Levonorgestrel vs Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Levonorgestrel | Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Progestin, Progestin-containing Intrauterine System | – |
| Brand names | Liletta | Slynd |
| FAERS reports | 200,207 | 43,937 |
| Serious | 33% | 78% |
| Death outcome | 268 | 664 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
No strong shared signal after removing coding and lab terms.
Labeled signals distinctive to Levonorgestrel
- Menstruation irregular — n=15,020, PRR 137.6 Labeled (related wording)
- Uterine perforation — n=7,439, PRR 759.1 Labeled adverse reaction
- Pregnancy with contraceptive device — n=5,946, PRR 205.3 Labeled (related wording)
- Menstruation delayed — n=5,759, PRR 131.2 Labeled (related wording)
- Intra-uterine contraceptive device expelled — n=5,573, PRR 11,640.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Medical device discomfort — n=2,113, PRR 235.8 Labeled (related wording)
- Dyspareunia — n=1,978, PRR 79.3 Labeled adverse reaction
- Pregnancy after post coital contraception — n=1,963, PRR 712.5 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol
- Deep vein thrombosis — n=8,259, PRR 69.1 Labeled (related wording)
- Pregnancy on oral contraceptive — n=501, PRR 111.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Embolism arterial — n=243, PRR 121.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Withdrawal bleeding irregular — n=210, PRR 2,819.8 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Levonorgestrel or Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol?
Levonorgestrel has 200,207 FAERS reports and Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol 43,937. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (33% vs 78%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Levonorgestrel and Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol share?
They share no strong flagged signal after artifacts and lab terms are removed.
Is Levonorgestrel or Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.