Lucette is a combined oral contraceptive pill, taken daily to prevent pregnancy and treat heavy periods. It contains artificial versions of the hormones oestrogen (30mcg of ethinylestradiol) and progesterone (3mg of drospirenone).

Is Lucette the same as Yasmin?

Yes, Lucette and Yasmin contain the same ingredients in identical amounts and work in the same way. The only difference is that they are made by different companies and have different names.

You need a prescription before you can buy Lucette. You can buy Lucette online using our confidential service from Superdrug Online Doctor, using the following steps. The service can be used even if you have never taken Lucette before.

1. Fill out the short online questionnaire.
2. One of our doctors will review your answers and make sure that it is safe to prescribe you Lucette.
3. If our doctors think it’s safe and appropriate for you to be prescribed this medication, it will be delivered to an address of your choice in a discreet package or become available to collect from a Superdrug store.

If you are buying medication online, use the Government’s online checker to be sure you are using a licensed site.

Can you get Lucette over the counter?

No. Lucette is a prescription only medication, which means you cannot buy it over the counter.

Can you get Lucette on the NHS?

Local guidelines vary, which means you may or may not be able to get Lucette for free on the NHS. Talk to your GP or local sexual health clinic to find out more.

Lucette works by using lab made hormones ethinylestradiol and drospirenone. These prevent pregnancy by:

• stopping ovulation so you do not release an egg every month
• increasing the thickness of the fluid around the neck of the womb, making it harder for the sperm to reach an egg
• reducing the lining of the womb, making it more difficult for a fertilised egg to implant itself

Note that taking the combined oral contraceptive pill does not protect you from STIs (sexually transmitted infections). You should use a condom in addition to the pill, if you want to be protected from STIs.

How long does Lucette take to work?

How long Lucette takes to work depends on where you are in your menstrual cycle. If you start taking it on days 1 to 5 of your period, you will be protected against pregnancy straight away. If you start taking it at any other point in your cycle, you need to use extra contraception for 7 days.

How effective is Lucette?

Lucette is over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy when taken correctly but 91% effective in reality. This is because other factors may affect its effectiveness, like missing a pill, taking other medications that make Lucette less effective, or becoming ill with vomiting (being sick) or diarrhoea (which affects the absorption of the hormones).

Lucette comes in strips of 21 tablets. Each tablet is marked with the day of the week it should be taken on. Lucette is a monophasic pill which means that each pill contains the same amount of hormones.

• Start with the tablet for the appropriate day from the top part of the strip.
• Swallow one tablet whole with water at the same time every day.
• At the end of the 21 tablets, take a 7-day break.
• Start a new strip at the end of your break, on the same day every time.
• During your break, you will get a ‘withdrawal bleed’, similar to your period.
• You are protected from pregnancy through the month (including the 7-day break), if you take all the pills as instructed.

When should I start taking Lucette?

You can start taking Lucette at any time in your menstrual cycle, but you will need to use extra contraception for the next 7 days unless you are on day 1 to 5 of your period. If it is day 1 to 5 of your period, you will be protected from pregnancy straight away.

Can I take Lucette without a break?

It is possible to take Lucette without a break and this approach can help some women with heavy or painful periods. You should talk to your GP about this option before you start taking Lucette without a break.

What happens if you miss a Lucette pill?

If you miss one Lucette pill, or start your new strip a day late:

• Take the pill you have missed as soon as possible. You should take the missed pill even if it means taking 2 pills at once.
• You should still be protected from pregnancy, so you won’t need to use extra protection or emergency contraception.
• You should continue taking the rest of the strip as normal.

If it has been longer than 2 days since your missed pill or you have missed more than one pill:

• Take the most recently missed pill as soon as you remember.
• Leave any earlier missed pills in the strip.
• Take your next pill as usual even if this means taking 2 pills in 1 day.
• You may not be protected from pregnancy and should use extra precautions such as condoms for the next 7 days.
• If you have had unprotected sex since you missed your pills, you’ll need to use emergency contraception.

If you are sick (vomit) or have diarrhoea within 3 to 4 hours of taking your Lucette, your body may not have fully absorbed the hormones. If your sickness continues, talk to a health professional to get advice but use extra protection to ensure you are protected from pregnancy.

If you have missed more than 2 pills take the pill as usual once you remember, but use extra protection for the next 7 days. If you’ve had unprotected sex since you missed your pill, you’ll need to talk to your doctor straight away about emergency contraception.

If you have to take emergency contraception while on Lucette, check with the health professional about when you should take your pill and when you will be protected from pregnancy.

Can I take Lucette to delay my period?

Yes, you can delay your period by taking Lucette back to back without the 7 day break. You should talk to your doctor before you do this.

Can I use Lucette as an emergency contraceptive?

No, Lucette is a contraceptive pill that prevents pregnancy, whereas emergency contraception is used when there is a chance you may become pregnant through having unprotected sex.

Can I take Lucette after a miscarriage or termination?

It is possible to start taking the Lucette after a miscarriage or termination. You may need to wait a number of days before starting Lucette, depending on how many weeks pregnant you were before miscarriage or termination. Discuss options with your doctor first.

Can I take Lucette if I am breastfeeding?

Lucette is not ideal for breastfeeding mothers due to the oestrogen it contains. Tell your doctor that you are breastfeeding and would like advice on which is the best pill to take, or which contraceptive method might be best.

