Most women choose to take one pill per day for 21 days, then take a four or seven-day break before beginning the next pack. You’re likely to have a withdrawal bleed during this break. This looks like a period but isn’t.

Femodette can also be taken as follows:

Tricycling entails taking one pill every day for nine weeks without a break. After 9 weeks (3 packs of pills), take a 4 or 7-day break before resuming the cycle.

Take 1 pill every day, without missing a day.

Take 1 pill daily for at least 21 days for a flexible extended use. If you experience excessive bleeding, take a four-day break. Start taking the pill again on the fifth day and don’t take another break for at least 21 days.

Femodette contains hormones (gestodene and ethinylestradiol) that prevent your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation). They also make it difficult for sperm to reach an egg or for an egg to implant in the womb lining.

When used correctly, Femodette has a 99 percent success rate in preventing pregnancy. If it is not always taken correctly, approximately 9 out of every 100 women will become pregnant.

You may not be protected against pregnancy if you are vomiting or have severe diarrhoea. If this occurs, continue taking the pill as usual, but use a condom while you’re sick. If this continues for more than 24 hours, you should take the same steps as if the pill was missed.

Please keep in mind that you should only begin Femodette if you are certain you are not pregnant.

If you begin using Femodette on days 1-5 of your period, you should be protected from pregnancy right away, as long as you do not have a short or irregular menstrual cycle.

If you begin after day 1 and have a short or irregular menstrual cycle, you must use condoms for 7 days if you have sex. If you have sex, your clinician will be able to advise you on whether you need to use additional contraception during the first 7 days.

Many women have no side effects, but some have more irregular bleeding when taking a low-dose pill. This usually resolves itself after a few months. Other possible side effects include headaches, nausea, breast discomfort, and mood swings. Some women develop blood clots on rare occasions. This pill has a slightly higher risk of blood clots than other medications. Send us a message through your Patient Record if you have any concerns.

See the patient information leaflet for a complete list of side effects and how to use it correctly. If you are experiencing any side effects, please contact us through your Patient Record.