Ocella for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 2)

• Xyrnyth
• July 28, 2014

"I'm 17 years old. This is the end of my first month taking Ocella (to regulate my periods). I've been having occasional random cramps throughout this month, which was manageable, but now that I'm in the middle of the sugar pill week, my pain is terrible. These are the worst cramps of my life. But the positive is my breasts got a little bigger, I lost a little weight, and less acne. I also have less cravings. But the pain is more than I can stand. I'm considering going to the hospital. I can't stand without getting pale and lightheaded, and I've already vomited twice. (This is day 1 of my period.)"

• Kate
• February 25, 2014

"I have been on Ocella for a year now. I used to take Yaz which is in the family and loved it. I have definitely gained weight and having a hard time losing it. My moods are fine, I don't feel sick at all. I actually feel very normal. The downs I found beside the weight is I have zero sex drive! And I do get chest pains."

• Anonymous
• November 11, 2009

"I started out on Yasmin but had to switch to Ocella since I have no prescription coverage. Between the two I was on them for over 2 years. In that time, I gained 20 pounds. After I switched to Ocella, While I was taking it, my moods were level but the first day without the pill I felt completely out of control of my emotions and on an emotional roller-coaster to the point of having to leave work a few times, which is not me at all! Once I got my period, it was better but I didn't look forward to the next month. After a crazy month of break-through bleeding, emotional ups and downs, and feeling like I was going crazy, I asked my doctor to switch me to something else. My sister had the same symptoms within a month or two and so did friends."

• Raez
• May 7, 2016

"I used ocella years ago and it was great at first. My cramps weren't as painful or etc but then I started getting severe stomach pain and guess what? I found out I had gallstones due to Ocella and had to have my gallbladder removed when I was 20 and I'm 25 now. So if any ladies experience stomach pain on the right side you might have gallstones due to this pill"

• Kate
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 6, 2021

"I was on birth control for over 10 years. First Yaz, then Ocella. I was on Ocella for about 7 years. After I quit 2 years ago it has been a nightmare. I got horrible acne, stomach problems, PCOS. I have celiac genes but didn't have celiac until I quit this medication which activated my symptoms. It has been 2 years since I quit and I am still sick from this medication. I have horrible acne scarring all over my face and I am lactating since quitting even though I've never been pregnant. I've gone to many doctors and there is only solution is to get back on birth control pills. I do not recommend this medication."

• Ren
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 13, 2020

"I was on Ocella when I was 16 for about three months. In those three months I became severely depressed, I was uncontrollably angry and sad every day of my life, I gained 20 pounds, and I became recluse. This might just be a unique experience for me but please talk to your doctor before you have your mind set on this birth-control. It barely helped with my cramps which is the reason I was taking it. I don’t think, in my opinion, that it was worth it. It took two years for the effects to wear off."

• Rose
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2021

"If you have IBS or any issues at ALL with your stomach, I do not recommend this pill. Not only was I severely depressed, moody, and anxious more than I had ever been in my life, but I also had terrible bowel movements and stomach pain and pelvic pain. I could not eat anything normally for 3 weeks and I've been off the pill for about 2 months now and my stomach is finally just now regulating. Everyone is different, but this pill was the worst mistake for me. (I was only on it for a month)"

• Anonymous
• September 29, 2012

"I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and I have tried A LOT of different birth control. I used this particular formulation for about a year. Unlike the others, I did not bleed through this one. I did however cry at everything! I cried when I saw cute kids playing, when Kelso did cute things for Jackie on That 70's Show, and when I got good grades on tests. Everything made me cry. Also, my breasts were tender all the time, and I never wanted sex, but that has been the case for all 7 years of birth control. I did not notice any substantial weight gain."

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

"every women's body is different so every person has different side affects. The worst side affects I ever had was from Nexplanon (severe depression, weight loss, anxiety, horrible acne, no sex drive) so I decided to switch back to the pill and Ocella was free under my insurance. This is the best birth control method for my body!!! No depression, no heightened anxiety, cleared up my skin 100%, I gained my much needed weight back and I got my sex drive back! Unfortunately you won't know how a birth control will affect you personally until you try it out but this is my favorite one !!!!"

