Microgynon 30 ED

Microgynon 30ED Tablets

The contraceptive pill Microgynon 30 ED is a combined 'every day' pill. It contains 2 hormones that work together to provide 99% protection against pregnancy, provided it’s taken correctly. 

  • 21 daily active pills, 7 daily inactive pills

  • Easy to remember to take

  • Requires annual blood pressure and weight check. 

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How to take Microgynon 30 ED

Your Microgynon 30 ED pack has 21 active pills and 7 larger inactive pills (with no active ingredients).

Here's how to use it:

  • Take 1 active pill daily at the same time for 21 days

  • Then take 1 inactive pill daily for 7 days. You may have your period during this week

  • Start your next set of active pills right after finishing the inactive ones

You'll take a pill every day without breaks, which many women find easier to remember.


How does Microgynon 30 ED work?

Microgynon 30 ED contains 2 hormones ethinylestradiol (a synthetic oestrogen) and levonorgestrel (a synthetic progestogen) that work together to:

  • Stop your ovaries from releasing an egg

  • Make it harder for sperm to reach an egg

  • Prevent eggs from implanting in your womb lining

The inactive pills are placebos with no hormones. They help you maintain your daily pill-taking routine without interruption.

When it comes to Microgynon 30 ED vs Microgynon 30, the main difference between them is:

  • Microgynon 30 ED contains 21 active hormone pills plus 7 placebo or dummy pills (28 tablets total). 

  • Microgynon 30 has only 21 active pills with no placebos. 

We recommend Microgynon 30 ED if you find it difficult to remember when to restart after the 7-day break.

Microgynon ED (Every Day) vs Microgynon 30

The main difference between Microgynon 30 ED and Microgynon 30 is:

  • Microgynon 30 ED contains 21 active hormone pills plus 7 placebo or dummy pills (28 tablets total). 

  • Microgynon 30 has only 21 active pills with no placebos. 

We recommend Microgynon 30 ED if you find it difficult to remember when to restart after the 7-day break.

How effective is Microgynon 30 ED?

As long as you use it correctly and follow the advice of your clinician, Microgynon 30 ED 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 Microgynon 30 ED, 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 Microgynon 30 ED if you're certain you are not pregnant.

How long after taking Microgynon 30 ED are you protected?

If you start taking Microgynon 30 ED on days 1-5 of your period:

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

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.

Microgynon 30 ED side effects

Like any medicine, Microgynon 30 ED can have side effects and some women might notice mood swings, headaches, stomach pain or feeling sick. Everyone's different though and many women find they experience no side effects at all.

In rare cases, women have developed blood clots or experienced high blood pressure. 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 Microgynon 30 ED 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.

Active (small) pills

  • It’s been less than 12 hours since you were supposed to take your pill - Take your missed pill straight away, then take your next pill at your regularly scheduled time. This shouldn’t affect your contraceptive protection.

  • It’s been more than twelve hours since you were supposed to take your pill - Take the most recently missed pill - if you’ve missed several pills, only take the most recent and leave any earlier in the pack. Continue to take a pill every day for the next seven days at your usual time. Use extra barrier contraception such as condoms for the next seven days. If you have had sex without contraception in these seven days, you could become pregnant.

If the seven days mentioned above run past your last active pills: 

  • Finish taking your active pills

  • Throw away the corresponding inactive pills

  • Start a new pack of Microgynon 30 ED the next day

If you’ve missed one or more pills from the first week of your strip (i.e. days 1-7) and you had sex in that week, you could become pregnant.

If that is the case, contact one of the following as soon as possible:

  • Pharmacist

  • Family planning nurse

  • Doctor

One of the above may recommend you use emergency contraception.

Inactive (large) pills

Take your pill straight away and return to your regular pill schedule (this might mean taking two pills in a day). This shouldn’t affect your contraceptive protection.

If you have missed any of the pills in a strip and you’ve experienced no bleeding while taking your inactive pill there is a chance you might be pregnant.

Please check the patient information leaflet for more information and specific guidance.

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

The Microgynon ED pack includes 7 placebo pills. If you want to skip your period, simply discard these placebo pills. Then start your next pack immediately after finishing the active pills.

If you'd like to switch your contraceptive pill, please follow the steps outlined in the patient information leaflet. For more information, you can speak to your GP or contact us via your account.

Yes, you can request and pay for Microgynon 30 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 Microgynon 30 ED is safe for you to use. You can give us this information during your online consultation.

If you've previously bought Microgynon 30 ED from us and want to re-order, you'll need to complete a new online consultation.

  

Microgynon 30 ED, 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.


Microgynon 30 ED 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 Microgynon 30 ED, 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 the coil. 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.