Pack of 3x 28 Cerelle 75 microgram desogestrel film-coated tablets

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Pack of 3x 28 Cerelle 75 microgram desogestrel film-coated tablets

Cerelle is a progesterone-only pill (mini-pill) that is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. Cerelle is a good option for women who can’t use combined pills, such as women with high blood pressure.


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Cerelle - 3 months £14.99
Cerelle - 6 months £24.99

Prices include delivery and prescription.

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About Cerelle

Cerelle is a type of contraceptive pill known as the mini pill, or progesterone-only pill (POP). Cerelle contains the hormone desogestrel, which is a man-made version of the progesterone. Cerelle is a generic medication so it is cheaper than branded alternatives but equally effective.

Is Cerelle the same as Cerazette?

Cerelle and Cerazette are both mini pills and contain the same active ingredient, desogestrel. They work in the same way and are equally effective. There are no differences between Cerelle and Cerazette aside from their branding.

You can buy Cerelle online with Superdrug Online Doctor, where the process is quick and easy. There is no need to see a doctor face-to-face to get a prescription. You can find out if you’re eligible to get a prescription from a registered GP at Superdrug Online Doctor, by:

  • Filling out our short online assessment.
  • Requesting your treatment (Cerelle).
  • One of our registered GP’s will review your answers and make sure it is safe to prescribe the medication you are requesting.
  • If it is safe, Cerelle will be delivered to your chosen address.
  • Alternatively, you can choose to collect it from your local Superdrug store. 

The online service is convenient and confidential with all medication being sent in discreet, unmarked packaging. You can get Cerelle from Superdrug Online Doctor even if you have never taken it before.

How much does Cerelle cost?

Pack Size Price
3 months

£14.99

6 Months

£24.99

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Can you get Cerelle over the counter?

Cerelle is a prescription-only medication and cannot be bought over the counter. To buy Cerelle, you will need a prescription from a registered doctor before you will be able to collect it from a pharmacy. 

Can you get Cerelle on the NHS?

You may be eligible to get Cerelle on the NHS, but it will depend on local guidelines. To get Cerelle on the NHS, you will need to book an appointment with your GP or at an NHS-partnered sexual health clinic.

Cerelle works by releasing and regulating a synthetic progestogen called desogestrel. This hormone stops your ovaries from releasing an egg, so you stop ovulating.

As well as stopping ovulation, Cerelle also increases the thickness of the mucus produced at the neck of the womb. This makes it difficult for sperm to reach an egg and fertilise it. 

Cerelle also thins the lining of the womb, to make it hard for any potentially fertilised egg to implant and begin developing.

How long does Cerelle take to work?

Cerelle can take different amounts of time to start working, depending on when you take it   in your menstrual cycle.

 If you begin taking Cerelle on days 1-5 of your period, you will be protected from pregnancy immediately. 

If you start taking it after day 5 then it will not work for 48 hours, so you will need to use protection for the first 2 days of taking it to prevent pregnancy from taking place.

How effective is Cerelle?

When taken properly, Cerelle is more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. However, if you are vomiting, have diarrhoea, miss pills, or take other medication, then Cerelle will be less effective. Because of these factors that can reduce the effectiveness of the pill, Cerelle is closer to being 91% effective.

Cerelle comes in strips of 28 tablets, with each tablet marked with the day of the week they should be taken on.

  • Swallow one tablet with water each day with no break.
  • Try to take the tablet at the same time every day.
  • Start a new strip of pills after 28 days. You should begin each strip on the same day each time.

You need to take Cerelle within the same 12-hour time frame every day for it to be effective. It is common to not get your period when taking Cerelle, but this isn’t a cause for concern.

When should I start taking Cerelle?

Cerelle can be taken at any time during your menstrual cycle, but you may not be protected from falling pregnant straight away. 

If you take Cerelle after day 5 of your period, you will not be protected for the first 2 days. So, you will need to use another type of contraception like condoms.

If you take Cerelle on day 1-5 of your period, you will be protected straight away.

What happens if you miss a Cerelle pill?

  • If you are less than 12 hours late, you should take the missed pill as soon as you remember and then take the next one at your usual time. You will still be protected from pregnancy.
  • If you are over 12 hours late, you may not be protected against pregnancy. You should take the missed pill as soon as you remember and then your next one at the usual time. It may mean taking two tablets in one day. You should continue to take your pills as usual, but you will need extra protection such as condoms for 7 days.

The more consecutive tablets you miss, the greater the risk that Cerelle will become less effective. If you have diarrhoea or vomiting within 4 hours of taking Cerelle then the active ingredient may not have been properly absorbed by the body. In that case, you should follow the missed pill advice above.