• hnm
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 13, 2012

"Pros: Periods were lighter, cramps hardly existed, not pregnant. I got on the pill for these reasons. So, yes it worked for that. In addition, I lost about 27 pounds. However, CONS: I was SUPER depressed and that depression hit hard. I've always been a happy, outgoing person, but Ocella made me upset at random times and now that I'm off it, my period is heavier than before and the cramps are worse. I've also gained weight since going off the pill. I'm 18, 5'7, 189 lbs. I would not recommend it. Of course there was the noticeable decline in sex drive, but that didn't bother me much."

• Strebla
• April 21, 2015

"I started taking this when I was 17 years old (now almost 22) and ordinary antibiotics weren't helping my acne problems. Before, I had unpredictable periods (often skipping once every several months for no reason), painful cramps, and a period lasting up to 7 whole days. Now I have a 99% clear face, a regular light-medium period lasting 4-5 days and NO cramps! I am not sexually active (never have been), so I'm not sure how effective it is for me actual birth control-wise, but my sex drive is much lower. I may end up finding a new brand once I get married later this year because of this side effect alone."

• Anonymous
• January 6, 2010

"All my life I have had severe acne... I've probably tried any and every cream, drug, wash, etc. that is out there and nothing has ever worked. So when I got engaged two summers ago I decided to go ahead and start birth control about 6 months before the wedding to see if THAT would work because I'd heard it did. Well Ocella has DEFINITELY eliminated my acne, that part has been wonderful. But I've experienced a huge decrease in my sex drive and more bothersome than that, I have been getting migraines at least three times a week regularly since I started taking it. Also, I have learned now that it is geared more toward treating PMDD which I don't have and therefore is a higher dose of hormones which I don't need."

• Jonesy
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 5, 2019

"I started taking birth control before I married my husband. I was extremely worried because I have depression and did not know how the pill would effect me. My doctor told me to expect some nausea with the first month or so of taking Ocella and for that first month or so I definitely had some nausea but after that I have been fine. My acne has cleared up and I haven't had any unexpected mood swings. The only negative I saw was weight gain which made fitting into my wedding dress a little more difficult but it wasn't too extreme. The positive was that I went up to a C from an A in cup size. I have been on Ocella for almost a year and have had a positive experience overall. Especially before I took Ocella my periods have always been long and painful. Now on it I have noticed that my periods have progressively gotten shorter and I have had a lot less pain from cramps."

• Krist...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2014

"This may be premature I've only been on it for a week, but I have been super moody. Irritable, cried 3x in past week and have developed a lot of pimples on my forehead and nose. I usually never break out only when on my period and not as much as this. I also am highly anxious...I'm an anxious person to begin with but with the pill for this week I've been near panic attack a lot and that hasn't happened in a decade. I'm Hoping my body gets used to the pill and these awful side effects will go away. Will update after the month"

• YP2089
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 24, 2021

"Favorite birth control of all time! I originally switched to ocella when my insurance quit covering Yasmin, and I’ve been on it for 10 years now! After 10 years I started having some brown spotting, so I may start to look elsewhere, but virtually no problems with anything on this pill. It makes me feel “normal”. I’ve had a really good experience with this pill! Period very regular and light, no mood swings, acne, or weight gain!"

• alexa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 5, 2015

"pros -much lighter period -shorter period (4-5 days) -almost no cramps -no pregnancy scares -clearer skin CONS -really sore boobs all of the time -high blood pressure -lost a lot of hair and my hair about half as thick as it use to be"

• Nicki
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2021

"I just started taking this drug about 4 days ago. Was on YAZ before. Did this because it was free for me. I honestly enjoyed YAZ and it was good. Just heard this was the same thing... But yesterday I have never experienced the worst mood swings of my life. I never have had so much anxiety about the dumbest things. I just took it a couple minutes ago and then was thinking about why my heart was beating so fast. Come to these reviews and realize it’s this awful pill that has never made me feel so mentally dysfunctional. Will be tossing these awful pills out, for your own safety I do not recommend. I’m normally a very happy person and these pills have definitely made me overthink my whole life and obtain not even an hour of sleep because I was jittering the whole night... Typically I sleep 9 hours and fall asleep right away in less than 10 minutes. WORST EXPERIENCE WITH A PILL EVER."

