Cyklokapron

Cyklokapron is a type of medicine called an anti-fibrinolytic drug. These medicines are used to stop and reduce excessive unwanted bleeding. When you bleed your body will make blood clots to help stop the bleeding. However, for some people, the blood clots also break down which causes excessive bleeding or heavy bleeding. Cyklokapron’s job is to stop the blood clots from dissolving and reduce unwanted bleeding for a short period of time.

This can be particularly helpful for women who have heavy menstrual bleeds.

How does Cyklokapron work?

Tranexamic acid is the active ingredient in Cyklokapron. It’s a synthetic version of an amino acid called lysine. This medicine prevents the breakdown of blood clots. It does this by blocking the activation of a protein called plasminogen and the lysine receptor, which are responsible for breaking down blood clots into smaller pieces. Tranexamic acid prevents this process from happening.^[1]

Who is Cyklokapron for?

Cyklokapron is used to help slow bleeding for several different conditions. As well as helping to slow heavy periods (also called menorrhagia), it can also be used to treat post-surgery bleeding, frequent nose bleeds, bleeding caused by cervical concision surgery, and as a preparation for haemophiliacs (people who bleed easily) to prevent blood loss before procedures like dental extractions. You can take it orally or by injection.^[2] We currently only offer it as a tablet.

What doses of Cyklokapron are available?

Cyklokapron comes in one tablet dose, of 500mg tranexamic acid. If you believe you are still experiencing heavy bleeding on this dose, you should contact your clinician to discuss a different treatment.

Always use this treatment exactly as explained by your clinician.

To take Cyklokapron tablets, always have them with a glass of water and swallow them whole. Don’t crush or chew them.

• The usual dose for heavy menstrual bleeding is two tablets taken three times daily for up to four days, during your period. The dose may be different if you’re taking it for something else.
• Maximum dose is 4g (eight tablets) a day.

Your prescriber will tell you how long to take them for.

How long does Cyklokapron take to work?

It depends if you’re taking it as a tablet or an injection. The injection is faster, but you’re much more likely to have this in a clinical setting for surgery-related conditions. After injecting, the amount of tranexamic acid in the bloodstream peaks immediately and then slowly decreases after six hours. The time it takes for half of the drug to be eliminated from the body is about 3 hours.^[1]

If you’re taking Cyklokapron for heavy periods, you’re much more likely to be prescribed tablets. It can take up to 24 hours for the tablet to start working when taken as directed.^[2]

If you accidentally take too much Cyklokapron, speak to a doctor. Taking an excessive amount of Cyklokapron can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or lightheadedness when standing up. If you forget to take it, don’t take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. Simply take the next dose as planned and skip the one you missed.