Product name as reported
Ortho Tri-Cyclen: adverse event reports filed with FDA
436 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2014.
- 436
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 19 a year
- 0
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 0 in the 12 months before
- 88.8%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 57.4% across all reports
- 2.8%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 12 reports · not verified by FDA
Between January 2004 and June 2014, 436 adverse event reports received by FDA list the product name "Ortho Tri-Cyclen" as reporters wrote it as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (914) are left out of every figure here.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 0 reports listed it, and none in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 19 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
Reporters most often recorded breast cancer female (16.1%), pregnancy on oral contraceptive (13.3%) and drug exposure during pregnancy (12.6%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 118 different terms appear across these reports. Breast cancer female is recorded in 16.1% of these reports, against 0.1% of all reports in the database.
88.8% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter; 2.8% record death among the outcomes and 23.6% record hospitalisation, as reported. 31.9% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (33.9%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
No report listing Ortho Tri-Cyclen was received in the five years to June 2026; the latest was received in June 2014.
By year received
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Ortho Tri-Cyclen reports recording the termall reports in the database
- Breast cancer female16.1%70
- Pregnancy on oral contraceptive13.3%58
- Drug exposure during pregnancythe medicine was taken during pregnancy12.6%55
- Pulmonary embolisma blood clot in the lung8.5%37
- Nauseafeeling sick6.2%27
- Deep vein thrombosisa blood clot in a deep vein5.5%24
- Metrorrhagia4.1%18
- Headachehead pain3.9%17
- Anxietyanxiety3.7%16
- Painpain, site not specified3.2%14
- Vomitingbeing sick3%13
- Thrombosis2.8%12
- Dyspnoeashortness of breath2.1%9
- Menstruation irregularirregular periods2.1%9
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label2.1%9
- Abortion spontaneousmiscarriage1.8%8
- Medication errora mistake in prescribing, dispensing or taking a medicine1.8%8
- Maternal exposure during pregnancythe mother took the medicine during pregnancy1.6%7
- Convulsion1.4%6
- Pregnancypregnancy1.4%6
- Therapeutic response unexpected with drug substitution1.4%6
- Abdominal pain upperupper stomach pain1.1%5
- Chest painchest pain1.1%5
- Depressionlow mood1.1%5
- Drug dose omissiona dose was missed1.1%5
- Drug interactionan interaction between medicines1.1%5
- Menstruation delayed1.1%5
- Migrainemigraine1.1%5
- Oedema peripheralswelling of the legs, ankles or hands1.1%5
Top 30 of 118 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the share of all reports in the database; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 20,646,523 reports. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 78.2% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Contraception | 177 | 40.6% |
| Hormone replacement therapy | 69 | 15.8% |
| Acne | 8 | 1.8% |
| Menstruation irregular | 7 | 1.6% |
| Menopausal symptoms | 5 | 1.1% |
| Drug exposure during pregnancy | 4 | 0.9% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 436 reports.
In context
| Measure | Ortho Tri-Cyclen | All reports |
|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 436 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 0 | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 88.8% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 28 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 236 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 31.9% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Breast cancer female 16.1% | 0.1% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Questions about Ortho Tri-Cyclen reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Ortho Tri-Cyclen?
436 reports list Ortho Tri-Cyclen as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 0 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 914 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Ortho Tri-Cyclen reports?
breast cancer female (16.1%), pregnancy on oral contraceptive (13.3%), drug exposure during pregnancy (12.6%), pulmonary embolism (8.5%) and nausea (6.2%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Ortho Tri-Cyclen was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
88.8% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 2.8% of reports include death and 23.6% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
consumer or non-health professional (31.9%), not given (23.6%) and other health professional (19.5%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Ortho Tri-Cyclen rising?
0 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, and none in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Ortho Tri-Cyclen was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Ortho Tri-Cyclen?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Ortho Tri-Cyclen as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (914) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.