Reclipsen and Depression: What Users Say

• Kit...
• February 8, 2014

For Birth Control "The first thing to remember is that everyone's body will react completely differently to different types of birth control. It all depends on your body. I was on Reclipsen for one year. I'm a pretty upbeat and happy person, but literally, as soon as I started taking Reclipsen, I fell into depression. I hated it. I wasn't myself, I was moody, irritable, I lost confidence, and I was really, really sad, which is not like me at all. I also gained a ton of weight, which didn't help with the whole self-confidence thing. The only good thing I have to say about it is that I didn't get pregnant, and my periods were shorter."

• Kit...
• February 8, 2014

For Birth Control "The first thing to remember is that everyone's body will react completely differently to different types of birth control. It all depends on your body. I was on Reclipsen for one year. I'm a pretty upbeat and happy person, but literally, as soon as I started taking Reclipsen, I fell into depression. I hated it. I wasn't myself, I was moody, irritable, I lost confidence, and I was really, really sad, which is not like me at all. I also gained a ton of weight, which didn't help with the whole self-confidence thing. The only good thing I have to say about it is that I didn't get pregnant, and my periods were shorter."

• ksc...
• April 12, 2014

For Birth Control "I just started taking this pill this week, so far not that bad of side effects except I'll get nauseous at night usually after I eat. (I take it in the afternoon). I just recently switched birth controls from Sorynox to this one. I was getting horrible mood swings and getting extremely depressed out of nowhere. It was driving my boyfriend crazy. My doctor switched me to this one and told me to take a vitamin B pill with it. So if you're getting mood swings and depressed, try taking a vitamin B pill with your birth control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 16, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been on Reclipsen for a few years now. I loved it, had no problems until the past 8 months. My PMS-type symptoms grew increasingly worse and have started to severely affect my life. I feel crazy, mood swings changing within the same hour. Depressed and feeling like something is always off and wrong. Will be switching birth control next week."

• Sad...
• April 17, 2017

For Birth Control "Started taking Reclipsen three months ago, and it was horrible. It brought on anxiety and intense mood swings, along with depression. I'm finally getting off of it, but do not buy this if you already have anxiety!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 25, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been on Reclipsen for about 2.5 years now. The first months were an emotional roller coaster, I experienced depression, but after a while, that went away, and I was back to normal. This pill has been wonderful for my mild acne and even better for my severe cramps. Before the pill, my period would last a full seven days, and now it's only three. It's always on the same day, and now my cramps are nearly not as bad as they were before. I have suffered some migraines, but nothing some Advil and a small nap can't cure. Overall, this pill has been great for me."

• Kel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 16, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been taking Reclipsen for over 6 months now. I am 21 and have no children. This is my 3rd birth control to try, after Depo-Provera and Natazia. I decided to try Reclipsen for my acne and cramps. It immediately cleared up my face and is effective at preventing pregnancy, but I'm starting to wonder if the side effects are really worth it. I am extremely irritable, and my attitude goes from great to depressed/angry in an instant. I even tried Zoloft for a while but realized it was the Reclipsen. I still have a period for about 5 days a month, along with the awful cramping. I'm calling my doctor soon to discuss other options. I know medications affect everyone differently, so it may be a good choice for you, but definitely not for me."

• Gmc...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 21, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on Reclipsen for years now. It's been horrible, but I've felt trapped to stay on it. I do not believe in IUDs and many other forms of birth control, so my primary care doctor felt this low dose would be best. We've never had any unwanted pregnancy, so it's effective in that manner. But here are all the issues I've had with it: mood swings, depression, anxiety, emotional instability overall, low sex drive, vaginal dryness, and migraines. I'll be getting off of it soon with the guidance of a new OB/GYN."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2012

"My experience on this pill has been horrible. I feel depressed all the time, have had a loss of appetite, and feel like something is always wrong. I can't get a full night of sleep anymore because I stay up all night thinking. Pills affect people differently, this pill has had a completely negative effect on me."

• sar...
• April 19, 2017

For Birth Control "So I started taking Reclipsen about four months ago. At first, everything was fine. My periods became regular and tolerable, and the oiliness of my skin went down. However, about a month ago, I started experiencing horrible mood swings. I already had depression and anxiety, but this greatly exacerbated the issue. I started snapping at people, crying, and having suicidal thoughts. I went to a doctor for mood stabilizers, and it was almost impossible to find one that didn't react with the Reclipsen. I ruined numerous relationships during that time. I stopped taking it, and within one day, I felt calmer. I'm definitely not taking it again and will be looking at an IUD."

