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What to do straight away
If you think you may have a blood clot while taking the pill, treat it as urgent. Do not wait to see if it improves on its own.
Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if you have chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, coughing up blood, or collapse. These can be signs of a serious clot, such as a pulmonary embolism.
If you have a swollen, painful, red, or warm leg, especially in the calf or thigh, seek urgent medical help the same day. These can be signs of a deep vein thrombosis, or DVT.
Stop taking the pill and get advice
If you suspect a clot, stop taking your combined pill and contact urgent medical services or NHS 111 straight away. The combined pill can increase the risk of blood clots in some people.
Do not start a new pack until you have been told it is safe to do so by a clinician. If you are unsure which pill you take, check the packet or leaflet, as this mainly applies to combined pills containing oestrogen.
If you use a progestogen-only pill, the clot risk is much lower, but you should still get urgent medical help if you have clot symptoms. Any suspected clot needs prompt assessment.
Know the warning signs
Blood clot symptoms can vary depending on where the clot is. A DVT may cause one-sided leg swelling, pain, tenderness, or skin that feels warm or looks red.
A clot in the lungs may cause sudden breathlessness, chest pain that is worse when breathing in, a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, or coughing up blood. Some people also feel anxious or faint.
Seek emergency help if symptoms appear suddenly or are severe. If you are unsure, it is safer to get checked than to wait.
Tell the clinician about the pill
When you speak to a doctor, nurse, or paramedic, make sure they know you are taking the pill. They may ask which type you use, how long you have taken it, and whether you smoke or have any other risk factors.
They may examine you, arrange scans, or do blood tests depending on your symptoms. Quick assessment helps confirm whether a clot is present and what treatment is needed.
If a clot is diagnosed, you will usually be advised to stop the combined pill permanently and discuss safer contraception options. Do not rely on online advice alone for this.
Preventing future problems
If you have had a clot before, or you have a family history of blood clots, tell your GP before starting hormonal contraception. Some conditions make the combined pill less suitable.
Other factors can also raise your risk, including smoking, being immobile for long periods, obesity, recent surgery, or being over 35 and smoking. A GP or sexual health clinic can help you choose a better option if needed.
If you are worried about your pill or your risk of clots, book a non-urgent appointment with your GP or sexual health clinic. They can review your symptoms, explain your risk, and suggest alternative contraception if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Seek urgent medical care right away. Stop taking the pill until a clinician tells you what to do, and call emergency services immediately if you have chest pain, trouble breathing, coughing up blood, or sudden weakness.
Common warning signs include one-sided leg swelling, pain or tenderness, redness or warmth in a leg, sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, fast heartbeat, severe headache, vision changes, or numbness and weakness on one side.
It is potentially urgent and should be assessed the same day. Symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, or signs of stroke require emergency care.
Yes. Blood clots can become life-threatening if they travel to the lungs, brain, or heart. Prompt evaluation can help prevent serious complications.
Combined hormonal birth control containing estrogen can increase the risk of clotting, especially in people who smoke, are over 35, have obesity, recent surgery, prolonged immobility, a clotting disorder, or a personal or family history of clots.
A doctor may ask about symptoms and risk factors, do a physical exam, and order tests such as ultrasound, D-dimer blood work, CT scan, or other imaging depending on where a clot is suspected.
Yes, do not take another dose until you have medical advice. A clinician can tell you whether to stop permanently and what contraception to use instead.
Treatment usually involves blood-thinning medication, sometimes hospital monitoring, and management of the symptoms and cause. The pill is typically discontinued if it contributed to the risk.
Call emergency services for chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, sudden collapse, severe headache, facial droop, trouble speaking, or sudden weakness or numbness.
Higher-risk people include smokers, people older than 35, those with migraine with aura, recent surgery or long travel, obesity, postpartum status, cancer, inherited clotting disorders, or a history of clots.
Yes. A deep vein thrombosis often forms in the leg and may cause swelling, pain, warmth, or redness, usually in one leg.
Yes. A clot can travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism, which may lead to sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, fast breathing, or coughing up blood.
Yes. A clot affecting the brain can cause stroke-like symptoms such as sudden weakness, facial droop, numbness, confusion, trouble speaking, or vision loss.
It is uncommon, but the risk is higher than in people not using estrogen-containing birth control. The overall risk is still low for many healthy users, but symptoms should never be ignored.
Risk can often be reduced by avoiding smoking, discussing personal and family history with a clinician, moving regularly during long trips, and considering non-estrogen contraception if you have elevated risk.
A clinician may recommend progestin-only options or non-hormonal methods such as the copper IUD, depending on your medical history and clot risk.
Yes, but leg pain alone can have many causes. If the pain is new, one-sided, and comes with swelling, warmth, or redness, it needs prompt medical evaluation.
The risk can be higher in the first months after starting a combined pill, although clots can happen at any time. New symptoms after starting birth control should be checked promptly.
Yes. A family history of blood clots is important and may change which birth control methods are safest for you.
Tell them exactly which pill you use, when you started it, your symptoms, when they began, whether they are one-sided, and any risk factors such as smoking, recent travel, surgery, pregnancy, or family history.
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