Mercilon

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

Last updated on Jan 22, 2025.

Product info

Mercilon is a low-dose daily combined pill that can be over 99% effective.
It prevents ovulation by stopping the release of an egg.
It’s available to take continuously or with a pill-free, seven day break.

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
£36.95

Save £0.00 each order

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

What is Mercilon?

Mercilon is a low-dose combined hormonal contraceptive pill that has two hormones in it: a progesterone and an oestrogen. Because it contains less oestrogen than other combined pills, it may cause fewer side effects for some women.

It’s a 21-day pill, so you take it for three weeks, and then have a 7-day pill-free break, and keep repeating this course of treatment. You can also take it on a continuous basis (1 pill every day with no pill-free break) or on an extended basis (1 pill every day for 9 weeks, followed by no pills for the next 4 or 7 days).

If you’d prefer to take it on a continuous or on an extended basis, our clinician can advise you on this.

How does Mercilon work?

Like other combined pills, Mercilon reduces your pregnancy risk in three ways.

The two hormones in it change the body’s hormone balance, to stop the ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation).

Mercilon also thickens the mucus in the neck of the womb (cervix) which makes it harder for sperm to move through to the womb (or uterus) to fertilise an egg, while the lining of the womb is made thinner. If the uterine lining is thinner, it’s less likely that a fertilised egg will be able to attach itself there, and develop.

When the lining of the uterus doesn’t build up as much, you may find that your periods are way lighter when you’re taking combined pills (so there are added benefits too).

How effective is Mercilon?

Mercilon is very effective when taken correctly, and offers more than 99% protection from pregnancy if you take it at the same time every day, without missing any pills.

This means that out of 100 women taking the pill over 12 months, less than one will get pregnant.

If you make mistakes when you take Mercilon, or if you occasionally miss pills, its effectiveness decreases slightly (to around 91%). So about 9 women in every 100 will get pregnant in a year.

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.

How to take Mercilon pills

Mercilon comes in strips of 21 pills, with a day of the week marked alongside each pill. You should take the pills according to the correct day of the week, and follow the direction of the arrows on the strip.

If you start to take Mercilon on the first day of your period, your protection from pregnancy is immediate.

If your period has already started, begin Mercilon on day five of your cycle whether your bleeding has stopped or not. You’ll need to use additional contraception, such as condoms, for the first seven days, while the pill takes effect in the body.

Take one pill at the same time every day, until you have used all 21 pills. You can swallow the pills with water if you’d prefer, but don’t chew them.

After you’ve taken all 21 pills, have a seven-day, pill-free break. So if you take the last pill from the strip on a Friday, take the first pill from the new strip on the Saturday of the following week.

A few days after taking the last pill from the strip, you should get a withdrawal bleed, like a period. This bleed may still be continuing when you start your next strip of pills; this is fine – even if you’re still bleeding, start your new strip of pills.

You should always read the information leaflet that comes with your treatment before using Mercilon.

Are there other ways you can take Mercilon?

Yes. Besides taking Mercilon for 21 days and then having a 7-day break from it, you can also take it as a 28-day pill or on a more extended basis.

As a 28-day pill, you take a pill every day, with no breaks in between strips of pills. If you decide to go with extended use, you take 1 pill every day for nine weeks, and then have either a four or seven day break from pills.

If you would prefer to take Mercilon in these ways, let our clinician know during your consultation, and they can advise you.

What to do about a Mercilon missed pill

If less than 12 hours have passed since you missed a pill, don’t worry. Your protection from pregnancy shouldn’t be affected. Just take the pill you missed immediately (so two pills in one day if you have to).

If more than 12 hours have passed, or if you have missed more than one pill, take the pill you missed most recently immediately. Leave any pills you missed earlier than this in the strip. Then take any pills that follow as you normally would (this may involve taking two pills in one day). You should use extra contraception, such as condoms, for the next seven days.

