Femodene

Most women choose to take 1 pill daily at the same time for 21 days. Once you finish a strip, take a 7-day break with no pills. During this time you may have a period. Start the next strip 7 days after your last pill. You will always start the next strip on the same day of the week.

Femodene can also be taken as follows:
Extended use: 1 pill a day for 9 weeks then no pills for the next 4 or 7 days.
Continuous use: 1 pill a day every day with no break.

Many women do not experience any side effects, however some will. These can include headaches, period pain, breast discomfort, 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 Patient Record.

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

If you start using Femodene on days 1-5 of your period, you will be protected against pregnancy immediately. If you start taking it later (only if you are sure you could not be pregnant), you will need to use condoms for at least seven days until Femodene starts to work.

When taken correctly, Femodene is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. However, 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.

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 48hrs 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 48hrs – 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.