Kariva for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2011

"My doctor suggested Kariva to me because I was previously on Ortho Tri-Cyclen (which made me extremely moody/emotional) and more recently Lo-Estrin (which gave me no sex drive whatsoever and made me completely emotionless). I was anxious to find a happy medium after going from one extreme to the other. I've been on Kariva for three months now. I've never been one to have any type of headaches of any kind, and after being on Kariva I experience headaches multiple times a day. I'm extremely tired all the time and I've gained weight in my breasts (I'm naturally a D and I've gone up to a large DD). No sex drive, extreme mood swings, acne, and increased appetite. I can't wait to get off this pill. Look for other options before taking Kariva."

• Anonymous
• October 6, 2011

"I have been taking Kariva for about 8 months, and so far I love it. My skin has cleared up, I have less cramps and far less moodiness before my period. Also, my periods are usually only about 3 days long when they used to be almost a week. I love this birth control! Also, I haven't gotten pregnant yet, which is a huge plus. The only negative is I have gained about 15 pounds since starting Kariva (much of which went straight to my breasts). This weight gain could, however, be from the stress of college and a new boyfriend. Also, the first month I took the pill, I would get incredibly nauseous every day around 8 or 9 pm, but thankfully that subsided. Occasionally, I will get this way on the first pill of a new pack, but it is bearable. Overall, love it."

• Not...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 25, 2016

"After reading a lot of negative reviews, I was nervous at first to start Kariva. I automatically thought it was going to be bad for me, but I have not had one bad thing to say about Kariva. It cleared my skin a couple of months after starting it, along with preventing pregnancy. Other than that, my sex drive, weight, moods, and eating habits have all stayed the same. I think it really differs from person to person because I love it."

• Anonymous
• June 26, 2010

"I have been on Kariva for a few months now. I switched from Loestrin 24 FE and could not be happier. My period comes like clockwork with Kariva, and I am no longer a moody, crazy person. Although my periods are not lightened by this pill, I do not care, I am extremely happy with it."

• Rui...
• August 6, 2014

"I started taking Kariva in May 2013 when I was 18. It was the first time I was taking a birth control pill, and I was with my boyfriend for 3 months at the time, so it seemed like a smart decision. I mainly went on it to control my periods and clear up my acne, which I was fed up with after years. Now I have realized that over the past year, it has made me completely emotionless, and I have absolutely zero sex drive. On the bright side, my periods have been light and short (still painful cramping), and my skin has never looked better. I am going to stop taking it and try out a different pill that hopefully doesn't diminish my emotions."

• Meg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2024

"Kariva has been amazing for me. After reading so many negative reviews, I was nervous to take the pill. I suffer from extremely heavy periods, breast tenderness, and awful cramping. I was prescribed Kariva and haven’t looked back. My breasts aren’t sore anymore when it gets close to time for my period. My period flow has been cut in half! As a 33-year-old woman, this is the first time since I have started my period that I feel as if I can breathe. I feel so much better. Give it a try."

• No ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 8, 2021

"After having a terrible experience with NuvaRing (panic attacks which started and ended with it), I took Kariva. Despite having sore boobs 24/7 and 365 and mood swings, I didn’t think it would cause any medical problems until last fall when I got searing stomach pain and abnormally high lipase (pancreas) numbers to the point where I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. I was in so much pain for months. No doctor believed it was because of birth control when I mentioned that was the only medication I was on, and they ran a bunch of unrelated tests and gave me Nexium. I finally decided to take it upon myself and went off birth control. Immediately, my pancreas numbers plummeted back to within range and have been normal since. My stomach began to heal, nearly completely now. Only in retrospect did doctors acknowledge the correlation. It might work for some people, what I got is probably rare, but I’m still seriously disappointed in how lightly the medical community takes hormonal drugs. Lesson learned."

