Desogestrel / ethinyl estradiol and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Ari...
• December 26, 2019

For Birth Control "So I used to be on Chateal, but after my insurance coverage ended, I started using The Pill Club. I have hormonal acne. When I did start birth control, my skin was GLOWING, I mean like YouTube skincare guru glowing. When I started Isibloom in Sep, it was okay, but I was getting HUGE zits. A month into using Isibloom and I started experiencing these huge acne build-ups. Literally cystic acne. They hurt so much and took 3+ weeks to go away. It was so painful. Not only that, but I was experiencing huge mood swings. 1-2 months in, and I was literally crying to work about absolutely nothing. I would also break down really easily over stressful things. This birth control also reduced my sex drive to zero. Stayed on this for 3 whole months and literally nothing improved, only got worse. Switched, and literally within a WEEK, I stopped experiencing mood swings and depression, sex drive came back, and my forehead no longer has huge mountains."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 1, 2023

For Birth Control "I have been using this birth control for almost 4 years now because of my heavy periods and painful cramping. It has done its job as far as pregnancy prevention, and I no longer have heavy or painful periods. However, my mood is always off, and my sex drive has really plummeted, this is not like me at all. I’ve also noticed I often get yeast infections and am always extremely tired. I will be discontinuing this birth control and all others permanently."

• jgi...
• June 2, 2021

For Birth Control "Terrible! Mother of 2. I used to take Ortho-Cept before marriage. No problems then. I asked my doctor to recommend something for my heavy cramps during my period and my once-a-month pimple that appears every month near my chin area. I am a super healthy person as I eat at home 5 days a week, cook all my meals from scratch, and do no drugs besides a few cocktails on the weekends. I work out 3 to 4 times a week. I am very in tune with my body. I am on month three with these pills, and they have thrown me through a complete tornado! I get nausea, I get bloating, my sex drive is gone! It’s awful! To top it off, I get two periods a month as I start to bloat and bleed on day 15 of the pill! It sucks! I have decided to completely go off the pill and will never return. It is not worth it. I will happily take my two days of period cramps and a pimple every month over this craziness I just went through. I plan to get the IUD and call it a day. Good luck, ladies, no thank you to more hormones."

• Anonymous
• May 20, 2010

For Birth Control "I switched over from Yaz to Apri and am on my 4th month. I was originally on Ocella, which made me gain 20+ pounds. Yaz was awesome, but I lost insurance and the clinic didn't carry it, so they put me on Apri. So far, I haven't gained weight, my periods are regular, but I have had an EXTREME decrease in sex drive, enough to affect my relationship."

• CGa...
• April 3, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking Kariva for 6 years now for painful periods. I only take ibuprofen for 1-2 days now during my period as opposed to 5. My bleeding went from heavy to moderate and my period went from 8 days to 4-5, but that’s about the only benefit. Over time, my side effects have gotten much worse to the point I’m considering stopping usage. My sex drive is nonexistent, and sex has become very painful over the years due to dryness. I keep up with my annual gyno exams, and we’ve concluded that the pill is to blame. I never had a single yeast infection or BV in my life until taking this medication, and now they’re a yearly occurrence. I also have noticed more mood swings, and I’m much more emotional than I used to be. At this point, Kariva is very negatively affecting my relationship, and I wish I would’ve tried other alternatives to fix my painful periods before jumping on birth control. There’s an underlying reason behind painful periods, and taking birth control is just masking the problem."

• CGa...
• April 3, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking Kariva for 6 years now for painful periods. I only take ibuprofen for 1-2 days now during my period as opposed to 5. My bleeding went from heavy to moderate and my period went from 8 days to 4-5, but that’s about the only benefit. Over time, my side effects have gotten much worse to the point I’m considering stopping usage. My sex drive is nonexistent, and sex has become very painful over the years due to dryness. I keep up with my annual gyno exams, and we’ve concluded that the pill is to blame. I never had a single yeast infection or BV in my life until taking this medication, and now they’re a yearly occurrence. I also have noticed more mood swings, and I’m much more emotional than I used to be. At this point, Kariva is very negatively affecting my relationship, and I wish I would’ve tried other alternatives to fix my painful periods before jumping on birth control. There’s an underlying reason behind painful periods, and taking birth control is just masking the problem."

• all...
• January 9, 2014

For Birth Control "Not really impressed with this. Ortho-Cyclen was much better for me. I have been on it for 9 months, and at first, it was okay, but after a while, I would get painful, heavy periods the first day, backaches during the period, breasts hurt all the time, and no sex drive whatsoever. Will be coming off of this soon."

• Anonymous
• June 30, 2010

For Birth Control "Been taking Apri for about 2 1/2 months, and I've gained about 10 lbs. My sex drive is extremely low, and I'm really moody for no apparent reason. It's really interfering with my relationship. I also have been having chest pains, and I feel a heaviness in my chest when I wake up. When my period came on after the first month, I had really bad cramps. The only reason I gave it a 3 is because I have an irregular period, and it came on time while taking Apri."

• Sup...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 17, 2018

For Birth Control "Haven’t gotten pregnant on this, and my period is pretty light. It lasts about 5 days. My face is also pretty clear, except for random chin breakouts. However, I am SO moody/ sporadically depressed, have gained 15 lbs, and have a severely decreased sex drive. I kept thinking something was wrong with me because I’ve always been very easy-going/positive, but I’m beginning to think it’s this pill. Beware!"

