Lybrel Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Lybrel is a birth control pill containing two female hormones, levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, from the contraceptives drug class. It is taken every day with no break between pill packs, so most women do not have regular monthly periods while using it. Lybrel is used to prevent pregnancy and works by stopping ovulation, thickening cervical mucus, and changing the uterine lining.

What is Lybrel Tablet

Lybrel is a birth control pill that contains two female hormones. It is taken every day with no break between pill packs, so most women do not have regular monthly periods while using it.

Lybrel Tablet uses

• Prevention of pregnancy (contraception)

Benefits of Lybrel Tablet

• May decrease blood loss and lower the chance of iron-deficiency anemia
• May decrease painful periods
• May decrease the chance of ovarian cysts
• May decrease the chance of ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
• May decrease the chance of noncancerous breast lumps or cysts
• May decrease the chance of pelvic infections
• May lower the chance of ovarian cancer and cancer of the uterus lining

How Lybrel Tablet works

Lybrel works mainly by stopping the ovaries from releasing an egg. It also thickens cervical mucus so sperm have a harder time reaching the uterus, and it changes the uterus lining so a fertilized egg is less likely to attach.

Lybrel Tablet dosage

Take one pill every day at the same time, no more than 24 hours apart. Start the first pill during the first 24 hours of your period; if you start on any other day, use a non-hormonal back-up method such as condoms or spermicide for the first 7 days. When one pack is finished, start the next pack the very next day — there is no break and no reminder pills. Do not skip pills even if you have spotting, bleeding, or feel sick to your stomach.

Taking the pill after your evening meal or at bedtime may help if you have stomach upset or nausea. If you vomit within 4 hours of taking your pill, follow the missed-pill instructions since the pill may not have been absorbed. If you have severe vomiting or diarrhea, use a back-up birth control method.

Some medicines, including certain antibiotics, seizure medicines, and St. John's wort, can make this pill less effective, so tell your doctor about all medicines you use. This product has not been studied in women over 65 and is not intended for use before a girl's first period.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet

Side effects of Lybrel Tablet

Common

• Mild nausea, especially when first starting the medicine
• Vomiting
• Bloating, stomach cramps
• Breast tenderness or swelling, nipple discharge
• Freckles or darkening of facial skin, increased hair growth, loss of scalp hair
• Changes in weight or appetite
• Problems with contact lenses
• Vaginal itching or discharge
• Changes in menstrual periods, decreased sex drive
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Increased vaginal fluids
• Unscheduled bleeding or spotting, especially in the first few months

Serious

• Sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden and severe headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance
• Chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling
• Sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, coughing up blood
• Pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs
• A change in the pattern or severity of migraine headaches
• Nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
• Swelling in the hands, ankles, or feet
• A breast lump
• Symptoms of depression (sleep problems, weakness, tired feeling, mood changes)
• Signs of a serious allergic reaction: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use Lybrel if you are pregnant. It can cause birth defects, so tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant or think you might be. Wait at least 4 weeks after having a baby before starting Lybrel.
• The hormones in Lybrel can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Lybrel can also reduce how much breast milk you make, so it should not be used while breastfeeding.
• Do not use during pregnancy or if pregnancy is suspected. Do not use if over 35 and smoking, because the risk of serious cardiovascular problems increases. Avoid if you have a history of blood clots, DVT, pulmonary embolism, stroke, or coronary artery disease.
• Lybrel should not be used by women with liver disease or liver cancer, and hormones in this medicine may not be processed well if the liver is not working properly.
• Avoid with uncontrolled high blood pressure. Do not use with current or previous hormone-sensitive breast cancer unless specifically advised by a specialist. Avoid in active liver disease or liver tumors.
• Do not use for undiagnosed abnormal vaginal bleeding until the cause is evaluated. Tell your doctor about migraine with aura or neurological symptoms. Before major surgery with prolonged immobilization, Lybrel may need to be stopped at least 4 weeks before surgery and restarted after the appropriate recovery period.
• Smoking while taking Lybrel raises the risk of dangerous blood clots, stroke, and heart attack, and this risk is greater in women older than 35.
• This medicine does not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, so a condom should still be used for that protection.
• Missing pills increases the chance of getting pregnant, so it's important to carefully follow the missed-pill instructions given with your pack.
• Because Lybrel does not cause regular monthly bleeding, it can be hard to tell if you become pregnant while using it.
• Do not use Lybrel if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, certain heart or blood clotting conditions, circulation problems, certain diabetes-related eye or kidney problems, unexplained vaginal bleeding, liver disease or liver cancer, severe migraines with aura, a history of jaundice from birth control pills, or a history of certain cancers, heart attack, stroke, or blood clots — or if you smoke and are over 35.
• Certain medicines, such as some antibiotics, hepatitis C or HIV/AIDS medicines, seizure medicines, and barbiturate sedatives, can make Lybrel less effective at preventing pregnancy.

Storage

• Store Lybrel at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
• Store at up to 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15-30°C (59-86°F).
• Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed.

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away for signs of an allergic reaction such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Stop using Lybrel and call your doctor right away if you have sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, a sudden severe headache, confusion, or problems with vision, speech, or balance.
• Get help right away for chest pain or heaviness, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, or a general feeling of being unwell, since these can be signs of a heart problem.
• Contact your doctor right away for sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, or coughing up blood, which can signal a clot in the lungs.
• Get help for pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one or both legs, which can be a sign of a blood clot.
• Call your doctor if you notice yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, nausea, stomach pain, itching, or loss of appetite, which may point to a liver problem.
• Tell your doctor about a new breast lump so it can be checked.
• Tell your doctor about signs of depression such as trouble sleeping, weakness, tiredness, or mood changes.
• If spotting or bleeding lasts more than 7 days in a row or is heavy, contact your health care provider.

Alternatives

• Amethia
• Seasonale
• Seasonique