Desogestrel / ethinyl estradiol and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• May 20, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for 4 years. I switched to this one because my previous ones caused me to gain weight. These pills do not cause me to gain weight and keep my skin flawless. However, I think they recently made a more generic version of the pills and switched packaging and everything, and for these last three months, I've been losing my temper and really emotional. I have no sex drive, also. I am going to have to switch pills. But for the first few years of my life, they've been good."

• 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."

• D32...
• June 15, 2015

For Birth Control "I have endometriosis, and my doctor wants me to continuously use this with 3-4 breaks per year to minimize the endometrial growth. I had terrible nausea and bad acne in the beginning, not to mention I spotted for a month straight and then bled a period flow for another month. Taking this pill before bedtime helped with the nausea. I've been taking this pill for 4 months now and have gained 5-10 lbs, the acne is still bad (I'm 34 and no longer had it before Apri). Oh, and my libido is nonexistent since taking this medication. I figured it wouldn't happen to me since I had a very strong libido, but it is now gone. I'm going to ask my doctor to change this medication."

• 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."

• fir...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 27, 2020

For Birth Control "I am 19 years old, this is my first birth control, and I have been on it for around 9 months. The first 3-7 months were bearable, I didn’t gain weight, my mood swings increased a little, and I had a few headaches here and there. Months 8-9, I’m noticing more breakouts on my skin and more dryness around my eyes, it could just be the environment, though. Overall, Isibloom does its job of preventing pregnancy, and its side effects aren't all too bad."

• Ron...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 25, 2018

For Birth Control "I would not recommend this medication to anyone. Apri caused me to gain 60 lbs in the course of only 1 year. If you have ever struggled with weight loss or are trying to keep from gaining weight, absolutely do not take this medication."

• Nic...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 29, 2017

For Birth Control "I took Viorele for approximately 2 years. It worked great for clearing up my cystic acne, and it did its job in preventing pregnancy; however, I’ve noticed the following for the past 2 years: -NO desire to be intimate/NO sex drive. This has hurt my relationship, as I now have sex with my fiancé only once a month, if that! -UNRULY CRAVINGS, which led to 25 lb. weight gain. Currently medically diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder -moody, irritable, and short-tempered demeanor -increase in anxiety and depression. The only reason I continued to take Viorele was because it was completely free with my insurance, but it’s clearly not worth it. In my opinion, you should definitely consider another BC pill/method!"

• Sam...
• May 30, 2017

For Birth Control "Love it! Been continuously dosing without breaking for menstruation for almost two years due to extremely difficult/painful menstrual cycles, emotional trouble, etc. This pill smoothed all of that out! Spotting for a few months once going on, but rarely have issues now. Cleared up my skin perfectly. Two downsides: total libido killer (I feel like a robot sometimes), and a bit of weight gain. The weight gain actually didn't happen for the first year, so I'm not totally certain that the pill was the cause. Maybe it was the pill mixed with extremely stressful past 6+ months and overeating from stress. I'll gladly take emotional normalcy and no dependence on painkillers in exchange for the downsides!"

• Nav...
• September 8, 2014

For Birth Control "Had not been on birth control for many years and decided that I should go back on as my husband and I were not planning to have kids. I had previously been on Loestrin years before for painful periods and heavy bleeding, but after taking that for a few years, those side effects diminished and I stopped taking birth control. With Ortho-Cept, my periods immediately started getting extremely painful again, maybe even worse than in the past. Also, I developed symptoms of acid reflux, which I have never had before (it is a gross feeling). Have always had decent-sized breasts, but with Ortho-Cept, I gained probably about 15 pounds and became a triple D. Also was nauseous all the time. Anxious to switch back to Loestrin!!"

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2012

For Birth Control "This birth control was not good. I gained weight all in my stomach and had horrible, horrible bloating before my period for about 3 days. It was as if I was 4 months pregnant-none of my clothes fit, and I'd feel too uncomfortable to sit in a chair. Acne was worse than it has ever been."

• Kay...
• January 27, 2015

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I got severe lower back pain very soon after starting this, which continued the entire time I was taking it. Frequent (at least 3x a week) migraines, increased appetite and weight gain, and a mysterious breast lump."

• Dez...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2019

For Birth Control "This pill Isibloom started out great with little to no side effects and seemingly does its job considering I’m not pregnant. However, after 3 months, I began to experience severe mood swings. I cry all the time over little things and sometimes nothing. I also get uncontrollably angry and lash out on everyone. I have no motivation and I’m depressed most of the time. Some other side effects I’ve noticed were painful periods, nausea (to the point that I actually fainted), weight gain, and bloating. This pill is not worth taking, it greatly affected my mental health. After today, I will no longer be taking Isibloom. I absolutely DO NOT recommend."

• cyb...
• May 16, 2013

For Birth Control "I'm glad to have read these reviews because now I know why I'm hungry all the time! I think about food all the time. I have never been that way. I'm a healthy eater and gym junkie. So, I have gained weight, lost any sex drive (but I'm not active anyway), and am a little irritable. But besides that, I have no other problems. I'm using it for surrogacy, so they have me on my second pack in a row to skip my period, which worked perfectly. The last pill did not stop it. Why can't I be one of the people who have lost weight on it?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2016

For Birth Control "I started taking this in August of this year, and the first period I had after starting this BC was excruciating. I had severe cramping, swollen and painful breasts, and bloating like crazy. I stuck it out because I know with BC you have to give it a few months to let your body adjust. My periods leveled out, but I only made it 4 months before I had to go back and request something else. My anxiety was exacerbated, depression came back, was extremely emotional, constantly hungry (gained weight because of that), went up 2 cup sizes due to swelling and weight gain, and was bloated all the time. It was a nightmare. It did prevent pregnancy, though, so there's that. I've felt totally normal since switching to the mini pill. This just wasn't for me."

