Discussion Guide for LYBREL®

If you’re thinking about taking LYBREL, it’s important to talk with your health care professional first. Together, you can decide if LYBREL is the right choice for you. Simply print this page, complete the questions about your history, review the sample questions to ask your health care professional, and take this page with you to your next office visit.

Please note: This is not a formal diagnostic tool. It's simply meant to help start a discussion with your health care professional to see if LYBREL is right for you.

1.: My periods usually last: (Check one.)
[   ] 1 to 3 days
[   ] 4 to 6 days
[   ] 7+ days
2.: My menstrual flow is heavy: (Check one.)
[   ] All the time
[   ] Sometimes
[   ] Never
3.: I am currently using the following methods of birth control: (Check all that apply.)
[   ] Oral contraceptive
[   ] Condoms
[   ] Vaginal ring
[   ] Patch / hormone patch
[   ] Contraceptive injection / shot
[   ] Natural methods
[   ] Other
[   ] None
4.: Describe what you like and dislike about your current method of birth control.

Questions you may want to ask your health care professional about LYBREL:

1.: Is LYBREL an effective oral contraceptive?
2.: Is it OK for me not to have a menstrual cycle?
3.: What are the side effects of LYBREL?
4.: Will I experience any breakthrough bleeding while taking LYBREL?
5.: Will I gain weight while taking LYBREL?
6.: Will I be able to get pregnant once I stop taking LYBREL?; Additional comments and questions:

View the Patient Information

Important Safety Information

The Pill does not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Unscheduled bleeding or spotting is likely to occur while you are taking LYBREL. The convenience of having no regular menstrual periods should be weighed against the inconvenience of unscheduled or unplanned breakthrough bleeding and spotting.

Some women should not use the Pill, including women who have blood clots; breast, uterine, or liver cancers; a history of heart attack, stroke, or breast cancer; as well as those who are or may be pregnant.

Serious risks associated with the Pill which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks and are increased if you smoke cigarettes.

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious adverse effects on the heart and blood vessels from oral contraceptive use, especially if you are over 35. Women who use the Pill are strongly advised not to smoke.

LYBREL provides women with more hormonal exposure on a yearly basis (13 additional weeks of hormone intake per year) than conventional cyclic oral contraceptives containing the same strength of synthetic estrogens and similar strength of progestins.

Because regular monthly bleeding does not occur on LYBREL, it may be difficult to recognize if you get pregnant. If you suspect that you may be pregnant, or if you have symptoms of pregnancy such as nausea/vomiting or unusual breast tenderness, you should have a pregnancy test and you should contact your health care professional.

The most common side effects reported with LYBREL in a clinical trial were headache, menstrual cramps, upper respiratory infection, vaginal bleeding, and nausea.