| Strength | Quantity | Price | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30mcg/100mcg | 63 tablets | £20.25 |  |
Reviewed by Dr Samantha Miller MB ChB
(2017, University of Glasgow)
GMC number: 7561464
Information last reviewed 14/02/2021
Triadene is a type of combined contraceptive pill taken by women to prevent unwanted pregnancy, containing both oestrogen and progestogen hormones.
Triadene works by releasing synthetic versions of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone into the body to prevent pregnancy. It stops the ovaries from releasing an egg, thickens the mucus surrounding the cervix and thins the lining of the womb. Combined, these steps prevent sperm from entering the womb from the vagina and stop an egg from implanting into the uterine wall should fertilisation occur.
When used perfectly, Triadene is 99% effective. In practice, Triadene is actually only 91% effective, due to women not being able to use it correctly. To make sure your contraceptive is most effective, follow the instructions exactly, and if you are unsure, contact your doctor.
If you start taking it on the first day of your period, Triadene will start to work right away. If you begin the pill on any other day of your cycle, you may not be protected from pregnancy right away. In this case, you should use an additional barrier method of contraception for the first 7 days.
Triadene also provides some non-contraceptive benefits. It can prevent premenstrual symptoms and cause your periods to be lighter, regular and reduce period pain. The combined pill is also used to help treat acne and endometriosis.
If you are using a combined contraceptive pill such as Triadene and wish to delay your period, you can do so by skipping the pill-free week and running two packs together. This will delay your period for a further 21 days. If you are looking for a treatment specifically to delay your period, and you are not taking hormonal contraception, Norethisterone tablets are available for this purpose. You can purchase this through Dr Felix whenever you need them.
Gestodene and ethinylestradiol are the active ingredients contained in Triadene.
The other ingredients are: lactose, maize starch, povidone, magnesium stearate (E572), sucrose, macrogol 6000, sodium calcium edetate, calcium carbonate (E170), talc, montan glycol wax, titanium dioxide (E171), ferric oxide pigment brown and yellow (E172), glycerin (E422).
The combined pill may be issued to women with endometriosis as medical treatment. Used for this purpose, it may keep symptoms under control and prevent debilitating pain. If you are worried about endometriosis, speak to your doctor for advice on if a combined pill would be suitable for you.
Changing from one type of contraceptive pill to another is a straightforward process. For a different type of the combined pill, finish your current pack and begin taking Triadene the following day. Do not take your usual pill-free week. You can stop taking the progestogen-only pill at any time and begin Triadene right away but you will need to use additional contraception for the first 7 days.
If you miss a pill, take the missed one right away even if that means you are taking two pills at the same time. Keep taking the rest of your pills on time and use additional contraception for the next 7 days as your contraceptive protection may be affected. You should also take this action if you have missed more than one pill, taking the most recent missed one and discarding any earlier ones. If you have had sex in the days leading up to a missed pill or pills then there is a chance you may be pregnant. If you are unsure of what to do, speak to a doctor or pharmacist right away.
If you take your pill less than 12 hours later than usual, this will not affect your contraception provided you keep taking the rest on time. You may find it useful to set an alarm reminder on your phone to help you remember to take your pill on time.
Triadene may not work if you have vomited within 4 hours of taking it. If this happens, and you are feeling well enough, you can take another pill of the same colour from a new pack, and then keep taking your pills as usual. Provided you do not vomit again, your contraception will not be affected. If you remain unwell and are unable to take your pills, you should use additional contraception until you are able to tolerate the pills for at least 7 days. If there are less than 7 pills left in the pack, you should start your new pack right away, without taking a 7-day break.
If you stop taking Triadene you can get pregnant at any time. While some women may fall pregnant right away, for others it could take longer. Your natural period may take 1–2 months to return and it is recommended to wait until then before you try for a baby.
If you do not have any underlying health conditions or concerns, then Triadene is safe to take for a long time. One of the main risks of taking combined hormonal contraceptive pills is that they increase your risk of developing a blood clot. For this reason, they are not suitable for some people. You will need to have yearly check-ups to make sure your blood pressure remains steady while you are taking the pill.
Your period should return after 2–3 weeks of stopping Traidene. It can take 1–2 months, however, everyone’s body will adjust differently.
Triadene should be started on the first day of your period which will mean you are protected from pregnancy right away. If you start it on any other day of your cycle, you will need to use condoms, or another barrier method of contraception, for the first 7 days.
You should take Triadene every day for 21 days (3 weeks). When you finish one pill strip, you should take a 7-day break before starting the next one. During this break, most users will have a bleed. The next pack must be started on time, even if you are still bleeding. Triadene can be taken at any time during the day but it must be taken at the same time each day in the correct order. Choose a time where it will be convenient for you to take it.
The beige tablets contain 50mg of gestodene and 30mg ethinyloestradiol.
The dark brown tablets contain 70mg of gestodene and 40mg ethinyloestradiol.
The white tablets contain 100mg of gestodene and 30mg ethinyloestradiol.
If you wish to delay your period with Triadene, skip the pill-free week and run two packs back to back. This will delay your period for another 21 days. It is not recommended to do this for more than one month in a row.
Possible side effects include:
Do not take Triadene if:
Consult your doctor before taking Triadene if:
Certain medications can interfere with the way Triadene works, causing it to be less effective. These include:
Always inform your doctor or pharmacist about any medicines you are currently taking, or planning to take.
Triadene contains two types of hormones, whereas the mini pill only contains a progestogen as the active ingredient. It is also referred to as the progestogen-only pill. The mini pill is safe to use for most women, including those with high blood pressure and women over the age of 35 who smoke. It does not cause potential long-term health risks but it can still result in short-term side effects like mood swings, nausea and breast tenderness. It is taken every day throughout the month and may result in irregular bleeding, or no bleeding at all.
Other combined pills, which contain the same ingredients (gestodene and ethinylestradiol) include:
These, alongside many others, are all available to order online from Dr Felix.
The mini pill is a good alternative for women who are not suitable for the combined pill or who are sensitive to the effects of oestrogen. Barrier methods of contraception include condoms and diaphragms and other long term options are the copper or hormonal coil, injection or implant.
Triadene has been discontinued by the manufacturer so we no longer offer this. However, there are alternatives available.
Triadene is a triphasic combined oral contraceptive pill containing gestodene (a progestogen) and ethinylestradiol (an oestrogen). This means that pills contain different amounts of hormones depending on the day of the pack.
Other combined hormonal contraceptive pills containing the same ingredients (gestodene and ethinylestradiol), but which contain the same amount of hormone in each pill):
Other combined hormonal contraceptive pills which work in a phasic manner (i.e. pills contain a different amount of hormone depending on which day of the pack):
It is best to speak with your doctor if you have previously been taking Triadene, to work out which is the best alternative for you.
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