Lybrel (No period pill) Usage
The Use Of Lybrel
Whenever a new medication hits the market there is a flurry of activity in the medical community and word of mouth travels relatively fast as to whether its claims of cure or disease control are accurate. The drug Lybrel is experiencing this flood of speculation right now as word of its uniqueness as a birth control medication makes its way around the globe. Some obvious questions can be simply answered concerning Lybrel.
Should women take Lybrel?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given its approval of Lybrel and this would not have happened unless in-depth research had occurred. The manufacturer of Lybrel – Wyeth and the FDA have both made claims that there are no indications that patients will be at long term risk if they take Lybrel. Lybrel contains the same active ingredient combination at lower dosages as other hormone based contraceptives and these synthetic hormones have been used in variations for years.
There are of course some side effects but for the most part they are mild compared to the relief many women find when taking Lybrel. The ideal candidate for Lybrel is the women who suffers from painfully severe cramping, irregular periods, spotting, and various other symptoms due to menstruation that women have suffered with for millennia. Women who find some respite from this discomfort will be the best form of marketing for Lybrel.
Is Lybrel Safe During Breastfeeding?
Lybrel is a combined oral contraceptive that includes two synthetic hormones, estrogen [ethinylestradiol] and progestin [levonorgestrel] as the active ingredients. It is an effectual birth control that is as efficient at pregnancy prevention as any “pill” on the market but it is not recommended for nursing mothers and neither are any other combined contraceptives.
Oral contraceptives can cause a reduction in the creation of breast milk. Because of this reduced production, health professionals will recommend simply single progestin based birth control pills rather than the combined compound to mothers that are lactating and nursing. This variety of contraceptive is known to be of lesser effectiveness.
However once you complete your course of nursing you should inquire about returning to the combined oral contraceptive Lybrel.
How Is Lybrel Different?
The makeup of Lybrel is the same as other contraceptive pills available with a hormone based combination of synthetic estrogen and progestin as its main elements. One tablet contains ninety micrograms of levonorgestrel, the progestin and ethinylestradiol for the estrogen component. Lybrel distinguishes itself from other variations of birth control pills because of its prescribed protocol of taking one pill every day, 365 days a year.
Other oral contraceptives work on a twenty eight day cycle with three weeks of active pills being consumed and one week “off” where the user is obliged to take a placebo or sugar pill for the last seven days of the cycle. It is during this time when the women has her period, not an natural period mind you but more of a withdrawal from the “pill” and lighter flow. With Lybrel there is never a time when you are not taking a medicated pill.
Many women have been doing just that with the traditional “pill” for years, they basically do not bother taking the sugar placebo that comes for the fourth week of the cycle. They will immediately begin a new pack of pills after the third week of the cycle not missing a day of contraceptive protection. Marketed as the first low dosage birth control pill, Lybrel gained approval in 2007. It gives women the option to have a period free lifestyle by putting on hold the natural function of menstruation.
Women who are prescribed Lybrel are usually those who are interested in an oral contraceptive that stops their period giving them a reprieve from the challenges of their monthly cycle. Lybrel reduces the creation of hormones that align for nature to take its course. There are no pill free days with Lybrel that are meant to provoke menstruation. Some women using Lybrel may experience some light flow or spotting but generally in the first two quarters of a one year regimen.
During the research studies the number of women experiencing spotting diminished as time progressed over the course of one year. Lybrel showed no long term effects on their natural reproductive capabilities during the course of the research. Lybrel may not be for all women and they should carefully judge the pros and cons of unexpected light bleeding versus the ease of living without menstruation challenges.
What Are The Most Common Side Effects With Lybrel?
The oral contraceptives on the market today are known as pretty safe options overall for birth control. They have evolved a long way since their inception to commercialization in the early 1970’s. The most common side effects associated with Lybrel today are some nausea and vomiting. Unscheduled breakthrough bleeding has been fairly common in the early months of starting Lybrel. Some women experience weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
Some women will experience breast sensitivity and nipple tenderness and there was also some discomfort associated with the wearing of contact lenses by test subjects. The more common side effects associated with Lybrel specifically the nausea and vomiting usually settled down sometime within three months of commencing use. Overall the effects were mild in nature and not everyone experiences all or even some of the symptoms.
You are advised if you have certain symptoms like the nausea and vomiting to take a test for pregnancy or schedule a physician’s visit to confirm it or not. If in fact you are pregnant you should cease using Lybrel during the pregnancy and not while you are breast feeding a baby, you can always return to it later on. Lybrel works very well as an oral contraceptive and the symptoms it prevents may trump the mild discomfort while a women adjusts to the medication. Research in more than a few countries showed that countless women found they liked the idea of not having the bleeding associated with period withdrawal when they use birth control pills.
How does Lybrel Actually Work Physiologically?
Lybrel releases small amount of hormones continually to your reproductive system. It thwarts pregnancy by halting ovulation [or the freeing of the ovum from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes to the wall of the uterus]. However, it will assist in prevention in several other ways as well. Lybrel will change the mucus in the cervix region [the narrow area at the bottom of the uterus] complicating things for any sperm striving to reach the uterus.
Lybrel will work to change the endometrial area [the uterus lining] so it is less conducive to the embryo attaching itself. The broad majority of women can easily tolerate oral contraceptive use. When they take Lybrel without forgetting any pills and follow the instructions, it is ninety eight to ninety nine percent effective.