How reliable is Cerazette- and side effects?

[bella65]

Asking for my DD who is changing pills. She has just come out of a relationship ( but I think she is hoping for a reconciliation) and wants to carry on taking the pill. Pregnancy would be a disaster so she needs something that works!

She has tried about 4 brands before and was on a low dose one- not sure which but oestrogen 20mcgs. Her side effects were getting worse after a few years- mainly migraines during the bleeding stage.

Her new GP has put her on Cerazette _ is it as reliable as combined pill?
Also,she was first put on the pill- Dianette- for acne , then had to have Roaccutane to clear it up. Isn't a POP pill more likely to give her skin problems again?

[IvA91]

I've been on it for nearly three months; huge reduction in sex drive, no periods (bonus!), but it's made my mood swings really erratic. I've not been feeling myself at all. My other half has been amazing supporting me through this. I can totally relate to all you ladies who are depressed etc.

[scaevola]

Tubermole1: when did the itchiness start, and do you by any chance use Always towels or panytliners?

[Tubemole1]

I have had a very itchy, sore vagina whilst taking cerezette. The lovely dr's at my local sexual health clinic keep giving me full health screens down below but nothing comes up, so dh did some research asnd found evidence that Cerezette can cause vaginal skin infections. The dr's gave me micronidozole for the infection and it went away for as couple of months then it came back again.

I am now coming off it and using condoms to see if the skin infections lessen. I hope eventually to go back to the SH clinic and find yet another contraception that suits. I have tried microgynon, the arm implant, the femidom, cap...all hopeless. Contraception works for me, as most types make sex uncomfortable and my very understanding husband can't get near!

[YoniRanger]

I got pregnant two days after I stopped taking it.

There seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence that its not the best contraceptive

[FeegleFion]

The 'side-effect' of using Cerazette, for me, was DS (now 6 months).

I love love love my baby but 13 years of Microgynon resulted in no pg's.

[SizzleSazz]

I took it for 8 years, never got pregnant and no side effects. Never had ANY bleeding whilst on it.

However I have seen many threads where people really don't get on with it - bleeding/moods etc, so I think she would just have to try it and see how she gets on

[MarshmallowRoot]

I didn't get on with it - mood swings, exacerbated my acne to horrendous levels, hair started falling out.

I have PCOS though and I have come to the conclusion my body needs the oestrogen balance in combined pills.

I have friends though who love it and get on well with it.

Anyway, I am on low dose combined (Mercilon 20/150) and I get headaches in the pill-free week. If they ONLY occur in the pill-free week , according to my consultant, they are not "real" headaches (although they feel it!) , they are oestrogen withdrawal headaches. She offered me low dose oestrogen patches for during the pill free week to stop the "crash" of oestrogen. I didn't take her up on it because my pill free week headaches are not so severe, but just wanted to let people know of a possible option. Although you may have to get referred to the 'complex contraception clinic' as it's called here. I am inclined to trust her as she writes the guidelines for the NHS on contraception. Often GPs are useless for contraception, I've found family planning are better. x

[DontNickMyMilk]

Bell65 - are you my mum?

I too had Diannette from aged 19 due to bad skin, and also went down the Roaccutane route (evil drug, nosebleeds all the time, didn't sort out my skin). Stayed on Diannette until aged 30. Terrible migraines each month due to withdrawal. Went on cerrazette. Fabulous in terms of having no periods, never having to worry about holidays etc. but I have the skin of a 15 year old (and not in a good way - oil slick!) and am prone to boil-like spots long my jawline. No libido. I'm browsing this set of threads looking for an alternative!

[Dahlialover]

I had bad headaches using some combined pills. The best way to avoid it was to keep a bottle of water by me during the week off, and never get thirsty (ever!).
Then to take paracetamol at the first sign of a headache if that failed, then neurophen plus and bed when all else failed.

[kefybaby]

Lion, this is scary. I have also just been prescribed it (again) and I am BF...
Erratic bleading was also an issue for me when I was on it before. I would not have gone back on it if it was not deemed to be safe (?) whilst BF.

[ThedementedPenguin]

Sorry I never seen the reply. Yes I got pregnant on it. Took it everyday same time. Was a shock.

[flipflump]

I was on it for years (currently pregnant) I had no issues whatsoever. My skin was great, no unplanned pregnancy and loved not having periods. Didn't need to worry about swimming trips, holidays etc. it took a while for my periods to become regular once coming off and almost a year to conceive. I doubt that was down to this pill. Once baby arrives, I'll be going back on.

[bella65]

Thanks everyone. had another chat with DD and I think she has decided not to go with Cerazette on the basis of erratic bleeding ( for some.)
She is going to ask about other low dose pills or maybe one of the triphasic ones.
It's annoying because she has got on well with her current pill for a couple of years but now gets very bad migraines each month on the pill-free days, so much that it's affecting her work and she's needing time off.

[ThatPoshBird]

I've experienced no periods on this pill. Very occasionally i have a break through bleed, but i know when it is coming and it is very light so no issues there. And no pregnancies on it - so for me it works quite well.

[Manchesterhistorygirl]

I bled every single day. I was also psychotic and had memory issues. I came off it and was fine again within days.

[Dahlialover]

I stopped it because of constipation issues.

[readysteady]

I had constant thrush whilst on it. Miserable and mood swings felt like a new woman when stopped it. It's difficult to answer this though as all of us are different. I hated it my friend thought it was the bees knees!

[BreasticlesNTesticles]

Hated it

I was on Cilest for years with no problems but I have migraine with aura so they took me off.

Cerazette gave me periods every 2 weeks, and a feeling of bloating all the time. Also made me depressed and very PMT like, which I have never suffered from. I stuck with it for about 8 months to see if the symptoms would lessen but they didn't.

[chickensaladagain]

My friend is on it and has lost weight since being on it

No idea why but she thinks it's marvellous

[Naoko]

I've been on it for 7 years and I haven't got pregnant, so it's doing its job! Like any pill, some women don't get on with it. Erratic bleeding is common but not inevitable, I had no bleeding whatsoever for 5 years and then had some spotting issues for a few months before it stopped completely again. I love this pill and they will be prying it from my cold dead hands, I'm not going back to my awful periods.

[Lioninthesun]

Sorry OP - thought I should mention it! MW didn't seem at all surprised so I am guessing it is a fairly common thing although I don't know if there have been any studies. Keep on using other precautions to be on the safe side :)

[ThisIsYourSong]

OMG my GP never told me that. Considering I was on it for depression and part of the reason for that was I wasn't coping with 3 under 3 getting pregnant would have been a disaster. Luckily I was so worried about it we were taking other precautions. Although thinking about it I guess I could have told her that. Sorry for the thread hijack OP. Good warning for others though

[theDudesmummy]

I went on this when I was breastfeeding and have stayed on it. I get no periods at all and I love that.

[Lioninthesun]

I think because it is so low in hormones it is deemed safe when BFing, but the adverse effect is that your own hormones can override it.

[Lioninthesun]

This yes that is what we were told too and why we took it. I'd be a little wary of going on it again in that situ personally unless you don't mind a surprise addition to the family!