Patch vs Combined pill

After switching from the combined pill due to depression, I was interested in the patch as I could change it weekly instead of remembering to take a pill everyday. I started the patch and my periods became regular and my mood increased greatly, I do experience bad PMS but It is much better compared to when I was on the pill. I do get cramps sometimes between periods but nothing too bad. You can also use the patch to skip periods but I enjoy having a regular “cycle” and when I did use it to skip a period for a holiday I ended up spotting for a month! Overall the patch is great for me and I don’t plan on changing as it has helped my mental health so much.

I had near constant breakthrough bleeding the entire time

It’s convenient to only change once a week. I’ve found when I’ve been on holiday if you are in the water it does loosen and sometimes come off in the water which is not helpful. I have experienced a lot of breakthrough bleeding very randomly but it has helped with my skin. My sex drive has basically gone it’s that low which I have struggled with but my mood and endometriosis pain during periods has helped

This was the absolute perfect pill for me. I had no side effects other than slightly sore breasts in the first couple of months.

I wanted so badly to like this pill, and thought because of the lower dose of hormones compared to other brands it might be better. Sadly it didn’t quite work out for me. I trialed it tri-cycling, running the packs back to back with no break, and normally with a 7 day break each month but nothing seemed to make a difference. Overall it made me feel quite numb day to day, as well as teary very easily (I cried over a video about slugs, and I don’t even like them). My sex drive went completely out the window, which has impacted me and my partner quite substantially - it takes real effort for me to get in the mood whilst being on this. I am frequently very tired, have constant headaches that last about a week every month, thrush every month during “ovulation” which takes about a week to clear with over the counter meds, vaginal dryness, lower back pain, and weight gain - although this could partially be a result of being in a happy relationship and a love for little sweet treats. My boobs have gotten bigger, but again this may be from the overall weight gain. No tender boobs, acne (as a past accutane user), awful cramps or pregnancy scares - which are definitely all positives! Everyone’s experience is different, and I’m not trying to fear monger at all, just want to be honest about my experience on this pill so that people who do extensive doom scroll research like me can be informed. Trying the mini pill once my cycle finishes in the hopes it at least stops the monthly thrush / headaches, but hopefully helps the other side effects lessen a bit too 🤞🏼

This pill has made me very anxious and also a bit snappy. It has been good for stopping periods as i take back to back so i dont bleed (periods are painfull and heavy otherwise) .. but expeirence some breakthrough bleeding. Thrush has been the biggest problem as i cant seem to get rid of it and im sure that the pill is the problem!! Also my eyes have become dryer and ive become more sweaty.

I switched from Cilique to Lizinna due to the shortage and at first I thought it was good. It helped with my periods and made my skin clearer. The longer I was taking it, the more I noticed the effect it had on my mental health. My anxiety and depression had dramatically increased, to the point where i found it almost unbearable. I was having panic attacks everyday and found myself extremely emotional. I became a horrible person to be around due to my low mood and so I felt the need to stop socializing with my friends and family altogether. I eventually put 2 and 2 together and realized that it was most likely Lizinna. I managed to find a months worth of Cilique in a pharmacy and have been taking it for only a week now and have already seen a positive change in my mentality. I am just nervous because of this shortage and I ahve found Cilique to be the only pill that works for me after trying multiple (eg. Overeena, Cilique, Cilest, Lizinna and more)

I originally went on the pill to help ease period pains and I had already tried micrgogynon which made me feel nauseous. Getting used to the pill defo made me feel nauseous in the mornings a little but quickly went away. I have not had any serious side effects other than an increased emotional sensitivity and breast tenderness. My periods are a lot less heavy but thicker consistency? I'm not doubled over in pain anymore but I still take painkillers on my period. I would defo reccomend!!

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!