How is Cerazette taken?

Unlike combined pills, which are taken for 3 weeks followed by a 7 day break, there is no pill-free period with Cerazette. You need to take Cerazette every day for it to work.

It is best to take the pill at the same time everyday. Set up a daily routine and don’t delay taking your pill so that it is effective. That said, unlike most minipills, Cerazette works if you take it within 12 hours of your normal time.

The individual pills on each Cerazette packet are labelled with the days of a week to help you keep track. When you begin using Cerazette, make sure you begin with the tablet for the correct day of the week and follow the arrows along the side when it’s time for the next dose.

How does it work?

While most progesterone-only pills stop sperm from entering the womb, Cerazette also stops your body ovulating (releasing eggs). It works like a combined pill, even though it does not contain any oestrogen. Cerazette is therefore suitable for women who cannot take oestrogen, as well as women who are breastfeeding. It is also often recommended to women who smoke, are obese or who have an increased risk of thrombosis (blood clots) for other reasons.

What if I forget a pill?

As long as you remember to take Cerazette within 12 hours of the time it was due, you are protected against pregnancy. Take the pill as soon as you remember and continue treatment at your usual time. If you miss a dose entirely and you remember more than 12 hours later, your pill might not work. In this case, you must take the missed dose immediately and the next pill at the time you normally would - even if this involves taking two Cerazette pills in one day. Then use an additional contraceptive, such as a condom, for seven days afterwards whilst you wait for the pill to build back up in your system.

If you vomit within 3 to 4 hours of taking the pill, it may not have been absorbed properly. If this happens, you need to take another pill to ensure you are protected from pregnancy.

Will I experience period bleeding with Cerazette?

This varies between women. Some women say that they do not bleed at all while using the minipill, whereas others complain of ongoing spotting and bleeding. For some women, Cerazette can cause bleeding throughout the month. This does not mean that the pill is not working.

Is there a risk of weight gain?

Like most oral contraceptives, Cerazette can cause slight weight gain in some women. This side effect affects one in ten users.

What’s in a Cerazette pill?

Each Cerazette pill contains 75 micrograms of progestogen desogestrel (this is the active part of the medicine).Other ingredients include all-rac-α-tocopherol, maize starch, colloidal anhydrous silica, povidone, stearic acid, macrogol 400, hypromellose, talc, lactose monohydrate and titanium dioxide (E171).