Progestogen-only / Mini pill vs Combined pill

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Progestogen-only / Mini pill

£From £0.22/day

Combined pill

£From £0.16/day

Overview

Rated 2.7

1459 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.8

2707 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

Increased

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Progestogen-only / Mini pill ingredients

Main hormones in Progestogen-only / Mini pill

progestogen


Combined pill ingredients

Main hormones in Combined pill

progestogen

oestrogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

32% somewhat negative

44% stopped periods

49% lost sex drive

44% no impact

46% no impact on skin

Cycle return

38% don’t know impact

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

Period pain

Acne or bad skin

Heavy periods

PMS and PMDD

PCOS symptoms

Period pain

Try it now

£From £0.22/day

Try it now

£From £0.16/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Progestogen-only / Mini pill reviews

1459 reviews

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

Desogestrel pill  

Completely ruined my skin and gave me awful acne after already suffering with it for years. Also gave me horrible headaches and migraines. Would never recommend this to anyone.

Read more

Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Desogestrel pill  

Been on Desogestrel for just over 3 months now, started October. Had a good run with no side effects until 6th Jan and have been spotting ever since with no sign of it stopping. Told by nurse it can take 3+ months for body to get used to it. Also have a big increase in spots on face, majority chin and neck but can be all over which is really annoying. Lower back pain and some cramps experienced also. Unsure how long I’ll leave it before asking GP to change as spotting everyday is a little annoying.


Worse skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

1 comments

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

Zelleta pill  

Was put on zeletta 5 weeks ago had one normal period 2 weeks later, then 2 weeks ago I started heavily bleeding a week later it became even heavier especially at night where i get intense cramping and fill a pad or tampon every 1-2hrs losing significantly large blood clots, several phone calls to doctors who claimed "its normal" on zelleta then prescribed me tranexamic acid 4 days ago which has not helped at all the large blood clots, cramping and heavy bleeding still continues so today 2 weeks later my doctor has asked me to stop and up dosage of tranexamic acid. I also noticed a breakout with large spots on face that ive never had! Very low mood and loss of motivation crying over the most smallest of things! This pill has ruined me this past 2 weeks and wreaked havoc on my body hoping now ive stopped the bleeding and cramping will ease, I honestly wish id looked into this more before started but was told it was the same as the last brand cerelle (which I had no issues with) so started to take. I have never experienced anything like this and its really taken a toll on me.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Desogestrel pill  

Completely ruined my skin and gave me awful acne after already suffering with it for years. Also gave me horrible headaches and migraines. Would never recommend this to anyone.


Somewhat negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Desogestrel pill  

Been on Desogestrel for just over 3 months now, started October. Had a good run with no side effects until 6th Jan and have been spotting ever since with no sign of it stopping. Told by nurse it can take 3+ months for body to get used to it. Also have a big increase in spots on face, majority chin and neck but can be all over which is really annoying. Lower back pain and some cramps experienced also. Unsure how long I’ll leave it before asking GP to change as spotting everyday is a little annoying.


Worse skin

1 more effect

0 helpful

1 comments

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

Zelleta pill  

Was put on zeletta 5 weeks ago had one normal period 2 weeks later, then 2 weeks ago I started heavily bleeding a week later it became even heavier especially at night where i get intense cramping and fill a pad or tampon every 1-2hrs losing significantly large blood clots, several phone calls to doctors who claimed "its normal" on zelleta then prescribed me tranexamic acid 4 days ago which has not helped at all the large blood clots, cramping and heavy bleeding still continues so today 2 weeks later my doctor has asked me to stop and up dosage of tranexamic acid. I also noticed a breakout with large spots on face that ive never had! Very low mood and loss of motivation crying over the most smallest of things! This pill has ruined me this past 2 weeks and wreaked havoc on my body hoping now ive stopped the bleeding and cramping will ease, I honestly wish id looked into this more before started but was told it was the same as the last brand cerelle (which I had no issues with) so started to take. I have never experienced anything like this and its really taken a toll on me.


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments


Combined pill reviews

2707 reviews

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Levest pill  

Feel “out of it” a lot more but not necessarily depressed. However cramping is really bad


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

Drovelis pill  

I always feel tired, no matter how much I sleep it feels like it's never enough. Most days I don't feels in control of my emotions. And my hair falls in clumps but my gyno tells me not to worry.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Yasmin pill  

Ok


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  today

Levest pill  

Feel “out of it” a lot more but not necessarily depressed. However cramping is really bad


Somewhat negative mood

3 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Combined pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 days ago

Drovelis pill  

I always feel tired, no matter how much I sleep it feels like it's never enough. Most days I don't feels in control of my emotions. And my hair falls in clumps but my gyno tells me not to worry.


Somewhat negative mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

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

Yasmin pill  

Ok


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

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

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