contraception (emergency contraception) Congenital or acquired uterine anomaly, including leiomyomas, that distorts the uterine cavity and would be incompatible with correct IUS placement [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] Acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Postpartum endometritis or infected abortion in the past 3 months [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 , 5.4 )] Known or suspected uterine or cervical malignancy Known or suspected breast cancer or other hormone-sensitive cancer, now or in the past [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9 )] Uterine bleeding of unknown etiology [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10 )] Untreated acute cervicitis or vaginitis, including bacterial vaginosis, known chlamydial or gonococcal cervical infection, or other lower genital tract infections until infection is controlled [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Acute liver disease or liver tumor (benign or malignant) Conditions associated with increased susceptibility to pelvic infections [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] A previously inserted IUS that has not been removed A history of hypersensitivity reaction to any component of LILETTA. Reactions may include rash, urticaria, and angioedema [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.2 )] . Pregnancy ( 4 ) Use for post-coital contraception (emergency contraception) ( 4 ) Congenital or acquired uterine anomaly that distorts the uterine cavity and would be incompatible with correct IUS placement ( 4 ) Acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) ( 4 ) Postpartum endometritis or infected abortion in the past 3 months ( 4 ) Known or suspected uterine or cervical malignancy ( 4 ) Known or suspected breast cancer or other hormone-sensitive cancer ( 4 ) Uterine bleeding of unknown etiology ( 4 ) Untreated acute cervicitis or vaginitis or other lower genital tract infections ( 4 ) Acute liver disease or liver tumor (benign or malignant) ( 4 ) Increased susceptibility to pelvic infections ( 4 ) A previously inserted IUS that has not been removed ( 4 ) Hypersensitivity to any component of LILETTA ( 4 )
Liletta drug interactions
No drug-drug interaction studies have been conducted with LILETTA.
Every levonorgestrel product we track (8)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Implant | Generic | $192 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | IUD | Generic | $192 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | IUD | Generic | $192 | View → | |
| 4 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Implant | Generic | $192 | View → | |
| 5 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Implant | Generic | $192 | View → | |
| 6 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $192 | View → | |
| 7 | Not yet rated | Over-the-counter | Tablet | Generic | $192 | View → | |
| 8 | Not yet rated | Prescription | IUD | Generic | $192 | View → |
What levonorgestrel pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Combination products containing levonorgestrel
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.
How long levonorgestrel keeps
No levonorgestrel label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does levonorgestrel expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsWhat people report to the FDA about levonorgestrel
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 8,327 reports naming levonorgestrel, and the FDA flagged 79% 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:
- nausea559 reports
- headache457 reports
- fatigue426 reports
- dizziness344 reports
- vomiting340 reports
- abdominal pain292 reports
- pulmonary embolism284 reports
- vaginal haemorrhage243 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean levonorgestrel 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 August 25, 2026.
How long levonorgestrel stays in your system
The elimination half-life of levonorgestrel is about 36 hours (36 ± 13 hours at steady state). This is the terminal elimination half-life stated directly for levonorgestrel; the label reports no active metabolite that outlasts the parent, and levonorgestrel is not a prodrug. The number comes from a levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol combination oral-contraceptive label (Aviane), where it is attributed specifically to the levonorgestrel component; the single-ingredient OTC emergency-contraceptive labels do not state a half-life. On populations: the label says no formal studies evaluated hepatic or renal impairment, but cautions that steroid hormones may be poorly metabolized in patients with impaired liver function; it notes no apparent pharmacokinetic differences across races, and states nothing about older adults.
Aviane (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) label — DailyMed, Clinical Pharmacology / Pharmacokinetics ↗Half-life is how long the body takes to clear half a dose. It is not the same as how long a drug test can detect it, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Liletta?
Liletta (Levonorgestrel) is a progestin.
What kind of drug is levonorgestrel?
The FDA classifies levonorgestrel as a progestin. Progestins are lab-made versions of the hormone progesterone. Acting through progesterone receptors, they quiet the brain signals that trigger ovulation, thicken cervical mucus so sperm cannot pass, and thin the uterine lining, which together help prevent pregnancy and regulate periods. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
How long does levonorgestrel stay in your system?
The elimination half-life of levonorgestrel is about 36 hours (36 ± 13 hours at steady state) — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. This is the terminal elimination half-life stated directly for levonorgestrel; the label reports no active metabolite that outlasts the parent, and levonorgestrel is not a prodrug. The number comes from a levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol combination oral-contraceptive label (Aviane), where it is attributed specifically to the levonorgestrel component; the single-ingredient OTC emergency-contraceptive labels do not state a half-life. On populations: the label says no formal studies evaluated hepatic or renal impairment, but cautions that steroid hormones may be poorly metabolized in patients with impaired liver function; it notes no apparent pharmacokinetic differences across races, and states nothing about older adults. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Can you take levonorgestrel 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 levonorgestrel against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is levonorgestrel sold under?
We track 8 levonorgestrel-containing products in the U.S.: Jadelle, Liletta, Mirena, Norplant, Norplant System in Plastic Container, Plan B, Plan B One-Step and Skyla. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does levonorgestrel come in?
Across the brands we track, levonorgestrel is currently marketed as implant, iud and 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 levonorgestrel?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled levonorgestrel 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). Levonorgestrel: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/levonorgestrel
- MLA
- “Levonorgestrel: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/levonorgestrel.
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 levonorgestrel on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.