To ask your experience of the mini pill (desogestrel)

[purpletablet]

I’m 38 and have been put on desogestrel to help with pms symptoms. I started it on the first day of my last period. I’m now on day 26 of my cycle and I’ve bled every single day since I started. It ranges from light spotting some days, to feeling like a period and I’ve also had days where I’m having clots and flooding.

Has anyone had similar and how long did it last? Should I be persevering or speaking to my gp?

I tried a few different brand names of it, and none worked for me - it's very individual, as others have said. On some brands I had issues with constant bleeding and related tiredness, though the bigger issue was extreme mood swings, which I'm not used to and was not equipped to manage!
I think if you've had bleeding for that long it's worth going back for a review.

Personally I went through all the different types of mini pill (recommended at the time for women over 30 ish) before settling on a low estrogen combined pill. I found superdrug online to be the best resource to see all the different types, brand names and hormone types, oddly enough!

I’ve been on it for two years because of long periods. Yes it has stopped the bleeding, but I also now have to deal with no libido, low moods, back acne and an insatiable appetite which has lead to over a stone of weight gain.

Rather than find the cause of my two week long periods on a 26 day cycle, they choose to treat the symptom. I hate it. But it’s either this or bleed.

I went on it post partum after my second DC. Great in the fact it stopped my periods, but I’ve recently stopped taking it as it’s totally tanked my libido - it was working as a contraceptive because I didn’t want my husband anywhere near me 🤣

It took 3 months to settle then never looked back. Been on it for years and it’s brilliant for me.

took 3 months of bleeding and spotting and havent had a period since (been about 4 years). not sure how healthy it is to never have a period, but i certainly dont miss them and wouldnt want to stop taking it.

Thanks everyone. That’s 30 days and I’m still bleeding quite heavily. I will speak to the gp and see if they will prescribe Norethisterone to try and reset things. I wouldn’t mind sticking to it if I knew things would get better after a few months but it sounds like there’s no way of knowing if that would be the case or if it could go on indefinitely.

It's been great for me. Not had any bleeding in 8yrs.

Very similar for me. First couple of months weren’t great though with spotting on and off. After that it’s been great.

I bled every day for 8 months on desogesterel. Gave it the 6 months the GP kept insisting on for it to settle down and then took another couple of months to convince them to let me try another. I now take Norriday (norethisterone) and apart from the fact my periods last about 10 days, it's much better for me. The GP told me it was the same pill and wouldn't make a difference, but it really did!

Just an update. I spoke to my gp and she prescribed norethisterone for a couple of weeks. It stopped the bleeding which was great but I was very irritable on it. I stopped it a couple of days ago and the bleeding has come back with a vengeance. I’m flooding pads every hour. I had to get up 3 times during the night last night to change.

I counted and I’ve been taking desogestrel for 50 days now. Is it worth sticking it out for a while longer? I wouldn’t mind if I was just spotting but I’m worried I’m going to become anaemic at this point.

What would you do in my situation?

I wish I could go on the combined pill but I have a growth on my liver so it’s not recommended.

I had horrendous breast pain after having my second, the mini pill completely got rid of it, also haven’t had a period in years - brilliant. I’m early 50’s now but am staying on it

In your situation I think I might give up to be honest and look for something else. It sounds awful.

i went back on it age 42. First time around in my 20s i had zero spotting/breakthrough bleeds.

This time i think it was nearly 4-5 months of constant spotting, i still do occasionally, and i've been on it 2.5 years now.

I was about to consider having a coil fitted and chickened out when it finally stopped being an every day thing. Stick with it, give it another 2 pack. if it still isn't settling to rarely happening/stopping completely, it may not be for you!

eta: if your flooding doesn't slow in the next 24/48hrs i'd come off completely and maybe try again in a couple of month.s

Used it for 3 months to try and combat heavy bleeding. Made things 10 times worse, bled every day with horrendous flooding for about 5 days a month to the point where I couldn’t leave the house for more than an hour. My (male) doctor said that that I should have persevered for longer and that sometimes we have to put up with some ‘minor inconveniences’ before something takes effect 😒

I've been taking it for 10+ years (with a couple of breaks to have children). Each time I started I had about 3months of bleeding (mostly light), but since then nothing apart from very light bleeding every few months.

I was prescribed it when I was 45 and met someone. I hadn't used any contraception for over 10 years and I asked for the pill (my go to in younger days), but was told I could only have the mini pill because of my age. It was horrendous, I was flooding regularly, had a near constant period which wasn't great for my new relationship! I was having to use tampons and pads together and sometimes flooding through both immediately after changing. I contacted my sexual health clinic and they offered me the mirena coil straight away. I've had no periods since and I'm very happy with it 😊

I’m tempted by the coil but do worry I might bleed on that too. And then I’d have to get it removed!

It was good for me to start with and I was on Cerazette for years - no periods, was amazing! They then changed it to Cerelle (I presume it’s cheaper) and I had breakthrough bleeding all the time. I then got Cerazette privately but still had the bleeding, I don’t know if it was me, the different brands or what but I just stopped taking it in the end.

I had spotting every day for the first month. That’s stopped, but I now bleed every time I have sex (bright red, fresh blood). I’m almost at the three month mark and won’t be continuing - I’m having a coil fitted next week.