Femodene

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Reviewed on Jan 21, 2025. by Mr Craig Marsh Independent Prescriber Registered with GPhC (No. 2070724) Next review due on January 22, 2028.

Last updated on Jan 21, 2025.

Product info

Femodene is a combined contraceptive pill that protects against pregnancy.
It contains two synthetic hormones and comes in packs of 21 or 28.
It’s a third generation pill; these can sometimes help menstrual symptoms.

Price checker

Prices include:

Express shipping
24 hour shipping by secure courier.
Consultation + Access to our clinicians
Ask our experts anything you like, any time you want.
Total
£34.95

Save £0.00 each order

Femodene: essential info
Femodene: instructions
Important stuff you need to know
FAQ

How to take Femodene

Take one Femodene daily, for 21 straight days starting on the first day of your cycle (the start of your period). Each pill is marked with the day of the week, helping you to keep track of what you have taken. At the end of this cycle of pills, you should have a seven day break. After the seven day break you should start the next pack.

If you’re taking Femodene ED, instead of having a seven-day break you’ll take the seven inactive spacer pills. Again, once you’ve gotten through these, you start the next pack.

With Femodene, breakthrough bleeding might occur, particularly during the first three months of use. This is perfectly normal and should not be of concern. If you get particularly heavy bleeding, or persistently irregular bleeding, let our clinician know.

When to start taking Femodene

If you take Femodene on the first day of your cycle you’ll be immediately protected against pregnancy. If you start taking Femodene on any other day, you’ll need to use a barrier contraceptive for at least seven days to stay protected.

If you took a different combined contraceptive 21 day pill, you should take Femodene the day after the end of the previous pill’s strip. This means you’ll miss the one month of menstrual bleeding between the strips.

If you took a 28 day combined contraceptive pill, you’ll also need to take Femodene the day after the last active pill. Again, this means you won’t experience bleeding until this strip has been completed at the end of the cycle.

Femodene and missed pills: what to do

If you’re a little late taking Femodene, you’ve got 12 hours of leeway where it won’t make a difference to your level of protection. But you should get back to your normal scheduled time the next day.

After 12 hours you‘ll need to ensure that you use a barrier contraceptive, such as a condom, for seven days to stay protected. You should take the missed pill as soon as you remember, even if this means taking two pills in the same day.

If you’re taking Femodene ED and miss an inactive pill, you don’t need to worry. Just discard the missed inactive pill and carry on the next day as normal.

If you miss an active pill towards the end of the 21 day period, you may be advised to skip your usual seven day break.

Treated trusted sources:

D, F. (1986). The Pill. Australian family physician.

This page was written by The Treated Content Team.

This page was medically reviewed by Mr Craig Marsh on January 22, 2025. Next review due on January 22, 2028.

How we source info.

When we present you with stats, data, opinion or a consensus, we’ll tell you where this came from. And we’ll only present data as clinically reliable if it’s come from a reputable source, such as a state or government-funded health body, a peer-reviewed medical journal, or a recognised analytics or data body. Read more in our editorial policy.

FAQ: Femodene

Have something specific you want to know? Search our info below, or ask our experts a question if you can’t find what you’re looking for.

What are Femodene’s active ingredients?

Answer:

Femodene tablets contain synthetic versions of oestrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progesterone (gestodene). Some women find they have issues tolerating oestrogens and prefer the mini pill, which only contains the progesterone. Sometimes lowering dosage of oestrogen to 20 micrograms can help.

The synthetic version of progesterone in Femodene is Gestodene. Gestodene is relatively new, but it’s just as effective as other progesterone hormones. It can also be found in Katya 30/75 and Millinette 30/75.

How does Femodene work?

Answer:

Femodene contraceptive pills work in three different ways to prevent pregnancies from occurring.

Firstly, they increase the consistency of the mucus around the neck of the womb, which prevents sperm from reaching an egg.

Secondly, by adjusting the levels of hormones throughout the cycle, Femodene prevents an egg from being released in the first place, meaning even if the sperm does reach the womb, there is no egg there to fertilise.

Lastly, it alters the lining of the womb, making it inhospitable for the egg to embed itself. This means that even in the unlikely event that the first two barriers fail, fertilisation is still highly unlikely.

For the above to happen, the pill needs to be taken correctly. When it’s not taken according to these instructions, it becomes less effective at preventing pregnancy.

How does Femodene help acne?

Answer:

The combined pill can help to reduce acne symptoms caused by changing hormone levels in the body. Some women may find that they’re more prone to acne at certain times of the month.

If you’re taking Femodene and acne is an issue for you, you may find that your symptoms lessen - but this might not be the case for everyone. If you’re experiencing severe acne and think that your current pill isn’t helping or making it worse, speak to our clinician to see if there’s another option out there that’s more suitable for you.

What should you do if you’re sick after taking Femodene?

Answer:

Vomiting or having diarrhoea after taking Femodene can reduce your protection. In these circumstances you should check the instructions that come with your treatment.

If this continues to be a problem there are other methods of combined contraception that can avoid this reduction in your protection, including the patch and ring, which aren’t ingested.

What if I want to stop taking Femodene to become pregnant?

Answer:

If you want to stop Femodene because you’re planning on having a baby it’s recommended that you use a non-hormonal contraception until you have had your first full period. While there is no risk for the baby, it’s helpful to accurately work out the baby’s due date.

If you’re coming off Femodene and want to remain protected against pregnancy, you’ll need to use another contraceptive method, whether this be another pill or the patch, ring, injection, IUS or condom. If you’re changing pills you should talk to our clinician about this in the first instance.

What about taking Femodene after pregnancy?

Answer:

After pregnancy you should wait 21 days after you have given birth before taking Femodene. It’s not important to wait for your period, but you may need to use a barrier contraceptive beforehand, which is also needed for the first seven days of taking the pill.

You shouldn’t breastfeed while taking Femodene as trace amounts can be passed on through the breastmilk. If you’re looking for a pill that’s suitable for use during breastfeeding, the mini pill may be a better option.

Does Femodene cause weight gain?

Answer:

There’s no evidence to suggest that combined pills like Femodene and weight gain are directly linked, despite the fact that it's been reported by fewer than one in ten women that use the pill.

For women taking Femodene, weight gain may also be caused by water retention,[popover id=ref2] which is a hormonal reaction that often subsides as the body gets used to the treatment. If weight gain does occur, you can speak to our clinician about an alternative treatment.

Treated trusted sources:

Edelman, A., Jensen, J.T., Bulechowsky, M. and Cameron, J. (2010). Combined oral contraceptives and body weight: do oral contraceptives cause weight gain? A primate model. Human Reproduction, 26(2), pp.330–336.