Millinette tablets

Two Strengths, One Progestogen

Millinette is a combined oral contraceptive pill licensed in the United Kingdom for the prevention of pregnancy. It comes in two formulations – Millinette 20/75 and Millinette 30/75 – both containing gestodene 75 micrograms as the progestogen, but differing in their oestrogen content. Millinette 20/75 delivers ethinylestradiol 20 micrograms per tablet; Millinette 30/75 delivers 30 micrograms. Both are monophasic preparations, meaning every active tablet in the pack carries an identical hormone dose throughout the 21-day course. Millinette is manufactured by Consilient Health Ltd. Millinette 20/75 is the generic equivalent of Femodette; Millinette 30/75 is the generic equivalent of Femodene. Both are Prescription Only Medicines and require a clinical consultation with a registered prescriber before they can be supplied.

Millinette is a film-coated monophasic combined oral contraceptive tablet. The two available preparations are:

1. Millinette 20/75: ethinylestradiol 20 micrograms + gestodene 75 micrograms per tablet
2. Millinette 30/75: ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms + gestodene 75 micrograms per tablet

The progestogen – gestodene – is the same in both preparations. Gestodene is a third-generation synthetic progestogen. The clinical variable between the two packs is the oestrogen dose. This distinction matters in practice: some women tolerate 20 micrograms of oestrogen better than 30 micrograms, experiencing fewer oestrogen-related effects such as nausea or breast fullness. Others find that the 20 microgram preparation produces more irregular spotting and that the 30 microgram strength gives them a more predictable cycle pattern. Neither strength is categorically preferable; prescriber judgement and individual response determine which is most appropriate.

Both Millinette preparations are generic equivalents of branded Bayer products that share the same active ingredients. Millinette 20/75 is equivalent to Femodette; Millinette 30/75 is equivalent to Femodene. Women are routinely dispensed Millinette when the branded equivalent is unavailable, without any change in contraceptive content. All four preparations are considered clinically interchangeable within their respective strength pairs under FSRH and NHS prescribing guidance.

Preventing Egg Release

Ethinylestradiol and gestodene act together on the pituitary gland to suppress the hormonal signals that would normally cause an ovary to release an egg. Follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone are both inhibited. Without the luteinising hormone surge, no egg is released. This ovulation-suppressing effect is the primary and dominant contraceptive mechanism of Millinette and of all combined oral contraceptives.

Thickening Cervical Mucus

Gestodene alters the consistency of cervical mucus, making it thicker and less permeable to sperm. Even if ovulation were not fully suppressed on a given cycle, this secondary mechanism reduces the chance of sperm reaching an egg.

Changing the Uterine Lining

The combined hormone environment also changes the endometrial lining of the uterus, making it less hospitable to implantation. This third mechanism adds further contraceptive security, though in practice it is the ovulation suppression that carries the most clinical weight.

The Withdrawal Bleed

After 21 days of active tablets, stopping the pill allows circulating oestrogen and progestogen to fall. This hormone drop triggers a withdrawal bleed during the seven-day break. The bleed is not a true menstrual period. It is a pharmacological consequence of hormone withdrawal and is typically lighter and shorter than a natural period. The break must be exactly seven days. If it extends beyond seven days, ovarian follicle activity can resume before the next course of tablets re-establishes suppression.

When to Begin

1. Day 1 of your period: start with the first tablet on the first day of bleeding. Protection is immediate.
2. Days 2 to 5 of your period: start within the first five days of your cycle. Use a barrier method for the first seven days.
3. Switching from another combined pill: begin Millinette the day after your last active tablet from the previous pack. There is no gap and protection continues.
4. Switching from a progestogen-only pill: you may start on any day. Use a barrier method for the first seven days.

Taking the Tablets

Take one tablet at the same time every day for 21 consecutive days. After the 21st tablet, observe a seven-day break. Resume the next pack on day 29. Start on time regardless of whether the withdrawal bleed has ended.

1. Swallow each tablet whole with a glass of water.
2. Daily consistency in timing helps maintain stable blood levels of both hormones.
3. Never extend the break beyond seven days. A longer gap raises the risk of ovulation before the next pack begins.
4. If you vomit within two hours of a tablet, or experience severe diarrhoea, the dose may not have been fully absorbed. Treat it as a missed pill.

