IUB Ballerine vs Combined pill

Need help choosing? Speak to a doctor
IUB Ballerine

Add your IUB Ballerine review

Combined pill

£From £0.16/day

Overview

Rated 3.6

10 reviews

Every 5 years

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.8

2770 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

IUB Ballerine ingredients

The Ballerine IUB consists of 17 copper pearls which form a spherical shape. The frame is made from nitinol
is a metal alloy of nickel and titanium
and coated with polyethylene terephthalate.

Combined pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combined pill

progestogen

oestrogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

40% no impact on mood

90% heavier periods

60% no impact

50% no impact

44% no impact on skin

Cycle return

50% in 2 months

31% somewhat negative

47% lighter periods

46% lost sex drive

48% no impact

43% improved skin

Cycle return

36% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

There are no benefits that are recognised in scientific research or guidelines for this contraceptive

Acne or bad skin

Heavy periods

PMS and PMDD

PCOS symptoms

Period pain

Try it now

Add your IUB Ballerine review

Try it now

£From £0.16/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

IUB Ballerine reviews

10 reviews

IUB Ballerine  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  20th Apr 25

IUB Ballerine  

Have had the ballerine iud for 7 months and it’s a great change from my last contraception (bar implant). Wanted something that wasn’t hormonal and this was the best choice. Insertion was painful but cramps were gone after an hour or two. Periods have been very irregular still (late, heavy bleeds & spotting for days after), hoping/expecting for them to go back to normal around now since i’m 6months+ on. Other than that no issues & i recommend this over anything else ive tried.

Read more

Worse skin

0 helpful

0 comments

IUB Ballerine  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  18th Sep 24

IUB Ballerine  

Had very heavy periods. Ended up requiring blood transfusion.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

IUB Ballerine  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  16th Jul 24

IUB Ballerine  

I had my IUB inserted in March 2019. I didn't have any pregnancies before. The insertion of the device was the most painful experience of my life, almost passed out and threw up at the doctor's office, it was a really intense sharp pain. I also had very intense cramps for 2 days after insertion, no pain killers helped. I suppose that's what being in labor feels like, I constantly had an urge to push. After this, everything was fine, the device is reliable and comfortable; and I am using it for more than 5 years now (obgyn said I can use it up to 6 years if it works well). During these five years I had increased bloodflow and sometimes mid-cycle spotting because of the device, but nothing too bad. Overall, I would recommend.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

IUB Ballerine  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  20th Apr 25

IUB Ballerine  

Have had the ballerine iud for 7 months and it’s a great change from my last contraception (bar implant). Wanted something that wasn’t hormonal and this was the best choice. Insertion was painful but cramps were gone after an hour or two. Periods have been very irregular still (late, heavy bleeds & spotting for days after), hoping/expecting for them to go back to normal around now since i’m 6months+ on. Other than that no issues & i recommend this over anything else ive tried.


Worse skin

0 helpful

0 comments

IUB Ballerine  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  18th Sep 24

IUB Ballerine  

Had very heavy periods. Ended up requiring blood transfusion.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

IUB Ballerine  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  16th Jul 24

IUB Ballerine  

I had my IUB inserted in March 2019. I didn't have any pregnancies before. The insertion of the device was the most painful experience of my life, almost passed out and threw up at the doctor's office, it was a really intense sharp pain. I also had very intense cramps for 2 days after insertion, no pain killers helped. I suppose that's what being in labor feels like, I constantly had an urge to push. After this, everything was fine, the device is reliable and comfortable; and I am using it for more than 5 years now (obgyn said I can use it up to 6 years if it works well). During these five years I had increased bloodflow and sometimes mid-cycle spotting because of the device, but nothing too bad. Overall, I would recommend.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments


Combined pill reviews

2770 reviews

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Drovelis pill  


Improved skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 days ago

Zoely pill  

I requested Zoelly after attending a talk at spire about endometriosis as it was recommenced. For the first 3 months I loved it! Minimal cramps and much lighter periods lasting 2 and a half days (always been 6-7 days and heavy for me). After about 9 months - 1 year. Periods went back to 6 days but lighter. However, my endo symptoms have worsened. I can’t say if that’s is due to the pill though. I was taken off this due to developing migraines (I think developed due to stress rather than the pill) and endo symptoms worsening so to try another option.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4 days ago

