User Reviews for Ortho Tri-Cyclen

I was put on Ortho Tri-Cyclen because I have been struggling with bad acne for a few years and my dermatologist asked if my periods are regular and they are not because they come a few days late every time so she told me in order to fix your acne I need for your hormones to be normal and all. I was put on this medication and this medication worked really, really well. My oily skin was GONE and my acne was also completely GONE. I couldn't believe it. BUT one month into taking this pill I noticed my hair thinning I thought it was stress. At the end of the 3rd month of taking this pill I realized it wasn't stress its the side effect of the pill. So I stopped taking this pill.

28 yr old- healthy/active nurse. Always had minor acne since college but nothing like what I had a year ago last summer (2011). I blame it on YAZ for messing up my hormones. Painful cystic acne covered my jawline and forehead. I'm talking like 20 cysts at a time. Tried every OTC washes, organic, no caffeine, sugar, dairy, you name it. Nothing worked. Even though I did not want to go on the pill, I had too. ORTHO TRI CYCLEN (no the generic) for almost 7 months and finally it's almost clear. It was BAD first few months but I stuck with it. Give it time. PS: Generic is NOT the same as the real thing. Different fillers causes different reactions!

I've been taking this birth control for about 7 months and have no real complaints. It cleared up my skin fairly well. I still break out a little but not as badly as I did before. It regulated my period and shortened it and while I still get cramps I no longer get back cramps or ones that physically make me sick. This birth control made my depression and mood swings, which I was already having slightly worse but nothing a higher dose anti-depressant didn't fix. My breasts were very tender for a few months and I gained a cup size. I gained a little weight at first until I realized the pill was making me hungry, but with exercise and a balanced diet I'm back to my original weight. Overall I say it's worth a try.

This was the only thing that worked for my adult acne. It kept my skin relatively clear, especially in the chin area, where I otherwise would get cystic acne during certain weeks of my cycle.