Cerazette Mini Pill

Cerazette is a progestogen-only pill, also known as the mini pill. Each Cerazette pill contains 75 micrograms of desogestrel, a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone.

It does not contain oestrogen, which makes Cerazette an ideal option if you get oestrogen-related side effects from contraceptives like the combined pill, which does contain oestrogen.

Cerazette can be a good choice for people who:

• are over the age of 35 and who smoke
• have high blood pressure
• have had previous blood clots
• have suffered from migraines with aura
• have certain heart conditions
• are overweight

Cerazette contains a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone, which works to prevent pregnancy in 2 ways:

• it stops ovulation, so there is no egg for the sperm to fertilise
• it prevents sperm from reaching the womb by thickening the mucus at the entrance to your womb

Cerazette is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when taken correctly.

However, in typical daily use, the mini pill is estimated to be 91% effective, as people forget to take it at the right time, may miss a pill entirely, or may have vomiting or diarrhoea after taking it (which means it won’t have had time to absorb properly).

Cerazette usually starts working quickly after taking it, but the exact timing will depend on factors such as when in your cycle you started taking the pill, and if you were already taking other forms of contraception before starting Ceraztte.

If you’re not using hormonal contraception (or haven’t in the last month):

• If you can, take Cerazette on the first day of your period and then continue taking it every day. It’ll work straight away and you don’t need to use additional protection to prevent pregnancy.
• If you start taking it on days 2 to 5 of your period, it’ll take 7 days to work. During this time, use a condom or additional form of barrier protection to prevent pregnancy. After 7 days of pill taking, you’ll be protected for as long as you continue taking Cerazette.

If you’re taking a different mini pill:

• Switch on any day and you’ll be protected straight away. After the last day of your other mini pill, take Cerazette the next day without missing a day of taking a pill, then continue taking it every day. Additional protection isn’t required to prevent pregnancy.

For further information on taking Cerazette if you've changed from different hormonal contraceptives please refer to the patient information leaflet or ask your doctor for help.

You can buy Cerazette online from any registered online doctor service, like ZAVA. Make sure the service you are using is regulated and approved by the Quality Care Commission. Online doctor services allow doctors to approve treatments like Cerazette using online assessments, which means you don’t have to make a face-to-face appointment to order your contraceptive pill.

Can you get Cerazette over the counter?

No, you cannot get Cerazette over the counter without a prescription. Cerazette is a prescription-only medication, so you need to have been assessed by a doctor first to make sure it is safe for you to take it.

Can you get Cerazette on the NHS?

Yes, you can get Cerazette on the NHS from most UK practices. You will need to make an appointment with your GP, and you may need to go in for an appointment and have a health check-up when you need to refill your prescription.

You should take 1 Cerazette pill at around the same time each day. Swallow it whole with water. Don’t chew, cut or crush it.

To make it easier to remember to take your pill, take Cerazette in the order shown on the back of each pack. Follow the days of the week in order. You could also use a pill reminder box if you’re worried about forgetting.

Once you finish your Cerazette strip, start a new one the next day without a pill-free break.

What should I do if I miss a pill?

What you should do if you miss a pill depends on how late you remember to take it:

• If you miss a pill and are less than 12 hours late, take it as soon as you remember and take the next pill at your usual time.
• If you’re more than 12 hours late, take the next pill at your usual time. Use extra contraception, like condoms, for the next 7 days.

If you have unprotected sex and forget to take your pill for over 12 hours, speak to a doctor or pharmacist about getting emergency contraception as you may become pregnant.

For more information, see our page on forgetting the pill.

What should I do if I'm too late to take a pill?

If you are too late to take your Cerazette pill, take it as soon as you remember and use additional barrier contraception for the next 7 days, like condoms. The longer it is since you took your pill, the higher the risk of getting pregnant. If you have had unprotected sex, talk to a doctor or pharmacist about emergency contraception.

What should I do if I vomit after taking the pill?

If you vomit or have diarrhoea within 4 hours of taking your pill, take another pill as soon as possible within the 12-hour window and then take your pill as usual.

