The Lybrel pills worked the same as any active combination contraceptive pills, preventing ovulation and altering the cervical mucus and uterine lining so sperm can’t easily reach the uterus and any fertilized egg cannot attach to it. However, all pills in the Lybrel pack are active pills. There was no pill-free or placebo interval, so users who took Lybrel daily did not have the withdrawal bleed or period they do taking other combination contraceptive pills. Since they had a lower dose of hormones than other combination contraceptive pills, some women experienced spotting.
While Lybrel stopped periods, it did not permanently impact users’ fertility. Ninety-nine percent of women regained their normal periods within 90 days of stopping Lybrel.
Lybrel and its generic equivalents should not be taken by women who are pregnant or who have had a baby recently. It’s also unsuitable for people with high blood pressure, heart and liver diseases, blood-clotting disorders, circulation problems, diabetes impacting the eyes or kidneys, severe migraines, unusual vaginal bleeding, and some other medical conditions.
Competition from a range of similar generic drugs placed financial pressure on the makers of Lybrel, who decided to withdraw their product from sale before its 2018 patent expiry date. It was never recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or discontinued because of any safety concerns. In fact, studies showed Lybrel was just as safe as any other combination contraceptive pill.