Lucette

Lucette is a combined oral contraceptive pill used to prevent pregnancy. It contains synthetic versions of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. It can also help improve other issues like heavy periods or acne.

You can buy Lucette online from Boots Online Doctor.

Find out more about our contraceptive pill service.

Lucette is a hormonal contraceptive pill used to help prevent pregnancy.

Lucette is a combined contraceptive pill. It contains synthetic oestrogen (0.03mg ethinylestradiol) and progesterone (3mg drospirenone).

It protects you from pregnancy by stopping your body from ovulating (releasing eggs). It also makes it harder for sperm to reach an egg and for an egg to implant in the womb.

Lucette comes in strips of 21 tablets. Each tablet is marked with the day of the week it should be taken on. Take one pill at the same time each day for 21 days until you finish an entire strip.

After finishing the strip, you should take a break for seven days. About 2-3 days after stopping, you may experience some bleeding. Regardless of the timing of your withdrawal bleed, start the next 21-day strip after this seven-day break has ended.

Each tablet contains 0.03mg ethinylestradiol and 3mg drospirenone.

When used perfectly, without missing any pills, the chance of becoming pregnant while taking Lucette is less than 1% (i.e. less than 1 woman out of 100 will become pregnant during their first year of taking Lucette). Most people struggle to take the pill perfectly though and typical failure rates are actually 5% in the first year. The chance of becoming pregnant increases with each missed pill during a menstrual cycle.

If you forget to take your pill, or have a sickness with diarrhoea or vomiting, you’re at risk of pregnancy. Find out more about what to do if you miss your pill.

Taking emergency contraception (the morning after pill) can also impact the effectiveness of Lucette.

All contraceptive pills may come with some side effects. These should go away as your body adjusts to the pill.

Some common side effects you may experience when taking Lucette are:

• Nausea or stomach ache
• Mood changes
• Breast tenderness
• Unusual vaginal bleeding between periods

If you’re still experiencing side effects after three months, please get in touch with us through your online patient record. We may be able to suggest you try a different contraceptive pill.

Please see your GP or contact us if you experience vaginal bleeding after sex or a significant change to your bleeding pattern that doesn’t settle within six weeks.

Very rarely the combined pill can cause serious side effects. These include blood clots, heart attack and stroke. It is important to know your blood pressure is normal before you take this pill as increasing blood pressure can increase these risks.

Check your blood pressure before starting the combined pill and every year while you’re on it. It should stay under 140/90. Please get your blood pressure checked in Boots, by using your own blood pressure monitor or at your GP practice. Message us via your patient record if you’re having difficulty with this.

For more information on Lucette and its side effects, please read the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with your pill.

Lucette has a slightly higher risk of blood clots than other pills and would therefore not be our first recommendation if there are other suitable pills.

If you’re pregnant, you should not take Lucette or other contraceptive pills. If you become pregnant while taking Lucette, you should stop taking it straight away.

If you’re breastfeeding within the first 6 weeks after giving birth, you should not take Lucette.

If you’re over 35 and smoke, have a BMI above 35 or have certain medical conditions, we wouldn’t recommend Lucette for you. It’s vital that you tell us your full medical history and the details of any other medicines and supplements you’re taking during your online questionnaire. This way we can make sure we prescribe Lucette only if suitable for you.

There are many different contraceptive pills to choose from. Each body is different and you may find some contraceptive pills are more suitable for you. If you’re having trouble with side effects or want to explore the different options, get in touch with us and we can help. If the combined pill isn’t suitable for you, we can also offer progesterone-only contraceptive pills

Find out more about oral contraceptive pills.

Other contraceptive methods, such as long-acting implants, coils (hormonal or copper) or injections, may be worth considering. You should be able to access these through your GP service or local family planning clinic.

You might also want to consider barrier methods of contraception, such as male or female condoms. These work by creating a barrier to block sperm from reaching an egg. You can buy condoms from Boots or speak to your regular GP or sexual health centre about other barrier contraception.

Lucette is a contraceptive pill and is prescribed to prevent pregnancy, or help with heavy periods or acne.

You can take Lucette packs back-to-back if you’d like to delay your period or have fewer periods. It’s not a good idea to do this for more than three packs in a row though as you may start to experience breakthrough bleeding.

If you’re looking for something specifically to delay your period, find out what treatments we can offer.

If you start taking Lucette during the first five days of your period, you should be protected from pregnancy straight away. This could vary though depending on your cycle length and whether you’re swapping from a different contraceptive pill. Talk to us via your online patient record for more advice on this.

If you start the pill at any other time in your menstrual cycle, make sure to use condoms as well for the first seven days to prevent pregnancy.

You’ll need a prescription in order to get Lucette, or any other contraceptive pill. You can buy Lucette online from Boots Online Doctor. Fill out our simple online questionnaire and one of our friendly, experienced clinicians will be able to prescribe you Lucette if suitable for you.

No appointment or waiting time, just the contraception you need, when you need it.

Find out more about our contraceptive pill service.