When you are sick or have diarrhoea soon after taking your pill, your system may not have absorbed it properly. If you keep being sick or having diarrhoea, keep using condoms for 7 days after your symptoms improve to stay protected.

What should I do to stop taking Cerazette?

You can stop taking Cerazette whenever you like. You will not be protected from pregnancy as soon as you stop taking it, though. Therefore it’s best to talk to a doctor before stopping Cerazette. They can give you advice about stopping and alternative types of contraceptive methods if you still want to prevent pregnancy.

You may experience some side effects when you start taking Cerazette.

Common Cerazette side effects include:

• headaches
• nausea
• acne
• weight changes
• mood changes
• lower sex drive
• breast pain
• irregular or no periods

Uncommon Cerazette side effects include:

• tiredness
• vomiting
• problems wearing contact lenses
• vaginal infections, such as thrush
• painful periods
• ovarian cysts

Speak to your doctor about changing birth control methods if you get any side effects affecting your daily life. You can learn more about the possible side effects of Cerazette in the patient information leaflet.

Cerazette contraceptive pills are suitable for most women to take. But, you should not take Cerazette if you have:

• any allergies to desogestrel, lactose or any other ingredients in Cerazette
• liver disease
• a high chance of thrombosis (blood clots)
• breast cancer
• unexplained vaginal bleeding

Can I take Cerazette while pregnant or breastfeeding?

You cannot take Cerazette if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant but it is safe to take Cerazette while you are breastfeeding.

Small amounts of the pill can enter the breast milk, but studies have found that these do not impact the baby. Talk to your doctor if you want to take Cerazette while breastfeeding.

Cerazette can interact with other medications and affect how well they work. Also, other medications can change Cerazette’s effectiveness.

Before you take Cerazette, you should let your doctor know if you’re on medications for:

• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• angina, such as diltiazem
• fungal infections
• tuberculosis
• hepatitis C or HIV
• epilepsy
• low mood, such as St John’s Wort

Taking these medications with your Cerazette pill might make it less effective.

Online patient reviews from thelowdown.com show that Cerazette is rated 2.6 out of 5. Patient reviews can be a good way of understanding the experience of others on a medication but they may not always be a fair representation. The best way to find out how well a medication works for you is by trying it out. If you try Cerazette and you don’t get on with it, you can always switch to another contraceptive option if you need to.

Several contraceptive alternatives are available if you do not want to take Cerazette. You could also try another mini pill if you want an oestrogen-free pill option and Cerazette isn’t right for you.

Cerelle vs Cerazette

Cerelle and Cerazette are 2 mini pills with exactly the same dosage and active ingredient – 75 micrograms of desogestrel. This means that they work in an almost identical way. The effectiveness, side effects and benefits will be almost completely the same.

The main difference is the non-active ingredients used to make up the pills. These are different because Cerelle and Cerazette are produced by different manufacturers. Cerelle is made by Gedeon Richter and Cerazette is made by Organon Pharma Limited.

Cerazette and Cerelle both contain the same active ingredient, desogestrel. So unfortunately, if you react badly to Cerazette then Cerelle might not be a good option, even though both have the biggest window of opportunity for taking them – 12 hours.

Other mini pills

There are other types of mini pills available. Some, like Cerelle, are similar to Cerazette and have a 12-hour window in which you have to take them. Others have a 3-hour window in which you have to take them. These include Norgeston and Noriday.

Norgeston and Noriday contain levonorgestrel and norethisterone respectively, which are different progestins compared to Cerazette and Cerelle. So, if you’ve tried Cerazette already and decided it wasn’t for you, you could try either of these.

The active ingredient in Cerazette is 75 micrograms of desogestrel, a synthetic version of the hormone progestogen.

Contraceptive pills in the UK normally have lactose in, which means they’re not suitable for people with lactose intolerance or vegans. Whether or not Cerazette is suitable for people of the Muslim faith is not clear.

The other non-active ingredients in Cerazette pills are: colloidal anhydrous silica, all-rac-α-tocopherol, maize starch, povidone, stearic acid, hypromellose, macrogol 400, talc and titanium dioxide (E171).