Yasmin pill

Overall a good experience. Main side effects were becoming more irritable and increased body odour 

Yasmin pill-review-id-8d04828f-4fee-4465-acae-762de919fa77

VERY mixed emotions about Yasmin. I've been on it for ages, and I'm still on it. yes the boobs grow a lot. at the beginning my mood changes were crazy I thought I was losing my mind. Anxiety and depression symptoms surfaced (mostly anxiety - intense panic attacks), when I didn't have issues with it prior. They're still there but after years of dealing with it I don't notice as much as I used to. I have noticed that water retention is a big issue, as well as increased appetite - it's much harder to lose weight on the pill compared to off it. I also have an extremely lower libido, like crazy low. My skin cleared so fast and i had really bad dermatitis around my mouth and nose, not to mention hormonal acne on the rest of my face - now i get pimples almost never.  Also please please be careful when drinking if you've newly started the pill, it made me a lightweight overnight i swear. Also I skip the sugar pills most of the time, only having my period about 3 times a year which is FANTASTIC

Yasmin pill-review-id-009dea1f-b6eb-4ebb-b87b-5f661d96bc15

This pill does what it claims, I noticed some improvement in my skin, I’m prone to mild acne on my chest, back, and face, and those areas have cleared up, which I’m pleased about. However, after 21 days of taking it, there’s a seven-day break, and within two days of that break I experience severe headaches and migraines. They’re often debilitating and leave me bedridden for one to three days. Because of this, I’ve decided to stop taking Yazmin altogether. Everyone reacts differently, but due to the recurring migraines and headaches, this pill just isn’t the right fit for me.

Yasmin pill-review-id-b7223851-d626-4253-bcc5-e3598094f267

Rigevidon

I immediately noticed improvement in my emotional regulation (anger) and mental health. I stopped having frequent sleep issues (nightmares) too. Less brain fog and sweating. I couldn't believe the difference not taking it made and I will be avoiding it like the plague in the future.

This pill gave me severe emotional dysregulation (notably anger) to the point it almost felt like a fever dream. Granted, I only used it for a month, but that's because I genuinely couldn't tolerate it and had never experienced anything similar on other pills. I was angry to the point of having rage-inducing nightmares and feeling provoked by most harmless interactions. It also made me stress and ruminate a lot more. Frankly, I think it is appalling that such medication is deemed fit for use - which generally circles back to the issue of dismissal in women's healthcare. It was an absolute nightmare, and no one should have to tolerate going through that even if it does "get better eventually." To provide some perspective, the contraceptive pill in men's trials was shut down simply because it caused headaches. So why should we put up with symptoms that are a million times worse? Echoing other reviewers, I'd rather switch to a brand that doesn't come with the hassle (though ideally, the whole industry needs to fix up). Why this is the most commonly prescribed brand in the UK is beyond me.

Rigevidon-review-id-b272e34f-c3ff-41d5-b929-134253aeaa68

The first month WILL be hard, I had intense mood swings and nausea, but by month 3 I promise you it will settle down. Personally, I wanted to switch to yasmin due to the fact the cramps and the bad mood coming on/off after a break etc were too intense for me. No weight gain, only loss. My sex drive has not been affected whatsoever. There is a lot of fear-mongering surrounding the pill, but I think some of it comes from placebo, so don't over worry yourself. 

Rigevidon-review-id-d78e3234-5bc1-4958-8dea-7c74ca49945a

My period was extremely heavy and painful

My completely lost my sex drive and was always upset and in a really bad mood.I was on this pill consistently for 1 year and about 6 months and I had to stop for awhile and when I went back on it for 1 month and the side effects were horrible my skin was breaking out I was constantly bloated I started having 2 /3 periods A MONTH iam currently trying to change the pill iam on but iam nervous in it’s worse .

Rigevidon-review-id-140e9f78-e428-4760-815e-2fd7ad94a324

Eloine pill

Eloine completely cleared up the acne I had for 6 years! I would definitely reccomend it, although I will say that when I first started using it I had very intense mood swings but I think that’s normal due to the hormone change. 

