Lizinna is a combined oral contraceptive pill taken daily to prevent pregnancy, but it can also be used to treat heavy or painful periods.

Lizinna contains synthetic versions of the female hormones oestrogen (35 micrograms (mcg) of ethinylestradiol) and progesterone (250mcg of norgestimate).

Is Lizinna the same as Cilest?

Yes, Lizinna is an equivalent contraceptive pill to Cilest, so if you have used Cilest then Lizinna should work in the exact same way. Lizinna contains the same active ingredients as Cilest (35mcg of ethinylestradiol 250mcg of norgestimate).

Cilest has been discontinued by its manufacturer, and our doctors recommend Lizinna as an alternative.

You currently need a prescription to buy Lizinna, but you can get a prescription and buy it online from a registered online doctor, such as Superdrug Online Doctor, even if you haven’t had a prescription for it before.

Can I buy Lizinna online?

Yes, you can get Lizinna online from Superdrug Online Doctor, but you will need to:

1. Complete the short online questionnaire.
2. One of our doctors will review your answers and make sure it's safe for you to take Lizinna.
3. Once your prescription is confirmed, you can buy Lizinna.
4. You can either collect it from a Superdrug store of your choice or have it sent to your home in a discreet unmarked package.

To check if a site is licensed to sell medication, use the Government’s online checker.

Can you get Lizinna over the counter?

No. Lizinna is a prescription-only medication, which means you need a prescription from a doctor before you can get it from a pharmacy.

Can you get Lizinna on the NHS?

Whether or not you can get Lizinna on the NHS depends on the local guidelines in your area. Talk to your GP or to your local NHS sexual health clinic to find out more.

Yes. If you have been prescribed Lizinna, then it is safe for you to take it. All medications can have potential side effects, but your doctor will advise you about these. You should also read about potential side effects in the patient information leaflet.

Lizinna is a commonly prescribed contraceptive pill in the UK, which many women take. It has the largely the same potential health risks as other combined oral contraceptive pills, but a slightly lower risk of causing venous thromboembolism (blood clots) than pills that contain etonogestrel, norelgestromin, drospirenone, gestodene or desogestrel.

By releasing and regulating the artificial hormones ethinylestradiol and norgestimate, Lizinna:

1. Stops ovulation, so you do not release an egg each month.
2. Increases the thickness of the fluid around the neck of the womb, so it is harder for sperm to reach an egg.
3. Reduces the lining of the womb, so it is harder for a fertilised egg to implant.

How long does Lizinna take to work?

If you start taking Lizinna on days 1 to 5 of your period, you will have immediate protection from pregnancy.

If you start taking Lizinna at any other point in your menstrual cycle, you will need to use additional protection for 7 days.

If you are switching to Lizinna from a progesterone-only pill (mini pill), then you are still not protected from pregnancy in the first week of taking it. You should use additional protection for 7 days, regardless of where you are in your cycle.

Unless you are changing from a mini pill that contains desogestrel or you take a mini pill that contains drospirenone and are on day 8 to 24 of your active pills, in which case you can switch to Lizinna without needing condoms, provided you’ve been taking your minipill as instructed.

How effective is Lizinna?

Lizinna is over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy when taken correctly. In reality, this figure is closer to 91% because people miss taking their pill and because other medications or having sickness or diarrhoea can impact how well your body absorbs the hormones.

It’s important to remember that no contraceptive pill protects you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), so if you want to protect yourself from STIs and pregnancy, you will also need to use a condom when you have sex.

Lizinna comes in strips of 21 tablets. Each tablet is marked with a day of the week:

1. Days 1 to 21 – Take 1 pill each day, at the same time every day, with water.
2. Days 22 to 28 – This is your pill-free break. Do not take any pills for the next 7 days, you should get a withdrawal bleed, similar to a period, during this time.
3. Day 29 – Start a new strip of pills.

As long as you have taken Lizinna correctly all month, you are protected from pregnancy, even during the 7-day break.

When will I be protected after starting Lizinna?

You can start taking Lizinna at any time in your menstrual cycle but, depending on when you take it, you may not be protected from pregnancy straight away.

