Drospirenone and Bloating: What Users Say

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

For Birth Control "I have now finished my first month on Slynd. After not being on birth control for a long time (always had severe side effects), I took my doctor's recommendation for Slynd because my cramps were very painful, I had heavy clotting, and I found out I have an 'extremely thick uterine wall.' So far I’m not happy with how I’ve been feeling since taking this pill. I am going to try it for one more month since I have the pills already. I have started breaking out, which is unusual for me. I’ve already experienced some weight gain, and my mood swings are worse than normal. I’m lethargic and I have no sex drive anymore. I constantly feel bloated and dehydrated. I also have not had a period, but have had cramps during the time of when my cycle regularly is."

• Daj...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 28, 2024

For Birth Control "I was switched to Slynd from a combination pill in November 2021 after developing a huge blood clot in my left leg. I had been on a combination pill since I was 15, now 49. I suffered all my life from excessive heavy bleeding and pain. This pill has been amazing. It took a good 6 months or so to get my body used to it. I did have breakthrough bleeding, but nothing as bad as what I'd had all my life. My GP advised me to not take the inactive pills to help reduce the breakthrough bleeding. I get a period about once or twice a year, very, very light compared to what I was used to. No pain, no bloating, and I've had no weight gain. I wish this pill had been around 30 years ago."

• Tar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 24, 2023

For Birth Control "I was prescribed this at the age of 32. Apparently, this is for those who are in their late 30s and 40s, also a hormone found in it that is used in HRT, all of which I only researched later. I had no idea that this pill was new. I had blown up in a matter of weeks, bloating that I'd never had before, horrific, felt pregnant 24/7, clothes didn't fit, constantly hungry and wanting to eat, always thirsty, dry, slightly bloodshot eyes, extreme mood swings, argumentative, fault-finding, angry outbursts, feeling low, sad, depressed, and awful breast pain, not even tender, SORE!!! Acne, blotchy skin, bad hair, fatigue, and severe backache. I feel like I'm constantly on the verge of a period I never get. Constant cramps. Worst pill ever. I'd rather have a migraine. Zero libido. I would not recommend this. Hormones are completely out of whack. Very expensive for terrible side effects."

• mrs...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 17, 2022

For Birth Control "I’m here to throw some positivity into a sea of negativity because typically people with a bad experience are more likely to leave a review than those with a good one. I started Slynd in December 2020 immediately following the removal of the Kyleena IUD. I wasn’t getting periods with the IUD, and that continued with the pill. I struggled with debilitating pelvic pain and insane bloating both before that IUD and during. Slynd saved me, bloating is minimal, pelvic pain is virtually gone (I was getting ready to set up a laparoscopy for endometriosis, so I’m glad this worked for now, even if it’s only masking it). I have no weight gain. I am also a weirdo and have the clearest skin of my life with this (I also did with the IUDs, and I know that’s not the norm). I am now having irregular bleeding every once in a while, but only from a new med I started. I have tried both Kyleena and Mirena, the Depo shot, and a few different combo pills and not liked all of them, so it’s shocking that I like this pill so much."

• 0...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2024

For Birth Control "So this is my very first time trying hormonal birth control. I went to get a copper IUD originally but discovered I had uterine hypoplasia, so no IUD will ever fit my tiny uterus :( I was so worried about any pill due to physical and emotional side effects. I already have PMDD, bipolar II, and anxiety. I’m stable due to several antipsychotics and couldn’t imagine going “crazy” again. I also have large breasts and told my doctor I did not want them to grow…. He said he prescribes his patients sensitive to hormones Slynd. It also has four inactive pills each month, which I like. It helps keep things balanced for me. Before Slynd, I had terrible mood swings before my period and would basically rage. I feel so level-headed and “normal” now since taking this! I’m shocked! Zero weight gain, no breast changes, and I’m actually less bloated. Like what!? No acne or anything either. And my sex drive is actually better."

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2021

For Birth Control "On my fourth month of taking Slynd, and I can’t take it anymore. I need to call my gynecologist and see if I can just get off altogether. I was on Sprintec, but due to BP concerns, I was put on Slynd. I absolutely don't like this pill. I have had the WORST CYSTIC ACNE since I’ve been on this pill, and I’ve been to the dermatologist and spent a few hundred on some prescription topicals, and nothing is getting rid of this awful hormonal cystic acne. I haven’t had my period in about a month, so I guess that’s the only plus of this medicine. Lots of bloating, weight gain, and very emotional with this pill. I have never taken a mini pill, and I don’t think I ever will again!"

