Ocella and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• Miz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2020

For Acne "Ok, so I want to start off by saying I was prescribed Ocella, but was given by my pharmacy a generic version of it. I was a little uneasy and nervous to take it because my previous experience with another birth control (Tri Lo Sprintec) was horrible! I broke out so bad all over one side of my face and chin and experienced the worst mood swings in my life. However, with Ocella, it has been smooth sailing. I’m barely starting my third pack, and my face has gotten so much better. I did gain about 5 pounds since being on this BC, however, that could definitely be from a lifestyle change. I would suggest a healthy diet/exercise as a good solution. I realized the pounds aren’t hard to lose if you eat right and run. For BC use, I wanna say it’s working because I haven’t gotten pregnant, but I don’t wanna jinx it. So, with that being said, good luck, ladies, I wish you the very best. May the odds be ever in your favor."

• mon...
• May 20, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been on it for 2 months now. I switched to Ocella to treat moderate acne. So far, I have noticed a slight decrease in breakouts, but also noticed I have no self-control over what I eat anymore and have gained weight. I am an active person, and I have noticed a change in weight. Also, very moody, and I have a short temper and am very moody. I snap at everyone, even at work."

• Cle...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 25, 2024

For Birth Control "I have been taking Yasmin/Ocella for more than 20 years. Ocella is the only Yasmin generic that doesn’t cause me any side effects. I have had such a positive experience taking this drug and terrible side effects when I’ve tried to change methods-weight gain, anxiety, unbearable cystic acne, all almost immediately on stopping. My only complaint is that it seems to be increasingly difficult for my pharmacy to keep this in stock and fill my orders in time."

• Kat...
• October 11, 2018

For Birth Control "Just finished my first pack of Ocella. I am pleased so far! This is the third birth control pill I have tried, the first two were nightmares. I quit the pill altogether for two years but decided to start up again with Ocella. I was on Kariva, then switched to Minastrin. I had awful weight gain with both. I didn't change my diet, it was all water weight that was lost within a week of stopping the pills. So far on Ocella, I have not gained any weight and do not feel bloated or puffy. I am assuming that has to do with the diuretic effect of the progestin, which I am all for if it keeps bloating at bay! The first few days of taking this pill, I had extreme nausea, but that went away. I also had a few headaches, but I got that before taking Ocella. Given my past experience, I was terrified of taking this pill. So far, it has been a breeze. I am hoping that it continues to be like this! Give it a shot and see how it works for you. If you have struggled with other pills in the past, this may be the one for you."

• Lol...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 11, 2019

For Birth Control "Ocella is my second birth control that I've tried in my life. The first one I took gave me acne, and it stuck with me even after I got off of it! So when the time came to get back on one, I was terrified something bad would happen. But Ocella is awesome!! No acne, no irregular periods, no rashes or anything weird, and no weight gain. The only downside is that when I first took it, I was a raging you-know-what, but you just have to learn to control your mood swings better. Other than that, I LOVE Ocella for the fact that it doesn't give me acne or make me gain weight."

• kt8...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 13, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking Ocella for 6 months. First birth control I've ever been on, and I haven't had any major problems. I used to have terrible cramps during my period with a very heavy flow, and now it's wicked light and virtually no cramps! Didn't have any moody side effects and no weight gain."

• Kay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 3 months, and so far, it has been fairly good. Pros: - regular periods - low cramping - PMDD not as bad - doesn't cause acne - no crazy mood swings - prevents pregnancy, as it should! Cons: - weight gain/ difficulty losing weight - massive breast size increase (good for some people, but not me) - headaches during placebo week - mild stomach upset on the first day of resuming medicated pills. I am guessing that the lack of real effectiveness on my acne is due more to my weight rather than the pill itself. Hopefully, after a few more months, it will be better!"

• Anonymous
• November 11, 2009

For Birth Control "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 breakthrough 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."

• MAa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 26, 2020

For Acne "I went on Ocella about a year ago (freshman year of college, 18) to help with my hormonal acne that I had been struggling with since I was 15. I immediately noticed that I felt a lot more depressed/moody, but I was also adjusting to college. Three months in, my acne was the worst it had ever been, but I decided to stick it out. Suddenly, around 4-5 months, it started to clear up, and my skin has been clear since! I also noticed some weight gain and water retention, but that went away over time. I have also developed some issues with anxiety that I never experienced before the pill, but cannot really say whether Ocella directly caused it or not."

• Kat...
• February 25, 2014

For Birth Control "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 am 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, besides the weight, are that I have zero sex drive, and I do get chest pains."

