How to take Femodene & Femodene ED

How to take Femodene

Most women choose to take 1 pill daily for 21 days, then have a 4 or 7-day break before starting the next pack. During this break you’re likely to have a withdrawal bleed. This is like a period but isn’t one.

You can also take Femodene as follows:

• Tricycling: Take 1 pill daily for 9 weeks without a break. After 9 weeks (3 packs of pills) take a 4 or 7 day break and then start the cycle again.
• Continuous use: Take 1 pill daily without a break.
• Flexible extended use: Take 1 pill daily for at least 21 days. If you get bleeding that’s unacceptable to you, take a 4-day break. On the fifth day start taking the pill daily again and don’t have another break for at least 21 days. 

How to take Femodene ED

The Femodene ED pack contains a 3-week supply of active pills, as well as 1 week of larger inactive pills (containing no active ingredients).

Take 1 active pill daily at the same time for 21 days. Then take 1 inactive pill daily for 7 days – during this week you may have a period. Start taking the active pills the day after the last inactive pill. You should be taking a pill every day, which some women find easier to remember.

Femodene side effects

Many women do not experience any side effects, however some will. These can include headaches, period pain, breast sensitivity, feeling sick or tummy pain. Rarely, some women develop blood clots. This pill carries a slightly higher risk of blood clots than others. If you have any concerns, send us a message via your account.

For full information on side effects and correct use, see the patient information leaflet. If any side effects concern you, contact us via your account.

How effective is Femodene?

When taken correctly, Femodene is  99% effective in preventing pregnancy. If it’s not always taken correctly roughly 9 out of 100 women will get pregnant.

If you are vomiting or have severe diarrhoea you may not be protected against pregnancy. If this happens, continue to take the pill as usual but use a condom whilst you're ill. If this continues for more than 24 hours you should follow the same steps as a missed pill.

Please note – you should only start Femodene if you’re sure you’re not pregnant.  

How long after taking Femodene are you protected?

If you start using Femodene on days 1-5 of your period, you should be protected from pregnancy immediately, provided you don’t have a short or irregular menstrual cycle.

If you start after day 1 and have short/irregular menstrual cycle you’ll need to use condoms for 7 days if you have sex. Your clinician will be able to advise if you need to use extra contraception in the first 7 days if you have sex.

If you miss taking Femodene

This depends on when and how many pills are missed. Missing one pill, at any time, does not compromise contraception. Missing two or more pills or starting a new pack late might affect your contraceptive cover.

Up to 48 hours since your last pill – take your next pill as soon as you remember and continue the rest of the pack as usual. This might mean you need to take 2 pills on 1 day.

More than 48 hours – this depends on when you last took your pill and where you are in your pill packet. Please check the patient information leaflet for further information.