• Lov...
• March 1, 2018

For Birth Control "I used to be all organic for 28 years. I started this birth control and now I’ve been on it for almost a year. I gained an insane amount of weight, 15-20 lbs total. I would have a ravenous appetite, be moody and depressed. Crazy amounts of anxiety and overall unhappiness. I would always be so energized, and this made me lazy and sad. I would have really scary thoughts, losing my self-confidence. The worst part of this drug was finding bald spots in my hair. I have thick, healthy, really long hair, and I felt so sad and heartbroken to find bald spots. I was devastated and decided then and there to stop it. I never want to be on birth control again. I am really scared to ever try this again, I will be using condoms instead. I will highly recommend that no one try this drug, it is unhealthy, and the side effects are just traumatizing. I don’t think this type of drug should be approved by the FDA because of the amount of negative side effects it has on women."

• Lov...
• March 1, 2018

For Birth Control "I used to be all organic for 28 years. I started this birth control and now I’ve been on it for almost a year. I gained an insane amount of weight, 15-20 lbs total. I would have a ravenous appetite, be moody and depressed. Crazy amounts of anxiety and overall unhappiness. I would always be so energized, and this made me lazy and sad. I would have really scary thoughts, losing my self-confidence. The worst part of this drug was finding bald spots in my hair. I have thick, healthy, really long hair, and I felt so sad and heartbroken to find bald spots. I was devastated and decided then and there to stop it. I never want to be on birth control again. I am really scared to ever try this again, I will be using condoms instead. I will highly recommend that no one try this drug, it is unhealthy, and the side effects are just traumatizing. I don’t think this type of drug should be approved by the FDA because of the amount of negative side effects it has on women."

• Lov...
• March 1, 2018

For Birth Control "I used to be all organic for 28 years. I started this birth control and now I’ve been on it for almost a year. I gained an insane amount of weight, 15-20 lbs total. I would have a ravenous appetite, be moody and depressed. Crazy amounts of anxiety and overall unhappiness. I would always be so energized, and this made me lazy and sad. I would have really scary thoughts, losing my self-confidence. The worst part of this drug was finding bald spots in my hair. I have thick, healthy, really long hair, and I felt so sad and heartbroken to find bald spots. I was devastated and decided then and there to stop it. I never want to be on birth control again. I am really scared to ever try this again, I will be using condoms instead. I will highly recommend that no one try this drug, it is unhealthy, and the side effects are just traumatizing. I don’t think this type of drug should be approved by the FDA because of the amount of negative side effects it has on women."

• Dan...
• May 25, 2011

For Birth Control "This pill caused me to feel like I was PMSing all the time, 24/7. Even when things were going great, I was depressed ALL THE TIME. I didn't know why but finally figured out it was the medicine after about 2 weeks of taking it, the symptoms are just not worth it. Plus, it caused my acne to come back and get dry skin, no matter how much lotion I used and what I used."

• Pet...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 25, 2014

For Birth Control "Reclipsen pros: prevents pregnancy, clear skin, regular cycles. Cons: weight gain, extreme mood swings, longer periods, depression, nausea, increased appetite, frequent yeast infection/bacterial vaginitis combination. I will find a better match for me. I was taking Reclipsen for about 1 year, then stopped taking it, and all my cons went away. I lost 15 pounds with no change in activity, and my yeast infections and mood swings stopped."

• Rec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 3, 2013

For Birth Control "Worsens depression, fatigue, increased appetite, weight gain, bloating, constant mild fever, headaches, unstable mood swings, decrease in sex drive overall but spikes in demand for sex at certain times (unstable). It did work as a birth control and did not worsen or help with my slight acne. I was on bupropion 300 mg for a few months before I started Reclipsen. It countered the positive effects of bupropion: increased energy, decreased appetite."

• Cle...
• June 21, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on Reclipsen for 3 weeks. I have been experiencing severe depression, anxiety, and mood swings. My sex drive is very low, and I cry uncontrollably and for no reason. I was on Apri prior to this, and it worked well and made me very even-keel. I will be switching back at my next doctor's visit."

• Kat...
• September 29, 2015

For Birth Control "This birth control made me extremely depressed and suicidal. I also had mild cramps, tender breasts, and acne. No spotting so far, but I am going to finish this month and stop taking the pills. I probably will not try any form of hormones for birth control again after this experience."

