Apri and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 11, 2020

For Birth Control "I took Apri for 5 years. The first 2 years were great - light periods, skin cleared up, etc. However, everything slowly started to change. In 2018, I found myself constantly worried, feeling like walls were caving in on me. My anxiety climbed every day. I fell into a deep depression where I contemplated suicide. I started having violent thoughts - wanting to hurt those around me. Physical changes - gained 30 pounds in 2 years, skin started to get greasy. I would sleep 12+ hours and still not have energy. Mood swings. Crying daily - not able to control my emotions. I decided enough was enough. I stopped taking Apri immediately. It has now been 2 months since then - I no longer cry daily, my mood is significantly improved, and my skin is less greasy. My sleep schedule is learning to regulate itself, and I have more energy. Apri for the first 2 years was great. However, somewhere along the way, that changed. It's possible that in the time I was getting older, my inner body started to change and Apri just no longer worked for me."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 26, 2020

For Birth Control "If you are prone to anxiety or depression, please be very careful while taking this Apri birth control pill. The first couple of months, I felt very nauseous and would have the worst cramps around my period, not to mention it made my flow heavier. I would get awful headaches the days leading up to my periods as well. I had anxiety before I started this pill, but when I started to take it, it escalated very quickly. I have been on this pill for a year now, and it took until now for me to realize that it was making me lose my mind. I felt completely out of control in my thoughts and was making my anxiety spiral. I am now off of it, and I feel like myself again. Be careful!!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 30, 2019

For Birth Control "After 10 months of debilitating night sweats and sleep disturbances, my doctor finally pinpointed it to Apri. Apparently, this is a very common side effect of this medication. It also gave me horrible anxiety. There are plenty of other birth controls out there. Steer clear of this one!"

• Kat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 4, 2019

For Birth Control "This pill makes my anxiety spin out of control. I don’t get panic attacks like I do with other pills, but I worry nonstop. I worry about everything from my dogs to getting in a car accident. I will lay awake at night worrying about one thing after another. I always feel a sense of doom. It also makes me feel very tired and almost drugged... it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. I haven’t gained any weight, I lost a couple pounds but also changed my diet, so not sure if it was the pill or not. My boobs are always extremely sore. It cleared my skin aside from the occasional zit here and there. This isn’t the worst pill I’ve ever taken, but anyone with a predisposition to anxiety should watch it carefully. I get panic attacks on other pills and feel almost on the verge of that with this one."

• SEa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2019

For Birth Control "I just started this, and right now I am on the period pills. I feel horrible and have felt horrible since the very first pill. Legit nausea all the time to the point where I was waking up once or twice a week around 4 am throwing up (I tried to take it around 12-2 with food every day to maybe avoid this). I also experience uncomfortable bloating really bad when I haven’t even eaten much to be bloated. I haven’t even been eating much period because I’m nauseous all the time. Add mood swings, sadness, anxiety, and headaches to the mix too. I just feel so awful and not myself, so I DO NOT recommend this pill! I hope it gets out of my system ASAP!"

• Lau...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 22, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Apri for about 4 years now. For the first 3 months or so, the mood swings and agitation were almost too much for me to be around some people. I did feel as though I gained some water weight, and my boobs went from a B to a D over the course of that time. My acne got a little worse before it got better. Now, with being on it for so long, I think it’s great for me. My skin is incredibly clear, I have control over my weight (at least it seems), and I can skip my periods with no issue. I do have some lingering anxiety and get agitated a little easily sometimes, but it very well may be due to just me as a person in general. Once I go off it later in life, I'm interested to see how the anxiety does. Overall, I really really like this and will continue to stay on it for a while. It’s great once your body gets used to it, but everyone’s different."

• Anonymous
• June 23, 2019

For Birth Control "This pill sucks. I was always anxious, but this actually made me depressed. Also, I felt hungry every 5 minutes and nauseous for the rest of the day. I always woke up dizzy, I broke out with acne. And I was always lightheaded and fatigued. Advice to people that don’t want to feel like rubbish: never take this! I’m warning all of you."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for 3 months. My doctor told me to wait it out for a few months, and I should adjust. The first month wasn't awful, but it seems to be getting worse and worse the more I take it. The only time I feel okay (not nauseous and anxious) is when I'm on my period. I basically feel what I would compare to carsickness 24/7. I have no appetite, I've lost weight, which is nice, but not in a healthy way. I just don't eat due to constant nausea. My sex drive is nonexistent, which is awful for both my husband and me. I have panic attacks regularly, I cry about nothing, and the smell of anything cooking turns my stomach. My acne has cleared up, so that's good, I suppose, but that's the only positive about this pill. Overall, one of the worst I've ever been on. Discontinuing this month."

• Mmi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2019

For Birth Control "Let me tell you... this Apri birth control pill has been something terrible. I was put on it because my hormones were messed up bad, and sometimes I had a period that wouldn’t stop for a month, then I didn’t have a period for like 3 months. So my OB-GYN put me on Apri. I also have PCOS. Anyway, I have terrible headaches, my sight has gotten terrible, made my anxiety worse, no sex drive at all, and the worst thing, I gained 40 pounds in like 6 months. This pill is straight the worst thing ever!"