• NLG...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 15, 2021

For Birth Control "I have suffered from long, extremely heavy periods since I was 11 years old. At 38, with my tubes tied and 3 kids, I was at my wit's end. Being anemic due to my period had taken its toll. I went to my Dr. asking for a hysterectomy. He recommended Slynd. I argued, since I have taken other birth controls in the past with no help for my bleeding. But he said he wouldn't recommend a hysterectomy without exhausting all efforts. Now, a year later, I am so glad I found Slynd. I only spot on my 2nd day of placebo and have little to no cramping. Also, my hormonal acne has all but gone away as well. I do have some negative side effects like bloating and weight gain (10 lbs in a year), but for the first time in my life, I had labs done and I am no longer anemic."

• Fai...
• June 21, 2021

For Birth Control "I’m 47, no kids, and have never been on BC. I wanted the copper IUD, but my uterus is too small, so I got the Slynd pills. I’ve had no side effects. I also suffer from anxiety/traumatic stress, and this pill has not affected any of that! My BF and I are very sexually active and probably more carefree than we should be, so it's definitely helping in preventing pregnancy. I started spotting 1 week after the 1st pack and have not stopped. I am about to start pack #3 and have also not had an actual period. The spotting is light. Pantyliners seem to work fine, but I’m also comfortable with a regular-size tampon when I go to the gym (only time I’ll use one). I have some bloating during the placebo pills, but I have no real cramps now, and they used to be extreme along with super heavy bleeding. I am going to continue with the pill in hopes that my body regulates after this 3rd pack. Overall, other than the inconvenience of spotting, I think it is worth trying. I will update once the spotting subsides."

• Tan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 16, 2023

For Birth Control "I have endometriosis, and this pill was recommended to me because I was having a lot of breakthrough bleeding and spotting between periods, and I also have a history of cysts. I’ve been on many pills throughout the years, and this by far has been the worst experience. I would not recommend this to my worst enemy. I started bleeding immediately the first day I took it and never stopped for almost 2 months. The doctor said to give it 3 months for my body to adjust, but I couldn’t do it. I gave up about 2 months in because I was also having headaches, bloating, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and severe mood changes. I did not feel like myself and was either crying for no reason or raging in anger with both, not like me. I stopped at the end of December, and my periods have still been off. I bled from mid-January to mid-February, and now in March, I didn’t get my period at all. I suspect this is now my body re-adjusting from being off this pill, so beware if you’re going to try it."

• not...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 24, 2023

For Birth Control "Right after starting Slynd, I noticed I felt off. My blood pressure went up, and I was very moody. It did help with my heavy bleeding after being on it for a while, but I continued to have a light period about every 2 weeks despite only taking the placebo every 3 months. I got very painful acne, awful headaches that didn't respond to anything, weight gain and bloating. I lost a depressing amount of hair, and I had no energy. I gave it over a year, and it never improved. Finally gave up. I've been off Slynd for 2 weeks now, my energy is back, my acne is clearing, and I'm down 5 lbs."

• JRa...
• October 27, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve never left a review on anything before, but this birth control is horrible. I’m 4 months PP, and I’ve been on this for 3 months. There’s only 1 week out of every month that I’m not bleeding. Cramps are still there. My bloating is horrible. I’m more depressed than ever, and it’s a weird kind of depression, like I just feel blank and feel like I can’t speak comfortably. I feel all zoned out and thoughtless. I’ve struggled with depression before, but never like this. Now that I’m reading all these reviews, I’m realizing it’s this birth control that’s causing me to feel this way. I’m nauseous pretty much every day. I’ve been lashing out over everything. Like really lashing out with some serious anger. I’m irritable, even toward people who are simply just talking around me. Yeah, it’s not a good birth control. At all. I’m stopping it tomorrow."

