Kyleena (levonorgestrel) is a prescription IUD that helps prevent pregnancy. It isn’t known to interact with alcohol or other medications. However, using Kyleena while you have certain health conditions could raise your risk of harm.

Kyleena is an intrauterine device (IUD) that helps prevent pregnancy in females* of any age who can become pregnant.

An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.

Keep reading to learn about Kyleena’s possible interactions. And for more information about Kyleena, including details about its uses, see this article.

* In this article, we use the term “female” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.

Kyleena is not known to interact with other drugs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with Kyleena won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before you have Kyleena inserted. Tell them about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Kyleena interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Kyleena?” section below.)

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you use Kyleena. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Kyleena for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Kyleena.

If you are pregnant or could be pregnant. Kyleena is used to help prevent pregnancy. However, healthcare professionals will not insert Kyleena if you’re pregnant or could be pregnant. This is because Kyleena is not used for emergency contraception after sex without a condom or other barrier method.

If you think you’ve become pregnant while you have Kyleena inserted, contact your doctor right away. They can discuss your options with you.

If you have certain problems with your uterus. Healthcare professionals will not insert Kyleena if you have certain problems with your uterus.

These include having:

If you have any problems with your uterus, talk with your doctor before having Kyleena inserted. They may recommend a different form of birth control for you.

If you’ve had breast, cervical, or uterine cancer. Healthcare professionals won’t insert Kyleena if you have breast, cervical, or uterine cancer or have had one of these cancers in the past. They’ll also not insert Kyleena if you’ve had any other cancer that’s sensitive to a hormone called progestin. (Kyleena contains a progestin hormone and could encourage these cancers to grow or come back.)

If you’ve had cancer before, talk with your doctor before having Kyleena inserted. They can tell you whether Kyleena is a safe birth control option for you.

If you have a pelvic or genital infection. Healthcare professionals will not insert Kyleena if you have a pelvic or genital infection. These infections include:

In addition, healthcare professionals may not insert Kyleena if you have a high risk of these infections. Factors that may increase your risk include having a weakened immune system or multiple sexual partners. Your doctor can recommend other birth control options for you.

If you have certain liver problems. Healthcare professionals will not insert Kyleena if you have certain liver problems.

These liver problems include:

Kyleena contains a hormone called levonorgestrel that may worsen these liver problems. If you have liver disease or liver tumors, talk with your doctor before having Kyleena inserted. They may recommend a different form of birth control for you.

If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Kyleena or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Kyleena. This is because using Kyleena could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Before having Kyleena inserted, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Kyleena is safe for you to take.

Kyleena is not known to interact with alcohol. But Kyleena and alcohol can cause some similar side effects, such as headache, nausea, and dizziness. So you may be more likely to experience these side effects if you drink alcohol while using Kyleena.

If you have questions about consuming alcohol while using Kyleena, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Kyleena may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Kyleena.

Does Kyleena interact with supplements?

Before you start using Kyleena, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Kyleena and herbs

There are currently no reports of Kyleena interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Kyleena.

Kyleena and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Kyleena interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Kyleena.

Does Kyleena interact with food?

There are currently no reports of Kyleena interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods while using Kyleena, talk with your doctor.

Does Kyleena interact with vaccines or lab tests?

There are currently no reports of Kyleena interacting with vaccines or lab tests. But that doesn’t mean such interactions won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before receiving any vaccines or having lab tests done while using Kyleena.

Does Kyleena interact with cannabis or CBD?

There are currently no reports of Kyleena interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Kyleena.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Kyleena. Before having Kyleena inserted, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Kyleena is right for you.

Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Kyleena include:

Certain uterus problems. Healthcare professionals will not insert Kyleena if you have certain problems with your uterus,* such as inflammation of your uterus lining and fibroids.

Breast, cervical, or uterine cancer. Healthcare professionals won’t insert Kyleena if you have breast, cervical, or uterine cancer.*

Pelvic or genital infection. Healthcare professionals will not insert Kyleena if you have a pelvic or genital infection,* such as bacterial vaginosis and cervicitis.

Certain liver problems. Healthcare professionals will not insert Kyleena if you have acute (sudden) liver disease or liver tumors.*

Certain heart or blood vessel problems. In rare cases, Kyleena may increase the risk of blood clots, heart attack, or stroke. Your risk may be higher if you have these conditions or had them in the past. Before having Kyleena inserted, talk with your doctor about any heart or blood vessel problems you have. They can tell you whether Kyleena is a safe birth control option.

High blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, talk with your doctor before having Kyleena inserted. Kyleena may increase your blood pressure and worsen this condition. Your doctor can recommend whether Kyleena is a safe birth control option.

Migraine. Kyleena may cause migraine in some people. If you already experience migraine episodes, Kyleena may worsen them. Before having Kyleena inserted, tell your doctor if you have migraine. They can determine whether Kyleena is the right birth control option for you.

Pregnancy. Healthcare professionals will not insert Kyleena if you’re pregnant or think you could be pregnant. If you think you’ll become pregnant while Kyleena is inserted, contact your doctor right away to discuss your options.

Breastfeeding. Levonorgestrel (the drug released from Kyleena) passes into breast milk. However, side effects of the drug haven’t been reported in children breastfed by females† using IUDs containing levonorgestrel.

It’s important to note that the risk of Kyleena going through the wall of your uterus may be higher if Kyleena is inserted while you’re breastfeeding. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Kyleena or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Kyleena. This is because having the device inserted could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

* To learn more, see the “When should I avoid Kyleena?” section above.

† In this article, we use the term “female” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Kyleena. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

  • Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
  • Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a medication list.
  • What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Kyleena treatment.

It’s also important to understand Kyleena’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. Colored stickers that describe interactions may be on the label. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you did not get the paperwork with Kyleena, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.)

If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

If you still have questions about Kyleena and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

  • Considering my health history, is Kyleena the best birth control option for me?
  • Should I tell you before stopping or starting any medications while I have the Kyleena IUD?
  • Does the length of time I have the Kyleena IUD affect my risk of interactions?

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.