Morning after pill vs Combined pill

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Morning after pill

Add your Morning after pill review

Combined pill

£From £0.16/day

Overview

Rated 3.4

32 reviews

Once after sex

Frequency

97 - 98%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.8

2705 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Morning after pill ingredients

Main hormones in Morning after pill

progestogen


Combined pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combined pill

progestogen

oestrogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

38% somewhat negative

28% no change

63% no impact

69% no impact

59% no impact on skin

Cycle return

67% in 1 month

31% somewhat negative

47% lighter periods

46% lost sex drive

48% no impact

44% improved skin

Cycle return

37% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

There are no benefits that are recognised in scientific research or guidelines for this contraceptive

Acne or bad skin

Heavy periods

PMS and PMDD

PCOS symptoms

Period pain

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£From £0.16/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Morning after pill reviews

32 reviews

Morning after pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Sep 25

ellaOne pill  

I was reluctant to take the morning after pill. I was advised to take it by the nurse after using the withdrawal method. My cycle following taking the pill was 42 day long (my average cycle is about 35 days).

Read more

Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Morning after pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  9th May 25

Levonorgestrel pill  

I had some cramps here and there, nausea started around 4-5 hours after but no vomiting but I was quite dizzy and fatigued. I got my period 5 days earlier than predicted and I had a heavy flow for 4 days instead of my usual 2 but other than that worked alright.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Morning after pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  19th Apr 25

Levonelle One Step pill  

Complete loss of sex drive for over a week. Accompanied by low mood.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Morning after pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  17th Sep 25

ellaOne pill  

I was reluctant to take the morning after pill. I was advised to take it by the nurse after using the withdrawal method. My cycle following taking the pill was 42 day long (my average cycle is about 35 days).


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Morning after pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  9th May 25

Levonorgestrel pill  

I had some cramps here and there, nausea started around 4-5 hours after but no vomiting but I was quite dizzy and fatigued. I got my period 5 days earlier than predicted and I had a heavy flow for 4 days instead of my usual 2 but other than that worked alright.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Morning after pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  19th Apr 25

Levonelle One Step pill  

Complete loss of sex drive for over a week. Accompanied by low mood.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments


Combined pill reviews

2705 reviews

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Yasmin pill  

Ok


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Levest pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
36 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

Eloine pill  

I started taking Eloine for contraception but also as a way to mange my PMDD. It has definitely helped with managing the severe depression from PMDD and keep my mood more stable. I have more energy than I used to. I have felt slightly more hungry but also in a new relationship and started taking it just before Christmas so hard to tell if that is caused by the pill, or just general indulgence. The most annoying symptom I’ve had is irregular breakthrough bleeding, which has happened a lot. I bled continually for the first 5 weeks and now it comes and goes.


Somewhat positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Yasmin pill  

Ok


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Levest pill  

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

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
36 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

Eloine pill  

I started taking Eloine for contraception but also as a way to mange my PMDD. It has definitely helped with managing the severe depression from PMDD and keep my mood more stable. I have more energy than I used to. I have felt slightly more hungry but also in a new relationship and started taking it just before Christmas so hard to tell if that is caused by the pill, or just general indulgence. The most annoying symptom I’ve had is irregular breakthrough bleeding, which has happened a lot. I bled continually for the first 5 weeks and now it comes and goes.


Somewhat positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5 days ago

Lucette pill  

I've loved Lucette for control over my periods and it largely got rid of my acne. My boobs got bigger which I loved too because I felt better proportioned. I think I gained some weight in my midsection, I didn't mind that for the other benefits it gave me but also could have been due to age. I think I had more discharge and would wear dailies for comfort. I wouldn't have come off it but was told I shouldn't have been on it in the first place due to having a history of migraine with aura that wasn't picked up earlier.


Improved skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 8+ yr
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Yasmin pill  

I’ve been on Yasmin consistently for 13 years and have never had issues. I remember the first 1-3 months of taking it I did have a bit of nausea but after that, no side effects. I know I am one of the lucky few, but I really love this pill. I never have any issues and never period pain, I have great skin, no weight gain or libido loss. I haven’t changed brands because of how amazing it has been for me.


Improved skin

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Eloine pill  

Such a shame my body didn’t like it because my brain definitely did! I have felt so much happier in the 6 weeks I’ve been taking this (compared to years of being on Microgynon) BUT I have had thrush 3 times in those 6 weeks!!! It caused a lot of vaginal dryness which led to thrush :(


Very positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

1 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Microgynon 30 pill  

I first started using microgynon aged 19 (it was the first pill offered to me when I wanted to go on the pill) and aside from weight gain, I didn’t really have that many side effects and got on well with it. I stopped using I when I was 22 after a break up. I then went back on it aged 25 and had a totally different experience. I didn’t gain as much weight the second time round but my breasts did go up a cup size which was annoying as none of my nice bras fitted me anymore!! I experienced period like cramps constantly, enough to need to take painkillers sometimes. At first I ignored it but after a few months of being in constant low level pain I couldn’t take it anymore. I have now switched to Yasmin after the pharmacist suggested it may be due to the type of progesterone in microgynon causing the cramps.


Somewhat positive mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Microlite pill  

It’s made my skin worse, my anxiety is terrible, I am a lot more emotional and I feel worse. It did make me periods go from 11 days to 3 days though which was the point of me going on it.


Very negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 8+ yr
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Femodene pill  

I started Femodene when I was 16 for my acne, this was for my face and bacne/chest. I found it worked well for me however I did get the odd “hormonal” spot on my face when coming back onto the pill. When it comes to day to day though, I won’t lie everything felt numb. I had no excitement anymore, no motivation, I felt grumpy and tired and 0 sex drive. I felt alone but had people all around me. From being on it for so long I couldn’t remember what I was like before so have nothing really to compare it to. I train in the gym 4-5 times a week and I found I wasn’t seeing as much progress as I should have been as well.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Yasmin pill  

It seems with this I lose and gain weight easily, overall loose weight I don’t have much appetite and I’ve lost a lot of breast fullness which is a shame


Somewhat positive mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

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