What is Seasonique?

Seasonique is a combined birth control pill that’s almost 100% effective at preventing pregnancy if taken correctly. It’s very similar to Indayo.

It comes in packs of 91 pills, 84 of which contain two hormones and 7 which only have one. Seasonique is an extended cycle pill that is also biphasic, so the hormones in the pills only change for a week at the end of every three-month cycle.

Combined pills are very safe for most women, but Seasonique is amongst the safest in the combined pill category as it has a lower risk of serious side effects, such as blood clots. And it’s also less likely than other pills to give the usual side effects like heavy bleeding, breast fullness and tenderness, headaches, fluid retention, tiredness, irritability, nausea and bloating.

How does Seasonique work?

Seasonique contains levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, and these hormones have three main tasks to perform in your body.^[1] First, they stop ovulation — this alone can prevent pregnancy, but Seasonique offers two extra layers of protection, just in case you end up ovulating anyways. The hormones prevent the build-up of the uterine lining so an egg can’t implant there, and they also make your cervical fluid thicker so sperm can’t get through. These three factors will make it very unlikely for you to get pregnant, and can also make your periods lighter.

What doses of Seasonique are there?

Seasonique comes in one dose: 84 pills with 0.15mg of levonorgestrel and 0.03mg of ethinyl estradiol, and 7 pills with 0.01mg of ethinyl estradiol.

There’s a very similar pill called Seasonale, which is made by the same manufacturer. The only difference is that instead of having seven pills with a very low dose of estrogen, these seven pills in Seasonale are inactive (to simulate a pill-free break). Otherwise, the pills are the same.

How to take Seasonique

The clinician who prescribes Seasonique to you will be able to give you detailed instructions on how to take it, and you should always follow your clinician’s advice. But there are a few general guidelines you can keep in mind when taking birth control:

• Take one pill a day with a glass of water; you don’t need to take it with food, but you can if you want to
• Seasonique won’t prevent pregnancy as soon as you start taking it; it can take up to 7 days for the hormones to give you optimum levels of protection. For that reason, you should continue using a barrier contraceptive method, such as a condom or spermicide, for the first week of you taking Seasonique
• You need to take your pill at the same time every day; if the interval between pills exceeds 24 hours, the effectiveness of the hormones lowers, and you might become pregnant as a result. To help you remember, you should set an alarm on your phone to ring at the same time every day, and always carry the pills with you, in case you’re not at home when the alarm rings

How long does it take Seasonique to work?

It can take about seven days for you to get up to optimum levels of protection with Seasonique. To make sure that the hormones have time to get to work in the body, it’s better to be safe and continue using barrier contraception methods, such as a condom or spermicide, for the first week of taking Seasonique.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Seasonique?

If you forget to take your pill, you should take it as soon as you remember. But if it’s almost time for your next one, just skip the one you missed and continue taking one a day as usual. You should also keep in mind that the interval between pills shouldn’t exceed 24 hours, and if it does so regularly, the effectiveness of the hormones lowers and you might become pregnant as a result.

To ensure that you don’t miss your pills, you should set an alarm on your phone to ring at the same time every day, and always carry the pills with you so you can take them at the correct time, even if you’re not at home when the alarm rings.

If on the other hand you accidentally take more Seasonique than you should, don’t worry, you’re likely going to be ok, as there have been no reports of fatal overdose caused by birth control.^[1] You might feel nausea and get light vaginal bleeding, this is no cause for alarm as it’s a normal reaction of taking too much birth control. But if your symptoms are severe and persistent you should seek emergency medical attention.