Eloine Tablets

A Combined Pill Designed for a Lower Hormone Dose

Choosing a contraceptive pill involves weighing up several factors: your health history, your tolerance of hormonal side effects, and how well a particular formulation fits your body and lifestyle. For women who are suited to a combined pill but prefer or need a lower dose of oestrogen, Eloine is a licensed option worth understanding. It is a combined oral contraceptive containing ethinylestradiol 20 micrograms and drospirenone 3mg, taken on a 24-day active, four-day inactive tablet schedule.

Eloine uses a 24 plus four tablet schedule rather than the more common 21 plus seven format found in many other combined pills. This shorter hormone-free interval, combined with the lower oestrogen dose, is a feature of the formulation that distinguishes it from standard combined contraceptives.

Eloine is a combined oral contraceptive tablet manufactured by Bayer plc. Each active tablet contains ethinylestradiol 20 micrograms and drospirenone 3mg. Ethinylestradiol is a synthetic oestrogen. Drospirenone is a synthetic progestogen with mild anti-mineralocorticoid and anti-androgenic properties, which distinguishes it from some older progestogens used in combined pills.

The 20-microgram oestrogen dose in Eloine is lower than the 30 or 35 microgram doses found in many other combined pills. This is why Eloine is often referred to as a low-dose combined contraceptive. A lower oestrogen dose may suit women who experienced oestrogen-related side effects such as nausea, breast tenderness, or headaches on a higher-dose pill, though tolerability varies between individuals.

Eloine is supplied in strips of 28 tablets: 24 active (pink) tablets containing both hormones, and four inactive (white) placebo tablets. You take all 28 tablets consecutively without a break, then begin the next strip immediately. Pharmacy Planet stocks Eloine in an 84-tablet pack providing a three-month supply, and a 168-tablet pack providing a six-month supply.

Suppressing Ovulation

The primary contraceptive action of Eloine is the suppression of ovulation. Ethinylestradiol and drospirenone together inhibit the release of follicle-stimulating hormones and luteinising hormones from the pituitary gland. Without the luteinising hormone surge that would normally trigger egg release, ovulation does not occur.

Cervical Mucus and Endometrial Effects

Eloine also exerts secondary contraceptive effects. Drospirenone thickens the cervical mucus, making it more difficult for sperm to reach any egg that might be released. It also alters the endometrium, reducing its receptiveness to implantation.

The 24 Plus Four Schedule

Most combined pills use a 21-day active tablet followed by a seven-day break. Eloine uses a different schedule: 24 active tablets followed by four inactive placebo tablets. Because the hormone-free interval is only four days rather than seven, ovarian activity is more consistently suppressed throughout the cycle. The withdrawal bleed is often lighter and shorter with this type of schedule.

Drospirenone: Additional Properties

Drospirenone has mild anti-mineralocorticoid activity, which means it counters the fluid-retaining effect that some synthetic progestogens can cause. Some women notice less bloating on drospirenone-containing pills, though individual responses vary. Drospirenone also has mild anti-androgenic properties, which may be relevant for women with hormonally driven acne, though Eloine is not specifically licensed for acne treatment.

Starting Your First Strip

Your prescriber will advise on the most appropriate starting day for your circumstances:

• Day 1 start: begin on the first day of your period. You are protected from pregnancy immediately.
• Day 2 to 5 start: begin within the first five days of your cycle. Use additional contraception such as condoms for the first seven days.
• Switching from another combined pill: start Eloine the day after your last active tablet from the previous pack, or the day after the last inactive tablet if your previous pill also had placebo days. You remain protected immediately.
• Switching from a progestogen-only pill: you can switch on any day. Use additional contraception for the first seven days.

Taking the 28-Day Strip

Take one tablet every day at the same time for 28 consecutive days. Start with the first active (pink) tablet on day one and continue in order through the strip, including the four inactive (white) tablets at the end. When the strip is complete, begin a new strip the very next day without a gap.

• Swallow each tablet whole with water.
• Take your tablet at the same time each day to maintain steady hormone levels.
• You will usually experience a withdrawal bleed during the four inactive tablet days.
• If vomiting occurs within three to four hours of taking an active tablet, or if you have severe diarrhoea, treat the situation as a missed pill.

Missed Active Tablets

• Fewer than 24 hours late: take the missed active tablet as soon as you remember and continue as normal. You remain protected.
• More than 24 hours late (one missed active tablet): take the missed tablet immediately and take the next one at your usual time, even if this means two in one day. Use additional contraception for the next seven days.
• Two or more consecutive active tablets missed: take the most recently missed tablet immediately, leave earlier missed tablets, and continue the strip. Use additional contraception for seven days.

Missed inactive (placebo) tablets do not affect contraceptive protection. Simply discard any missed inactive tablets and continue with the active tablets as normal.

Tablet Composition

• Active tablets (24 per strip): ethinylestradiol 20 micrograms and drospirenone 3mg.
• Inactive tablets (4 per strip): no active ingredients.
• Schedule: 24 active tablets followed by 4 inactive tablets, taken continuously.

Pack Sizes Available Through Pharmacy Planet

• 84 tablets – a three-month supply (three 28-tablet strips).
• 168 tablets – a six-month supply (six 28-tablet strips).

Dosage Regimen

One tablet taken daily at the same time, for 28 consecutive days per strip, with no gap between strips. The dose is fixed: 20 micrograms of ethinylestradiol and 3mg of drospirenone per active tablet. There is no titration or dose escalation.

Like all medicines, Eloine can cause side effects. Not every woman will experience them. The following is a summary based on the current UK SmPC. Read the full Patient Information Leaflet before starting treatment.

