How do you take microgynon - with breaks etc?

[Cloud44]

I’ve been on microgynon for quite a few years now and the advice on how you can take it has changed more recently- instead of a 7 day pill break I’ve heard you can do a 5 or 3 day break and can run several packs together. I tend to run a few packs together then still do a 7 day break but is this still necessary? If I did a 5 day break would the bleed be shorter?

Any advise?!

Hi 😊 I’m a contraception specialist nurse.

I find that the 63 days of pills and 4 day break regime seems to be the most popular choice as the bleed is usually shorter, and less chance of forgetting to restart your pack after your break.

No shorter than a 4 day break and no longer than 7 😊

Thank you @WetBandits ! I haven’t had a break for a while, I’ve ran a few packs back to back just because I’ve not had any spotting and I really don’t like the bleed on the pill free days!
Do you think I should have a break soon?
In the past when I have had a break I’ve done the 7 days so last pill on a Sunday - bleed has normally started on a Thursday and continued through to Monday/Tuesday (started new pack on the Tuesday).
If I just break for 4 days so last pill tonight for example then start again on Friday could the bleed only be for a couple of days at the end of the week? I don’t want to mess my body up but because I’ve not had a break for a while I feel I should.
I have my smear test soon and what made me realise was they will ask when my last period was and I can’t remember 🙈!

I mean in the past started new pack on the Monday, so it’s been 7 days pill free.

You can run packs back to back for as long as you like but you will have a breakthrough bleed eventually, so just take a 4 day break as soon as you start bleeding and then back on it 😊

If you’ve got your smear booked soon I probably wouldn’t risk taking a break too close to it as you may end up bleeding on the day, which would mean your smear would need to be postponed. For smears, it doesn’t really matter when your last break was, as long as you aren’t bleeding when we take it!

I guess it may be better to have a 4 day break now rather than the bleed happen out the blue?! My smear is in 3 weeks.
If I have a 4 day break instead of 7 do you think the symptoms (headache, stomach ache, just feeling yucky) won’t be as bad? Once I start the next pack on Friday should the symptoms soon ease? Sorry for all the questions, I really should know the answers as my age, I just hate periods!!

I used to be on that one but now on Gedarel. I've never heard of taking a 4 day break? Thought it was always 7 if not running concurrently? How confusing! Only thinking as I'm 2 days 'off' now!

https://www.unimed.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Different-ways-to-take-the-combined-pill.pdf

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/contraception-combined-hormonal-methods/background-information/tailored-regimen/

This is helpful.

Always take full packets, have no less than a 4 day break and no more than a 7 day break.

With a 4 day break with the bleed/ feeling rubbish be shorter than with the 7 day break? And if in the past you have done 7 days is it ok to change it to 4 day break?

Yes absolutely fine to change to a shorter break.

You don’t need to have a break at all if you don’t want one but will be more likely to have breakthrough bleeding which isn’t a problem but is unpredictable.

Thank you everyone. How does everyone else normally take the combined pill? When I started taking it years ago I stuck to the original advise of take for 21 days with a 7 day break, but then when I was told you didn’t have to strictly do that I got into the habit of running a few back to back just to not have the inconvenience of a ‘period’ and feeling rubbish but I’m not sure if it does your body any good not having a few days break every so often. It’s a minefield!

Can anyone advise how they take microgynon at the moment?

Interested to read this. My 16 year old daughter has just started on it to manage her heavy bleeding.

I take 3 packets with no break then a 7 day break. I have found I get breakthrough bleeding at 4 or 5 packets if I don't have a break and they are unpredictable. I also have tried a 4 day break and it didn't make my bleeding shorter, in fact I found it longer so I stick to the 7 days now. GP said 4 days is fine but it just didn't work for me well.

Probably a silly question @LuckysDadsHat but do you feel rough during the 7 day break? And now much longer did the bleeding go on for when you tried 4 days?

I do feel rough, but I put that down to my perimenopause and the lack of oestrogen and progesterone. Bleeding probably lasted an additional 2-3 days when I have a 4 day break.

@LuckysDadsHat rough as in period rough? I never know if it’s just me!

Just a bit more achy body wise, and a bit grumpier.

I'm on this one and just run them together until I eventually get a breakthrough bleed, then I usually get to day 5 and start again, mainly because I get hot sweats when I'm "on" (whether u do 21 days, 63 days or more I still get them when bleeding) and I can't stand more than 4 or 5 days pill free.

How many packs do you normally manage to run together @PieonaBarm ? Do you find the bleeding is still continuing after your 4 days pill free?

I take about 4 packs run together before I have a break. I don't get breakthrough bleeding at all, though I did when I was changed to a pill with identical active ingredients but a different co-crystal/coating.

I have concluded that I think I get period type cramps if I have sex etc if I haven't had a break for a long time and it goes away again after a break, so I do put up with them occasionally. I don't know if it's a verrry slow build up of tissue or what.

I hadn't realised you could do shorter than 7 days so I will keep that in mind for the future as sometimes a full 7 isn't convenient.

Probably 4 or 5, definitely more than 3, and yes it slows down and the sweats stop pretty much the day after I start the new pack. When the Dr at the Family Planning Clinic told me I could just keep going until I got a breakthrough bleed I nearly kissed her, as I'd usually just do 3 packs but have a job with a 24/7 shift pattern and nights are awful with a period!

The withdrawal bleed started late last night (day 4 of pill break), which is pretty normal for me, maybe just a few hours later compared to sometimes, I was going to start the new pack tonight, do you think the bleeding then may only last today and tomorrow? Because I normally do a 7 day break I’m not sure what to expect and don’t want to mess anything up!

I do two packs back to back then 7 days off. I did try upping to three then a break but got breakthrough bleeding before the end of the third packet - boo! I'm not sure though if that's just my body being so used to the existing pattern or something? I wouldn't shorten the break personally, just because knowing I always start a period the Thursday of a break and always start a pack on a Monday makes it a lot easier to remember where I'm at with it!

I’ve started on microgynon 2 weeks ago and have break through bleeding for the past 5 days. No signs of it stopping. Do I need to finish the last 5 days of this packet before taking a break or can I take the 4 day break now? Is it normal to have prolonged breakthrough bleeding after just 2 weeks of taking it? I’ve tried the progesterone only and IUD in the past and bleed constantly on both. I’m worried it might happen on this pill too. Has anyone got any advice please?