If You Miss a Tablet

1. Under 24 hours late: take the missed tablet as soon as you remember and continue at the usual time. You remain protected.
2. More than 24 hours late: take the missed tablet immediately, then take the next one at the usual time, even if this means two tablets on the same day. Use a barrier method for the following seven days.
3. Two or more missed tablets in a row: take only the most recently missed tablet; discard any earlier missed ones. Continue the pack and use barrier contraception for seven days. If the missed tablets fell in week one of the pack and unprotected sex occurred during that period, seek advice from your prescriber or pharmacist about emergency contraception without delay.

Millinette 20/75

1. Ethinylestradiol 20 micrograms + gestodene 75 micrograms per active tablet
2. 21 active tablets per pack; no inactive placebo tablets
3. Monophasic: every active tablet delivers the same dose
4. Generic equivalent of Femodette (Bayer plc)
5. Lower oestrogen dose; may suit women who experience nausea, headache, or breast tenderness on 30 mcg preparations

Millinette 30/75

1. Ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms + gestodene 75 micrograms per active tablet
2. 21 active tablets per pack; no inactive placebo tablets
3. Monophasic: every active tablet delivers the same dose
4. Generic equivalent of Femodene (Bayer plc)
5. Standard oestrogen dose; may suit women who experience irregular breakthrough bleeding on the 20 mcg preparation

Regimen

One tablet daily at the same time for 21 consecutive days, followed by a seven-day tablet-free interval. The dose is fixed; no titration or escalation is involved. Your prescriber will confirm both the appropriate strength and the correct starting day for your circumstances.

The information below reflects the current UK SmPC for Millinette. Side effects vary between individuals; many women experience none at all. Read the Patient Information Leaflet supplied with your pack in full before starting.

Common Side Effects

• Headache
• Nausea, more frequent in the first few weeks of use
• Breast tenderness or discomfort
• Mood changes including low mood or irritability
• Reduced libido
• Irregular spotting or changes to the withdrawal bleed, particularly in the first one to three cycles
• Changes in vaginal discharge

Less Common Side Effects

• Weight changes
• Contact lens intolerance caused by changes in corneal curvature or moisture levels
• Chloasma: patches of darker skin, most often on the face, aggravated by sun exposure

Serious Side Effects: Get Urgent Help If You Experience

• Sudden chest pain, breathlessness, or coughing up blood: these may signal a blood clot in the lungs or a heart attack.
• Pain, redness, swelling, or warmth in one leg: this may signal a deep vein thrombosis.
• Sudden severe headache, loss or blurring of vision, slurred speech, or weakness on one side of the body: these may signal a stroke.
• Acute severe abdominal pain: this may signal a liver complication or ectopic pregnancy.
• Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes: this may signal jaundice or liver dysfunction.

Blood Clot Risk

All combined oral contraceptives increase VTE risk above the baseline for women using no hormonal contraception. Gestodene-containing pills including both strengths of Millinette sit in a higher VTE risk category than levonorgestrel-containing pills, and carry a broadly similar risk to other third-generation combined pills containing desogestrel or drospirenone. Reducing the oestrogen dose from 30 to 20 micrograms does not reduce the gestodene-associated VTE risk category. Both strengths of Millinette carry the same gestodene-driven risk profile. Your prescriber evaluates your individual risk factors, including BMI, smoking status, personal and family history of clotting, and planned periods of immobility, before prescribing.

Medicines That Can Interfere

Enzyme-inducing medicines accelerate the breakdown of ethinylestradiol and gestodene in the body, reducing hormone levels and contraceptive reliability:

• Rifampicin and rifabutin
• Antiepileptic medicines: phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, primidone, topiramate
• HIV antiretrovirals: ritonavir, efavirenz, and others
• St John's Wort, sold without prescription

Declare every medicine, supplement, and herbal remedy at each consultation. If an enzyme-inducing medicine is introduced while you are taking Millinette, your prescriber will advise whether additional contraception is needed or whether a switch to a different method is more appropriate.

