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Desogestrel / ethinyl estradiol and Mood Swings: What Users Say (Page 4)

Brand names: Apri, Kariva, Enskyce, Isibloom, Viorele, Volnea, Velivet, Azurette, Desogen, Cyclessa, Reclipsen, Juleber, Bekyree, Simliya, Emoquette, Kalliga, Cyred Caziant Pimtrea Kimidess Cyred EQ …show all brand names

Reviews for Desogestrel / ethinyl estradiol

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • 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."

4 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • November 30, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been taking this birth control for 6 months now, and as far as I'm concerned, it works well. I haven't gotten pregnant, and I don't use condoms with my significant other. The first few months, I may have had a little bit of nausea and bloating, but that's all gone now. My acne has pretty much stayed the same, but my periods are lighter and shorter. They are also very regular. As for changing my weight, I believe Apri has actually helped regulate my weight, so I haven't gained any pounds nor lost any while maintaining the same diet. Mood swings could probably be better, but that comes with all young female adults under stress anyway."

8 / 10
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  • Lex...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 21, 2018

For Birth Control "This pill is absolutely awful. Took it to help with my PMS symptoms, and nothing has changed, if anything, it’s only gotten worse. On top of that, I have experienced extreme mood swings, worse than anything I’ve known in myself. I am not the usual person I am. I am angered easily, I have severe depression. I am dazed and drowsy. Enskyce has done more harm than good. Would strongly recommend avoiding it!"

1 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • March 8, 2021

For Birth Control "I have been on multiple kinds of birth control and switched to this one because the hormones in all of them affected my mood intensely. This one is one of the worst when it comes to mood swings and cravings. I cry at the drop of a hat and have intense emotional breakdowns constantly for literally no reason and go down the overthinking/anxiety birth control side effects rabbit hole of sadness. I highly do NOT recommend this kind. I chose this kind because it had fewer hormones, and my doctor said it would be better for me in the side effects department. I haven't even gotten a full pack in, and within the first week, felt intense side effects. Don't take this if you have ever experienced depression or anxiety."

1 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • March 8, 2021

For Birth Control "I have been on multiple kinds of birth control and switched to this one because the hormones in all of them affected my mood intensely. This one is one of the worst when it comes to mood swings and cravings. I cry at the drop of a hat and have intense emotional breakdowns constantly for literally no reason and go down the overthinking/anxiety birth control side effects rabbit hole of sadness. I highly do NOT recommend this kind. I chose this kind because it had fewer hormones, and my doctor said it would be better for me in the side effects department. I haven't even gotten a full pack in, and within the first week, felt intense side effects. Don't take this if you have ever experienced depression or anxiety."

1 / 10
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  • Hey...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 4, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve only been on Isibloom for 8 days. I’m taking it for acne more than I am for actual birth control. The reason why I’m writing this is because in just a few days my mood swings have been INSANE. I have gotten this random anxiety that feels very intense and scary. I normally do not get anxiety or mood swings like this at all, but I get these sudden rushes of rage and depression causing me to sob uncontrollably and act hysterical. I’m scared of how this may affect my life if I continue, because it’s causing me to feel depressed after each moody episode. I’ll continue taking it until the end of the month because I desperately want to clear my acne, but if it’s not 100% clear skin by then I will definitely switch brands."

5 / 10
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  • Aan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 26, 2019

For Birth Control "I am 19 and am on my 3rd week of Isibloom. So far, I haven’t gotten any crazy bad side effects. I honestly feel like it has balanced my emotions, but there have been about 2 days that I was more emotional than normal. I haven’t gained weight or been extremely emotional or anything. Towards the evening, I am really tired, which wasn’t always the case before I started the pill. I really like this one, and I would recommend it."

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 5, 2019

For Birth Control "Was switched to this Viorele from Azurette, and it’s the worst. Horrible mood swings, fatigue, depression, and low sex drive. The only good thing is no acne, but I’m only 20 and shouldn’t be tired all the time. I noticed this about a month after taking these and would rather stay off of them rather than put myself through that again."

1 / 10
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  • 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."

4 / 10
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  • hom...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 30, 2015

For Birth Control "I hated this birth control. It worked, as in it prevented pregnancy and it regulated my periods, but the side effects were so horrible that I had to stop taking it. While I was on this birth control, I gained an extra 15-20 pounds that I could not lose despite the hours in the gym and the healthy eating. I felt like I was going insane... hot flashes, extreme mood swings. The mood swings happened all of the time, not just during my period. It didn't help alleviate cramps or anything. I will never, ever, ever take this again."

