Micronor pill vs Desogestrel pill
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Overview
Rated 3.0
6 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
None
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
Rated 2.7
428 reviews
Daily
Frequency
91% - 99+%
Effectiveness
None
Blood clot risk
None
Effect on fertility
What Lowdown reviewers say
Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with
Period pain
Period pain
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Real life reviews from people like you
Micronor pill reviews
6 reviews
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 22nd Feb 23
I am currently on Norethindrone and i do not recommend it. I have been eating healthy and trying to stay active. I have gained a total of 7lb in the last 3 months. It does not matter what diet i am on. I keep gaining weight. I also got mild headaches in the beginning. My breast are super tender and they feel larger. My appetite has increased a lot from being on this pill. I am planning on no longer taking this mini pill.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 21st Mar 21
This medication improved my skin and stopped my periods and I didn’t get pregnant so it definitely went above and beyond it’s job. However, I’ve gained 15 pounds thus far and it seems like thats continuing to go up. I will likely stop taking it soon for that reason alone. Otherwise, it’s been the perfect experience of birth control.
Gained weight
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 26th Sep 19
This has worked well for me for years, no side effects (I already had migraines) and it reduced and lightened my periods.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 22nd Feb 23
I am currently on Norethindrone and i do not recommend it. I have been eating healthy and trying to stay active. I have gained a total of 7lb in the last 3 months. It does not matter what diet i am on. I keep gaining weight. I also got mild headaches in the beginning. My breast are super tender and they feel larger. My appetite has increased a lot from being on this pill. I am planning on no longer taking this mini pill.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 21st Mar 21
This medication improved my skin and stopped my periods and I didn’t get pregnant so it definitely went above and beyond it’s job. However, I’ve gained 15 pounds thus far and it seems like thats continuing to go up. I will likely stop taking it soon for that reason alone. Otherwise, it’s been the perfect experience of birth control.
Gained weight
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 5 - 8 yr
Lowdown user
🇬🇧 UK
• 26th Sep 19
This has worked well for me for years, no side effects (I already had migraines) and it reduced and lightened my periods.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Desogestrel pill reviews
428 reviews
Used for 1 - 3 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I had always suffered with very minor anxiety, however once I went on this pill I was a wreck. It was like I became a whole different person, I was irritable, mean, and I was constantly upset. In the space of a month I went from a D to and E, and I gained weight like I never have before around my lower stomach. I had always been rather skinny around there, but even after 2 years of not taking it, I have never been able to return to how my body was beforehand. The first 2 and a half weeks were normal, but after that I bled consecutively for 9 weeks, with a few 16 days staggered in between where I only briefly spotted.
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I have mild adenomyosis and pcos, i wanted to try out a POP before a method with estrogen or inserting something I need a healthcare specialist to take out. In the end I couldn’t stick this out for the 3 months that they advise. Since starting I’ve had different side effects. The first week was bad reflux, the second week I had leg cramps, then I had 3 weeks of a constant thumping in my head with a headache that comes and goes, I was referred for an MRV and told to stop the pill. It’s been a week since I’ve stopped, every day the thumping has gotten quieter, no sudden “hits” in my head and today it’s finally gone. For whatever reason, it’s not for me. I will admit it did lighten my bleeding and it looked like it was on its way to stopping, but it never actually stopped completely before the headaches started.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
My side effects were all fine (basically non-existent) on Desogestrel besides very regular bleeding/spotting. The first 2-3 months were okay with a period-like bleed every 3 or 4 weeks with cramps too (although a lot less painful than my usual periods). But then the frequency increased. I tried to wait it out but after 7 months I was still experiencing spotting/bleeding every other week. Besides this I would’ve stayed on it and had no other problems. I’ve now changed to a combined pill which will hopefully make me bleed less.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
17 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• today
I had always suffered with very minor anxiety, however once I went on this pill I was a wreck. It was like I became a whole different person, I was irritable, mean, and I was constantly upset. In the space of a month I went from a D to and E, and I gained weight like I never have before around my lower stomach. I had always been rather skinny around there, but even after 2 years of not taking it, I have never been able to return to how my body was beforehand. The first 2 and a half weeks were normal, but after that I bled consecutively for 9 weeks, with a few 16 days staggered in between where I only briefly spotted.
