Gedarel 20/150 pill vs Microgynon 30 pill

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Gedarel 20/150 pill

£From £0.16/day

Microgynon 30 pill

£From £0.14/day

Overview

Rated 2.7

124 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

Gedarel 20/150 pill ingredients

Main hormones in Gedarel 20/150 pill

Less-Androgenic progestogen


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

Gedarel 20/150 pill reviews

124 reviews

Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  30th Jan 24

  •  Stopped using

I have now taken this for a year and the side effects of this pill are more prominent than my previous pill. I bleed and spot after having a break, my sex drive has decreased and I encounter random strong period cramps randomly throughout the month

Read more

Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th Nov 23

  •  Stopped using

Positives: 1. in my last year on this my acne was almost none existent, which was a massive an improvement from when I started it. 2. My periods were also shorter (4-5 days), and my last day bleeding was very light. 3. Not 1 pregnancy scare the whole 3 years, completely protected!! Negatives: 1. no sex drive, I was told this wasn’t a result of the pill but of my mood & life. I can vouch this was incorrect because I’m now 3 months off the pill & my sex drive is through the roof. 2. My mood was always flat, I had happy moments but generally life felt pretty grey 3. My heavy period days were just as heavy & crampy as pre-pill. 4. Exhaustion & lower back pain pre-period. 5. Weight gain & obsession with food, always felt hungry. Overall this pill wasn’t bad as I just got used to the symptoms, but since being off it I genuinely cant believe that I was that shell of a person for the 3 years on it, and the 6 years before that that I was on other contraception.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  26th Sep 23

  •  Still using

The pill is overall effective in preventing pregnancy, however, in the two years I have been using it, I have been experiencing spotting and unexplained bleeding intermittently. It doesn't happen every single month but is very unpredictable and inconvenient. I would not recommend this if you are after something which gives you regular, consistent periods.


Top side effects not reported

2 helpful

0 comments

Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  30th Jan 24

  •  Stopped using

I have now taken this for a year and the side effects of this pill are more prominent than my previous pill. I bleed and spot after having a break, my sex drive has decreased and I encounter random strong period cramps randomly throughout the month


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 5 yr
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th Nov 23

  •  Stopped using

Positives: 1. in my last year on this my acne was almost none existent, which was a massive an improvement from when I started it. 2. My periods were also shorter (4-5 days), and my last day bleeding was very light. 3. Not 1 pregnancy scare the whole 3 years, completely protected!! Negatives: 1. no sex drive, I was told this wasn’t a result of the pill but of my mood & life. I can vouch this was incorrect because I’m now 3 months off the pill & my sex drive is through the roof. 2. My mood was always flat, I had happy moments but generally life felt pretty grey 3. My heavy period days were just as heavy & crampy as pre-pill. 4. Exhaustion & lower back pain pre-period. 5. Weight gain & obsession with food, always felt hungry. Overall this pill wasn’t bad as I just got used to the symptoms, but since being off it I genuinely cant believe that I was that shell of a person for the 3 years on it, and the 6 years before that that I was on other contraception.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  26th Sep 23

  •  Still using

The pill is overall effective in preventing pregnancy, however, in the two years I have been using it, I have been experiencing spotting and unexplained bleeding intermittently. It doesn't happen every single month but is very unpredictable and inconvenient. I would not recommend this if you are after something which gives you regular, consistent periods.


Top side effects not reported

2 helpful

0 comments


Microgynon 30 pill reviews

292 reviews

Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  4 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
  •  4 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

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