Side effects
Combined pill common side effects
Data is taken from self reported Lowdown user reviews
54% of Combined pill reviewers reported tender breasts
49% of Combined pill reviewers reported vaginal discharge
48% of Combined pill reviewers reported breast enlargement
45% of Combined pill reviewers reported period like cramps
40% of Combined pill reviewers reported vaginal dryness
Combined pill rare side effects
Data is taken from self reported Lowdown user reviews
4% of Combined pill reviewers reported a latex allergy
3% of Combined pill reviewers reported hair loss
3% of Combined pill reviewers reported migraine with aura
Possible Combined pill side effects
Data is taken from self reported Lowdown user reviews
- Tender breasts (54%)
- Vaginal discharge (49%)
- Breast enlargement (48%)
- Period like cramps (45%)
- Vaginal dryness (40%)
- Lower back pain (35%)
- Nausea or vomiting (30%)
- Sweating more than usual (29%)
- Thrush (23%)
- Headaches (15%)
- Cystitis (14%)
- High blood pressure (14%)
- Body hair increase (12%)
- Body hair getting darker (8%)
- Dizziness (7%)
- Migraines (7%)
- Pelvic infection (5%)
- Discomfort wearing contact lenses (5%)
- A latex allergy (4%)
- Hair loss (3%)
- Migraine with aura (3%)
Reviews
2.8
2372 reviews
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Used for 3 - 5 yr
26 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 days ago
Having used cilique for 6 years I have found it very reliable and never had any issues. However all of a sudden it’s not an available and don’t know what’s the next best thing. Doctors have prescribed Gedarel but I’m not enjoying the reviews.
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Used for 1 - 3 mo
27 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
I have been on so many contraceptive pills and am usually unfussy but cilique’s side effects were crazy - weight gain (5kg in 3 months), really noticeable facial hair growth and the WORST chin/hormonal acne. A real nightmare
Top side effects not reported
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Used for 12 - 18 mo
18 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 1 week ago
I went on this one after a bad experience with a similar pill it’s okay. I kind of feel stuck on it because it’s a big improvement from the sickness I felt from the last pill but it’s still not great however I fear that if I change my pills again all those side effects will come back. I experienced HRT like symptoms from what i’ve seen they get better then they get horrendously worse it’s like a constant cycle.
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Used for 3 - 6 mo
33 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
Took a while to realise that these were side effects of the pill. Already have a history of depression and anxiety but around 3.5 months into taking this my mood plummeted, I started to have increasingly awful problems with vaginal dryness, thrush and vaginitis. In hindsight I was also having an awful lot of headaches and some migraines, which I haven’t had an issue with for years. 10 days after stopping, every single symptom has gone!
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Used for 18 mo - 3 yr
43 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I generally felt great with this pill. No mood changes and lost weight but unfortunately I had vaginal dryness which lead to regular thrush infections. I took a break from Yaz and the thrush infections stopped. I've just swapped to Zoely to see if this suits me better.
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Used for 3 - 6 mo
37 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 2 weeks ago
I tried Drovelis to attempt to manage PMDD (severe mood drop on top of existing depression) and PCOS. After 5+ months, my sense is that it was absolutely helping with PMDD. I aimed to take it continuously to minimise any mood drop' and did so for 3 months at first. Unfortunately, I just would not stop bleeding - it was more than 'spotting', enough to get through 3-4 tampons a day, every day. Then I tried 2 months of allowing a break between active pills to see if encouraging a 'period' would reduce the breakthrough bleeding, but to no avail. I didn't even used to suffer heavy periods, so I'm genuinely gutted I couldn't seem to settle and stop bleeding on this, as it was great for my PMDD and had no other negative side effects (beyond breast tenderness and temporary breast enlargement in month 1-2). Doctor's advice was if it hadn't settled by almost 6 months, best to try something else (so now I'm starting Yasmin).
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Used for 3 - 6 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
Been taking yacella for 6 months after not being on any contraception in years due to fears of side effects. Previously been on Loestrin 20 and Rigevidon both of which gave me horrible cystic acne and low mood. Dr recommended yacella as it has anti-androgenic progesterone and I have mild PCOS. So far it has been pretty good! I think my mood is unaffected, skin is great, sex drive unaffected. I have had some slight weight gain in more 'womanly' areas but nothing crazy. My breasts definitely have grown a lot and for the first few months they were quite sore but this has reduced to mild tenderness now. I do experience pain, especially lower back/pelvic, and am emotional during my 7 day break, however I suffered a lot with cramps prior to taking the pill so this is still an improvement for me. Would recommend, especially for anyone with hormonal imbalances like me.
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Used for 12 - 18 mo
28 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
Having been on this pill for a year, I noticed that I hadn't felt like myself for a while. I found myself with persistently lower moods. Even during times of joy, the feeling felt dampened. This is the primary reason I decided to stop taking this pill; no contraception is worth losing yourself to! I am still in the early stages of being off this pill, but I feel relieved to have made the choice. It did make my withdrawal bleeds ("periods") very light. However, I do also think it completely suppressed my libido. I (being naive) thought that being on a low dosage pill, I might have fewer symptoms, but it just hasn't worked for me. I just wish there were more non-hormonal options out there.
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Used for 5 - 8 yr
24 years old
🇬🇧 UK
• 3 weeks ago
I was prescribed this pill as I struggled to gain weight therefore, I didn’t have a regular period. I never had any awful experiences with this pill other than after 3 years I started to experience reoccurring thrush. Once it was treated it usually went away until recently, I have been experiencing thrush almost every month always during the week before my break. It has become unbearable leading me to change to a different lower dose birth control instead.
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What are the Combined pill with the least side effects?
Here are the brands with the highest overall satisfaction rating at The Lowdown