Mini pill vs Combination birth control pill
Mini pill ingredients
Main hormones in Mini pill
progestin
Combination pill ingredients
Main hormones in Combination pill
estrogen
What Lowdown reviewers say
21% very positive
38% spotting
42% no impact
54% no impact
46% no impact on skin
50% don’t know impact
29% no impact on mood
31% lighter periods
40% lost sex drive
43% no impact
42% improved skin
40% in 1 month
Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Mini pill reviews
24 reviews
Used for 6 - 12 mo
27 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 21st Feb 25
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 15th Feb 25
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
• 31st Dec 24
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
27 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 21st Feb 25
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 15th Feb 25
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
• 31st Dec 24
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Combination birth control pill reviews
98 reviews
Used for 6 - 12 mo
43 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 2 weeks ago
The only negative is loss of sex drive, other than that it has helped my mood
Very positive mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
24 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 1 month ago
My moods increased, I lost 50 lbs, and my acne got better. I was using Aviane before this and I was ovulating on it. Since switching to Vienva I have not had any issues.
Very positive mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 12th Feb 25
I’ve experienced these issues around or during my period
Improved skin
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
43 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 2 weeks ago
The only negative is loss of sex drive, other than that it has helped my mood
Very positive mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
24 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 1 month ago
My moods increased, I lost 50 lbs, and my acne got better. I was using Aviane before this and I was ovulating on it. Since switching to Vienva I have not had any issues.
Very positive mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
26 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 12th Feb 25
I’ve experienced these issues around or during my period
Improved skin
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
• 11th Feb 25
Had nausea the first week of both months 1 and 2. Only side effect was significant breast and butt enlargement, which led me to stop taking it.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
52 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 5th Feb 25
no noted side effects very happy with this medication was switched to sprintec and not happy at all with sprintec
Very positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
23 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 4th Feb 25
I actually didn't really have any "normal" side effects with this pill, I felt like I was mostly normal. But I did notice that my hair was gradually thinning, and it felt like it triggered some form of chronic hair loss for me. Interestingly enough, while it wasn't a huge issue, I noticed that I had "stinky" periods? I stopped having them after I stopped the pill.
Worse skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇺🇸 US
• 28th Jan 25
Being on this actually helps me to get fewer menstrual migraines. I don’t seem to have had any truly bad side effects over the years I’ve been taking it.
Improved skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 22nd Jan 25
I got major mood swings when skipping the placebo week, which is why I stopped.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
45 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 15th Jan 25
Very positive mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
39 years old
🇺🇸 US
• 17th Dec 24
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
3 helpful
0 comments
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