Desogestrel / ethinyl estradiol for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 4)

• hdp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 3, 2020

"I took Kariva for about 9 months. The positives include that my period was extremely predictable, and it didn't last too long. It didn't affect my weight, and my acne cleared up. But the negatives outweighed the positives by far. I had experienced the worst mood swings I've ever had, I became anxious, and cried multiple times a week (yet before Kariva, I was not an avid crier and was able to keep my emotions in check). I was more sad and emotionally unstable than I had ever been, and I had absolutely no motivation to work or to push myself to be happy. I noticed a small change in my mental state within the first 2 months of taking it, but thought it would level out. I kept taking it because it kept my period more regular than other pills. I switched birth controls 2 weeks ago, and since I've stopped taking Kariva, even after 2 weeks, I have been the happiest and calmest I have been in months, and am only realizing now just how emotionally and mentally unwell I was."

• lms...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 23, 2013

"I took Apri for over 2 years with no side effects. My periods went from extremely heavy for 6-7 days to very light for 3-4 days. My cramps went away, skin cleared up a little bit. Then I switched to Implanon for a month. During that time, I bled every single day and broke out horribly all over my chest and back. So I got that removed and went back on Apri. Since then, my periods have gone back to normal, I've gone up 2 cup sizes in the last 8 months, but I have been experiencing some very mild nausea and lightheadedness. I love it overall."

• Anonymous
• January 6, 2010

"I have been using Kariva for five months now, and it's been pretty good. I had some itching, mood swings, spotting, and lowered sex drive in the first two months. After the first three months, all the side effects were gone, and I've been feeling great with the pill ever since. I had no weight loss or gain and overall good health. Just wanted to share."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2016

"I've been on Kariva for a month now after switching from Loestrin (which gave me insane mood swings and heavy discharge). My skin is good, periods are light, cramping is limited, and mood is normal. But my boobs have gotten bigger, and I do notice that I have gained some weight in my upper thighs and hips."

• Let...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2020

"On month three of Isibloom, and it works! Not pregnant, and my boyfriend finishes inside most of the time. I’ll be honest, the first month was awful, the nausea was bad and headaches. But once my body got adjusted, it was fine! I do get the headaches a tad bit, but would rather have that than worry about an unexpected pregnancy. It works! I would say to try it for three months before switching."

• JEa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2019

"I've been on the pill for years, since my teens because my periods were excruciatingly debilitating, and I suffered from hormonal migraines that lasted my entire period length. I've tried various pills throughout the years, trying to find the one that felt the best. I finally found Reclipsen in my early twenties, and my periods were like clockwork, knowing exactly the day and hour it began, and 3 days later, the hour it ended, no migraines, clearest skin. Then suddenly my pharmacy switched to the generic brand - Enskyce. It is supposed to be exactly the same. But after 3 months, I had enough: each month, very heavy, very painful, lasted longer, very emotionally unstable (up then down/happy then severely depressed; a lot of crying for no reason and a second later - fine). I felt impaired to go to work and thus decided to stop, give it all a rest, and wait for my next check-up. Already two weeks off Enskyce, and I feel so good and balanced. I downloaded the app 'Clue' to track my mood and help re-regulate my cycle, and it's free."

• Clw...
• March 5, 2013

"I have tried 5 different birth control pills, and Kariva has been a lifesaver. I had cysts in my ovary, and Kariva shrunk it, and now it is gone! I have been on Kariva for 12 months, and my skin is porcelain-like, no pimples, lost a few pounds (I've been going to the gym, so it might not even be the birth control), and my mood stayed consistent. I'm switching to either the patch or the ring this month, though, because my sex drive has been awful for the past 4-5 months, and it's driving me (and my boyfriend) crazy! Zero sex drive and dryness are my only complaints."

• Abc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 1, 2021

"I was on Kariva for a year and 4 months. I switched to it due to unwanted side effects of an IUD. Some pros of Kariva are that it’s super reliable (never had a pregnancy scare), and it did lighten my period. The negatives far outweighed the positives, though. The cons were: extremely low sex drive, dryness, extreme weight gain, and increased anxiety the week before my period. I love the effectiveness of this pill but can’t stand the side effects. Switching soon and can’t wait."

