Take one Femodene daily, for 21 straight days starting on the first day of your cycle (the start of your period). Each pill is marked with the day of the week you should take it, meaning you’ll be able to keep track of what you have taken. At the end of this course of pills, you should have a seven day break. Each tablet should be swallowed whole with water. After the seven day break you should start the next pack.

If you’re taking Femodene ED, instead of having a seven-day break, you’ll take the seven inactive spacer pills. Again, once you’ve got through these, you’ll just roll on to the next pack.

With Femodene breakthrough bleeding might occur when you take it, particularly during the first three months of use. This is perfectly normal and should not be of concern.

If you get particularly heavy bleeding, or persistently irregular bleeding, let your prescriber know.

If you take Femodene on the first day of your cycle you will be immediately protected against pregnancy. If you start taking Femodene on any other day, you’ll need to use a barrier contraceptive for at least seven days to stay protected.

If you took a different combined contraceptive 21 day pill, you should take Femodene the day after the end of the previous pill’s strip. This means you’ll miss the one month of menstrual bleeding between the strips. If you took a 28 day combined contraceptive pill, you’ll also need to take Femodene the day after the last active pill. Again, this means you won’t experience bleeding until this strip has been completed at the end of the cycle. If the previous contraceptive pill was a progesterone only course (mini pill), start from the first day of bleeding, even if you have taken the mini pill that day. You'll then also be immediately covered.

If you’re a little late taking Femodene, you’ve got 12 hours leeway where it won’t make a difference to your protection. But you should get back to your normal time from the very next day.

Beyond this (so if you’re more than 12 hours late taking it), you will need to ensure that you use a barrier contraceptive, such as a condom, for seven days to stay protected. You should take the missed pill as soon as you remember, even if this means taking two pills at once.^[1] If you’re taking Femodene ED and miss an inactive pill, you don’t need to worry. Just discard the missed inactive pill and carry on the next day as normal.

If you miss an active pill towards the end of the 21 day period of taking it, you may be advised to skip your usual seven day break. Check the leaflet for more advice on what to do if you miss a pill.

Vomiting or having diarrhoea after taking Femodene can reduce your protection. In these circumstances you should check the leaflet, and follow the instructions laid out in the section on missed pills to ensure you remain protected.

It’s always best to talk to your doctor about starting the pill again after giving birth.

After pregnancy you should wait 21 days after you have given birth before taking Femodene. It’s not important to wait for your period, but you may need to use a barrier contraceptive beforehand, which is also needed for the first seven days of taking the pill. You should not breastfeed while taking Femodene as trace amounts can be passed on through the breastmilk. If you’re looking for a pill that’s suitable for use during breastfeeding, the mini pill may be a better option.

If you want to stop Femodene because you’re planning on having a baby it’s recommended that you use a non-hormonal contraception until you have had your first full period. While there is no risk for the baby, it’s helpful for the midwife or doctor to accurately work out the baby’s due date. If you’re coming off Femodene and want to remain protected against pregnancy, you will need to use another contraceptive method, whether this be another pill, patch, ring, injection or IUS, or just a condom. If you’re swapping pills, you should speak with your doctor first.

The most common side effects for Femodene include: nausea, weight gain, stomach aches, altered mood and sore breasts. These tend to be mild and are likely to pass after a few weeks of use. But let your prescriber know if you get any side effects that concern you, or persist after several months.

Femodene side effects are typically mild and only affect a minority of women who use it. Nonetheless, it’s important to know the risks involved and what to look out for before starting treatment.

Serious side effects are rare on Femodene. But f you experience any of the following, seek immediate medical attention:

Allergic reactions: Swelling in the hands, face, throat, mouth, tongue or lips, problems swallowing and hives or a severe rash.

Deep vein thrombosis: Swelling of the leg, pain when walking or standing, warmth in the affected area and a blueish and red tinge.

Pulmonary embolism: Breathing difficulties, coughing, bringing up blood, pain in the chest when inhaling, dizziness, stomach pain and irregular heartbeat.

Heart attack: Chest pain, squeezing in the breast area, indigestion and a choking feeling, discomfort in the upper body that moves to the back, arms, throat and jaw, sweating, nausea, vomiting, weakness and anxiety.

Stroke: Numbness and weakness on one side of the body, confusion, problems speaking, vision issues, loss of coordination, severe headaches and seizures.

Other blood clots: Swelling and a blue tinge in the fingers or toes, severe pain in the stomach.

Of the more common and potentially serious side effects, Femodene anxiety issues have also been reported in a small number of those using this treatment. Femodene depression rates are also slightly increased with use of the drug.

There’s no evidence to suggest that combined pills like Femodene and weight gain are directly linked. This side effect has been reported in some women, but this is a minority (one in ten women or fewer) . For women taking Femodene weight gain may also be caused by water retention, which is hormonal and subsides as the body gets used to the treatment.^[2] 

If weight gain does occur, you can speak to your doctor about an alternative by signing in to your EveAdam account.

Yes, if you feel as though Femodene isn’t working for you or causing unwanted side effects.

As with all contraceptive pills including Femodene pros and cons of each might mean that another pill is better suited to your needs. Some other brands contain the same active ingredients in the same dosages. This essentially makes them the same medication, where only the branding, and sometimes pricing, is different. These include Katya 30/75 and Millinette 30/75.

If you’re getting mild oestrogenic side effects on Femodene like slight mood swings or vaginal dryness, then Femodette (the same pill with a touch less oestrogen) is an obvious choice.

Millinette and Sunya also contain the same active ingredients as Femodette in the same dosages.

Sometimes a prescriber may suggest a different combined pill altogether. For example other brands, such as Yasmin and Lucette, contain drospirenone and ethinylestradiol, while Cilest contains norgestimate. Finding which pill is right for you can take some time.

If it’s remembering to take a pill that’s proving tricky, there are better options for this too. Other hormonal contraceptives include the patch, injections, IUDs and the vaginal ring.These don’t need to be taken or administered every day so some women prefer them.

Both Yasmin and Femodene are manufactured by Bayer, and contain the same oestrogen synthetic at the same dosage (ehinylestradiol 30 micrograms). They also provide the same amount of protection when taken correctly (over 99%). The only difference between the two is the progesterone synthetic that they have. Instead of gestodene, Yasmin contains drospirenone, which may be more (or less) suitable for some women.

While the name is very different, these are in fact the same two medications. Both contain the 30 micrograms of ethinylestradiol and 75 micrograms of gestodene. As is the case with branded and generic forms of medications, the only real difference between them is pricing (Millinette is a bit cheaper) and packaging.

Both also have lower dose alternatives (Millinette 20 and Femodette).