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I have mild adenomyosis and pcos, i wanted to try out a POP before a method with estrogen or inserting something I need a healthcare specialist to take out. In the end I couldn’t stick this out for the 3 months that they advise. Since starting I’ve had different side effects. The first week was bad reflux, the second week I had leg cramps, then I had 3 weeks of a constant thumping in my head with a headache that comes and goes, I was referred for an MRV and told to stop the pill. It’s been a week since I’ve stopped, every day the thumping has gotten quieter, no sudden “hits” in my head and today it’s finally gone. For whatever reason, it’s not for me. I will admit it did lighten my bleeding and it looked like it was on its way to stopping, but it never actually stopped completely before the headaches started.
Somewhat negative mood
1 more effect
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
My side effects were all fine (basically non-existent) on Desogestrel besides very regular bleeding/spotting. The first 2-3 months were okay with a period-like bleed every 3 or 4 weeks with cramps too (although a lot less painful than my usual periods). But then the frequency increased. I tried to wait it out but after 7 months I was still experiencing spotting/bleeding every other week. Besides this I would’ve stayed on it and had no other problems. I’ve now changed to a combined pill which will hopefully make me bleed less.
Top side effects not reported
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
I was put on Desogestrel after being on the combined pill (Rigevidon) for many years, but I was suffering from migraines. I was on Desogestral for roughly 5 months, and didn't have a single migraine for the entire time. I also had started to get period like cramps when taking the combined pill, but not when I was actually on my period. This also completely vanished for me which was great. Unfortunately the one big down side for me, which has caused me to try another type of mini pill was that I ended up having more days than not where I was bleeding. It wasn't always a lot, but it was always on my mind, and I didn't know which days would be clear and which would be not clear. Some days the bleeding would fade out but it might start like I was on my period, causing me to use a pad just in case it carried on. I stuck with it as the mentioned pros were so good that I really wanted it to work for me but in the end I just couldn't stand having more days that I bled than not, and I never felt like I could relax.
Worse skin
1 more effect
1 helpful
0 comments
Used for 12 - 18 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 16th Jul 26
I was on this mini pill for just over a year after switching from the combined pill. It slowly affected my mood to the point where my mood was constantly flat and I didn’t feel excited about anything. My libido was also very low. I felt a massive difference after stopping. Positives were I didn’t have periods often (every 6-8 weeks) and not much period pain. The 12 hour window to take the pill was also helpful when I sometimes forgot, as some other mini pills have shorter windows.
Very negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 12th Jul 26
i have definitely noticed good and bad side effects just after a month of taking this mini pill, one of the good ones is i have lost weight without changing my diet or physical exercise, as well as an increased sex drive and enlarged breasts! (a positive for a smaller chest sized girlie like me) however i have also experienced negatives such as very drastic mood swings that change rapidly, as well as uncomfortable vaginal dryness and more bloating than usual. i am also spotting quite frequently but not heavy whatsoever, i only have to use a tampon a day to prevent the blood from ruining my nice underwear
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 8+ yr
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 11th Jul 26
I have been on this contraception since I was 17 and I am now 35. The contraception has done what it said it would do and provided me with a very low risk of pregnancy. During that time I had no scares or worries that i was pregnant. Whilst being on this pill I have had no bleeding for over 5 years. Prior to that the bleeding was very minimal and infrequent. I have suffered with hornmonal (neck and jaw) acne throughout the whole time I have been on this pill. I have had frequent lower back ache and stomach cramps. I have suffered with normal to severe anxiety which has fluctuated throughout the years.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 1 - 3 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 10th Jul 26
I started taking desogestrel for Endometriosis symptoms, I was having a lot of fatigue and thought I would try altering my hormones. I saw on the packet that the pill contained lactose but after a google search I was fairly confident that it was a low enough level to not affect me too much (I have had quite a lot of gut symptoms due to Endo and eliminated a few foods, lactose was one of them). After being on the pill for 3 months I was sure that the lactose has been causing some significant side effects, including less control over my bowels. Through an e-consult, I requested a version of the pill that didn't contain lactose. It turns out that there is not one single oral contraceptive pill that does not contain lactose! This is unbelievable to me and I believe there should be more awareness of this.
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 14th May 26
Not a good experience, lots of weight gain, more emotional/moody. cant wear contacts anymore
Somewhat negative mood
3 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments
Used for 3 - 6 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 5th May 26
I’d been off contraception for years and I wanted to go back on it as in a relationship and not TTC just yet. So far it seems to be okay th first 2 months was where i experienced most my symptoms mainly have settled sort from sex drive, headaches, no periods they still exist on month 5.
Somewhat negative mood
2 more effects
0 helpful
0 comments

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