Progestogen-only / Mini pill and heavier periods

How our community feel progestogen-only / Mini pill has affected their periods

Data is taken from self reported Lowdown user reviews

Stopped

44%

No change

3%

Don't know

2%

Out of the 1518 reviews for progestogen-only / Mini pill, 92 people (6%) reported heavier periods.

Reviewers that reported heavier periods as a side effect

Data is taken from self reported Lowdown user reviews

Used for 1 - 3 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

I had always suffered with very minor anxiety, however once I went on this pill I was a wreck. It was like I became a whole different person, I was irritable, mean, and I was constantly upset. In the space of a month I went from a D to and E, and I gained weight like I never have before around my lower stomach. I had always been rather skinny around there, but even after 2 years of not taking it, I have never been able to return to how my body was beforehand. The first 2 and a half weeks were normal, but after that I bled consecutively for 9 weeks, with a few 16 days staggered in between where I only briefly spotted.

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Very negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  25th Sep 26

Ive been on this pill for over 5 months and I’m stopping. When I started about a month in I got horrible acne breakouts but I started using benzoyl peroxide and now it’s okay. I’ve had 3-4 periods and each one I’ve bled for weeks at a time so I am switching to a different one


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
36 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  18th Apr 26

My GP suggested I switch from Desogesterel to Noriday as I was consistently getting break through bleeding after many years of being period free. The first 6 months of taking Noriday were great, with a few days of very light spotting over many months. Then I started to get more regular, painful periods. I persisted with taking it, and after a few months of no period, it's been months of heavy, painful bleeds that last anywhere from 4 to 9 days at a time every 2-4 weeks. For the last few months I've been getting the type of period pain I haven't had since I was a teenager (I'm not in my mid-30s) - the kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night and stops you from sleeping. I'm coming off this pill today.


Decreased sex drive

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill common side effects

Data is taken from self reported Lowdown user reviews

49% of progestogen-only / Mini pill reviewers reported tender breasts

46% of progestogen-only / Mini pill reviewers reported period like cramps

41% of progestogen-only / Mini pill reviewers reported vaginal discharge

39% of progestogen-only / Mini pill reviewers reported breast enlargement

36% of progestogen-only / Mini pill reviewers reported vaginal dryness


Possible progestogen-only / Mini pill side effects

Data is taken from self reported Lowdown user reviews

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