Rigevidon Tablets

Rigevidon is a combined oral contraceptive tablet containing levonorgestrel 150 micrograms and ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms per tablet. It is licensed in the United Kingdom for the prevention of pregnancy. Rigevidon belongs to the combined hormonal contraceptive group of medicines, works by suppressing ovulation and altering the cervical and uterine environment, and is taken as one tablet daily for 21 days followed by a seven-day break. It is manufactured by Consilient Health Ltd.

Here is something worth knowing from the outset: Rigevidon is one of four UK-licensed combined pills containing exactly the same active ingredients at exactly the same doses. Microgynon 30, Levest, and Ovranette are the others. All four contain levonorgestrel 150 micrograms and ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms. All four follow the same 21-day, seven-day break schedule. All four are considered clinically equivalent by NHS and FSRH prescribing guidance. Your pharmacy may dispense any one of them depending on stock. Understanding this from the start means you will not be alarmed if the tablet on your repeat prescription looks different from the one you received last time.

Rigevidon is a monophasic combined pill. Monophasic means the hormone content is identical in every tablet throughout the 21-day course. You are not stepping through different dose phases. You are taking the same tablet every day for three weeks, then resting for one.

The progestogen in Rigevidon is levonorgestrel. Progestogens are grouped into generations based on when they were developed and how they interact with receptors in the body. Levonorgestrel is second-generation. This classification matters because it is the primary factor behind Rigevidon's VTE risk profile.

MHRA guidance confirms that levonorgestrel-containing combined pills sit in the lowest VTE risk category among combined oral contraceptives. The risk is lower than with third-generation progestogens such as desogestrel, gestodene, and norgestimate. It is this classification that often leads prescribers to consider a levonorgestrel-based pill as the starting point for women beginning combined hormonal contraception for the first time.

The oestrogen is ethinylestradiol at 30 micrograms. This is the standard dose used in the levonorgestrel family and positions Rigevidon in the middle of the combined pill oestrogen range, below the 35 microgram preparations and above the 20 microgram low-dose options. Women who experience oestrogen-related side effects such as nausea or breast tenderness on Rigevidon may be considered for a lower-dose preparation; women who experience irregular spotting may find the 30 microgram dose gives better cycle stability than a 20 microgram alternative.

During the 21-day active phase, levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol maintain a hormonal state that mimics pregnancy in one specific respect: it tells the pituitary gland there is no need to stimulate the ovary. Follicle-stimulating hormone drops. Luteinising hormone drops. The ovary, receiving no signal to act, does not release an egg. No egg, no fertilisation. That is the primary mechanism and it operates consistently when Rigevidon is taken correctly.

The Cervical Barrier

Levonorgestrel thickens the cervical mucus throughout the active phase. The mucus becomes substantially more viscous and resistant to sperm penetration. This secondary mechanism matters practically: it provides an additional layer of protection on any cycle where the primary ovulation suppression may not be fully complete, and it operates independently of the ovarian mechanism.

The Endometrial Effect

The combined hormone environment also changes the character of the endometrial lining. It becomes less hospitable to a fertilised egg. This third mechanism rarely needs to come into play when the first two are working correctly, but it is part of the complete contraceptive picture.

Why the Seven-Day Break Is Precisely Seven Days

When you stop taking active tablets after day 21, levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol clear from circulation. The endometrium sheds in response to the hormone withdrawal, producing a bleed. Crucially, seven days is the exact window the body can safely be without active tablets before ovarian follicle development begins to accelerate. Start the new pack on day 29 and you re-establish suppression before the ovaries have time to produce a viable egg. Let the break run to eight, nine, or ten days and you introduce genuine contraceptive risk, even if you have been taking the pill correctly for months.

The break between packs is where most combined pill failures happen. Not forgetting a single tablet. Not being a few hours late. Letting the gap stretch to eight or nine days because the withdrawal bleed has not quite finished or because starting a new pack slips the mind. Day 29 is not a suggestion. It is the clinical deadline that keeps the hormonal suppression intact.

Starting Rigevidon for the First Time

Day 1 of your period means immediate protection, no extra precautions needed. Starting between days 2 and 5 of your cycle also works but requires condoms for the first seven days. Starting after day 5 is possible but requires a longer period of additional contraception; your prescriber will advise on the correct approach for your specific cycle situation.

Switching From Another Combined Pill

Finish your current pack normally, including any inactive placebo tablets if your previous pill had them. Take your first Rigevidon tablet the day after the last active tablet. No gap, no additional contraception needed. Protection is continuous.

Switching From a Progestogen-Only Pill

Start Rigevidon on any day of your cycle. Use barrier contraception for the first seven days. Your previous pill may have had a 3-hour or 12-hour missed dose window, but Rigevidon's missed pill rules are different. Read the section below carefully.