• YP2...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 24, 2021

For Birth Control "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!"

• bb8...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 13, 2013

For Birth Control "No significant weight gain, no cramping during period, period lasts for a shorter amount of time, no heavy bleeding (no spotting, either). Overall, I'm very happy with Ocella. I'm 24 and have been taking it for 5 years. At this point, I'm not even sure how my body would react to not being on birth control since it has been so long."

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

For Birth Control "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 a 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."

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

For Birth Control "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 my bra size, which I was happy about. But about a year into it, I started going through periods of what seemed like depression, lasting about 3 months at the longest. Two 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 10 times happier, and my sex drive is back. Didn't get pregnant, but not worth the long-term side effects."

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

For Birth Control "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 affect 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."

• Moo...
• November 8, 2016

For Birth Control "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 a 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 Aleve. Also, weight gain definitely happened. I went up 2 full cup sizes and 'filled out' in general. I would say about 8 lbs 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
• May 24, 2011

For Birth Control "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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 17, 2012

For Acne "I began using this birth control in January 2012 to treat cystic acne and to prep for beginning Accutane. My periods before this pill were bad, I had heavy bleeding with painful cramps. Once I began the birth control, they got lighter, and now I have absolutely no cramps! My face looks fantastic now, I only have the occasional zit. I can handle that since I used to have 20 at one time. I would say I started to notice side effects around May of 2012. I began having pretty bad headaches, usually every day when I wake up. I had a little bit of weight gain. The worst was how moody I began to be. I would really only like spending time alone. I also lost my sex drive completely."

• Amb...
• May 9, 2019

For Birth Control "This birth control has overall worked very well for me. I originally started birth control for acne and extreme cramps when I was 14 (I’m 26 now) and had first tried Tri Cyclen Lo, which gave me a 3-month period, and then tried Lo Estrin Fe, which gave me a lot of cystic acne on my neck. Ocella, I think, helps my acne by balancing my hormones (I’m high in testosterone) and has made my cramps nonexistent. My period now only lasts around 3 days and is very light. The only downside is I think it’s made me gain about 10 lbs since restarting it after a few-year break at 22 (I’m 26)... but weight gain may be from age as well."

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

For Birth Control "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."

• Sdo...
• May 1, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been using Ocella for a few months. I don't use condoms, and I've had zero scares so far. I have hormonal acne, and it's getting better slowly. My periods are amazing now. I have no cramps whatsoever. My moods are great. Not on birth control, I am a crazy monster. My cramps are unbearable for days. I have not had much weight gain, and my cravings are less than normal. So far, I like this."

• Fre...
• August 25, 2013

For Birth Control "I tried Ortho Tri-Cyclen 2 years ago. I switched to Ocella 3 weeks later because Ortho Tri-Cyclen made me nauseous and made my gums itchy. I have experienced weight gain (8 lbs) caused by eating all my cravings. I've taken it from 2011 to now and haven't had any bad experiences."

• Anonymous
• December 11, 2009

For Birth Control "I LOVE OCELLA! I was on a generic form of Seasonale and it was HORRIBLE. I had the worst depression/mood swings ever and breakthrough bleeding EVERYDAY. So I switched to Ocella and love it. Acne hasn't really cleared up and I do have some weight gain, but my eating habits aren't the best either, so I won't blame it on that. I don't like that the price went up, but I'm not going to switch because I feel so normal now and never want to experience anything like my first birth control. I definitely recommend Ocella!"

• tok...
• September 18, 2016

For Birth Control "I hate this pill, it's the second birth control I have been on, and I can't wait to switch. I have been on Ocella for 6 months, and all 6 months have been terrible. I've been gaining weight, which makes me extremely depressed, and I've had really bad mood swings. I am usually a calm, easygoing person, but ever since I have been on this pill, every little thing irritates me or makes me mad. My doctor also assured me this pill would make my period shorter and lighter... no... not at all. However, I have not gotten pregnant, so it works in that regard."

• Osb...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 3, 2015

For Birth Control "I had a great experience on Ocella. My insurance does full coverage of it for me, so it's free every month, huge plus! I was also prone ever since my first period, which was pretty late. I would skip months at a time and then have terrible cramps, periods, and awful moods. Prescription Midol couldn't even provide me with relief. I got on a BC that caused me to gain weight even though I was dieting and exercising, and I stopped it. I then, a few months later, got on Ocella. I have my period every month, and it lasts about 4 days. It's pretty heavy with minimal cramps. I haven't gained weight, but I can't seem to lose any either, but that's not really a problem for me at this time. No out of the ordinary mood swings, sickness, or tiredness."