Hormonal coil (IUS) vs Combined pill
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Hormonal coil (IUS) ingredients
Main hormones in Hormonal coil (IUS)
progestogen
Combined pill ingredients
Main hormones in Combined pill
progestogen
oestrogen
What Lowdown reviewers say
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Real life reviews from people like you
Hormonal coil (IUS) reviews
742 reviews
Used for 6 - 12 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
After having fibroid operation . I wanted contraceptive with no estrogen and ideally low progesterone. Wasn't many choices it was either mini pill or coil which you take on time all the time which didn't suit me. Plus I don't suit the more modern progesterone. Makes me crazy so it had to be iud coil. I've had many Mirena in past which were great masking at my heavy bleeding from my fibroids. But tended to have low moods which I put down to progesterone. So why I went for kylenna, a coil lower version progesterone with same amount of years. Initial side effects but amazed how little I bleed and i feel moods swings aren't strong as they were on the Mirena coil. I feel more even. I think definitely sensitive to hormone changes so I see this as a benefit for me.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I never leave reviews but felt like I needed to because I was terrified of getting this, I’ve always struggled with hormonal acne, thrush and am incredibly susceptible to drastic mood changes due to birth control. This was my last hope as the pill never agreed with me and I didn’t want the heavy bleeding from the copper coil. The insertion was really not even bad it did hurt a bit but was over so fast, I even went for a walk with my friend that evening and was absolutely fine! I had some cramps and bleeding for a few days after but nothing major and since I have had no side effects except a late and very light period that’s it! So please don’t be as terrified was after hearing so many horror stories, I was completely fine :)
Top side effects not reported
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
After having fibroid operation . I wanted contraceptive with no estrogen and ideally low progesterone. Wasn't many choices it was either mini pill or coil which you take on time all the time which didn't suit me. Plus I don't suit the more modern progesterone. Makes me crazy so it had to be iud coil. I've had many Mirena in past which were great masking at my heavy bleeding from my fibroids. But tended to have low moods which I put down to progesterone. So why I went for kylenna, a coil lower version progesterone with same amount of years. Initial side effects but amazed how little I bleed and i feel moods swings aren't strong as they were on the Mirena coil. I feel more even. I think definitely sensitive to hormone changes so I see this as a benefit for me.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I never leave reviews but felt like I needed to because I was terrified of getting this, I’ve always struggled with hormonal acne, thrush and am incredibly susceptible to drastic mood changes due to birth control. This was my last hope as the pill never agreed with me and I didn’t want the heavy bleeding from the copper coil. The insertion was really not even bad it did hurt a bit but was over so fast, I even went for a walk with my friend that evening and was absolutely fine! I had some cramps and bleeding for a few days after but nothing major and since I have had no side effects except a late and very light period that’s it! So please don’t be as terrified was after hearing so many horror stories, I was completely fine :)
Top side effects not reported
1 helpful
0 comments
Combined pill reviews
2366 reviews
Used for 3 - 6 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I tried Drovelis to attempt to manage PMDD (severe mood drop on top of existing depression) and PCOS. After 5+ months, my sense is that it was absolutely helping with PMDD. I aimed to take it continuously to minimise any mood drop' and did so for 3 months at first. Unfortunately, I just would not stop bleeding - it was more than 'spotting', enough to get through 3-4 tampons a day, every day. Then I tried 2 months of allowing a break between active pills to see if encouraging a 'period' would reduce the breakthrough bleeding, but to no avail. I didn't even used to suffer heavy periods, so I'm genuinely gutted I couldn't seem to settle and stop bleeding on this, as it was great for my PMDD and had no other negative side effects (beyond breast tenderness and temporary breast enlargement in month 1-2). Doctor's advice was if it hadn't settled by almost 6 months, best to try something else (so now I'm starting Yasmin).