• Gal...
• August 6, 2010

"This birth control pill has its advantages in the fact that it gives you a very predictable period, and that's it. The side effects outweigh the benefits. I started getting acne at 23 when I hadn't had it for years, my skin became oily, I started getting headaches that persisted all day, my appetite increased, my sleep was disrupted, and I became depressed. The depression is the worst part. I would wake up and be horribly angry or depressed, without cause. I'm switching back to my old birth control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 30, 2015

"I've been on this for about 3 years and experience very little cramping and other period side effects, which is great. Also, I haven't gotten pregnant, so I guess it does the job. But I experience drastic mood swings, no sex drive whatsoever, and my hooha is like a desert. I stayed on it because I'm too lazy to make a new appointment with my gyno, but it's starting to drive a wedge in my relationship as the side effects are getting increasingly worse, so I plan to change soon."

• Anonymous
• June 12, 2010

"So I was put on the birth control Kariva, and I never got pregnant, and it was the only form of birth control I used, so in that effect, it worked. However, I experienced severe migraines that were bad enough. They checked me for a tumor, decreased sex drive, tiredness, nervousness, dizziness, weight change, appetite change, and numbness in the left arm and hand. I have been off this birth control for just a few weeks, and I am already feeling back to normal."

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2015

"I was on this for almost 2 months. It did its job of preventing pregnancy, and it also cleared up my skin, but it wasn't worth the side effects. I started getting anxiety attacks and debilitating depression. It got so bad that there were days I didn't want to get out of bed. Also, my sex drive was nonexistent. I didn't want to be touched at all sometimes. All of the emotional issues and the low libido really took a toll on my relationship. When I thought this could be related to the pill, I went off. It hasn't even been a week, and I feel so much better."

• Jjs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2018

"I’m 23 years old. I’ve switched from Viorele to Kariva because my pharmacy decided to switch it, and I just ended up taking it. I definitely do feel a bit more emotional than usual, but I don’t know if it’s casually linked to the Kariva. I realized a small rash of white pimples next to my mouth- which I’m hoping is not a side effect and is nothing serious. I’ve only been on this new pack for a week now, but I don’t really have any complaints. I liked my previous BC, Viorele, and they have the same exact active ingredients... so far I’m okay with the switch."

• Hor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 15, 2017

"I started this pill a week ago due to Stage 3 endometriosis. I am having pregnancy-like nausea. It is all day. The only way to fix it is to continually eat. If I did that, I would pack on the pounds. It is also making me feel weird in my head. Like I cannot focus. I would not recommend this at all."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 18, 2016

"This birth control is amazing! I was definitely skeptical about it reading all of the mixed reviews, but I cannot really complain. The first month I started, I had a week of migraines and a strenuous and painful menstrual period. But after that week, the migraines were gone and I literally had no cramps, headache, nausea, or any menstrual signs. My period only lasted 4 days, I'm in the best moods ever. I cannot say this medication affected my sexual desires. But the medication did lighten my discharge, which I am very thankful for. CVS did try to switch me to the generic brand, but I could not take the risk. Literally, it's great!"

• Anonymous
• October 1, 2011

"I started this in September 2010 and continued to use it until July 2011. Everything about it was great except for one thing, no sex drive whatsoever. My periods were short and light, no weight gain or bloating, no cramping or mood swings, however, the no sex drive didn't work for me. After being off of it for a month or so, my libido returned."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 18, 2016

"This will be my 4th month using Kariva. The only thing it helped with (besides preventing pregnancy) was making my period shorter. I went from 8 long, heavy, and painful days to only 2 very light, no pain days! Other than that, I've been miserable. It hasn't helped with acne at all; it actually started to cause body acne, which I've never had. Also, a huge issue that I have: I'm VERY dry down there; causing it to hurt during my period when I want to insert a tampon AND painful sex. I can't even begin to describe how painful it is; it's like my insides are being torn apart, and the pain doesn't go away for hours after trying to have sex. It's taking a huge toll on my relationship. I would not recommend this pill. I will have to talk to my doctor soon."

