Contraception Reviews

Combination birth control pill vs Mini pill

Combination birth control pill

Want to switch birth control?

Mini pill

Want to switch birth control?

Overview

Rated 3.3

118 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 3.4

28 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Combination pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combination pill

estrogen


Mini pill ingredients

Main hormones in Mini pill

progestin

What Lowdown reviewers say

Mood

29% no impact on mood

Bleeds

32% lighter periods

Sex drive

37% lost sex drive

Weight

44% no impact

Skin

42% improved skin

Cycle return

39% in 1 month

Mood

32% no impact on mood

Bleeds

36% stopped periods

Sex drive

43% no impact

Weight

50% no impact

Skin

39% no impact on skin

Cycle return

60% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this birth control can help with

Acne or bad skin

Heavy periods

PMS and PMDD

PCOS symptoms

Period pain

Period pain

Heavy menstrual bleeding

Try it now

Want to switch birth control?

Try it now

Want to switch birth control?

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Combination birth control pill reviews

118 reviews

Combination birth control pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
46 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  4 days ago

Tri Lo Mili birth control pill  

Works to regulate period but did a number on me mentally.

Read more

Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combination birth control pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
24 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  2 weeks ago

Isibloom birth control pill  

I've been continuously cycling with these pills (skipping periods) and I've found a lot of my period and pre-period symptoms have improved! My doctor recommended this because of my PMDD and hormonal acne and I've found that both are easier to manage on this pill.


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combination birth control pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
23 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  3 weeks ago

Aviane birth control pill  

i’ve been on sronyx for 6+ years and since its been discontinued my pharmacy gave me aviane. i took one pack for the month and experienced the worst anxiety, nausea, mood swings, irritability, and general pain. it also caused heavy period like breakthrough bleeding and i do NOT ever want to take this afain


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Combination birth control pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
46 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  4 days ago

Tri Lo Mili birth control pill  

Works to regulate period but did a number on me mentally.


Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combination birth control pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
24 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  2 weeks ago

Isibloom birth control pill  

I've been continuously cycling with these pills (skipping periods) and I've found a lot of my period and pre-period symptoms have improved! My doctor recommended this because of my PMDD and hormonal acne and I've found that both are easier to manage on this pill.


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combination birth control pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
23 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  3 weeks ago

Aviane birth control pill  

i’ve been on sronyx for 6+ years and since its been discontinued my pharmacy gave me aviane. i took one pack for the month and experienced the worst anxiety, nausea, mood swings, irritability, and general pain. it also caused heavy period like breakthrough bleeding and i do NOT ever want to take this afain


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments


Mini pill reviews

28 reviews

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  26th May 25

Mini pill  

I lost so much hair. I’m done using this. My periods are more painful, I’m so tired now


Improved skin

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Apr 25

Mini pill  

Best bc pill experience I've had


Worse skin

1 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  16th Apr 25

Slynd birth control pill  

Really love it! I can skip my periods, don't experience migraines and my acne cleared up!


Improved skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  26th May 25

Mini pill  

I lost so much hair. I’m done using this. My periods are more painful, I’m so tired now


Improved skin

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Apr 25

Mini pill  

Best bc pill experience I've had


Worse skin

1 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  16th Apr 25

Slynd birth control pill  

Really love it! I can skip my periods, don't experience migraines and my acne cleared up!


Improved skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
22 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  31st Mar 25

Slynd birth control pill  

I gained 30 pounds after starting this birth control. Could not figure out what was going on with my body until I found a reddit thread where other people were experiencing the same.


Worse skin

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
27 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  21st Feb 25

Slynd birth control pill  

I’m hoping it gets better. Switched from Errin to Slynd 6 months ago. Hair loss stopped. Acne got better. Those were an immediate win. Month 1 - bled for 1 week. Month 2 - bled for 3 weeks. Month 3 - bled for 2.5 weeks. Month 4 - bled for 2 weeks. Month 5 - bled for 1.5 weeks. Month 6 - bled for 1 week. I naturally have a short cycle, and in the process of trying to force my cycle into a 30 day cadence, I’ve gotten 1-2 days per month of severe headaches before my period (thought my head would blow off without Tylenol) and minor dull headaches for ~1 week before each period. The headaches didn’t happen with Errin - but they are happening with Slynd (and also happened a few year back when I took the combo pill).


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  15th Feb 25

Slynd birth control pill  

It does what it needs to do, pregnancy prevention. Intense emotional fluctuations following the “usual” postpartum journey is definitely a downside


Very negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  31st Dec 24

Slynd birth control pill  

N/A


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
33 years old
🇺🇸 US
  •  29th Dec 24

Slynd birth control pill  

My experience thus far has been great with minor concerns for acne.


Worse skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  19th Nov 24

Norethindrone 0.35 birth control pill  

started taking it about a week and a half ago. i missed a day on sunday, so i took two on monday. today is tuesday and im having terrible cramps. other than that, emotionally its better than the combination pill.


Worse skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
  •  2nd Nov 24

Norethindrone 0.35 birth control pill  

This pill improved my sex drive which had been very reduced by the combination pill. It allowed me to put on more muscle too! The weight gain was mostly muscle, which I was so happy about. It was just hard to take the same exact time everyday.


Somewhat positive mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Birth control alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Combination birth control pill with other birth control

Don’t keep it on the DL.Put it on the LD.

Slide into our DMs

hello@thelowdown.com

Sitemap

©The Lowdown 2025