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
Been taking yacella for 6 months after not being on any contraception in years due to fears of side effects. Previously been on Loestrin 20 and Rigevidon both of which gave me horrible cystic acne and low mood. Dr recommended yacella as it has anti-androgenic progesterone and I have mild PCOS. So far it has been pretty good! I think my mood is unaffected, skin is great, sex drive unaffected. I have had some slight weight gain in more 'womanly' areas but nothing crazy. My breasts definitely have grown a lot and for the first few months they were quite sore but this has reduced to mild tenderness now. I do experience pain, especially lower back/pelvic, and am emotional during my 7 day break, however I suffered a lot with cramps prior to taking the pill so this is still an improvement for me. Would recommend, especially for anyone with hormonal imbalances like me.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
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.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I tried Drovelis to attempt to manage PMDD (severe mood drop on top of existing depression) and PCOS. After 5+ months, my sense is that it was absolutely helping with PMDD. I aimed to take it continuously to minimise any mood drop' and did so for 3 months at first. Unfortunately, I just would not stop bleeding - it was more than 'spotting', enough to get through 3-4 tampons a day, every day. Then I tried 2 months of allowing a break between active pills to see if encouraging a 'period' would reduce the breakthrough bleeding, but to no avail. I didn't even used to suffer heavy periods, so I'm genuinely gutted I couldn't seem to settle and stop bleeding on this, as it was great for my PMDD and had no other negative side effects (beyond breast tenderness and temporary breast enlargement in month 1-2). Doctor's advice was if it hadn't settled by almost 6 months, best to try something else (so now I'm starting Yasmin).
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
Been taking yacella for 6 months after not being on any contraception in years due to fears of side effects. Previously been on Loestrin 20 and Rigevidon both of which gave me horrible cystic acne and low mood. Dr recommended yacella as it has anti-androgenic progesterone and I have mild PCOS. So far it has been pretty good! I think my mood is unaffected, skin is great, sex drive unaffected. I have had some slight weight gain in more 'womanly' areas but nothing crazy. My breasts definitely have grown a lot and for the first few months they were quite sore but this has reduced to mild tenderness now. I do experience pain, especially lower back/pelvic, and am emotional during my 7 day break, however I suffered a lot with cramps prior to taking the pill so this is still an improvement for me. Would recommend, especially for anyone with hormonal imbalances like me.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
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.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I was prescribed this pill as I struggled to gain weight therefore, I didn’t have a regular period. I never had any awful experiences with this pill other than after 3 years I started to experience reoccurring thrush. Once it was treated it usually went away until recently, I have been experiencing thrush almost every month always during the week before my break. It has become unbearable leading me to change to a different lower dose birth control instead.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
This pill had a severe negative effect on my mental health. Physically I felt better as it alleviated PCOS symptoms but worsened my depression.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Yasmin was the best pill for me. I have PCOS and it completely took care of my symptoms like acne. I also had very stable mood and positive mental state with this pill. My periods were light and I used to skip them 3 packets in a row and have only maybe 4 withdrawal bleeds per year. When I tried to extend it to 4 packs, I would often start to get light spotting so I think 3 packs non-stop was optimal for me.
Top side effects not reported
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I'm 43 and was suggested Qlaira because it has a supposedly more safe estrogen component. I've always had slightly elevated sensitive CRP and during the use of Qlaira it did drop to nothing so that was a positive finding. I had no bloating or weight gain. I would get breakthru bleeding on the active pills usually a week before my actual withdrawal bleed, which would last approx. 5 days. So all in all I was bleeding approx 12 days per month. And because you can*t skip the placebo pills on Qlaira, I found it was too much bleeding days compared to non-bleeding days. Another major side effect and the reason I wanted to stop using Qlaira was complete loss of libido. I felt almost repulsed by the idea of sex and I had trouble getting aroused. Altho my natural libido is quite low to begin with, Qlaira took it to completely new levels of zero. Hence why I stopped it after 6 months.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
I have been taking the Eloine pill for 10 months now and it has been pretty good. Not much has really changed for me which is great. My periods are the same (if not lighter) , my skin has stayed clear and I haven’t lost or gained any weight. The only thing I have noticed a change in since taking Eloine is a slight increase in anxiety and being more emotional than I used to be. However, these aren’t too extreme and are manageable. Overall i’m very happy with the Eloine pill 😊
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I was put on Rigevidon October 2023. I thought everything was fine until my boyfriend started to ask why I was constantly making arguments and being moody. I am never usually moody, so in my experience, I would say that my mood swings definitely came from this pill. I had a complete loss of sex drive also, didn’t want to do anything literally ever. However, a main reason for going on this pill was because I have always suffered from excruciating period pains. I have no faults when it comes to using this pill for period pain as my cramps became pretty much nonexistent. As someone who also suffers with extreme irregular periods, this pill made mine completely regular and light, which was so much more manageable. My advice is, if you’re looking for a pill to prevent pregnancy whilst you’re having sex, this one probably is not the greatest choice, just due to a decline in libido. However, I would absolutely recommend it for anyone who struggles with bad cramps/pains, it has been the only thing that has helped me.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
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