Eloine
"A low-dose, combined contraceptive pill that’s highly effective in preventing pregnancy. You’ll need an annual blood pressure and weight check to take it. The lower level of oestrogen can mean fewer side effects."
What is Eloine?
Eloine is a low-dose contraceptive pill that contains less oestrogen than the regular combined pill. It's 99% effective when taken correctly.
How does it work?
Eloine birth control contains 28 pills per pack, each with different levels of hormones in them. They’re colour coded to make sure you take them in the right order. There are 24 light pink ‘active pills’ and four ‘inactive pills’, which are white.
The active hormones in the pills are ethinylestradiol and drospirenone. Together they stop eggs from being released (ovulation) and being fertilised.
How to use Eloine
Take one Eloine pill daily for 28 days, at the same time each day.
Each strip contains 24 light pink active tablets and 4 white inactive tablets. You take a light pink tablet every day for 24 days. Then you take a white tablet every day for 4 days, during which time you might get your period. Once complete, you start a new strip of the pills straight away with no break.
You should always start a new strip with the first light pink tablet on the upper left, with arrows showing you which tablets to take next.
Effectiveness
The Eloine contraceptive pill is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy when taken correctly. In cases where it’s not taken exactly as prescribed, it can lead to pregnancy for around 9 out of 100 women. So it’s important to follow advice and instructions.
If you’re vomiting or have severe diarrhoea while taking this pill, you may not be protected against pregnancy. If you can have sex, you should use condoms along with continuing to take the pill as usual. If the vomiting continues for more than 24 hours, follow the same steps as you would for a missed pill.
Important: you should only start taking the Eloine combined pill if you’re certain you aren’t pregnant.
Side effects of Eloine
When taking a low-dose combined pill like Eloine, some women experience more irregular bleeding. It usually settles down in a few months. And as with all medications, some women may experience side effects when taking Eloine. These include headaches, feeling sick, sore breasts, or mood swings.
This pill carries a slightly higher risk of blood clots than others. In rare cases some women will develop them.
For full details of side effects and correct use, please see the Eloine patient information leaflet. And if you’re worried about side effects, including blood clots, you can contact us in your Patient Record.
Product features
99% effective when taken as prescribed
Contains less oestrogen than the regular combined pill
Take one colour coded pill daily with no break
What is Eloine?
Eloine is a low-dose contraceptive pill that contains less oestrogen than the regular combined pill. It's 99% effective when taken correctly.
How does it work?
Eloine birth control contains 28 pills per pack, each with different levels of hormones in them. They’re colour coded to make sure you take them in the right order. There are 24 light pink ‘active pills’ and four ‘inactive pills’, which are white.
The active hormones in the pills are ethinylestradiol and drospirenone. Together they stop eggs from being released (ovulation) and being fertilised.
How to use Eloine
Take one Eloine pill daily for 28 days, at the same time each day.
Each strip contains 24 light pink active tablets and 4 white inactive tablets. You take a light pink tablet every day for 24 days. Then you take a white tablet every day for 4 days, during which time you might get your period. Once complete, you start a new strip of the pills straight away with no break.
You should always start a new strip with the first light pink tablet on the upper left, with arrows showing you which tablets to take next.
Effectiveness
The Eloine contraceptive pill is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy when taken correctly. In cases where it’s not taken exactly as prescribed, it can lead to pregnancy for around 9 out of 100 women. So it’s important to follow advice and instructions.
If you’re vomiting or have severe diarrhoea while taking this pill, you may not be protected against pregnancy. If you can have sex, you should use condoms along with continuing to take the pill as usual. If the vomiting continues for more than 24 hours, follow the same steps as you would for a missed pill.
Important: you should only start taking the Eloine combined pill if you’re certain you aren’t pregnant.
Side effects of Eloine
When taking a low-dose combined pill like Eloine, some women experience more irregular bleeding. It usually settles down in a few months. And as with all medications, some women may experience side effects when taking Eloine. These include headaches, feeling sick, sore breasts, or mood swings.
