Which contraceptive pill is best

[Meringoo]

Hello,

From a personal point of view, I was also incredibly depressed on Dianette and didn't find it very helpful for me. Yasmin did improve things, BUT the first time round I was on Yasmin, I didn't feel very good on it. It may have been due to other life factors, but I changed to Marvelon (which I'd been on before) and my mood got better.

Marvelon and Cilest are good pills if you suffer with low moods and PMT, so they may be worth a try. Both are fine for PCOS. xx

[celicachic]

i've been switched to 'norgeston' from 'norethistrone'.....anyone else on this and what were your experiences like (im on day 2)

[MandyP]

After a lot of investigating I have been diagnosed with PCOS.Symptoms I have experienced are constant pain on right side, nausea, excess hair,large stomach.I found it has a pattern,5 days before and then during my period I have sharper pain on the right.
My doctor said I could try painkillers and anti nausea meds or go on the pill.I'm not keen on the pill as I guess i don't know much about it.I would really appreciate any advice and views on this.Thank You.

[Meringoo]

Hi,

Although it is not nice to have PCOS, being diagnosed does help to make what you're going through make sense! Have you read this sticky from the first page?

Rather than repeat myself lots, here are a couple of links about how the pill works:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_he ... pill.shtml

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relation ... epills.htm


The aim of PCOS management with the pill is to suppress ovulation (stop an egg being released) which in turn decreases ovarian cysts. You might not even have cysts, which is fine (I didn't) but your hormone levels show raised LH levels (luteinising hormone, which affects the ovaries), plus your other physical symptoms suggest PCOS. By suppressing ovulation with the pill, you are controlling the hormonal side of PCOS. Then there's the matter of periods. With PCOS, many women have infrequent periods or none at all for some time, which is not good for you (you need to have at least 3 a year for the womb to be healthy). Taking the pill and having the 7 day breaks at the end of a pack (though you can take 2-3 packs back-to-back and then have a weeks' break) enables you to control your cycle.

In additon to ovaries and periods, the combined pill will help issues such as acne, excess hair, hair thinning on the scalp, painful periods and moods. You must allow at least 3 pill cycles for you to settle on the new pill in order to see positive results.

I have written in earlier posts about the pills that are suitable for PCOS. Generally, doctors like to prescribe Dianette or Yasmin as the main PCOS pills, particularly if acne and hair are problems. If not, they may prefer to give another anti-androgenic pill such as Marvelon or Cilest (both are good).

I have at times been unsure about the pill, but I must say it has made my life so much easier and reduced my discomfort and symptoms greatly. You need to be patient for a few months at first but it is usually worth it.

Finally, if your GP doesn't seem to know very much, go armed with information from this site!

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, just ask! xx

[Meringoo]

i've been switched to 'norgeston' from 'norethistrone'.....anyone else on this and what were your experiences like (im on day 2)

How are you getting on with the progestogen pills? x

[Sb0070]

Hi,

My gp recommended this website when I was diagnosed with pcos in 2008, since then I've been using this website for getting info on medications, mostly other people's experiences on them. I'm 24 years old now with a bmi of 30. At the moment I'm not too bothered about conceiving but I would like to get my weight down and get the symptoms of pcos under control.

Since being diagnosed I've been on dianette and yasmin, both helped with weight loss and symptoms like acne etc but both gave me migraines. The headaches would start a day or two after taking the first pill and would continue for a week after coming off the pill. I would also have a low mood, and was always tired even though I slept more than usual. I tried many times to get back onto yasmin but always gave up because the headaches were too painful.

After reading this thread I thought the headaches may be due to the oestrogen levels and decided to ask my gp for mercilon. She recommended Cerazette or the mirena IUD because of my weight, but I said I would prefer to try a final combined pill before looking at other options, as I've only ever used the combined pill.

I've been on mercilon for a week now and haven't had any headaches and I'm not particularly tired or grouchy. I just wanted to say thank you for taking time out to give advice and share your experiences. It helps that my treatment choices can be guided by other people's experiences rather than just trial and error.

I'll let you know how I get on after about a month or so. Yasmin gave me unbearable period pains and I'm interested to see what it will be like with mercilon.

Thanks again,

Lucy

[Hols969]

Thats good news Lucy, let us know how it goes on this pill.

[Meringoo]

I'm so happy that you have found this forum helpful!

I've been on Marvelon (the big sis of Mercilon! ) and found it to be a good PCOS pill, and helped my period pains. Cerazette is a good oestrogen-free choice, but in the meantime, give Mercilon at least 3 months before switching. I say this because usually after 6 months on a pill, you get the benefits and have settled on it and so will be able to tell if it is right for you. If you do get headaches or mood problems related to oestrogen and the pill free break, try taking 2 packs consecutively, as this helps lots of symptoms like that. You BMI isn't too bad so don't worry about it. You only need to be concerned re: pill prescriptions if it creeps up to 34, which I'm sure won't happen, as a BMI of 35 and above contraindicts the combined pill.

