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

Quick overview

Safyral Tablet contains drospirenone, ethinyl estradiol, and levomefolate, and belongs to the combined oral contraceptive class with added folate. It is used to prevent pregnancy and to raise folate levels in women who use it as their method of birth control. Common effects include nausea and headache, while serious risks include blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. It should be taken exactly as directed, one tablet daily, following the order shown on the blister pack.

What is Safyral Tablet

Safyral is a birth control pill that combines two hormones (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) with a form of vitamin B9 called levomefolate. It is used to prevent pregnancy and to raise folate levels in women who use it as their method of birth control.

Safyral Tablet uses

• Prevention of pregnancy (oral contraceptive)
• Raising folate levels in women who choose an oral contraceptive, to lower the risk of a rare birth defect (neural tube defect) if pregnancy occurs while taking the pill or shortly after stopping it

Benefits of Safyral Tablet

• Helps prevent pregnancy when taken correctly.
• Provides combined hormonal contraception with drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol.
• Helps suppress ovulation and also thickens cervical mucus to reduce the chance of fertilization.
• Contains levomefolate, which helps raise folate levels in women using oral contraception.
• Higher folate levels may help reduce the risk of neural tube defects if pregnancy occurs while taking Safyral or shortly after stopping it.

How Safyral Tablet works

The hormones in Safyral stop the ovaries from releasing an egg, thicken cervical mucus so sperm have a harder time reaching the uterus, and change the lining of the uterus to make it less likely a fertilized egg can attach. The folate ingredient works separately by raising the body's folate levels to help lower the risk of certain birth defects.

Safyral Tablet dosage

Take one tablet by mouth at the same time every day, in the order shown on the blister pack. It can be taken with or without food; it is often taken after the evening meal or at bedtime with a drink, if needed. Start the first pill either on the first day of your period (Day 1 Start) or on the first Sunday after your period begins (Sunday Start). You may need a back-up birth control method, such as condoms with spermicide, during the first week of starting the pack.

Take the pills in the exact order shown by the arrows on the blister pack; the last pills in the pack contain only the folate ingredient, not the contraceptive hormones. When one pack is finished, start the next pack the very next day without skipping any days. If you vomit within a few hours of taking a pill, treat it like a missed dose and use back-up contraception. Use a back-up birth control method if you have severe vomiting or diarrhea, since the pill may not work as well. Tell any doctor or surgeon that you are using Safyral if you need major surgery or will be on long-term bed rest, since you may need to stop the medicine for a short time.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (blister pack of 28 tablets: 21 active tablets and 7 tablets containing only folate)

Side effects of Safyral Tablet

Common

• Nausea
• Breast tenderness or pain
• Headache or migraine
• Breakthrough bleeding or spotting between periods
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Serious

• Signs of a stroke: sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance
• Signs of a blood clot: sudden vision loss, stabbing chest pain, feeling short of breath, coughing up blood, pain or warmth in one or both legs
• Heart attack symptoms: chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating
• Liver problems: loss of appetite, upper stomach pain, tiredness, dark urine, clay-colored stools, yellowing of skin or eyes
• Signs of increased blood pressure: severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in neck or ears
• Swelling in hands, ankles, or feet
• A change in the pattern or severity of migraine headaches
• Symptoms of depression: sleep problems, weakness, tired feeling, mood changes
• Allergic reaction: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat
• High potassium level: muscle weakness, fast or irregular heartbeat
• New lumps, redness, pain, or discharge from the breast or nipple

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use Safyral if you are pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking it, stop taking the pills and tell your doctor right away.
• Safyral is not recommended while breastfeeding. The hormones can pass into breast milk and may reduce how much milk you make, and there is limited information on effects on a nursing baby.
• Safyral should not be used by women with kidney disease, since it can raise the risk of high potassium levels and other problems.
• Safyral should not be used by women with liver disease or liver tumors. Stop taking it right away if you develop yellowing of the skin or eyes.
• Smoking while taking Safyral, especially if you are over 35, greatly increases your risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart attack.
• Safyral can increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, or heart attack. This risk is highest during the first year of use and when restarting the pill after not taking it for four weeks or more.
• Birth control pills containing drospirenone, like Safyral, may carry a higher risk of blood clots compared with pills that use other progestins.
• Do not use Safyral if you have certain heart or blood vessel conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, certain migraine types, a history of blood clots, stroke, heart attack, certain cancers, liver disease, or if you take specific hepatitis C medicines.
• Safyral does not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
• If you need major surgery or will be on long-term bed rest, you may need to stop taking Safyral for a period of time before and after, due to blood clot risk.

Storage

• Store at 20–25°C (68–77°F) at controlled room temperature.
• Keep tablets in their original blister packaging until ready to use.
• 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 medical help right away if you have signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Stop taking Safyral and call your doctor right away if you notice signs of a stroke, blood clot, heart attack, liver problems, high blood pressure, swelling in your hands or feet, worsening migraines, or symptoms of depression.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you have persistent leg pain, sudden shortness of breath, sudden partial or complete blindness, severe chest pain, a sudden severe headache unlike your usual headaches, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, trouble speaking, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
• Call your healthcare provider if you miss two periods in a row, since you might be pregnant.
• Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have taken too much of this medicine.

Alternatives

• Ocella
• Yaz
• Yasmin
• Beyaz