Injection vs Progestogen-only / Mini pill

I’ve had a really positive experience with depo. I was on it for around 4 years pre-covid, and have currently been using again for 18 months. Periods have completely stopped and I haven’t experienced side effects (my hair might be slightly thinner, but I’m not sure if I’d just never noticed I have thin hair). After stopping use the first time it did take many months for my periods to return. I’m only thinking about stopping taking it now with the recent studies on links to brain tumours.

I have really enjoyed not having periods and not having to remember my pill as I am very forgetful. I have gained an increased sex drive and I used to get cramps all the time and it stopped most of those. I rarely get migraines. Maybe one every two months. My only major issue was my hair loss. I’ve lost about 50% of my hair and now it’s brittle but after taking calcium supplements and changing my diet it’s a bit more normal. It could be unrelated but around the same time as I started the depo I also got Dyshidrotic eczema on my feet. What makes me think this could be related is I’m also very itchy on my hands, and legs since starting. I could just be getting older and I’ve had issues in the past with my hips but I’ve also pulled my back, and badly sprained my ankle and hip. This has only happened after starting the depo. After a year of being on it everything seems to have leveled out. All bad points above have now become less noticeable and I feel very comfortable. External issues are still an issue like being constantly interrogated like I don’t know what I’m doing in the nurses office as I take my depo every 10 weeks due to bleeding for the last 3 weeks of the cycle. They also seem to want you on the coil I’m not sure what that is about but it’s very annoying. Also depending on who is administering the shot you may feel basically no pain or a ton that could last for a few hours These side effects may not be for some but from my past personal issues I am happy with the contraceptive compared to others I’ve tried

Since taking the injection I have experienced severe lower back pain. I sometimes struggle to sleep

I’ve taken it for 6 years now. Not really any side effects. However, it might have affected my mood negatively, but i am not certain as I went through big life changes when i started taking it so my mood may have been a result of that. Also lost a bit of weight at that time and it stayed off. Didn’t get my period anymore for a couple of years but now i have irregular bleeding sometimes (Some months more, some less).

I started the POP because I had a few migraines with auras on the combined pill and had to stop this. When I started the mini-pill my periods became very irregular. However, I went on the combined pill in the first place because of my irregular cycle so this may just be me. I have noticed my periods are lighter but I never had heavy periods anyway. I have had a few cases of spotting for 2-3weeks after getting my period but this hopefully seems to have settled now after 5/6 months and I get a 3-5 day light period. My skin flared up with bad hormonal acne about 3/4months after I started taking the POP and hasn’t gotten any better. Another reason why I went on the combined pill initially was to help with acne so I feel this has regressed since starting the mini-pill. Also, I have had some horrific cramping at random times. A couple of times has been a whole week of painful cramps but again this hopefully seems to have settled down a bit after about 7/8 months of taking the POP. Overall, I’m not happy with the side effects I’m experiencing, especially my skin, and am considering trying the hormonal coil, but will give it a full year on the POP to see if my body starts to settle.

I really wanted to like Desogestrel. Initially, my skin was the worst - so oily and immediately broke out in painful acne. This quickly subsided after about 2 weeks. For 3 months, my breasts were so enlarged and sore all the time. I noticed around the 3 month mark that I was experiencing vaginal dryness too. My periods have been totally irregular - since starting Desogestrel in May I've had 10 periods. Many of these were trigged by intercourse. The volume of blood and the level of pain was variable for every period, making it hard to predict. The final straw for me was I started losing my hair around the 5-6 month mark. My hair is noticeably thinner on top and the ends are ruined / look awful. The only positive for me has been that it made me more energetic and have a better / more even mood. It did has not affected my sex drive and I gained a negligible amount of weight.

My periods are much lighter now, I probably bleed for about 3 days in 3-4 months - it is irregular though unfortunately so I can't predict when it may occur. My mood is much more stable than it was before and whilst using other hormonal contraception. I have been getting much more increased sweating recently though and had not made the link that it may be connected to the pill before seeing it on the Lowdown website. I have had a really positive experience with the mini-pill, especially after having used the implant before.

I was prescribed generic Desogestrel mini pill to treat my adenomyosis. I was only on it for a couple of weeks, but I couldn't cope with the symptoms. Daily bleeding and bloating but more worryingly, horrendous nausea, dizziness and migraines. Also had swollen tender enlarged breasts.

I’ve never have had a pain free period over the years my periods of gotten drastically worse which it gotten to a point that i was physically sick during my periods and was house bound for the whole entire wake up period I have PCOS and i was scared using the pill as I read up online that the pill is bad for it I had gotten to point that I was tired and fed up in having painful periods so I as recommended by my nurse to try the Cerazette pill I’m shocked in how quick that this pill stopped my periods however I am over moon that this is the case I don’t wish become a mother so I will be taken this pill till menopause positive effects periods stopped acne on my face and back is starting go Low moods have gone no longer feel bloated Negative effects Little bit of breast pain Little bit of period like cramps only a week coming to what would be my period due this doesn’t last long and I just take paracetamol which helps

This desogestrol progesterone only pill was recommended to me during a specialist appointment for severe Menorrhagia, I also have endometriosis. On the first day of taking I did not notice any symptoms, on the second day my whole abdomen from side to side became painful, tender and swollen, same on day three and four progressively becoming worse. On day three and four I was getting pins and needles in both my hands intermittently. I felt nauseous on day two, three and four (this became constant from day three to four) and had some dizzy spells on both days too. I also experienced tender breasts from day 1 to 4. I exercise well everyday and noticed I was sweating more than usual and breathless after exertion, a lot more than usual. My sex drive changed because of the side effects I think. I stopped taking this medication after the fourth tablet because the side effects were so bad.

Was put on this to help with my severe period pains. It has helped but I'm not sure it's worth it with the side effects. I can honestly say I am depressed. I have zero motivation, zero energy, zero inclination to do anything I used to enjoy. My sex drive has disappeared it doesn't matter because I've bled for the majority of the time I've been taking it. I want to stop but my GP won't try me on anything else until I've been on this for 3 months.

I have been taking Desogestral for just over 6 months. It took 3-4 months of irregular bleeding/spotting before my periods seem to have stopped completely. I do notice that I have had several occurrences of thrush along with weight gain/increased hunger, tender breasts and occasional period like cramping without bleeding. Mood overall has been slightly lower and feel like I am prone to pms symptoms still (teary, low mood) at the time I would have previously been due on. Had been off contraception for several years as combined pill previously contributed to anxiety/depression. Wanted something to control v heavy periods and not impact mood greatly and this seems to be working so far despite some unwanted side effects

Awful , periods went on for 16-28 days over 3 months. Decided to stop taking this totally as it was awful. Don’t recommend at all.