Common side effects:

• Headache or migraine.
• Nausea.
• Breast tenderness or pain.
• Mood changes, including low mood or irritability.
• Decreased libido.
• Irregular spotting or changes to bleeding pattern, particularly in the first few cycles.
• Abdominal pain or discomfort.

Less common side effects:

• Changes in vaginal discharge.
• Contact lens intolerance due to corneal changes.
• Skin changes including rash or chloasma (patches of darker skin on the face).
• Weight changes.

Serious side effects – seek urgent medical attention if you experience:

• Sudden chest pain, breathlessness, or coughing up blood.
• Pain, swelling, or redness in one leg.
• Sudden severe headache, visual disturbance, weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg, or difficulty speaking.
• Severe abdominal pain.
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).

Blood clot risk: all combined oral contraceptives carry a small increased risk of venous thromboembolism compared with women not using hormonal contraception. The risk with drospirenone-containing pills including Eloine is considered broadly similar to desogestrel and gestodene-containing pills. Your prescriber will assess your individual VTE risk factors before prescribing.

Important drug interactions: enzyme-inducing medicines can reduce the effectiveness of Eloine. These include:

• Rifampicin and rifabutin.
• Certain antiepileptic medicines including phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and topiramate.
• HIV medicines including ritonavir and efavirenz.
• St John's Wort.

Potassium-raising medicines: drospirenone has mild anti-mineralocorticoid activity and may raise serum potassium in some women. Caution is needed if you take other medicines that raise potassium levels, such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, potassium-sparing diuretics, heparin, or aldosterone antagonists.

Eloine is not suitable if you:

• Have or have ever had a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or arterial thrombosis).
• Have or have ever had a stroke or heart attack.
• Have migraine with aura.
• Have uncontrolled high blood pressure.
• Have liver disease or liver tumours.
• Have or have ever had breast cancer or another oestrogen-sensitive cancer.
• Are pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
• Are breastfeeding a baby under six weeks old.
• Are a smoker aged 35 or over.
• Have diabetes with vascular complications.
• Have a condition causing abnormal fat metabolism (certain dyslipidemias).
• Have kidney insufficiency or adrenal insufficiency.

This medicine may be appropriate if you:

• Are a healthy adult woman seeking reliable daily hormonal contraception.
• Have experienced oestrogen-related side effects on a higher-dose pill and are looking for a lower-dose combined option.
• Are looking for a combined pill with a shorter hormone-free interval.
• Have no personal or family history of blood clots, stroke, or cardiovascular disease.
• Do not have migraine with aura and do not smoke heavily.

Use with caution if you:

• Are a smoker under 35.
• Have a BMI above 30.
• Have a family history of blood clots in a first degree relative under the age of 50.
• Have a history of depression.
• Take medicines that may raise serum potassium.
• Have a history of high blood pressure in pregnancy or oestrogen-related conditions such as chloasma.

Pharmacy Planet is a GPhC registered UK online pharmacy. All prescriptions for Eloine are issued following a genuine clinical consultation conducted by a registered prescriber. Every consultation is reviewed individually. The process is as follows:

1. Complete a Structured Medical Questionnaire

This covers your health history, current medicines, smoking status, BMI, family history of blood clots and cardiovascular disease, and any relevant gynaecological history.

2. Clinical Review

A registered prescriber reviews your responses and assesses whether Eloine is clinically appropriate for you, considering both your individual health profile and the specific characteristics of this low-dose combined contraceptive.

3. Prescription or Alternative Advice

A prescription is issued only if the prescriber determines that Eloine is appropriate for your circumstances. The prescriber may determine that an alternative contraceptive method is more suitable, or that further information or a face-to-face assessment is needed.

4. Dispatch and Repeat Supply

If a prescription is issued, your medication is dispensed and dispatched by our pharmacy team. Repeat supply requires a new consultation each time.

• Store below 25°C.
• Keep tablets in the original blister strip to protect from moisture.
• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
• Do not use tablets after the expiry date printed on the pack.
• Do not dispose of medicines via wastewater or household waste. Return unused tablets to your pharmacist for safe disposal.

This reference guide compares the contraceptive preparations available at Pharmacy Planet, grouped by delivery method and formulation type. Every preparation is a Prescription Only Medicine. A registered prescriber will review your individual health profile, contraceptive history, and risk factors before recommending any preparation.

Important: This comparison is for general information only and does not replace medical advice. A prescriber will decide which treatment is suitable for you following an online consultation.

Pharmacy Planet is a registered UK online pharmacy regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council. We offer a clinically responsible and confidential route to accessing prescription contraception, including low-dose combined pills such as Eloine. Our platform is built around genuine clinical care, not automated supply.

Every prescriber working with Pharmacy Planet reviews consultations individually. If Eloine is not appropriate for you, they will say so. Where possible, our team will support you in identifying an alternative that suits your health needs.

Our GPhC registration and the EU common logo on our website confirm our status as a legitimate, verified UK online pharmacy. You can verify our registration at any time via www.pharmacyregulation.org. Our pharmacy team is available for any questions before, during, or after your consultation.

• Bayer plc. Eloine 20 microgram/3 mg film-coated tablets – Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: medicines.org.uk/emc. Accessed May 2026.
• Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH). Combined Hormonal Contraception – Clinical Guidance. Available at: fsrh.org. Accessed May 2026.
• NHS. Combined pill – your contraception guide. Available at: nhs.uk. Accessed May 2026.
• British National Formulary (BNF). Ethinylestradiol with drospirenone. Available at: bnf.nice.org.uk. Accessed May 2026.
• MHRA. Hormonal contraceptives and venous thromboembolism: updated guidance. Available at: gov.uk. Accessed May 2026.