Kariva and Acne: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• April 13, 2011

For Birth Control "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."

• fbh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 26, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for over 2 years now, and I have never had any problems! It lightened my period and got rid of my cramps and acne! I have had no spotting or anything. As long as you take your pill correctly, your experience with Kariva will be great! No crazy mood swings and fewer cramps! My sex drive is the same, and my breasts have gone from a C to a DD while being on this pill. I have a little more vaginal dryness, but nothing too crazy. I would not want to be on any other pill! Beware of getting this pill if you are with CVS Pharmacy (switch pharmacies). CVS will fill Kariva for you for a couple of months, then without your permission, they switch you to a generic brand, Viorele, and it's TERRIBLE, my friends. Best of luck to you."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 19, 2014

For Birth Control "Been on Kariva for 2 months, and it has its good and bad. BAD: I have never experienced such bad mood swings in my life. I have little patience, I get extremely mad and aggravated very easily. I can be happy one minute, then CRAZY another minute. So be aware of the horrible mood swings. Didn't do anything for my 7-day period. I break out a week before my period. GOOD: it does prevent you from getting pregnant, even in the first month."

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2011

For Birth Control "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."

• Gal...
• August 6, 2010

For Birth Control "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."

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

For Birth Control "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."

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

For Birth Control "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."

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

For Birth Control "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."

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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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."

• Mis...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 13, 2017

For Birth Control "When I first switched my birth control from the generic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo to Kariva, it was an attempt to regulate my pH balance. Although the switch made no difference in that area, I noticed a significant change in my mood. In a good way! I had been taking the other birth control for so long, I thought it was just me that had crazy mood swings every month. Once I switched, the moods were gone. My mind was blown. I have also noticed a decrease in acne, which is always a plus. They've also just changed the bubble pack to release the pills more easily. I recommend."

• Kan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 11, 2019

For Birth Control "I started taking Kariva for irregular periods after being on another pill. At first, it was fine because my periods were lighter, but after a few weeks, I started getting terrible cramps, bloating, and my acne got awful. It also completely changed my mood, and my sex drive is absolutely non-existent. Will definitely be switching."

• Sta...
• July 18, 2016

For Birth Control "Kariva definitely had its ups and downs for me, but the downs were so horrible I had to go off. Pros: I never got pregnant. I stopped getting cystic acne on my chin, and my skin was way clearer than it had ever been before (other birth control had been ineffective in doing this). My sex drive was not decreased at all. Cons: My boobs went from a C to spilling out of a DD and tender. I gained 10 lbs, and NONE of my clothes fit anymore. My feet and ankles got so swollen that some of my shoes stopped fitting. For the first three months, I spotted like crazy. After that, my periods were regular and not too bad of flow, but other birth controls had made me have a 2-day 'barely there' period or not get a period at all, which was way better."

• eie...
• March 20, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control for about 6 months. At first, I had rapid weight loss. But in the past few months, I've retained several pounds of water weight. No issues with mood changes or loss of sex drive. My period comes every Thursday of the week of the blue pills. It lasts until usually Saturday night. I've yet to get pregnant, so besides these small side effects, I would definitely recommend this birth control. My skin has never been better, it's no longer oily, and I only break out the week of my period."

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2018

For Birth Control "I was on Kimidess for 2 years, and it was great. When I moved and got new insurance, for whatever reason, I kept getting Kariva and not Kimidess from my pharmacy. It has been awful for me. After little to no sex drive, hormonal acne, and perioral dermatitis appearing, I stopped taking the pill and am now hoping to go back to Kimidess. While all BCPs work differently for different bodies, this one certainly did not work for me. Super disappointed I was even given this when my doctor never prescribed it! Ladies, be careful about generic BCPs. I personally do NOT trust them now."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2020

For Birth Control "Do not recommend... Kariva made my face break out bad, and I never previously had problems with acne. It also made me feel like the Incredible Hulk (imagine severe PMS that lasts all month long). I had to stop taking it. My moods were so severe that I wasn’t even able to finish 1 month on it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2020

For Birth Control "Do not recommend... Kariva made my face break out bad, and I never previously had problems with acne. It also made me feel like the Incredible Hulk (imagine severe PMS that lasts all month long). I had to stop taking it. My moods were so severe that I wasn’t even able to finish 1 month on it."

• kai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2021

For Birth Control "I started taking Kariva to improve my skin, and it only got worse. After only a week on this pill, I started feeling horrible depression and anxiety, plus my skin was breaking out worse than before. I went from having zero symptoms on my previous pill to having all the symptoms in the book: breakouts, weight gain, lower back pain, horrible periods, mood swings, etc. This was only after about 2 weeks on the pill. I just finished my sugar pills and couldn’t switch back to my old pill soon enough. Would not recommend this pill to anyone who has a history of depression and anxiety."

• Lin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 1, 2021

For Birth Control "Once the medication fully kicked into my system, it started giving me severe migraines and seizures. I experienced bad mood swings, acne, and weight gain on this stuff as well. I was previously functionally healthy, but now, because of this pill, I’m essentially bedridden with MS-like symptoms. Given that doctors don’t pay much attention to migraine/seizure patients or to reproductive problems, especially from my demographic, I’m still dealing with the debilitating symptoms. This medication was essentially pushed onto me as the only treatment for bad period cramping (no previous fibroid or PCOS diagnosis). This medication made my life an absolute living nightmare. Be very careful, especially if you have any underlying conditions or odd feelings about this whatsoever. If I can even help one person stay out of my position, that would help me to sleep at night."

• Mer...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2022

For Birth Control "I’m 23 years old and recently got diagnosed with PCOS. In October of 2021, my gyn placed me on Kariva to help with the symptoms of PCOS (acne, missed period for months, body hair). Instantly, my skin began to break out 10 times worse, but I remembered my gyn mentioning a purging period, so I continued to use the bc. Over the course of the 4 months I was on this pill, not only did my skin look terrible, but my mental health was in the gutters. I was crying every day, I was super paranoid about literally every little thing, I had suicidal thoughts and so much more than I never thought could happen to me. Often, you hear people talking about what bc does to them, but you never think you’d ever be in that position, and that’s what I thought. After giving it a chance, I returned to my gyn, and she took me off of them, and within days, my sanity returned. I’ve been off the pill for 1 month, and I can’t explain how grateful I am."

• kat...
• November 10, 2015

For Birth Control "Woud not recommend! This product has given me awful breakouts and a month-long period."