The Daily Habit

One tablet, same time, every day, for 21 days. After day 21, seven days off. New pack on day 29. If you vomit within two hours of taking a tablet or have a significant episode of diarrhoea, the dose may not have been properly absorbed. Treat it exactly as you would a missed tablet.

Missed Tablets

Under 24 hours late: take the tablet immediately and carry on. Protection is intact and no additional contraception is needed.

More than 24 hours late: take the missed tablet as soon as you remember. Take the next one at your usual time, even if two end up on the same day. Use condoms for the following seven days without exception.

Two or more consecutive tablets missed: take only the most recently missed tablet and leave the others. Continue the pack. Use condoms for seven days. If those missed tablets were in the first week of the pack and you had unprotected sex in the preceding seven days, contact your prescriber or pharmacist about emergency contraception that same day. The longer you wait, the fewer options are available.

Rigevidon contains levonorgestrel 150 micrograms and ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms in every tablet. The pack contains 21 identical active tablets. No inactive placebo tablets. One tablet daily for 21 days, seven days off, new pack on day 29. The dose does not change throughout the course.

The Levonorgestrel 30 mcg Family: Four Pills, One Formulation

Rigevidon is one of four UK-licensed combined pills sharing this exact formulation. All are clinically equivalent:

1. Rigevidon – Consilient Health Ltd
2. Microgynon 30 – Bayer plc (branded originator)
3. Levest – Morningside Healthcare Ltd
4. Ovranette – Pfizer Limited

If your pharmacy dispenses Levest when you expected Rigevidon, or Microgynon 30 when you expected either, nothing has changed clinically. The active ingredient, dose, and schedule are identical across all four preparations. Dispensing decisions are based on availability, not on any difference in clinical content.

The Every-Day Format Option

Microgynon 30 ED contains the same 21 active tablets as Rigevidon but adds 7 inactive placebo tablets, making it a 28-tablet every-day pill with no break to manage. If you prefer not to track a pill-free week, Microgynon 30 ED offers identical contraceptive content in a format that suits different routines. Discuss this option with your prescriber.

Rigevidon can cause side effects. Most women experience none, or only minor ones in the first few cycles as the body adjusts. The following reflects the current UK SmPC. Read the Patient Information Leaflet in full before starting.

What to Expect in the First Few Cycles

Spotting or irregular bleeding between tablets is common in cycles one and two. This is the most frequently reported change and in the majority of women it resolves without any change to the preparation. Nausea, breast tenderness, and headache are also commonly reported in early cycles. Mood changes and changes in libido can occur at any point during use and may be difficult to attribute definitively to the pill, as other factors often play a role.

Less Common Effects

1. Weight changes
2. Contact lens discomfort from corneal changes
3. Chloasma: skin darkening on the face, intensified by sun exposure and not always fully reversible
4. Changes in vaginal discharge

Symptoms That Need Immediate Medical Attention

These are not side effects to monitor at home and call your GP about next week. If you experience any of the following, stop taking Rigevidon and go to A&E or call 999:

1. Sudden chest pain, coughing up blood, or significant difficulty breathing
2. Pain, swelling, warmth, or redness in one leg that was not there before
3. A sudden severe headache unlike any you have had before, or any loss of vision, slurred speech, or weakness on one side of your body or face
4. Severe, sudden-onset abdominal pain
5. Yellowing of the skin or whites of your eyes

These may indicate a blood clot, stroke, or serious liver problem. Time matters.

Blood Clot Risk in Context

Rigevidon's levonorgestrel progestogen places it in the lowest VTE risk category among combined oral contraceptives, according to MHRA guidance. This lower risk is relative to other combined pills, not to no hormonal contraception: all combined pills carry a small increased clot risk above the baseline for women using no contraception. For most healthy women the absolute risk remains low. Your prescriber considers your BMI, smoking history, personal and family clotting history, and any planned surgery or immobility when assessing whether Rigevidon is appropriate for you.

Interactions Worth Knowing About

A category of medicines called enzyme inducers reduces the effectiveness of Rigevidon by accelerating the liver's breakdown of levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol. Hormone levels fall, and contraceptive protection is compromised. Medicines in this group include rifampicin and rifabutin, several antiepileptic drugs including phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and topiramate, some HIV antiretrovirals, and St John's Wort. Always declare every medicine, including supplements and anything bought without a prescription, to your prescriber at each consultation.

