Cryselle

What is Cryselle?

Cryselle is a low dose combination birth control medication. The active ingredients in Cryselle are norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, which mimic the estrogen and progestin that your body produces naturally.

Each active dose of Cryselle contains the same level of hormones. It’s a low dose hormonal birth control, so people who are sensitive to hormones may respond better to it than higher dose options.

Every cycle of Cryselle contains 28 doses. There are 21 white active pills that contain hormones. The remaining 7 pills are green and inactive—they don’t contain any hormones. If you take your birth control pills as directed, it’s highly effective for preventing pregnancy.

How does Cryselle work?

The norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol in Cryselle prevent pregnancy in a few ways. When you take it appropriately, Cryselle prevents you from ovulating altogether. Should you ovulate anyway, it prevents pregnancy through two other mechanisms. It thickens cervical mucus to keep sperm from entering your uterus. Cryselle also prevents the lining of your uterus from thickening enough for a fertilized egg to implant.

What doses of Cryselle are there?

Each white active tablet contains 0.3 mg norgestrel and 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol. There aren’t other doses of Cryselle available. If you need a hormonal birth control with a higher dose, you’ll need to ask your healthcare provider about other options.

How to take Cryselle

It’s easy to prevent pregnancy by taking Cryselle. When you take it for the first time, you’ll need to follow directions based on your individual circumstances. If you’re starting Cryselle without switching from another form of hormonal birth control, start your first pack on the Sunday after the first day of your period. You need to use a non hormonal birth control, like condoms or spermicide, for seven days. After seven days, Cryselle is effective enough to prevent pregnancy on its own. Switching from another birth control medication to Cryselle is a little more complicated. If your old birth control was a 28 day cycle, simply finish your last pack and begin Cryselle the next day. If your old birth control medication was a 21 day cycle, finish your last pack and take a seven day break before beginning Cryselle. In both cases, you’ll need to use a birth control method without hormones to prevent pregnancy. Once you’ve begun taking Cryselle, simply swallow your daily dose whole with water. Don’t crush, chew, or otherwise tamper with Cryselle. Make sure you take the pills in order so you don't mix up your active and inactive pills. You need to take it at the same time everyday, otherwise it may not be as effective.

How long does it take Cryselle to work?

It takes seven days for Cryselle to become fully effective. During the first seven days you’re on Cryselle, you’ll need to use another form of birth control to prevent pregnancy. Many people use condoms or spermicide if they choose to have sex during this waiting period. After seven days, Cryselle should effectively prevent pregnancy without back up methods of contraception.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Cryselle?

You should do your best to take Cryselle as directed. If you don’t, you lower it’s effectiveness and increase your risk for pregnancy. This is why it’s so important for you to take it at the same time everyday. If you forget to take a white active dose Cryselle, it’s easy to get back on track. Take your missed dose as soon as you remember. If you miss two white active pills during the first two weeks of your Cryselle cycle, take two pills as soon as you remember. You’ll also need to take two pills the following day. Then, you can take the rest of your Cryselle as normal. Missing two white active pills during the third week of your Cryselle cycle, you don’t need to double up on doses. Instead, take one pill a day until the next Sunday. On Sunday, throw away your remaining Cryselle and start a new pack. You’ll need to do the same thing if you happen to miss three active white doses in a row. If you’re unsure about how to take Cryselle after missing doses, reach out to your healthcare provider. They can provide you with guidance based of your specific circumstances. Anytime you forget to take an active white dose of Cryselle on time, you’ll need to use another form of birth control that doesn’t have hormones to prevent pregnancy. After those seven day are up, you can rely on Cryselle to prevent pregnancy again. If you miss an inactive green dose of Cryselle, you don’t have to worry about a thing. Simply throw away the green pills you missed and continue to take Cryselle as usual. Since the green pills don’t contain hormones, missing them doesn’t reduce the effectiveness of Cryselle. Make sure you start your next pack of Cryselle on time, and you’ll be good to go. Since Cryselle is a low dose birth control, there isn’t usually much concern if you happen to take more than directed. In most cases, you may experience increased side effects without any risk to your health. If you’re concerned that you may have taken too much Cryselle, talk to your healthcare provider.