• LCa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 31, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Isibloom for one cycle. I’ve experienced some side effects including increased appetite (few lbs weight gain), bloating/water retention, tender and swollen breasts— I’ve gone up a bra cup size— really didn’t want to as they’re already too big for my frame... Moodiness, pimples. The only positive is that I get to skip my period, but I am definitely considering stopping the pill. I wish it worked for me, but I don’t think the side effects are worth it."

• Anonymous
• August 5, 2009

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been taking Apri for about 2 years now. At first, it was great. My periods were manageable, extremely predictable, and only lasted a few days. I gained about 10 pounds in the first 5 months, and shortly after, completely lost my sex drive. Recently, my periods have been getting longer, as they used to be, and cramps are coming back as well."

• Mis...
• October 1, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been taking this birth control for 4 months now. I was scared for a second because most of the reviews have horrible side effects. With me, I haven’t had any mood swings, no weight gain or loss, no dizziness, I feel the same. I guess Isibloom is not meant for everyone."

• lil...
• June 9, 2010

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "This might sound weird, but apparently this isn't uncommon for this specific birth control. I have been on it for about 72 hours. Have gained 4 lbs (which is good because I'm 30 lbs underweight) and have almost increased a full cup size with my breasts. I had horrible period problems. When I got the Apri a few days ago, I was going on a 3.5-week period. After about 3 hours since taking my first pill, the period fully stopped. Very big fan of Apri!"

• Sar...
• August 23, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been taking Azurette 28's since August 7th, 2016, and have been experiencing cramps since the 2nd or 3rd day. They go from being mild with little irritation to being severe. I'm having mood swings as well. I've even noticed that I have gained weight. I had a bad migraine headache over the weekend, I felt so terrible I was throwing up, and I couldn't lay down because my entire skull felt like it was shattering into a million little pieces. I almost had my husband take me to the emergency room. I was on Lutera a few years ago and I didn't experience any of these symptoms. I'm going to ask my doctor to switch me to that. I would never recommend Azurette to anyone. I only wanted to regain control over my periods, otherwise, I wouldn't be on BC."

• Boa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 1, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been extremely happy with this birth control. After about 3 years on this bc, I had to switch pharmacies, and my new pharmacy switched me to Viorele, which led to my absolute worst experience with birth control. I had headaches, felt fatigued, experienced a heavier period with more cramping, and gained weight. Finally, I realized that even though Kariva and Viorele should be the same, they, in fact, are not! Once I switched to a new pharmacy that would specifically fill Kariva, I lost 10 pounds in about 2 months, and all the other side effects from the Viorele disappeared. After a year of consistently being on Kariva, my pharmacy just switched to Pimtrea, which really upsets me that they can't be consistent with Kariva."

• Ann...
• June 30, 2015

For Birth Control "Over 6 months ago, I switched to this from a more traditional BC pill because of nausea. I was taking it for acne and pregnancy protection. Cons: My acne got way worse initially and then leveled off to kind of bad. Gained about five pounds, but I'm not sure if it's due to Apri. My periods went from unnoticeable (3-5 days, no cramps) to intolerable, lasting over a week and bleeding like crazy with initial cramping. I have also had frequent yeast infections right before my period since starting this drug. Pros: Boobs got way bigger. Nausea went away."

• Dia...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 26, 2021

For Birth Control "I am 25 years old, and I was prescribed Isibloom over a year ago. I have not experienced any negative side effects! I will say that I may have gained a little bit of weight, but nothing extreme/out of my normal range. I do not have any mood swings or headaches! My period/withdrawal bleeding is pretty much exactly the same as it was pre-birth control! The only thing that changed from that was that my breasts do not get sore before my period. My experience pre-birth control vs. now is pretty much the same, other than I am protected from pregnancy!"

• gia...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 26, 2021

For Birth Control "I have been taking this birth control for a few years now. I was prescribed this for long heavy periods and bad cramps. I was fine for the first 2 years until my anxiety had spiked, making me unsocial and nervous constantly. It had cleared my skin in the beginning, but I now suffer from breakouts before every period. I am a generally anxious person, but my anxiety and depression have gone through the roof! I gained at least 20 pounds since starting this and have so much trouble losing weight despite exercise and a good diet. I also have been experiencing swelling in my feet and ankles and couldn't figure out the source. I finally found out from research that it was this BC. I am so disappointed in Apri."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• March 18, 2012

For Birth Control "I have been experiencing headaches, and before using Ortho-Cept, I rarely got headaches. I've also experienced dark spotting for two weeks leading up to my period. I'm very moody now and am very easily frustrated. I get tired as early as 8 at night now (before the pill, I could stay up until 2 a.m. if I even went to sleep) and am no longer a morning person. I'm hungry more and am gaining weight, but luckily in the right places. My breasts are noticeably growing. My libido has also increased, and I'm not pregnant, so it's working okay."