Femodene pill vs Microgynon 30 pill

Need help choosing? Speak to a doctor
Femodene pill

£From £0.16/day

Microgynon 30 pill

£From £0.14/day

Overview

Rated 3.3

24 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.6

292 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Femodene pill ingredients

Main hormones in Femodene pill

Less-Androgenic progestogen

Medium oestrogen


Microgynon 30 pill ingredients

Main hormones in Microgynon 30 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

Try it now

£From £0.16/day

Try it now

£From £0.14/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Femodene pill reviews

24 reviews

Used for 3 - 6 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Sep 23

  •  Stopped using

It made me very fatigued swell

Read more

Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 8+ yr
73 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Jun 23

  •  Stopped using

I was an early user of the Pill, probably a much less refined version than the present one. It gave me great freedom from worry and saw me through to being ready to have my babies.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1st Feb 23

  •  Still using

I’m on day 11 of taking this pill and I can’t wait until the end of the pack to stop taking it. I wanted to like it and perhaps I haven’t given it enough of a chance but my mood swings are horrendous, I feel depressed and I don’t ever feel like doing anything, the only thing I can blame is this pill. My skin is awful at the moment and since taking it I’ve had break outs all over my chin that weren’t there previously. I really wish I could see it through for a few months but when I’m feeling like this it’s almost impossible to keep it up as my mental health is in a right state. One minute I’m fine and the next I’m furious. I was given this pill to help with breakthrough bleeding and it has helped with that but weighing up the pros and cons it really isn’t worth it for me personally.


Top side effects not reported

4 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Sep 23

  •  Stopped using

It made me very fatigued swell


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 8+ yr
73 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Jun 23

  •  Stopped using

I was an early user of the Pill, probably a much less refined version than the present one. It gave me great freedom from worry and saw me through to being ready to have my babies.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1st Feb 23

  •  Still using

I’m on day 11 of taking this pill and I can’t wait until the end of the pack to stop taking it. I wanted to like it and perhaps I haven’t given it enough of a chance but my mood swings are horrendous, I feel depressed and I don’t ever feel like doing anything, the only thing I can blame is this pill. My skin is awful at the moment and since taking it I’ve had break outs all over my chin that weren’t there previously. I really wish I could see it through for a few months but when I’m feeling like this it’s almost impossible to keep it up as my mental health is in a right state. One minute I’m fine and the next I’m furious. I was given this pill to help with breakthrough bleeding and it has helped with that but weighing up the pros and cons it really isn’t worth it for me personally.


Top side effects not reported

4 helpful

0 comments


Microgynon 30 pill reviews

292 reviews

Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

  •  Stopped using

I started this birth control as my very first form of contraception. I was put off by the thought of breakthrough bleeding on the mini pill, so my doctor put me on microgynon without much thought. The first month was fine, although very quickly I started to get terrible headaches which continued until I stopped taking the pill altogether. After around the first month I vaguely noticed i’d be in a bad mood all the time - I was either very snappy and grumpy, or my emotions were very ‘muffled’ and I didn’t feel much of anything. It’s very hard to describe, but I wouldn’t feel happy or excited - i’d just feel low and ‘nothing’ all the time. I didn’t enjoy hobbies I liked before, and I wasn’t interested in anything. I think the craziest side effect I randomly realised was that I felt way less affectionate towards my boyfriend. I wasn’t interested in being cuddly with him, kissing him, ect. Honestly it’s the main reason I wanted to get off microgynon. Along with the headaches and mood, my sex drive disappeared completely (and I naturally have a very high sex drive), i’d experience brain fog all the time, and I felt immense fatigue. I’m diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so I assumed it was just that, but the tiredness I felt was nothing like i’d ever felt before, and I feel much better now that i’m off the pill. I’d be too exhausted to even get out of bed, and if I did manage to go outside i’d feel faint and dizzy. The positives were that I didn’t get pregnant (we didn’t use any other form of contraception and didn’t use the pull out method, although I did take a pregnancy test every few weeks to be safe), and I was able to control when i’d bleed. I’ve always had extremely painful periods where i’d throw up and almost pass out from the pain, but the bleeds were very light during my breaks and the cramps were tolerable. I would take the packs continuously for 3 months and then have a 4 day bleed, and didn’t have any cramping or breakthrough bleeding at all. Altogether I found microgynon to be a good form of contraception, the side effects were enough for me to come off it.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 8+ yr
40 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Feb 24

  •  Stopped using

After taking the contraceptive pill for the past 15 years and being told it’s perfectly safe, I found out at the beginning of this year that I have 3 tumours on my liver as a result of long term usage of the pill. This week I underwent major surgery and had a liver resection to remove the biggest tumour, which at over 7cm was at risk of haemorrhaging. I’ve got two other smaller tumours which will hopefully shrink now I’ve come off the contraceptive pill. I hope my story highlights that hormonal contraception is NOT SAFE!


