Pronunciation: slind
Generic name: drospirenone
Dosage form: oral tablets (24 white tablets of drospirenone 4 mg, 4 green inert tablets)
Drug class: Progestins

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 15, 2025.

What is Slynd?

Slynd is a birth control pill (oral contraceptive) also called a POP (progestin only pill) that is used by females who can become pregnant to prevent pregnancy. 1 tablet is taken daily for 28 days (one white active tablet for 24 days and one green inactive tablet for the following 4 days).

Slynd works primarily by suppressing ovulation, which is the release of an egg from the ovaries. This prevents fertilization. Slynd belongs to the drug class called progestin-only oral contraceptives.

4 out of 100 women taking Slynd became pregnant in one major clinical trial (NCT02269241, n= 953 women 35 and younger) over one year, giving it an effectiveness rating of 98.2% in preventing pregnancy and a Pearl index of 2.4 (meaning roughly 2 to 4 pregnancies per 100 women per year of use).

Slynd gained FDA approval on May 23, 2019, as the first progestin-only pill containing drospirenone. There is no generic available, but there are other progestin-only birth control pills.

Side effects

The most common side effects of Slynd are:

• acne
• menstrual cramps
• headache
• nausea
• breast pain and tenderness
• severe vaginal bleeding
• weight gain
• less sexual desire.

Serious side effects and warnings

Slynd may cause the following serious side effects:

• High potassium levels in your blood (hyperkalemia). Certain medicines and conditions can also increase the potassium levels in your blood. Your healthcare provider may check the potassium levels in your blood before and during treatment with Slynd. Call your healthcare provider or go to a hospital emergency room right away if you have signs or symptoms of high potassium levels in your blood including:
  • weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
  • palpitations (feel like your heart is racing or fluttering) or irregular heartbeat
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • severe pain in your chest
  • shortness of breath.
• Blood clot formation in blood vessels (thromboembolisms). Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a blood clot. Tell your healthcare provider if you plan to have surgery or are not able to be active due to illness or injury. Call your healthcare provider or go to a hospital emergency room right away if you have:
  • leg pain that will not go away
  • a sudden, severe headache, unlike your usual headaches
  • sudden, severe shortness of breath
  • sudden change in vision or blindness
  • chest pain
  • weakness or numbness in your arm or leg
  • trouble speaking
• Bone loss. It is not known if the decrease in a sex hormone that happens with Slynd can result in decreased bone density (bone loss).
• Cervical cancer. Women who use hormonal contraceptives may have a higher chance of getting cervical cancer. However, this may be due to other reasons, such as having more sexual partners and exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Liver problems, including rare liver tumors. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have yellowing of your skin or eyes.
• Ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in your tubes). If you get pregnant while using Slynd, you might have an ectopic pregnancy. That means that the pregnancy is not in the uterus. Ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency that often requires surgery. If you have severe abdominal (belly) pain, call your healthcare provider or go to a hospital emergency room right away.
• Risk of high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. If you have diabetes, you may need to monitor your blood sugar level more often or adjust your diabetes medicine.
• Changes in menstrual bleeding. Irregular vaginal bleeding, especially between menstrual periods, and irregular periods or the absence of menstrual periods are common side effects of Slynd, but can sometimes be serious. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of these changes in menstrual bleeding.
• Depression, especially if you have had depression in the past. Call your healthcare provider immediately if you have any thoughts of harming yourself.

Slynd does not protect against sexually transmitted infections such as Herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, or HIV infection.

These are not all the possible side effects of Slynd. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Related/similar drugs

Before taking

Do not take Slynd if you:

• have kidney disease or kidney failure.
• have reduced adrenal gland function (adrenal insufficiency).
• have or have had cervical cancer or any cancer that is sensitive to female hormones.
• have liver disease, including liver tumors.
• have unexplained vaginal bleeding.

Your healthcare provider will suggest a different method of birth control if you have one of these conditions. If any of these conditions happen while you are taking Slynd, stop taking Slynd right away and talk to your healthcare provider. Use non-hormonal contraception when you stop taking Slynd.

Before taking Slynd, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

• are pregnant or think you may be pregnant
• have ever had blood clots in your legs (deep vein thrombosis), lungs (pulmonary embolism), or a stroke or heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• have or have had depression

Pregnancy

Discontinue Slynd if pregnancy occurs.

How do I take Slynd?

Before you start taking Slynd:

• Decide what time of day you want to take your pill. It is important to take it at the same time every day and in the order as directed on your blister pack.
• Have backup contraception (condoms or spermicide) available.

How to take Slynd

• Take 1 pill every day at the same time. Take the pills in the order directed on your blister pack.
• Both the white pills and the green pills should be swallowed whole.
• Do not skip your pills, even if you do not have sex often. If you miss pills (including starting the blister pack late), you could get pregnant. The more pills you miss, the more likely you are to get pregnant.
• If you have trouble remembering to take Slynd, talk to your healthcare provider. When you first start taking Slynd, spotting or light bleeding in between your periods may occur. Contact your healthcare provider if this does not go away after a few months.

You may feel sick to your stomach (nauseous), especially during the first few months of taking Slynd. If you feel sick to your stomach, do not stop taking the pill. The problem will usually go away. If your nausea does not go away, call your healthcare provider.

• Missing pills can also cause spotting or light bleeding, even when you take the missed pills later. On the days you take 2 pills to make up for missed pills (see below), you could also feel a little sick to your stomach.
• Some females miss their periods on hormonal birth control, even when they are not pregnant. However, if you miss a period and have not taken Slynd according to directions, or miss 2 periods in a row, or feel like you may be pregnant, call your healthcare provider. If you have a positive pregnancy test, you should stop taking Slynd.

