Apri and Cramps: What Users Say

• 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!!!"

• jac...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 14, 2013

For Birth Control "I decided to give Apri a 10/10 score because I've been on this pill for 11 months now and had absolutely no issues with it. As for clearing acne, my acne was already starting to fade away before taking the pill, so I haven't had too many issues. I still break out sometimes before my period is due. My boyfriend and I have not used any backup method of birth control, and I haven't gotten pregnant... so I suppose it's doing its job. But of course, I realize we still SHOULD be using a backup method. Before getting on this pill, I used to have horrible cramping and very heavy periods, lasting as long as 10 days. Now I have short, pain-free periods that last usually from Thursday to Saturday (or very light on Sunday when I begin my new pack.)"

• hka...
• April 26, 2016

For Birth Control "I really like this birth control. When I'm not on birth control, I have extremely painful menstrual cramps, very heavy periods, and crazy hormonal acne breakouts. It took about two and a half months to see any improvements, but my face is almost always completely clear, I have much lighter cramps, and a much lighter flow. I did feel a little nauseous for the first couple of days, but I had no weight gain and no other adverse health or psychological complaints. The only other complaint I could state would be that within a week of taking the pill, my sex drive was almost completely gone. The main reason I am staying on the birth control is for the acne treatment! It is something I have been struggling with for years, and I am so happy with the results."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 26, 2013

For Birth Control "This pill is a dream! I was so worried to go on birth control, due to all the scary side effects I always hear about! After two months, I have had none. I had really bad periods that would leave me very sick for days. I only get very light cramping right before my period starts. I haven't gained any weight. I actually lost weight around my waist, and I am already very petite to begin with. My cup size went up to a C from a B, and my light acne has become almost non-existent. I was lucky to find a pill that worked for me right off of the bat!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2018

For Birth Control "Going into my inactive pills of my first pack. Although this is only my first pack, it has been the pits. Very nauseous, but no vomiting. Bloated, more depressed, very irritable, overthink everything more than usual, almost no sex drive, horrible cramps, almost no appetite, lost all motivation for things, got bad chest pains, indigestion, heartburn... you literally name it. I’m trying to give this pill a chance, but so far, it doesn’t seem worth it."

• all...
• January 9, 2014

For Birth Control "Not really impressed with this. Ortho-Cyclen was much better for me. I have been on it for 9 months, and at first, it was okay, but after a while, I would get painful, heavy periods the first day, backaches during the period, breasts hurt all the time, and no sex drive whatsoever. Will be coming off of this soon."

• Anonymous
• April 2, 2012

For Birth Control "I've been taking Apri for a little over a year now. My breasts have grown almost 2 full cup sizes, but I have not gained weight anywhere else. So I'm ecstatic. No cramps, 5-day periods, no mood swings, not pregnant. I love this pill!"

• jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2019

For Birth Control "Apri, when I first started taking it, increased my appetite for the first month. I was constantly hungry and would get hunger pains if I hadn’t eaten for a couple of hours. My skin cleared up a lot, though, my cramps nearly disappeared, and my sex drive was much higher. Now that I’ve been taking it for 4 months, almost 5, I've noticed complete clearing of the skin, cramping only right before my period, and a significant increase in my sex drive. This is the second birth control I’ve tried, and I’m not going to change."

• Anonymous
• June 30, 2010

For Birth Control "Been taking Apri for about 2 1/2 months, and I've gained about 10 lbs. My sex drive is extremely low, and I'm really moody for no apparent reason. It's really interfering with my relationship. I also have been having chest pains, and I feel a heaviness in my chest when I wake up. When my period came on after the first month, I had really bad cramps. The only reason I gave it a 3 is because I have an irregular period, and it came on time while taking Apri."

• sha...
• October 4, 2009

For Birth Control "I started taking Apri as a replacement for Seasonique. My sex drive is completely gone, and my cramps are horrid. I'm not pregnant, though, and it's really cheap. My period is on time every month and very light, but the negatives definitely outweigh the positives. What's the point of being on birth control if I don't even want sex?"

• 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)."

• smh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2021

For Birth Control "I am a 22-year-old, and I was only on Apri for almost three months, and I couldn't handle the effects it was giving me. Before Apri, I was on Tri-Sprintec for like five years, and I had breakthrough bleeding, so my doctor prescribed me this. No joke, just two days after taking it, I started getting migraines, and I fell into depression, and I have never gotten migraines before. Since I was in finals, I had to fight through the effects, but it was not fun. Before getting my period, I would get some strong cramps that felt like someone was stabbing me in my pelvic area, having hot flashes, and wanting to just sleep all day. In addition to this, my discharge started to become heavy; I would have to go to the bathroom to clean myself down there because I felt it leaking; it was not fun. This was my effect on this, and I don't think everyone would get this; this was how my body handled it. Just take precautions and ask your doctor too if this formula is okay for you."

• 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."

