Zoely

Zoely is a combined contraceptive pill that prevents pregnancy. It is over 99% effective when taken correctly. It works by changing your hormone levels, which affects your monthly cycle.

Zoely is different from other pills because it contains estradiol, which is a more natural form of oestrogen. Most common pill brands, like Microgynon or Yasmin, contain ethinylestradiol.

Before Zoely, Qlaira was the only pill available with natural oestrogen. However, unlike Qlaira, Zoely is monophasic. This means the dose of hormones in each pill is the same.

You can buy Zoely online at euroClinix with free next-day delivery, meaning you never have to go without it.

Zoely prevents pregnancy by changing your hormone levels. This prevents the things that need to happen for a pregnancy, including:

• Ovulation - your ovaries release an egg into the womb to be fertilised.
• Womb lining thickening to prepare to implant the fertilised egg.
• Cervical mucus thinning to make it easier for the sperm to enter the womb.

Throughout your menstrual cycle, the levels of sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone rise and fall to trigger these different reproductive processes.

However, when you take the pill, hormone levels remain stable, which means none of these critical processes ever happen and therefore you cannot get pregnant.

Zoely is also an everyday pill, which means you don’t take a pill-free break. Instead, you take 4 placebo pills, which contain no hormones and are what causes a withdrawal bleed. This is beneficial if you have trouble remembering to start your pill again after the break.

It also has additional benefits, such as:

• it can reduce acne
• it can reduce symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
• may protect against pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• it makes your period regular, lighter and less painful
• can help reduce symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome or endometriosis

Some factors mean Zoely may not be safe for you to take, as you may be at an increased risk of side effects.

If you have multiple of the following risk factors, you should not use Zoely. Discuss other options with your doctor.

Risk factors include if you:

• are over the age of 40
• smoke and are over the age of 35
• quit smoking a year beforehand and are over 35 years old
• a history or higher risk of breast cancer
• are very overweight (a BMI of 30 or above)
• had or have had blood clots
• have had stroke
• heart disease or abnormality (e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol or angina)
• diabetes
• gallbladder disease
• breast cancer
• have severe migraine
• have undiagnosed vaginal bleeding

Do not take Zoely if you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are allergic to any of the ingredients.

If you’re not sure, always ask a healthcare professional or read the patient leaflet for the full list of risk factors.

If you take any other medicines, ask your doctor if it is okay to take Zoely with those medicines. Some medicines can cause side effects or make Zoely not work as well when taken together.

Speak to your doctor if you take:

• medicines for epilepsy
• medicines for tuberculosis
• medicines for HIV
• medicines for hepatitis C
• St. John’s wort (a herbal medicine)
• ketoconazole (an antifungal)

You may need to use a non-hormonal contraceptive if you need to take one of these medicines. Ask your doctor if you’re unsure.

Zoely contains 28 pills in each strip: 24 active pills and 4 inactive pills.

• The active pills contain the hormones estradiol (oestrogen) and nomegestrol acetate (progesterone). They are white tablets.
• The inactive pills don’t contain any hormones and are yellow tablets.

Start by taking the 24 active pills each day. After finishing the active pills, immediately continue taking the inactive pills. Do not take a pill-free break. Once you have finished a pill strip, start the next strip.

You must take each pill at roughly the same time each day to ensure it's effective. Missing or taking a pill late could impact your protection.

When should I start Zoely?

You should start taking Zoely tablets between the first and fifth days of your menstrual cycle. This means they will be effective immediately. If you start taking Zoely at any other time, you will need to use barrier contraception (e.g. condoms) for at least 7 days.

Can I delay my period on Zoely?

Yes, you can delay your period on Zoely. You can do so by skipping the yellow inactive pills and taking the sets of white pills back to back. It’s perfectly safe to do, but you may experience breakthrough bleeding if you skip multiple bleeds in a row.

What you do if you miss a pill will depend on how long it has been since your last pill.

• If it has been less than 24 hours since your last pill, you should still be protected. Take the missed pill as soon as possible and take the next pill at the correct time.
• If it has been more than 24 hours since your last pill OR you have missed more than one pill, your protection may be affected. Take the missed pill(s) as soon as possible and use additional contraception for at least 7 days.

If you miss an inactive tablet, your protection will not be affected. Throw away the remaining inactive tablets and continue taking the white active tablets at your usual time.

What happens if I vomit or have diarrhoea on the pill?

Vomiting within 3-4 hours of taking a white tablet or having severe diarrhoea can increase the risk of becoming pregnant. If this happens, take an active pill within 24 hours. If you continue to be sick/have diarrhoea or you don’t take a new pill within 24 hours, treat it as a missed pill.

There is a risk of side effects when using any medication, especially with hormonal contraceptives. However, most side effects are mild and should go away once your body has adjusted to the hormones.

Common side effects include:

Serious side effects are rare. Less than 1 in every 1,000 Zoely users experience complications such as blood clots (thrombosis), heart attacks or stroke. Your doctor will advise you don’t take this treatment if you are at high risk of these complications.

While unlikely, if you see any concerning symptoms whilst using this medication like leg swelling, shortness of breath or muscle weakness, you must seek immediate medical attention.

For a full list of side effects, please refer to the patient information leaflet.

Zoely is available to order online safely and securely at euroClinix. Our service is certified safe by the MHRA, GMC and GPhC.

Our ordering process is simple. Complete the online consultation form and wait for one of our doctors to review it. This helps us get a better understanding of your health. If approved, your treatment will be dispensed by our pharmacy and sent with free next-day delivery.