Morning after pill vs Progestogen-only / Mini pill

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Morning after pill

Add your Morning after pill review

Progestogen-only / Mini pill

£From £0.22/day

Overview

Rated 3.4

34 reviews

Once after sex

Frequency

97 - 98%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.7

1517 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Morning after pill ingredients

Main hormones in Morning after pill

progestogen


Progestogen-only / Mini pill ingredients

Main hormones in Progestogen-only / Mini pill

progestogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

35% somewhat negative

27% no change

59% no impact

65% no impact

53% no impact on skin

Cycle return

67% in 1 month

31% somewhat negative

44% stopped periods

49% lost sex drive

44% no impact

46% no impact on skin

Cycle return

40% 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

Period pain

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£From £0.22/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Morning after pill reviews

34 reviews

Morning after pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1st Jul 26

ellaOne pill  

A lot of weight gain and my skin went very bad

Read more

Very negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Morning after pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  19th May 26

Levonorgestrel pill  

Feeling very sick, painful stomach/cramp pains, tired muscles or aches, overall extremely tired, loss of energy, bloating and gas discomfort


Top side effects not reported

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 6 - 12 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1st Jul 26

ellaOne pill  

A lot of weight gain and my skin went very bad


Very negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Morning after pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  19th May 26

Levonorgestrel pill  

Feeling very sick, painful stomach/cramp pains, tired muscles or aches, overall extremely tired, loss of energy, bloating and gas discomfort


Top side effects not reported

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


Progestogen-only / Mini pill reviews

1517 reviews

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Cerazette pill  

Cerazette has been great for me! Used to get very heavy and debilitatingly painful periods (though not diagnosed with anything), and now occasionally get a day or 2 of light bleeding with very very mild cramps. My mood is not effected by my cycle anymore and I feel much more stable and happy. Has also worked well as contraception, which is what I am taking it for!


Somewhat positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Slynd pill  

I was put on this after being diagnosed with PMDD. I was wary to go on a hormonal pill after having a horrible time when I was a teenager on the combined pill but this has been lifechanging. I was losing 2 weeks out of the month due to my mood, especially with my AUDHD too. I have now got them back. I feel so much more level and calm. For the first 3 months, I had vaginal dryness (which made sex painful), spotting and nausea but this has now completely gone away. My bloating has also subsided a little and my boobs have grown A LOT, which Im not complaining about haha. My hot flashes have got slightly worse but I had them anyway with my ADHD meds and POTs. I am very relieved that this has worked as it has given me my life back. Try and stick with it for 3-4 months before giving up, as im so glad I did.


Very positive mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Desogestrel pill  

I have mild adenomyosis and pcos, i wanted to try out a POP before a method with estrogen or inserting something I need a healthcare specialist to take out. In the end I couldn’t stick this out for the 3 months that they advise. Since starting I’ve had different side effects. The first week was bad reflux, the second week I had leg cramps, then I had 3 weeks of a constant thumping in my head with a headache that comes and goes, I was referred for an MRV and told to stop the pill. It’s been a week since I’ve stopped, every day the thumping has gotten quieter, no sudden “hits” in my head and today it’s finally gone. For whatever reason, it’s not for me. I will admit it did lighten my bleeding and it looked like it was on its way to stopping, but it never actually stopped completely before the headaches started.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 day ago

Cerazette pill  

Cerazette has been great for me! Used to get very heavy and debilitatingly painful periods (though not diagnosed with anything), and now occasionally get a day or 2 of light bleeding with very very mild cramps. My mood is not effected by my cycle anymore and I feel much more stable and happy. Has also worked well as contraception, which is what I am taking it for!


Somewhat positive mood

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Slynd pill  

I was put on this after being diagnosed with PMDD. I was wary to go on a hormonal pill after having a horrible time when I was a teenager on the combined pill but this has been lifechanging. I was losing 2 weeks out of the month due to my mood, especially with my AUDHD too. I have now got them back. I feel so much more level and calm. For the first 3 months, I had vaginal dryness (which made sex painful), spotting and nausea but this has now completely gone away. My bloating has also subsided a little and my boobs have grown A LOT, which Im not complaining about haha. My hot flashes have got slightly worse but I had them anyway with my ADHD meds and POTs. I am very relieved that this has worked as it has given me my life back. Try and stick with it for 3-4 months before giving up, as im so glad I did.