• moo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 5, 2022

"The first three months of this pill were not that bad, although I did begin to experience abnormal anxiety (for me) and mood swings. I also began to experience some heart palpitations (which I had chalked up to the anxiety). I am in month 5 now, and I'm beyond done. This BC has made me more moody than I ever have been. I get angry and irritated and snap at things or people, and I am usually a very genial and happy person. This has made me feel like an entirely different person. I have experienced awful anxiety as well, like panic attacks waking me up at night. Also, extremely vivid dreaming that causes me to feel like I'm not sleeping, which I am sure has perpetuated my other symptoms. Everyone's body is different, but my experience has been terrible."

• Gig...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 17, 2016

"So, I took this birth control for 3 years. Did its job in terms of preventing pregnancy, but at a horrible cost. I gained over 30 lbs, had terrible nausea, mood swings, anxiety, depression, headaches, almost no libido, you name it. It wasn't until I got off the pill completely to give myself a break from the constant stream of hormones that is birth control that I realized all of the issues I was experiencing were all the pill, not me. After 2 months off of the pill, all of the aforementioned issues have disappeared. Consumer beware. Not worth it. When I do decide to go back on birth control, it will not be Viorele."

• syd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2019

"Literally, the worst pill I have ever taken. I switched from the last pill I was taking because of extreme depression, but I would honestly rather have extreme depression and cry at all hours of the day than take this. The first three months I thought it was great. Then, slowly but surely, I began to get so irritated. Now I cannot stop lashing out at everyone and everything, when I have never been this type of person. I literally feel nothing at times if I'm not feeling angry, and that is downright scary. I feel like a zombie sometimes. I have no care in the world and am an angry, sad person. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and continued with the pill for three more months, but it literally has just gotten worse, and now I feel like I'm losing my mind. Please don't take this. You will have no motivation or joy."

• Gab...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2019

"I have no complaints with this birth control pill Isibloom so far. I tend to be pretty sensitive to medications, but the only symptom I’ve experienced was slightly heightened anxiety for the first week or so. Once I pushed through that, everything went back to normal. My period has also been super light, which is exactly what I wanted since I usually have extremely heavy periods. Don’t let the negative reviews scare you away. This is a pretty good birth control and it’s super affordable."

• Anonymous
• October 21, 2012

"I have been on this medication for about 5 to 6 months. And it works great for birth control. Even if you miss a pill or two by a little bit, you're still protected, and it doesn't affect your period. But ever since I got on the pill, I'm not myself. I'm constantly depressed and get bad mood swings. And I have literally no sex drive whatsoever."

• woo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 18, 2016

"I've been on Apri for 7 months. This is my first time ever using BC, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I'm incredibly happy with it. My skin was gradually getting worse and worse with each year, and I can't tell you the last time I've had more than 1 tiny blemish at a time. My skin is amazing! My doctor did warn me about the initial side effects, and they were pretty bad honestly (highly emotional, weight gain about 10 lbs), but after I gave it 3 months, something clicked, and I stopped being emotional, and I have lost all the weight and even a bit more. I have found that I don't have much of a sex drive at all, but it's not worth it to me to switch just for that reason. If you're willing to go through the first few months, go for it!"

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 29, 2018

"I started taking Cyred a year ago for acne, then it got switched to Isibloom by my pharmacist, and I did not notice any change in symptoms on Isibloom. I had very bad acne for 10 years, and this completely cleared my skin. However, my breasts are so tender, I have cramping throughout the month (sometimes it’s continuous, and sometimes it will be a random moment of intense cramping, and then it will stop), and spotting can sometimes occur for weeks at a time, which is extremely frustrating. I also have noticed that I am not interested in sex at all. Not even interested in kissing my partner. For these reasons, I am switching to a different birth control, but if that has the same side effects, I will return to using this one because the clear skin ultimately outweighs the negative side effects for me."

• hib...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 18, 2017

"I was on several different types of BC that all made me nauseous/vomit until I found Mircette. I had absolutely no side effects with this pill. The only reason I stopped taking it was because my husband and I wanted to start a family. I stopped taking the pill in August, and we conceived in October, so it had no effect on my fertility. I plan on taking this pill again as soon as I finish breastfeeding."

