Desogestrel pill vs Noriday pill

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Desogestrel pill

£From £0.16/day

Noriday pill

£From £0.15/day

Overview

Rated 2.6

312 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Rated 2.8

101 reviews

Daily

Frequency

91% - 99+%

Effectiveness

None

Blood clot risk

None

Effect on fertility

Desogestrel pill ingredients

Main hormones in Desogestrel pill

Less-Androgenic progestogen


Noriday pill ingredients

Main hormones in Noriday pill

Androgenic progestogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

Period pain

Period pain

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£From £0.16/day

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£From £0.15/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Desogestrel pill reviews

312 reviews

Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5 days ago

  •  Stopped using

First contraceptive pill I have tried in years. It made me have really bad thoughts and made me feel really depressed so had to come off it. If you live with mental health symptoms, please be weary of this potential side effect.

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Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I was worried about side effects going on to Hana but had zero side effects apart from breast tenderness for the the first two weeks, and a regular period (although slightly lighter and shorter than normal) in week 3. I started seeing some spotting in week 5, I'm in week 7 now and on day 16 of continuous bleeding. It's reasonably light but inconvenient. No PMS symptoms other than the breast tenderness, which started in week 1/2 and is the same as the breast tenderness I got with PMS. I'm going to stick with it for now but if the breast tenderness and continuous bleeding hasn't stopped after 3 months I may give up on it as it's pretty inconvenient.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I have been put on the progestogen-only pill recently after 10 years on the combined pill, because none of my doctors ever bothered asking if I suffer from migraines before :) I have been on it for just over a month and I have not enjoyed it. I feel really, really tired (which is a side effect that is listed as 'uncommon' on the leaflet), not feeling like myself at all and have had some digestive problems with ups and downs of constipation/diarrhoea which I did not suffer from before going on this pill. I also found this pill more of a faff compared to the combined pill, as you have to take it every day at the same time. I normally take it at 9AM but that means that if I am going anywhere early in the morning, I have to take the packet with me. Although mine has a 12-hour window in which it can be taken and it still provides cover, I prefer to stick to the same time for safety. I also do not enjoy the fact that there is no 'guaranteed' bleeding to know that I am not pregnant, and that bleeding can happen at any point, randomly. That does not work with my lifestyle and it made me truly miss my previous combined pill which didn't need too much adjusting to my life. I have not had other major side effects (but then again, I have been on a pill for 10 years), but I have decided that this doesn't suit my lifestyle and I will stop taking it soon. I have invested in a Ladycomp device (99.3% accuracy, same as the pill but without hormones!) and once I finish this packet of pills I will be stopping all hormonal contraception. It's a shame that, for someone who definitely does not want a pregnancy, there aren't many options available but I am glad I found Ladycomp which has the same accuracy as the pill without taking hormones. I hope the Lowdown will start talking about it on their platform soon!! :)


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5 days ago

  •  Stopped using

First contraceptive pill I have tried in years. It made me have really bad thoughts and made me feel really depressed so had to come off it. If you live with mental health symptoms, please be weary of this potential side effect.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
32 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I was worried about side effects going on to Hana but had zero side effects apart from breast tenderness for the the first two weeks, and a regular period (although slightly lighter and shorter than normal) in week 3. I started seeing some spotting in week 5, I'm in week 7 now and on day 16 of continuous bleeding. It's reasonably light but inconvenient. No PMS symptoms other than the breast tenderness, which started in week 1/2 and is the same as the breast tenderness I got with PMS. I'm going to stick with it for now but if the breast tenderness and continuous bleeding hasn't stopped after 3 months I may give up on it as it's pretty inconvenient.


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
30 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

  •  Still using

I have been put on the progestogen-only pill recently after 10 years on the combined pill, because none of my doctors ever bothered asking if I suffer from migraines before :) I have been on it for just over a month and I have not enjoyed it. I feel really, really tired (which is a side effect that is listed as 'uncommon' on the leaflet), not feeling like myself at all and have had some digestive problems with ups and downs of constipation/diarrhoea which I did not suffer from before going on this pill. I also found this pill more of a faff compared to the combined pill, as you have to take it every day at the same time. I normally take it at 9AM but that means that if I am going anywhere early in the morning, I have to take the packet with me. Although mine has a 12-hour window in which it can be taken and it still provides cover, I prefer to stick to the same time for safety. I also do not enjoy the fact that there is no 'guaranteed' bleeding to know that I am not pregnant, and that bleeding can happen at any point, randomly. That does not work with my lifestyle and it made me truly miss my previous combined pill which didn't need too much adjusting to my life. I have not had other major side effects (but then again, I have been on a pill for 10 years), but I have decided that this doesn't suit my lifestyle and I will stop taking it soon. I have invested in a Ladycomp device (99.3% accuracy, same as the pill but without hormones!) and once I finish this packet of pills I will be stopping all hormonal contraception. It's a shame that, for someone who definitely does not want a pregnancy, there aren't many options available but I am glad I found Ladycomp which has the same accuracy as the pill without taking hormones. I hope the Lowdown will start talking about it on their platform soon!! :)


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments


Noriday pill reviews

101 reviews

Used for 3 - 6 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  27th Sep 23

  •  Still using

I have no idea what to do, my options are limited. I’ve been on this since coming off desgesterol, which was working for me for years until it decided it wasn’t. Weight gain, dizziness and heavy periods. I’m always tired too.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  10th Jul 23

  •  Stopped using

This pill worked perfectly for around a year then it started disagreeing with me. Most of the literature says that periods stop when taking this pill but that wasn't the case for me. They would come every month, last 7 days and be heavy for roughly 4 of those days. Then I started getting spotting/breakthrough bleeding most months. I mostly went on this pill to help my periods, it was disheartening that it didn't work for me as my mood wasn't massively affected and I felt it would finally be the pill that worked for me.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  30th Jun 23

