Cerazette

Cerazette is an oral contraceptive taken to prevent unwanted pregnancy. It contains desogestrel, which is a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone, and is known as a mini pill.

The mini pill does not contain oestrogen, unlike combined oral contraceptives. This makes Cerazette suitable for women who are advised not to take contraceptives that contain oestrogen. This includes women who:

• are over 35 and smoke
• have high blood pressure or a history of blood clots
• have a history of migraines with auras
• are currently breastfeeding 

Is Cerazette the same as Cerelle?

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Cerazette comes in strips of 28 tablets, with each tablet marked with the day of the week it should be taken on: 

• Take the tablet for the appropriate day, following the labels on the top of the strip.
• Take each tablet at the same time every day, and swallow it whole with water.
• Do not take a break between taking pills
• Start a new strip after 28 days. You should start each new strip on the same day

Why do I need to take Cerazette at the same time each day?

Taking Cerazette at the same time every day helps to regulate the dose of desogestrel, which makes sure it’s effective at protecting you from unwanted pregnancies. Getting into a routine of taking Cerazette at the same time every day also makes it less likely that you’ll forget to take a pill. 

However, if you do not take your Cerazette pill within 12 hours of the time when you normally take it, you need to treat the situation as though you have missed a pill.

What do I do if I miss taking my Cerazette pill?

If you’ve forgotten to take your pill at your normal time and it’s over 12 hours since you would have taken it, you should:

1. Take the missed pill as soon as you remember
2. Continue with the next pill at the usual time (even if it means taking 2 pills on the same day or at the same time)
3. Use additional contraception such as condoms for the next 48 hours

What should I do if I am sick or have diarrhoea while taking Cerazette?

When should I start taking Cerazette?

Whether or not you are protected from pregnancy will depend on where you are in your cycle when you start taking Cerazette:

• Day 1 to 5 of your period: you will be protected immediately 
• Any other point in your cycle: you will need to use other forms of contraception, such as condoms, for the next 2 days to be protected

Can I take Cerazette to delay my period?

Can I take Cerazette if I am breast-feeding?

Can I drink while taking Cerazette?

Can I take painkillers when taking Cerazette?

Can I use Cerazette as emergency contraception?

No, Cerazette does not work as emergency contraception. If you have had unprotected sex or the protection you used failed, then you should use emergency contraception such as the emergency contraceptive pill (morning after pill) or intrauterine device (coil).

This is because Cerazette works to prevent fertilisation in the first place, whereas emergency contraception works to prevent pregnancy if fertilisation has occurred.

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While many women take Cerazette without any problems, it is possible to get side effects. These vary from person to person and can be common in the first 3 months as your body gets used to the hormonal changes caused by taking the pill. If these changes are overwhelming from the start or do not go away after 3 months you should speak to the doctor who prescribed this pill to you. They may suggest you stop taking Cerazette or that you swap to a different pill.

Common (affecting up to 1 in 10 women) side effects of Cerazette include:

• oily skin and acne
• irregular bleeding
• low sex drive
• weight gain
• mood changes
• feeling sick
• headache
• breast pain or tenderness

Uncommon side effects (affect up to 1 in 100 women):

• tiredness
• vomiting
• hair loss
• painful menstruation / ovarian cysts
• vaginal infection
• issues wearing contact lenses

Rare side effects (affect up to 1 in 1,000 women)

• hives
• rash
• painful blue-red skin lumps 

How will Cerazette affect my skin?

It varies from person to person but Cerazette can make acne worse if you already have it. This is because progesterone has been found to increase sebum production, an oily substance which helps protect the skin. Large amounts of sebum can clog up pores and cause an outbreak of spots. 

How will Cerazette affect my periods?

Cerazette can cause changes to periods, which will be different for different women. Cerazette can cause periods to become lighter, heavier, more regular, irregular or stop completely. Some women also notice spotting or breakthrough bleeding between periods. These side effects usually get better after 3 months once your body has adjusted to the changes in hormone levels. 

How will Cerazette affect my sex drive?

