To be pissed off that GP changed my oral contraceptive pill without telling me?

[KingaRoo]

I have been taking Cilest for years and years. It suits me as I PCOS and have reacted badly to other pills over the years (one notably gave me terrible acne and made my hair fall out). Cilest was taken off the market recently so they put me on another brand, Lizinna, which has the exact same types of oestrogen/progesterone which is really important.

Just received my new prescription and they have given me Microgynon which is the one my hair fell out with. I am so annoyed they just did this without even discussing it with me. I suspect it's cheaper.

My GP is calling me this afternoon to discuss but I am so angry!! What if i hadn't checked?

Also, does anyone know if Lizinna is no longer available and, if so, what types of pill are particularly good for PCOS? I've tried googling but not got anywhere.

I know some types of pill raise androgen levels and I need the ones that lower it.

Can you afford to buy Lizinna for a bit? I couldn't get Norgeston from any of my local pharmacies & the gp tried to change me to a 12 hour mini pill that makes me horribly ill. I've bought a 6 month supply through Superdrug online doctors for £25, it's worth the cost for me.

Oh & I have a £5 off code if it helps (that's not why I'm recommending though, I just appreciate how horrible it is not to get the prescription you want)

@LouHotel

Doesn't this highlight the fucking hell that is contraceptives. So far posters have had their hair fall out, depression and turned mad...no wonder male contraceptives don't get signed off they wouldn't put up with it.

Sorry to derail OP, no your not unreasonable and I cant think of another meditation that would just be swapped without consultation.

Totally agree. The more I’ve thought about it over the years the angrier it’s made me.

Completely get why you're angry OP, I do think a lot of GPs just chuck whatever pill is cheapest at women and don't listen when we talk about side effects and want to try something else. Just another example of women's health issues being minimised. It's one thing to prescribe a different brand of the exact same quantities of active ingredients (I've had my mini pill Cerelle switched to Cerazette with no issues, and most recent prescription came back as Desogestrel 75 - they're all pills containing desogestrel in same quantity so hopefully will also be no effect from this most recent change - although I also get that even a different brand but same ingredients has an adverse effect on some women) but mycrogynon contains different ingredients to Lizinna. I do think mycrogynon must be the cheapest as always seems to the 'bog standard' that everyone gets put on unless they ask for something different. Took me a very very long time to realise the mood swings it gave me were not necessarily something I just had to 'put up with' and asking to try something different, and finally arrived at one which seems to work well for me. Good luck OP - would suggest if the GP you speak to today tries to fob you off that you make an appointment with a different one in the practice until you get one who 'gets it' - ie that women all have different reactions to the pill, it's very much not one size fits all, and we shouldn't just have to put up with effect on mental health / acne / etc as part and parcel with oral contraception.

@bellsbuss

I was on Cileste and have been out on Cilique by my GP.

My GP did the same. Smooth transition to cilique and didn't notice the difference but then I've had a few different pills (including microgynon) and never really had any trouble with any of them. Only when I switched to the implant did the troubles start...

Cileste has bee discontinued, I have used it for years and they told me when I phoned up for a repeat a few weeks ago, they have also swapped me to cliique which they said is exactly the same under a different name and I haven’t noticed a difference

*been

Agree OP mine took me off Yasmin due to cost and put me on Yacella and since then I have not had a proper period! have a telephone appointment with the gp this afternoon to ask about going back onto Yasmin!

Microgynon must be the cheapest, it tends to be the one they 'start you off' with. It also seems to be the one with the most horrific side effects. I don't think I've ever spoken to anyone who has taken it without a horror story.

Angry seems a bit strong. Its quite possible your previous pill is not available and they have given the closest alternative. Of course speaking to you directly about this would be ideal but that's just the reality of the the nhs during a pandemic.

Microgynon used to be the cheapest (not sure now) so it's the one they always started ladies on (and try to keep them on)

Hope you get your pill. Surprised they haven't tried to tell you to 'just' get a Mirena coil.

It’s the lack of input before making the change. And the extra time and headspace. Utterly infuriating. I spent a ridiculous amount of time checking types and amounts of the two hormones in pills to be able to make an informed decision.

Microgynon is really crap. I would be really livid too. Hope GP says it was an admin error and apologies.

Microgynon is not a close match at all and is really bad for women with PCOS

I would be furious too microgynon sent my blood pressure through the roof and gave me the most horrific splitting headaches. I was a healthy, active 14 year old when I was taking it and my blood pressure was more like an overweight oaps.

Turns out I can't take any combined pills as my bp is very sensitive to hormones (and is slightly raised even on the mini pill and depo but still within the bounds of normal). I had ridiculous bp in pregnancy too.

Bloody dangerous and arrogant on the part of the gp.

Yanbu.

Shouldn’t the GP have a log of what meds their patients can and cannot take logged in the patient records anyway before prescribing something different and get consent beforehand before prescribing it?

I was on cilest and got changed to cilique as it was cheaper (gp told me this) and even though it is ‘the same’ I couldn’t get on with it and ended up buying online and paying for it. Then I was emailed to say it was being discontinued so I quickly ordered more from 2 different pharmacies... I have nearly run out now so will have to go back to the GP to get a different one, which I am not happy about...

That is outrageous and you should be fuming (and even rude! Ignore posters telling you to ‘be nice’ ) I changed pills three times and each time the changeover really affected me - migraines, sore boobs mood swings, acne and depression - until my body got used to them. I can’t imagine just switching for a month or so without even being told.

On another note, what happened to Cilest? I took it for 8 years... no issues with it I hope?

@Pinktornado they just stopped making it, presumably because the nhs were moving everyone on to cheaper generic brands.

Yanbu. This has happened to me twice (although no longer as I refuse to take hormonal contraception and it’s made my life so, so much better). It makes you wonder whether purchasing on private prescription is what they want you to do as we slide into the privatisation of the NHS...

Weirdly, my husband, who has had well controlled epilepsy for 20 years, has never had his epilepsy meds swapped without discussion or regard for previous negative reactions. Strange that

I was on microgynon more than 25yrs ago!

Was changed to Marvelon even though had no problems with it.

Maybe Marvelon was even cheaper?

It sounds like a mistake to me. Pharmacy staff are rushed off their feet at the moment and they may have pressed the wrong thing. Please try to be respectful when you speak to your GP.

It isn't always the doctor wot dunnit.
Sometimes they do a routine check on cost of prescribing, Just click on the spreadsheet and you see a list of meds and costs.
Manager then makes a rule that certain meds need authorisation. Some changes are made and everyone happy.
Prescription clerk doesn't bother to find out about a particular patient. So she makes the change.
That is how my DH got the wrong pills for blood pressure.

This is so annoying isn’t it. It is probably due to cost my gp did this to me and the new pill did not agree with me at all. They admitted it was probably because it was cheaper