Hana pill vs Desogestrel pill

I have been taking Hana for 4-5 months now. Generally I have enjoyed the effects of taking a POP, but the specific effect Desogestrel had has led me to trying Slynd instead. Aside from the contraceptive effect, I mainly started taking this pill to combat low mood, hormonal headaches and to hopefully lighten my period. I did find all of these things improved on Hana, but I found that inconsistent and increasingly frequent bleeding was killing my sex drive, making it a touch redundant and prompting the switch. I would have likely reluctantly kept taking Hana (or tried a different brand) as I do feel my mood has benefited overall, and it is advised that bleeding can settle down over time, but now that Slynd was finally available in the UK, I see no need to compromise. In my first month on the pill, I had no bleeding at all (as you would expect). I also generally didn't notice many other side effects. I did have some mood swings - which took me by surprise, but were easier to handle once I identified what was happening and generally settled down after the first month. I also noticed slight vaginal dryness (not uncommon for me in my luteal phase and nothing a bit of lube can't fix) but have been unable to determine if this has also settled. As I got to the last week of pills in my first pack, I had a withdrawal bleed, which again was not unexpected. I was pleased to note that this was much lighter than my normal period, even if it lasted longer, because I could essentially just wear period underwear instead of my normal underwear and that would last all day. In my second month, I noticed some light but otherwise entirely manageable spotting. This alone would not have dissuaded me from taking this pill. I again had a withdrawal bleed around the start of the last week in the pack and would have been happy with that cadence. This is where the problems started, however. Through the course of the third month, I noticed that the light spotting was turning into more prolonged bleeding, which by the end of the month was almost constant and in some cases led me to leak through my clothes. Having done some research online, I decided to try taking two pills instead of just one - this did seem to make the bleeding lighter but it has continued. While I feel that the hormones have overall had a positive impact on my sex drive, it is very hard to feel attractive or think about sex when you are constantly bleeding.

Hana has worked like a charm for me. I was a bit worried about starting it, as I had a horrendous experience with the combined pill, but my periods are heavy and painful, and I just couldn't stand it anymore. Not getting pregnant was a reason to start Hana, but I was mostly looking for period relief, and it really has delivered. At the beginning I had a few unusual periods - some shorter, some longer, and a bit irregular, but they were immediately lighter and less painful. After about 3 months, things had evened out, and now 2.5 years later, I can't even remember the last time I had a period, only that it lasted about a day or so and was so light I barely even needed a pad. My partner and I have had no pregnancy scares, and it works wonderfully for me. I think my mood is absolutely fine - it felt maybe a tiny bit flat at the beginning, but more because it was no longer fluctuating so much during my cycle. Now it's like I get to be at the end of the first week after my period, all the time. My main negative with starting Hana is that it really increased my appetite at the beginning - about 6 hours after taking it, I *had to* eat snacks. It felt impossible not to. This contributed to some weight gain, and while I've gotten used to the snack-attacks now and can manage them, I haven't been able to shift the weight, despite using methods of weight loss that have worked for me in the past. I can't say for sure if this is because Hana is making it harder for me to lose weight, or if it's just because I'm getting older. I am currently contemplating taking a break from Hana to see if I can lose the weight off it, but I'm reluctant to as it has had such a positive impact on my quality life. If you're also experiencing an increase in appetite, and want some advice, it really helped me to change the time I take Hana - I moved it to later, so that my craving hits much closer to dinner time, which is perfect. All in all, Hana has worked much better for me than I could've even hoped, and I would recommend trying it to see if it works for you.

I have PCOS, so I don't have periods normally as is and hormonal birth control effects me differently. My review is for the other PCOS girlies who have amenorrhea (lack of/no menses). I started cramping almost immediately. I take the pill at noon everyday, and the cramping sets in 30 minutes later. It is worse at night before bed. As far as emotional side effects, I've noticed I am more apathetic than usual, but otherwise fine.

I have been on this pill for a little over 10 weeks with the hopes of it stopping my period altogether but I spent more time bleeding than not. Sometimes little bits here and there, sometimes a lot and for 10+ days at a time. I found myself having a lot of down days and googling PPD symptoms. The worst thing I noticed was the brain fog. My ability to remember things and speak clear and cohesive sentences was just obliterated. I’m on day 2 post stopping and it feels a little better already although I have started my withdrawal bleed. I know you should give your body at least 3 months to settle after starting but honestly that was enough time for me. I just hope my cycle goes back to normal fairly soon!

Was on desogestrel for almost 8 years. Only got light spotting when I missed a pill, otherwise very easy adjusting to pill. I’ve stopped now as I’m trying to conceive and actually stopping has been an experience - I’ve been getting hormonal acne and my sex drive has shot through the roof! I also developed minor vaginismus (related to stress levels) on the pill and that seems to have gone away in the last month since I stopped desogestrel. I can update this in a few months time in case these symptoms are temporary or not.