Can I take Cerelle to delay my period?

No, Cerelle is a mini pill that is taken every day without a break, so it cannot be used to delay your period. When taking Cerelle some women’s periods stop altogether, others may notice their periods become irregular, are lighter, less frequent or continue regularly.

Can I use Cerelle as emergency contraception?

No, Cerelle is a mini-pill and cannot be used as emergency contraception. It is already taken back-to-back If you forget to take your pill or have had unprotected sex before Cerelle will become effective and think you may need emergency contraception you should consult a doctor, sexual health clinic or some pharmacists will be able to give you advice. 

Many women do not experience side effects when taking Cerelle. However, some do, and they may include:

Common side effects:

  • Reduced sex drive
  • Altered or depressed mood
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Breast pain or tenderness
  • Increased body weight
  • Irregular or no periods

Uncommon side effects: 

  • Vomiting
  • Hair loss
  • Painful menstruation
  • Tiredness
  • Ovarian cysts
  • Infection of the vagina
  • Difficulty wearing contact lenses

Rare side effects:

  • Hives
  • Rash
  • Painful blue-red skin lumps (erythema nodosum)

Side effects are common during the first three months of taking Cerelle as your body adapts to the hormonal changes. After this time, you should notice that they become more manageable or go away altogether. 

If you experience side effects while taking Cerelle for longer than three months or find them unmanageable, then you should speak to your doctor. They may recommend that you stop taking Cerelle or change to a different pill which may cause less side effects.

You should seek urgent medical advice if you experience:

  • Swelling of the face, tongue, or throat
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Hives
  • Difficulty breathing

Can Cerelle cause anxiety and depression?

Yes, some women claim their depression has been associated with desogestrel and there has been some evidence that shows it can also cause anxiety and panic attacks. However, there is some research to suggest that the mini pill has less effect on mood than the combined pill, but researchers are still unsure of why this is.

Does Cerelle cause weight gain?

Weight gain is listed as a potential side effect of Cerelle but there is little proven evidence that it does cause this. However, you may notice that your weight fluctuates throughout your cycle because of fluid retention.

Does Cerelle affect fertility?

Birth control, including Cerelle, doesn’t have any lasting effects on fertility. Some women who stop taking the contraceptive pill may fall pregnant straight after stopping while others can take longer.

Taking hormonal contraception can mask other problems which may affect your ability to conceive, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Does Cerelle stop your period?

While taking Cerelle your periods may not be regular. You may find they are lighter, more or less frequent or they may stop altogether. Some women also experience spotting between periods.

How to stop bleeding on Cerelle

 A common effect of taking Cerelle is changes to bleeding. It is a common side effect of progesterone-only pills. Women are affected differently and Cerelle could make bleeding:

  • lighter
  • heavier
  • more frequent
  • less frequent
  • irregular

As your body gets used to the hormonal changes brought on by taking the progesterone-only pill, these changes to bleeding usually stop after three months.

Yes, Cerelle is safe if you have been prescribed it by a doctor. It is a commonly prescribed contraceptive pill in the UK and is suitable for most women to take. There is no evidence to suggest that Cerelle is any less safe to take than other progesterone-only pills.

Cerelle may not be suitable for every woman. There are some conditions, medications and risks that can mean Cerelle isn’t the right contraception for you. If this is the case, you may be able to take other pills which use a different type of progesterone such as Noriday or Norgeston.

Drug warnings

You may not be able to take Cerelle if you have or have ever had:

  • breast cancer
  • liver cancer
  • venous thromboembolism
  • diabetes
  • epilepsy
  • tuberculosis
  • high blood pressure (hypertension)
  • thrombosis
  • severe liver disease
  • vaginal bleeding

Cerelle may not be suitable for you if you are allergic to desogestrel or any of the other ingredients in the pill.

Drug interactions

Some medicines can stop Cerelle from working properly, particularly those used to treat:

  • epilepsy – primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, felbamate and phenobarbital
  • tuberculosis (TB) – rifampicin and rifabutin
  • HIV – ritonavir and nelfinavir
  • Fungal infections – griseofulvin
  • Medical charcoal
  • Products containing St John’s Wort 

Cerelle risks

There are some risks associated with taking Cerelle including:

  • breast cancer
  • blood clots

Can I drink while taking Cerelle?

Yes, you can drink alcohol while taking Cerelle as it won’t decrease its effectiveness. However, drinking alcohol can cause its own health problems. It may also make you forget to take your pill or have unprotected sex.

Can I take painkillers when taking Cerelle?