The hormonal changes caused by taking Cerazette can impact your sex drive. Progesterone usually lowers your sex drive, but there are cases where women experience an increased desire to have sex.

Will Cerazette make me gain weight?

Despite weight gain being a commonly reported side effect of the contraceptive pill, there is no scientific evidence that Cerazette causes long-term changes to your weight. 

Can Cerazette cause headaches?

Cerazette is a hormonal contraceptive, and hormonal changes can cause headaches. These headaches are usually mild, and go away after a few months as your body gets used to these changes. Cerazette will not cause migraines, and is actually more suitable for women with a history of migraines with aura than combined pills.

Can Cerazette cause high blood pressure?

Cerazette has not been found to cause high blood pressure, but if you do develop high blood pressure while taking Cerazette then you should talk to your doctor, as it may not be safe for you to take it..

Can Cerazette cause bloating?

Some women report that Cerazette causes bloating, but this is not a recognised side effect from clinical trials.

Does Cerazette cause hair loss?

Cerazette causes hormonal changes in your body, which may cause hair loss. This is usually a temporary side effect while your body adjusts to Cerazette, and will return to normal after a few (usually 3) months.

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Cerazette is not suitable for some women. You may not be able to take it if you:

• think you might be pregnant
• have unexplained vaginal bleeding 
• are taking other medicines that might affect it
• have arterial disease, heart disease or have had a stroke
• have liver disease, severe cirrhosis or liver tumours
• have or have had breast cancer
• have a thrombosis 
• are allergic to desogestrel, or any of the other ingredients of Cerazette 

If this is the case for you, your doctor can advise you and you may be able to try other mini pills that contain a different type of progesterone, such as Norgeston or Noriday.

Before you start to take Cerazette you should tell you doctor if any of the following apply to you as you may need to be kept under close observation:

• have ever had breast cancer
• have liver cancer, since a possible effect of Cerazette cannot be excluded
• have ever had a thrombosis
• have diabetes
• suffer from epilepsy 
• have tuberculosis 
• have high blood pressure
• have or have had chloasma (yellowish-brown pigmentation patches on the skin, particularly of the face)

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As with all contraceptive mini pills, there are risks when taking this medication. Most women find that the risks are outweighed by the benefits, but it is important to discuss any concerns you have with your GP.

• Ovarian cysts: some women develop fluid-filled cysts on their ovaries which normally disappear without treatment. 
• Breast cancer: research is ongoing into the link between the mini pill and breast cancer. While there isn’t sufficient evidence to say for certain that the mini pill does not increase the risk of breast cancer, research indicates that the risk is very small and disappears with time after you stop taking it. Doctors do not think there is an increased risk for women who have a familial history of breast cancer.

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On Trustpilot, our customers rate our service 4.8 out of 5 stars. This includes the process of ordering and delivering Cerazette from Superdrug Online Doctor as well as how customers rate Cerazette itself.

Users on The Low Down rate Cerazette 3.5 stars out of 5. Their data includes details on how women view their moods, weight gain and sex drive while taking Cerazette.

On Drugs.com, users do not rate Cerazette or desogestrel specifically but they do rate the use of desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol (a man-made version of oestrogen) as the combined pill for birth control. The average rate is 5.4 out of 10 from over 1000 reviews. Of those reviewed 36% reported a positive effect from taking this birth control and 37% reported a negative effect.

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• The Progestogen-Only Pill NHS [accessed 12 February 2021]
• Patient Information Leaflet EMC [accessed 12 February 2021]
• Cerazette 75 microgram film-coated tablet EMC [accessed 12 February 2021]
• Contraception - progestogen-only methods NICE [accessed 12February 2021]
• Is Cerazette the minipill of choice? BMJ [accessed 12 February 2021]
• Birth control and hair loss Healthline [accessed 12 February 2021]
• User data on desogestrel and ethiny estradiol as birth control Drugs.com [accessed 12 February 2021]
• User reviews on Cerazette The Low Down [accessed 12 February 2021]

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