Syeda and Depression: What Users Say

• ani...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 29, 2021

For Birth Control "DO NOT TAKE Syeda! During Covid-19, my pharmacy switched me to Syeda from Ocella. I didn’t think anything of it. Oh boy, was I wrong. Gained 20 lbs FAST, had severe acne, and crazy depression and anxiety. Thought it was all due to Covid-19 stress. However, from doing my research, I am now learning Syeda messed me up! Throwing it out now."

• Nel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2020

For Birth Control "Never again. My pharmacy tried for years to randomly give me Syeda, even though I would repeatedly ask for Ocella. In January, the pharmacy tech insisted she give me two packs of BC, and it was Syeda. When I went back in March, I was given two more packs of Syeda. I didn't care to argue because this was around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I figured they were stressed enough. After 4 months, however, I have had enough. I have gained weight from my increased appetite, I lost all motivation and enjoyment for things I once enjoyed, and I have been feeling more anxious. I don't care what a pharmacist says, generic doesn't mean the same."

• Kri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 10, 2022

For Birth Control "It’s rare that I will go out of my way to write a review, but had I done more research, I would never have started this brand of birth control. I’m sure there are people who have had a positive experience with it, but my own was horrible. I was on Yasmin with no problems at all for a month, but due to the cost at the time, I decided it was best to switch to Syeda, believing I would have a similar experience. Almost immediately after starting, I noticed my mental health had plummeted. My anxiety was the highest it’s been in years, and I went through a depressive episode that was so intense I could barely function. As soon as I saw the reviews and realized that I was certainly not the only person who experienced something similar, I stopped taking it. I immediately noticed improvements after stopping. For me personally, it is worth paying the extra money for the name brand to avoid this ever happening again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2021

For Birth Control "Took Syeda a week, started feeling weak, tired, and depressed. Second week, my face started breaking out; now I stopped taking them, and my period started. I’m guessing this is what it is because I’m not due to start my period for a few more weeks."

• PAh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 24, 2024

For Birth Control "I have been on Syeda for 11 months now, and it works for me! I started taking a generic for Yaz years ago for acne, and in the past few years, started taking it consistently to skip my period. The original pill I was on (2mg/0.02mg) would cause breakthrough bleeding/spotting every month around when my period would be. After a year, ultrasounds, breaks (3-14 days), I kept having the once-a-month spotting that would happen on and off forever until I took a 3-day break (super heavy flow during break). No changes in acne for me, increased weight, and mood swings that went away after 1 month. Now I only have spotting at the 3/4 month mark, and as soon as I see a spot of blood, I take a 3-pill break. If I don’t take the break, I will spot on and off until I take the break. After the break, I won’t spot again for another 3/4 months. I tried another pill that was supposed to help breakthrough bleeding, but it gave me acne and depression. No pills, and my acne came back. Also not pregnant either."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2020

For Birth Control "I was 17 at the time starting to take Syeda for 5 days because I have PCOS, and I experienced my first anxiety attack. It was the worst thing I’ve ever been through, and it traumatized me. I also didn’t feel like myself when I was on the pills, I felt different overall. I was more down, more sad. I stopped taking the pills after the anxiety attack, and I went back to normal. I felt like my old self again, I felt better, and I was happy again."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2020

For Birth Control "I was 17 at the time starting to take Syeda for 5 days because I have PCOS, and I experienced my first anxiety attack. It was the worst thing I’ve ever been through, and it traumatized me. I also didn’t feel like myself when I was on the pills, I felt different overall. I was more down, more sad. I stopped taking the pills after the anxiety attack, and I went back to normal. I felt like my old self again, I felt better, and I was happy again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 13, 2022

For Birth Control "I started taking Syeda in June of 2019. I had severe acne, and nothing was working. It cleared up my skin in 3 months. Although it kept my skin clear at first, it made me extremely depressed and suicidal. It decreased my libido and sex drive. I had so many mood swings and depressive episodes. Once the pandemic hit in March 2020 and all the maskne, my acne came back, but it was manageable. I decided to stop taking birth control in July of 2021 because I had gotten to the point where I knew if I kept taking this medication, I would end up hurting myself, and it didn’t even help my skin anymore and just made me sick. I’ve been way happier without it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 13, 2022

For Birth Control "I started taking Syeda in June of 2019. I had severe acne, and nothing was working. It cleared up my skin in 3 months. Although it kept my skin clear at first, it made me extremely depressed and suicidal. It decreased my libido and sex drive. I had so many mood swings and depressive episodes. Once the pandemic hit in March 2020 and all the maskne, my acne came back, but it was manageable. I decided to stop taking birth control in July of 2021 because I had gotten to the point where I knew if I kept taking this medication, I would end up hurting myself, and it didn’t even help my skin anymore and just made me sick. I’ve been way happier without it."

• his...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 17, 2024

"I have PCOS and have been through trial by fire with about 5 other birth control pills (including the mini pill) and the arm implant. For me, Syeda is the first to work. It doesn’t give me mood swings, anxiety, or depression, or breakthrough bleeding. I have gained weight, but I am also on SSRI antidepressants, so this may be a compounding factor. I have my doctor prescribe three packs of pills for pickup at a time so that I can take it continuously (without the sugar pill week) since this helps with my gender dysphoria. I have been on this medication for two years now and rate it highly. Everyone’s body is different, but if you have PCOS, this might be worth a shot."

• Wei...
• June 27, 2022

For Birth Control "Terrible. I got switched to this just about 6 months ago and gained 20 pounds in the first couple of months from a weight I maintained for over 4 years. The weight gain has made me severely depressed, and I can’t get it to go down even while I work out and eat healthy."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2024

For Birth Control "Some people it works for, some people it don't. You just have to try it and see. I'm on it because I have endometriosis that I had surgery for, and after surgery, after 3 months, my pain came back, so my doctor put me on this medication. I feel 98 percent normal, not having cramps, where before I had cramping all month long. It helps for me, don't have any anxiety like some people are saying. No acne, no depression."