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Microgynon pill to Rigevidon anyone?

Hey, I've been on microgynon for nearly 7 years and yesterday when I went to get my prescription I was given Rigevidon. The pharmacist reassured me that it was exactly the same as microgynon, just a different manufacturer. I did a bit of research online and it seems it is cheaper for the NHS. So I guess Microgynon will eventually be phased out so no point trying to change Rigevidon... I guess I'd just feel more comfortable with what I know, 'if it's not broken why fix it'... Has this happened to many other people??

Also, I was reading the info from both Microgynon and Rigevidon and they both said, when starting a new combined pill to not have a seven day break after the old pack finishes and to just continue with the new pill and wait till after the 21 days of the new pill to have your next withdrawal bleed. Nice of the pharmasicit to tell me that...*sarcasm*! Did anyone else get told that when they were given Rigevidon? I would have read the info regardless, but with a new pill the pharmacist should be telling girls that as some may think it's fine to have their last microgynon bleed and then start Rigevidon. I don't know what the implications would be by doing that as the info sheets didn't say... But they wouldn't say it if it shouldn't be followed...

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Reply 1
You should write to the Royal Pharmaceutical Company to complain.
Reply 2
I was swapped from microgynon to ovranette last summer for the same reasons - I think microgynon is being phased out as there are other companies which make it just under a different name. My doctor said its the same pill, just a different manufacturer or something, so exactly the same hormones and quantitys go into it, so its not actually the same as swapping contraceptive pill, so I think (I'm not a doctor lol) you have no need to worry. If your still unsure recheck with your doctor though.
Reply 3
Hey, i have just been swapped from Microgynon to rigevidon i just wanted to know if it stops your periods?

If anyone knows could they please let me know, as i told my doctor i didnt want my periods to stop and if he went against what i said i will be coming of them.
Reply 4
i was on microgynon for while and was fine on it no side affects at all......3munth ago they changed it 2 rigevidon and it is not the same they say it is but it aint.....my periods are up and down now, i get headaches aww th time, im moody according 2 every1 and i always want junk food where as b4 it didnt bother me....has any1 else had that or is it just me??
Reply 5
Original post by bexw
Hey, i have just been swapped from Microgynon to rigevidon i just wanted to know if it stops your periods?

If anyone knows could they please let me know, as i told my doctor i didnt want my periods to stop and if he went against what i said i will be coming of them.


A bit of Googling seems to say that Rigevidon contains exactly the same active ingredients as Microgynon, it's just a generic version - so there wouldn't be any difference at all. Just cheaper!

Original post by stephy-1993
i was on microgynon for while and was fine on it no side affects at all......3munth ago they changed it 2 rigevidon and it is not the same they say it is but it aint.....my periods are up and down now, i get headaches aww th time, im moody according 2 every1 and i always want junk food where as b4 it didnt bother me....has any1 else had that or is it just me??


See above...sounds odd to me. I can't find much info on Rigevidon, I assume it's a new pill, but the leaflets I did find say it contains exactly the same stuff as Microgynon 30.
Reply 6
This has just happened to me too. I was on Femodette, quite happily, for over a year, no side effects. Then a few weeks ago, they told me they were switching me to Millinette and I was assured it was exactly the same thing. Except 5 days after taking it, I was having crazy emotional mood swings, breaking out in spots, and bleeding when I shouldn't have been. When I went back to my doctor, she acted like I was making a fuss over nothing! Humph! Who wants to be bleeding for two weeks?! They put me back on the old one anyway, but it's a massive pain because they've only given me 3 months worth now. And all that to 'save money'. Glad to know I'm not the only one this happened to, because I'm still not back to normal, my body has felt messed up for weeks!
Since when did they start switching people?:s-smilie: Can you refuse if they want to give you this pill? Im so used to Microgynon i dont want anything else.
Reply 8
Why you take it if you don't want to? I will stop if i were you.
Reply 9
If you take Rigevidon right through without the 7 day break then you wont come on your period :smile:
If it's just a different manufacturer but the same quantities, then it's the same pill. Chill out some of you!
Original post by mary21
I was swapped from microgynon to ovranette last summer for the same reasons - I think microgynon is being phased out as there are other companies which make it just under a different name. My doctor said its the same pill, just a different manufacturer or something, so exactly the same hormones and quantitys go into it, so its not actually the same as swapping contraceptive pill, so I think (I'm not a doctor lol) you have no need to worry. If your still unsure recheck with your doctor though.


