Zarah and Cramps: What Users Say

• Amj...
• May 3, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been taking Zarah for almost 3 months. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome and am working on getting healthier to try and have a child. When I first took Zarah, I got these major headaches at first and tender breasts, but after three weeks the headaches went away. I haven't had my period in a little over a year because of my PCOS, so when I got my first one it was painful, but since then they have been easier. My skin looks great, and I haven't gained any weight. I still have tender breasts, but part is due to my PCOS. I'd recommend it if you can bear with the first two or three weeks. It has been better than others I've tried. Also, no mood swings either."

• Br3...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2016

For Birth Control "I have only been on this for a month. I am one of the several of you ladies who are going through the agonizing trial and error for the 'perfect' birth control. Zarah seemed perfectly fine when it came to controlling my mood swings and not getting me pregnant! BUT, I have gained weight, and on my period week, my flow was very heavy and crampy, plus it lasted the whole 7 days... eww, I am not used to that. I also did take note of how it affected my sex life. I still wanted sex, but noticed I had a very hard time trying to orgasm. Sorry if that's too much info, but I personally like knowing how the birth control affects my sex life. I hope some of this info helps. Don't give up, ladies!"

• Tee...
• June 25, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on Zarah for about a year, and for me, it has done wonders. I suffered from acne to the point that on some days, I wouldn't leave my house. My acne is completely gone, and my skin is glowing. It's hard for me to forget to take it because once I look in the mirror and see the glow of my skin, I'm automatically reminded. I also suffered from severe cramping to the point of fainting and vomiting before BC, and I have not experienced any cramping since I started taking Zarah. My period does, however, still last 5-7 days, but it is very light, which makes it nearly unnoticeable. My period is also regulated and always comes on schedule. I recommend it for anyone with skin conditions, irregular periods, and bad cramping."

• JO3...
• December 1, 2015

For Birth Control "I was on this birth control when I was a teenager and felt great. I had since been diagnosed with endometriosis and had to stop birth control for treatment. When I finished the 6-month treatment, I had to start birth control again. I tried a bunch of different birth control pills to try to minimize bleeding and pain. I had issues with acne, depression and anxiety, weight loss, breakthrough bleeding, severe cramping, painful sex, and a million other things. I asked to be put back on Zarah and should have done it years ago. My skin is completely clear, I have no depression and anxiety, it did not change my weight, there is no breakthrough bleeding, severe cramping, or painful sex. I feel 10 times better than being on no birth control. The best!!!"

• emi...
• August 30, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been taking Zarah for 7 months. It's the only birth control I've ever taken (I'm 17). Last fall, I broke out in some of the worst acne I've ever experienced. I had deep-rooted cystic acne all over my chin and jaw (area known for hormonal breakouts). I started taking it at the end of February, and by mid-April, my skin was clear, flawless for the first time in my life. That aside, the week before my period (peach pills), I become moody and emotional and cry extremely easily, which has never happened before and is very annoying. My cramps are more intense, and my period is heavier and lasts longer (went from ~4 days to ~7 days). I haven't noticed a weight difference, but my boobs have grown about a cup size. It's a mixed bag for me."

• Sar...
• August 25, 2015

For Birth Control "I have had no problems with this BC. It seems like every brand affects people differently. I switched from Loestrin after I started losing hair. Zarah solved the hair loss. Zarah has cleared up my acne, which is a feat by itself. I do have horrible cramps and bloating. My biggest complaint is my periods last FULL 7 days. That's utter misery to me, especially when they were barely 2 days long on Loestrin."

• Jen...
• May 23, 2017

For Birth Control "Love this birth control. I was on Ocella before and had to switch due to the pharmacy not carrying Ocella. My skin is clear, with no crazy mood swings and no weight gain. My period is still 5 days, the first two days are horrible. The cramping is the same, but I don't get PMS. This birth control is great if you are battling acne and PMS. It's totally effective. I have only been on it for 4 months, and I love it."