Good luck, and as Holly says, let us know how you get on! xx

[jayneyn]

Hi.
I've read through nearly all of these posts and am now aware of how little I know about the Pill!! I've only used Diannette for 10 months in 20 years!
Anyway, I've not had the best chats with my GP recently and she really knows very little about PCOS, or so it seems to me.
She has prescribed Desogestrel 75 micrograms. Which brand is this likely to be? Also, she told me that this will probably not give me regular cycles ( I was concerned about only having 2 periods a year). Is this true? I also really want help with excess hair and I'm seriously overweight.
I'm unsure about starting this medication as I've got so little experience and don't want to make matters worse - but also cos I'm not sure I trust her judgement!
Thanks.

[Meringoo]

Hello,

The desogestrel 75mg is actually Cerazette. It is a progestogen-only pill. It is ok for PCOS if you are unable to use a pill with oestrogen (due to having a BMI over 35 for example, or smoking a lot), but as with any progestogen-only method, it will casue irregular bleeding or spotting, and your periods will possibly stop after a few months. This isn't a bad thing, as it is meant to happen on Cerazette. Your womb lining isn't building up too much, and your ovaries will be suppressed in most cases (therefore it will reduce the likelihood of cysts forming), therefore it will help some isses. If you don't take anything and you only have a couple of periods a year, then that isn't good for you. However, if infrequent periods occur whilst on Cerazette or possibly even the combined pill, it is safe, so don't worry.

Quite a few women on here use Cerazette. I have been on it a couple of times and it definitely wasn't the worst thing I've ever taken!!!

Good luck, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask! x

[bee123]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this but seems like a great place to seek advice. I have been on femodene for nearly four years with no problems at all. I went to my local family planning clinic as my doctors surgery was fully booked and urgently needed a new pack. Ihave been before and they had given me femodene, however, they don't stock them now. I was given an equivalent called Katya which is a cheaper version but apparently the same.

After having been so comfortable with femodene im reluctant to switch. Are the two exactly the same as the nurse suggests? I'd also like to know if the side effects are the same as I've had no problems and femodene has given me very clear skin I don't want to switch and have side effects from them like suddenly gain weight. I am starting a new pack on Thursday but because of bank holiday I may not get an appointment on time. Would taking katya for a month do any harm? Then switching back to femodene once I've registered with my new doctors (as I have recently moved)

Thanks in advance! Hope this makes sense.

[Meringoo]

Both Femodene and Katya contain Ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms and gestodene 75 micrograms. The difference is the cost to the NHS. Katya costs £2.15 less per 3 months' supply.


You're not switching, it is exactly the same, just a different name and manufacturer, but the content is just the same as Femodene. It won't make any difference at all, so don't worry. The NHS just likes to change suppliers to cut costs, and often will provide generic (no brand) medicines. The medicine is the same, it just has a different/no brand name and may be packaged differently. Take it, and if you get either Femodene or Katya in the future, don't worry. Right now, quite a few pill prescriptions are being changed to different brand names. Marvelon pill is now Gedarel 30/150, for example, and Dianette can be prescribed as Clairette or even just the drug name "cyproterone acetate/ethinlestradiol".

Rest assured, you are taking your normal pill. xx

[bee123]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. It puts me at ease. It's just because when I researched on the internet, I saw the side affects were different such as "acne" for Katya and "improvement in skin" for Femodene which worried me. Or "weight gain" for Katya.

[Meringoo]

Don't bother reading reviews. They are the same pill, and the reviews are from different people. It will be good for some and not others, like with any combination of hormones. If, like you say, Femodene was great for you before, then Katya will be too, as it is EXACTLY THE SAME xx

[JessL]

What a great thread! I've only just joined Verity and it's so reassuring to find people in the same boat and to find some proper info (esp thanks Meringoo).

I'm having a bit of a pill palava at the moment - I need to go back to my doctor and would quite like to have an idea what to ask for. So, this is my pill history:

* I initially took Cilest - but came off it as it made me quite down
* I then took Loestrin 20 for a few years that was OK
* I then took Cerazette for 7+ years and loved it but was taken off it a year or so ago when I was diagnosed with PCOS.
* Following my PCOS diagnosis, I took Yasmin for 3 months but it made my boobs so sore I had to hold them whenever I went down stairs!
* I've now been on Dianette for 6 months but it's making me really emotional.

I need to get off Dianette as I just feel really teary all the time. But I'm not sure what to move to - I see from this thread there are other combined pills I could try (Marvelon etc). I do suffer from a bit of excess hair so would ideally like to tackle this too. Interesting reading Meringoo's post on cerazette and that actually it's ok for PCOS - maybe I should go back on this although my doc has told me I shouldn't.

Phew. Any thoughts / similar experiences / advice welcomed!

xx