Microlite is a commonly prescribed contraceptive pill. It is a combined pill, which means that it contains two hormones. The hormones in Microlite are ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel, which are synthetic versions of sex hormones which naturally occur in the body. Microlite is considered a ‘low-dose’ contraceptive pill because it contains a smaller amount of hormones in each pill compared to some other combined pills.

Like all contraceptive pills, Microlite is highly effective when taken correctly.

Microlite is usually prescribed to women who are sexually active as a way to prevent pregnancy. As a low-dosage pill, Microlite is a common choice of pill for women that want to avoid some of the side effects of pills with higher hormone dosages. Despite the lower dosage, low-dosage pills work just as well as the high-dosage ones.

There are a few cases where you shouldn’t take Microlite if you:

• are, or think you might be, pregnant
• are allergic (hypersensitive) to any of the listed ingredients
• have had deep vein thrombosis (blood clot of your leg) or pulmonary embolus (blood clot of the lung)
• have had a stroke or heart attack, or any disease that could indicate a future heart attack (e.g. angina pectoris) or stroke (e.g. a 'slight stroke')
• have damaged blood vessels due to diabetes
• have had migraines with focal neurological symptoms
• have had a liver tumour or any severe liver disease
• have kidney problems
• have genital or breast cancer
• have unexplained vaginal bleeding
• have not started to have your monthly period (i.e. children and adolescents) or no longer have monthly periods following the menopause.

There are some known interactions with other drugs, such as unexpected bleeding or contraceptive failure, so you should let us know during your consultation if you are taking any other medications.

Each box contains 21 pills. Each tablet is marked with the weekday when the tablet should be taken. For example, if you begin to take the pill on a Monday, you should take the tablet that’s marked “MON”.

You should take one every day at roughly the same hour. Once you have finished the 21 tablets, you will not take any more of them during the following 7 days. You should get your period during this time.

You should start the next blister pack on the 8th day after your last pill was taken, regardless if your period continues or not.

Microlite is a monophasic pill. This means that every pill has the same amount of hormones.

When taken correctly, the pill is over 99% effective. But if you miss a day or think you’ve made a mistake, we advise you to use other forms of contraceptive (e.g condoms), for additional security.

You can take Microlite within a period of 12 hours after the time when you normally take it without losing protection.

If you are more than 12 hours late to take it, the effectiveness of the pill may be reduced.

You can drink while on the pill, but it’s important not to forget to take it. Remember the 12-hour rule with Microlite.

It’s also important that you do not throw up until at least 3 hours have passed since you’ve taken the pill. So drinking responsibly is an important factor if you’re drinking while on the pill.

Microlite is a very popular pill in Ireland. It has the same active ingredients as Microgynon, Levest, Ovranette, Rigevidon, which are other very popular pills used by many women, worldwide, but at lower doses.

Side effects are rare and those who do get them usually complain about mild headaches or mood swings