Reclipsen and Weight Gain: 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."

• Nor...
• February 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I've used Reclipsen since I was 16 and have never had any problems. Most importantly, I've never gotten pregnant. It helped with my acne as a teenager, and I've never experienced mood swings. Periods are light and very regular. I gained a little weight in high school and college, but this is probably due to many other factors (quitting sports, not exercising, eating poorly, etc.) as opposed to the birth control. Both of my sisters have also switched to Reclipsen after experiencing mood swings and other problems with other birth controls and have seen good results. Highly recommend."

• Pof...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 8, 2014

For Birth Control "My sister switched to this birth control after I had such a success with it. I haven't noticed any weight gain, in fact, I have successfully lost weight on it after making some dietary changes. I get more emotional than usual the first day back on it after taking the 4th week off. Besides that, no complaints. So glad to find a birth control that works for me without any crazy side effects. Been over 2 years on it now. LOVE it."

• Lan...
• April 15, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been on Reclipsen for 3 months for terrible periods (I'm 15), and my acne isn't any better than it was before. My periods are just as heavy as before, and I've gained 17 pounds. It caused severe mood swings, anxiety attacks, weight gain, more acne, strange cravings, always hungry, and didn't help with the amount of blood or my cramps. The pros are it shortens my period to 6 days rather than 12-16 days, but I still bleed abnormally heavy to the anemic point. The weight gain is the worst."

• 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."

• Pon...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 28, 2015

For Birth Control "The birth control is definitely doing its job at making sure I don't get pregnant, so that's why I gave it some stars. However, I have been experiencing bad hair loss and lifeless hair, which I have narrowed down to this pill, and have noticed other women mention the same thing. I also get motion sickness in vehicles if I am not driving. I have gained 10 pounds since getting on this medication, and my diet and exercise regimen has not changed. My skin was clear to begin with, and I did not end up getting acne from Reclipsen, except for a few pimples right before my period. My periods are average. My PMS seems worse than it used to be. I will be making an appointment to switch my birth control. I hope this helps someone."

• 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."

• zic...
• September 21, 2014

For Birth Control "I've used this birth control for 8 years. I was a late bloomer and didn't have my first period until well into age 16. I'm told it's because I'm small and athletically inclined. I never had cramps or mood swings, but my periods were extremely irregular and would arrive unexpectedly to ruin my favorite pairs of underwear. My doctor selected this initially due to cost, as I was not sexually active and just wanted regulation. Now, at age 24, I'm happy to report its effectiveness at preventing pregnancy, as well as a complete lack of any side effects. No acne, no weight gain, no mood swings, no spotting, no cup size enhancements (unfortunately), and a nice 4-5 day window that I know exactly when and how much I'm going to bleed."

• Anonymous
• October 31, 2012

For Birth Control "I've been on Reclipsen for over a year now, and I didn't think it was that bad. I thought I had finally found my birth control, but now I have changed. I loved this pill because it really controlled my periods and cramps. I had little cramps and lighter periods, but my period wouldn't start until three days after taking the sugar pills. I've been reading other comments about headaches, and I can agree that I have had headaches every other night, but they weren't bad. I could still fall asleep. I am changing to a different pill because I didn't like how I gained weight on this pill. I gained ten pounds at least, and I've been getting heavier. It's really hard to lose the weight on this pill also. Time for a change!"

• Rsa...
• March 10, 2014

For Birth Control "After my first month on this pill, I have had nonstop acne on my chin like I have never had before. Also, I had my period (5 days) and then continued to spot for another 7 days. I don't weigh myself, but it is obvious I've gained weight as well. Don't even get me started about my over-the-top mood swings. I never had these problems when I was on Orthocept. Even though it has been only one month and it may balance out after a few months, I do not think I will wait to find out."

• wta...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 5, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control for one year exactly, and I mainly went on this for my skin, but I didn't notice anything different with my acne when I was on it compared to when I didn't take birth control. The only thing I can say was that around the time I got my period, my face was the clearest it ever was, and then as soon as my period stopped, I began to break out again. I think with this birth control I did gain weight, probably around 15-20 pounds. It also made me very moody. I never got so upset/mad as easily as I did when I was on this. I felt like an emotional wreck at times because I would get mad so easily, and I hated it. I decided that this birth control, while effective for preventing pregnancies, was not for me."

• 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."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2017

For Birth Control "I am not happy with Reclipsen. I have gained a ton of weight in the last 3 months I have been on it. I get super nauseous in the mornings, and I have one extremely bad migraine on the last day of the pills. I changed to Reclipsen because my other BC was giving me headaches. Now I'm fat and have zero sex drive. I am going to stop Reclipsen ASAP."

• RAi...
• March 12, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been taking Reclipsen for a little over four years. From the beginning, I never really had any issues with this birth control. I gained 5-7 lbs within the first few months (not a big deal to me) and had some irregular spotting. Since then, the only side effects were breast tenderness (around my menstrual cycle) and some moodiness during my period. What girl doesn't get moody during that time? Overall, I haven't had any other side effects. I will continue with Reclipsen until otherwise."