Millinette Is Not Suitable If You:

• Have ever had a blood clot: DVT, pulmonary embolism, stroke, or heart attack
• Experience migraine with aura: this is an absolute contraindication for all oestrogen-containing combined pills, regardless of oestrogen dose or strength
• Have blood pressure that is consistently high and not controlled
• Have active or past liver disease, liver tumours, or jaundice that occurred during previous pill use
• Have a current or previous diagnosis of breast cancer or a hormone-sensitive malignancy
• Are pregnant or have reason to believe you may be
• Are breastfeeding a baby younger than six weeks
• Smoke cigarettes and are aged 35 or older
• Have diabetes with established vascular complications

Millinette May Be Appropriate If You:

• Are a healthy adult woman with no contraindications to combined hormonal contraception
• Are already prescribed Femodette and your pharmacy is dispensing Millinette 20/75 as the generic equivalent
• Are already prescribed Femodene and your pharmacy is dispensing Millinette 30/75 as the generic equivalent
• Are being considered for the lower oestrogen strength (20/75) following a clinical review of oestrogen-related side effects on a 30 mcg combined pill
• Have no personal or family history of blood clots, stroke, or significant cardiovascular disease

Discuss With Your Prescriber Before Starting If You:

• Smoke and are under 35. Smoking at any age raises cardiovascular risk when combined with oestrogen-containing contraception.
• Have a BMI above 30. Raised BMI is an independent VTE risk factor.
• Have a parent or sibling who developed a blood clot before the age of 50. This may indicate an inherited clotting tendency.
• Experience migraine without aura. Individual clinical assessment is required.
• Are about to take a long-haul flight or face extended bed rest. Both independently raise clot risk.
• Have a history of depression or are currently receiving treatment for a mood disorder.

Pharmacy Planet is a GPhC registered UK online pharmacy. Every prescription we issue follows a clinical consultation read by a registered prescriber. For Millinette, the prescriber makes two connected clinical decisions: whether a gestodene-containing combined pill is appropriate for you, and which of the two oestrogen strengths best fits your individual circumstances.

Your consultation questionnaire covers your health history, current medicines, smoking status, BMI, family history relevant to blood clots and cardiovascular health, and your previous experience with hormonal contraception. The prescriber uses those answers to assess your risk profile, weigh the gestodene VTE consideration against your personal factors, and determine which strength, if any, is clinically appropriate for you. The outcome might be a prescription for Millinette 20/75, a prescription for Millinette 30/75, a recommendation for a different combined pill or contraceptive method, or a request for additional information or an in-person review. Submitting a questionnaire does not determine the outcome; the prescriber does.

Repeat supply prescriptions follow the same individual review process. There is no automatic renewal at Pharmacy Planet.

• Store below 25°C. Avoid leaving packs near radiators, in direct sunlight, or in humid spaces such as a bathroom cabinet.
• Keep tablets in the original foil blister strip until you are ready to take them. The foil protects from moisture and lets you track which tablets have been taken.
• Store out of reach and sight of children at all times.
• Check the expiry date printed on the carton before use. Do not take tablets past their expiry date.
• Return any unused or out-of-date tablets to any UK pharmacy. Pharmacies accept returned medicines for safe disposal at no charge under Duty of Care regulations. Do not flush tablets or place them in 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.

Millinette requires a decision that goes beyond simply choosing a pill: your prescriber must also determine which of two oestrogen strengths is more appropriate for your health profile and contraceptive history. That is a clinical judgement that cannot be made accurately without a thorough review of your individual circumstances.

At Pharmacy Planet, a registered prescriber reads every consultation individually and takes responsibility for the prescribing decision. If neither strength of Millinette is clinically appropriate for you, you will be told so directly, along with a clear explanation and, where possible, a direction towards a more suitable option. That is what a responsible prescribing service looks like.

Our GPhC registration can be checked independently at www.pharmacyregulation.org. The Internet Pharmacy logo on our website confirms our status as a verified, regulated UK online pharmacy. Our pharmacy team is available to answer questions about either strength of Millinette at any point in the consultation or after dispensing.

• Consilient Health Ltd. Millinette 20/75 and Millinette 30/75 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.