• Anonymous
• September 23, 2019

For Birth Control "Let me tell you that the first couple of months of Apri were bad. I had trouble sleeping, nausea, very tender breasts, among other things, but the worst part was the depression and anxiety. I would cry pretty much every day for absolutely no reason. I lost a lot of motivation to do anything. It was pretty miserable, but I decided to stick it out for a couple of months hoping that these symptoms would go away, and they did. I’ve now been on this birth control for about 6 months and I am very happy with it. It regulates my period, which is the main reason I went on birth control because my periods were consistently 10 days long and very irregular, sometimes I’d have a 2-week cycle, sometimes 2 months. Now I get a 5-day period, exactly every four weeks, it’s great. I do still get cramps, but they are not as bad as they were before I went on Apri. I would recommend this birth control if you are prepared for a rough first couple of months."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 10, 2018

For Birth Control "I was switched from Junel to Apri because of breakthrough bleeding. While that has been fixed, Apri has some pretty serious negative side effects for me. My mood is completely unstable and swings terribly, and my anxiety is uncontrollable. Sex drive is basically nonexistent. Other than that, no weight gain, acne, lighter periods, and less painful cramping (my cramps were unbearable before)."

• apr...
• January 24, 2021

For Birth Control "I like this Apri birth control pill a lot! I was quite surprised running across all these negative reviews. I understand everyone has a different experience with Apri and is affected everyone differently. Personally, I’ve had no problems, although it’s only been a few weeks of being on it. If anything, my mood swings (from when I was BC free) have gone down DRASTICALLY. I feel much more chilled out and content. No cramping, headaches, etc., but slight anxiety. I have noticed a little weight gain, but this is something that isn’t that big of a problem for me or detrimental. I was initially taking Depo, which caused me to bleed every day straight for 3 months (the same amount I normally would at the start of a period, except EVERYDAY) and suffered from cramps from time to time and nausea. My doctor switched me over to Apri, and so far I have little to no complaints. My skin has been consistently clear and I don’t feel fatigued."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2020

For Birth Control "I got switched to this Apri birth control pill after breakthrough bleeding with Sprintec. I was on this pill for about 3 months, and I stopped mid-pack because I couldn’t wait another week. First month, I was SO hungry that hunger pains would wake me up in the middle of the night, and I’d have to go eat. I also would have terrible night sweats. I had anxiety before the pill, but I’ve been on an anxiety rollercoaster the last week, which started off with an hours-long panic attack. My blood pressure has been very high lately too. Not sure if that’s tied in with the pill, but I’ve been eating better and exercising, so you’d think it’d go down? Everyone is different, but I would recommend keeping an eye out for issues!"

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on Apri for almost a year now. It works great protecting against pregnancy and keeping my periods regular, which don't happen exactly on the sugar pill day, but every time on Wednesday. But the downside to these pills is how big of a mental and emotional toll it takes on me. It gives me crazy amounts of anxiety. I've had anxiety a couple of times in my life, but it's an everyday thing now. It makes me feel like I've changed as a person and makes me very depressed and have deep, dark thoughts on life. I've always been an outgoing, go-getter type of person, but all I want to do now is sleep and ignore my anxiety. I don't know if I should change it or stay on it and see if it goes away, but it's been happening for almost a year now."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2021

For Birth Control "This is the 3rd bc pill I’ve tried, and it’s by far the worst. There’s barely any time during the month where I feel okay. The week before my period, the week during, and the week after, I feel super gross and have low energy. I have gained 15 pounds in the past 2 1/2 months, and it’s been super detrimental to my mental health. My depression and anxiety are the same as on any other pill, but I have depressive episodes where I cry for no reason every so often on this. Do not recommend."

• Hop...
• August 25, 2020

For Birth Control "I do not take any other meds, just Apri. I don’t take vitamins, nothing. Let me tell you what has changed. I have been on Apri for 2 months. I gained 11 pounds the first month. Mainly my fault because I had cravings. I have broken out so bad on my forehead and sometimes on my chin. I thought it was due to stress because lately I have had EXTREME anxiety and depression. Never been so stressed in my life, and I couldn’t figure out why I was stressed. I have no reason to be. I am terrified to go to work, I have missed so much work the past month and a half due to anxiety. I’m up all night stressing, so I call in. Then I’m stressed about calling in, so I shut down and sleep all day. I can’t get out of bed, I’m so depressed, and I have no reason to be. I started doing research on why I would be depressed and saw that BC can cause it. So I will definitely be stopping this pill so I can go back to normal."

