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

Quick overview

Nextstellis is a combined hormonal contraceptive tablet containing drospirenone and estetrol, used by women of reproductive age to prevent pregnancy. It works mainly by stopping ovulation and thickening cervical mucus. It is taken once daily following a 28-day pack schedule.

What is Nextstellis Tablet

Nextstellis is a combined birth control pill (oral contraceptive) that women take to prevent pregnancy. It contains two hormones: drospirenone, a progestin, and estetrol, an estrogen. Estetrol is a plant-based estrogen made to match the natural estrogen in the body.

Nextstellis Tablet uses

• Prevent pregnancy in women of reproductive age

Benefits of Nextstellis Tablet

• Helps prevent pregnancy when taken correctly.
• Can help make menstrual cycles more regular and predictable.
• Provides a once-daily combined hormonal contraceptive option.

How Nextstellis Tablet works

Nextstellis stops ovulation, which prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg. It also works by suppressing ovulation and helping thicken cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to reach an egg.

Nextstellis Tablet dosage

Take one tablet by mouth at the same time every day, in the order shown on the blister pack. Swallow both the pink and white tablets whole; do not chew them. You can take it with or without food. Do not skip tablets, even if you do not have sex often. After finishing all 28 tablets in a pack, start the next pack the following day.

If you vomit or have diarrhea within a few hours of taking a pink active tablet, follow the missed-dose instructions in the product leaflet. Have a backup non-hormonal birth control method, such as condoms or spermicide, available in case you need it. If you are switching from another birth control method (pill, patch, ring, implant, injection, or IUD), follow the specific starting instructions in the product leaflet.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablets (in a blister pack containing 24 active pink tablets and 4 inactive white tablets)

Side effects of Nextstellis Tablet

Common

• Bleeding between periods or irregular vaginal bleeding
• Headache
• Breast tenderness, pain, or discomfort
• Mood changes
• Painful periods (menstrual cramps)
• Acne
• Weight gain
• Decreased sex drive
• Nausea

Serious

• Severe allergic reactions (breathing problems, swelling of face/lips/tongue/throat, hives, rash)
• Blood clots (in legs, lungs, eyes, or affecting the heart or brain), including stroke, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism
• Increased blood pressure
• New or worsening migraine headaches, especially with aura
• Hormone-sensitive cancers (breast, cervical)
• Liver problems, including liver tumors and jaundice
• Depression or new/worsening mood changes
• High blood potassium levels (hyperkalemia)
• Gallbladder problems or cholestasis
• Angioedema (swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat)
• Chloasma (dark patches of skin on the face)

Warnings and precautions

• Nextstellis may harm an unborn baby. Tell your health care provider if you are or plan to become pregnant. Stop taking it right away if you become pregnant and contact your health care provider.
• Nextstellis passes into breast milk and may decrease the amount of milk you make. Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
• Nextstellis should not be taken if your kidneys are not working well. Your health care provider may run tests to check your kidney function before you take this medicine.
• Nextstellis should not be used if you have certain liver tumors, cancerous liver tumors, acute hepatitis, or advanced liver scarring (decompensated cirrhosis).
• There are no known interactions between Nextstellis and alcohol. Nextstellis does not affect your ability to drive or use machines.
• Women over 35 who smoke should not use Nextstellis, because smoking increases the risk of serious heart and blood vessel problems from combination birth control pills.
• Nextstellis may increase the risk of blood clots, which can lead to stroke, heart attack, or other serious problems. Stop the medicine if a blood clot event occurs.
• Nextstellis can raise potassium levels in the blood, which can be serious. Your provider may check your potassium levels, especially if you take certain other medicines.
• Nextstellis may raise blood pressure. Your provider should check your blood pressure regularly and you should stop the medicine if it rises significantly.
• Stop taking Nextstellis if you develop new, repeated, persistent, or severe migraine headaches.
• Nextstellis should be stopped if you are diagnosed with a cancer that is sensitive to hormones.
• Nextstellis may need to be stopped permanently if you have ongoing or significant increases in liver enzymes.
• Nextstellis may affect blood sugar and triglyceride levels. Your provider should monitor you if you have prediabetes, diabetes, or high triglycerides, and may recommend a different birth control method for high triglycerides.
• If you have gallbladder disease or a condition that slows bile flow from the liver, your provider may consider stopping Nextstellis.
• Nextstellis may cause irregular bleeding or missed periods. Tell your provider if these symptoms continue so other causes can be ruled out.
• Nextstellis may be less effective in women with a BMI of 30 or higher, and effectiveness may decrease further as BMI increases.
• Nextstellis does not protect against HIV, AIDS, or other sexually transmitted infections.

Storage

• Store at 20–25°C (68–77°F) at controlled room temperature.
• Keep tablets in their original blister packaging until ready to take.
• Protect from excessive heat, moisture, and direct sunlight.
• Avoid storing in bathrooms or other hot and humid locations.
• Keep out of reach and sight of children and pets.

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a blood clot, such as chest pain, trouble breathing, sudden weakness on one side of the body, a sudden severe headache, slurred speech, vision loss, or leg pain, swelling, or tenderness that won't go away.
• Stop taking Nextstellis and get help right away if you have symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, such as trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, hives, or trouble swallowing.
• Call your health care provider right away if you notice yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark urine, light-colored stools, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unusual tiredness, as these may be signs of liver problems.
• Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of a high potassium level, such as weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, an irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, or shortness of breath.
• Stop taking Nextstellis and call your provider right away if you have new or worsening depression or other unusual changes in mood or behavior.
• Call your health care provider if your blood pressure rises significantly, or if you have a sudden severe headache, chest pain, dizziness or confusion, trouble breathing, or vision changes.
• If you think you have taken too much Nextstellis, get medical help right away or contact a poison control center.

Alternatives

• Beyaz
• Safyral
• Yasmin
• Yaz