Can I drink while taking Lucette?

Drinking alcohol does not affect how Lucette works or how effective it is.

Can I take painkillers when taking Lucette?

Yes, it does not interact with painkillers.

You should know that all pills have possible side effects, but if you have been prescribed Lucette then your doctor considers it safe for you to take. Lucette is a commonly prescribed contraceptive pill and is similarly safe to take as other combined contraceptive pills.

As with any medication, some women do have side effects, despite this not being common. These are more common in the first 3 months as your body adapts to the hormonal changes and should go away or become more manageable after this time. If they do not go away or are too much to deal with from the start, talk to your doctor. You can do this using your Patient Account on Superdrug Online Doctor.

In very rare cases, a side effect of taking Lucette is that you can develop a blood clot. The signs of a blood clot include unexplained swelling or tenderness in one or both legs, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, immediate loss of vision and stabbing chest pain. If you develop any of these symptoms you should seek urgent medical help and stop taking Lucette straight away. The Patient Information Leaflet has more information on how to recognise a blood clot.

Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• Depressive mood
• Headache
• Nausea
• Breast tenderness

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• Change in libido
• High blood pressure
• Being sick or having diarrhoea
• Acne, rash or hives
• Vaginal infection
• Fluid retention

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1000 people):

• Harmful blood clots
• Breast secretion
• Hearing impairment
• Allergic reaction
• Skin conditions known erythema nodosum or erythema multiforme

Does Lucette make your breasts grow?

Some women report that taking the combined pill makes their breasts grow due to hormonal changes. This usually settles down after 3 months.

Does Lucette increase your risk of blood clots?

The risk of developing a blood clot when you are taking Lucette is 9 to 12 out of 10,000 women, compared to 2 in 10,000 if you are not taking a combined oral contraceptive pill. The risk is low overall, but some factors can increase it. This includes family history, weight, age, whether you plan to spend a long time on a plane and whether you have just given birth. The risk is also higher in the first year that you start taking Lucette and returns to normal within a few weeks of when you stop taking it.

Does Lucette help acne?

The hormonal changes introduced by taking the combined pill can reduce your body’s production of sebum, which is an oily substance that can cause acne.

Can taking Lucette cause mood swings or make you depressed?

Some women report changes in mood or increased low mood when taking the combined pill but the research on this is inconclusive. If you feel this is the case for you, talk to your doctor about changing pills.

Can Lucette cause changes to your weight?

Some women report gaining weight when they take Lucette but there is no scientific evidence to prove a cause.

Does Lucette stop periods?

No. When you take Lucette you still get periods because you have a 7 day break during which you have a withdrawal bleed similar to your normal period.

Can Lucette give you low libido?

Some women report that taking the combined pill impacts their sex drive. If you are worried that this has happened to you, talk to your GP, who may suggest trying a contraceptive pill with different hormones.

There are specific medical conditions where women are advised not to take a contraceptive pill that contains oestrogen. In this case, the GP may recommend that you try the progesterone-only mini pill instead of Lucette, or a different type of contraception.

It is essential to tell the prescribing GP if you:

• smoke or stopped smoking less than a year ago
• need an operation which means you will be off your feet for an extended period of time
• are overweight as this can increase the risk of some serious side effects
• suspect you might be pregnant
• breastfeeding
• have high blood pressure
• have or have had blood clots on a vein (eg, your leg) or lungs or other organs
• have a familial history of blood clots under the age of 45
• have or have had a heart attack, stroke or heart abnormality
• have or have had migraines
• have or have had breast cancer or cancer of the ovary or womb lining
• have or have had a disease of the gallbladder or liver
• have or have had diabetes
• are allergic to any of the ingredients

Can I take Lucette if I am taking other medicines?

If you are taking other medicines or herbal supplements, you should tell the doctor prescribing you the contraceptive pill. Likewise, if you are already taking Lucette and a doctor prescribes you another medication you should tell them you are using Lucette. This is because some medicines interact with the combined pill and make it less effective at preventing pregnancy.

Some medications for the treatment of the following conditions are known to interact with the combined pill:

• Epilepsy
• Tuberculosis
• HIV infection
• Hepatitis C virus infection
• Other infectious diseases
• High blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs
• Depressive mood

What are the risks of taking Lucette?

Lucette is safe to take as long as you have been prescribed it by a doctor who understands your medical history and conditions.

However, with the combined oral contraceptive pill, your risk of developing blood clots and certain types of cancer is slightly increased than if you are not taking the pill. Certain medical conditions can increase your risk in these instances, so it’s important to discuss your medical history with your doctor.

• Blood clots: the oestrogen in Lucette 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 9 to 12 out of 10,000 women per 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 Lucette for the first time and returns to normal within a few weeks of stopping taking it.
• Cancer: research has shown that the combined 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. Your breast cancer risk is slightly higher if there is a history of breast cancer in your family, or you are overweight.

On Trustpilot, over 16,000 people have reviewed Superdrug Online Doctor. They give the service an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. On The Low Down, users of Lucette rate it 3 stars out of 5. You can see how people view their moods, weight gain and sex drive while taking it. On Drugs.com you can see how users rate birth control pills which are a combination of drospirenone and ethinylestradiol. The average rating was 5.3 out of 10.