(18 votes, average: 4.22 out of 5)
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So I was talking with some girls at work, and we started discussing how they came out with a new birth-control that you can take year round. Yes I said year round!
“LYBREL is the first and only FDA-approved, low dose combination birth control pill you take 365 days a year, with no placebo or pill-free intervals. LYBREL provides the same low level of hormones every day — so for as long as you take LYBREL, you won’t have your regular monthly period. Breakthrough bleeding and spotting is likely while taking LYBREL. However, for the majority of women this usually decreases over time.”
Lybrel works much the same way as regular birth control pills and has the same rate of effectiveness (99%) in preventing pregnancy. Lybrel contains the same widely used hormones as other birth control pills but is taken every day without a break for menstruation. The continual daily dosing of these hormones no uterine lining is formed, and so most women experience no bleeding or only some spotting or break-through bleeding.
I talked with the some of the pharmacists here at my work, and they said they’ve seen a lot of doctors writting for it now.
Only one question left in my mind. Who do you think pushed for this discovery of year round birth control, men or women? 
~HB~
December 13th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
I want I want I WANT!
June 9th, 2008 at 10:05 am
i have been taking lybrel for a month and a half now…..let me tell you for the past 2 to 3 weeks its been non stop bleeding thru. I have not had actual red blood but it’s just non stop spotting. I wonder when it will go away? I dont know anyone else on it who can tell me.
June 13th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I have been taking Lybrel for three months now and I have had intermittent spotting the entire time! I guess it’s not working out so great for me either.
June 24th, 2008 at 8:33 am
I’ve been on it for months - at least 8 now..
i had a perfect clear first month or two. then a couple weeks of spotting. then a few weeks of clear. then a month spotting and a painfully heavy period. then two months clear. then two month spotting, and one more month light bleeding.
according to my doctor, the longer you take a monophasic pill like this, the more your body will adjust. everyone is different - but most will have spotting in the beginning months. your body is used to building up that uterine lining, and every day that you take the pills, it trains your body to make less and less lining. since it won’t stop producing lining immediately, you’ll still have spotting/bleeding until your body learns to just knock off production altogether.
my body is apparently a slow learner.
i’m going to stick with it for now, because the promise of a period-free life is something i’ve dreamt of since this awful curse started!
PS - To all you uneducated ladies out there who think that you need to have a period because it’s “natural” or “cleansing” need to do some serious research. If you’re on hormonal birth control, that period you’re having is fake anyways! So why not just get rid of it?
December 18th, 2008 at 7:27 am
I had been tri-cycling with birth control for years because I’m one of the unfortunate people whose cycle was so out of control and painful, I actually would miss full weeks of school and have to get pain shots at the doctor’s office in some cases…. so for me, the transition to lybrel was VERY easy. I had no spotting since my body was already used to the idea of not having a regular cycle, and I’m extremely happy I made the change
I love having this freedom, and I love not having to dread the pain and the misery. For some women who only experience mild cramping or normal periods, it might not be for you. Or it might if you really just want freedom. but for people like me who had doctors tell me it’s best if I don’t have regular periods, it’s a GOD-send!
December 21st, 2008 at 1:08 am
To those who just started taking this, stick with it.
To those who dont have it and want it, get it.
I have been on lybrel for about a year now, and i love it. It however can be slightly pricey with most insurances not covering it, but it is worth it. And to comfort those who have non-stop spotting, dont worry. I was that way, and it does get better. But as far as overall, i love it. No cramps, no worries, and not even close to as many breakouts as i used to have.
January 16th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I have been on Zovia 1/35 for 6 years now, and I recently switched doctors. I have been taking the pills so that I only have a period once every 6 months. I had been told by my old doctor that it was fine and safe to do this.
I told my new doctor that I was thinking of taking the pills so I would only have a period once every year. She told me she strongly recommended against this. Recent research is showing that the longer you go without a period, the more you are hitting those cells inside, that you are not allowing to leave your body via a period, with hormones - this increases your risk of cancer.
It makes perfect sense to me! I will be limiting my periods to once every six months, or maybe once every 4 months.
