Morning after pill vs Combined pill
Need help choosing? Speak to a doctor
£From £0.10/day
£From £0.16/day
Overview
Rated 3.4
28 reviews
Once after sex
Frequency
97 - 98%
Effectiveness
None
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.8
2484 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
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
Try it now
£From £0.10/day
Try it now
£From £0.16/day
Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Morning after pill reviews
28 reviews
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 15th Apr 24
Increased sex drive
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 21st Feb 24
I used the emergency contraception pill when someone ejaculated inside of me to avoid pregnancy and it was useful.
Gained weight
0 helpful
1 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 15th Feb 24
For those emergencies where me and my partner haven’t used a condom or had sex during my ovulation period, I’ve been used the morning after pill which has most definitely been very effective for me. I don’t really experience any excessive side effects but what I do notice every time I take this medication my period is comes a week later than normal and it can be much heavier at times with more clots , and the periods are very painful.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 15th Apr 24
Increased sex drive
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 21st Feb 24
I used the emergency contraception pill when someone ejaculated inside of me to avoid pregnancy and it was useful.
Gained weight
0 helpful
1 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 15th Feb 24
For those emergencies where me and my partner haven’t used a condom or had sex during my ovulation period, I’ve been used the morning after pill which has most definitely been very effective for me. I don’t really experience any excessive side effects but what I do notice every time I take this medication my period is comes a week later than normal and it can be much heavier at times with more clots , and the periods are very painful.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Combined pill reviews
2484 reviews
Used for 12 - 18 mo
39 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
Start of it was great, made my periods less painful and lighter. After a while periods came back to lasting a long time, got extreme period pains, discharge in my nipple, blood clot in my leg and they said it was dangerous to continue it’s use since I’m a smoker.
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
At the start all was going great but in the last 2/3 months things have started going really downhill, I have started shedding hair at an alarming rate, I have gained weight, I have developed thrush on my boob, my eczema is awful, the skin on my face is so oily, I constantly feel down and sad which I used to only experience when I was in the week before my period. It’s definitely not a long term solution.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
unfortunately caused severe negative effects on my mental health and quality of life. increased anxiety & depression (both were constant) and drastically reduced my confidence and body image. all symptoms intensified the week before a period was due - body image was so poor i wouldn't leave the house or wear anything other than baggy clothes, felt suicidal, cried over nothing, lost all motivation/drive, couldn't concentrate + poor short term memory, felt worthless, anhedonic, insomnia that was worst the few days before a bleed, and persistent fatigue & lethargy. i did try to stick it out as i assumed it was pre-existing conditions causing my symptoms, but they got progressively worse the longer i was on it. after i came off the pill i noticed pretty rapid improvement in my self confidence and overall mental health.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
39 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
Start of it was great, made my periods less painful and lighter. After a while periods came back to lasting a long time, got extreme period pains, discharge in my nipple, blood clot in my leg and they said it was dangerous to continue it’s use since I’m a smoker.
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
At the start all was going great but in the last 2/3 months things have started going really downhill, I have started shedding hair at an alarming rate, I have gained weight, I have developed thrush on my boob, my eczema is awful, the skin on my face is so oily, I constantly feel down and sad which I used to only experience when I was in the week before my period. It’s definitely not a long term solution.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
unfortunately caused severe negative effects on my mental health and quality of life. increased anxiety & depression (both were constant) and drastically reduced my confidence and body image. all symptoms intensified the week before a period was due - body image was so poor i wouldn't leave the house or wear anything other than baggy clothes, felt suicidal, cried over nothing, lost all motivation/drive, couldn't concentrate + poor short term memory, felt worthless, anhedonic, insomnia that was worst the few days before a bleed, and persistent fatigue & lethargy. i did try to stick it out as i assumed it was pre-existing conditions causing my symptoms, but they got progressively worse the longer i was on it. after i came off the pill i noticed pretty rapid improvement in my self confidence and overall mental health.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
This was my first contraception given to me by my GP at age 19. I believe Rigevidon is the cheapest which is why often it is what many are prescribed, that is what I learned from watching a doc by Davina McCall! It took me years to realise my mood swings and emotional outbursts were a side effect, not a true reflection of who I was. I felt like I had too many artificial hormones inside affecting my mental heath and the close relationships around me. I also suffered with acne. Once I moved to the implant (which really wasn’t a scary or painful procedure), mentally I have been in such a better place.
Very negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
I was prescribed this pill mainly for my moods and it really did help. I was taking the pill for many years and every month when I had my break in tablets I would get a headache. I thought it was a symptom of PMS but after having a pill review with my GP they advised me to stop taking it. Since I stopped I haven’t had one headache which is quite worrying. They always ask about migraines in the questionnaire but never headaches so it didn’t even occur to me that it might be the pill causing this
Very positive mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I was automatically put on the pill as soon as i became sexually active, within 6 months of this I was on put on antidepressants, of course I didn’t realise and wasn’t told the possibility of a connection. I conceived my 2nd child whilst on the pill. As I got older and became single again I came off the pill and saw a huge change in myself, I also came off the antidepressants easily and felt healthier mentally, I also felt an increase in libido….Something I lost completely whilst on the pill. I’m now dating again and looking for an alternative contraceptive as I cannot go back to how I was before. I also recently found out that the pill can contribute to the production of gallstones.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I’ve been taking this for over a month and I’ve had terrible skin, I’ve never had spots in my life and I’ve got so many. I’ve also rarely ever had thrush, which I have now read is a common side effect. Also some hair loss. Not a great pill at all, have stopped taking completely.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
Started off on this pill, I'm one of those lucky people who are never sick but while on this pill I would quite regularly feel nauseous a few hours after taking it and on about 5 occasions would vomit aswell, which for me was very unusual but after switching to a different pill these side effects went away.
Worse skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I got prescribed the combination pill due to recurring endometrial polyps. I'm pretty happy with this pill, it took me 3 months to adapt to taking it with frequent mood swings, irritation and sore breasts in the beginning, but once I got past that I really saw the benefits. My hair had been progressively thinning for 3 years before I started this medication, let me confirm that as soon as I started taking this it went away like magic. My hair is thicker and my hairline is barely visible now, it's so much thicker and I'm thrilled. No pregnancies on this pill either so it does work. I do still have tender breasts from time to time and some light cramping but I still feel it's worth taking. 9/10 recommend.
Somewhat positive mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
I originally went on the Gederal 30/150 combined pill because I had irregular periods and acne. This pill was recommended by my doctor to specifically help with acne. I really liked this pill, I didn’t feel like I experienced any side effects and it really helped clear up my skin. I still got the occasional spot but my skin was so much better. I also liked the ease of being able to chose if/when I got my period by continually taking the pill or having a 7 day break. My periods were super regular and would typically start 2 days after starting the 7 day break, and they would last 5 days with 1-2 heavier days in the middle but mostly very light. I didn’t notice any mood changes. Unfortunately, after about 7 years on this pill I had a few migraines with auras and was told by my GP that I had to stop taking this pill due to the risk of Stroke. I am now on the mini-pill which I am experiencing some negative side effects with.
Improved skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Women's health, reviewed.
Get the best women’s health info in your inbox
You are signing up to receive The Lowdown's latest findings and news in women's health. Your data will be used in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie policy
Slide into our DMs
Built by doctors and experts
Our tools are made by medical professionals for your peace of mind
Our website uses affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you click on them