Kariva User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• 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 21, 2009

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I have been on it for 3 months now. No breakthrough bleeding at all. Short, light period. Have had a few more headaches, but nothing Advil won't take care of. Great results with this pill. A lot less moody than with other pills."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• October 6, 2011

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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."

• 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."

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

For Birth Control "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."

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

For Birth Control "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."

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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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

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."

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

For Birth Control "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."

• Gig...
• August 25, 2018

"This birth control is awful! I am a 43-year-old and was having irregular periods. My obgyn prescribed this for me. It did help my irregularity - but at a price to me. I developed perioral dermatitis. This is a rash-type acne around the mouth. I had never had this issue before. This is a side effect of the drug, which I found after doing some research. This is a very stubborn rash to treat. I am hopeful I got it soon enough it will not be a long-term issue for me. I stopped the pill immediately once I figured out what was going on and did see some relief on my face. I am also treating it with cream and an oral antibiotic. I do not recommend this product to anyone!"

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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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

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."

• Anonymous
• June 15, 2011

For Birth Control "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."

• Rem...
• April 17, 2013

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I was on Kariva for about three years. I took it because I am prone to migraines. The pill was great for regulating and lessening my menstruation cycle, however, it did nothing to alleviate my migraines. I recently have switched to an IUD, which has done the same but no migraines."

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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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."