• Azure...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2018

"Out of all the birth control's I've taken throughout the years, Ocella has been an absolute blessing! I started taking it a little over a month ago. Since then I haven't experienced any bloating or my usual hormonal acne breakouts! My skin hasn't looked this great since elementary school (and I'm 25)! Only side-effect I have experienced is I'm a little more frustrated near my period, but it's so worth it! 10/10 would recommend!"

• colle...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 18, 2017

"I started taking this pill because everything else gave me cystic acne. At first, I loved this pill, besides the fact that it gave me terrible mood swings and no sex drive. I tolerated that part because it seemed like I was losing lbs and increasing bra size which I was happy about. But about a year into it I started going thru periods of what seemed like depression, lasting about 3 months at the longest. 2 years into it, I'd gained about 10 lbs in 3 months (without any lifestyle change) and NOTHING I did would help me lose the weight. Finally I decided to stop taking it 1 month ago and I already lost 5 lbs, am 10x happier, and my sex drive is back. Didn't get pregnant, but not worth the long-term side effects."

• Steph...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2020

"I’ve been on this Ocella for 3 weeks.. and currently now on the 3rd week I’ve been bleeding heavy for 4 days straight (breakthrough bleeding? With lots of clots?) which is highly irritating and I’m already wanting to stop the medication. Doesn’t seem normal."

• Xxyyzz
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 11, 2015

"I've been taking this for the past six months and I'm so ready to ditch it! Yes, it cleared up my acne but I've gained almost 10 lbs and cannot get rid of them! I've tried exercise and changed my eating habits, but no success. It's also made me really irritable and tired. Thankfully I'm meeting with my doctor next month!"

• Moong...
• November 8, 2016

"Did what it was supposed to do, i.e. I didn't get pregnant and I was sexually active the whole time I was on it. Also, I don't believe I had the single zit for the whole year and a half I was on it. Nice! However... I experienced a lot of very annoying headaches while taking Ocella. They were stubborn too, wouldn't go away if I took an Aleeve. Also, weight gain definitely happened. I went up 2 full cup sizes and "filled out" in general. I would say about 8lbs or so. (With little to no change in my diet/ lifestyle) Also, I feel that Ocella increased my anxiety and depression. It also affected my sex drive and level of lubrication. Everyone's body is different, hard to say if symptoms were from Ocella or unrelated."

• Anonymous
• July 19, 2010

"I've been using this birth control pill for about 5 months now and it's great! I do get the occasional discharge and sometimes moody. It made my breasts bigger but kind of sensitive. My acne has really cleared up after using so many different things out there to treat it. I recommend Ocella; it really gets the job done."

• Court...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 30, 2012

"I have used Ocella for years and have not had any major problems. The most I have felt is some breast tenderness close to my period which I have always had and sometimes some mild nausea my first 2 days or so on the pill during the first active week. I am happy with the effectiveness. I had irregular and very heavy periods that would last 11 days. This medicine has given me light and regular periods normally lasting 5 days. I haven't experienced any emotional side effects or severe physical effects."

• Anonymous
• May 24, 2011

"Have been taking Ocella for 4 months, and at first the only things I noticed were positive; it cleared up the mild adult acne that I had developed around my jawline, and my breasts seemed to get bigger. Then, I began to notice more negative than positive. First, I've gained 6 pounds in 4 months with little change to my diet. Second, I experience spotting between periods. Third, I am ten times more moody than I was before which is strange for me because I am always pretty stable and happy. Last, I've been feeling very bloated and maybe a little constipated. So overall, the pill is doing the job and I'm afraid to get off of it because I don't want to start breaking out, but I also don't want to stay on it and continue to gain weight."