• hal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2017

For Birth Control "This is the worst birth control I've ever taken. I have been on it for a few months now, and it's making me miserable. Depression, constant aches and pains, bloating, decrease in sex drive, and yeast infections are most of my symptoms. Do not take this. I am going to quit taking birth control altogether if I cannot replace this one because I would rather have awful periods than deal with all of these side effects."

• 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
• April 18, 2018

For Birth Control "I’m beginning to think the cause of my low sex drive, depression and anxiety, and skin rash is due to this birth control. I always thought it was just me, but after reading similar reviews, I don’t think it’s just me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 21, 2012

For Birth Control "I have been on Apri previously, and it was not available for refill at one point, so they switched me to Cryselle. I lost all sex drive and was flatlined. I am now back on Apri and feel amazing. My mood is better, and my sex drive is back... so happy to be back on Apri, this has really turned my life back around to where I was before."

• Mmi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2019

For Birth Control "Let me tell you... this Apri birth control pill has been something terrible. I was put on it because my hormones were messed up bad, and sometimes I had a period that wouldn’t stop for a month, then I didn’t have a period for like 3 months. So my OB-GYN put me on Apri. I also have PCOS. Anyway, I have terrible headaches, my sight has gotten terrible, made my anxiety worse, no sex drive at all, and the worst thing, I gained 40 pounds in like 6 months. This pill is straight the worst thing ever!"

• 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."

• RTN...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 8, 2018

For Birth Control "A lot of these comments on here are negative and complaining about the pill when only using it for a few weeks or so. It takes ages to get your body regulated with the pill and normal. I have been on this pill for 6 1/2 years, nonstop. I get some mood swings around my period time, but that’s normal. The only thing I’d complain about is my sex drive is at an all-time low, but my acne and period are so much better."

• sha...
• October 4, 2009

For Birth Control "I started taking Apri as a replacement for Seasonique. My sex drive is completely gone, and my cramps are horrid. I'm not pregnant, though, and it's really cheap. My period is on time every month and very light, but the negatives definitely outweigh the positives. What's the point of being on birth control if I don't even want sex?"

• Liz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2020

For Birth Control "Isibloom is a decent birth control. The first month of taking it, I had nausea, tender breasts, mood swings, and low libido. Those were completely gone after the first pack. It keeps me regular, having short and light periods is wonderful compared to the time with no birth control. I’d bleed for 12-14 days straight, and the flow was very heavy. So Isibloom birth control works great for me, and I hope it will work well for you as well. Definitely recommend 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."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for 3 months. My doctor told me to wait it out for a few months, and I should adjust. The first month wasn't awful, but it seems to be getting worse and worse the more I take it. The only time I feel okay (not nauseous and anxious) is when I'm on my period. I basically feel what I would compare to carsickness 24/7. I have no appetite, I've lost weight, which is nice, but not in a healthy way. I just don't eat due to constant nausea. My sex drive is nonexistent, which is awful for both my husband and me. I have panic attacks regularly, I cry about nothing, and the smell of anything cooking turns my stomach. My acne has cleared up, so that's good, I suppose, but that's the only positive about this pill. Overall, one of the worst I've ever been on. Discontinuing this month."

• Anonymous
• October 18, 2011

For Birth Control "Not very happy with what this is doing to my body. I was prescribed Reclipsen, and I'm now in my second month, and symptoms have gotten worse. These include: swollen, tender breasts (which I wouldn't mind except for I have fibrocystic breast making even hugging my husband painful), severe fatigue (I thought it might have been the Texas heat, but it's gotten worse even since it has cooled down), super decreased sex drive (I guess that's a good form of birth control), and hard to lose any weight! These symptoms may be magnified since I have a preexisting hormonal problem. Hopefully, I can get on something else soon!"

• Hun...
• December 6, 2019

For Birth Control "When I started this birth control, I had really intense mood swings. I even started struggling at work with handling my emotions, and as a reasonably tempered person, I was scared. Within the first couple of weeks, I called the National Suicide Hotline for the first time ever. I’ve had a major drop in weight because of loss in appetite. The mood swings subsided within the first three weeks or so. This birth control also caused a yeast infection that could not be cured by over-the-counter Monistat. I had to go see my doctor. So, I have yet to even 'put it to use,' as it has been a month and a half of incredibly painful, unbearable even, intercourse. I would only recommend this birth control if this is the only option available for you or if your only concern is gaining weight."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• July 26, 2011

For Birth Control "I'll keep this short. I have taken Tri Lo Sprintec, Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, and Velivet (in that order). Although my experience with Velivet was not as bad as with Ortho Tri-Cyclen, it wasn't great. Pros: I lost weight, very regular periods, effective as birth control. Cons: Velivet completely killed my sex drive. Not only that, it turned me into a nervous wreck - and I am usually a pretty calm person. I was constantly worried about the way others perceived me, what my boyfriend *really* thought about me (believe me, ladies, he is not a master of subtlety... there was no reason for me to be feeling this way), etc."

• Cho...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 4, 2015

For Birth Control "Pros: I never became pregnant, I had less frequent and severe cramps, and it may have helped with acne, although I started a new regimen around the same time. Cons: within the first month of starting, I had a yeast infection, and over the next 2 years, I would have some kind of vaginal or bladder infection every other month. My libido decreased dramatically, and in addition to that, I was constantly dry down there. I experienced some dizziness and nausea, which is to be expected. Lastly, I became a huge crybaby when I used to be able to count how many times I cried in a year on one hand."