• pep...
• August 1, 2017

For Birth Control "I love this birth control! I previously had the Implanon BC in my arm, and it caused really bad acne, and I always had really bad cramps even though I didn't have a period. I've been on Zarah for about 3 months now, and the only complaint is that I get weird cramps occasionally. Other than that, my skin is completely clear (and I've struggled with acne for a few years now), my sex drive has actually increased, and I haven't gained any weight. I've always been moody around my period, so I don't know if it's affected that much because it's always different. Overall, I definitely recommend!!"

• Bex...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 23, 2017

For Birth Control "I figure I'll share my experience now that I've moved to a new birth control. I've had it for exactly a year now, and it's got pros and cons. Pros: it regulated my period, ridding me of cramps, giving me super clear skin, and I am much less moody. My boobs grew (B to a C cup), which my boyfriend loved, of course, but being a dancer, I don't like. Cons: I got bigger arms and cheeks (puffy looking), bigger hips, and more cellulite than ever (I took it the year I was 23 years). I went from being a size 4 to a size 7 without changes in my diet and exercising regularly. I think what happened was the estrogen in the pill, it helped me start womanhood, which as a dancer, I don't like. But I switched to NuvaRing, so far, my cheeks and arms have thinned out!"

• Dun...
• August 11, 2015

For Birth Control "I was switched to Zarah for my PCOS and was really happy to try something new. I had taken Lutera for three years for heavy and painful periods and then for the past 6 months had not gotten a period, which is common with PCOS. My doctor recommended I try Zarah. Just in the first month, I was way more moody and retaining a lot of water weight. Then my periods came. It was the worst period I've had since I started birth control. Painful cramps and heavy bleeding to the point I needed to change a super plus tampon every hour. I am going back to the doctor to get this changed since I waited the three months to see if anything would change. The only positive was that it was an effective birth control."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2016

For Birth Control "This is the first birth control I've been on, I mostly used it for acne at first. For the first month, it was fine. Then, after that, I started getting nauseous a few hours after taking the pill. Then, the third month, I would get really nauseous that I would almost throw up, and this was happening a few days a week, and I missed too much school, so I finally stopped taking it. But besides being super nauseous all the time, I had mood swings, it did nothing for my acne, bad cramps, and anxiety. The only good thing was that it regulated my period."

• Mar...
• June 9, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on Zarah for about 2 weeks now. My doctor switched me to Zarah after my last birth control (the generic form of Yaz) gave me bad spotting. So far, I've had no problems with Zarah. No spotting, cramps, weight gain, or emotional changes. My skin is clear and I'm no longer constantly in pain like I was before I started Zarah. I'm so happy my doctor had me change birth control pills."

• QsM...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 17, 2017

For Birth Control "I took Zarah for 3 years, never missed a pill and always took it right at 3 pm every day. So it worked great. No weight gain. No painful cramps. A light flow during period week. But I rated this 5/10 because I did end up getting pregnant 3 1/2 years after I started taking Zarah. I didn’t take any medications around the time I conceived besides my BC Zarah. My doctor was shocked when my blood test came back positive. So beware, even the best birth control pills can fail and result in pregnancy. I will say, though, it was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I have a beautiful 1-year-old to prove it."

• Mon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 15, 2015

For Birth Control "I'm 25 and am basically taking birth control for acne. I have tried many different pills, but this was my least favorite, I took it for 2 months. I am small-framed, about 98 lbs and 5'. I feel this was too much hormone for my small body. The first month, I was getting anxiety around my period time, crying spells, very crampy, a heavy flow, and mood swings (my poor boyfriend). This has never happened with any pill I've taken, the anxiousness scared me. I gave it another month and not really much of a change. My acne did not clear up at all! No weight gain, and sex drive was great. Overall, not for me. I switched to Monessa a few weeks ago, a much lower dose BC pill, and so far, so good! Everyone's different, good luck!"