This pill carries a slightly higher risk of blood clots than others. In rare cases some women will develop them.
For full details of side effects and correct use, please see the Eloine patient information leaflet. And if you’re worried about side effects, including blood clots, you can contact us in your Patient Record.
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Eloine FAQs
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How long does Eloine take to work?
If you start taking Eloine on days 1-5 of your period, this should give you immediate protection against pregnancy.
However, if you start Eloine after day one and you have a short or irregular menstrual cycle, you’ll need to use extra contraception like condoms for 7 days if you have sex. Your clinician can advise on this.
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Does Eloine stop periods?
It’s possible to delay your period if you take 2 packets of Eloine back-to-back without taking the inactive tablets. Our clinicians can advise on delaying your period using contraceptive pills.
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Who can take Eloine?
You shouldn’t take Eloine if you have any of the conditions listed below. Talk to your clinician about your other birth control options and do not use Eloine if:
- You have, or have ever had, a blood clot in a blood vessel of your legs (deep vein thrombosis, DVT), your lungs (pulmonary embolus, PE) or other organs.
- You have a blood clotting disorder.
- You have, or have ever had, a heart attack or stroke.
- You have very high blood pressure.
There are other instances where the pill is not suitable, and our clinicians can advise on this during your online consultation.
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Can I take Eloine while breastfeeding?
If you’re breastfeeding, we advise against taking combined contraceptive pills like Eloine for 6 weeks after giving birth because it can reduce milk supply and may also put you at greater risk of blood clots.
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What if I miss my Eloine pill?
If you miss one of the last 4 tablets in the 4th row of the strip, it doesn’t compromise your contraception. These are placebo pills, which can be discarded.
If you miss a light pink pill (numbered 1–24 in your blister pack), follow these steps:
- If you are less than 24 hours late: Take the missed pill as soon as you remember, then continue taking the remaining pills at your usual time. Your protection against pregnancy will remain intact.
- If you are more than 24 hours late: Your protection may be reduced. The next steps depend on when you last took a pill and your current position in the pill pack. Refer to the patient information leaflet for detailed guidance.
You may need emergency contraception if:
- You’ve had unprotected sex after missing pills.
- You had unprotected sex in the 7 days before the missed pills.
Our clinicians can prescribe emergency contraception, if it’s safe to do so. For full details of correct use and what to do if you miss a pill, please see the Eloine patient information leaflet. If you need more advice you can contact us in your Patient Record.
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Where can I buy Eloine?
As this pill is prescription only, you'll need to consult with a clinician before you can buy the treatment, even if you’re using an online service.
We can prescribe Eloine for you online, for discreet home delivery or you can pick it up from a Well Pharmacy. To make sure it’s safe for you, we'll ask you a few questions including your height, weight and blood pressure.
Start an online consultation. It’s completely confidential and only takes a few minutes.
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Does Eloine cause weight gain?
There’s little evidence to suggest that birth control pills cause you to put on weight. This includes low-dose pills like Eloine. Changes in weight during your cycle could be due to fluid retention, or other reasons that aren’t related to the pill.
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Eloine warnings
Combined contraceptives can cause your blood pressure to rise, which could be dangerous. Your blood pressure needs checking before starting any combined contraceptive, then once a year after that. If you’ve had your blood pressure checked recently, or checked it yourself using a home blood blood pressure monitor, you can give us this information as part of your consultation.
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Eloine drug interactions
You should be able to take Eloine alongside other medications. So that our clinicians can prescribe it safely, you’ll need to let us know which prescription, over-the-counter medicines and recreational drugs you’re taking regularly.
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Alternative Eloine contraception
A low-dose pill like Eloine is just one of a wide range of contraceptives we can advise you on and prescribe. These include NuvaRing, Evra Patch, the contraceptive injection, combined pills and progestogen only pills.
See our full contraception range here.
You can also get long-acting contraceptives through your GP or family planning clinic. These include the coil, implants, and contraceptive injections.