• hka...
• April 26, 2016

"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
• October 30, 2008

"I have been taking Apri for at least two years and have never had any problems with it. Some say it lowers sex drive, but my sex life has stayed the same. This is the best pill I have taken. I have taken a lot of different kinds, and I get serious headaches from taking the others. This is the only pill that I have had no side effects from. I only have my period for 2 days, and they are very light. If you are in the market for a great birth control, this is it. You will feel normal, and you won't have heavy periods. So take Apri."

• Rhi...
• January 29, 2016

"I love this pill, I've been using it for over 4 years now. I had some pretty bad acne, and my periods were heavy and long. Now my face is pretty clear, and my period is still a little heavy, but it's super short now (4 days tops). I haven't put on any weight since I started taking the pill. My significant other and I haven't used a condom in over 4 years, and I haven't gotten pregnant, so it works!"

• Mrs...
• March 8, 2020

"I received Isibloom from the Pill Club. The first month was kind of crazy. It made me extremely nauseous, my boobs hurt all the time, and I definitely noticed an increase in anxiety, depression, and just overall mood swings. I didn’t notice a difference with acne (but I’ve been lucky enough to never really have a problem with that). I decided to stick with it though, and I'm glad I did because after my body adjusted to it, everything else leveled out. I’m now on month 3, and the ONLY issue I still have is ongoing breast tenderness and occasional breakthrough bleeding (but it’s such a small amount that it’s not troublesome or a hindrance at all). I also have not gotten pregnant, so it evidently does its job. I’ve previously been on other birth control pills that literally turned me into The Incredible Hulk, so the side effects from Isibloom have been relatively mild by comparison."

• Anonymous
• May 31, 2019

"I’m 35. I was prescribed Isibloom before beginning IVF. This is the first birth control that I ever had. My experience is just bad! On pill 3, I started having mood swings and what’s worse, I felt like having pressure in my throat (after 6 hours of taking the pill) - all that continued for like 10-12 hours. On day 4 of the pill, I went crazy - uncontrolled aggression, and started having difficulties breathing. Day 5 - I could not sleep, choked. On day 6 of the pill, I had a sleepless night with heart pain and pain in the back (in the area of the heart or lungs). Today, day 7 - I stopped the pill, I cried the whole morning and decided to stop taking the pill. Other side effects were weight loss (4 pounds in 6 days), no appetite, aggression, crying, insomnia, depression, being scared of everything around. It’s horrible for the first experience. But I thought I would let others know. Of course, we are all unique, and maybe what did not fit me will be good for others."

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

"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
• April 13, 2011

"I love this birth control pill. It's my second month on, and I haven't had trouble with any negative side effects. I used to have horrible periods (horrible cramps, puking, the whole nine yards), but now there's only light cramping on the first day. Shorter, lighter period for sure. I haven't gained any weight - if at all, I've lost a few pounds. I used to have some trouble with breakouts, but my skin is clear as can be now. The only thing I've noticed is I'm a bit moodier, but I don't want to blame that on Kariva since my relationship's going through a rough patch. Everyone's different, but Kariva definitely worked amazingly for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2012

"I'm on my 3rd pack, and so far, it has been GREAT! I've tried Ortho-Tricyclen Lo and Alesse in the past, and both made me feel super emotional and like I was PMSing. I feel like I normally do while taking Reclipsen, and I've noticed that I've dropped some weight as well. I do have polycystic ovarian syndrome, so it may be because my hormones are getting regulated with the pill. Another thing I've noticed is that my breasts have grown a bit larger. I am now wearing a D cup instead of a C. My breasts were a bit sore the first 6 weeks, but not anymore. But so far, so good!"

• SHa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2019

"I just started my third month of Kariva. I switched from Junel Fe 1/20. Before, I would get insane mood swings and depression. On Kariva, my mood is balanced as long as I take it at exactly the same time every day. I haven’t noticed any weight gain or change in my sex drive. I had a horrible migraine the first day I took it; after that, it’s only happened one other time. My periods last 3-4 days and are light. The only side effect I can’t stand is that I can’t sleep. I have trouble falling asleep and, once I do, I wake up throughout the night. I’ve been dealing with that for two months, and I’m trying to hold out and see if it gets better because it is a great pill otherwise."