The Mini Pill

Advantages Of Progesterone Only Birth Control

Originally, progesterone-only pills were designed for women who were breastfeeding, since oestrogen tends to affect milk production. Over time, the mini-pill has also proven a reliable alternative for women who can not take oestrogen because of conditions such as blood clots, high blood pressure or obesity. It is also suitable for women who are over 35 and smoke, because they are generally advised not to take the combination pill. The progesterone-only pill also helps women have lighter, less painful periods. Women who use progesterone pills commonly report irregular bleeding. The progesterone-only pill does not regulate the menstrual cycle in the same way that combination pills do. If irregular bleeding becomes an issue for you, you should discuss it with your doctor to check whether your bleeding is a side effect or due to an underlying medical issue.

Disadvantages Of Progesterone Only Birth Control

Much like the combined pill, the mini-pill has to be taken every day. However, many find that using progesterone-only pills is less convenient than combined oral pills. This is because the mini-pill needs to be taken every day within a three-hour period, while the combined pill can be taken within a twelve-hour period. However, some new progesterone only pills allow for the same 12h time window as combined oral contraceptives.

Mini-pill Effectiveness

When taken correctly, the mini-pill is about as effective as the normal pill in protecting against pregnancy (99% effective). This means, that one woman in a hundred fall pregnant when using the mini-pill for a year, which is much better than the 85 women in 100 who fall pregnant each year because they don't use any protection at all. Always bear in mind that progesterone-only pills do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STIs).

What If I Vomit After Taking A Progesterone Pill?

If you vomit within three hours of taking the mini-pill, you need to keep on taking it every day as usual, as well as using an additional form of contraception (e.g. condoms) for the next seven days. This advice also applies if you suffer from severe diarrhoea. You should use additional contraception until seven days after you have been feeling ill.

Possible Mini Pill Side Effects

• Abdominal pain or cramps
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Mood swings
• Fatigue
• Acne
• Breast soreness or discomfort
• Side effects of the mini pill are rare and most of these symptoms disappear after the first few months.
• Precautions
• Progesterone-only pills may be unsuitable if:
• You are pregnant
• You have a cardiovascular disease (i.e. heart or blood circulation issue)
• You have a liver disease
• You had or have ovarian cysts
• You have had breast cancer in the past five years

Additionally, the mini-pill may interact with certain medications (e.g. treatments for epilepsy) so you must make sure you discuss any medical treatment with your doctor.

If you have a question about this service, please email [email protected] with the question, and one of our doctors will get back to you within 24 hours.

Pharmacy Collect

If you need your medication urgently, choose DrEd's Pharmacy Collect service. This service is available between 9am and 4pm Monday - Friday. Orders placed outside of these hours will be processed the next working day. First, our doctors will review your treatment and approve if appropriate. We will then send an advanced notification of your prescription to a pharmacy of your choice. We aim to do this within an hour.

If your chosen pharmacy is unable to fulfil your prescription, we will get in touch with you to arrange alternative collection arrangements.

Prescription sent by mail

You can choose for your paper prescription to be delivered to your address. This takes 3-5 working days.