Cerelle - posting here for traffic

[Graphista]

I've just had a weird moment.

I have endo, depression, anxiety and OCD which is worse when my hormones are messed up!

I asked gp a few months ago to let me take mini pill continuously as my cpn and I had noticed my symptoms ALL much worse pre and peri menstrually and even a little post menstrually.

I had some noriday leftover from when I was prescribed it previously last time I was sexually active (I'm not at the moment).

These WORK for me. They stop me having periods and my mood is more even

but when I spoke to the GP she decided to prescribe me cerelle instead.

I'm almost finished a pack of noriday and as I THOUGHT it was the last pack I did what I should have done after that discussion with the GP and googled cerelle - inc a google of "mumsnet cerelle" as you lot are brutally honest and I've found pretty reliable on this kinda thing.

Only to discover - many women reporting lots of bleeding (precisely what I DON'T want!), depression, mood swings...

What the fuck was my GP thinking?!

I've fortunately discovered I've 3 more months of noriday I didn't know I had.

Now how do I deal with my GP? Cos basically I want to phone up on Monday ask what the bloody hell they're playing at and I just want to stay on the noriday!

I've had endless difficulties with meds and certainly at the moment the last thing I need is more issues!

So please mners tell me how to best make my case with my GP for staying on the noriday?

I took cerelle / cerazette for 3 years and never had a period while I was on it- tiny bleed first month, and back to normal periods 5/6 weeks after I came off. I think it's different for everyone. I've spoken to lots of friends who also stopped having any kind of "period" with it too.

I've been taking Cerelle for four years and have had no bleeding at all.

I've just been told I probably have endo and given cerelle by my gynae, she said its the most likely pill to 'switch off' my ovaries and so reduce symptoms of endo. I haven't managed to remember to take it regularly enough for it to work yet though.

See I don't see the point in moving OFF a product I KNOW works for me onto another one that may not.

And I suspect the real reason is cost!

Cerelle and cerazette, while appearing to be basically identical, don't have the same effects in everyone. I was on Cerelle and had constant bleeding. My GP moved me to Cerazette and I have very infrequent and mostly incredibly light periods. No weight gain or mood problems on either for me, but I think I've been incredibly lucky with the pill for that.

If you can't get the pill you want and it's a choice between Cerelle or Cerazette, I'd recommend Cerazette if you've found you don't get on with Cerelle.

I want to stay on noriday

I was on Cerazette and was moved to Cerelle (cost cutting by GP) and saw absolutely no difference whatsoever. I had no bleeding at all even around the switch over.

Unless your GP is very understanding, then you will need to provide evidence that Cerelle has actually had an adverse effect on your health and well being - not a perceived effect caused by reading horror stories on Mumsnet!

you will need to provide evidence that Cerelle has actually had an adverse effect on your health

Why should I need to do this?!

Why can't I simply continue on medication that I KNOW IS working for me?

Because the NHS can’t afford it?

Actually I think noriday has been discontinued hasn’t it? Has in my area anyway.

The NHS is moving people off Noriday. I don't know why; it could be cost or it could be the increase in people reporting long term health effects.

Regardless; you'll either need a private prescription for Noriday or to try Cerelle and swap if it doesn't work. For what it's worth, you'll always find more people complaining about birth control than saying it works well, that's the manner of human nature. Statistically Cerelle doesn't cause additional bleeding in most women, you could be absolutely fine on it.

Actually I think noriday has been discontinued hasn’t it? Has in my area anyway.

Ahh that makes sense. I knew everyone was being moved off. A quick search seems to support that it's been discontinued rather than anything else.

you will need to provide evidence that Cerelle has actually had an adverse effect on your health

Why should I need to do this?!

@Graphista because the NHS is paying the bill so they call the shots.

TBH I always try to move people from noriday to cerelle.
Most people don't know but with noriday you have a 3 hour window to take the pill each day. Cerelle you have 12 hours. It's just more reliable to get rid of some of that user error.

I'm not using it for contraception though and I'm actually really good at taking meds regularly.

Here's a mystery apparently noriday is cheaper!

I asked gp a few months ago to let me take mini pill continuously

You don’t need to be sexually active to be prescribed contraception, if it helps your mental health to suppress your periods then it’s perfecltly reasonable to do this.

I would ask the GP if there is a reason you can’t have noriday - as PP have said there are restrictions in certain areas. There is also the 3hr window issue as opposed to 12h with cerelle/cerazette although less relevant for you if you aren’t requiring it for contraception.
If there is a valid reason why you can’t havs noriday then it might be worth trying Cerelle?

I hope they aren't stopping noriday!
I was on cerezette with np pronlems nut was swapped to cerelle due to cost I think.

No change in the fact o had no bleeding buy suddenly I had lots of horrific cystic acne.

So I asked to be put on noriday and they were happy to let me try it. Still no periods but no acne now either. Fab.