• Jes...
• October 11, 2016

For Birth Control "I was using a smaller dose of birth control before Reclipsen and started to spot after two months. I switched to Reclipsen, and it has regulated my periods very well (even up to the right hour each time). I have been using it for 6 months now. I am mostly responsible for taking the pill every day on time. I noticed some weight gain but could also be due to other factors. My weight has been consistent after the initial weight gain (no new diets or different exercises). In the beginning, I noticed episodes of mood swings, but have been managing them pretty well."

• 24...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2015

For Birth Control "Reduced my libido to absolutely nothing, daily migraines, cystic acne, cramps became worse, I had no emotions, hair loss/lifeless hair, and I gained 8 pounds within one month of starting this birth control. I just stopped taking this medication, and hopefully my body will be able to get back to normal. I have taken other birth control medications in the past, and none of them affected me like this one, so just beware of Reclipsen."

• lil...
• July 1, 2015

For Birth Control "I've read a lot of the reviews, and I do relate to the shortened 4 days of real bleeding. The remaining 3 days is light spotting, if that. I used to bleed really heavily for almost 7 days and immediately after I started the first placebo. I chose Reclipsen because my last birth control was causing melasma (pigment patches on my face). I don't see that as much with Reclipsen because it's a low-dose pill. Other than that, my period on birth control has always been less painful. I don't know if I can contribute weight gain or migraines to this pill... too many other factors. I think it does what it needs to with no side effects that I know of, and that's all I need from a birth control. So I definitely recommend it."

• Reb...
• February 19, 2015

For Birth Control "I took Reclipsen for 2.5 years. It was wonderful! Only now that I haven't been taking it have I had acne and weight gain. I just refilled my prescription for it! I do a 9-week cycle. 9 weeks of active pills, then a period week and repeat. Wonder, wonderful. Also, it did not decrease my sex drive in any way. Maybe it even boosted it? Works amazingly. No pregnancies and much better periods. Mine were 13-16 days long and so heavy that in the first few days I would often fall back down after standing. With it, they were about a week long and manageable."

• Ica...
• June 20, 2017

For Birth Control "The first month was absolutely horrible. This is my first birth control pill. The nausea seemed to occur 2 hours after taking the pill (I take it at 3 pm every day). I was also unmotivated and felt like my back ached all the time. Then it got better. I don't get headaches anymore. But looking back, I definitely gained weight, like a lot. I didn't lose my sex drive. Anyway, I'm okay now."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 2, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been on Reclipsen for about two years now and am switching off of it. I was previously on another birth control that was too low of a dose when I switched over to Reclipsen. Although it has prevented pregnancy, the mood swings and weight gain have been enough for me to finally get rid of it. My periods and cramps were also still seven days and severe."

• ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 27, 2013

For Birth Control "Well, I have been on this for probably a year and a half and was on a different one for 2 and a half years due to really bad mood swings and got switched to this about a year ago. My doc asked about my weight gain, and I told her it was from not being active as I was in high school with drill team. Now I'm thinking it's not that. Now I'm thinking it's my pills that are making me gain. I have changed my diet, and so far nothing. I used to be like 30 pounds lighter and now I have no idea what to do. Probably will contact my doc soon because I'm tired of the weight."

• 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."

• Ste...
• May 12, 2016

For Birth Control "I went on Reclipsen due to severe cramping and heavy bleeding during my periods. It solved that problem, but I had no libido whatsoever, and I was very emotionless. I also gained 10 pounds in the 5 months I was on it, and I work out regularly and eat healthy."

• Anonymous
• August 16, 2015

For Birth Control "I was on Reclipsen for years. For me, it did make my periods lighter, and helped with severe cramps, and cleared my acne, and made my boobs bigger. On the downside, I put on about 10 lbs, that I could not get rid of. I felt bloated all the time. I quit gluten, I quit carbs, my sisters thought I had an eating disorder. I had chronic yeast infections too. I finally went off it, and the weight fell off. At first, I attributed it to the fact I was walking more. But then I went back on 3 packs ago, and back up 8 lbs. I'm still as active (per Fitbit). It's back to constantly feeling fat and bloated. None of my clothes fit, and my sleep is always interrupted. I'm hot/cold/hot/cold."

• mel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 23, 2015

For Birth Control "I began taking Reclipsen during February of 2015. Developed cystic acne. I've always had a few spots here and there, but nothing like this. I even switched to all-organic skin products, which helped a little. I developed insane headaches. I became extremely emotional and began crying at the drop of a hat, where in the past, I could count on two hands how many times I would cry per year. Worst of all, I gained 20 lbs from Feb-Oct 2015. I exercise, have a plant-based diet, and I'm 22, so my metabolism hasn't quite slowed yet. No excuse for that, and not flattering on a 5'4" frame. It prevented pregnancy (thus 2/10), but the side effects aren't worth enduring this pill. Switching to ParaGard in a week and a half. No more hormones for me."