Gianvi for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder User Reviews

• Vano
• October 19, 2019

"After trying an IUD and two other pills, I was turned off by the idea of birth control because of how horribly depressed and moody the others made me feel. Gianvi has been totally different. I suffer from anxiety, acne, and PMDD. I have been taking Gianvi for about 4 months now. Emotionally, I feel the same as I did before, except my PMDD has improved drastically. It is not completely gone, but instead of feeling suicidally depressed for two weeks before my period, I just get a little down for only a few days which is huge for me. I have always struggled with acne and my skin has cleared up significantly since being on this pill. I still get pimples here and there, but nothing like before. Weight gain was a big concern of mine, but I am happy to report that I have not gained weight from this pill. And a bonus is that my boobs have gotten a bit bigger too! While Gianvi has not completely eradicated my acne or PMDD, I am so happy to have found a birth control pill that works well for me."

• Irish...
• May 17, 2013

"This is the best birth control I have ever been on! I'm willing to pay extra for it. Give it a chance, ignore the negative reviews (everyone is different). This birth control keeps me happy, did not affect my sex drive, continues to keep my skin clear and as an added bonus I gained a cup size. I give it an A, about time something works right for me."

• kgirl...
• March 6, 2011

"Gianvi is the only birth control I've ever used, and granted I've only been on it two weeks, but so far I LOVE IT. Not only am I less irritable, judgmental, and teary, but for the first time in months I am able to fall asleep without using melatonin or any other sleep aid. Also, my sex drive has way increased. I haven't felt bloated, but breasts are a little larger. I have noticed that if I don't take the pill within the same hour range I am a little "off" emotionally. But if I keep it regular- I feel better than I have in years."

• Used...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 22, 2019

"I started taking this as a teen when my psychiatrist recommended that I ask an OBGYN about it for mood regulation. I came off of it for a few years wanting to take a more natural approach but ultimately decided that being on this was in the best interest of my mental health. I am aware of the risks but to put it into perspective my dr says that you’re taking more of a risk with your life every time you get in a car than you do taking this pill."

• Missy
• October 15, 2020

"I have been on Gianvi around 7 months now for PMDD. Prior to Gianvi I had the copper IUD which I didn't like. Every month would get suicidal depression before my period. I did the research found out about PMDD. I started taking Gianvi and my 1st month on it was happiest I'd been in awhile. I felt a lot more balanced and less stressed. Maybe it was placebo affect bc the following months weren't necessarily as great but my PMDD was still WAY better. Last month switched me to loryna which was making me feel so depressed and crazy I stopped taking it after 2 weeks. After a lot of desperate searching I found another pharmacy that carries Gianvi & am back on it. It has only been a few days & I feel back to normal. I haven't had any negative effects, no weight gain & if anything my skin has improved. I know birth control isn't necessarily the most natural or healthy thing but it is better than feeling suicidal every month. I have tried lots of different birth controls & this is the only one I have liked."

• sadgirl
• February 24, 2020

"This pill was great for the first couple months. My acne cleared, which was a problem due to my PCOS, and my periods were finally regular. I could feel these mood swings coming on, but I felt like a demon. This all hit me full force after I passed the third month. I was irritated at the smallest things, zero libido, it was an out of body experience. My self esteem plummeted to where I never wanted to even look at myself, severely depressed and anxiety which I have not struggled with in the past and gained 15 pounds out of nowhere. I couldn’t go an hour without crying. One day and almost had to pull over while driving because I couldn’t breathe. The way these hormones hit me was a nightmare, I am never ever going back to the pill. I’ve done too much trial and error for this, it’s not worth my mental health/state of mind. One week off of it and I feel like myself again, thank goodness. Avoid Gianvi if you want to keep your brain the same!!!!"

• yourn...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 3, 2013

"I took Gianvi for about a year for my PMDD. Since doing it I noticed a very uplifting change in my mood and irritability. I was no longer aggressive and I didn't burst into tears at least once a day before my period so that is a definite improvement. I went off of it, changed it to Loryna and then changed back to Gianvi. Right now I have horrible cystic acne from switching around my medicine but it works wonders on my hormones which to me is the important part."

• Holly
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 21, 2012

"I loved Gianvi. I took it for about 5 years, and noticed minimal side effects. I feel like birth control pills really help stabilize people who have hormonal mood problems to begin with; but if they are fine to begin with, they throw it off balance and cause side effects. I was not fine to begin with. Very irregular, heavy, painful periods, hormonal acne, and PMDD. Gianvi stabilized me. One thing I did notice was my hair growth pretty much stopped for some reason, which was weird. But that was the only side effect. Cleared my skin."

