What is Drospirenone and how does it work?
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What's the lowdown?
Drospirenone is found in some brands of contraceptive pill
Drospirenone is anti-androgenic and may help with acne, hair growth, bloating and mood changes
Drospirenone is a synthetic progestin used alongside synthetic oestrogens in the combined pill. It’s also found in the progestogen-only pill Slynd.
It is a fourth-generation progestogen (the latest model!) and is made from spironolactone: a class of drugs with a range of uses that reduce androgens in the body.
You may have come across drospirenone if you’ve been prescribed the combined pill for acne, as it works with an oestrogen called ethinylestradiol to reduce testosterone in the body. Combined pills containing drospirenone are also prescribed for premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (a severe form of premenstrual syndrome), and the current evidence suggests it can be helpful in targeting these symptoms.
How does drospirenone work?
Drospirenone and ethinylestradiol (an oestrogen) can be used together in the combined pill. Drospirenone can also be used alone as a progestogen-only pill.
Drospirenone works by thickening your cervical fluid so that sperm can’t enter your uterus. It can also stop your follicles (which contains eggs) from ‘maturing’, which prevents ovulation, and can thin the lining of your uterus so that a fertilised egg can’t implant.
When drospirenone is prescribed for non-contraceptive reasons, it is usually because of its anti-androgenic properties, which can combat issues such as acne and excess hair growth. It’s also good to counteract the bloating or water retention associated with the oestrogen in the combined pill.
Drospirenone pill
Drospirenone is found in the following pill brands:
Combined pill
Progestogen-only pill
Is drospirenone androgenic?
No, drospirenone is anti-androgenic.3Â (Check out our ‘Guide to Androgens’ article for more info on what this means).
Is drospirenone safe?
Drospirenone is safe for the majority of people to take as a progestogen-only pill. You can’t take the drospirenone progestogen-only pill if you have a blood clot, have renal failure or have severe liver disease. You can’t take drospirenone in the combined pill if you have migraines with aura, have a BMI over 35 or are aged 35 or over and smoke.
Drospirenone side effects
These are some of the side effects reported by people taking a pill containing drospirenone4:
- Breast tenderness or enlargement
- Changes in mood
- Changes to periods
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Increased vaginal discharge
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