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2018

For Birth Control "I was prescribed Apri about two months ago for acne. I am halfway done with the 2nd month. So far, I am having some similar side effects as others have described. I’ve been feeling extremely depressed lately and having anxiety. There are times when I feel withdrawn from activities and just want to be left alone. Also, I notice a lack of appetite due to my recent anxiety, which has resulted in weight loss. I’ve lost about 8 pounds since starting the birth control. As for my acne, it seems to be getting worse. However, I don’t know if the birth control is to blame for my acne since I also recently started using tretinoin and clindamycin. I do plan to continue the pills for at least another month since I know sometimes it can take up to 3 months for these symptoms to go away. I’m really hoping my mood changes because I have never felt this much anxiety and moodiness in my life."

• jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2019

For Birth Control "This was an awful experience for me. I fell into deep depression, couldn't leave my bed for 14 hours at a time and had really dark thoughts. I became a ball of anxiety everywhere I went, my mood swings were insane. I had a headache that literally lasted for 2 weeks straight and painkillers wouldn't do much, and the nausea I felt like I was going to vomit at the most random times, and every little thing irritated me, so I was being annoying to my boyfriend, my friends, and my family, and I truly felt like I was going crazy. I forced myself to toughen up and at least finish the month (there were like 4 red pills left when I realized I didn't want to do this long term). Now I've reached the placebos, so I'm waiting to get my period and then never touch this medication again. I reacted very badly to Plan B as well, so I'm thinking birth control pills just aren't for my body at all. In conclusion, unless you're lucky enough to not experience symptoms, this can and will mess you up!!!!! :("

• E8a...
• January 13, 2016

For Birth Control "I gave it a rating of 5 for its effectiveness in preventing pregnancy. I only do the withdrawal method with this. But the side effects are so awful. Possibly the worst I've had with any brand. It is quite potent, I'd tell you that. I get a lot of headaches, nausea, and stomach discomfort for a week into starting a new pack, decreased libido, and in the beginning, I'm quite dry, which is, uhm, I've never been an issue for me. I get so moody, stress is harder to deal with, I get anxiety attacks, I get so easily fatigued, and the combination of these two I just get so unmotivated to do daily activities. It's pretty bad. I'm changing brands on my next cycle. Maybe a milder combination OCP."

• gia...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 26, 2021

For Birth Control "I have been taking this birth control for a few years now. I was prescribed this for long heavy periods and bad cramps. I was fine for the first 2 years until my anxiety had spiked, making me unsocial and nervous constantly. It had cleared my skin in the beginning, but I now suffer from breakouts before every period. I am a generally anxious person, but my anxiety and depression have gone through the roof! I gained at least 20 pounds since starting this and have so much trouble losing weight despite exercise and a good diet. I also have been experiencing swelling in my feet and ankles and couldn't figure out the source. I finally found out from research that it was this BC. I am so disappointed in Apri."

• Aan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I started taking this birth control, and almost immediately my skin started to break out, and it made my breasts extremely sensitive. After 3 months, my skin went back to normal, and my breasts increased from a size C to a DD. My periods were days shorter and much lighter, with little cramping. Although it completely destroyed my sex drive, and I got extreme depression and anxiety from it. I had never had anxiety before, and now it is so bad I have anxiety attacks regularly. It also caused a severe skin rash, perioral dermatitis all over my entire body."

• Hyp...
• January 19, 2017

For Birth Control "I switched to this birth control from Gildess Fe 1/20 (it made me depressed, intensified my anxiety, and I was having two periods a month). At first, I was skeptical from initial water retention and moodiness, but after the first month was over, all those initial issues disappeared."

• New...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2016

For Birth Control "This is my first month on Apri, and I haven't been on any other forms of the pill since I was 18. I was prescribed Loestrin in 2009 for bad cramping and PMS but got off that due to huge mood swings, bloating, weight gain, and breast tenderness. It is now 7 years since then, and I am using the pill mainly for birth control. I am on my third week and am feeling awful! I have had headaches several times per week, extreme nausea, cramping, and tiredness. I have also felt anxiety and will wake up in the middle of the night. I take the pill in the morning but will be switching to a nighttime routine to see if my symptoms decrease or if I tolerate it better. My mood has been pretty normal, and my sex drive is good. The worst thing has been the nausea."

• dec...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 22, 2017

For Birth Control "Apri has been my first and only birth control experience; it has been pretty fine, but I'm considering switching to see if there's anything that works better for me. Pros- ~Little to no acne! (better than before I was on it) ~Light periods of 4 days during the sugar pill week (prior to the pill they used to be 6-7) ~My boobs inflated a little, went up a cup size ~No weight gain! (managed to lose 10 lbs- that was through diet & exercise though) ~Minimal cramping Cons- ~3-4 really heavy days of bleeding during the 2nd week regularly. Maybe it's just a me problem, I don't know. ~Have been super depressed, anxious, and moody, but who knows if the pill is the cause or my life in general ~Sex drive dropped a ton ~Blood pressure rose ~Slight nausea during period"

• mxr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2018

For Birth Control "Apri made me feel really nauseous when I first started taking it. That went away in about a week, but two weeks in, my anxiety and depression went through the roof. It made me gain a little weight as well... Not for me."