This is the WORST. My mental health plummeted on this pill, crying nearlt everyday. Not to mention i was bleeding medium heavy for 30+ days every single day. Really terrible effect i would not recommend. My doctor said to wait another week but after bleeding for a month straight i couldnt.

this was my first contraceptive pill i tried. in the first three months, i did struggle with lower mood and had consistent light bleeding that would last for over a week. later on, i adjusted better and eventually stopped having a period, with the occasional light bleeding from time to time. i experienced decreased sex drive and mentally has not been great but it has been manageable. i decided to stop this after 10 months due to suddenly getting worsened acne, which is not something i have struggled with since i was a young teenager

Tried the mini pill because combined contraception scared me and I knew I had to go on something as I had recently got an abortion and suffered badly with period cramps. So far I’ve had very few side effects in the first month I had a couple of acne spots popping up due to the change in hormones but they stopped towards the end of my second month. I’ve been keeping an eye on my weight and it’s had no effect and I haven’t had an increase in appetite as I take the pill before I go to sleep at 9:30pm which I recommend so much. Overall my mood hasn’t been affected at all and I have stopped bleeding pretty much, I have had a small period recently on my 2nd month of pills but no cramps or bloating. Overall I’m super happy I started this pill of course it’s different for everybody my advice go with what you think is best for you and regularly check in with your doctor. It’s trial and error but don’t read into it online as everyone has different side effects this pill may work really well for you and not for others! I defo recommend though 🫶

3-6 months: (started the pill on 14/10/2024. I've done a review on my first 3 months so this is a follow up) Day 126 - 17/02/2024 – I’ve pretty much had 2 back to back periods with a 2 day break between which I really didn’t appreciate. They really hurt and I convinced myself something was wrong. I have made a doctors appointment to talk through everything. I’m just fed up with bleeding all of the time. I’m spending SO MUCH on pads it’s ridiculous. 12/03/2025 - I’m on my second week of my 6th month of the pill. I’ve kept having back to back periods and consulted the doctor. Because I’m coming up to 25 I had a routine smear (that came back clear) and the doctor did a pelvic exam and they recon it’s the pill that’s the cause of all the bleeding (which I assumed it was anyway. But better safe than sorry). I’m fed up of the bleeding but they’ve given me 6 more months after this to see if it settles. If not we’ll switch to something else. 5/4/2025 - I’m coming to the end of my 1st week in the 7th month of the pill. All I can say is that I’ve stopped bleeding/spotting for the most part. It’s been about 3 weeks since I last bled. So I guess the doctor was right. However, I had like a 1 day period at the beginning of the week it was painful and some period blood and then nothing since. But the last couple of days I’ve had some cramping as if a period wants to start but hasn’t yet. Overall, I think we’re getting back on track hopefully. Sorry I didn't reflect as much but it's pretty much been the same sort of story for the past 3 months

I’ve been taking the pill since I was 17, I’m now 25 and have never had an issue with it! I’ve not had any side effects at all! It stopped my periods after about 2/3 months and has been smooth sailing since then. I find the ‘window’ in which you can take it without it being considered a ‘missed pill’ is also really reassuring if you suffer with anxiety! Would definitely recommend.

The chest pain was really awful, and that’s a big red flag. Even though a month might not seem like long enough to make a final judgment, the intensity of the chest pain and other symptoms definitely made me question whether this was the right pill for me. It's important to listen to your body, and in my case, the discomfort and pain outweighed any potential benefits. I would highly recommend discussing these symptoms with a healthcare provider to explore alternative options or further guidance

During the first 2-3 months of using Desogestrel, I'd have prolonged periods (14+ days) of spotting/bleeding around times when my period would normally have been. I wasn't having cramps or any other pain, it was just a little annoying to be bleeding like this. It did settle down after a few months and I stopped getting my period altogether. Overall, I found the contraception to be pretty easy to use (I don't really have issues remembering to take the pill), physical side-effects were pretty minimal and it was nice to not have a period after suffering with really heavy painful periods for years. I had a gnarly chronic UTI issue around this time, but don't think this was necessarily because of the pill, there's a million other reasons why that could have been happening. I eventually stopped using it because I noticed it was really having an effect on my mood. I'd have days every few weeks where something small in the morning would set me off and I wouldn't be able to stop crying all day, which was starting to affect my social life, relationships, and productivity. I decided to stop using it a few weeks before my partner and I shifted into being a long-distance relationship.

The mini pill worked well for lack of periods and I only had one break through bleed. However I felt very emotionally unstable, crying a lot and feeling overwhelmed. I have come off this pill due to those issues. I also had very bad headaches in the first few months.