Microgynon 30 pill vs Gedarel 20/150 pill
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£From £0.18/day
£From £0.20/day
Overview
Rated 2.6
305 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
Increased
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.7
131 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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Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Microgynon 30 pill reviews
305 reviews
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 20th Oct 24
Apart from the vaginal dryness and loss of sex drive, i’m happy with this pill as it did not have any really negative side effects for me, plus it grew my breasts which i liked.
Decreased sex drive
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 18th Oct 24
main thing for me was the super low sex drive. filling this out, interested to also see sweating a lot as an option. As I do sweat a lot, very easily so very interested (and hope) that is a side effect as looking to change/come off.
Decreased sex drive
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 16th Oct 24
I am using microgynon to manage endometriosis. Before starting I was having significant pain, nausea, and depression due to the pain. I am taking this pill without breaks, so not having periods is really helping reduce my endo symptoms. I have had a lot of mood problems with other pills, but if anything my mood is slightly better. I think it was just that my endo pain was so bad it was making me feel really low. I am still having some breakthrough bleeding with this pill, but much less than other pills.
Somewhat positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 20th Oct 24
Apart from the vaginal dryness and loss of sex drive, i’m happy with this pill as it did not have any really negative side effects for me, plus it grew my breasts which i liked.
Decreased sex drive
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 18th Oct 24
main thing for me was the super low sex drive. filling this out, interested to also see sweating a lot as an option. As I do sweat a lot, very easily so very interested (and hope) that is a side effect as looking to change/come off.
Decreased sex drive
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 16th Oct 24
I am using microgynon to manage endometriosis. Before starting I was having significant pain, nausea, and depression due to the pain. I am taking this pill without breaks, so not having periods is really helping reduce my endo symptoms. I have had a lot of mood problems with other pills, but if anything my mood is slightly better. I think it was just that my endo pain was so bad it was making me feel really low. I am still having some breakthrough bleeding with this pill, but much less than other pills.
Somewhat positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Gedarel 20/150 pill reviews
131 reviews
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
At the start all was going great but in the last 2/3 months things have started going really downhill, I have started shedding hair at an alarming rate, I have gained weight, I have developed thrush on my boob, my eczema is awful, the skin on my face is so oily, I constantly feel down and sad which I used to only experience when I was in the week before my period. It’s definitely not a long term solution.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2nd Jul 24
Have been using Gedarel for 2 weeks now, the initial side effects in week 1 were strong.I got dizzy, was nauseous and slightly depressed.By week 2 I didn't feel as bad, my boobs started to hurt and I got light cramping, my moods are still up and down but not as severely.Overall ive had mild symptoms.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 20th May 24
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
At the start all was going great but in the last 2/3 months things have started going really downhill, I have started shedding hair at an alarming rate, I have gained weight, I have developed thrush on my boob, my eczema is awful, the skin on my face is so oily, I constantly feel down and sad which I used to only experience when I was in the week before my period. It’s definitely not a long term solution.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2nd Jul 24
Have been using Gedarel for 2 weeks now, the initial side effects in week 1 were strong.I got dizzy, was nauseous and slightly depressed.By week 2 I didn't feel as bad, my boobs started to hurt and I got light cramping, my moods are still up and down but not as severely.Overall ive had mild symptoms.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 20th May 24
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 16th May 24
This definitely helped me with my PMS symptoms. No significant changes to my weight. I had more sensitive skin / allergic reactions during my time on it but not necessarily due to the pill. My mood was pretty similar to when I was off the pill.
Somewhat positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 7th May 24
It was alright however I gained weight on it and it made me have horrible mood swings
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 15th Apr 24
Having been on this pill for a year, I noticed that I hadn't felt like myself for a while. I found myself with persistently lower moods. Even during times of joy, the feeling felt dampened. This is the primary reason I decided to stop taking this pill; no contraception is worth losing yourself to! I am still in the early stages of being off this pill, but I feel relieved to have made the choice. It did make my withdrawal bleeds ("periods") very light. However, I do also think it completely suppressed my libido. I (being naive) thought that being on a low dosage pill, I might have fewer symptoms, but it just hasn't worked for me. I just wish there were more non-hormonal options out there.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 31st Mar 24
I had terrible experiences (bouts of acne) around age 17/18 with higher dose pills like Yasmin. Eventually settled on Marvelon and was put onto Gedarel (higher dosage) when there were stock issues. After 2 years I moved to the lower dose of Gedarel, and had a relatively positive experience with it for around 5 years but things have worsened recently. Side effects have been; spots around chin around end of pill pack, some spotting when taking back-to-back, lower sex-drive. More significant side-effects have been water-retention/weight gain and boob size increase. I am now thinking about coming off Gedarel as I have noticed the side effects have become more dramatic and all other things are equal - my boobs change massively in size throughout the course of a pack of pills, they are tender, and my weight is also massively fluctuating (I assume from water retention - between 55 - 60kg within the month). I am very active and generally healthy, if anything I am less stressed and have a healthier lifestyle now than I did a few years ago, yet the frequent changes to my body are making me feel uncomfortable in my own skin.
Increased sex drive
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 30th Jan 24
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
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 13th Nov 23
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.
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 26th Sep 23
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.
Improved skin
2 helpful
0 comments
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