• Gogog...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 9, 2013

"First off I'd like to state that before I got on birth control I had HORRIBLE HORRIBLE cramps! I mean completely miserable! But after I got on Gianvi my miserable horrible cramps are gone. Yeah I may have some minor pains here and there but at least I can still function and make it to my classes! Also I've noticed that my weight hasn't changed at all. I'm just happy that I don't become sad and miserable when my period comes. One negative would be that my sex drive has decreased. But hey, it is called "birth control"."

• TSano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2019

"I was on Nikki for about 4 months for PMDD. According to my doc, it should've been working by the 3-4 month range. And while it took my period away (yet added spotting) and lowered some symptoms, it really only took away any predictability of my cycle. Instead of knowing exactly when to expect my downturn, I would wake up each day wondering if it would be a good day or a bad day filled with thoughts of suicide, nausea, & panic attacks. When my 4 packs of Nikki were done, I requested Gianvi. I've only been on it a week, but I've noticed significant improvement. My breasts are still VERY tender/swollen and my acne's still flaring, but I've actually been able to play with my daughter and enjoy it. I've been able to handle my high-anxiety dog without losing my mind. It's not perfect, but to not have the Jekyll/Hyde complex that is PMDD, even for just a week, has been amazing. I definitely intend on continuing with Gianvi for a while. Hopefully it continues improving my quality of life."

• Anonymous
• August 30, 2010

"I was given this generic by my pharmacy--who did not inform me that it was a generic that my insurance company told them to give me even though the doctor has specifically prescribed Yaz to treat my PMDD symptoms. My main PMDD symptom was menstrual migraines. After about 2 weeks of being on Gianvi I was suffering from constant headaches that got progressively worse until my doctor told me to stop taking it. In addition to this side effect I suffered from persistent muscle spasms and extreme changes in appetite. "

• Ana...
• July 22, 2014

"I first started with a low hormone pill called Azurette. I was having heavy periods that lasted for a week and terrible acne, so I decided to try Yaz and my doctor prescribed me Gianvi, first month my face was completely clear and my period used to last 3 days max but my anxiety and mood changes got worse and my sex drive went from 10 to zero because I was very dry, also noticed my skin got really dry too and I looked like a 60 year old lady!"

• Kim
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 9, 2018

"I started Gianvi March of last year and requested this brand specifically, because a friend had told me how well it worked for them, and it is the generic for Yasmin, which is often used to treat PMDD. I was seriously suffering mentally and emotionally every month before starting Gianvi. Granted I have battled depression/bipolar disorder for quite some time, but everything was so much darker right before my period. I was extremely irritable to the point where everything set me off and I'd get violent, I was crying uncontrollably, completely hopeless, suicidal, etc. In addition to this, I also suffered from pretty bad acne (I'd get large, painful, cystic-like pimples every month that would then often take months to go away). While I still do get acne (I've had it since my early teen years), I no longer get the kind of acne I had been, and it is much more manageable. I'm so glad I gave Gianvi a shot."

• Zano
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 10, 2019

"I switched onto Gianvi after taking Loryna for several years, Gianvi is the generic for Loryna. The effects aren’t much different, and both have been helpful for my PMDD and my period in general. My cramps decreased in frequency (though not in intensity), and my period is long but less severe than it might be without the pill. Psychologically speaking, I feel a little better all through my cycle, and my mood and behavior are a lot more stable when my period comes close."

• Mags
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 1, 2015

"I was diagnosed with PMDD after talking my new OB-GYN. I told her about how large swollen, and PAINFUL my breasts have become in my late 20's. My bras would not fit for 2 weeks/month. The mood swings were there, but it was mostly out of how self conscious and uncomfortable I was with my large breasts and body water weight for 2 weeks every month. It was awful PMS. This birth control definitely helped! My breast size has since decreased and they don't swell like the used to! I will say my sex drive has decreased....I don't feel up for it like I was before I went on BC. But it's not terrible!"

• Anonymous
• January 20, 2011

"I've been taking Giavni instead of Yaz for three weeks now. These brands have the same active ingredients. The difference is the stabilizers or the process used to bind the two chemicals together. The binder Bayer uses in YAZ is structurally different from the binder Teva uses. I wonder if it also changes the pace or manner that the active ingredients are released in the body. Just a theory. I have not had problems with generics in the past. The way I feel right now reminds me of how I felt three years ago before I began taking Yaz. I called my doctor for a new script. I'm hypersensitive to medications in general so who knows what the culprit is. A doctor or pharmacist should know whether your concerns are common or not."

