Qlaira
"A highly effective daily combined contraceptive pill. It varies your hormone levels during your menstrual cycle. To take it, you’ll need an annual blood pressure and weight check. "
What is Qlaira?
The Qlaira pill is a daily combined contraceptive pill that varies your hormone levels during your menstrual cycle. When taken correctly it's 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.
How does it work?
You get 28 pills in each Qlaira pack. There are 4 types of active pill, (2 dark yellow, 5 medium red, 17 light yellow, and 2 dark red) and 2 inactive pills, which are white. Each of the active tablets contains different levels of hormones. For Qlaira to be effective, you need to take the pills in the right order, as the pack makes clear.
The active hormones in Qlaria tablets are estradiol (oestrogen) and dienogest (progestogen). They work to prevent pregnancy by:
- Stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation).
- Thickening the mucus in your cervix to make it harder for sperm to reach an egg.
- Thinning the lining of the womb, so an egg is less likely to implant itself.
How to use Qlaira
Take 1 tablet every day at the same time.
Each strip in the Qlaira pack contains 26 coloured active tablets and 2 white inactive tablets. When you start taking the pills, you use stickers within the pack to take them in order.
You follow the direction of the arrow on the pack wallet until all 28 tablets have been taken. Then you start the next strip the following day. You will usually begin a withdrawal bleed around days 26-28 of the monthly pill cycle.
For full details of correct use, please see the patient information leaflet. If you need more advice you can contact us in your Patient Record.
Effectiveness
If taken correctly, the Qlaira birth control pill is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. 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. So 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 Qlaira if you’re certain you aren’t pregnant.
How long after taking Qlaira are you protected?
Typically, if you take Qlaira on Day 1 of your cycle, you will be protected from pregnancy straight away.
However, If you start taking Qlaira at any other time of your cycle, you should use a barrier method of contraception (such as condoms) for the first 9 days.
Side effects of Qlaira
As with all medications, some women may experience side effects when taking the Qlaira contraceptive pill. These can include feeling sick, stomach pain, sore breasts, irregular bleeding, or headaches. In rare cases, some women develop raised blood pressure or blood clots.
For full details of side effects and correct use, please see the Qlaira 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 you take it correctly
Contains the hormones estradiol (oestrogen) and dienogest (progestogen)
Colour coded pills to help you take them in the right order
What is Qlaira?
The Qlaira pill is a daily combined contraceptive pill that varies your hormone levels during your menstrual cycle. When taken correctly it's 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.
How does it work?
You get 28 pills in each Qlaira pack. There are 4 types of active pill, (2 dark yellow, 5 medium red, 17 light yellow, and 2 dark red) and 2 inactive pills, which are white. Each of the active tablets contains different levels of hormones. For Qlaira to be effective, you need to take the pills in the right order, as the pack makes clear.
The active hormones in Qlaria tablets are estradiol (oestrogen) and dienogest (progestogen). They work to prevent pregnancy by:
- Stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation).
- Thickening the mucus in your cervix to make it harder for sperm to reach an egg.
- Thinning the lining of the womb, so an egg is less likely to implant itself.
How to use Qlaira
Take 1 tablet every day at the same time.
Each strip in the Qlaira pack contains 26 coloured active tablets and 2 white inactive tablets. When you start taking the pills, you use stickers within the pack to take them in order.
You follow the direction of the arrow on the pack wallet until all 28 tablets have been taken. Then you start the next strip the following day. You will usually begin a withdrawal bleed around days 26-28 of the monthly pill cycle.
For full details of correct use, please see the patient information leaflet. If you need more advice you can contact us in your Patient Record.
Effectiveness
If taken correctly, the Qlaira birth control pill is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. 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. So 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 Qlaira if you’re certain you aren’t pregnant.
How long after taking Qlaira are you protected?
Typically, if you take Qlaira on Day 1 of your cycle, you will be protected from pregnancy straight away.
However, If you start taking Qlaira at any other time of your cycle, you should use a barrier method of contraception (such as condoms) for the first 9 days.
Side effects of Qlaira
As with all medications, some women may experience side effects when taking the Qlaira contraceptive pill. These can include feeling sick, stomach pain, sore breasts, irregular bleeding, or headaches. In rare cases, some women develop raised blood pressure or blood clots.
For full details of side effects and correct use, please see the Qlaira patient information leaflet. And if you’re worried about side effects, including blood clots, you can contact us in your Patient Record.
Select a medication and complete our simple, confidential online consultation
A clinician will review your answers and, if suitable, prescribe treatment
Choose next-day delivery, or click & collect from your local pharmacy
Qlaira FAQs
-
How long does Qlaira take to work?
Typically, if you take Qlaira on Day 1 of your cycle, you will be protected from pregnancy straight away.
However, If you start taking Qlaira at any other time of your cycle, you should use a barrier method of contraception (such as condoms) for the first 9 days.
-
Does Qlaira stop periods?
During the first few months of taking Qlaira, you may experience some unexpected bleeding. 1 in 10 women who take it get no periods, painful periods, or heavy, irregular bleeding.
-
Who can take Qlaira?
You should talk to your clinician about alternative birth control options and not take Qlaira 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.
-
Can I take Qlaira while breastfeeding?
During the first six weeks breastfeeding after birth, Qlaira can reduce milk supply and may also put you at greater risk of blood clots.
Our clinicians can recommend alternative forms of birth control. We can then prescribe alternatives from a wide range of contraceptives if suitable.
Remember that breastfeeding might not stop you getting pregnant.
-
What if I miss my Qlaira pill?
Depending on the day of your menstrual cycle the active tablet has been missed, you may need to take additional contraceptive precautions, for example a barrier method such as a condom.
If you are less than 12 hours late when taking a tablet, the protection against pregnancy is not reduced. Take the tablet as soon as you remember and then continue taking the tablets again at the usual time.
If you are more than 12 hours late taking a tablet, the protection against pregnancy may be reduced. What you do next depends on when you last took your pill and what stage you're at in your pill packet.
If you miss an inactive pill, you can throw away the missed pill and continue taking the rest of the pills as normal. The white pills at end of the packet are inactive, they do not contain any active hormones.
For full details of correct use and what to do if you miss a pill, please see the Qlaira patient information leaflet. If you need more advice you can contact us in your Patient Record.
-
Where can I buy Qlaira?
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 Qlaira for you online, for discreet home delivery or to pick up from your nearest Well pharmacy. To make sure it’s safe for you, we'll ask you a series of questions including your height, weight and blood pressure. Start an online consultation. It’ll only take a few minutes and is completely confidential.
-
What to do if I get Qlaira side effects
As with all medications, some women may experience side effects when taking Qlaira. You should talk to your doctor if you get any side effects that you think are from taking Qlaira, especially if they’re severe and persistent.
-
Qlaira warnings
Combined contraceptives can raise your blood pressure, which can be dangerous. So, it’s important to check your blood pressure before starting the treatment, then once a year after that.
As part of your consultation, we’ll ask you if you’ve had your blood pressure checked recently, or checked it yourself at home using a blood pressure monitor. This information is required before we can prescribe combined contraceptives like Qlaira.
Taking any combined hormonal contraceptive increases your risk of blood clots in your veins (venous thromboembolism) or arteries (arterial thromboembolism).
Qlaira won’t protect you against sexually transmitted infections like Chlamydia or HIV. Only condoms can help with this.
-
Qlaira drug interactions
You should be able to take Qlaira 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.
-
Alternative Qlaira contraception
A combination pill like Qlaira 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.