• roz...
• April 24, 2015

For Birth Control "The first two weeks of being on Apri, my appetite increased. I was hungry all the time. But after the two weeks, my appetite went back to normal. I gained maybe 5 lbs. I didn't get any acne. My periods have always been heavy, and I went on birth control for them to get lighter, but this pill did nothing. My periods were still heavy, and I got bad cramps. It did what it's supposed to do, and that was prevent pregnancy. I liked Apri overall."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2018

For Birth Control "I started taking Apri about three weeks ago. It was nothing but a horrible experience for me. From the start, it was nausea, dizziness, throwing up, on-and-off eating habits, some days I could eat, and some days I couldn’t. I had extreme mood changes, I was snappy towards everyone all the time. I had severe cramps that seemed like they would never go away. All of these issues I thought would only last about a week to two weeks, then go away. But they only worsened as I kept taking Apri. I started having pain in my kidney, it started to hurt when I used the bathroom. Then the pain went to both sides and then down my legs. My legs would ache to the point I could barely walk. All I could do was sleep. I’ve never had any other issues with any other birth control until Apri. I do not recommend."

• Anonymous
• January 18, 2010

For Birth Control "This is my 1st month taking the pill. I don't know why people are saying that their sex drive is gone. It has not affected me that way at all. The only problem for me is that it makes me have more discharge. After researching, the pill does this to make it harder for sperm to reach the uterus, which is fine by me! I have cramps for about 2 days, and my periods are short. No weight gain at all, no bigger boobs either, but it beats having babies! I also used to feel sick, but I don't know if it's because of the pill."

• Anonymous
• July 30, 2019

For Birth Control "This birth control is not for me. It can put me in the worst mood imaginable. If I don’t take it at the same exact time every day, I cramp the next day. Makes my boobs sore 2 weeks in and made my chin break out more. This is the 2nd one I’ve been on, I got put on BC for bad cramps, and so far it’s helped, but I still cramp. I do feel like I have lost some weight, though."

• Run...
• May 30, 2015

For Birth Control "At first, I had no problems on Apri. Then, about a month in, I gained over 10 pounds even though I didn't change my diet or exercise. I also noticed that I became very moody and had random crying spells around my period, which has never happened before. My breasts are also very tender and itchy, and my acne has gotten worse. I never had bad period cramps before I started taking this pill, and now they are extremely painful. Hopefully, my doctor switches me to a different pill."

• nao...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 16, 2019

For Birth Control "So I've taken Apri for about four years now, let me say, I love it. I started taking it for terrible cramps-to the point where I'd puke from the pain and have to pull the car over with each wave. Not only did Apri help calm my cramps 98%, my period only lasts like 2-3 days. I used to have terrible, I mean really bad, skin breakouts. After taking Apri for a couple of months, my skin has been completely clear since. It's like killing two birds with one stone. I never gained weight or felt weird. I'm a college student, so I have enough stress on my plate already, Apri really helps."

• Anonymous
• January 6, 2011

For Birth Control "I have been on Apri for 6 months now. My acne has come back, I have horrible and frequent mood swings. I've gained at least 8 pounds around my hips. I completely lost my sex drive, which is ruining my relationship with my boyfriend. I have horrible cramps the whole week before and during my period, and I get it for at least 5 days. The kicker is, it was the perfect pill for the first couple of months, so watch out. I'm going to the doctor this week to switch."

• sof...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 24, 2016

For Birth Control "After 5 years of not being on birth control, I was prescribed Apri (0.15 mg/0.03 mg). I was on it for a month and just felt very angry all the time. I constantly lashed out at my loved ones. The week before I was on the non-active pill (white ones), I had cramps for 5 days straight, when originally, when I was off birth control, I hardly had cramps. I saw no difference in my acne. But I just couldn't handle being so angry and snapping at everyone around me. I switched to Tri Sprintec and have been on that for a month, and I am back to my usual self (hope this works instead). So if you experience bad side effects or just aren't yourself, switch to something else."

• Lyn...
• October 13, 2020

For Birth Control "I started Apri about four months ago due to migraines during my period and pretty bad acne, especially leading up to my period. My pharmacist said this is what she takes, and she takes it continuously, so recommended I do that as well. For the first three months, it worked great aside from my sex drive dropping to below zero. Not getting a period for the first time in nearly 15 years was amazing. It did help clear my acne. However, about a month ago I started spotting and had a couple of mild headaches. Google said this was normal, so I didn't freak out. Last week I started bleeding much more heavily and having the worst cramps I have ever had. Make me double over in pain cramps. Advil and Tylenol barely work. Came here looking to see if others have had this experience but instead found a ton of other symptoms people are experiencing as well. I'm afraid if I stop, my migraines and acne will come back, but I don't know if I can handle this for much longer."

• Anonymous
• August 5, 2009

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been taking Apri for about 2 years now. At first, it was great. My periods were manageable, extremely predictable, and only lasted a few days. I gained about 10 pounds in the first 5 months, and shortly after, completely lost my sex drive. Recently, my periods have been getting longer, as they used to be, and cramps are coming back as well."

• bc_...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2021

For Birth Control "This is the worst BC pill I’ve ever dealt with. I have only been on this pill a month, and my mood swings are crazy. I am angry ALL the time, I have been bleeding with terrible cramps, and it’s not worth it. Don’t take this pill."