Yes, Altavera is a combination birth control pill. It contains two hormones: a synthetic progestin (levonorgestrel, 0.15 mg) and an estrogen (ethinyl estradiol, 30 mcg). Each pack includes 21 active peach-colored tablets with both hormones and 7 white inactive tablets with no hormones, making it a standard 28-day oral contraceptive.
What “Combination Pill” Means
Birth control pills fall into two categories: combination pills, which contain both estrogen and progestin, and progestin-only pills, which contain just one hormone. Altavera belongs to the combination category. The two hormones work together primarily by suppressing ovulation, so your ovaries don’t release an egg each month.
Altavera is also classified as monophasic, meaning every active pill in the pack delivers the same dose of both hormones. This is different from triphasic or four-phasic pills, where hormone levels shift every week or so throughout the cycle. With a monophasic pill, if you accidentally mix up the order of your active tablets, it doesn’t matter since they’re all identical.
How to Take Altavera
You take one peach active pill daily for 21 days, then one white inactive pill daily for 7 days. Your period typically arrives during that inactive week. The white pills contain no hormones and exist solely to keep you in the habit of taking a pill every day. Once you finish all 28 tablets, you start a new pack the next day.
Common Side Effects
Headache is the most frequently reported side effect, affecting up to 33% of users. Irregular or heavy bleeding occurs in up to 17% of users, particularly during the first few months. Nausea and vomiting affect up to 11%, and breast pain is similarly common at around 11%.
Side effects that occur in 1% to 10% of users include mood changes, anxiety, decreased or increased sex drive, acne, weight gain, dizziness, migraines, back pain, and fluid retention. Many of these improve after the first two to three cycles as your body adjusts to the hormones.
Who Should Not Take Altavera
Because the estrogen component increases the risk of blood clots, Altavera is not appropriate for everyone. You should not take it if you smoke and are over 35, as the combination of smoking, age, and estrogen sharply raises the risk of serious cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke. The risk climbs further with the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Other situations where Altavera is contraindicated include:
- A history of blood clots in the legs, lungs, or eyes
- A blood clotting disorder
- History of stroke or heart attack
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Diabetes with kidney, eye, nerve, or blood vessel damage
- Migraines with aura (visual disturbances, numbness, or weakness), or any migraines if you’re over 35
- Breast cancer or other hormone-sensitive cancers
- Liver disease or liver tumors
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding
- Certain hepatitis C drug combinations
People who cannot safely take estrogen are often prescribed progestin-only pills instead, which carry a lower blood clot risk.
Other Pills With the Same Formula
Altavera is a generic medication. Several other brands contain the exact same combination of 0.15 mg levonorgestrel and 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol. These include Nordette (the original brand name), Chateal, Kurvelo, Levora, Lillow, Marlissa, and Portia-28. If your pharmacy substitutes one of these for Altavera, you’re getting the same hormones at the same doses. The inactive ingredients (fillers, dyes, coatings) can differ slightly between brands, which occasionally matters for people with specific allergies or sensitivities, but the contraceptive effect is identical.