  •  Stopped using

Tender breasts 2ish weeks before period. Loss of sex drive. Very bad bloating and constipation at times. My anxiety increased but this could have been due to the relationship I was in. I would feel very depressed a day before my period, but the rest of the time I was OK. I would get pink/brown discharge a day or 2 before my period and I am still getting this after 4 months of being off this pill. My period were lighter which was good and I had no pregnancy which was good. I felt bigger (I don't weigh myself though) and this may have been because of the bloating or due to weight gain.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  27th Sep 23

  •  Still using

I have no idea what to do, my options are limited. I’ve been on this since coming off desgesterol, which was working for me for years until it decided it wasn’t. Weight gain, dizziness and heavy periods. I’m always tired too.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
31 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  10th Jul 23

  •  Stopped using

This pill worked perfectly for around a year then it started disagreeing with me. Most of the literature says that periods stop when taking this pill but that wasn't the case for me. They would come every month, last 7 days and be heavy for roughly 4 of those days. Then I started getting spotting/breakthrough bleeding most months. I mostly went on this pill to help my periods, it was disheartening that it didn't work for me as my mood wasn't massively affected and I felt it would finally be the pill that worked for me.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  30th Jun 23

  •  Stopped using

Tender breasts 2ish weeks before period. Loss of sex drive. Very bad bloating and constipation at times. My anxiety increased but this could have been due to the relationship I was in. I would feel very depressed a day before my period, but the rest of the time I was OK. I would get pink/brown discharge a day or 2 before my period and I am still getting this after 4 months of being off this pill. My period were lighter which was good and I had no pregnancy which was good. I felt bigger (I don't weigh myself though) and this may have been because of the bloating or due to weight gain.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  10th Jun 23

  •  Still using

I have had some side effects, but they're all small and manageable. Ive found that if I take the pill on the dot of when im supposed to I don't get any symptoms, they just tend to pop up when I've taken a pill a little late (say 2 hours past when I was supposed to). For me this has been the best contraceptive I've been on, my libido hasn't been changed, i'm not bleeding excessively and I haven't noticed an effect on my mood either (all of which I had experienced to an extreme level on both other contraceptives I've used before; the Depo-Provera shot and the Cerazette (Desogestrel)).


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  16th Feb 23

  •  Still using

I have been using Noriday for 1 month now. I started taking it on the first day of my period and found that my period pains were worse and my period lasted for around 8 days rather than 5-6. Since then I have had low level cramping and aching however nothing significant. I have had quite a lot of bloating but not change in weight. I do believe I have still ovulated this month and I haven’t seen any real change in mood or libido which are the two main things that are normally affected for me. Overall so far I’d say this has been better for me than Cerazette and Microgynon but will report back once I’ve used it for a while longer


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
23 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  9th Feb 23

  •  Still using

I tried Noriday after a bad experience with Azalea (lot of heavy, painful bleeding). Noriday suited me perfectly. I experienced regular periods monthly. My periods were fine, not too heavy. I would experience some cramping for a week before my period every 3 months or so which wasn't ideal but not a deal-breaker. My skin cleared up so well since taking Noriday. I didn't notice any major changes to my mood. Any weight gain (minor) was caused by inactivity and being in a relationship rather than the pill itself. I did find that my breasts did feel quite tender before and during my period and grew a small bit since.


Top side effects not reported

0 helpful

0 comments

Used for 1 - 3 mo
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  26th Dec 22

  •  Stopped using

made me bleed very heavily so I have to stop after a week


Top side effects not reported

1 helpful

0 comments

Used for 3 - 6 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  20th Sep 22

  •  Stopped using

In comparison to the other combined pills I've used, this one caused less noticeable effects on my mood. It still went down, but not to full-on depression. The periods became quite irregular, coming after only two weeks and lasting a full 7 or 8 days, sometimes there was some spotting. On the last month my period disappeared completely and only returned when I stopped taking the pill. My breasts grew about 2 sizes, most of the time they were quite hard and painful. I gained about 5kg from my normal weight, despite none of my eating or workout habits changing, and it has gone down since I stopped the pill. Stopped taking it after 3 months as the side effects were not worth it, and will not use hormonal contraception in the future.


Top side effects not reported

3 helpful

0 comments

Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
20 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  27th Feb 22

  •  Stopped using

I changed to Noriday after having severe mood swings on Desogesteral. Best change ever! No side effects, that I could tell. It did however make my periods lighter and irregular to begin with sometimes longer and sometimes shorter. But it did it’s job very well and I would advice it to anyone wanting the mini pill. The one thing I will say is make sure you are very consistent with taking the pill like to the exact time and everything as I wasn’t and experienced an extremely rare side effect that only occurs if your inconsistent. I won’t go into details as it’s gross but know it’s very rare and well didn’t even hurt was just strange tbh. Stay safe ladies xxx


Top side effects not reported

3 helpful

0 comments

Used for 6 - 12 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  7th Feb 22

  •  Still using

When I first started using this (I had to come off the combined pill due to migraines) I was gutted because of the way it affected my skin. My skin became so oily and I had a lot of spots - something I had never had issues with before even as a teenager. Almost a year on and this seems to have settled down (I’m not sure if it’s my body being used to it, or my skin routine, but either way, it’s manageable!) However, since the colder weather, I have been getting recurring thrush. It’s really affecting me and the way I feel about myself, and I’m worried as it keeps coming back! If I could go back on the combined pill I would, but this one seems like an ok alternative. I hope I can get the thrush issue sorted though!


Top side effects not reported

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0 comments

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