Cilest pill vs Gedarel 30/150 pill
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Overview
Rated 3.1
78 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
Increased
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.9
148 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
Increased
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
What Lowdown reviewers say
Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with
Acne or bad skin
Heavy periods
PMS and PMDD
PCOS symptoms
Period pain
Acne or bad skin
Heavy periods
PMS and PMDD
PCOS symptoms
Period pain
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£From £0.20/day
Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Cilest pill reviews
78 reviews
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 27th Oct 23
The first few years on this pill were okay, my skin cleared up and I had regular, light periods. My mood has been consistently low though, whether that was entirely due to the pill I'm not sure, the last few years have been stressful for everyone. The worst side effect I had was periodontal breakdown - I didn't know birth control pills were linked to this, but if I had, I probably would have stopped taken this pill sooner. I now need to spend loads of periodontal treatment.
Very negative mood
2 more effects
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 17th Jul 23
I've been using this pill since I was 17. I took a break for a progesterone only implant for a year which didn't work for me so I've moved back to cilest. This has worked as well as contraception can I think. Minimal side effects while my acne is much better. I take it until I break through bleed (about 10 weeks) to keep my endometriosis and adenomyosis at bay. It does the best any treatment at the moment can. I would note I have previously been told by my NHS GP that Cilest has been discontinued. At the advice of a pharmacist this isn't true, it's just simply more expensive than other pills so I have been able to continue using this pill.
Improved skin
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 20th Jun 23
I began to get thrush very badly to the point the itching was excruciating. I would then get water infections which twice led to developing kidney infections. Before this pill I had only ever had cystitis and thrush once or twice and they weren't that bad and would go away quickly. On this pill, I was in a constant state of having thrush, a water infection, both. It was horrendous to the point I could barely leave the house. Nothing worked to treat it until I found Optibac probiotics for women which would keep them at bay somewhat but the only thing that really helped was stopping taking this pill and taking these probiotics. I cannot explain the impact this had on my life and the pain caused by having these conditions chronically.
Top side effects not reported
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 27th Oct 23
The first few years on this pill were okay, my skin cleared up and I had regular, light periods. My mood has been consistently low though, whether that was entirely due to the pill I'm not sure, the last few years have been stressful for everyone. The worst side effect I had was periodontal breakdown - I didn't know birth control pills were linked to this, but if I had, I probably would have stopped taken this pill sooner. I now need to spend loads of periodontal treatment.
Very negative mood
2 more effects
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 17th Jul 23
I've been using this pill since I was 17. I took a break for a progesterone only implant for a year which didn't work for me so I've moved back to cilest. This has worked as well as contraception can I think. Minimal side effects while my acne is much better. I take it until I break through bleed (about 10 weeks) to keep my endometriosis and adenomyosis at bay. It does the best any treatment at the moment can. I would note I have previously been told by my NHS GP that Cilest has been discontinued. At the advice of a pharmacist this isn't true, it's just simply more expensive than other pills so I have been able to continue using this pill.
Improved skin
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 20th Jun 23
I began to get thrush very badly to the point the itching was excruciating. I would then get water infections which twice led to developing kidney infections. Before this pill I had only ever had cystitis and thrush once or twice and they weren't that bad and would go away quickly. On this pill, I was in a constant state of having thrush, a water infection, both. It was horrendous to the point I could barely leave the house. Nothing worked to treat it until I found Optibac probiotics for women which would keep them at bay somewhat but the only thing that really helped was stopping taking this pill and taking these probiotics. I cannot explain the impact this had on my life and the pain caused by having these conditions chronically.
Top side effects not reported
1 helpful
0 comments
Gedarel 30/150 pill reviews
148 reviews
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 4th Nov 24
I originally went on the Gederal 30/150 combined pill because I had irregular periods and acne. This pill was recommended by my doctor to specifically help with acne. I really liked this pill, I didn’t feel like I experienced any side effects and it really helped clear up my skin. I still got the occasional spot but my skin was so much better. I also liked the ease of being able to chose if/when I got my period by continually taking the pill or having a 7 day break. My periods were super regular and would typically start 2 days after starting the 7 day break, and they would last 5 days with 1-2 heavier days in the middle but mostly very light. I didn’t notice any mood changes. Unfortunately, after about 7 years on this pill I had a few migraines with auras and was told by my GP that I had to stop taking this pill due to the risk of Stroke. I am now on the mini-pill which I am experiencing some negative side effects with.
Improved skin
0 helpful
1 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 9th Sep 24
I originally went on the pill to help ease period pains and I had already tried micrgogynon which made me feel nauseous. Getting used to the pill defo made me feel nauseous in the mornings a little but quickly went away. I have not had any serious side effects other than an increased emotional sensitivity and breast tenderness. My periods are a lot less heavy but thicker consistency? I'm not doubled over in pain anymore but I still take painkillers on my period. I would defo reccomend!!