I am also thinking of switching to Lybrel and using this pill to have a period every 4-6 months.
January 17th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
For the past 6 years, I have used the pill to supress my periods. Monophasics are usually chosen for this because of the risk of break-through bleeding. I, however, have used triphasics (Orthro TriCyclen, Ortho TriCyclen Lo and Trivora) to do this. Initially, I opted to have one or two periods a year. Eventually, I decided not to have any. I only tend to experience break through bleeding after a year and a half or two years without having a period. If it becomes annoying or last for more than a couple of days, I then know it is time to have one period and then I can continue suppressing them again and have no problems. Everyone’s body is different though. What works for me may not work for you.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:10 am
I took it for 8 months, loved it, but couldn’t afford it when I switched insurances. Went back to a birth control that had 2 days of placebos and bled like a psycho, told my husband I hated him, broke out all over my face like I was 14, and cried at the drop of hat. After 2 months I called my doctor back and said I would pay any price to be back on lybrel. I had a slight period every 4 months, took regular pregnancy tests just to be sure and my life was awesome. All these people talk about how “natural” a period is and how they want one every month are those girls whose period lasts 4 days and and 5 tampons, no cramps and relatively clear skin. They have never had to call in to work to say I can’t leave the bathroom. I feel like calling in to work 3 days every month is not natural and my boss doesn’t think it is either. Bring on the Lybrel.
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 am
I just got my prescription for Lybrel though I can’t start it for about 3 weeks. My sister’s taken Seasonal for a few years now & wasn’t sure which to switch to & decided to give Lybrel a try though my sister still thinks I should go with the Seasonal but we shall see! I’m a little nervous but excited to finally have Lybrel
March 6th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I’ve been on Lybrel for over a year now. After the first month, I had non-stop spotting/light bleeding for about 6 weeks straight. I was ready to give up but then it just stopped one day. I then had about 4 months of no spotting and then another 6 weeks straight of spotting/bleeding. It’s now been another 8 months and I haven’t had any spotting at all. It’s been wonderful. It’s definitely worth it once your body gets used to it. I started taking it mostly to help regulate my hormones and hopefully stop mood swings and migraines which were hormone-induced. It has actually worked really well for that as well.
March 10th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I have been on Lybrel for 3 months now and have also been experiencing continuous spotting and severe cramping. I know many of you stuck it out, but don’t think that I can handle it!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
I have been on Lybrel for two weeks now. I have had an awful time! I feel as though I am pregnant with the random nausea, and I have severe cramping that will take my breath away. I want to stick it out, but I don’t know if I can take this much longer.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Im 38 and have been taking Lybrel for about a month. After my last child and breastfeeding I started having wild mood swing and bouts of anger and rage that I did’t have before. I went to counselling for abot 6 months to help manage my anger and that didn’t work. It took me awhile to realize it was something to do with my hormones and not regular PMS. I went and saw my Gyno. and she suggested Lybrel to regulate my hormones. I was reluctant because the pill usually gives me nausea and headaches and I havent taken It since my mid 20,s . So, started taking it right before bed so if I had any side effects maybe they wouldn’t be as bad. It has worked I don’t seem to have any side effects. Lastly my husband had a vasectomy after our last child so I’m taking this purely for hormone regulation. It is working so well, I’m actually happy. Not only that but I’m not yelling and screaming at my kids anymore. This created a lot of guilt for me. My patience has returned and I don’t feel like I’m a emotional wreck any more! Yea! My husband has even noticed a difference with our interaction. This drug has saved my home!
March 18th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I have been on Lybrel for almost 2 years now. I had no spotting when I started the pills but after about 3 months I started spotting all the time. I would have 3 months of nothing, followed by 2 months of spotting. Last summer I had spotting the entire summer! I even had a full period for 5 weeks. I was loosing so much blood I became very weak and sick. I had to start taking a pill with higher estradiol. After 3 months of staying on the new pills I switched back to Lybrel and was good for 4 months. All of a sudden I have my period again and I have had it all month so far. I have the bloating, cramps, mood swings, break outs and increased appetite. My boyfriend is going crazy with me like this! I decided after all this that these pills are just not worth the agravation. The thought of having no periods is wonderful, but nothing lasts forever. I plan on regulating my body again and taking something else. I’m looking into Yasmin. I hear good things about it.