Very positive mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Desogestrel pill  

I have mild adenomyosis and pcos, i wanted to try out a POP before a method with estrogen or inserting something I need a healthcare specialist to take out. In the end I couldn’t stick this out for the 3 months that they advise. Since starting I’ve had different side effects. The first week was bad reflux, the second week I had leg cramps, then I had 3 weeks of a constant thumping in my head with a headache that comes and goes, I was referred for an MRV and told to stop the pill. It’s been a week since I’ve stopped, every day the thumping has gotten quieter, no sudden “hits” in my head and today it’s finally gone. For whatever reason, it’s not for me. I will admit it did lighten my bleeding and it looked like it was on its way to stopping, but it never actually stopped completely before the headaches started.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Desorex pill  

The first 2 years on this pill was fine, my moods were neutral and my periods stopped completely. However, this is my 3rd year using it and I’ve started growing darker facial hair on my chin and I’ve become more irritable with occasional breakthrough bleeding. Not sure if my body has just changed hormonally as I’ve grown older and doesn’t agree with Desorex anymore. My pharmacist recommended swapping to Noriday, so shall see how that goes and whether it improves my symptoms despite containing a higher amount of androgen than Desorex.


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Desogestrel pill  

My side effects were all fine (basically non-existent) on Desogestrel besides very regular bleeding/spotting. The first 2-3 months were okay with a period-like bleed every 3 or 4 weeks with cramps too (although a lot less painful than my usual periods). But then the frequency increased. I tried to wait it out but after 7 months I was still experiencing spotting/bleeding every other week. Besides this I would’ve stayed on it and had no other problems. I’ve now changed to a combined pill which will hopefully make me bleed less.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Desogestrel pill  

I was put on Desogestrel after being on the combined pill (Rigevidon) for many years, but I was suffering from migraines. I was on Desogestral for roughly 5 months, and didn't have a single migraine for the entire time. I also had started to get period like cramps when taking the combined pill, but not when I was actually on my period. This also completely vanished for me which was great. Unfortunately the one big down side for me, which has caused me to try another type of mini pill was that I ended up having more days than not where I was bleeding. It wasn't always a lot, but it was always on my mind, and I didn't know which days would be clear and which would be not clear. Some days the bleeding would fade out but it might start like I was on my period, causing me to use a pad just in case it carried on. I stuck with it as the mentioned pros were so good that I really wanted it to work for me but in the end I just couldn't stand having more days that I bled than not, and I never felt like I could relax.


Worse skin

1 more effect

1 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Cerazette pill  

Ive been on this pill for over 5 months and I’m stopping. When I started about a month in I got horrible acne breakouts but I started using benzoyl peroxide and now it’s okay. I’ve had 3-4 periods and each one I’ve bled for weeks at a time so I am switching to a different one


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 5 yr
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Cerelle pill  

Would have been ok apart from the bile acid diarrhoea anytime I ate anything with fat in it! Thought I was lactose intolerant, stopped pill and suddenly I could eat dairy again! Weird, went on it again after having my son and the diarrhoea suddenly came back doctors said it couldn’t be the pill but I’m not on it now and after 3 weeks no more diarrhoea. Bit of an odd coincidence if it’s not the pill


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Slynd pill  

Vaginal atrophy, painful sex, painful urination, extreme constipation, right sided abdominal pain that felt like being stabbed (caused by constipation), dizziness from low blood pressure, fainting, extreme anxiety, chest pain, high cortisol, insomnia, depression, crying a lot, depression, dry skin, thirst,


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  

Vaginal atrophy, vulvar pain, painful sex zero libido, constipation so bad I went to a&e, caused horrible right sided abdominal pain, very dry skin, extreme anxiety, chest pain, insomnia, depression, low blood pressure, dizziness and fainting, over all sucked, took a few months before side effects hit


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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