Cilest pill vs Rigevidon pill

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Cilest pill

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Rigevidon pill

£From £0.15/day

Overview

Rated 3.1

78 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.5

514 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Cilest pill ingredients

Main hormones in Cilest pill

Less-Androgenic progestogen


Rigevidon pill ingredients

Main hormones in Rigevidon pill

Androgenic progestogen

Medium oestrogen

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 £0.15/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Cilest pill reviews

78 reviews

Used for 5 - 8 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  27th Oct 23

  •  Stopped using

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.

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Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 5 - 8 yr
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Jul 23

  •  Still using

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.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  20th Jun 23

  •  Stopped using

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
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  27th Oct 23

  •  Stopped using

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.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 5 - 8 yr
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Jul 23

  •  Still using

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.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  20th Jun 23

  •  Stopped using

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


Rigevidon pill reviews

514 reviews

Used for 1 - 3 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

  •  Stopped using

Wanted to take the pill without a break, but on Rigevidon ended up with very light bleeding for weeks at a time.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  24th Oct 23

  •  Stopped using

Overall Rigevidon stopped my periods completely when running the packs back to back however the side effects I had were not worth it, over the 18 months I was taking Rigevidon I started to develop anxiety and this worsened and worsened over the time I was taking it and the last couple months I was suicidal. Prior to this I had not had any mental health concerns for around 4 years. Alongside this my acne started whilst taking another contraceptive pill but Rigevidon just made it 10x worse - it became cystic, inflammatory acne which felt impossible to clear.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  19th Oct 23

  •  Still using

I’ve found it reasonably good I’ve never tried anything else


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

  •  Stopped using

Wanted to take the pill without a break, but on Rigevidon ended up with very light bleeding for weeks at a time.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  24th Oct 23

  •  Stopped using

Overall Rigevidon stopped my periods completely when running the packs back to back however the side effects I had were not worth it, over the 18 months I was taking Rigevidon I started to develop anxiety and this worsened and worsened over the time I was taking it and the last couple months I was suicidal. Prior to this I had not had any mental health concerns for around 4 years. Alongside this my acne started whilst taking another contraceptive pill but Rigevidon just made it 10x worse - it became cystic, inflammatory acne which felt impossible to clear.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  19th Oct 23

  •  Still using

I’ve found it reasonably good I’ve never tried anything else


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  26th Sep 23

  •  Stopped using

Rigevidon was fine, but I stopped because I was getting headaches and breakthrough bleeding. My mood was okay-ish but not great.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 8+ yr
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  11th Aug 23

  •  Still using

I have been using it since I was about 16 as I had really painful periods, this is why it is difficult to determine if acne / mood changes were due to the pill or just part of growing up. I am now using it for the same reason and contraception, it has not failed me yet so that can only be a good thing!


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  29th Jul 23

  •  Stopped using

Affected my mood terribly and felt so much better after coming off of it.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
40 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  23rd Jul 23

  •  Stopped using

I had a very noticeable drop in mood, I felt very depressed all the time I was on the pill. I gained quite a bit of weight, which all came off quickly as I stopped the pill. The Dr said the pill very likely caused/contributed to development of blood clots, which resulted in a lengthy stay in hospital.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  19th Jul 23

  •  Stopped using

I took this pill as I was recommended it like most young girls (16) wanting to prevent pregnancy. I was on the pill for 3 years, at the start there was no change to anything that I noticed. Within 3 months I’d say I felt so much more anxiety in school and felt so insecure in my relationships with friend and my boyfriend at the time. The negative was my extreme moods during this pill. Which now I’m off it I feel like a different person all together. Positives are, no pregnancy, better skin. I don’t recommend this pill.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Jul 23

  •  Stopped using

Towards the end of using this pill I was really depressed with low mood all of the time and had many suicidal thoughts, after coming off it I was almost immediately better. I’ve tried this pill since to retry it and got the same side effects pretty soon after. Did clear my skin up and made my periods a lot lighter, shorter and less painful though. Plus I didn’t get pregnant.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  14th Jul 23

  •  Still using

Helped my periods a lot, I could skip them which I liked. Went from lasting 8 days to 5, less painful and a lot lighter when they were usually very heavy. Did increase depression and anxiety, and I lost my sex drive almost completely/rarely got turned on. Made me eat more and I gained weight, and increased my vaginal discharge


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

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