If you have vomiting or diarrhea within 3 to 4 hours of taking your pill, take a new pill (the pill scheduled for the next day) from your blister pack within 12 hours of the usual time you take your pill, if possible. Continue taking all your remaining pills in order.

• Start the first pill of your next blister pack the day after finishing your current blister pack. This will be 1 day earlier than originally scheduled. Continue on your new schedule.
• If you have vomiting or diarrhea for more than 1 day, your birth control pills may not work as well. If you have sex within 7 days after 1 or more days of vomiting or having diarrhea, use an additional form of birth control, like condoms or spermicide, as back-up contraception.

When should I start taking Slynd?

If you start taking Slynd and you are not currently using a hormonal birth control method:

• Start Slynd on the first day (Day 1) of your natural menstrual period (Day 1 Start). Your healthcare provider should tell you when to start taking your birth control pill.

If you start taking Slynd and you are switching from another birth control pill:

• Start your new Slynd blister pack on the same day that you would start the next pack of your previous birth control method.
• Do not continue taking the pills from your previous birth control pack.

If you start taking Slynd and you are switching from a vaginal ring or transdermal patch:

• Start taking Slynd on the day you would have inserted the next ring or applied the next patch.

If you start taking Slynd and you are switching from a progestin-only method such as an implant or injection:

• Start taking Slynd on the day of removal of your implant or on the day when you would have had your next injection.

If you start taking Slynd and you are switching from an intrauterine device or system (IUD or IUS):

• Start taking Slynd on the day of removal of your IUD or IUS.

See the Slynd Instructions for Use for more information.

What should I do if I miss any Slynd pills?

If you miss 1 white pill (active pills):

• Take it as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take 2 pills in 1 day.
• Then continue taking 1 pill every day until you finish the pack.
• You do not need to use a backup birth control method if you have sex.

If you miss 2 or more white pills (active pills), follow these steps:

• Take a pill as soon as you remember. Take the next pill at your regular time. This means you may take 2 pills in 1 day.
• Then continue to take 1 pill every day until you finish the pack (this will mean one or more missed white pills will remain in the blister pack)
• Use a non-hormonal birth control method (such as a condom or spermicide) as a back-up if you have sex during the first 7 days after missing your pills.

If you miss 1 or more green pills (inactive pill):

• You do not need to take 1 or more missed green pills. Take the next green pill at your regular time, every day until you finish the pack (this means 1 or more missed green pills will remain in the blister pack).

What else should I know about taking Slynd?

If you are scheduled for any lab tests, tell your healthcare provider you are taking Slynd. Certain blood tests may be affected by Slynd.

Slynd does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

What other drugs may affect Slynd?

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, such as St. John’s Wort.

Slynd may increase potassium levels in your blood. You should not take Slynd if you have kidney, liver, or adrenal disease because this could cause serious heart problems as well as other health problems. Other medicines may also increase potassium levels in your blood. If you are currently on daily, long-term treatment for a chronic health condition with any of the medicines listed below, talk to your healthcare provider about whether Slynd is right for you. If you take any of the medicines listed below for a chronic health condition, you should have a blood test to check the potassium level in your blood before you start taking Slynd and during the first month that you take Slynd:

• medicines to treat fungal infections, such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, or voriconazole
• medicines to treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection or Hepatitis C infection, such as indinavir or boceprevir
• clarithromycin

Drugs or herbal products that induce certain enzymes (for example, CYP3A4) may decrease the effectiveness of Slynd or increase breakthrough bleeding. You may need to use a back up form of contraception when you take these. Talk to your healthcare provider about this.

Slynd may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how well Slynd works. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Storage

Store Slynd at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).

Keep out of the reach of children.

What are the ingredients in Slynd?

White tablets

Active ingredient: drospirenone

Inactive ingredients: microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous lactose, colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, polyvinyl alcohol partially hydrolyzed, talc, titanium dioxide, and polyethylene glycol.

Green tablets

There is no active ingredient in the green tablets.

Inactive ingredients: lactose monohydrate, corn starch, povidone 30000, colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, hypromellose 2910, titanium dioxide, polysorbate 80, triacetin, FD&C blue 2 aluminum lake and yellow ferric oxide.

Frequently Asked Questions about Slynd

Do birth control pills cause cancer?

Hormonal contraceptives do not appear to cause breast cancer. However, if you have breast cancer now, have had it in the past, or you have (or have had) another cancer that may be sensitive to hormones, do not use hormonal contraceptives.

Women who use hormonal contraceptives may have a higher chance of getting cervical cancer. However, this may be due to other reasons, such as having more sexual partners and exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV).

What if I want to become pregnant?

You may stop taking Slynd whenever you wish. Consider a visit with your healthcare provider for a pre-pregnancy checkup before you stop taking Slynd.

What should I know about my period when taking Slynd?

Some females may miss a period. Irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting may happen while you are taking Slynd, especially during the first few months of use. If the irregular vaginal bleeding or spotting continues or happens again after you have had regular menstrual cycles, call your healthcare provider. It is important to continue taking your pills on a regular schedule to prevent a pregnancy.

What if I miss my scheduled period when using Slynd?

Some females miss their periods on hormonal birth control, even when they are not pregnant. However, if you go 2 or more months in a row without a period, or you miss your period after a month where you did not use all of your Slynd correctly, call your healthcare provider because you may be pregnant. Also, call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of pregnancy, such as morning sickness or unusual breast tenderness. Stop taking Slynd if you are pregnant. Slynd helps to lower the chance of becoming pregnant when taken as directed.

Your chance of getting pregnant depends on how well you follow the directions for taking your birth control pills. The better you follow the directions, the less chance you have of getting pregnant.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer