Progestogen-only / Mini pill vs Combined pill
Need help choosing? Speak to a doctor
£From £0.22/day
£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
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 days ago
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 days ago
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
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
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
Used for 6 - 12 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 days ago
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
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
Used for 6 - 12 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 days ago
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
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
Used for 3 - 6 mo
36 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
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
Used for 5 - 8 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
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
Used for 8+ yr
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
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
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
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
Used for 1 - 3 mo
15 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 month ago
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
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