Rigevidon Is Not Suitable If You:

1. Have ever had a blood clot of any kind – DVT, pulmonary embolism, stroke, or heart attack
2. Have migraine with aura: this is an absolute contraindication to all oestrogen-containing combined pills, regardless of oestrogen dose or progestogen type
3. Have blood pressure that is consistently high and not controlled by treatment
4. Have liver disease, liver tumours, or a history of pill-related jaundice
5. Have a current or previous diagnosis of breast cancer or any oestrogen-sensitive malignancy
6. Are pregnant
7. Are breastfeeding a baby under six weeks old
8. Smoke and are 35 or older
9. Have diabetes with complications affecting your blood vessels, kidneys, or eyes

Rigevidon Is Often an Appropriate First Choice If You:

1. Are a healthy adult woman beginning combined hormonal contraception for the first time, with no specific clinical reason to use a third-generation progestogen
2. Have previously taken Microgynon 30, Levest, or Ovranette and want to continue on the same formulation under a different brand name
3. Have no personal or family history suggesting elevated VTE risk
4. Do not smoke heavily and do not have migraine with aura

Bring These Topics to Your Consultation:

1. Smoking under the age of 35 – cardiovascular risk is relevant at any age with oestrogen-containing contraception, not only from 35
2. BMI over 30 – obesity independently raises VTE risk and forms part of the prescriber's assessment
3. A close family member who developed a blood clot before the age of 50
4. Any history of migraine, including without aura – aura-free migraine requires individual prescriber review
5. Upcoming long-haul travel or planned surgery involving a recovery period with limited mobility
6. A history of depression or current treatment for a mood disorder

At Pharmacy Planet, prescriptions are issued at the end of a clinical process, not at the beginning of it. You complete a detailed questionnaire. A registered prescriber reads it. They make an independent clinical decision. That decision may be a prescription for Rigevidon, a recommendation to consider a different preparation, a request for more information from you, or a referral for a face-to-face consultation if your profile requires it.

For Rigevidon specifically, the prescriber is assessing your suitability for a levonorgestrel-based combined pill. Even though levonorgestrel-containing pills sit in the lowest VTE risk category among combined pills, the assessment is not a formality. Smoking history, BMI, blood pressure, migraine pattern, family clotting history, and all current medicines are all reviewed individually before any prescribing decision is made.

Repeat prescriptions go through the same process. There is no automated renewal at Pharmacy Planet. Each cycle of supply involves a prescriber reading your current health details and confirming that Rigevidon remains appropriate for your circumstances at that point in time. Your health can change between consultations. The prescriber's job is to catch those changes.

Store Rigevidon below 25°C in a location with stable temperature and low humidity. Bathroom cabinets are popular storage spots but genuinely unsuitable: shower steam repeatedly heats and humidifies the space, which degrades blister packaging over time. A bedside drawer, a bedroom shelf, or a dry kitchen cupboard away from the hob all provide better conditions.

Leave tablets in the original blister strip. The foil protects them from moisture, the label tells you the expiry date, and the day markings help you track where you are in the pack without needing to count back. Check the expiry date printed on the outer carton each time you start a new pack.

When you have unused or out-of-date tablets, take them to any UK pharmacy. Pharmacies accept returned medicines under Duty of Care regulations, at no charge to you. Do not flush tablets down the toilet or put them in household rubbish. Contraceptive hormones in the water supply are an environmental concern that proper disposal prevents.

This reference guide compares the contraceptive preparations available at Pharmacy Planet, grouped by delivery method and formulation type. Every preparation is a Prescription Only Medicine. A registered prescriber will review your individual health profile, contraceptive history, and risk factors before recommending any preparation. This table is a clinical reference, not a recommendation.

Combined Oral Contraceptive Tablets (Monophasic)

Monophasic combined pills contain the same dose of both hormones in every active tablet. The table below compares commonly prescribed monophasic combined oral contraceptives by progestogen type, oestrogen dose, VTE risk category, pack format, and key clinical characteristics.

Important: This comparison is for general information only and does not replace medical advice. A prescriber will decide which treatment is suitable for you following an online consultation.

Rigevidon may be one of the most commonly prescribed combined pills in the UK, but commonplace does not mean uncomplicated. A levonorgestrel combined pill still requires a clinical assessment of VTE risk, migraine history, blood pressure, smoking status, current medicines, and any previous contraceptive experience before a prescription is appropriate. At Pharmacy Planet, that assessment happens for every consultation, reviewed individually by a registered prescriber who takes responsibility for the decision.

If Rigevidon is not the right preparation for you at this time, the prescriber will say so clearly and explain the reasoning. They may suggest an alternative within the levonorgestrel family, a different combined pill, a progestogen-only option, or an in-person review. That is not a failure of the service. It is the service working correctly.

• Consilient Health Ltd. Rigevidon film-coated tablets – Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: www.medicines.org.uk/emc. Accessed May 2026.
• Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH). Combined Hormonal Contraception – Clinical Guidance. Available at: www.fsrh.org. Accessed May 2026.
• NHS. Combined pill – your contraception guide. Available at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/combined-contraceptive-pill. Accessed May 2026.
• British National Formulary (BNF). Ethinylestradiol with levonorgestrel. Available at: bnf.nice.org.uk. Accessed May 2026.
• MHRA. Combined hormonal contraceptives and venous thromboembolism. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency. Accessed May 2026.