What is Seasonique?
Seasonique is a combined birth control pill that you’ll take in three month cycles which end in a period. Because you’ll only have one period every three months on Seasonique, it can be a good option if you struggle with conditions like heavy or painful periods, or endometriosis.
Who can use Seasonique?
Seasonique is for women of child-bearing age who want to prevent pregnancy, but also want to lighten periods or make them less frequent.
It’s suitable for most women to use, but not everyone. You’ll need to speak to your doctor before using Seasonique if you’re over 35 and smoke, or if you have a high risk of blood clots for any other reason (like a history of deep vein thrombosis [DVT], pulmonary embolism, or uncontrolled high blood pressure). Seasonique also isn’t suitable for those with a history of breast cancer.
What are the benefits of Seasonique?
The main benefit of Seasonique over other combined birth control pills is that it’s an extended cycle pill. This means you’ll take it in 91-day cycles, with a period-like bleed during the last week of the cycle. Because you’ll only have a “period” once every three months, it can help with heavy or painful periods caused by conditions like endometriosis.
Another advantage of Seasonique is that it’s easy to stop using it if you decide you want to try to get pregnant. Other methods (like the coil or implant) require a healthcare professional to remove them in-person – so if you think you might want to stop birth control and try for a baby in the future, Seasonique could be a good option.
And (like other combined birth control pills), Seasonique is up to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when you take it at the same time every single day.[1] And even if you forget the occasional dose, or take it late, Seasonique is still up to 92% effective.[2]
How do Seasonique doses work?
- Start your 91-day course of Seasonique by taking your first light blue-green tablet on the first Sunday after your period begins.
- You’ll take one blue-green tablet a day for 84 days.
- You’ll then take one yellow tablet for the last week of the 91-day cycle. You should have your period during this week.
- Start your next cycle of Seasonique on the next Sunday after your period ends.
- You’ll need to use a barrier method of contraception for your first week on Seasonique, or if you don’t immediately start your next pack of pills.
You can also get a lower-dose version of Seasonique, called Lo-Seasonique. You’ll take this in exactly the same way as Seasonique, but each tablet will contain a lower concentration of hormones. This might be better for you if you get unwanted side effects from Seasonique.
What is Seasonique’s active ingredient?
Seasonique is a combined birth control pill, meaning it contains two hormones that work together to prevent pregnancy – levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol. Levonorgestrel is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring hormone progesterone, known as a progestin. Likewise, Ethinyl estradiol is a synthetic version of the natural hormone estrogen.
The standard dose Seasonique tablets contain 0.15 mg of levonorgestrel, and 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol, whereas Lo-Seasonique contains 0.1 mg of levonorgestrel and 0.02 mg of ethinyl estradiol.
How do Levonorgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol work?
The first line of defense they offer is stopping ovulation, so your ovaries don’t release any eggs to be fertilised. They also help stop your uterine wall from building up, so an egg can’t implant itself if you do ovulate. And finally, Seasonique also thickens your cervical fluid, so sperm can’t pass through.
This means it’s really unlikely you’ll get pregnant if you’re using Seasonique – in clinical trials, it was more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when taken correctly.[1]
Which dose of Seasonique should I use?
Both Seasonique and Lo-Seasonique are counted as low-dose estrogen pills, so they can be used by most healthy women who don’t smoke up until age 50.[3] But as you get older, taking estrogen can increase your risk of blood clots or stroke. Lowering the amount of estrogen you take can reduce this risk, so speak to your physician or OB/GYN about trying Lo-Seasonique if you’re over 40 years old, you don’t smoke and would like to continue using combined birth control.
If you’ve tried Seasonique or another combined birth control tablet and experienced side effects like nausea and vomiting, headaches, or tender breasts, swapping to Lo-Seasonique could help relieve these effects.