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 3rd Sep 24
My GP started me on this pill to help with perimenopausal symptoms (mainly insomnia and brain fog but to a lesser extent mood swings). For these, this pill has been a game changer and after only a couple of months, I feel like myself again. The only negative is that I've noticed a quite marked weight change and have gained around 3kg, most of which I think is water weight as I have gone puffy all over my body despite being an active person who spends a lot of time in the gym and has an active job. So I'm hoping this settles down after a couple more months, if it doesn't I think I'll try switching to another pill.
Very positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 4th Nov 24
I originally went on the Gederal 30/150 combined pill because I had irregular periods and acne. This pill was recommended by my doctor to specifically help with acne. I really liked this pill, I didn’t feel like I experienced any side effects and it really helped clear up my skin. I still got the occasional spot but my skin was so much better. I also liked the ease of being able to chose if/when I got my period by continually taking the pill or having a 7 day break. My periods were super regular and would typically start 2 days after starting the 7 day break, and they would last 5 days with 1-2 heavier days in the middle but mostly very light. I didn’t notice any mood changes. Unfortunately, after about 7 years on this pill I had a few migraines with auras and was told by my GP that I had to stop taking this pill due to the risk of Stroke. I am now on the mini-pill which I am experiencing some negative side effects with.
Improved skin
0 helpful
1 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 9th Sep 24
I originally went on the pill to help ease period pains and I had already tried micrgogynon which made me feel nauseous. Getting used to the pill defo made me feel nauseous in the mornings a little but quickly went away. I have not had any serious side effects other than an increased emotional sensitivity and breast tenderness. My periods are a lot less heavy but thicker consistency? I'm not doubled over in pain anymore but I still take painkillers on my period. I would defo reccomend!!
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 3rd Sep 24
My GP started me on this pill to help with perimenopausal symptoms (mainly insomnia and brain fog but to a lesser extent mood swings). For these, this pill has been a game changer and after only a couple of months, I feel like myself again. The only negative is that I've noticed a quite marked weight change and have gained around 3kg, most of which I think is water weight as I have gone puffy all over my body despite being an active person who spends a lot of time in the gym and has an active job. So I'm hoping this settles down after a couple more months, if it doesn't I think I'll try switching to another pill.
Very positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 31st Aug 24
I used to be on this for years before having my two children and so I went back on but I’ve decided to come back off and try the copper coil instead of hormonal contraception. I remember when I came off I felt like I’d come back to life, as though I’d sort of been numbed when I was on it. I’d been on various types of hormonal contraception for over 20 years so I don’t think I’d noticed it happening to me over time until I came off. But having now had a few years off contraception altogether going back on I can really feel it this time. I had been losing my baby weight but that stopped when I started the pill again, I suspect it’s bloating and water rather than actual body fat. My sex drive has plummeted to basically nothing and I just don’t feel like me.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 23rd Jun 24
I was prescribed this pill after having no success with Rigevidon. I didn’t take it for contraception but for my PMDD. Gaslit myself into thinking that this pill made my moods more stable but in fact in made me way more emotional and often times hysterical. Caused me to have a migraine every week when I previously didn’t have any. Made me pile on weight. I wish I’d never taken it.
Very negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 17th Jun 24
This pill helped me with physical aspects such as less acne, lighter and regular flow, decreased cramps etc however mentally it really didn’t work for me my brain felt so foggy I lost all motivation and had no attention span anymore, I became really restless and couldn’t focus on anything which was never something I struggled with in the past.
Very negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 31st May 24
Used gedarel 30/150 for 3-4 years and never had any issues with it. I’ve never found a pill that can help my atrocious period cramps so can’t judge it based on that but everything else was great :)
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 16th May 24
I went on this a few years ago to stop my cycle because I suffer from severe PMS symptoms/PMDD. I remained on it for a year and experienced no side effects. I came off of it because I wanted to attempt to solve my problems naturally and holistically. Unfortunately my mental health became worse and I decided to go back on it. I have now been taking it for a week and am experiencing some mild side effects this time, but hopefully they will settle down.
Somewhat positive mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 29th Feb 24
I was initially prescribed GEDAREL 30/150 to treat acne when I was 15. I have been diagnosed with clinical depression since age 14 which is managed with SSRIs. I can confidently say that GEDADAREL has not had any effect on my mood, but it should be noted that I have been on SSRIs for the entire time that I used it. It also drastically improved my acne which was an absolute miracle at that age. The only other side effect I noticed was larger and more tender breasts. I have always had light periods and I didn’t notice much of a change to my periods on the pill. I remained on it continuously until age 19. I took a break for around 9 months, during which time my acne returned. Went back on it age 20 when I got into a relationship and was on it continuously until the start of this year (age 23). I stopped using Gedarel because I am currently celibate and single and I haven’t had any severe issues with acne, so it feels unnecessary to pay for contraception. When I need contraception again I will definitely go back to Gedarel.
Improved skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 13th Feb 24
This pill has been amazing for me. I've been on and off for several years and can confidently say this pill completely clears my hormonal acne - where other treatments have not worked. No negative side effects either!
Very positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
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