No, microgynon is not being phrased out. It is better than the one they give to us. They are giving out cheaper alternative to people. I have been on microgynon for like four years, they changed the pill and messed up my period. Didn't have period for three months. From my experience, it is not the same. The doctor then said these things do happen and she put me back on microgynon.
I have just been made to swap to this but I'm already on my gap between taking the next pack and have just read on the leaflet that you shouldn't leave a gap between pills when changing them. Nice of the doctor to tell me! So will be using extra contraceptive, hopefully noone else gets pregnant from not being told about this.
Yer I had pretty much the same thing, i got switched to rigevedon, before that i was on yasmin for a quite a while even tho ur only mena be on it 4 a year, (thats y u shud stick to goin to jus the one doctor i guess) and before that was on microgynon.
Yasmin wasnt great towards the end, had bleeding in between periods which i think was because of being on it for too long.
Now i've been on rigevidon for a few weeks. I'm not sure i like it! anyone else feelin sad and v v tired all the time? Maybe this is cos i had a break between switching pills, like some of u did, cos the doctor never said to NOT have a break then i read the instructions a little too late!
im kind of concerned now, have i screwed up my hormones or will everything be cool? how r ppl gettin on with it after theyve been on it for a few months? not sure if any1s still readin this forum but i thought I wud msg yous anyway. :smile:
Reply 14
Yeah I had pretty much the same thing, i got switched to rigevedon, before that i was on yasmin for a quite a while even though you're only meant to be on it for a year, (that's why you should stick to going to just the one doctor i guess) and before that was on microgynon.
Yasmin wasnt great towards the end, had bleeding in between periods which i think was because of being on it for too long.
Now i've been on rigevidon for a few weeks. I'm not sure i like it! anyone else feeling sad and really tired all the time? Maybe this is because i had a break between switching pills, like some of you did, because the doctor never said to NOT have a break then i read the instructions a little too late!
i'm kind of concerned now, have i messed up my hormones or will everything be cool? how are people getting on with it after they've been on it for a few months? not sure if anyone's still reading this forum but i thought I would message yous anyway. :smile:
(edited 12 years ago)
The same happened to me when i got switched to Rigevidon with the moodyness and im so emotional all the time and constantly tired even after loads of sleep. Thats why i came on here to see if it was just me being paranoid or whether it was effecting me in a different way to Microgynon. If its just the same but cheaper then what is it that they are not putting in it to make it cheaper? I think ive put on weight too and crave food all the time. My periods have not changed and never had any problems with that its just how it makes me feel.
Now ive read that its not just me i think im going to go see about getting it changed to something that suits me better :frown:
They kinda did this to me, everytime I go and collect my prescription I never know what it's gonna be! I've never told my dr I wasn't happy with the pill I was on or anything like that. The pharmacist just told me that they should all be exactly the same because the levels of hormones are the same.

I never know whether I'm gonna get Microgynon, Levest, Rigevidon etc.
Original post by FaceyFacerton
Hey, I've been on microgynon for nearly 7 years and yesterday when I went to get my prescription I was given Rigevidon. The pharmacist reassured me that it was exactly the same as microgynon, just a different manufacturer. I did a bit of research online and it seems it is cheaper for the NHS. So I guess Microgynon will eventually be phased out so no point trying to change Rigevidon... I guess I'd just feel more comfortable with what I know, 'if it's not broken why fix it'... Has this happened to many other people??

Also, I was reading the info from both Microgynon and Rigevidon and they both said, when starting a new combined pill to not have a seven day break after the old pack finishes and to just continue with the new pill and wait till after the 21 days of the new pill to have your next withdrawal bleed. Nice of the pharmasicit to tell me that...*sarcasm*! Did anyone else get told that when they were given Rigevidon? I would have read the info regardless, but with a new pill the pharmacist should be telling girls that as some may think it's fine to have their last microgynon bleed and then start Rigevidon. I don't know what the implications would be by doing that as the info sheets didn't say... But they wouldn't say it if it shouldn't be followed...


You could always go back to the pharmacist instead of assuming he/she made a mistake by not telling you.
Both Microgynon 30 and Rigevidon contain ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms and levonorgestrel 150 micrograms so it's not new active ingredients, just a new brand. You're not switching hormones (which is when you usually have to run straight onto the new pill), the bits that actually make the pill work are exactly the same in exactly the same dosage :smile:
Original post by -Emmz-
You could always go back to the pharmacist instead of assuming he/she made a mistake by not telling you.

The pharmacist hasn't actually made a mistake by not telling the patient, they've just dispensed the prescribed drug which happens to be a different brand.

To the OP - If you'd prefer the guarantee of always receiving microgyon, ask your doctor to change your prescription to 'microgynon 30' rather than ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel. Unfortunately if the prescription reads 'ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel' we have to give the cheapest brand (which sometimes happens to be rigevidon. It is the same ingredients as microgynon 30 but as you say some people dont get along with it.

I'm a dispenser :smile:
Original post by something_vague
The pharmacist hasn't actually made a mistake by not telling the patient, they've just dispensed the prescribed drug which happens to be a different brand.

To the OP - If you'd prefer the guarantee of always receiving microgyon, ask your doctor to change your prescription to 'microgynon 30' rather than ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel. Unfortunately if the prescription reads 'ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel' we have to give the cheapest brand (which sometimes happens to be rigevidon. It is the same ingredients as microgynon 30 but as you say some people dont get along with it.

I'm a dispenser :smile:


I know, I was just trying to tell the OP in a subtle way to not assume the pharmacist had made an error :smile: and she wasn't talking about actually getting a different brand being a mistake but rather whether the pharmacist should have have counselled her about swapping pills (which technically hasn't happened cause they're the same pharmacologically, but we shouldn't assume that somebody with no pharmacy/medical training would know this - to the patient it just looks like a new pill).
(edited 12 years ago)

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