Morning after pill vs Combined pill
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£From £0.10/day
£From £0.16/day
Overview
Rated 3.4
29 reviews
Once after sex
Frequency
97 - 98%
Effectiveness
None
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.8
2523 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
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Check out our latest reviews
Real life reviews from people like you
Morning after pill reviews
29 reviews
Used for 1 - 3 mo
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
I am going through the most excruciating lower back pain ever, can’t get up
Very negative mood
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
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
I am going through the most excruciating lower back pain ever, can’t get up
Very negative mood
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
Combined pill reviews
2523 reviews
Used for 1 - 3 mo
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I was reluctantly put on the Yasmin pill by my GP as I wasn’t coping with previous contraception pills. I didn’t have a good experience with Yasmin. I was spotting very often and got regular nausea and headaches, so in total, was on it for about 2 months before I decided to come off of it
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I become badly depressed and anxious while taking this. I lost all motivation to do anything - I knew it was a severe bad side effect. I suffered bad foot edema, I was in pain even just lying down , walking was painful on my feet.
Very negative mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I took Zoely for 2 months and a half, it was one of the worst experiences of my life. In the first month I had such a bad nausea that I couldn’t eat much anymore so I lost 7kg in around 1 month and a half and got me very bad pimples. What’s worse is the effect on my mental health. I’ve always been a positive person even if in my family there are cases of depression, with this I started to have it, having always negative thoughts, I could never see the positive in anything, and I spiraled in a very bad anxiety, making me think that everything was going for the worse so I was crying so often for very stupid things. I was also very irritable for nothing while usually I’m a very calm person. I wanted to get to three months to see if the symptoms could get better but when my boyfriend broke up with me because he could no longer stand my attitude I decided to quit it immediately and I wish I did it much sooner. It took me around 1 month and a half to feel a bit normal again, I would never recommend Zoely to anyone, taking it was one of the worst decisions of my life.
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I was reluctantly put on the Yasmin pill by my GP as I wasn’t coping with previous contraception pills. I didn’t have a good experience with Yasmin. I was spotting very often and got regular nausea and headaches, so in total, was on it for about 2 months before I decided to come off of it
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I become badly depressed and anxious while taking this. I lost all motivation to do anything - I knew it was a severe bad side effect. I suffered bad foot edema, I was in pain even just lying down , walking was painful on my feet.
Very negative mood
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I took Zoely for 2 months and a half, it was one of the worst experiences of my life. In the first month I had such a bad nausea that I couldn’t eat much anymore so I lost 7kg in around 1 month and a half and got me very bad pimples. What’s worse is the effect on my mental health. I’ve always been a positive person even if in my family there are cases of depression, with this I started to have it, having always negative thoughts, I could never see the positive in anything, and I spiraled in a very bad anxiety, making me think that everything was going for the worse so I was crying so often for very stupid things. I was also very irritable for nothing while usually I’m a very calm person. I wanted to get to three months to see if the symptoms could get better but when my boyfriend broke up with me because he could no longer stand my attitude I decided to quit it immediately and I wish I did it much sooner. It took me around 1 month and a half to feel a bit normal again, I would never recommend Zoely to anyone, taking it was one of the worst decisions of my life.
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I tried Yasmin due to the positive reviews and experiences of friends. Unfortunately, it just goes to show how individual birth control can be, as I didn't get on well with it, unlike my friends. I went on it hoping it would clear my skin up, but sadly my skin got a lot worse- really nasty cystic acne on and around my chin/mouth. I also had extremely sore boobs the whole time- the point where I couldn't even lift my arms above my head and i had to wear a sports bra 24/7 due to the pain. It also made my IBS intolerable and it was just generally unpleasant experience. I wanted to share my experience as I'd heard such positive things about it, but it just wasn't for me. I'm now on the Evra Patch and I absolutely love it.
Worse skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I've tried 12 birth control pills previously and learned that I'm very sensitive to progesterone. I took Gedarel for 2-3 months or so and it wasn't for me. It made me bleed so heavily the whole 2-3 months time that I had endometrial lining expel out of me, at the time it was quite scary as I didn't know what it was! I have also been on Cerelle the mini pill that also has Desogestrel in and I also had extremely heavy bleeding on that, so I think I'm just unlucky with progesterone. I'm now on the Evra patch and i love it
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Having previously tried 12 birth control pills, this was one of the better ones I've tried. I'm very sensitive to progesterone. I was on this pill for about 5 months and I noticed no change to my mood, my skin was significantly clearer and I skipped periods every 3 months which was great as mine are very heavy and painful. i definitely gained weight which is very common for me and birth control but it was also lifestyle changes too. Unfortunately this pill made my IBS so intolerable that I had to stop taking it. I would have continued on it otherwise so it was very annoying. I'm now on the Evra patch and loving it- very similar side effects but no IBS!
Very positive mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
What they don’t tell you and should, is that if you have had a pregnancy effected by Hyperemesis Gravidarum, is that you may not be able to tolerate estrogen. It doesn’t apply to everyone, but sadly, it did apply to me and I had to come off them very quickly, because for me, it was exactly like being pregnant again, I was throwing up around the clock.
Very negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Had thrush about 4/5 times when only on it for 4/5 months, along with the thrush swollen labia and very dry, also developed acne when I’ve never had it before, but used duac to sort that out still breakout now and again which has never happened to me before. I will be changing pill again, only good thing was that by breast grew
Worse skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 5 yr
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I took the combined pill (first Rigevidon and later Gedarel) for more than 2 years. The first few months after taking Rigevidon I had nausea and tender breasts but this settled after about 2-3 months. I developed migraines that would coincide with the break week (pill-free days). I tried switching to skipping break weeks and taking the pill for several months in a row (until I got several days of breakthrough bleeding, usually every three months), but I still got migraines randomly throughout the months and also almost every time I did eventually take a break-week. I switched to Gedarel but this did not change anything about the migraines. I had to take break weeks more often with Gedarel since I would get breakthrough bleeding more quickly (every two months). Overall I liked being able to skip periods and I think my skin/acne and hair growth maybe improved slightly. However, because of the migraines I eventually switched to a progesterone only pill.
Improved skin
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
16 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
i started taking this pill a year ago, i haven’t gotten pregnant so i believe it does it’s job, i don’t have any actually bad side effects as i’ve had with other pills, i would recommend
Somewhat positive mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
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