• If you start taking Lizinna on day 1 to 5 of your period, it starts working immediately, so you won’t need to use other contraceptives like condoms to protect from pregnancy.
• If you start taking it at any other point, you will need to use additional protection for the next 7 days.

Can I take Lizinna without a break?

Yes, you can take Lizinna every day without the 7-day break, and some women find this helps reduce some of the symptoms associated with having a period. Talk to your doctor if you’re considering taking this approach.

What happens if you miss a Lizinna pill?

What you need to do when you miss a pill depends on how many you have missed.

I have missed one pill

If you have missed one pill or start your new strip a day late:

• take the missed pill, even if this means taking two pills at once
• continue taking the strip as usual
• you will be protected from pregnancy, provided you took your pill as instructed prior to missing this pill

If your strip ends within 6 days of you missing a pill, then do not take the 7-day break but start your new strip immediately.

If you are sick within 3 to 4 hours of taking your pill or have diarrhoea, your body may not have fully absorbed the hormones. You should treat this as though you have missed a pill. If you continue to be sick or have diarrhoea, you should consult a pharmacist or nurse to get advice.

I have missed more than one pill

If you have missed two or more pills, or if you start the next strip more than a day late:

1. You would need emergency contraception if this is the first week after your pill free week.
2. If this is the 2nd or 3rd week after your pill free week, then you only need to take emergency contraception if you’d already missed another pill in the week before or if you’re not going to be able to continue taking your pill. Otherwise you would still be protected from pregnancy for the time that you’ve had sex without a condom.
3. You should take the most recent missed pill as soon as you can, and then continue your pack but make sure you use condoms or avoid sex until you’ve taken the pill for 7 days. If you have less than 7 pills in your pack before you’re supposed to take your break then you should skip the break and start a new pack.You should use additional contraception for the next 7 days as you may not be protected from pregnancy.
4. If you have had unprotected sex since you missed your pill, you will need to use emergency contraception.

If you miss 8 or more pills:

You would need emergency contraception if you’ve had sex without a condom and you should start a new pill pack, during this time you should use condoms for 7 days.

Can I take Lizinna to delay my period?

Yes, Lizinna is a monophasic pill, which means that if you skip your 7-day break and start your next strip immediately, you will not have a withdrawal bleed. As Lizinna works by preventing ovulation, any bleeding you have on this pill is not a true period, if taking the pill as instructed.

Can I use Lizinna as emergency contraception?

No, Lizinna is not an emergency contraceptive. Lizinna prevents an egg from being fertilised in the first place, whereas emergency oral contraception works to stop a pregnancy from developing after unprotected sex (and potentially fertilisation of an egg) has occurred.

If you have had unprotected sex before you have taken Lizinna, or have missed a pill, then you will need to use an emergency contraceptive such as ellaOne or Levonelle or contact your GP or sexual health service to check if you are suitable for an emergency copper coil.

Can I take Lizinna after a miscarriage or termination?

Yes, you can start taking Lizinna immediately after an early miscarriage or termination. Make sure you discuss options with your doctor beforehand and follow their advice.

Can I take Lizinna if I am breastfeeding?

Yes, you can take Lizinna while you are breastfeeding as long as you gave birth more than 6 weeks ago. There’s some evidence that combined contraceptives may interfere with the quality and quantity of breastmilk, so speak with your midwife, health visitor or GP first if you’ve had any difficulties with breastfeeding or any issues have been highlighted with your baby’s growth. Lizinna wouldn’t be expected to pose a problem in established breastfeeding.

Can I drink while taking Lizinna?

Yes, Lizinna does not interact with alcohol. This means that Lizinna will still be effective as birth control after drinking. However, some side effects could be worsened by excess alcohol, so we’d always recommend drinking within recommended limits.

Can I take painkillers when taking Lizinna?

Yes, Lizinna does not interact with over the counter painkillers. This means that Lizinna will still be effective as birth control, and you shouldn’t experience any specific side effects when taking Lizinna and painkillers.

