Tri-Sprintec

What is Tri-Sprintec?

Tri-Sprintec is a type of birth control pill. It’s a “combined pill” and contains two hormones that work in the body like progesterone and estrogen. When you take Tri-Sprintec tablets correctly, your chances of getting pregnant are very small — less than 1%.

It’s a 28-day pill, which means you take it every day unlike some other birth control pills which have a seven-day break between packs. There’s a lower dose version too, called Tri-Lo-Sprintec (aka Tri-Sprintec Lo).

How does Tri-Sprintec birth control work?

The two hormones in Tri-Sprintec trick the body into not making the necessary preparations to become pregnant. They stop the ovaries from releasing an egg, and try to block sperm from reaching and fertilizing the egg by thickening the fluid in the womb.

Taking the combined pill also stops your uterine wall from becoming thicker every month. When it stays thin, it’s not as easy for a fertilized egg to attach to the wall and grow. This effect can also mean you’ll get lighter or more regular periods.

There are 28 Tri-Sprintec tablets in each pack: 7 gray pills, 7 light blue pills, 7 blue pills and 7 white (inactive) pills. All you need to do is take the pills at the same time every day, in this order, and repeat every 28 days (so on the plus side, there are no breaks to remember).

What’s the difference between Sprintec and Tri-Sprintec?

They contain the same hormones, but Tri-Sprintec is a multiphasic pill. Sprintec is a monophasic pill. In monophasic pills, the amount of hormones delivered into the body stays the same through the four-week cycle. In multiphasic pills, it changes throughout the course of the cycle. Tri-Sprintec has three phases that last for seven days each: gray pills, light blue pills and blue pills.

The gray pills contain 0.18mg norgestimate and 350mcg ethinyl estradiol; the light blue pills contain 0.215mg norgestimate and 350mcg ethinyl estradiol; and the blue pills carry 0.25mg norgestimate and 350mcg ethinyl estradiol. The white pills don’t contain any hormones.

All 21 active pills in a Sprintec pack are blue (and contain the same level of hormones listed in the blue pills above).

Whether you choose a multiphasic or monophasic pill depends on how your body reacts to hormonal birth control. Some women find that they get better control of menstrual symptoms when using a particular kind. Let the doctor know if you’re unsure which type of pill is best for you.

How to take Tri-Sprintec tablets

Because it’s a triphasic pill, it’s important to take your Tri-Sprintec pills in the order directed on the pack. You can start taking Tri-Sprintec on any day, but if you take it on the first day of your period, you’ll be covered against pregnancy immediately. If you take it on another day, you’ll need to use condoms for the first seven days while the pill takes effect. If you’re changing to Tri-Sprintec from another pill, you can start Tri-Sprintec on the day after your last pill in the other pack. Take one tablet every day at the same time. You don’t need to take it with food. Make sure you refer to the instructions in the package insert before you start taking Tri-Sprintec.

How effective is Tri-Sprintec?

If you take Tri-Sprintec every day at the same time, it’s more than 99% effective. Out of 100 women taking the combined pill correctly over a whole year, only one will get pregnant. The chances of getting pregnant increase slightly if you sometimes make a mistake or miss a pill when using Tri-Sprintec. So you should always try to make sure you take it at the same time every day, as directed in the package insert.

What if I miss a Tri-Sprintec pill?

If you’re more than 12 hours late taking a pill, it counts as a missed dose. What you need to do next depends on the color pill you missed. If you forget to take a gray, light blue or blue pill, take the one you missed, and then take the next pill at the normal time and continue. You should not need to use any extra contraception. If you forget to take two gray or light blue pills (week one or week two of your pill cycle), take two of the pills you missed immediately, and the next two pills in your pack the next day. Then take the rest of your pill pack as normal. You will need to use a condom (or another barrier birth control method) for the next 7 days. Start a new pack if you miss three or more gray or light blue pills in a row, or two or more blue pills in a row (and use a condom for a week when having sex). If you miss one or more Tri-Sprintec white pills, you don’t need to do anything other than discard the pills you have missed, and continue as normal the next day. You won’t need any extra contraceptive cover if this happens.