Dianette pill  

Went in it for my acne which it massively improved, however experienced a lot of mental health issues (but obviously can’t be certain that’s from the pill) and a loss of libido.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Drovelis pill  


Improved skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 days ago

Zoely pill  

I requested Zoelly after attending a talk at spire about endometriosis as it was recommenced. For the first 3 months I loved it! Minimal cramps and much lighter periods lasting 2 and a half days (always been 6-7 days and heavy for me). After about 9 months - 1 year. Periods went back to 6 days but lighter. However, my endo symptoms have worsened. I can’t say if that’s is due to the pill though. I was taken off this due to developing migraines (I think developed due to stress rather than the pill) and endo symptoms worsening so to try another option.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4 days ago

Dianette pill  

Went in it for my acne which it massively improved, however experienced a lot of mental health issues (but obviously can’t be certain that’s from the pill) and a loss of libido.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 week ago

Zoely pill  

Honestly the best of all of the pills I’ve taken. However, after 18m on this I’m going to come off it and go back to natural cycles due to the following - loss of sex drive, constant and I mean constant headaches, generally feeling a bit ‘flat’ and tired all the time. I also have heavy limbs which is a weird side effect. That said, Zoely did not have any negative implications on my skin, weight, appetite and I don’t get mood swings- in fact I just feel a bit too flat overall so perhaps If mood swings are an issue it might suit you! But I’ve gone the other way


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 8+ yr
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

Regular and shorter period (4 days) and light flow. It made my skin perfect and my hair a bit thinner. I gained a lot of weight while on it and it was impossible for me to lose it, no matter how much I worked out or what diet I was doing. If I could go back I wouldn’t start using it, as in my case I only needed it for contraception.


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
21 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Rigevidon  

Within the 1st month, I had terrible mood swings; I become angry and irritable towards my parent. I seemed to calm down but then pick back up again in the next week. From withdrawal from this, everything was ok, apart from having a few pains and it also made my periods light. I didn’t have any symptoms of nausea or vomiting but I did gain a bit of weight and had breast tenderness (i dont know if my breast got bigger). By the 2nd month, I ended up feeling really low and had quite dark thoughts; my headache got worse and I was crying a lot during the day/night. Because of this I’m no longer taking this pill.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

1 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Ovranette pill  

I was extremely anxious. I would be extremely jittery and uncomfortable in my own body each day I took it. I was very emotional by the evenings and tired from being so anxious..


Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Yaz pill 🇺🇸  

I felt my best on Yaz. I had lots of energy, my mood was always good. But I got over 10 UTIs a year. I was on so many antibiotics. I couldn't get to the bottom of it. We looked at everything with my Dr. Only when I went to treat my reoccurring dry eyes it clicked. The week after I switched pills from Yaz, I havnt had a UTI since. I spent years suffering and countless antibiotics


Very positive mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Mercilon pill  

I have PCOS and PMDD. It did help with mood swings and cleared up my face acne, however it made me put on weight quite a lot so I decided to stop it in the end as it was becoming really hard to move around


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Drovelis pill  

If you gave up looking for any birth control because of the side effects, give Drovelis your last chance. I could not believe that such a pill exists anymore, given that every other pill made my face go full baboon's behinds. I have to take some contraception because of endometriosis. I'm taking it continuously without withdrawal days to stop my period completely. My symptoms are non-existent and my ovarian cysts have even shrinked so much they're not visible on the ultrasound anymore. From time to time, spotting occurs, sometimes not stopping for weeks. In that case, it's time to take a withdrawal period and let the uterus clean itself. I do this 2-3 times a year. The period cramps are noticeable but manageable. The biggest downside I am struggling is often reocurrence of candidiasis which is extremely uncomfortable, but given the circumstances it's the best thing I could ask for. I'm trying to manage with probiotics and autovaccines but to no avail.


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the IUB Ballerine with other contraceptives

Order online

Order online now

Use our online prescription in under 5 mins

  • No GP appointment needed

  • Free standard delivery

Speak to a doctor

Not sure yet? Speak to a doctor

Schedule an appointment now

87% of women are happier with their contraceptive choice after speaking with one of The Lowdown's doctors

The Lowdown Footer

Women's health, reviewed.

Get the best women’s health info in your inbox

You are signing up to receive The Lowdown's latest findings and news in women's health. Your data will be used in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie policy

Built by doctors and experts

Our tools are made by medical professionals for your peace of mind

Our website uses affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you click on them