• Anonymous
• June 15, 2011

"I've been on Kariva for 8 years with no problems (before Kariva I was on the brand name Mircette - same thing). Four years ago, with the blessings of my gynecologist, I stopped taking the 4th week altogether. Haven't had my period for four years, no breakthrough bleeding, no spotting, no worries."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 11, 2017

"I have taken Kariva for about 6 months, and my boobs have gone from an A cup to a D cup, which is alarming. I have pregnancy-like symptoms very often, but I'm not pregnant. Overall, this birth control made me extremely moody and gain crazy weight."

• but...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2019

"I think it is important to note that birth control is different for everyone, but I was on Kariva for 5 days, and it was awful! I would wake up between 3-4 times in a night, have night sweats (which is not normal for me), my breasts were so tender, I was insanely bloated, and the worst part... I think a blood clot was forming in my calf. I did not think this was possible since I was only on it a few days, but then I read that clots normally form when first starting birth control. I was also very emotional/anxious/depressed. I will be switching birth controls."

• Nau...
• December 16, 2009

"I've been on Kariva for 1 month and have had several side effects. My moods swing more so than usual, going from happy and giggly to angry and screaming the next. My abdomen is bloated, I am gassy to the point of severe pain, and I have had bouts of diarrhea and nausea. The first day of my period, I felt so awful! The pain was less than when I was not on birth control pills, but I had horrible gas pains, diarrhea, and I threw up. I will give Kariva another 2 months to see if I adjust to it over time. If I don't, I'm definitely asking my gynecologist to switch me."

• Gra...
• September 5, 2016

"I can't give this medication a 10 without being on it for a long time, but what I can say is that this medication was recommended to me by 2 different doctors who also take it themselves. Also, I can say that my side effects from my previous birth control are going away after taking Kariva. I had the worst mood swings and anxiety from Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I was always either angry and upset or hysterically crying for no good reason. From the first time I took Kariva, my mood dramatically improved. I actually feel friendly towards others for the first time in months."

• Sah...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2018

"Was on Kariva for 3 months, would have stayed on it if it wasn't for the negative side effects I got from this pill. PROS: Breasts grew from a B cup to a C cup. No depression, feeling sad, or moody. Shorter, light periods, 4 days at the most. CONS: Extreme vaginal dryness, so extreme I couldn't climax at ALL for the entire 3 months. I had acne that broke out on my forehead, chin, chest, and back. I'm already really skinny and wanted to gain weight, instead, I lost about 8 lbs. Overall, just couldn't put up with the dryness down there, it ruined sex for me. After 3 months of taking it, I had my doctor switch me to a new pill."

• jwa...
• May 18, 2016

"I've been on Kariva for probably 3 years or less now, and it is my favorite BC. I have tried others with crazy emotional side effects and heavy bleeding. Kariva gets rid of my period about 99% of the time, and with that, it decreases sex drive. It got rid of my acne and constant hot flashes. I didn't gain any weight on it. In fact, I just came off of Kariva a few weeks ago due to a severe yeast infection, which I had no idea what was causing, and since then my hormones are insane from being off of it. I keep binge eating, have cramps, my vagina is almost tingling a lot, my face gets very flush and red, and my skin is super dry. I gained 6 lbs in that time and hadn't changed my eating patterns. I am going back on Kariva due to this."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 28, 2016

"I have been on Kariva for about 3 years now. I originally went on the pill for my severe cramps and heavy bleeding. After one month, my acne cleared up, my period got much shorter, and my cramps were less intense. However, I have gained 20 pounds and a full cup size since being on the pill. In addition, I have absolutely no sex drive and a lot of dryness. Though I have experienced anxiety before taking the pill, it has gotten much worse since being on it. My PMS is much more severe as well."

• sam...
• September 6, 2016

"I have been on Kariva for almost 3 years, and I have never gotten any bad side effects. I originally went on birth control because I get really bad cramps before I get my period, during, and after. I've tried so many birth controls, and this one is definitely the best. Like someone else said, be careful at CVS because they will sometimes switch you to their preferred generic, Viorele, which is the worst one I have EVER been on. It gave me migraines every 3 days, it was so bad. I am a little mad because I got new insurance, and I have to pay more for Kariva, but it is worth it. It is definitely the best one out of this group!"