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Microgestin Fe 1/20 User Reviews & Ratings

Microgestin Fe 1/20 has an average rating of 5.6 out of 10 from a total of 553 reviews on Drugs.com. 39% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 35% reported a negative experience.

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Birth Control  
5.6
553 reviews for Birth Control 347 medications
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Reviews for Microgestin Fe 1/20

  • Anonymous
  • May 13, 2009

For Birth Control "My doctor put me on this medicine for dysmenorrhea. I LOVE this birth control pill. I have NEVER had any bad side effects from it, no acne, no mood swings. I only have light bleeding/no bleeding and cramping when I do have my periods, which only last 2-4 days. But the best part, NO WEIGHT GAIN. I have actually lost 30lbs since I have been on it. I really love this pill and would not go to any other birth control pill."

10 / 10
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147 Report
  • Kate
  • May 10, 2017

For Birth Control "If you're here looking for reviews of this pill that your doctor gave you like I was almost a year ago, I would advise you not to read through them and just try it out yourself. I read these reviews and was terrified of this pill but, for me, it honestly has made no difference in my life besides not being pregnant. The first couple of weeks I felt a little bloated, had some heart burn, and breast tenderness but these symptoms were not by any means terrible and 100% went away. Other than those first 2-3 weeks, I have experienced nothing aside from a normal day to day life and highly recommend this pill! Everybody is different though, so seriously, don't scare yourself reading reviews and just try it out yourself :)"

10 / 10
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64 Report
  • Anonymous
  • December 30, 2009

For Birth Control "I am taking Microgestin FE 1/20 for a month now. I took the first pill and then decided to just read up on it. I was scared out of my mind after reading reviews. I tried to calm myself down by saying that people usually only give reviews with a bad experience. Rarely do people seek out these sites to give a positive one. Nevertheless I was scared. I thought I was going to gain weight, be an emotional crazy person, suffer from bad eye sight, etc, etc. I was especially scared because I would take the pill at noon and at 5 pm everyday I would feel nauseous. I changed my time to 5pm, and hey problem solved. I am usually in bed by the time the nausea would start. Other then that, no weight gain, no headaches, no loss of sexual interest, and no breast tenderness. Everyone is different and their bodies react differently. I would say I am very satisfied with this birth control."

8 / 10
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107 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • beejay
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 23, 2020

For Birth Control "I absolutely hate this medication. They gave it to me because my Junel Fe was on backorder. Horrible mood swings, zero sex drive whatsoever, symptoms of depression, breakthrough bleeding, and lack of interest within things I previously loved. I didn't use this for the purpose of preventing pregnancy, but it didn't even work for the things I needed it for. Everyone is different, but I have never experienced such dark emotions in my life, and this was a horrible experience."

1 / 10
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30 Report
  • krist...
  • December 17, 2011

For Birth Control "I cannot believe the negative reviews on this. They did scare me, but I still gave it a shot, and have NEVER been happier with a birth control! My acne is cleared up, my sex drive is still incredible, I have LOST WEIGH and my periods are almost NON EXISTENT! The only thing I wish is that I would have gotten on this sooner! I love this birth control and I suggest trying it before buying into the negative reviews. Everyone is different."

10 / 10
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65 Report

Are you taking this medicine?

  • Anonymous
  • November 4, 2009

For Birth Control "I'm 21 years old and have been on this birth control for almost a year now and I absolutely love it. No weight gain, no headaches, no acne, no side effects really except I no longer have a period at all. Just to be cautious I take a pregnancy test every month, but so far there hasn't been a need for it. My sex drive is the same and hasn't changed at all. The pills are easy to swallow. I would never switch birth controls!"

10 / 10
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66 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 4, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been on Microgestin FE 1/20 for a couple of months now, and it's absolutely fantastic! I switched after 6 months of Lo Loestrin, which caused me to gain 10 pounds, constant spotting, and worse acne. With Microgestin, my periods are actually regular, and even lighter. I had horrible cramps that I used to have to miss school and work because of, and now, they're almost nonexistent! Zero weight gain, I've actually lost 7 pounds, and my acne is gone! Love this pill!"

10 / 10
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50 Report
  • Anonymous
  • June 23, 2009

For Acne "I just started taking this birth control a week and a half ago. So far, so good. I have noticed a profound difference in my acne. Most blackheads are gone. Also, my breasts are bigger, which is never a bad thing."