The hormonal changes in your body from taking Lizinna can lead to side effects in some women, especially in the first 3 months of taking it. If these side effects are serious, if they impact your life or don’t go away after 3 months, you should talk to your GP or message a doctor through your patient account on Superdrug Online Doctor. They may recommend that you stop taking Lizinna and try another type of contraceptive pill.

Very common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 patients) are:

• headache
• feeling sick, being sick, or having diarrhoea
• bleeding and spotting between periods or painful periods
• heavy or unusual withdrawal bleeds

Common side effects (may affect more than 1 in 100 patients) include:

• migraine (contact a doctor urgently if migraines start whilst using Lizinna or you have migraines with aura symptoms)
• swollen hands, ankles, or feet (contact a doctor urgently if this occurs only on one side)
• low mood and mood changes
• difficulty sleeping
• feeling nervous or dizzy and weak
• being sick or having diarrhoea or constipation
• rash or hives
• muscles spasms
• painful breasts
• vaginal infections or discharge

Uncommon side effects (may affect fewer than 1 in 100 patients) include:

• larger breasts or fluid produced from nipples
• vaginal dryness
• abnormal cells in the cervix (identified by a smear test)
• feeling nervous or weak
• heart palpitations
• changes in skin colour or rashes/itchiness
• changes in appetite and weight loss or gain
• unusual hair growth or thinning
• hot flushes or muscle pain
• changes to sex drive
• dry eyes or changes in vision
• ovarian cysts

Rare side effects (may affect fewer than 1 in 1000 people) include:

• reduced sex drive
• faster heartbeat
• pancreatitis
• increased sweating
• light sensitivity

Though listed by the manufacturer as a potential side effect, more recent studies have found there is no evidence linking combined pills with weight gain.

Always read the information leaflet before taking any new medication and speak to your prescriber if you develop any of the following side effects, contact a doctor urgently as these can be symptoms of a potentially serious underlying cause:

• leg swelling
• leg redness
• leg pain
• shortness of breath
• coughing up blood
• new migraines or severe headaches
• new visual changes
• yellowing of your skin or eyes
• severe stomach pain
• persistent or abnormal breast changes
• unexpected vaginal bleeding

The following questions are frequently discussed by women taking the combined pill:

Does Lizinna increase your risk of blood clots?

Lizinna can increase your risk of developing a blood clot compared with not using one. However, the risk is low (between 5 to 7 out of 10,000 women in a year), and it decreases after your first year of taking it for the first time and returns to normal within a few weeks of stopping taking Lizinna.

You should always discuss your situation and familial medical history with the GP as part of the prescription process to ensure that taking Lizinna is suitable for you.

Signs of a blood clot include, but are not limited to:

• sharp chest pain
• unexplained swelling or tenderness in one or both legs
• sudden loss of vision
• coughing up blood
• shortness of breath

The patient information leaflet lists how to identify a potential blood clot. If you develop the symptoms of a blood clot, you should stop taking Lizinna and contact your doctor immediately.

Does Lizinna make your breasts grow?

Lizinna changes the hormones in your body, which can, in some cases, have a temporary impact on the size of your breasts. However, if you notice any changes to your breasts, we’d always recommend speaking with your doctor as it’s important to check for other, potentially more serious causes.

Does Lizinna help acne?

The combination of hormones in the combined oral contraceptive pill has been found to help acne by reducing sebum production. This oily substance is secreted onto your skin and can cause outbreaks. However, some people can find that combined contraceptives can make their acne worse in some cases.

Can Lizinna make you depressed or cause mood swings?

Changes in mood and low mood are often linked with taking an oral contraceptive pill. This will often improve within a few months, but speak to your GP if symptoms are persistent or severe.

Can Lizinna cause changes to your weight?

Women often report that the contraceptive pill has impacted their weight, but there is no scientific evidence to support this.

Does Lizinna stop periods?

Yes, Lizinna works by preventing ovulation, meaning any bleeding you have during the 7-day break is a “withdrawal bleed” rather than a true period, provided you’ve been taking the pill as instructed.

Can Lizinna help with painful and heavy periods?