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th Feb 24

  •  Still using

I have been able to live my life fuller due to the less horrific and heavy periods - now I only have 4 periods a year and it’s now in my control


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

  •  Stopped using

I started this birth control as my very first form of contraception. I was put off by the thought of breakthrough bleeding on the mini pill, so my doctor put me on microgynon without much thought. The first month was fine, although very quickly I started to get terrible headaches which continued until I stopped taking the pill altogether. After around the first month I vaguely noticed i’d be in a bad mood all the time - I was either very snappy and grumpy, or my emotions were very ‘muffled’ and I didn’t feel much of anything. It’s very hard to describe, but I wouldn’t feel happy or excited - i’d just feel low and ‘nothing’ all the time. I didn’t enjoy hobbies I liked before, and I wasn’t interested in anything. I think the craziest side effect I randomly realised was that I felt way less affectionate towards my boyfriend. I wasn’t interested in being cuddly with him, kissing him, ect. Honestly it’s the main reason I wanted to get off microgynon. Along with the headaches and mood, my sex drive disappeared completely (and I naturally have a very high sex drive), i’d experience brain fog all the time, and I felt immense fatigue. I’m diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so I assumed it was just that, but the tiredness I felt was nothing like i’d ever felt before, and I feel much better now that i’m off the pill. I’d be too exhausted to even get out of bed, and if I did manage to go outside i’d feel faint and dizzy. The positives were that I didn’t get pregnant (we didn’t use any other form of contraception and didn’t use the pull out method, although I did take a pregnancy test every few weeks to be safe), and I was able to control when i’d bleed. I’ve always had extremely painful periods where i’d throw up and almost pass out from the pain, but the bleeds were very light during my breaks and the cramps were tolerable. I would take the packs continuously for 3 months and then have a 4 day bleed, and didn’t have any cramping or breakthrough bleeding at all. Altogether I found microgynon to be a good form of contraception, the side effects were enough for me to come off it.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 8+ yr
40 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Feb 24

  •  Stopped using

After taking the contraceptive pill for the past 15 years and being told it’s perfectly safe, I found out at the beginning of this year that I have 3 tumours on my liver as a result of long term usage of the pill. This week I underwent major surgery and had a liver resection to remove the biggest tumour, which at over 7cm was at risk of haemorrhaging. I’ve got two other smaller tumours which will hopefully shrink now I’ve come off the contraceptive pill. I hope my story highlights that hormonal contraception is NOT SAFE!


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th Feb 24

  •  Still using

I have been able to live my life fuller due to the less horrific and heavy periods - now I only have 4 periods a year and it’s now in my control


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  26th Jan 24

  •  Stopped using

I was on this pill for multiple years and ended up coming off because the longer I was on it, the worse my migraines became. It started to get unbearable to the point where I was feeling nauseous and couldn't get out of bed and I was prescribed migraine medication. When I stopped using it, the side effects stopped and my migraines disappeared, I've not had once since and I don't need to take migraine relief. My body also had a lot of water retention so when I came off I went back to my normal weight and the thrush disappeared too. Best thing I ever did was coming off it.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Jan 24

  •  Stopped using

Ruined my life within months and I was extremely withdrawn and anxious


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  7th Jan 24

  •  Stopped using

Used this to skip periods and reduce pain. It helped with pain but I couldn't go a few months without persistent breakthrough bleeding, so had to switch. Other than that it was a pretty good experience, didn't impact my mental health at all and had no other noticeable side effects.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  27th Dec 23

  •  Stopped using

The first couple of years I couldn't fault this pill, it was perfect. After about 2 years I was having horrific mood swings/PMS so my GP recommended I take the packets back to back so I don't have a period, that worked for a bit but my mental health had never been worse. After an attempt on my own life I decided to stop taking it and my mental health has never been better, I just wish I had connected the dots sooner so I didn't have to get to that point


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  11th Dec 23

  •  Stopped using

I didn't get pregnant which was good but I cried everyday, got fat and hated sex. I couldn't get wet and sex just was sore and not good. My skin was great though... not worth it


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

1 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
21 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6th Dec 23

  •  Stopped using

good for me except it gave me painful cystic acne but didn’t experience any irregular bleeding or mood swings until the last month of using it (which is why i stopped)


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 8+ yr
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3rd Dec 23

  •  Stopped using

This pill was pretty seamless for me. It did not affect my moods or skin. My periods were very light, lasted a few days with little to no cramps. My libido suffered significantly and this symptom worsened as time went on which is the reason I switched to a non-hormonal method. Other than this, it was a great option for me.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Femodene pill with other contraceptives

Order online

Order online now

Use our online prescription in under 5 mins

  • No GP appointment needed

  • Free standard delivery

  • Set up a subscription and never run out

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

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

Pharmacy services provided by Phlo Technologies Ltd. GPhC reg number: 9011171

When you click on some links on this site, we may get a small affiliate commission