Mercilon Contraceptive Pill

...spirits. Very early on taking Mercilon I did have some horrendous spots (they were like having a 2nd or even 3rd head). Knowing it would take a while for my body to properly adjust to the new pill and weighing up my options i.e. moody for 21/28 days, sever headaches and low sex drive of my previous pills or 1 day of feeling a bit groggy in 28 days and 27 perfectly normal days with Mercilion, I decided it was worth persevering.

Following ...
...have always been clock-wise, for Mercilon it’s anti-clockwise and even now I still struggle to remember. Anyway, also on the foil backing it has a MISSED PILL warning, something I haven’t come across before, apart from the usual take extra precautions, I think because of the lower dose it is advised to carry through to your next packet without a break depending where you are in your cycle, which I didn’t have to the do with the others I and tried. ... more

I first started taking the contraceptive pill at the age of 14. Don’t worry, I wasn’t an early starter, I simply had terrible period pains and after trying several different medications the doctor decided to put me on “the pill”. I have pretty much been on the pill for the last 12 years, excluding the time I was pregnant. I have tried several different pills over the years. Originally starting on Loestrin, which was terrible for me and made me moody, like being 14 didn’t make me moody enough, then I was put of Microgynon for a few years, which I was quite happy on, then when I was about 18 I was put on Dianette which I stayed on for about 2 years, for all the bad symptoms I had on it, I had a clear face, my face was like a dot-to-dot for spots before then. The doctor then decided I had probably grown out of the teenage spot stage by the time I was 20 and suggested I went back to Microgynon. I happily stayed on Microgynon for the next 3 and half years and never really had any side effects from it, apart from falling pregnant but that was more user error than the pill itself, it had done me proud for many years before then. 3 weeks after having my gorgeous little girl (sorry, I’m bias) I went back on to Microgynon for 18 months, the last few months of this period I starting getting terrible headaches during my 7 day break and when I went to the doctor, she decided I should try something new-Yasmin!! I gave it a go for 7 months then I couldn’t take it no more….I was a raged woman for most of the months with mood swings and low sex drive (I suppose that’s why it’s a contraceptive), so in my 12 years of the pill I have been certainly making my way through a list.

So 7 months ago, I went back to my doctors and this time she put me on Mercilion, and after 7 months I feel I can now give a my opinion on it.

==My Personal Experience

==

So the first week of trying Mercilion was fine, didn’t have any immediate side effects and as most women using the combined pill know, it takes a few months to really see the real effects of it. So I carried on taking it for the next 21 days with no side effects, my mood had certainly lifted a great deal after about a week of discarding Yasmin and starting on Mercilon, it was like a huge weight had been lifted off my poor breaking back. I had no breakthrough bleeding, as I did my first month taking Yasmin and my “monthly” arrived exactly when it should and I felt normal again when it came to having a sex drive. I will say the first period I had was a little heavier than usual and I felt pretty rubbish the first day, I was tired and crampy, my legs felt like a dead weight. It basically really took it out of me and I did have a headache for the first day or so, but only mild compared to the head bangers I was having previously on Microgynon. But the main thing was that I wasn’t hormonal, I was still smiling and my mood was still in high spirits. Very early on taking Mercilon I did have some horrendous spots (they were like having a 2nd or even 3rd head). Knowing it would take a while for my body to properly adjust to the new pill and weighing up my options i.e. moody for 21/28 days, sever headaches and low sex drive of my previous pills or 1 day of feeling a bit groggy in 28 days and 27 perfectly normal days with Mercilion, I decided it was worth persevering.

Following into the next month and so on, I have had little side effects, by my second period; it was more normal, less crampy, no headaches and the spots had died down and cleared up. Thank god. But again, it’s still early days at this point.

When the doctor had prescribed me these pills, she had mentioned to me that they were a milder form of the pill, obviously this concerned me and I asked her it made it less effective? She had replied saying no, it simple has lower dosage, basically unlike Yasmin and Dianette (Which is like a 40% proof Vodka of the Pill family), that’s my words not hers. She also told me it had a lower dosage of Oestrogen, something I could definitely do with less of with my mood swings at the time. Another thing that concerned me was when she had told me, because of the smaller doses, the window for taking a missed pill (usually around 12 hours later than the usual time you take your pill) will still protect against pregnancy but may cause breakthrough bleeding. Luckily for me I haven’t forgotten one yet, so unfortunately for you, I am unable to tell you whether it happened to me or not.

