Implant vs Combined pill
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Add your Implant review
£From £0.16/day
Overview
Rated 2.8
627 reviews
Every 3 years
Frequency
Over 99%
Effectiveness
None
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.8
2713 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
Increased
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Implant ingredients
Main hormones in Implant
progestogen
Combined pill ingredients
Main hormones in Combined pill
progestogen
oestrogen
What Lowdown reviewers say
Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with
Heavy periods
Ovulation pain
Period pain
Acne or bad skin
Heavy periods
PMS and PMDD
PCOS symptoms
Period pain
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Add your Implant review
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£From £0.16/day
Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Implant reviews
627 reviews
Used for 1 - 3 mo
14 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 18th Jan 26
It's my first time on birth control and I get way angrier then I used to but all I'm seeing from my body is positive things
Improved skin
2 more effects
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 10th Jan 26
Was previously on the progesterone only pill but did not want to have to remember it daily. Have had no issues with Nexplanon and had it changed recently after having the first for three years.
Very positive mood
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 27th Dec 25
I would recommend getting the implant. There has been little to no difference in my body while using it and it has been a positive experience. I did notice my periods have gone from Light and regular every month to continue being light but very irregular and can last anything from 4 days to 3 months at a time. I also had one other negative experience a few weeks into having the implant. (I do think it was just my body adjusting as I haven’t had anything the same since). Where I was continuously being sick for 2 days, There was no signs of me being ill or have eaten anything unusual. I do think the implant has made very little changes to my body. Obviously a 3 month period is annoying but it does end you just need to be patient. I’m coming up to 2 years on my implant so I do feel as though my input is helpful as some people aren’t patient enough to wait out the symptoms like a long period.
Very positive mood
1 more effect
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
14 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 18th Jan 26
It's my first time on birth control and I get way angrier then I used to but all I'm seeing from my body is positive things
Improved skin
2 more effects
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 10th Jan 26
Was previously on the progesterone only pill but did not want to have to remember it daily. Have had no issues with Nexplanon and had it changed recently after having the first for three years.
Very positive mood
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 27th Dec 25
I would recommend getting the implant. There has been little to no difference in my body while using it and it has been a positive experience. I did notice my periods have gone from Light and regular every month to continue being light but very irregular and can last anything from 4 days to 3 months at a time. I also had one other negative experience a few weeks into having the implant. (I do think it was just my body adjusting as I haven’t had anything the same since). Where I was continuously being sick for 2 days, There was no signs of me being ill or have eaten anything unusual. I do think the implant has made very little changes to my body. Obviously a 3 month period is annoying but it does end you just need to be patient. I’m coming up to 2 years on my implant so I do feel as though my input is helpful as some people aren’t patient enough to wait out the symptoms like a long period.
Very positive mood
1 more effect
1 helpful
0 comments
Combined pill reviews
2713 reviews
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
During my first month I’ve had severe breakthrough bleeding that was heavy and lasted for 3 weeks, during the 3 weeks I was very emotional and paranoid. After the breakthrough bleed I developed two large spots on my lip and cheek (I never had this issue nor acne). Over all the pill hasn’t done much for me so far other than making me very paranoid about the side effects.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I actually find this to be pretty good, very few side effects, but the increased blood clot risk does concern me.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 day ago
During my first month I’ve had severe breakthrough bleeding that was heavy and lasted for 3 weeks, during the 3 weeks I was very emotional and paranoid. After the breakthrough bleed I developed two large spots on my lip and cheek (I never had this issue nor acne). Over all the pill hasn’t done much for me so far other than making me very paranoid about the side effects.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I actually find this to be pretty good, very few side effects, but the increased blood clot risk does concern me.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Started off well on this pill, good for PMS management. Had bleeding for weeks and breasts got bigger and were painful. Some of these effects subsided after a few weeks. On my 3rd pack i noticed i wasnt full after meals and was constantly feeling hungry and thinking about food. This continued through the fourth month. I have definitely gained weight and clothes not fitting properly, which is an unacceptable side effect for me personally.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
It is a balancing act, but, overall, I am happy with the results. I take the pill back to back as my cramps were so bad that they were effecting my personal and work life terribly and I could no longer stand the pain. Unlike other pills I have tried before, this stops my periods. After 3 or 4 months I get heavy spotting and take a break for 7 days which sorts it out - the breaks are fine with only mild cramping and nothing like my periods before. It has saved my ability to work. I have had negative side effects - weight gain and mood. I have no history of depression, anxiety or struggling to process things until I started taking this pill but I now struggle with these things most days. Compared to the pain, for me, the impact on my mental health is a trade off I've accepted.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
Zoely was brilliant for managing my cyclical mood symptoms and essentially stopped my periods which was great in the context of endometriosis. I had no period pain on this pill. However unfortunately I struggled with significant vaginal dryness which honestly felt like perimenopause and made sex intolerable. I also noticed significant hair loss, but I can’t say 100% if this was Zoely or due to life stress.
Somewhat positive mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
Feel “out of it” a lot more but not necessarily depressed. However cramping is really bad
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I always feel tired, no matter how much I sleep it feels like it's never enough. Most days I don't feels in control of my emotions. And my hair falls in clumps but my gyno tells me not to worry.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 15th Jan 26
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 15th Jan 26
I switched to this pill after being on a mini pill and feeling a lack of emotion, not necessarily depression just nothingness. My doctor advised this pill would help with symptoms of PMS and I couldn’t disagree more, I am a usually very happy positive person. I felt angry, irritated, hopeless and then ultimately depressed in just 6 weeks on this pill. I ended up having a panic attack and it then dawned on me that the only thing that has changed recently is this new pill. I stopped taking it the day this happened and I have felt completely fine and back to my normal self since. Personally I would never recommend this pill, I never suffered from any mental health issues before the pill and it’s made me go off contraception completely. The ONLY thing I would say about this pill that is a positive is that my skin was flawless, but that isn’t worth it for me alone. My skin wasn’t bad before other than an occasional hormonal spot here and there.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
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