Yes, Lizinna regulates the hormones in your body, which can help with painful and heavy periods. Speak to your GP before taking Lizinna if any changes to your periods have started only recently.

Can Lizinna give you low libido?

The oestrogen in Lizinna regulates the testosterone in your body and can, for some women, reduce spikes that previously generated periods of having a high sex drive. If you are worried that taking Lizinna has impacted your sex drive speak to your GP, who may suggest alternatives for you.

Lizinna is suitable for most women, but the combination of oestrogen and progesterone does mean that it is not suitable for women with certain medical or health conditions. You must discuss your situation with a doctor before you start taking Lizinna. They may suggest that the progesterone-only or mini pill, or a non-hormonal contraception, is more appropriate for you. It is also important to tell the doctor your height and weight.

It is essential to tell the prescribing GP if you:

• smoke, or you stopped smoking less than a year ago
• suspect you might be pregnant
• are breastfeeding
• are having an operation, which means you will be off your feet for an extended period
• take any medications
• have or have had blood clots in a vein in your legs, lungs or other organs
• have a familial history of blood clots under the age of 45
• have high blood pressure
• have or have had a stroke
• have or have had a heart abnormality
• have or have had migraines
• have or have had breast cancer
• have or have had a disease of the gallbladder or liver
• have or have had diabetes or any other medical conditions

Can I take Lizana if I am taking other medicines?

If you are taking other medicines or herbal products, you should tell the doctor prescribing Lizinna. Likewise, if you take Lizinna and are being prescribed another drug, you should tell the doctor that you take Lizinna. This is because some medicines interact with Lizinna and make it less effective.

Medications for the treatment of the following conditions may stop Lizinna from working correctly:

• obesity
• epilepsy
• high blood pressure
• tuberculosis
• HIV infection
• hepatitis C virus infection
• other infectious diseases
• depressed mood
• certain sedatives
• nausea caused by cancer treatment

Can weight loss injections affect Lizinna?

Yes, weight loss injections can impact the effectiveness of combined oral contraceptive pills, like Lizinna. Weight loss injections like Mounjaro slow down stomach emptying, which can reduce the absorption of oral contraceptives, making them less effective and increasing the chance of pregnancy.

If you are using Mounjaro, tell your doctor because they may recommend a non-oral method of contraception, or you will need to use condoms for 4 weeks after starting or increasing your Mounjaro dose. If you are sick or have diarrhoea, you will need to follow the missed pill guidance in the Lizinna patient information leaflet.

Although Wegovy does not appear to reduce the effectiveness of the pill, its side effects, such as being sick (vomiting) or diarrhoea, can reduce how well it is absorbed. If you are using Wegovy and you get these side effects while taking Lizinna, you will need to follow the guidance on “What to do if I miss a pill”. You should also use additional protection, such as condoms.

What are the risks of taking Lizinna?

Lizinna is generally safe to take for many women, but there are risks to consider as with all combined oral contraceptive pills. In both cases, the risk is small, but some conditions can make your risk higher. It is essential to discuss your medical history with the doctor prescribing you an oral contraceptive pill.

• Blood clots: the oestrogen in Lizinna can cause your blood to clot more easily, and blood clots can lead to deep vein thrombosis (clot in your leg), pulmonary embolism (clot in your lung), stroke and heart attack. The risk is low (between 5 to 7 out of 10,000 women in one year), but it is higher when compared to women who are not taking any oral contraceptive (2 out of 10,000 women). The risk decreases after your first year of taking Lizinna for the first time and returns to normal within a few weeks of stopping taking it. Your risk also increases if you are overweight or older, have a family history of blood clots, have given birth recently, or are going to be off your feet for a long time.
• Cancer: research has shown that the combined contraceptive pill can slightly increase the risk of developing breast and cervical cancer. However, 10 years after you stop taking the pill, your risk goes back to normal.

On Trustpilot, customers give the experience of using Superdrug Online Doctor an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, with over 16,000 people leaving a review.

On The Low Down, users of Lizinna rate it 2 stars out of 5. You can see how people view their moods, weight gain and sex drive while taking Lizinna.