April 19th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I was on Lybrel for about year and a half.I went on it at the tail end of some health issues…I went septic from an infection. At first I thought the pill was working for me and that I wasn’t feeling well due do to going septic. Then, the symptoms got much worse over time and after brain scans, several blood tests, and 3 doctors, we found out it was from the Lybrel! Because of this pill I gained 18 pounds. I’m only 5″1′ and weighed 120 before the pill. At my last dr appt I was 138! I had migraines often, and when it wasn’t a migraine it was a nausiating headache. I had NO energy..I couldn’t go to class or work, I would sleep 13 hours and still be exausted. I threw up almost every morning. I stopped caring about everything and cried constantly. It was terrible. Within a week after I stopped taking it, I lost 6 pounds, was able to wake up in the morning and actually felt like a normal human being with emotions! It cause such terrible depression that I ended up on Welbutren until my hormones were leveled out. SO, be careful!
April 28th, 2009 at 6:51 am
I started Lybrel in Novemebr and bled/spotted for nearly 5 months straight!! My doctor kept encouraging me to hang in there. Most of the time it was heavy bleeding or old blood. It was a BIG inconvenience and wasn’t worth bleeding that long. I switched in April and my body is alot better.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I have been on Lybrel for 9 months now. My doctor put me on it because I started having terrible migraines that would last for 5 days at the end of my cycle. I couldn’t take the headaches anymore! The migraines were due to the drop in estrogen during the “off week” of regualr birth control pills. These pills have been a wonder drug for me. I only spotted the first month. I do not have symptoms associated with PMS any longer–moodiness, tiredness, cramps, aching breasts. Everyone’s body is different, but hang in there if you can. I will pay whatever Lybrel costs to be migraine free!
May 10th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
I have been on Lybrel for a year and a half. At first there was lots of spotting…for maybe 6 months .It wasn’t heavy and it wasn’t bad, it was just a pain in the butt. I was almost ready to give up on it and then one day I completely stopped spotting. I love Lybrel, except I get migraines. I get migraines about once a week, sometimes more. My doctor thinks it could be the Lybrel cuz I never used to get them that much. I’m trying to weigh which is worse, migraines or a period. Basically, they both suck. I’m gonna give Mirena a try in a few days and hopefully I don’t have any issues with that and it helps with my migraines. If I didn’t get migraines, I would stay on Lybrel forever!!! It’s worth sticking through all the spotting for the end result of no period at all.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:20 am
i have been on Lybrel for about a month now. and i have had non-stop spotting. and I thought i had something wrong with my body but after reading this i think i was wrong. I will just stick it out and deal with the spotting for now. But its weird. cause first its light and brown, then its heavy and red. All i know it im ready for this to stop. But other than the bleeding i havent had any other problems(:
June 10th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I have been on Lybrel for a year and a half now. At first I hesitated to take it because I was not sure how I felt about not getting a monthly period. I had then found out that I have Endometriosis. By stopping my monthly cycle, the Endometriosis would eventually go away…. and it did. I as well had spotting for the first few months. But for the past 5 or 6 months now, I have not had any spotting. I love this pill! I have taken other birth controls and had major reactions to it (emotionally and mentally) but Lybrel has not had any negative effects on me! I would like to eventually get off of it so I can have children but being in Grad school… I don’t want to worry about that now!
June 12th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
begged my gyno for a drug to stop my period dont need it dont want it cant have children so why have this cursed thing got lybrel havent had a period since oh my god what a gift. its been a prefect year.
June 14th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I was perscribed lybrel for numerous problems, little did i know it would have the reverse affect. i took it was 9 months and out of those nine months 5 of those months i had a 20 day long period, which caused me pain, and even more cramps than i had had before. i tried doing it different like after each pack i would go off for a week but that just was even worse,