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Progesterone only / Mini pill

micronor

What the packet says

What is it?

Hormonal ingredients

What's it made of?

Polyvinylpyrrolidone, lactose, starch, magnesium stearate, D&C Green # 5 and D&C Yellow # 10

How it works

The Progesterone only pill (POP) / mini pill is a small tablet you swallow daily that (unlike the combined pill) only contains one hormone – progesterone. It prevents pregnancy by making the fluid in your cervix thicker (which makes it more difficult for sperm to enter the womb), and preventing the lining of your womb thickening enough for an embryo to grow in it. The progestogen only pills with desogestrel in them (so all of them except Micronor, Noriday and Norgeston) can also stop ovulation.

How does this compare?

Frequency

  • During intercourse
  • Daily
  • Monthly
  • 1 - 3 Months
  • 1 - 3 Years
  • 3 - 5 Years
  • Permanent

    • Similar to

    Clinical effectiveness

    99

    %

    What does this mean?

    Contains hormones

    Yes

    What does this mean?

    Want advice?

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    What you said

    Side effects

    Show more

    After effects

    Moods

    Periods

    Body weight

    Sex drive

    Reviewer data

    Time taken

    Age of Reviewers

    Reviewers had children

    Reviewers currently using

    Detailed information

    How to get started with the mini pill

    • Your doctor or nurse will do some tests to make sure that you can take the progesterone only pill. They check your medical history, make sure that you’re not pregnant and take your blood pressure.
    • Most women can start the pill at any time in their period cycle. However unless you start the pill on the first day of your period, you won’t be protected from pregnancy straight away. Make sure you read the packet carefully and use condoms or other methods until you’re covered.
    • There are special instructions for starting the a contraceptive pill if you have just had a baby, abortion or miscarriage.
    • There are normally 28 pills in a pack, and unlike the combined pill you don’t have a break between packs.
    • It’s really important you reliably take the progestogen pill at the same time every day (more important than with the combined pill). There are two different types of progestogen only pill:
      • Three hour traditional progestogen-only pills must be taken within three hours of the same time every day
      • Twelve hour desogestrel progestogen-only pills must be taken within twelve hours of the same time every day.
    • If it helps, keep your pill packet somewhere you use or look at everyday (like your makeup bag) to remind you to take it, or set an alarm on your phone.
    • You will normally be given a prescription for the pill for a couple of months, and will need to go back to your doctor for regular check ups (e.g. blood pressure tests).

    Coming off the mini pill

    • Coming off the pill is easy – you just stop taking it. As soon as you stop taking it, you’re no longer protected from pregnancy.
    • If you have periods, you may prefer to wait until you reach the end of your current pill packet before stopping, so you can keep your cycle more regular.
    • Check out our survey results to see how long it took most women’s cycles to return to their definition of ‘normal’, and read up about after effects they’ve experienced.

    Things that can go wrong

    • Missing or forgetting to take a contraceptive pill has happened to all of us. Check out the NHS guide on what to do, depending on how many you’ve missed and where you are in your cycle. If you’re in any doubt, make sure you use a condom or don’t have sex until you’re protected.
    • There are a few things that can stop the pill from working properly – make sure you watch out for these and check your pill information leaflet or speak to your doctor if you have any questions:
      • Vomiting and diarrhea will impact on how the pill is absorbed into your body. If you’re sick within two hours of taking the pill you’ll need to take another pill straight away and the next pill at the usual time. If you’re sick or have severe diarrhea for longer than this, check your pill packet for what to do next – and use condoms or abstain if you have any doubts.
      • Some medicines and antibiotics (like rifampicin and rifabutin, St John’s wort and anti-epilepsy drugs) change the way your body digests the pill.
    • With any combined type of hormonal contraception there is a slightly increased risk of developing blood clots in your veins and arteries.We are developing a full guide to the medical research on the serious and potentially life threatening side effects of contraceptives here.

    Reviews

    4/5
    26/09/2019
    Progesterone only / Mini pill
    This has worked well for me for years, no side effects (I already had migraines) and it reduced and lightened my periods...

    Read more...

    2/5
    25/06/2019
    Progesterone only / Mini pill
    This pill was more a slow and gradual change in my mood and symptoms compared to others like cerazette. However, over th...

    Read more...

    3/5
    20/06/2019
    Progesterone only / Mini pill
    was worried about side effects after a bad time with cerazette. nothing like it, much preferred being on this. Shame it...

    Read more...

    3/5
    19/06/2019
    Progesterone only / Mini pill
    Using to start to prevent pregnancy then it was to stop my periods as I had periods lasting 2 weeks so it stopped those ...

    Read more...

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