Zoely is a branded oral contraceptive, a combined birth control pill developed and marketed in the UK by Merck Sharp and Dohme pharmaceutical company. As a hormonal treatment, Zoely works to prevent pregnancy by introducing synthetic hormones estradiol and nomegestrol acetate into the female body, thus supplementing the levels of naturally occurring sex-hormones oestrogen and progesterone. By changing the levels of sex hormones detected by the body, Zoely will interfere with the processes that the female body goes through every month to prepare itself for the potential pregnancy. Zoely’s active ingredients are thus bioequivalent to naturally occurring sex hormones.
What’s on this page?
How reliable is Zoely?
Just like most birth control pills available on the UK market, Zoely is advertised as 99% effective in preventing conception when used properly. The mechanism of action and the active ingredient Zoely relies on to achieve its task have been proven time and time again and are well known in the medical community. But, in order to keep the levels of protection as high as possible, you should make sure to take this birth control pill exactly as instructed by your prescriber and in line with the official guidelines provided in the patient information leaflet that is issued within every pack of Zoely.
What can reduce efficiency of Zoely?
However, it is important to note that there are several scenarios where the efficiency of Zoely might be compromised. Aside from already implied dangers of missing a dose and improper use of the birth control treatment, there is also a risk of drug interactions. Certain medications and remedies have been proven to negatively impact the efficiency of oral contraceptives, so it is of uttermost importance to use additional barrier contraceptive during the periods when Zoely reliability might have been compromised by other medications you might be taking at the same moment. The substances in question include:
- Epilepsy treatments
- HIV or AIDS medications
- High blood pressure drugs
- St John’s wort
- Ciclosporin
- Lamotrigine
Can I buy Zoely online in the UK?
Birth control pills are prescription-only medications in the UK, meaning they can be legally obtained only with a valid medical prescription issued by a certified medical professional. Luckily, this is no obstacle to buying Zoely online, from the comfort of your own home and using just your PC or smartphone. This is so thanks to a number of online clinics operating within the United Kingdom and offering their customers the service of online consultations with a doctor.
If you decide to buy Zoely online, you can do so fairly easily, but you will most likely be asked to fill in a detailed and customised medical questionnaire prior to getting a prescription. The doctor will use the information obtained in such a way to determine your suitability for taking Zoely. If everything checks out, the prescription will be issued and used that same moment to have the medication sent from the partner pharmacy to the address you provided.
How to take Zoely?
As was mentioned, taking Zoely exactly as instructed by your prescriber and in line with the guidelines presented in the patient information leaflet is the only way to ensure success and optimal levels of protection. Doing this is not that difficult. You simply need to make sure that you aren’t skipping any pills and that you are following the course of the treatment that involves taking one pill daily, each day at the same time, and in a correct sequence.
One strip of Zoely contains 28 tablets, so a tablet is taken on every day of the monthly cycle, without breaks (unlike so-called 21-day pills). However, out of those 28 tablets, 24 are active and 4 are inactive. The differences in the levels of synthetic hormones between them are indicated by different colours of the pills and also by the arrows and the labels on the strip that can be very helpful in keeping track of your treatment and ensuring you are taking Zoely tablets in the correct order.
What are Zoely side effects?
As is the case with most contraceptive pills available on the UK market, Zoely also comes with a risk of causing certain side effects in women who are especially susceptible to them. It is very important to get familiar with these unwanted adverse effects prior to commencing treatment because you should be able to differentiate between those side effects which might require you to halt treatment and seek immediate medical attention and those which might be uncomfortable, but not really dangerous.
The first group includes all signs and symptoms which might be indicative of the following:
- Allergic reaction
- Blood clot
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Liver disease
If you notice any of these, you should immediately contact your doctor or the local emergency service.
Other documented side effects include:
| Frequency of occurrence | Side effects |
| Very common (1 in 10 women or more) | Irregular periods, acne
|
| Common (1 in 10 women or less) | Loss of libido, depression, headaches, migraines, nausea, heavy menstrual periods, weight fluctuations, breast pain, pelvic pain |
| Uncommon (1 in 100 women) | Increased appetite, fluid retention, flushing, swelling of the abdomen, increased perspiration, hair loss, itching, dry or oily skin, heaviness in limbs, breast enlargement, pronounced premenstrual syndrome, painful intercourse, vaginal dryness, irritability, changes in liver enzymes |
| Rare (1 in 1000 women) | Blood clots, mini-stroke or stroke-like symptoms, transient ischaemic attack |
Please note that this is not a complete list of all documented side effects of Zoely. For a more comprehensive overview, please refer to the official patient information leaflet that is issued within every pack of the birth control pill. If the side effects continue to manifest, you might be required to change treatment and begin using some other oral contraceptive such as Brevinor for example.
