Mercilon Contraceptive Pill

Mercilon contraception treatment

The Mercilon contraceptive pill is a combined 'every day' pill that contains less oestrogen than the regular combined pill. So you may experience fewer side-effects. Mercilon provides 99% protection against pregnancy, provided it’s taken correctly. You’ll just need an annual weight and blood pressure check to make sure the pill is still safe for you to use.  

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How to take Mercilon

Most people take Mercilon by taking 1 pill each day for 21 days and then taking a 4 or 7-day break.

There are other ways to take the Mercilon contraceptive pill, that might suit your style better::

 

  1. Tricycling: Take 1 pill daily for 9 weeks without a break. After this, take a 4 or 7-day break before starting again.

  1. Flexible extended use: Take 1 pill every day for at least 21 days. If you experience bleeding that bothers you, take a 4-day break. On the fifth day, resume taking your pill daily and continue for at least another 21 days.

 

If you take breaks, you'll likely experience a withdrawal bleed during this break and while it resembles a period, it's not actually one.

How does Mercilon work?

The Mercilon pill contains 2 hormones, desogestrel (a synthetic progestogen) and ethinylestradiol (a synthetic oestrogen) that work together to prevent pregnancy. As well as stopping your ovaries from releasing eggs, these hormones make it harder for sperm to reach an egg or for an egg to implant in your womb lining.

How effective is Mercilon?

As long as you use it correctly and follow the advice of your clinician, the contraceptive pill Mercilon​ is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. However, if you don't take it as directed, there's around a 9% chance you'll get pregnant which means 9 in 100 women will. 

 

If you are experiencing vomiting or severe diarrhoea while taking Mercilon, your protection might be reduced. So, keep taking your pill as usual and, if you are having sex while you're unwell, always use condoms.

The general advice for women using oral contraceptives is to follow the instructions for missed pills if vomiting occurs within 3 hours of taking it (or you experience severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours). Women should be advised to consider other options than oral contraceptives if diarrhoea or vomiting persist.

Important: Only start Mercilon if you're certain you are not pregnant.

How long after taking Mercilon are you protected?

If you start taking Mercilon on day 1 of your period:

 

  • You should be protected immediately, as long as you do not have a short or irregular menstrual cycle.

 

If you’ve already started menstruating (i.e. 2-4 days previously), you should start taking Mercilon on day 5 of your period. If you start after day 5 or have a short/irregular cycle:

    

  • Use condoms for 7 days if you have sex. Your clinician can advise if you need extra contraception during the first week.

Mercilon side effects

Like any medicine, the birth control pill Mercilon can have side effects and some women might experience more irregular bleeding with a low-dose pill. However, this usually settles in a few months. 

Other possible side effects of Mercilon can include headaches, feeling sick, breast discomfort, or mood swings. Everyone's different though and many women find they experience no side effects at all.

Mercilon does carry a slightly higher blood clot risk compared to some other pills, so in rare cases, blood clots can develop. You'll find detailed information about side effects and proper usage in the patient information leaflet.

 

If you do have any concerns about the risk of blood clots, or any Mercilon side effects​, just contact us via your account.

Contraception medicines

Frequently asked questions

If you miss your pill, what to do next depends on when and how many pills you've missed. Missing 1 pill at any time will not affect your contraceptive protection.

 

However, if you miss 2 or more pills, or start a new pack late, the contraceptive effect of Mercilon may be reduced.

 

The advice is:

 

  • Up to 48 hours since your last pill. Take your next pill as soon as you remember and continue with the rest of the pack as normal. This might mean taking 2 pills in one day.

  • More than 48 hours. This depends on when you last took your pill and where you are in your pill packet. Please check the patient information leaflet for more information and specific guidance.

Yes. If you're breastfeeding, you can start taking Mercilon from at least 6 weeks after giving birth.

According to the NHS, there is no evidence that taking the pill makes you put on weight or changes your sex drive. 

If you do notice any weight changes throughout your menstrual cycle, this is likely to be due to fluid retention and other factors not related to the pill.

If you want to delay your period for any reason, you can do so by taking 2 packs of Mercilon back-to-back.

If you've previously bought Mercilon from us and want to re-order, you'll need to complete a new online consultation.

  

Mercilon, like other combined contraceptives, can raise your blood pressure and this may be dangerous. That’s why your blood pressure should be checked before starting treatment and then annually.

 

Whether you've had a recent blood pressure check perhaps at your GP practice, or measured it yourself with a home monitor, we’ll ask you to include this information as part of your consultation.

Yes, you can request and pay for Mercilon by completing an online consultation through an online doctor service such as ours. If you are suitable, you can be prescribed treatment.

For all combined contraceptive pills, we'll ask you to tell us your height, weight, and blood pressure. That way we can be sure Mercilon is safe for you to use. You can give us this information during your online consultation.

If you'd like to switch your contraceptive pill, find more information in the patient information leaflet. If you have any questions, speak to your GP or contact us via your account.

If you do change to a new pill, we may advise against you having a break between packs. You might also need to use additional contraception during the changeover too. So we can let you know about this when you message us.

Mercilon can usually be taken alongside other medications. However, we need to make sure it's safe for you to use. So you'll need to let us know about any prescription medications, over-the-counter products, and recreational drugs you're currently taking.

As well as Mercilon, you can also request contraceptives such as NuvaRing and Evra Patch, and choose from a range of combined pills, low-dose pills, and mini pills.

 

Find out more about our contraception options.

 

Although there are long-acting contraceptives too, including implants and coils, these are only available through your GP or family planning clinic.

 

Condoms can also prevent pregnancy and if you're using another type of contraceptive, they also provide effective protection against STIs.