8 / 10
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65 Report
  • Ness
  • May 4, 2019

For Birth Control "I think what a lot of women need to keep in mind is that all our bodies differ. Birth control is tricky. Doctors prescribe what they think is best and, sometimes, that’s not the case. It’s only unfortunate that we have to subject our bodies to something that can potentially endanger us at the say of our doctor. Really, there is no perfect, super effective birth control without another saying otherwise. So, here I am, part of that small percentage, that loves Microgestin Fe birth control. I’ve been on it for three years. No complaints. No weird side effects and have I gotten pregnant. What’s awesome, is that my period is very timely—I LOVE knowing even it’ll arrive (I get it every month, always on a Tuesday or Wednesday, no later than) and it only lasts 3, 4 days at most. If you’re sexually active, this has proven helpful in maintaining a very strict schedule with your menstrual cycle. Microgestin birth control is a winner in my book."

10 / 10
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27 Report
  • Sarah
  • May 1, 2013

For Birth Control "I would recommend this birth control to everyone. I have been taking it for almost two years. My periods are light and only last for a few days. My cramps are very tolerable. I don't feel unusually moody or irritable. My breasts did increase in size from a B32 to a D32. My skin is pretty clear, and I did not gain any weight. I would never switch to another birth control!"

9 / 10
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45 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 21, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Microgestin for 3 weeks. I started taking it on the 1st day of my period and it make my (normally VERY regular period) last for 8 days (it usually lasts 4-5)! For the entire time I have been very moody, bloated, retaining water, have had cramps, nausea, acne, breakthrough bleeding, EVERYTHING. THE WHOLE TIME. I literally feel like I have been on my period for 3 weeks. I keep hoping that eventually my body will get used to these hormones. My doctor said it will take 1-3 months to regulate, but I don't know if I want to live like I'm on my period for 3 full months. "

6 / 10
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41 Report
  • Mel
  • August 17, 2013

For Birth Control "I started taking this pill a few months back. The first two weeks were really bad. I bled constantly, acted crazy and called my Dr to get off of it. She asked me to stick with it for a month. So glad I did! I haven't had a period since, which I love. I've lost 6 lbs with no change to my diet and my breasts are up a size! I have so much energy. This pill is amazing. Stick through the first pack. It's tough, but very much worth it."

8 / 10
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41 Report
  • A Rose
  • May 10, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been taking these pills for the past two months. Usually I'm a very rational person, but after taking them I have extreme mood swings, and minor disagreements turn into week-long fights. I stopped taking them last night due to it almost ending my relationship. No pill should be able to cause such a drastic difference in personality. I also have irregular bleeding between periods, but hey at least I'm not pregnant."

3 / 10
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38 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • November 13, 2013

For Birth Control "Whenever you start birth control, you're suppose to give it a three month trial before you determine if it's garbage or not. The reason being is because your body is adjusting to the new birth control, and of course you're going to experience break out bleeding, common birth control side effects, and of course being overly emotional. On the other hand, despite the break out bleeding and the mood swings I get from time to time, I love Microgestin! It's a reliable birth control if used correctly, so if you're forgetful, forget the pill and find another form of birth control! Within the past nine months I've used it I had lighter periods, didn't break out as much, and I didn't feel any weight gain. I recommend this product to anyone!"

9 / 10
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37 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 19, 2012

For Birth Control "I am 20 years old, and this was my first method of birth control. After reading so many horrible reviews, I was very nervous and scared about taking this pill, but now going on my third month of taking Microgestin Fe 1/20 I can only say how much I LOVE IT! I have not had any side effects. So remember everyone is different, therefore our bodies will react differently. Don't be completely influenced by all the bad reviews, just give it a try! Good luck."

10 / 10
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40 Report
  • meeli...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • January 6, 2014

For Acne "About to start my fourth pack and I love this birth control. I took birth control (Cyclessa and Yaz and some others I don't remember) in my early 20s and gained a bunch of weight and had a diminished sex drive. Once I stopped taking it I swore I never would again but my skin got really bad in the last few years so I finally, reluctantly, decided to try again. I have virtually no side effects from this pill. My mood hasn't changed, I haven't gained weight (although I went from a C cup to a D cup) and, for the first time in years, my skin is clear. I had spotting the first two months I took it but that's gone away and now my period is super light."

