The FDA recently disclosed that two batches of the birth control pill Tydemy, disseminated between June 3, 2022, and May 31, 2023, may be less effective due to decreased ascorbic acid content.

Lupin Pharmaceuticals Recalled Tydemy

Lupin Pharmaceuticals manufactured this oral contraceptive pill for prescription use. Due to the pill's inefficacy, the company recalled two batches of Tydemy, L200183 and L201560, warning that pregnancy may occur unexpectedly.

Lupin advises patients to continue taking their prescribed medication but to consult with their primary care physician regarding an alternative method of contraception.

What Are Contraceptive Pills?

The contraceptive pill is a type of hormonal contraception. They are also useful for:

• Minimize heavier menstrual cycles.
• Treating acne can alleviate the symptoms of certain reproductive disorders, including PMS and endometriosis.

Moreover, combination birth control tablets and progestin-only minipills are available.

Combination Tablets

Combination tablets contain both progestin and estrogen as hormones. Combination pill packets typically have active pills for 3 and 1 week of placebo pills for 1 week. During the week of inactive tablets, a period may occur.

Progestin-only

Typically, progestin-only pill packets contain 28 days' worth of active tablets. Even though there are no inactive tablets in the fourth week of your dose, you may still have your period. For maximum effectiveness and to help you establish a regimen, attempt to take your birth control medications simultaneously each day.

However, it has been found that combination tablets provide greater flexibility; they are effective as long as taken daily. Progestin-only tablets, however, must be consumed within the same 3-hour daily interval.

Planned Parenthood reports that birth control tablets are 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy when used as directed. However, the majority employ typical usage. Typical usage could be by taking 2 pills or other occurrences that prevent a person from taking the pill daily at the same time. Moreover, if you take birth control pills, remember it's only 91% effective. That being said, another research reveals that approximately 9 out of 100 users will become impregnated in a given year even while taking birth control pills.

What Happens If You Stop Taking Birth Control?

After stopping birth control medications, you may revert to your normal cycle almost immediately and have your first period in as little as two months.

Moreover, it is essential to realize that you can become pregnant immediately after stopping the pill, regardless of whether you have regular periods.

So, what can be done? Barrier methods, such as condoms, must be used even when taking birth control tablets.

How Do Contraceptive Medications Work?

The pill and the injection both prevent pregnancy in the same manner. But how does it work?

First, the hormones within the body can inhibit ovulation. If no eggs are discharged, the sperm cannot fertilize anything. So, the point here is to stop women from ovulating. You can prevent ovulation with a combination of tablets. According to the ACOG, approximately four out of ten women who take a progestin-only contraceptive pills continue ovulating.

Second, the hormones increase the accumulation of secretions around the cervix opening. If this substance becomes more viscous, sperm penetrating the body will be prevented from reaching an egg. Both contraceptives can also thin the uterine lining, preventing any fertilized embryo from attaching.

What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Contraceptive Pills?

Pros

• They are highly productive when taken correctly, with approximately 1 in 100 women becoming impregnated.
• Positive side effects include milder, more regular periods and decreased menstrual cramping. The combination tablet can also treat or prevent acne, PMS, and endometrial or ovarian malignancies.
• Using birth control medications to avoid your period is safe over the long term if you choose to do so.
• Even if it takes a while for your period to become regular again, you can become pregnant as soon as you cease taking them.
• They are frequently available. You can buy them anywhere instead of visiting a doctor's office, and they will not interfere with sexual activity.

Cons

• On average, they are marginally less productive than the projectile. The effectiveness of pills is approximately 91 percent, whereas the efficacy of the injection is 94 percent.
• There may be side effects. Symptoms include intermenstrual bleeding, vertigo, and migraines, typically lasting only a few months. Rarer but more severe adverse effects include stroke and blood clotting. Combination medications increase the risk of these side effects.
• To prevent pregnancy, you will need to remember to take the contraceptives daily. Progestin-only tablets must be consumed on an even more restrictive schedule — within the same 3-hour window each day.

For Individuals Who Take Tydemy Birth Control Tablets

The active ingredients for contraception are estrogen and progestin, and the announcement does not mention low levels of the active ingredients, only ascorbic acid, which is an inactive ingredient. If patients are concerned about diminished efficacy, they could speak with their healthcare provider about transitioning to a different oral contraceptive pill.

Additional Adverse Effects of the Recalled Tydemy Medication

It is essential to be aware of the potential dangers associated with birth control tablets with reduced effectiveness. In addition to pregnancy, which is the most obvious risk, irregular bleeding could also be a risk. Also recommended is checking the expiration date on medications, including contraceptives.

In general, the primary risk associated with taking expired medications is diminished efficacy, so unintended pregnancies would be the greatest concern. However, the expiration date on the bottle typically occurs well before the drug loses efficacy.

Optional Contraception Alternatives

Tydemy is a generic version of a brand-name oral contraceptive pill, so depending on insurance coverage, other generic versions may be available, or patients may request the brand name. If patients are concerned about decreased efficacy, they can use condoms or another method of contraception as a safeguard. At the same time, they wait to transition to a different birth control pill or have their affected lot of Tydemy replaced with a new, unaffected lot.

Those taking the recalled quantities to use supplemental contraception and condoms before transitioning to a different product or the next lot.