Microgynon to rigevidon - looking for reassurance!

MissSarah151

Hi everyone

I've been on microgynon for around 8 years - went for my prescription the other day and got rigevidon instead and made the classic mistake of googling it and of course got all the scare stories of how everything was fine on microgynon and rigevidon is terrible!

My understanding of it was rigevidon is exactly the same as microgynon - just not branded therefore cheaper - just like buying (insert a supermarket name here) ibruprofen rather than buying nurofen - is this correct?

I can almost feel myself talking myself into experiencing side effects!

Sarah

aridjis

Do you happen to still have the leaflet or box for your microgynon pills? You could go thru the ingredients and see if the two match exactly or if there are differences.

I used to take Microgynon, shame they're not doing it anymore, it was a really trouble-free Pill. Obviously not for everybody, but I think a lot of women got on well with it.

MissSarah151

panagia wrote: »

Do you happen to still have the leaflet or box for your microgynon pills? You could go thru the ingredients and see if the two match exactly or if there are differences.

I used to take Microgynon, shame they're not doing it anymore, it was a really trouble-free Pill. Obviously not for everybody, but I think a lot of women got on well with it.

Thanks for your reply I know, it was trouble free for me too - I'm not sure if it is vanishing altogether or if rigevidon is just cheaper so being prescribed instead.

I have a box for microgynon but the leaflet for some reason has vanished - good thinking though because I am sure you can get these online. The hormones and dose is the same, which I am guessing means it is like the ibuprofen and nurofen example!

I shouldn't have googled it in the first place!

Sarah

fatpat

My nurse prescribed me this too instead of microgynon. She explained that it was the same ingredients and the only reason for the switch was because it was cheaper. I've been taking it for nine months now and not had a problem with it, so I'd imagine you should be fine!

MissSarah151

fatpat wrote: »

My nurse prescribed me this too instead of microgynon. She explained that it was the same ingredients and the only reason for the switch was because it was cheaper. I've been taking it for nine months now and not had a problem with it, so I'd imagine you should be fine!

Thank you that has made me feel a lot better, that's what I thought but the horror stories started to get me worried, even though I know I shouldn't be worried - because people normally only post the negatives, and I've never had problems on the pill before!

Sarah

Seebeebies

I've just found this thread by doing the exact same thing- googling rigevidon and terrifying myself with the horror stories! I've been on microgynon for about 18 months and have just been prescribed with rigevidon today. Did you end up coping OK with it? And is there anyone else out there who's changed and found it OK?

MissSarah151

Hi Seebeebies,

Nope - I actually ended up coming off it a couple of months ago! I'd calmed down about it after reading it was the same hormones etc and then I started getting migraine - I occasionally had what I called a 'hormone headache' but it wasn't migraine and had no aura - but with ridevidon I started getting really sensitive to smells which made me feel so sick (100% not pregnant!) before the headache which was one sided and came a couple of times a month. In addition my skin started to flare up which I've never had before, not even as a teenager, it wasn't anything terrible but little spots appearing under the skin which I am not prone to. On top of that just felt really 'hormonal' and upset most of the time which again is not like me! I was on migrogynon for 8 years so I wasn't just adjusting to 'a' pill.

So I trotted off down to the doctors because I started to worry about the head realising it was migraine and was told to come off and from now on the combined pill is not for me.

I know the hormone ingredients are the same and same quantity - so maybe I wasn't suited to something else in it - the coating (doesn't taste as nice as microgynon anyway!) or something because I do have allergies - but I don't know because others have felt the same as me.

Sorry - I know that won't have been the answer you were hoping for! If you're really unhappy about taking it you should maybe have a chat with you're doctor -from what I have read microgynon still exists and isn't going anywhere - just rigevidon is cheaper so they might put you back on.

Sarah

MissSarah151

Hi Seebeebies,

Nope - I actually ended up coming off it a couple of months ago! I'd calmed down about it after reading it was the same hormones etc and then I started getting migraine - I occasionally had what I called a 'hormone headache' but it wasn't migraine and had no aura - but with ridevidon I started getting really sensitive to smells which made me feel so sick (100% not pregnant!) before the headache which was one sided and came a couple of times a month. In addition my skin started to flare up which I've never had before, not even as a teenager, it wasn't anything terrible but little spots appearing under the skin which I am not prone to. On top of that just felt really 'hormonal' and upset most of the time which again is not like me! I was on migrogynon for 8 years so I wasn't just adjusting to 'a' pill.

So I trotted off down to the doctors because I started to worry about the head realising it was migraine and was told to come off and from now on the combined pill is not for me.

I know the hormone ingredients are the same and same quantity - so maybe I wasn't suited to something else in it - the coating (doesn't taste as nice as microgynon anyway!) or something because I do have allergies - but I don't know because others have felt the same as me.

Sorry - I know that won't have been the answer you were hoping for! If you're really unhappy about taking it you should maybe have a chat with you're doctor -from what I have read microgynon still exists and isn't going anywhere - just rigevidon is cheaper so they might put you back on.

Sarah

CupOfChai

I had this several months ago too and I've been completely fine on it, never noticed any difference.

It threw me too though, I do wish they'd tell you instead of it just appearing when you pick up your prescription! I thought they'd made a mistake and given me the wrong thing!

CupOfChai

I had this several months ago too and I've been completely fine on it, never noticed any difference.

It threw me too though, I do wish they'd tell you instead of it just appearing when you pick up your prescription! I thought they'd made a mistake and given me the wrong thing!

ellay864

The twp products have exactly the same active drugs in them but there are some slight differences in the inactive materials that are also included. But they're unlikely to account for the horror stories, that's more down to people thinking they will be different and convincing themselves they are. Kind of like when you see food packaging change you can convince yourself the recipe is different!
People on forums that focus on drug treatments are often likely to be only to happy to share (and exaggerate) any bad stories but you never get people saying how good a treatment was. Googling can be really bad for your health in that way. if you want to find out about drugs look for the Uk approved prescribing information, you can find this by googling eMC (electronic medicines compendium) and then searching on the drug. This will give you the prescribing information made available to doctors (the SmPC, summary of product characteristics) which can be quite lengthy, and the PIL (patient Information leaflet) which is what you get in the packs and is written in lay language. Read those, see what's in your drug and the recognised side effects (which for any contraceptive will be quite scary anyway!) and ignore all the scaremongering on random sites!