Depending on how many pills there are left in your pack – more or fewer than seven – you might need to skip the pill free break at the end. Refer to the instruction leaflet for more info on what to do, or if you’re unsure, ask a clinician.

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.

FAQ: Mercilon

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.

Is there more than one Mercilon dosage?

Answer:

Sort of. Mercilon is a lower dose version of Marvelon. It has slightly less oestrogen in it. So if you take Mercilon and find it doesn’t quite give you that balance you need to keep period symptoms under control, you might find that Marvelon is better.

You can switch pills part way through your subscription if you’re getting Mercilon on repeat order. All you need to do is sign in and drop us a message, and we’ll go through the options with you.

Can I take Mercilon for acne?

Answer:

Some women find that combined pills like Mercilon help with acne, and studies have shown that they can be effective.[popover id=ref1]

It’s believed that hormones in combined pills can help to regulate androgen levels in the body, which helps to manage how much sebum (an oily substance in the skin) the body produces.

By keeping these androgen levels under greater control, the hormones in combined pills may help to clear the pores in the skin, and so reduce how many spots you get.

Can I delay my period with Mercilon?

Answer:

Yes, but you should discuss it with our clinician first, as it involves taking the pill in a slightly different way.

If you want to delay your period, finish the strip of pills you’re taking, and then start the next strip the day after, without taking a pill-free break. Once you’ve finished this strip, take 7 pill-free days as you usually would, and then start your next strip of pills. You may get some bleeding or spotting on the days that you take the pill, but this is nothing to worry about.

Can Mercilon cause weight gain?

Answer:

There’s no real evidence that Mercilon, or other combined pills, lead to any considerable weight gain.[popover id=ref2]

Some women gain a bit of weight when they first start to use a combined pill, but usually, any changes in weight are caused by factors which don’t relate to the pill itself.

Using the combined pill can cause greater water retention in the body initially, but any extra weight that you put on due to this isn’t very much, and shouldn’t last for any more than a few months.

Mercilon vs Yasmin: which is better?

Answer:

Yasmin, like Mercilon, is a 21-day combined pill, and there’s no difference between the two in terms of how they work.

Because they’re not made by the same companies (Yasmin is made by Bayer, while Mercilon is made by Merck Sharp and Dohme) the pills themselves may differ in appearance, and the packaging isn’t the same. But really the only difference between the two is the hormones that are in them.

Both pills contain ethinylestradiol, which is a form of oestrogen, but they have two different forms of progesterone in them. Mercilon contains a progestogen called desogestrel, whereas Yasmin contains a progestogen known as drospirenone.

Besides its primary role in preventing pregnancy, drospirenone has shown to be particularly effective at treating symptoms of acne. So if you’re looking for a 21-day pill that offers protection from pregnancy but can also help with acne (in some cases), Yasmin may be an especially suitable option for you.

Mercilon contains a lower dose of oestrogen than some other pills, so it’s ideal if you’re sensitive to oestrogen - or to the side effects it can cause.

In short, it’s really a question of your medical background, and what sort of symptoms and side effects you’re prone to when it comes to which pill is best for you.

What’s the difference between Marvelon and Mercilon?

Answer:

Marvelon is a 21-day combined pill that’s also made by Merck Sharp and Dohme, and you use it in the same way as Mercilon.

It contains slightly more oestrogen than Mercilon (30mcg rather than 20mcg) so it may be a suitable option for you if you’re less sensitive to oestrogen and its side effects.

Treated trusted sources:

Słopień, R., Milewska, E., Rynio, P. and Męczekalski, B. (2018). Use of oral contraceptives for management of acne vulgaris and hirsutism in women of reproductive and late reproductive age. Menopausal Review, 17(1), pp.1–4.
Mayeda, E.R., Torgal, A.H. and Westhoff, C.L. (2014). Weight and Body Composition Changes During Oral Contraceptive Use in Obese and Normal Weight Women. Journal of Women’s Health, [online] 23(1), pp.38–43.