Slynd pill vs Desogestrel pill

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Slynd pill

£From £0.34/day

Desogestrel pill

£From £0.20/day

Overview

Rated 3.2

54 reviews

Daily

Frequency

93% - 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

Slynd pill ingredients

Main hormones in Slynd pill

Anti-Androgenic progestogen


Desogestrel pill ingredients

Main hormones in Desogestrel pill

Less-Androgenic progestogen

What Lowdown reviewers say

28% no impact on mood

52% stopped periods

54% lost sex drive

63% no impact

56% no impact on skin

Cycle return

42% in 1 month

34% somewhat negative

43% stopped periods

52% lost sex drive

44% no impact

47% no impact on skin

Cycle return

42% don’t know impact

Benefits: What this contraceptive can help with

There are no benefits that are recognised in scientific research or guidelines for this contraceptive

Period pain

Try it now

£From £0.34/day

Try it now

£From £0.20/day

Check out our latest reviews

Real life reviews from people like you

Slynd pill reviews

54 reviews

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Slynd pill  

I was put on this after being diagnosed with PMDD. I was wary to go on a hormonal pill after having a horrible time when I was a teenager on the combined pill but this has been lifechanging. I was losing 2 weeks out of the month due to my mood, especially with my AUDHD too. I have now got them back. I feel so much more level and calm. For the first 3 months, I had vaginal dryness (which made sex painful), spotting and nausea but this has now completely gone away. My bloating has also subsided a little and my boobs have grown A LOT, which Im not complaining about haha. My hot flashes have got slightly worse but I had them anyway with my ADHD meds and POTs. I am very relieved that this has worked as it has given me my life back. Try and stick with it for 3-4 months before giving up, as im so glad I did.

Read more

Very positive mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Slynd pill  

Vaginal atrophy, painful sex, painful urination, extreme constipation, right sided abdominal pain that felt like being stabbed (caused by constipation), dizziness from low blood pressure, fainting, extreme anxiety, chest pain, high cortisol, insomnia, depression, crying a lot, depression, dry skin, thirst,


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6th Sep 26

Slynd pill  

I was taking Desogestrel for a year and was super happy with it no issues only a small three day period every few months everything seemed great. All of a sudden in the last month I have bled and bled even though I take my pill at the same time everyday. I was so upset and my mood went really low and I’m usually a very happy positively spirited person I have had no issues with mental health before. I believe it was because I was given a different brand of Desogestrel in my last 3 months it was called desorex (gold packaging) I have spoken to 3 girls at my work and they have all had the same problem absolutely fine until they started this brand of pill. The best advice I can give is stick to the brand you know and get on with! As the side effects and changes do differ so much even though they tell you Desogestrel tablets are all the same (they aren’t!!!) I have switched to slynd and my bleeding has completely gone, my mood is happy and normal and I feel healthy on it! I’m also glad to have a 4 day break to have a natural period as it gives me my cycle predictability back! It’s basically like a combined pill but no risk of blood clots which was my biggest worry! My skin is the same I just have small breakouts on my chin sometimes but that’s very normal to me, I don’t feel bloated and my weight has stayed the same. My boobs have definitely got bigger on this though could be temporary I’m not sure. Please try this pill if Desogestrel doesn’t work for you and you still want to be on a mini pill! Within 2 weeks it’s completely changed me making me happy and able to enjoy my sex life again without bleeding all the time! I will update this if anything changes :)


Very positive mood

2 helpful

2 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  2 weeks ago

Slynd pill  

I was put on this after being diagnosed with PMDD. I was wary to go on a hormonal pill after having a horrible time when I was a teenager on the combined pill but this has been lifechanging. I was losing 2 weeks out of the month due to my mood, especially with my AUDHD too. I have now got them back. I feel so much more level and calm. For the first 3 months, I had vaginal dryness (which made sex painful), spotting and nausea but this has now completely gone away. My bloating has also subsided a little and my boobs have grown A LOT, which Im not complaining about haha. My hot flashes have got slightly worse but I had them anyway with my ADHD meds and POTs. I am very relieved that this has worked as it has given me my life back. Try and stick with it for 3-4 months before giving up, as im so glad I did.


Very positive mood

1 more effect

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  1 month ago

Slynd pill  

Vaginal atrophy, painful sex, painful urination, extreme constipation, right sided abdominal pain that felt like being stabbed (caused by constipation), dizziness from low blood pressure, fainting, extreme anxiety, chest pain, high cortisol, insomnia, depression, crying a lot, depression, dry skin, thirst,


Very negative mood

2 more effects

0 helpful

0 comments

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
22 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  6th Sep 26

Slynd pill  

I was taking Desogestrel for a year and was super happy with it no issues only a small three day period every few months everything seemed great. All of a sudden in the last month I have bled and bled even though I take my pill at the same time everyday. I was so upset and my mood went really low and I’m usually a very happy positively spirited person I have had no issues with mental health before. I believe it was because I was given a different brand of Desogestrel in my last 3 months it was called desorex (gold packaging) I have spoken to 3 girls at my work and they have all had the same problem absolutely fine until they started this brand of pill. The best advice I can give is stick to the brand you know and get on with! As the side effects and changes do differ so much even though they tell you Desogestrel tablets are all the same (they aren’t!!!) I have switched to slynd and my bleeding has completely gone, my mood is happy and normal and I feel healthy on it! I’m also glad to have a 4 day break to have a natural period as it gives me my cycle predictability back! It’s basically like a combined pill but no risk of blood clots which was my biggest worry! My skin is the same I just have small breakouts on my chin sometimes but that’s very normal to me, I don’t feel bloated and my weight has stayed the same. My boobs have definitely got bigger on this though could be temporary I’m not sure. Please try this pill if Desogestrel doesn’t work for you and you still want to be on a mini pill! Within 2 weeks it’s completely changed me making me happy and able to enjoy my sex life again without bleeding all the time! I will update this if anything changes :)


Very positive mood

2 helpful

2 comments


Desogestrel pill reviews

428 reviews

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

Desogestrel pill  

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

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

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Desogestrel pill  

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

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

Desogestrel pill  

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

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

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 6 - 12 mo
25 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
38 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  3 weeks ago

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 12 - 18 mo
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  16th Jul 26

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
19 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  12th Jul 26

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 8+ yr
35 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  11th Jul 26

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 1 - 3 mo
34 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  10th Jul 26

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  14th May 26

Desogestrel pill  

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

Progestogen-only / Mini pill  
Used for 3 - 6 mo
29 years old
🇬🇧 UK
  •  5th May 26

Desogestrel pill  

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

Contraceptive alternatives and comparisons

Compare the Slynd pill with other contraceptives

Compare the Desogestrel pill with other contraceptives

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