Yes, it is possible to take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen when taking Cerelle. The effectiveness of Cerelle will not be reduced by these painkillers. Similarly, they will not increase the risk of Cerelle’s side effects.

Can I take Cerelle when I’m breastfeeding?

Cerelle can be used while you are breastfeeding as it doesn’t affect the production or quality of breast milk. 

Our customers rate Cerelle 5 out of 5 on Trustpilot with many feeling satisfied with the product. 

On The Lowdown, Cerelle has been given 3 out of 5 stars by reviewers. Reasons for this could include:

  • 33% stated their moods were somewhat negatively affected
  • 55% stated their periods stopped
  • Half or reviewers claimed they lost their sex drive
  • 44% said they gained weight while taking Cerelle

Is there a best contraceptive pill?

Lots of different pills are available, and they are all slightly different. There is no “best contraceptive pill”, but certain pills may work better for you than others, and some may not be suitable for you at all. Each pill contains slightly different hormones, sometimes in different amounts, so finding the best pill for you may involve some trial and error, with the guidance of a doctor. For advice on getting the right pill for you, read our doctors’ guide on how to find the best contraceptive pill.

Can the pill make me bleed between periods?

Bleeding between periods is a possible side effect of some of the contraceptive pills, especially the mini pill. Apart from discomfort and inconvenience, this is not usually a sign of something wrong and isn’t harmful to your health. However, bleeding between periods is usually a temporary side effect, and typically gets better in the first few months as your body gets used to the pill. So if it doesn’t stop after a couple of months, or is very heavy or worrying, you should see your doctor straight away to rule out any other causes. For more information, you can read our doctors’ advice on how the pill can affect your bleeding.

I didn’t get my period while taking the pill. Am I pregnant?

The pill is over 99% effective, so if you are taking it correctly then you are very unlikely to get pregnant. If you miss your period, it does not necessarily mean that you are pregnant. Some pills, especially the mini pill, can cause you to delay or skip your period, or stop having them at all. Read our doctors’ advice on how to tell if you are pregnant on the pill, and what you can do about it.

Can I switch to a different pill?

There are lots of different contraceptive pills, so if you find that the pill that you are on isn’t right for you, then there are plenty of other options to choose from. However, before switching to a different pill, you should talk with a doctor about which pill to switch to, and how to switch pills safely. For more information, read our doctors’ advice on how to switch contraceptive pills.

Does the pill cause weight gain?

While some women report they gained weight whilst taking the pill, there is no clinical evidence that pill causes weight gain. However, oestrogen can cause you to retain more water, progesterone can increase your appetite, both of which can lead to weight gain. For more information, read what our doctors have to say about weight gain and the pill.

How long will it take to get pregnant after taking the pill?

Taking the contraceptive pill has no long term impact on your fertility, so your fertility levels should return to normal shortly after stopping the pill. It is possible to get pregnant as soon as you stop taking the pill, though some women may find it takes a few months for their periods to return to normal.

How do birth control pills work?

While there are many different types of pill, they all work to prevent pregnancy in the same way. The hormones in the contraceptive pill prevent pregnancy by stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation), increasing the thickness of the fluid around the neck of the womb to prevent sperm from reaching an egg, and making the lining of the womb thinner to make it harder for any fertilised eggs to implant. Read for more information on how the pill works.

How effective is the pill?

All contraceptive pills are equally effective, and are more than 99% effective in protecting you against pregnancy. However, things like missing a pill, and vomiting or having diarrhoea shortly after taking it can make it less effective. Taking this into account, the pill is about 91% effective in practice.

What should I do if I miss a pill?

If you miss a pill, the first thing you should do is take it as soon as you remember and take your next pill as normal, even if it means taking two pills at the same time. Depending on the type of pill you are taking (combined or mini pill), or where in your cycle you missed a pill, you may not be protected from pregnancy any more and would need to use additional contraception. Read our doctors’ guide on what to do if you miss a pill.

Can I take antibiotics on the pill?

Most antibiotics don’t interact with the pill, and won’t make it less effective. However, there are a few less common antibiotics that do, so you should always tell your doctor that you are taking the pill if they prescribe you antibiotics. In addition, some antibiotics can have an indirect impact on the effectiveness of the pill, such as causing vomiting or diarrhoea. If you are taking antibiotics regularly, or are planning on taking them, then speak to your doctor first to make sure they do not interact. For more information, read our doctors’ guidance if you should take the pill and antibiotics.

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Reviewed by: Dr Simran Deo in line with the Superdrug Online Editorial Process.

GMC no. 6141366

Dr Deo studied at St George’s, University of London and she has a special interest in dermatology.

Last reviewed on: 03/03/21