Femodene Tablets

Picking a contraceptive is rarely as simple as it looks on a comparison chart. The active ingredients matter, the dosing schedule matters, and how your body responds to specific hormones matters too. Femodene is a combined oral contraceptive pill containing gestodene 75 micrograms and ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms, licensed in the United Kingdom for the prevention of pregnancy. It follows the standard 21-day active tablet, seven-day break cycle used by many combined pills. If you are exploring Femodene for the first time, or returning to it after using something else, this page gives you the clinical information you need to decide whether starting a consultation makes sense for your circumstances.

Femodene uses gestodene as its progestogen, placing it in the third-generation class alongside pills such as Femodene ED and Minulet. Gestodene has a different hormonal selectivity profile from older progestogens such as levonorgestrel, which can affect both tolerability and risk profile. Your prescriber will take the type of progestogen into account as part of your overall assessment. This is not a decision to make on the basis of a product page alone, but the information here is a useful starting point.

Femodene is a combined oral contraceptive tablet manufactured by Bayer plc. Each tablet contains two active ingredients: ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms (a synthetic oestrogen) and gestodene 75 micrograms (a synthetic progestogen). Femodene is a monophasic pill, meaning every tablet in the pack contains exactly the same dose of both hormones. There is no variation in dose from one tablet to the next.

Femodene is supplied in 21-tablet packs. You take one tablet every day for 21 consecutive days, then take a seven-day break before starting the next pack. A withdrawal bleed typically occurs during this break. Unlike its counterpart Femodene ED, standard Femodene does not contain inactive placebo tablets. When the 21 active tablets are finished, you stop for seven days, then restart.

As a Prescription Only Medicine, Femodene requires a valid prescription from a registered clinician. A clinical consultation is necessary before any prescription is issued. The consultation allows the prescriber to assess your individual health circumstances, rule out contraindications, and determine whether a gestodene-containing combined pill is appropriate for you.

Preventing Ovulation

The primary contraceptive mechanism of Femodene is the inhibition of ovulation. Ethinylestradiol and gestodene act together on the pituitary gland to suppress the release of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone. Without the luteinising hormone surge that normally triggers egg release, ovulation does not occur. This is the mechanism shared by all combined oral contraceptives.

Cervical Mucus and Endometrial Effects

Femodene also works through two secondary mechanisms that add to its overall contraceptive reliability:

1. Gestodene thickens the cervical mucus, making it more hostile to sperm and reducing the likelihood of sperm reaching any egg.
2. The hormonal combination alters the endometrium, reducing its receptiveness to implantation in the unlikely event that fertilisation occurred.

The 21-Day Cycle

Femodene is taken on a standard 21-day active, seven-day break schedule. Taking a tablet every day for 21 days delivers consistent hormonal suppression throughout the active phase. The seven-day break allows hormone levels to fall, triggering a withdrawal bleed. This bleed is not a true menstrual period. It is a predictable consequence of the hormone-free interval and is typically lighter and shorter than a natural period.

Hormone Regulation and Cycle Control

Because Femodene regulates the hormonal signals that govern the menstrual cycle, many women experience more predictable, lighter withdrawal bleeds during the seven-day break. Period management is a commonly reported secondary benefit of combined hormonal contraception and is a reason some women choose this type of daily pill alongside its primary contraceptive purpose.

Starting Your First Pack

Your prescriber will advise on the most appropriate starting day. Standard guidance is:

1. Day 1 start: Begin on the first day of your period. You are protected from pregnancy immediately.
2. 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.
3. Switching from another combined pill: Take the first Femodene tablet the day after your last active tablet from the previous pack, or after the last inactive tablet if your previous pill had placebo days. You remain protected immediately.
4. Switching from a progestogen-only pill: Start Femodene on any day. Use additional contraception for the first seven days.

The 21-Day Regimen

Take one tablet every day at the same time for 21 consecutive days. After your 21st tablet, stop for exactly seven days. A withdrawal bleed will usually occur during this week. Start your next 21-tablet pack on day 29, the day after the seven-day break ends, regardless of whether bleeding has stopped.

1. Swallow each tablet whole with water.
2. Take your tablet at the same time each day to maintain consistent hormone levels.
3. The seven-day break must not exceed seven days. Starting a new pack late reduces contraceptive protection.
4. If you vomit within two hours of taking a tablet, or have severe diarrhoea, treat this as a missed pill.

If You Miss a Tablet

1. Fewer than 24 hours late: take the missed tablet as soon as you remember and continue as normal. You remain protected.
2. More than 24 hours late (one missed pill): 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 seven days.
3. Two or more consecutive missed tablets: take the most recently missed tablet immediately and leave the others. Continue the pack and use additional contraception for seven days. If this falls in week one and you had unprotected sex in the preceding seven days, contact your prescriber or pharmacist about emergency contraception.

If illness involving vomiting or diarrhoea occurs within two hours of taking a tablet, absorption may be incomplete. Treat this as a missed pill and follow the guidance above. Refer to the Patient Information Leaflet for complete missed pill guidance for all specific scenarios.

Tablet Composition

• Each tablet: ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms and gestodene 75 micrograms
• Monophasic formulation: every tablet contains the same dose
• 21 active tablets per pack

Dosage Regimen

One tablet daily at the same time for 21 consecutive days, followed by a seven-day tablet-free interval. The dose is fixed throughout the course: 30 micrograms of ethinylestradiol and 75 micrograms of gestodene per tablet. There is no titration or dose escalation. Your prescriber will confirm the most appropriate starting day for your individual circumstances.

