Tranexamic Acid

Tranexamic Acid is a prescription medication used to treat cyclic heavy menstrual bleeding. 

• Tranexamic Acid is available under the following different brand name: Lysteda

Adult and pediatric dosage

Tablet

• 650mg

Menorrhagia

Adult and pediatric dosage

• 1300 mg orally three times daily for up to 5 days during menstruation

Pediatric dosage

• Indicated for women of reproductive age and is not intended for use in premenarcheal girls. 
• No dosage adjustment is needed

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See “Dosages”.

Common side effects of Tranexamic Acid include:

• mild headache, 
• runny or stuffy nose, 
• stomach pain, 
• tiredness, 
• eye redness, 
• back pain, and
• joint or muscle pain

Serious side effects of Tranexamic Acid include:

• hives, 
• difficulty breathing, 
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, 
• problems with the vision (including color vision), 
• sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), 
• sudden headache, 
• confusion, 
• problems with vision, speech, or balance, 
• pain or swelling in one or both legs, 
• migraine headache, 
• pale skin, 
• lightheadedness, 
• shortness of breath, 
• rapid heart rate, 
• trouble concentrating, and
• lightheadedness

Rare side effects of Tranexamic Acid include:

• none 

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them.  Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist first

• Tranexamic Acid has severe interactions with the following drugs:
  • dienogest/estradiol valerate
  • ethinylestradiol
  • mestranol
• Tranexamic Acid has serious interactions with the following drugs:
  • anti-inhibitor coagulant complex
  • Factor IX
  • Factor IX complex
  • Factor IX, recombinant
• Tranexamic Acid has moderate interactions with the following drugs:
  • alteplase
  • defibrotide
  • reteplase
  • tenecteplase
  • tretinoin
• Tranexamic Acid has minor interactions with no other drugs.

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drug interactions. Therefore, before using this drug, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the drugs you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your physician if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity
• Women using combination hormonal contraceptives
• Active thromboembolic disease (e.g., DVT, pulmonary embolism, or cerebral thrombosis)
• History of thrombosis or thromboembolism, including retinal vein or artery occlusion
• Intrinsic risk of thrombosis or thromboembolism (e.g., thrombogenic valvular disease, thrombogenic cardiac rhythm disease, or hypercoagulopathy)

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Tranexamic Acid?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Tranexamic Acid?”

Cautions

• Increased risk for thrombosis when coadministered with combination oral contraceptive (see Contraindications), Factor IX complex concentrates, anti-inhibitor coagulant concentrates, or oral tretinoin
• Venous and arterial thrombosis or thromboembolism, as well as cases of retinal artery and retinal vein occlusions, have been reported
• Severe allergic reaction reported; anaphylactic shock reported with IV product
• May cause cerebral edema and cerebral infarction in women with subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Ligneous conjunctivitis reported

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Not indicated for use in pregnant women; there are no available data on use in pregnant women to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes; tranexamic acid crosses the placenta; animal reproduction studies have not identified adverse developmental outcomes with oral administration of tranexamic acid to pregnant rats at doses up to 4 times the recommended human dose.
• Tranexamic acid is present in the mother’s milk at a concentration of about one-hundredth of the corresponding serum concentration; the amount of tranexamic acid a nursing infant would absorb is unknown; there are no adequate data on the effects of tranexamic acid on the breastfed infant or milk production; the developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for therapy and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from therapy or underlying maternal condition.