9 / 10
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36 Report
  • Sydney
  • July 27, 2015

For Menstrual Disorders "Ladies, please realize you are putting synthetic chemicals into your body. It is completely normal to have side affects, your body won't regulate the pill until after about 3-4 months of consistent pill taking. I have been on microgestion for about 2-3 years and it lightened my period, helped my cramps, and helped my mood swings. However the success of the pill depends on how it reacts with your body. Give these pills a chance (3-4 months) otherwise you won't find one that works. You can't expect it to work within a month."

9 / 10
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30 Report
  • Ray
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • June 10, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on Microgestrin Fe 1/20 for about 3 years. I've tried many other brands or generics like Junel Fe 1/20 which is a form of Microgestrin. But Junel made me gain weight and get depressed. Microgestrin, however, has never given me any problems at all. I start and finish my period on the exact same days every month. My periods are so light and so manageable. I've had no problem with weight gain or mood swings with this pill. I am so sad to see this pill go on back order. I highly recommend. This is the only pill I have completely loved and not had any problems on. I am a 20 year old girl and in college so it's very important I'm on a good pill that doesn't get in the way of my mental health for my studies. I love this pill and sad to see it go."

9 / 10
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19 Report
  • AUNT
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • July 25, 2018

For Birth Control "I've have been taking this pill for years...I have never had a problem. No mood swings, no pregnancies, no long heavy periods, no nothing. I feel great. I have short light periods. I was surprised to see so many negative reviews. Everyone needs to keep in mind everyone's body is different...and responds to things differently."

9 / 10
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21 Report
  • JaneS...
  • June 19, 2009

For Birth Control "Wow. It sure did the job. No pregnancies because I lost my sex drive and became dry. I don't do any drugs nor smoke. And I had mood swings that were insane. Once, I got to the point were I couldn't go to sleep at night and went through my boyfriend's phone and accused him of cheating. So just please beware and if others are noticing symptoms, I hope they speak out because I didn't come to terms with it until I reached a scary point."

3 / 10
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42 Report
  • Anonymous
  • June 13, 2010

For Birth Control "I see a lot of bad comments about this birth control and have no idea why. This is because I have been on this pill for 2 years and I love it. It made my boobs a whole cup size bigger and I did not gain any weight. I have also noticed I have no more mood swings and barely have a period. It is very good and I recommend it - also it is cheap."

8 / 10
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40 Report
  • Very...
  • July 10, 2010

For Birth Control "I was very scared about all the side effects of birth control. However, I recently got married and we had used abstinence during our year and a half of dating and I needed a birth control for after we got married and this is what I was given. I am going on my 4th month now and have experienced none of the side effects. I eat healthy and live an active lifestyle and don't ever workout and I haven't gained any weight. I had mood swings before I got on any birth control usually right before my period and that is kind of the regular for me even with this pill. My skin is a lot clearer. My boobs did get bigger for a little while there. My periods are either light or non existent. I take this pill every night at 10 so I don't experience nausea as I'm asleep."

10 / 10
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40 Report
  • breland
  • December 29, 2011

For Menstrual Disorders "Wow! I LOVE this medicine! I am excited about the hope of bigger breast, aren't we all ladies? It apparently has increased my sex drive. I am 35 years of age, married for 18 years and have 5 children. I cannot say anything bad at all about this medication, I love it! Oh yeah, it regulates my periods so as I have them more often with less cramps, I also have lighter periods, which is always a plus."

10 / 10
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36 Report
  • miki
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • January 12, 2020

For Birth Control "This birth control destroyed my mental state, after being on it for a month I started to spiral into depression and suicidal thoughts, no interest in the activities I used to love like doing art or going on adventures. I would go into a rage or break down sobbing over the smallest things. Hot flashes all the time, breaking out on my chin and nose. I hate this birth control so much, I'm now off it and I'm never taking the pill again because of this experience, I'll be finding an alternative BC."

1 / 10
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15 Report
  • ayyy
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • March 30, 2016

For Birth Control "I wanted to write a review because I was researching this pill for my GWS class and I noticed a lot of people new to the pill experiencing problems. I have been on this pill for 5 years and while I didn't experience any terrible side effects in the beginning (that I recall) this pill has helped me a lot in 5 years. I originally took it to cure my severe acne but it also helped with my severe cramps and heavy bleeding. Now five years later my skin is the clearest it has ever been, I haven't had a legit cramp in probably two years, and my periods only last about 4 days with minimal bleeding. All in all I would highly recommend this pill."

9 / 10
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24 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.