Ovranette Contraceptive Pill

Ovranette contraception treatment

The Ovranette contraceptive pill combines 2 hormones that work together to prevent pregnancy. Many women take it every day for 21 days, then have a 7-day break. There are options to take it in other ways too.

 

  • The generic version of the combined contraceptive pill Microgynon.

  • 99% effective birth control when taken as directed.

  • Requires annual blood pressure and weight check.

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How to take Ovranette

Most people take Ovranette 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 Ovranette contraceptive pill, that might suit your style better:

 

  1. Tricycling: Take 1 pill daily for 9 weeks (3 packs of pills) 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 Ovranette work?

Ovranette is a combined pill that 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

How effective is Ovranette?

As long as you use it correctly and follow the advice of your clinician, Ovranette 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're experiencing vomiting or severe diarrhoea while taking Ovranette, 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.

 

Follow the same advice as you would do if you missed a pill if the following happens:

  • You vomit within 3 hours of taking Ovranette

  • You have severe diarrhoea for longer than 24 hours

If you keep suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting, you should consider a different contraception method.

 

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

How long after taking Ovranette are you protected?

If you start taking Ovranette 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.

Ovranette side effects

Like any medicine, Ovranette can have side effects and some women might notice mood swings, headaches, stomach pain, breast discomfort 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 Ovranette 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 you were due to take your missed pill.

  • If you were due to take your pill less than 12 hours ago - Take the delayed pill straight away and any further pills as usual. This shouldn’t affect your contraceptive protection.

  • If you were due to take your pill more than 12 hours ago or you’ve missed more than one pill - Take the most recently missed pill immediately, leaving any earlier pills in the strip. Take any further pills as normal (even if this means taking two pills in one day). Use further protection (i.e. condoms, for the next seven days).

If it has been more than twelve hours since you have missed a pill, the amount of pills left in the strip is also important. For more information, check page 9 of the patient information leaflet.

Yes. If you're breastfeeding, you can start taking Ovranette 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.

Yes, this medicine can stop periods if you take 2 packs of Ovranette back-to-back.

As a combined oral contraceptive (COC), Ovranette may help improve acne in some women. Combined oral contraceptives contain both oestrogen (which can reduce acne) and a weak androgen called progestin (which can aggravate acne).

The oestrogen in COCs tend to outweigh the effects of the progestin, so will decrease androgen levels and lessen the chance of acne. However, it should be noted that the patient information leaflet for Ovranette does list acne as a potential side effect.

It's important to note that while combined birth control pills can help acne, progesterone-only pills can make it worse for some women.

There are a number of medicines known to be effective treatments for acne, including creams, gels and tablets.

If you are planning on changing to Ovranette from another contraceptive pill, what you should do will depend on your current treatment (if used correctly):

  • I am on a 21-day Pill - Start Ovranette the day after the end of your last strip.

  • I am on a 28-day pill - Start taking Ovranette the day after your last active pill.

  • I am on a progestogen-only Pill (POP) - You can switch to Ovranette immediately, even if you have already taken your POP for that day. For the next seven days, use additional contraception like condoms if you have sex.

For more information on changing to Ovranette, take a look at the patient information leaflet.

If you have any questions about changing pill, you can speak to your GP or contact us via your account.

Yes, you can request and pay for Ovranette through an online doctor service such as ours. But you’ll first need to complete a short online consultation. 

If you are suitable, you can be prescribed treatment.

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

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

  

Ovranette, 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.

Ovranette 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 Ovranette, 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.

 

Reference (relating to acne): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279209/

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/birth-control-for-acne-treatment

https://southwest.devonformularyguidance.nhs.uk/formulary/chapters/13-skin/acne