Slinda is a contraceptive that contains the active substance drospirenone. This dynamic is a synthetic progestin with a pharmacological effect similar to natural progesterone. Do you want to know more about her? Keep reading!
In simple terms, this contraceptive pill is not a combination of estrogen and progestin. For this reason, it is a contraceptive that can be used by women who do not tolerate combined contraceptives.
Contents
How is it presented?
As corroborated by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products, Slinda, in its prospectus, is presented as tablets to be taken orally. The white medicine comes in a blister pack of 24 active tablets and another four green pills that do not contain an active ingredient.
The tablets of two different colors are arranged so that they help you comply with the intake and that there are no failures in the contraceptive method. The 24 white tablets contain the appropriate dose of drospirenone.
How is it presented?
This contraceptive provides high efficacy. Slinda’s contraceptive effect is because it acts on ovulation by inhibiting it when changes in cervical mucus occur.
However, Slinda has a point against it, and that is that it can cause irregular vaginal bleeding while you are taking this oral contraceptive. However, this irregular bleeding does not have to occur in all women who take Slinda.
By not having estrogen in its composition, this new contraceptive presents fewer cardiovascular risks compared to those that can cause the use of combined contraceptives.
Drospirenone has properties that make women who use contraceptives that contain it in their composition less risk of experiencing fluid retention. This active ingredient also has antiandrogenic properties, making it very suitable for women with signs of acne, hirsutism, or oily skin, as mentioned in a study at the Faculty of Medicine in Caracas.
Precautions in pregnancy and lactation
Slinda is contraindicated if you are pregnant or think you may be. If you have been taking Slinda before becoming pregnant, the occurrence of side effects cannot be ruled out. Slinda’s package insert does not indicate an increased risk of congenital disabilities.
You can use this oral contraceptive during the lactation period, even if small amounts of drospirenone pass through breast milk. Estrogen-free birth control pills are the only recommended option during this period.
How to take Slinda
This contraceptive pill offers reasonable cycle control thanks to the daily order scheme of its 24+4 package. In this way, Slinda is ideal for good treatment compliance.
Presenting 24 active pills and four placebo tablets offers the advantage of knowing the bleeding period.
Slinda is taken every 24 hours, ensuring that it is at the same time. The blister format is helpful to comply with the guideline, so if you follow the direction of the arrows and the numbers, you can practically not fail. You can start taking the first tablet on the first day of menstruation to continue following the order of the other days.
When you reach four placebo tablets, you continue to take them and start a pack again, leaving no days off between one and the other. You may experience some irregular bleeding while taking Slinda; if this occurs, you should continue to take the tablets without interruption.
How to get started with the first pack of Slinda
If you have not taken oral contraceptives before, start the pack on the first day of your period. By doing so, the contraceptive protects you from day one against a possible pregnancy, and you will not need to use additional methods.However, if you have previously been using another method of contraception, such as another oral contraceptive, the vaginal ring, or the transdermal patch, start taking Slinda the day after the last active tablet of your previous contraceptive or the same day that the vaginal ring or of the last transdermal patch.
You can also start taking Slinda the day after the tablet-free week, vaginal ring, patch, or placebo period of your previous contraceptive. If you decide to do this, you must use an additional barrier method of contraception for at least the first week of starting Slinda.
Possible side effects
Contraceptive pills are characterized by generating a series of side effects in women who consume them. Fortunately, these reactions are usually mild and disappear independently after a few days. Also, it is necessary to remember that not all women taking Slinda have these symptoms.
Among the most common side effects associated with the intake of Slinda, the following stand out:
- Headache.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Abdominal pain.
- Changes in sexual desire and mood.
- Acne.
- Discomfort in the breasts and painful periods.
- Depression or depressed mood.
- Weight gain.
A recent study published in 2019 by Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica showed that progestogen-free pills without estrogens do not increase the risk of venous thrombosis, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Furthermore, the same cited study states that drospirenone pills control menstrual cycles.
Contraindications and precautions
One of the main contraindications regarding the consumption of Slinda is an allergy to the active principle or any of the drug’s components. Nor should the medication be taken if there is a clot in a blood vessel in the extremities or the lungs.
Active kidney or liver diseases are another contraindication for taking the drug since they affect metabolism and excretion and may alter the contraceptive effect. Some breast cancers are sensitive to the action of sex steroids so these pills could favor the proliferation of these tumors.
On the other hand, there are certain situations that should be considered before starting treatment with Slinda despite not being absolute contraindications. In this sense, it is necessary to inform the doctor if any of the following conditions occur:
- History of thrombosis.
- Chronic liver disease or jaundice.
- History of breast cancer.
- Chloasmas.
- Mellitus diabetes.
- Arterial hypertension.
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Consumption of other medications.
Despite this pill’s contraindications and adverse effects, it continues to be an ideal contraceptive option. In fact, according to a study carried out in 2021 by several researchers at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), drospirenone is highly effective in women who have dyslipidemia, obesity, arterial hypertension, and thromboembolism.
Conclusion
This contraceptive only has drospirenone in its composition; it is estrogen-free. It offers an effective and safe contraceptive effect and decreases the side effects related to the presence of estrogens.