• Aqu...
• November 4, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been taking Reclipsen for 3 months (just finished my third package). I was on Yaz for one year, then Lutera, and now am on Reclipsen. Out of the 3, Reclipsen is hands down my favorite. I stopped taking Yaz after reading scary reviews online and hearing negative reviews from other women I know. The side effects I experienced were noticeable. I experienced a lot of spotting between periods, and if I forgot to take the pill at the exact same time every day, my period started right away--sometimes just hours later! Lutera made my fairly clear skin break out and made me EXTREMELY moody and often depressed. The main side effect I have noticed with Reclipsen is breast growth. At least a cup size this last month! (no complaints)."

• Han...
• February 10, 2017

For Birth Control "Horrible. Horrible. Horrible!!! Do NOT take Reclipsen. I'm finishing off my 2nd week, and I've been miserable! My heart rate has been crazy. I've been having panic attacks that I haven't had in a long time. I've had a migraine for 2 days now. Nothing will make it go away. I've basically OD'd on headache medicine. I've felt so dizzy and light-headed. My depression has come back. Screwed up my sleep. Super nauseous. No appetite. Some people say they've gained weight, but I've lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks, NOT the healthy way. I've been so miserable, and it's sooo not worth it!! Save yourself and DO NOT TRY IT!!"

• Jes...
• June 23, 2013

For Birth Control "I was having a very hard time finding a pill that controlled my periods. I would be on a pill and get my period in the middle of my cycle or when I wasn't supposed to, or it would start too early or too late after the sugar pills. My doc suggested higher hormones, and I have been on Reclipsen for almost 2 years. It regulated and shortened periods, no breasts or weight gain, mild acne improvement. But it took me a long time to realize how nasty some of the emotional side effects have been. It brought out the worst in me (hyper sensitive, on edge, almost 'bipolar' at times), and for the past 6 months, I've also had extreme depression. So I am switching to Yaz, which is supposed to help a lot with the emotional stuff due to lower estradiol."

• Cer...
• October 19, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on Reclipsen for over 3 years now. Pros - still not pregnant, no weight gain. It also clears up any face/back acne so that my skin is flawless, except I do break out a little during the placebo week. Cons - it makes me more prone to feeling depressed/sad for no reason. The biggest con is that it definitely affected my sex drive, though my libido dropped so much that my bf encouraged me to get off Reclipsen, which I did. The difference was noticeable. Problem is, I still don't feel comfortable with only using condoms, so after 3 months off it, I started again. This time I'm going to pay really close attention to side effects and compare it."

• Kat...
• August 12, 2018

For Birth Control "I've been on Reclipsen for 7 months so far, and I believe this will be my last. I started tracking how I feel every single day up to my cycle day. I started to realize recurring symptoms on the same cycle days of the medication! I'm finally throwing in the hat. Last month, my neck became sore, and my shoulders and back pain have escalated! Well, now I can't even move my neck side to side on the same cycle day. I believe this medicine has not helped my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), has made me have heart palpitations, a few days before my period I get really deeply depressed on the same day every month and have extreme dark thoughts. I've had toothaches, headaches, strong cramps, black blood, bladder pain, extreme weight loss, no appetite, dizziness, seizures, constant anxiety, extreme fatigue, and weakness, and all these weird things over the course of the last few months. My periods wouldn't come till 4 days into the sugar pills, and I would suffer the last week of the pills, and 3 days into my period."

• Kay...
• January 4, 2016

For Birth Control "Has been effective at preventing pregnancy. I've decided to stop taking it due to side effects. The first 2 months, my breasts were extremely tender. I experienced some depression symptoms and mood problems in the first month, which I initially thought went away, but I think I just got used to them. Looking back, I've been WAY more emotional at times (cry at least 2-3 times a week now, used to cry 2-3 times a year) and also fairly flat (don't really get excited about anything anymore). My sex drive has been almost non-existent while on Reclipsen. I used to be keen all the time, and now even extensive foreplay can't really get me going, which makes it pretty pointless to even be on it. Periods are short and light, which I will miss."

• Bay...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 9, 2016

For Birth Control "Reclipsen was recommended to me by my doctor when I was on other previous birth control because the dosage wasn't strong enough. I have been on Reclipsen regularly for about a year now, and my depression and anxiety are through the roof. Everything makes me irritable, and I always want to be left alone. It feels horrible! I was not always this way. Before the pill, I was much more relaxed and enjoyed company! I do not recommend this pill to anyone and will not be taking it anymore. Too much stress and anxiety on my body. I always feel fatigue, exhausted, no energy, or sex drive!"