1 / 10
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  • Ame...
  • November 21, 2016

For Birth Control "My doc prescribed this for endometriosis. I've tried other BC pills, and right away they either made me depressed, nauseated, made my period last for weeks, gained weight, breasts ballooned up and were painful, cramps every day, acne, pretty much every awful side effect you can think of. But thankfully NOT on this pill. There have been zero side effects. Maybe for the first week I experienced mood swings at the same time at night when I took the pill, but it didn't last if that was related to it. I only gave it 9 out of 10 because I've just started the second month, and I'm keeping an open mind in case things were to change. But I'm so thrilled with it so far, and I hope it holds up!"

9 / 10
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  • Lel...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • October 3, 2019

For Birth Control "(Not as bad as the reviews might lead you to believe. Usually, people who have bad experiences are, of course, going to post about it. Not to undermine any experience that anyone has on this BC.) Let me tell you, though. I’ve tried six different kinds of birth controls (from Nuvaring to other pills). All of them gave me the WORST mood swings. It was not healthy, and I had to get off all of them. With Isibloom, I think I finally found one that works for me. I still get mild mood swings, but I just have to remind myself I’m adjusting to the new medication. Other than that, there have literally been no other side effects. I have bad acne in general, and I’m hoping soon it’ll clear up too! Ladies, good luck finding the birth control for you! Everything is going to be different for everyone. So try until you find yours. -Xoxo"

9 / 10
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  • KDa...
  • May 14, 2019

For Birth Control "I am giving this Enskyce pill a 3 in terms of 'effectiveness' because it worked to prevent pregnancy, but as others have mentioned, the emotional changes are not worth it. When I started with my pharmacy a year ago, they switched the medication without notice. Like others, I assumed the generic version would be the same as I am usually not picky. This pill made me feel extremely irritable, and it usually takes me a lot to get worked up. I didn't realize that it was due to the pill switch until I forgot to refill with Caremark and had to pay for a pack of Apri at my local pharmacy. I had 0 issues with my mood when I switched back, and then as soon as I was back on the Enskyce, my irritability started back up again. I'm not sure what the difference is, but it is different. I was searching for a reason as to why I could possibly be irritable since there were no actual reasons for it - adding my review to this pile because reading others' experiences helped me not feel so crazy for demanding my Apri back!"

3 / 10
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  • 2gr...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • January 11, 2019

For Birth Control "Unbelievably negative experience here. My natural demeanor is optimistic, easy-going, fun-loving, and happy. Upon the second or third month I was on this birth control, I noticed drastic mood swings, feeling agitated, and being irritable constantly. It felt like out of nowhere, I had serious anger management issues. I blamed a stressful job. I'm now on the seventh month taking this pill, and my zeal for life is completely gone. I am depressed, lethargic, and have terribly dark thoughts about myself, the ones I love, and life in general. That is wildly uncharacteristic of me. The week that I take the sugar pill, I am nearly 100% myself. Within two days of starting my next pack, I'm back in the dark hole. I have also experienced some minor stomach issues, including constant gas/bloating and loss of appetite."

1 / 10
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  • YIK...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 13, 2019

For Birth Control "HOLY ANXIETY AND MOOD SWINGS. I am on my 2nd pack and taking these pills has been something I didn't expect. The first two weeks are so awful for me. I know they say it takes 3 months for the body to adjust, but I honestly don’t know if I can make it that long on these. They make me feel like I am going crazy. I freak out about anything and everything now. Sometimes, I get really, really sad. Other times, I’m angry for no real reason. (This side effect only happened a couple of times, so it wasn’t that bad and hasn’t really come back.) I did not get the sore or tender breasts or headaches they report, so that is nice. I more so have nausea and the mood swings. The nausea didn’t seem too, too bad this time, but the mood swings are still very real and the worst thing about this. I wake up anxious, or one minute I’m happy, the next I’m anxious or sad and wanting to do nothing."

