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Gedarel is a combined pill, which is a highly effective contraceptive. Take one tablet, at the same time every day, and get more than 99% protection against unexpected pregnancies. It’s as simple as that.
Why buy the Gedarel pill online from EveAdam? First off, you’ll get your first package delivered the next working day. Then you can set how often you want to get refills, whether it’s every 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. So you’ll never need to worry about running out of your pill again.
Take our consultation with a UK prescriber to get pill recommendations. And then you can choose from the options they suggest and set up your subscription how you like it.
The combined pill Gedarel is ‘combined’ because it’s got two hormones in it: man-made versions of progesterone and oestrogen. These do a bit of work in the body to change your menstrual cycle slightly.
How? Here’s the super-quick explanation. The combined pill: stops you from ovulating (ovulation is the part where your ovary releases an egg. No egg, no fertilisation, no pregnancy); makes your cervical fluid thicker (so sperm can’t breeze through to an egg); and it makes it harder for any unlikely fertilised eggs to implant by changing the wall of the uterus.
Gedarel effectiveness is the same as the combined pill in general: over 99%, so pretty good odds. We know, technically if it’s over ‘over 99%’ this should mean 100%, but really it’s somewhere between. For every 100 women who take the combined pill – exactly according to the instructions – over a period of one year, less than one will get unexpectedly pregnant.[1]
But people make mistakes. It’s quite common to miss a pill or be late taking it. So there’s a typical use rate of effectiveness for the pill too: about 91%. So out of 100 women using it typically, over one year, nine will get pregnant.
The best way to make sure you don’t get pregnant when taking Gedarel is to do it as correctly as you can. Take it at the same time on the days you should, and follow the instructions for advice if you make a mistake.
Oestrogen load. Gedarel 20 has 20 micrograms of oestrogen hormone (ethinylestradiol if you want to get specific) and Gedarel 30 has – you guessed it – 30 micrograms.
Why do they have two doses? Well, if you’ve taken Gedarel 30 before and had mild oestrogenic side effects (water retention, fuller breasts, nausea) you might be better on a slightly lower dose of oestrogen. That’s where Gedarel 20 comes in. On the other hand, if you take Gedarel 20 and get very mild progestogenic side effects (infrequent periods, dry vagina, low sex drive) you might be better with a slightly higher oestogren dose (Gedarel 30) to help cancel these out.
In short, settling on the right pill is a delicate balancing act. Having different doses of Gedarel helps to narrow down the choices a little better.
A combined pill that helps prevent pregnancy, primarily. You can get it in two doses - 20 and 30 - and you take it once daily for the first 21 days out of every 28.
But besides birth control protection, contraceptives like Gedarel can have other uses too. For women who take Gedarel acne relief can sometimes be a welcome secondary effect. A doctor might also prescribe a combined pill like Gedarel for endometriosis relief in certain cases.
It’s vital that you take Gedarel as instructed by your prescribing clinician. Not doing so will likely lead to a reduction in its effectiveness and increase the risk of becoming pregnant.
Gedarel should be taken at the same time every day for 21 straight days at the start of your period (the first day of bleeding). This provides full protection against pregnancy from the start of treatment.
If you start taking Gedarel on any other day, you will need to use a barrier contraceptive for at least seven days.
If you have been taking a different combined contraceptive pill up until the day you switch to Gedarel, you should carry on taking the new course as a continuation. If you’re switching from the mini pill, you’ll need to use a barrier contraceptive for seven days to remain protected.
At the end of your 21 days of taking it, you’ll take a seven day break before starting the next strip. Gedarel withdrawal bleeding will normally start during your break.
The days of the week are marked on the blister pack so that you can keep track of what you have taken. Tablets should be swallowed whole with water.
Most side effects of Gedarel are mild and don’t really cause any inconvenience. But in rare cases, serious issues can occur. So it’s important to know what these risks are before starting treatment. For more information on side effects, read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medication.
There are many combined contraceptive pills to choose from. Some have the same ingredients as Gedarel at different dosages, while others are essentially the same medication with different branding. Other combined contraceptives use different synthetic versions of progesterone. Finding which one is right for you might take some experimentation.
Gedarel is quite a common formulation of pill and is available in two doses. So if you take one dose and get mild side effects, your prescriber may be able to address this by tweaking the dose.
Make sure you read the leaflet for Gedarel before you use it. You can download these using the links below, but you’ll also receive a paper copy of this with your pill.
You can read more about when not to use the combined pill in our safety information here.
Tell your prescriber about any medical conditions you have before using this pill.
It’s very important for your prescriber to know if you have or have had: a history of blood clots, blood clotting issues, spent a lot of your time off your feet (particularly after an operation), previous strokes or heart attacks, angina, severe diabetes, severe hypertension, high levels of blood fats, hyperhomocysteinemia, migraines with an aura, pancreatitis, liver tumours, cancer of the breasts or genitals, unexplained vaginal bleeding, think you might be pregnant, endometrial hyperplasia or allergies to any of its ingredients.
Your prescribing clinician might consider it an unsuitable treatment if you have or have had: inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, HUS, sickle cell anaemia, are waiting for an operation that will keep you off your feet for a prolonged period of time, inflammation of the veins, varicose veins, a family member who has had breast cancer, diseases of the liver and gallbladder, diabetes, depression, epilepsy, diseases that appeared while pregnant or previously using hormonal contraceptives, chloasma or hereditary angioedema.
References
[1] Cooper, D.B. and Mahdy, H. 2020. Oral Contraceptive Pills. Stat Pearls. U.S.A. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430882/ [Accessed 1st May 2021].
[2] Lindh, I, Et al. 2011. The long-term influence of combined oral contraceptives on body weight. Human Reproduction. U.K. Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/26/7/1917/2913904 [Accessed 1st May 2021].