• Anonymous
• November 3, 2011

"I started taking Gianvi four months ago for PMDD. I read reviews back then and was extremely worried about side effects. However my experience has overall been very good. Almost immediately my extreme emotions calmed down. Now I just have very minor symptoms for the few days before my period, but really nothing worse than normal PMS crankiness. All the physical symptoms are gone as well. Also, I've had moderate cystic acne for ten years, and my skin is the best it has been in a long time, not perfect yet, but steadily improving. The only side effect I have noticed is slight anxiety in the last month or two. However, it is totally manageable, and overall the benefits have totally outweighed the one drawback."

• racco...
• November 4, 2017

"I've tried what feels like every birth control for the last 15 years, and always come back to gianvi. I have severe PMDD. Gianvi is the only birth control that controls my cramps, my excessive anxiety, and also keeps those hormonal cysts on my chin at bay. I took it straight for 8 years, came off it because of those scary ads on tv about blood clots, and tried lo-lo. My hair was falling out in massive clumps within two months so I stopped bc entirely. Well, after 6 months I realized my life was revolving around my cycle because of the pmdd anxiety. So, back on gianvi. Within weeks, I felt back to my normal self. 8 because it does worsen my cellulite on thighs that almost completely goes away when I stop taking it. But the cellulite is WORTH IT."

• Anonymous
• November 23, 2011

"I've been on Gianvi for five months now to treat PMDD. The first 3 months I was on Gianvi and I loved it. My only complaint was that I retained water really easily, but besides that I was not as emotional as before. Then my pharmacy switched me to the new generic, Loryna. It made me extremely emotional and I freaked out about everything. So I switched back to Gianvi and feel SO much better. The weird thing is, since switching back the side effects are the opposite of when I was on Gianvi before. My face has been breaking out a bit, I'm "dry", and I have absolutely NO appetite. I'm just thankful I've been back to my "normal" self emotionally while taking Gianvi again."

• Coleman
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 23, 2018

"I start my pills tonight! I was on lexapro for 2 years to treat PMDD which was terrible for me and my loved ones. Lost sex drive completely and gained 42 lbs so doctor is treating me with this drug in order to stop my cycle and relieve me of PMDD without lexapro Stay tuned!"

• Anonymous
• June 23, 2011

"I haven't been on a birth control since I was 17, now am 20. I just couldn't remember to take it so it didn't do any good. My boyfriend and I both decided it was time I tried to take some form of birth control instead of just using condoms. I have premenstrual dysphoric disorder, depression, moodiness, terrible irritability a week or so before my period. It was interfering with my life and my relationship with my boyfriend. My doctor put me on Gianvi and I had no premenstrual symptoms! Its only my first month taking it. I did have pretty terrible cramping but day 2 has been fine. I guess we'll see if things change around month 2 or 3 but so far I love it and I'm glad I'm back on something so I don't have to play guessing games with my period."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 1, 2020

"The first couple weeks I started noticing my acne actually getting worse on this particular birth control Gianvi. I blamed it on outside stressors and the fact that maybe it was a flair up from starting a different birth control. Fast forward to months later and my acne hadn't really gotten any better and I noticed EXTREME mood swings (increased depression, suicidal thoughts, even what felt like mania at times) around the time of my period and it seemed like it got worse every period. Disclaimer: I do have a history of depression and take medication (fluoxotine) for that so it may have been drug interaction."

• Hate...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 5, 2018

"Stay away from this pill!! I have always had a happy upbeat personality but this pill killed that. I started to notice half way through my 4th month that I would start to cry over stupid small things and my anxiety was so debilitating . I am not using this pill ever!"

• Pano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2018

"I was on Yasmin and loved it. I lost weight, my skin cleared, my cramps and bloating gone. I had severe PMDD and it helped BUT I was bleeding constantly. I felt so good I stuck it out for 8 months hoping to adjust which I didn't, so my doctor switched me to yaz and I ended up with the generic Giavni. It's AWFUL! My mood swings are back, I'm depressed and have no energy. I gained 4lbs and cramped 3 weeks out of the month. My back hurts. And I'm still constantly bleeding. I made it through two packs but I can't take anymore. So I'm switching again."

• Anonymous
• November 22, 2010

"I had been taking Yaz and was told this was a generic form of that. I agreed to switch because of the price difference. I've been on Gianvi for almost 6 months and have found it does nothing to correct the irritability and mood swings like Yaz did. I will definitely be making the switch back. It's worth the extra money."