2 / 10
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  • all...
  • June 21, 2016

For Birth Control "When I first started this, I got so sick, but I realized you have to eat before taking this. Do not take on an empty stomach! My acne did somewhat get better. I would definitely recommend this to underweight people, it added a few pounds on me! No emotional problems, the period lasts anywhere from 3-7 days, cramps aren't as bad, good sex drive!"

9 / 10
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  • Sam...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 1, 2013

For Birth Control "Since I started taking Desogen, it's cleared up my acne. The one thing I don't like about it is the mood swings. One moment I'm mad, and another I'm crying. I have also noticed I have been losing weight since I started taking it. I have also noticed that my boyfriend and I have been fighting a lot because of the mood swings."

9 / 10
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  • Lov...
  • May 14, 2013

For Birth Control "My experience with Apri has been great. I have been on it for about 5 years now. I do not get any of the side effects - no headaches, mood swings, weight gain, etc. I was recommended by 2 doctors to take 4 x 21 packs of Apri in a row, totaling 3 months of birth control, then stopping for a week to get my period. So this means that you only get your periods 4 times a year. This causes no health risks at all (unless you take it longer than 3 months in a row), and I have been doing this for 3 years with no side effects at all. I have spoken to 4 doctors about this, and none of them disagreed with this method. I was told to try it, and if it worked for me, to definitely keep doing it. *May not be for everyone, so please consult your doctor first*."

10 / 10
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  • 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."

1 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • December 26, 2011

For Birth Control "Pros: breasts got bigger (they're AA normally, so this was a big plus!), it worked (I didn't get pregnant), light periods, can skip periods by taking continuously. Cons: much more acne, dramatic mood swings (crying uncontrollably for no reason), nausea, weight gain. I only stayed on Mircette for three months due to the dramatic increase in side effects compared to Ortho Tri-Cyclen (which I'd been on for three years at that point)-especially crying easily and acne. I get mood changes with any birth control pill, but it was by far the worst on Mircette. Every other pill I've tried improves my acne, but Mircette made it worse. I did like the breast enlargement, but that wasn't worth being totally crazy with an acne-covered face!"

3 / 10
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  • 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."

5 / 10
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  • Mar...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • March 4, 2020

For Birth Control "So I've been on this birth control for 7 months now. It has been awful. I have had nonstop nausea, vomiting, extreme bloating, and mood swings that are horrible. I have also had severe depression and feel constantly sick. Went to the doctor finally. These pills have literally sucked the life out of me. Everyone is different, but I am going to stop taking these, they are horrible for your body. It does its job of preventing pregnancy, but the overall side effects are horrendous."

2 / 10
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  • yol...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • August 6, 2018

For Birth Control "Worse, worse pill ever!! I was on Isibloom, then insurance changed to Enskyce. It has been 7 weeks on it, and I'm spotting every day, which is horrible for sex life; I'm moody and emotional, which is not like me, and I gained 6 lbs! I'm finishing this pack and requesting my old pill, even if I have to pay more! This is not worth it, and FYI, I take it at the same exact time daily. Oh, and the headaches are daily!! Run from this brand, please."

1 / 10
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  • Kat...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • December 10, 2018

For Birth Control "I was switched from Junel to Apri because of breakthrough bleeding. While that has been fixed, Apri has some pretty serious negative side effects for me. My mood is completely unstable and swings terribly, and my anxiety is uncontrollable. Sex drive is basically nonexistent. Other than that, no weight gain, acne, lighter periods, and less painful cramping (my cramps were unbearable before)."

7 / 10
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  • Spo...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • January 14, 2020

For Birth Control "So I have been on birth control since I was 18. I am now 26. I was on only prescription birth control pills for 7 years. When my last prescription ran out and my family doctor had a 3-month wait, I decided to use the pill club.com, they prescribed me Isibloom. I took it for 1 month and 2 weeks. Let me tell you, if you haven’t already started your pack, DO NOT TAKE THE PILLS. My experience on the 2nd week of taking them was awful. For the 1st month, I was nauseous for weeks! I couldn’t get myself out of bed because it made me so depressed. I only dragged myself out of bed when I had to go to work, and on my days off, I was in bed just restless and so emotional. When I was at work, I had moments I would just cry over the littlest things, and when I was at home with my bf, I would act so bipolar and argue over anything and everything! So now I stopped taking the pills for 3 days, and I am back to feeling normal. DO NOT TAKE THIS BRAND. DO NOT ORDER THEM ONLINE."

2 / 10
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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.