IUB Ballerine vs Progestogen-only / Mini pill

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IUB Ballerine

Add your IUB Ballerine review

Progestogen-only / Mini pill

£From £0.22/day

Overview

Rated 3.6

10 reviews

Every 5 years

Frequency

Over 99%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.7

1450 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

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.

Progestogen-only / Mini pill ingredients

Main hormones in Progestogen-only / Mini pill

progestogen

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

32% somewhat negative

44% stopped periods

49% lost sex drive

44% no impact

46% no impact on skin

Cycle return

38% 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

Period pain

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Try it now

£From £0.22/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


Progestogen-only / Mini pill reviews

1450 reviews

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Slynd pill  

This pill made me feel emotionally empty and depressed. I know it wasn't placebo because I'm a pretty anxious person, and have tried everything to get rid of anxiety, without much success! A week on this pill and I had absolutely no anxiety because I had absolutely no emotions. I'm also a very motivated person normally, but I found it really hard to just get out of bed and function. It was wild. Took it for 2 weeks and then stopped, couldn't find any hard evidence that side effects improve after 3 months, and I genuinely didn't have time to be that unproductive and miserable for more than a couple of weeks.


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4 days ago

Cerelle pill  

Ive been on cerelle for 2 months so far but that is long enough. My hair and skin are extremely greasy all the time, i’m so moody and I keep getting bursts of anger. I have food cravings too so I have gained some weight! Sex drive did increase slightly


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Norgeston pill  

I went on norgeston because although i didnt get many side effects on desogestrel, i did suffer from hairloss. I think it has given me less regulation over my anxiety and notnreally done anything to reduce pain from adenomyosis but other contraceptives disagree with me (to the point I have painfully expelled 2 mirena coils).


Somewhat negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Slynd pill  

This pill made me feel emotionally empty and depressed. I know it wasn't placebo because I'm a pretty anxious person, and have tried everything to get rid of anxiety, without much success! A week on this pill and I had absolutely no anxiety because I had absolutely no emotions. I'm also a very motivated person normally, but I found it really hard to just get out of bed and function. It was wild. Took it for 2 weeks and then stopped, couldn't find any hard evidence that side effects improve after 3 months, and I genuinely didn't have time to be that unproductive and miserable for more than a couple of weeks.


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4 days ago

Cerelle pill  

Ive been on cerelle for 2 months so far but that is long enough. My hair and skin are extremely greasy all the time, i’m so moody and I keep getting bursts of anger. I have food cravings too so I have gained some weight! Sex drive did increase slightly


Very negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Norgeston pill  

I went on norgeston because although i didnt get many side effects on desogestrel, i did suffer from hairloss. I think it has given me less regulation over my anxiety and notnreally done anything to reduce pain from adenomyosis but other contraceptives disagree with me (to the point I have painfully expelled 2 mirena coils).


Somewhat negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Cerelle pill  

I’ve been on 3 different mini pills over the last 6 months and I have bled every single day since. 3 months ago I was recommended to double dose and take 2 mini pills a day to try and stop the bleeding. (I was previously on the combined pill and loved it but not allowed now as history of migraines with aura) It made no difference and actually made them heavier by the last month. Doctors just kept trying me on a different mini pill hoping it would stop the bleeding, so obviously my hormones have been all over the shop, when I would change to a new pill I couldn’t stop crying. It felt like no one really cared until today I sat in the doctors and just cried saying I just want someone to listen to me. I am now considering the hormonal coil.


Somewhat negative mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Desorex pill  

The mini-pill has been a life saver for me. I’ve always struggled with combined pills, trying so many to control horrible periods and always having awful side effects. Since first trying the mini pill, I had spotting for about a week, and I haven’t had anything since, it’s been three years! The only side effect I have is that my skin is very sensitive and breaks out easily like it did before I started taking oral contraceptives, which started again about two months in, but it’s worth it for the benefits for me. No mood swings, no migraines, no bleeding, no hair loss, no weight gain, just a bit of manageable acne!


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
64 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  

Im a trans needing to help my breast fuller


Improved skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
64 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  

Im a trans for estrogen therapy to help with my breast


Improved skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Cerelle pill  

Good experience, not experienced many side effects.


Somewhat positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
41 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Slynd pill  

I have suffered with PMDD for years and Slynd has been a game changer for me- my PMDD has vanished completely! I’ve had very few side effects, literally some minor spotting at the start and a very slightly oiler hair. I’d say my sex drive is a little bit lower than before but not a huge difference. My skin is completely normal (other mini pills have given me acne but on Slynd my skin is as nice as always). The biggest positive impact has been on my mental health. I no longer get mood swings (unless I miss a pill) and my periods have completely stopped. I take my pills back to back (I skip the sugar pills) to keep my moods stable across the cycle. It’s such an amazing pill, I hope they will eventually licence this for PMDD so it can help lots of other women (slynd has the same progesterone as the combined pill Yaz which is licenced in the US for PMDD).


Very positive mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Slynd pill  

I stayed off of contraception for 6 years following bad experiences with desogestrel and the combined pill. I was very very hesitant before taking Slynd and thought about it/researched for months before finally taking it. I have mild PCOS and endometriosis, my periods were completely unmanageable and would stop my life for a week and a half each month and I knew i needed to take action so that I could live a more normal life. My first 4 months on Slynd I had a lot of spotting, the first 2 months i had periods lasting 2 weeks (but farrrr less heavy than usual and no pain) after this time my periods stopped all together. I have previously suffered with acne but have taken roaccutane to get rid of it so I know i am susceptible to bad skin, I would say my skin is slightly worse than it was before taking slyd however, its not bad and it doesn't out weigh the pros of the pill for me. My sex drive is a bit less and I have a very dry throat now and need to constantly drink water (not a bad thing i guess) I have actually lost weight too. I believe this is due to being able to regularly exercise without my hormones/period taking over half of each month and I no longer have the crazy PMS food cravings. I dont think this is a permanent solution to endometriosis at all but it has definitely improved my quality of life drastically and i'm glad I stuck with it and didn't give up in the first 4 months due to the spotting.


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

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