Lybrel

As with all birth control pills, allergies may result. Look for typical allergy symptoms like trouble breathing, itching, hives, rashes, and swelling of the face — especially the lips, tongue, and throat. Lybrel has been known to interact negatively with some drugs, so be sure to discuss anything you're taking, even herbal supplements or over-the-counter medications, with your doctor or Nurx professional before starting Lybrel. This is especially important if you're taking medication for hepatitis C, cancer, HIV, liver issues, or blood-clotting disorders. Your current medical condition is a factor as well. Make sure to mention if you have a history of diabetes, heart problems, blood disorders, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, jaundice, depression, or cancer.

Lybrel was completely safe. It was only discontinued under the Lybrel name because generic versions hit the market. This is fairly common in the pharmaceutical industry and no cause for alarm.

Lybrel is a pill that's taken every day. You should choose a certain time of day and always take it around the same time. Many women prefer to take Lybrel before bedtime or after their evening meal to prevent nausea and stomach upset. Lybrel stops your period from happening but does not affect fertility — 99 percent of women got their period back within three months after they stopped taking Lybrel and similar forms of birth control. If you have questions about discontinuing your birth control, the experts at Nurx can help.

Technically, Lybrel isn't available at all nowadays. The brand name was discontinued and replaced by a super-generic brand called levonorgestrel-ethinyl estradiol. A similar brand named Amethyst was also sold for some time, but this one was also discontinued recently once the generic brand became popular.

Most hormone-based forms of birth control have possible side effects. Some minor ones include headaches, nausea, cramps, bloating, high blood pressure, and water retention. Serious side effects, while rare, have been seen with Lybrel. Some of these are blood clots, vision changes, fainting, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Stroke-like symptoms have also been noted, such as slurred speech, confusion, and pain, numbness, or weakness on one side of the body.