Male condom vs Combined pill

I was recommended dretine and I've not looked back.

Potentially safe

You would need a lot of lube as it is not naturally liberated.

My GP started me on this pill to help with perimenopausal symptoms (mainly insomnia and brain fog but to a lesser extent mood swings). For these, this pill has been a game changer and after only a couple of months, I feel like myself again. The only negative is that I've noticed a quite marked weight change and have gained around 3kg, most of which I think is water weight as I have gone puffy all over my body despite being an active person who spends a lot of time in the gym and has an active job. So I'm hoping this settles down after a couple more months, if it doesn't I think I'll try switching to another pill.

Pros: PMDD completely gone Didn't bleed for 3 months as didn't have a break and no spotting at all Felt happier in general Stabilised my moods Increased cup size-- went from a C to a DD in 2 months Cons: Breast tenderness and pain was horrific for the first 8 weeks Increased weight significantly in 3 months Completely lost sex drive and found sex disgusting Heart palpitations Constipation Constant hunger Heart burn that lasted for around 2 weeks on second pack If I could have stayed on this pill forever, I would have. Yes, there were side effects but they were nothing compared to the horrific time I go through every month of my cycle anyway. The only reason I stopped is because I have a condition called POTS, and it turns out oestrogen makes it worse! I was running packs back to back and I was so happy being able to have a stable mood and feel less depressed. But in the end the heart palpitations that were exascerbated by my condition were enough to make it worse. I did have weight gain on this pill as well, and having stopped 3 days ago, I've dropped almost half the weight I put on already, so I was definitely retaining a lot. All in all, yes there are side effects, but I'm more sad about having to stop it than I was about them in the first place.

I used to be on this for years before having my two children and so I went back on but I’ve decided to come back off and try the copper coil instead of hormonal contraception. I remember when I came off I felt like I’d come back to life, as though I’d sort of been numbed when I was on it. I’d been on various types of hormonal contraception for over 20 years so I don’t think I’d noticed it happening to me over time until I came off. But having now had a few years off contraception altogether going back on I can really feel it this time. I had been losing my baby weight but that stopped when I started the pill again, I suspect it’s bloating and water rather than actual body fat. My sex drive has plummeted to basically nothing and I just don’t feel like me.

I was using Danielle for more than one year and when the side effects became so intense I decided to change for another brand and my gynaecologist suggested Drovelis. I’ve been on it for more than 3 months however I am experiencing similar symptoms of the old one (nausea and headaches being the most annoying to me). If things will keep going like this I think I need to consider changing again :(

This is the third pill I’ve tried and I’ve finally found one I want to stay on. I lost weight, my skin cleared up, my bra size has gone up in cup in 3 months, I’m much calmer on this pill I’m someone who is neurodivergent which causes me lots of anxiety and this pill has made me a lot more optimistic and relaxed. Only been on it 3 months if anything changes I’ll update!

I've given Dianette three stars, because there were a few positives while I used it, but ultimately it did more harm than good to my physical and mental well-being. I was first prescribed Dianette by my GP during my A Levels, because I needed regular contraception, and was told that this particular pill would help my hormonal acne. Happily, within the first three months, my skin was the clearest it had ever been since before puberty! And I hadn't got pregnant, so it certainly fulfilled its promises on that front. However, there were some undesirable side effects which eventually led me to come off the pill, and have made me quite wary of hormonal contraception altogether. I found that my appetite increased, to quite an alarming degree. I might have had a three course meal in a restaurant (for example), and then felt ravenous when I'd got home later that evening. Accompanied by this increased hunger was a sudden dip in my energy levels, and feeling "hangry". Coupled with this was some water weight, which made my body feel much bigger than it actually was, and I became very obsessed with exercise, diet, and body image, which meant I lost out on a lot of university-related fun and friendships. (N.B.: this might say more about my own issues around body image and self-esteem, but I feel it's something any women with E.D.s might want to be aware of.) I had some good life experiences while on this pill, but my persistent mood swings and depression ruined them. I had frequent irritability and angry outbursts, which affected ALL my relationships, and, I believe, contributed to my eventual dropping out of university. In spite of the negative effect on my mental health, I didn't find my libido to be adversely affected, but I did seem to be more prone than usual to Thrush. Which, as you can imagine, was something of a passion killer. It took me a long time to admit that maybe this pill wasn't great for me, because of the benefits to my skin and sex life (I was only 18, and having clear skin and being sexually active was still a novelty!). But on top of some existing issues I had, it ruined my life in a lot of ways.

I started this pill as a stronger alternative to the previous contraceptive I was using (Marvelon), as I had been experiencing breakthrough bleeding. I also have pcos so was looking to mask my symptoms (heavy and irregular periods, PMDD, acne among others). I had nausea, continued breakthrough bleeds even with consistent use, vaginal dryness, and headaches. I ended up switching back to Marvelon after 4-5 months.

I was on this pill for a few months and it was mostly fine. HOWEVER I realised later down the line it was giving me chronic IBS-like symptoms. I’ve never had IBS before but as soon as I started this pill I started having digestive issues, I was either constipated or constantly needing the toilet. Also major nausea especially after eating. It got really quite bad towards the 3 month mark, and was affecting me every single day. It gave me major anxiety about eating so I lost a lot of weight. Finally connected the dots and came off it and the symptoms gradually went away. There are studies that have linked drospirenone to IBS and symptoms like these so it makes sense now! Otherwise, I had very little issues with this pill. It didn’t majorly affect my mood or sex drive. My breasts grew very slightly but no tenderness. Other annoying side effects were occasional thrush and random patches of dry skin. I could cope with that but not the constant nausea and sh*ts😭 so I’ll be avoiding drospirenone at all costs from now on!!

I just started to take Drovelis 2 weeks ago. And I’ve been suffering from nausea and vomiting almost every day ((

I had quite a negative experience with the pill . I was prescribed it in 2020 after being diagnosed with PCOS , I was given this to lighten my flow which was very heavy and clear up my skin which had broken out in under the skin cystic acne at the time. Although my periods became more regular they still fluctuated quite a bit. My periods were also incredibly painful and even when I wasn't on my period I began to experience chronic abdominal, pelvic and back pain (I've recently been diagnosed with endometriosis). I also experience horrendous mood swings and had to go on an anti depressant to manage them. I would not try this pill again. I also had suicidal ideation and thoughts when I was on the pill.