Eloine pill-review-id-3ec03a07-f2da-49bd-9be5-32edbf11f071

I decided to try Eloine due to negative experiences with other combined pills and the low-dose appealed to me. Unfortunately this turned out to be the worst decision I've ever made.

In the first month I felt fine but soon after I began experiencing cramps, headaches and significant mood swings. After 4 months, I was suffering from daily severe headaches and migraines with aura. These migraines were consistent, occurring at the same time each week and lasting nearly two hours (something I had never dealt with before). I often had to take afternoons off work and isolated myself in a dark, quiet room until my vision returned and the dizziness subsided. The only times these migraines didn’t occur was the week I had off for my period. I also started experiencing regular spotting. 

Alongside the physical symptoms, my mood deteriorated. I became easily irritable, leading to frequent arguments with my partner… something that was rare for us before. This change in my behavior left me feeling down and my anxiety gradually worsened. My sex drive plummeted and eventually vanished altogether. 

The only positives from this pill was my heavy periods and awful period pain decreased and I lost weight.

After discussing my symptoms with a doctor, I was advised to stop taking Eloine immediately. Since stopping, my headaches and migraines have ceased (I haven't had a migraine since) and I began feeling like my old self again within 6 months. The impact of this pill extended beyond my health; it affected my relationship as well. This experience has left me wary of contraceptive pills, making me hesitant to try another option.

Eloine pill-review-id-c27d2300-b154-4ec1-89ad-a22b8a8b9aa9

I had several fortnight long periods on this pill. My regular periods are horrific so I was initially willing to take any side effects the pill had, and even though my regular level of pain/vomiting/fainting went away, I barely had rests from bleeding, my mood swings and hormonal breakdowns were uncontrollable, I gained a lot of weight, and I still had nausea and cramping. After over 18 months the side effects still had not dialled down so I had to quit. 

Eloine pill-review-id-f5522eed-9987-49ec-b77c-b6bf08d3fdb3

Microgynon 30 pill

I’ve been on this pill for many years. As a positive side effect, it helped with my acne, which makes sense as I used to have high testosterone levels. However, over the past few years I’ve started getting night sweats during the break week and noticed an increase in my blood pressure.

Microgynon 30 pill-review-id-99bccc63-151c-479b-b34d-a6f06c0d3924

Microgynon 30 pill-review-id-3a72b75b-70bb-41f5-a250-4262f7b9733e

Nice to stop menstruation but in no way worth it for the awful psychological impacts. Mental breakdowns were indeed had.

Microgynon 30 pill-review-id-3d5ae7cd-c1df-4173-b35a-6b8a3c873b9c

Cilique pill

I gained weight and felt more irritable when taking this contraception 

Cilique pill-review-id-52817f46-9490-4a71-8486-2b90b2f2825c

switched from levest bcos of skin, didn’t really help my skin at all i think i experienced more breakouts on it than when i was on levest, made my boobs bigger but also i feel like it made my cellulite worse?? also was bloated a lot. sex drive went down like crazy 

Cilique pill-review-id-84f46914-6941-4572-b1f8-84b7f05589aa

I have stayed on the pill for so long as it has helped get my acne under control as well as my period, I regularly took it bsck to bsck for 2 months at a time if I needed o and had no issues 

Qlaira pill and thrush

How our community feel they have been impacted by thrush on qlaira pill

Data is taken from self reported Lowdown user reviews

Reviewers that reported thrush as a side effect

Used for 1 - 3 mo

Lowdown user

🇬🇧 UK

• 20th Nov 23

Read more

Qlaira pill common side effects

Period like cramps

Breast enlargement

Lower back pain

Vaginal discharge

Tender breasts

Possible qlaira pill side effects

Best selling Combined pill in the UK

Top contraceptives for sale in the UK

Top 5 types of contraception for women

Order online now

Not sure yet? Speak to a doctor

Women's health, reviewed.

Get the best women’s health info in your inbox

Explore reviews

The legal stuff

Get involved

Get help

Built by doctors and experts