Contraceptive pill where no break is needed.

[Gabby2981]

Hello,

I need help with finding a new birth control. I have been stuck in the UK because of Covid-19 and ran out of my normal pills. I spoke to a doctor and they ended up giving me Yasmin and told me not to have the 7 day break- which caused me to have intense bleeding and periods 6 weeks into taking it.

I need a medication closest to my old medicine where I do not need a break and don't bleed. My old medicine was 1mg norethindrone 20 mcg estradiol and I just went on to the new pack and took no placebo pill or had a 7 day break. Someone suggested norimin as it's 1 mg norgestimate and 35 mcg which would be the closest thing to my original pill but I need the medication to be ongoing and have no break where I will have breakthrough bleeding or unwanted periods.

The medicine I was taking wasn't just a progesterone pill- it was a combination and was taking it was 2 years with no problems. I was able to control when I bled, had no spotting and was doing really well on it but now I am experiencing pain ( cramps) from the out of no where periods and it's very uncomfortable.

Please suggest a medicine that has the closest medication as my original pill ( 1mg norethindrone 20 mcg estradiol) and doesn't cause any type of bleeding to happen and is continuous where I control when periods happen. I also need it to be the combination pill- as stated with what the ingredients were in my old pill.

Thanks

[Hidden]

Dear Gabby,

From what I've read on the UK FSRH web site the closest equivalent COC to what you were taking is Loestrin 20 (which contains EE 20mcg and norethisterone 1mg). Unfortunately this is no longer being manufactured. See April 2020 press release here:

(fsrh.org/news/loestrin-20-a...

Yasmin contains EE 30 mcg and Drospirenone 3mg and Norimin EE 35 mcg and Norethisterone 1mg. Both of these have higher doses of ethinylestradiol to what you were taking. So not sure why you decided on these as I presume there was a particular reason for taking a lower dose of EE when you were originally started on the combined pill??

If what you really want is a LOW DOSE oestrogen combined pill that's readily available in the UK, you might instead consider Gedarel 20/150 or Mercilon 20/150; both contain EE 20mcg and desogestrel 150 mcg. Both can be taken back-to-back (no breaks).

Adhari

[Gabby2981 in reply to Hidden]

Hello, I didn't pick the new pill. I gave all this information to a doctor and they decided Yasmin was good idk why?!

So on the two ones you suggested, won't it matter that the other drug is a lower dosage than my original medication? I was taking 1mcg progestin and the two you suggested only has 150mcg? I just want to check about that.

thank you!!

your more helpful than the doctors !!

[Hidden in reply to Gabby2981]

Dear Gabby,

Norethisterone is referred to as a 'first generation' progestin; as newer synthetic progestins were developed, their potency relative to norethisterone also improved.

Desogestrel (in Gedarel and Mercilon) is considered a third generation progesterone and is about 60 times more potent than norethisterone- i.e. 150 mcg of deso' is equivalent to 1 mg of norethisterone. You are not getting a 'lower dose' of progesterone in Gedarel or Mercilon. Deso' is also less androgenic (fewer spots and facial hair) and more 'lipid friendly' than norethisterone.

If you can't be bothered with the pill and want to avoid periods (withdrawal bleeds) have you considered a long-acting reversible contraceptive, like the Implant, DepoProvera or the Kyleena intra-uterine system?

Hope this helps,

Adhari

[Gabby2981 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much! That for sure helped! I've been having a back and forth with a doctor for days and they haven't been anywhere as helpful as you have. Thank you so much !! (if you're a doctor thank you and if you're not, you should be one ;P)

[Hidden in reply to Gabby2981]

Thank you. Please try to arrange an appointment with a sexual health clinic (treatment is free); if this is not possible and you are not entitled to NHS care from a GP then you can get any of these meds from online retailers like Superdrug, Lloyds, Boots, etc. A three month supply of Gedarel 20/150 is about GBP10 (plus a little more for an online consultation) plus p&p.

[LoneWolf91]

Hi ive been on Norethisterone 5mg tablets 3 times a day for 11 months straight now ive had no periods at all in that time ... the only down fall is you do get the cramps , spotting and breakthrough bleeding but ive only ever experiened 1 breakthrough bleeding back in march whih lasted 20 days then it was just spotting here and there from then onwards but lately ive only been getting mild to sometime nasty cramps nothing feminax ultra will fix i find norethisteronw to be a good drug but it does have its ups and downs with freak uncharted moments x