Femodene and Femodene ED: Understanding the Difference

Standard Femodene contains 21 active tablets and is taken with a seven-day break. Femodene ED contains the same 21 active tablets plus seven inactive placebo tablets, so you take a tablet every day without a break. Both contain identical doses of ethinylestradiol and gestodene. The clinical contraceptive effect is the same. The choice between them depends on whether you prefer a break-based or an every-day format. Your prescriber will advise which is more appropriate for your routine.

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

Common Side Effects

• Headache or migraine
• Nausea
• Breast tenderness or discomfort
• Mood changes, including low mood or irritability
• Changes in libido
• Breakthrough spotting or changes to the bleeding pattern, particularly in the first few cycles
• Changes in vaginal discharge

Less Common Side Effects

• Weight changes
• Contact lens intolerance due to changes in corneal curvature
• Skin changes including chloasma (patches of darker skin, particularly on the face)

Serious Side Effects: Seek Urgent Medical Attention If You Experience

• Sudden chest pain, breathlessness, or coughing up blood. These may indicate a pulmonary embolism or heart attack.
• Pain, swelling, or warmth in one leg. This may indicate deep vein thrombosis.
• Sudden severe headache, visual disturbance, weakness in the face, arm, or leg, or difficulty speaking. These may indicate a stroke.
• Severe abdominal pain, which may indicate a liver problem or ectopic pregnancy.
• Jaundice: yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes.

Blood Clot Risk and Gestodene

All combined oral contraceptives carry a small increased risk of venous thromboembolism compared with women not using hormonal contraception. Gestodene-containing pills including Femodene carry a somewhat higher VTE risk than pills containing levonorgestrel, and a broadly similar risk to those containing desogestrel or drospirenone. The MHRA has issued guidance on this risk profile. Your prescriber will assess your individual risk factors, including BMI, smoking status, personal and family history of blood clots, and any planned periods of immobility, before prescribing.

Important Drug Interactions

Enzyme-inducing medicines can reduce the effectiveness of Femodene by increasing the rate at which the active hormones are broken down. These include:

• Rifampicin and rifabutin
• Certain antiepileptic medicines including phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and topiramate
• Some HIV medicines including ritonavir and efavirenz
• St John's Wort, a herbal supplement available without prescription

Always disclose your full medication list, including herbal remedies and supplements, at every consultation. If you are prescribed an enzyme-inducing medicine whilst taking Femodene, additional contraceptive precautions or an alternative method may be required.

Femodene 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

This Medicine May Be Appropriate If You:

• Are a healthy adult woman seeking reliable daily combined hormonal contraception
• Prefer a standard 21 plus seven format rather than an every-day tablet schedule
• Have no personal or family history of blood clots, stroke, or cardiovascular disease
• Do not have migraine with aura and do not smoke heavily
• Are not currently taking medicines that interact significantly with combined oral contraceptives

Use With Caution If You:

• Are a smoker under 35. Smoking increases cardiovascular risk with all oestrogen-containing contraceptives.
• Have a BMI above 30. Obesity is an independent risk factor for VTE and is factored into the prescriber's risk assessment.
• Have a family history of blood clots in a first degree relative under the age of 50.
• Have a history of depression or are currently experiencing low mood. Combined hormonal contraceptives can affect mood in some women.
• Are planning long-haul travel or periods of extended immobility. These independently increase VTE risk.
• Have previously experienced high blood pressure in pregnancy or conditions that may worsen with oestrogen exposure.

Pharmacy Planet is a GPhC registered UK online pharmacy. All prescriptions for Femodene are issued following a genuine clinical consultation with a registered prescriber. 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 relevant gynaecological history. Accurate and complete responses are essential, as the prescriber's assessment depends entirely on the information you provide.
2. A registered prescriber reviews your consultation individually. They assess whether Femodene is clinically appropriate for your circumstances, including the gestodene-related VTE risk profile when weighed against your individual risk factors.
3. A prescription is issued only if the prescriber determines Femodene is appropriate for you. Completing a consultation does not guarantee a prescription will follow. The prescriber may conclude that a different contraceptive is more suitable, that a face-to-face assessment is needed, or that further information is required. They will communicate this clearly.
4. If a prescription is issued, your medication is dispensed and dispatched by our pharmacy team. Our team is available for any follow-up questions.
5. Repeat supply requires a new consultation each time, to confirm that continued prescribing remains clinically appropriate.

• Store below 25°C.
< li>Keep tablets in the original blister packaging 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.
• Return unused tablets to your pharmacist for safe disposal. Do not dispose of medicines via wastewater or household waste.

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. This table is a clinical reference, not a recommendation.

Combined Oral Contraceptive Tablets (Monophasic)

Monophasic combined pills contain the same dose of both hormones in every active tablet. The table below compares commonly prescribed monophasic combined oral contraceptives by progestogen type, oestrogen dose, VTE risk category, pack format, and key clinical characteristics.

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 provide a clinically responsible and confidential route to prescription contraception, including combined pills such as Femodene. Every prescription issued through our platform follows a genuine individual clinical assessment by a registered prescriber.

We take the risk profile of every medicine seriously. For a gestodene-containing combined pill, that means a thorough assessment of your VTE risk factors as part of every consultation. If Femodene is not appropriate for you, your prescriber will say so. Our team will support you in finding an alternative wherever possible. Accessible healthcare and safe healthcare are not competing priorities.

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

• Bayer plc. Femodene film-coated tablets – Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: www.medicines.org.uk/emc. Accessed May 2026.
• Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH). Combined Hormonal Contraception – Clinical Guidance. Available at: www.fsrh.org. Accessed May 2026.
• NHS. Combined pill – your contraception guide. Available at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/combined-contraceptive-pill. Accessed May 2026.
• British National Formulary (BNF). Ethinylestradiol with gestodene. Available at: bnf.nice.org.uk. Accessed May 2026.
• MHRA. Combined hormonal contraceptives and venous thromboembolism – updated guidance. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency. Accessed May 2026.