So in the seven months of taking it, I can say it has worked for me, my initial problems soon corrected themselves and I don’t get many spots, don’t have any breakthrough bleeding, bad periods, low sex drive or headaches, and most of all I haven’t fallen pregnant. One manic 2 year old is quite enough for the time being.

==In and out of the box

==

Ok, so the box is plain white with red-ish writing, it’s quite a simple display, has the product name, quantity and manufacturer. Inside the box, are 3 strips of 21 pills, each strip is individually wrapped in a foil packet (Something I haven’t seen before and actually think it’s a good idea) and the information leaflet. Each strip contains 21 small white pills, with a cycle on the foil backing for the days of the week. My only problem with this is that for some reason every other pill I have tried the cycle of days have always been clock-wise, for Mercilon it’s anti-clockwise and even now I still struggle to remember. Anyway, also on the foil backing it has a MISSED PILL warning, something I haven’t come across before, apart from the usual take extra precautions, I think because of the lower dose it is advised to carry through to your next packet without a break depending where you are in your cycle, which I didn’t have to the do with the others I and tried. I also find the strip wider than other pills, not hugely but enough so they don’t fit into the little cardboard envelope thing I have at home designed to keep them in and discrete.

The information leaflet, to me again, different all the others had booklets, but the information is sufficient.
• What Mercilon is and what it’s used for
• How it works
• how to take the medication,
• possible side effects,
• medical reason you shouldn’t take the pill,
• Special care for other medical problems
• Information on thrombosis and cancer
• How to take the pill, when etc
• What to do about a missed pill/ 7day rule
• Cautions when taking other medication and it’s affect on the pill
• Storing the pill

==The Science Bit

==

Mercilon tablets contain two active ingredients, ethinyloestradiol and desogestrel. These are synthetic versions of the naturally occurring female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.

In a woman’s menstrual cycle, levels of hormones change throughout the month, causing an egg to be released form the ovaries and prepares the womb for pregnancy if the egg doesn’t become fertilized the level of hormones fall and the lining of the womb will start to shed, hence a monthly period. Using the contraceptive pill basically tricks the body into thinking it has already ovulated and stops and egg being released, the hormones also thicken the mucus at the neck of the womb making it much harder for sperm to get through.

You take a pill every day (usually around the same time everyday) for 21 days, you then have a 7 day break, this is when you have your period (withdrawal bleeding), after the 7 days you start you next packet (You should start and finish your pill on the same day i.e. Wednesday each month) for another 21 days and so on.

Please remember that the pill only protects you from pregnancy and not any nasty STI’s, so if you are with a new partner you must always use other protection, the best being the condom.

If you miss a pill you must take it within 12 hours from when you would usually take it (I.e. I take mine just before bed so usually around 11pm, so my deadline would be 11am) to still be protected. If you miss that 12 hour deadline you must continue to take the pill as normal but use a condom to protect you from pregnancy.

Now obviously there is a lot of media input in regards to the safety of taking the pill, such as links to cancer etc…On the leaflet it does show statistic regarding cancer links and care taken to avoid thrombosis etc. Plus factors that could make these worse such as smoking and weight. There is plenty of information on the internet as well.

You must always obtain the pill through your doctor; they will check your blood pressure and your weight. Always read the label.

Ingredients: Desogestrel 150 micrograms, Ethinyloestradiol 20 Micrograms (that would be the hormones!!) and tocopherol, potato starch, povidone, stearic acid, aerosol and lactose.

Manufacturer: Organon

Overall======

So far so good, after the first month of problems I’m very happy on this pill, that doesn’t mean I won’t change my opionion in months or years down the line, but I’m much happier on Mercilion and would recommend it. Although every woman and their body are different, so it may not be the product for everyone.

Thanks for reading, I hope it helpful.

 

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