Rigevidon vs Gedarel 20/150 pill

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Rigevidon

£From £0.19/day

Gedarel 20/150 pill

£From £0.20/day

Overview

Rated 2.5

559 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.7

132 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rigevidon ingredients

Main hormones in Rigevidon

Androgenic progestogen

Medium oestrogen


Gedarel 20/150 pill ingredients

Main hormones in Gedarel 20/150 pill

Less-Androgenic progestogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

41% very negative

50% lighter periods

45% lost sex drive

45% no impact

36% improved skin

Cycle return

43% don’t know impact

42% somewhat negative

44% lighter periods

52% lost sex drive

48% no impact

32% no impact on skin

Cycle return

44% don’t know impact

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 £0.19/day

Try it now

£From £0.20/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Rigevidon reviews

559 reviews

Combined pill  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Rigevidon  

This was my first contraception given to me by my GP at age 19. I believe Rigevidon is the cheapest which is why often it is what many are prescribed, that is what I learned from watching a doc by Davina McCall! It took me years to realise my mood swings and emotional outbursts were a side effect, not a true reflection of who I was. I felt like I had too many artificial hormones inside affecting my mental heath and the close relationships around me. I also suffered with acne. Once I moved to the implant (which really wasn’t a scary or painful procedure), mentally I have been in such a better place.

Read more

Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Rigevidon  

I was prescribed this pill mainly for my moods and it really did help. I was taking the pill for many years and every month when I had my break in tablets I would get a headache. I thought it was a symptom of PMS but after having a pill review with my GP they advised me to stop taking it. Since I stopped I haven’t had one headache which is quite worrying. They always ask about migraines in the questionnaire but never headaches so it didn’t even occur to me that it might be the pill causing this


Very positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Nov 24

Rigevidon  

Started off on this pill, I'm one of those lucky people who are never sick but while on this pill I would quite regularly feel nauseous a few hours after taking it and on about 5 occasions would vomit aswell, which for me was very unusual but after switching to a different pill these side effects went away.


Worse skin

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Rigevidon  

This was my first contraception given to me by my GP at age 19. I believe Rigevidon is the cheapest which is why often it is what many are prescribed, that is what I learned from watching a doc by Davina McCall! It took me years to realise my mood swings and emotional outbursts were a side effect, not a true reflection of who I was. I felt like I had too many artificial hormones inside affecting my mental heath and the close relationships around me. I also suffered with acne. Once I moved to the implant (which really wasn’t a scary or painful procedure), mentally I have been in such a better place.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Rigevidon  

I was prescribed this pill mainly for my moods and it really did help. I was taking the pill for many years and every month when I had my break in tablets I would get a headache. I thought it was a symptom of PMS but after having a pill review with my GP they advised me to stop taking it. Since I stopped I haven’t had one headache which is quite worrying. They always ask about migraines in the questionnaire but never headaches so it didn’t even occur to me that it might be the pill causing this


Very positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Nov 24

Rigevidon  

Started off on this pill, I'm one of those lucky people who are never sick but while on this pill I would quite regularly feel nauseous a few hours after taking it and on about 5 occasions would vomit aswell, which for me was very unusual but after switching to a different pill these side effects went away.


Worse skin

0 helpful

0 comments


Gedarel 20/150 pill reviews

132 reviews

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

I was only on this for a month, no issues at the beginning, however gradually my mood worsened and I began getting very severe cramps and heavy bleeding. Checked with a doctor and was due to the pill not being strong enough for myself personally.


Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2nd Jul 24

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

I was only on this for a month, no issues at the beginning, however gradually my mood worsened and I began getting very severe cramps and heavy bleeding. Checked with a doctor and was due to the pill not being strong enough for myself personally.


Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2nd Jul 24

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  20th May 24

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

Breast pain was too much I could not even lie down.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  16th May 24

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  7th May 24

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  15th Apr 24

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  31st Mar 24

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

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

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
  •  13th Nov 23

Gedarel 20/150 pill  

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

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Rigevidon with other contraceptives

Compare the Gedarel 20/150 pill with other contraceptives

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