Ovranette Contraceptive Pill > Reviews (23)

I started taking the pill when I was a teenager as I was not really a very nice person to be around before and during my time of the month. I suffered lengthy and painful periods and wasn't aware that much could be done until I realised that other people had found the joys of "the pill".

I was prescribed Cilest, turned into a plate throwing monster and suffered various side effects, one of which was weight gain. In all honesty, I'm still not sure it's fair to blame Cilest for the weight gain, though I do feel it increased my appetite which resulted in me putting on a few pounds. I definitely remember feeling bloated, sluggish and angry with the world (typical teenager) so was swiftly moved onto Ovranette, which I am still taking today.

This pill is a godsend. My 11 day nightmare has turned into a mere 5 days and, apart from the first few days, is comparatively painless to what I used to put up with. Couple this with the contraceptive benefits and I think it's a bit of a winner.

I don't really do tablets very well, but Ovranette is a minute yellow pill (about the size of a skittle - that's the sweet, not the ten pin bowling variety!) It contains 150mcg of levonorgestrel (which is a progestogen) and 30mcg of ethinylestradiol (which is an oestrogen).

Now, I haven't really the foggiest what this means in technical terms, but I'm assured by my doctor that it's about the safest contraceptive you can use for any length of time and has low levels of the hormones which have been known to cause the disastrous side effects we read about in the leaflets. I'm sure much of the potential side effects depend on the type of person you are and the pill you are taking, but so far so good for me.

The other benefit of Ovranette (if we are to trust the medical professionals) is that no one has ever suggested that I need to take a break from this pill, even when I asked my doctor if I should. I'm sure my body would benefit from a rest from the extra hormones, but the doctors I have spoken to have assured me that the likelihood of it doing me any harm is very slim. I'm hoping they know better than me.

So it stops us from getting pregnant, helps with the curse of the woman and generally stops my foul moods and crockery throwing antics, but there are some disadvantages which it is very important to know about, as they can get overlooked when this drug is prescribed.

Ovranette (nor any other contraceptive pill as far as I'm aware) will be as effective if you are taking a course of antibiotics. You can continue to take the pill as normal, but it's worthwhile remembering to use extra protection during the course of tablets, just to be on the safe side. Most doctors/dentists will remind you of this if they prescribe antibiotics, but it's easy to forget!

The same rule applies if you suffer from sickness or diarhoea as the pill will obviously not work if you can't keep it in your system. Sounds pretty straightforward, but it's surprisingly easy to forget why you take the pill everyday when it becomes as commonplace as brushing your teeth.

If you have taken a pill for some time, it is common to occasionally experience some bleeding. If this occurs, it's worthwhile getting checked out, but very often this is a very common occurrence and nothing to worry about. It can be a little bit on the annoying side however!

Other than that, I've not had any problems at all and would recommend this pill to all women who can remember to take it!