• Sta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2022

For Birth Control "I started taking Slynd to help with my heavy periods. I have 3 small fibroids, and I hoped this would lighten my flow until I could figure out my surgical options. I started taking it on the first day of my period, and the first thing that happened was bloating that was so intense I could barely put on pants. I had the WORST period of my life. The cramps were debilitating. After about 10 days of pain and cramping, things slowed to just some spotting, but after a week of that, my period came back HEAVIER AND MORE PAINFUL than I’ve ever experienced in my life. I was literally filling up an overnight pad every 45 minutes. I stopped taking the pill after 18 days of starting because the side effects were unbearable. I’m 5 days off it, and my body is slowly returning to normal. Don’t make the mistake I made by ignoring the low approval rating for this medication. The side effects are horrific."

• mrs...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2020

For Birth Control "Absolutely awful. This is the first time I've taken Slynd, and it has given me nothing but problems. I have cramps every day. My headaches were the reason I had to change my meds, and they have gotten much worse. I'm so bloated and feeling icky. Not to mention, my irritability has never been this bad. It doesn't help that I've been bleeding every day since I've started this. 0/10. Would never recommend to anyone for anything. I wish I had never started taking these meds."

• Snb...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 21, 2021

For Birth Control "Birth control reacts differently for everyone, but Slynd is not for me. I have given it 6 months, but I still only get one week per month WITHOUT a period. My Slynd side effects are that I have become anemic, weak, exhausted, lots of dizziness, I have to pee constantly, and I’ve put on weight, mostly because I am so bloated all the time. I get nauseous often as well. It seems to defeat the purpose of birth control considering I only get a good 5-7 days without bleeding. Switching to Yaz and hoping for the best because I believe that my body needs the estrogen in order to regulate things."

• SM-...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 19, 2022

For Birth Control "I'm 41, and I started taking this pill in June of 2022. I was recently diagnosed with PCOS, and I had been having some pain and an irregular period, and I've never taken birth control pills before. The first month was horrendous, but it could have just been because of the PCOS. I bled very heavily for 23 days. I felt very light-headed, bloated, moody, and was having to constantly go to the bathroom. My doctor, when I called to say, is this normal, ended up upping my dosage to taking two a day until the heavy bleeding stopped. Day 23, after taking two pills a day for an entire week, it finally stopped. Since then, I haven't had a period, no cramps, no bloating, and I felt great. I lost weight, I don't have any mood issues, and I have so much more energy. Next week, we decide if I continue it going forward, and I love it so far. Works for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 27, 2020

For Birth Control "I’m on my 8th month of Slynd and can’t stand it anymore. I bleed literally CONSTANTLY! When I’m not bleeding, I’m spotting, and I’ve given it way more than enough time for my body to adjust. I wanted to love this pill because it cleared up the bloating and acne I got from norethindrone, but the bleeding is outrageous!"

• D C...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 30, 2024

For Birth Control "I’m 42, and I tried the IUD years ago. And for 3 years, it worked. I went back to do another 3, and it was painful, and I bled heavily. The cramps were unbearable. I always had an extremely heavy period, and most BC constantly agitated the flow. I found Slynd 3 years ago, and I barely have a period. I barely have any side effects. I think it may cause bloat slightly because I did keto prior to my relationship and lost a ton of weight. I tried to do it again, and I barely lost 5 pounds. Mostly in my belly area, but it could also be perimenopause. All in all, this pill is really a great option for BC if you are older. Seems a lot of younger people experience bleeding, but I can honestly say I have spotted maybe 5 times in 3 years, and it was over in a day or 2."

• Ban...
• January 12, 2021

For Birth Control "It’s effective against pregnancy because spotting, cramping, bloating, and discomfort happen for several weeks. Also, my anxiety and depression have increased since starting Slynd. I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t been on it for as long as many other people (I started using Slynd November 19th) - but I don’t want this to keep going throughout months to the point where I throw out the pill and just use another form of contraceptive. My doctor recommended this to me because he thought I was very sexually active - even though this pill stopped me from being sexually active completely because of the amount of periods I got for a long amount of time. Not to mention I kept getting cystic acne and acne in general - and I’ve been gaining weight as well."

• Don...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 8, 2022

For Birth Control "I was on a combination pill since 2014. I was switched to a progestin-only pill in 2018 due to having Factor V Leiden. That pill didn’t agree with my body due to horrible mood swings and heavy periods. I was switched back to the combination pill because it had been working. My doctor switched me to Slynd in 2020 because the combination had stopped working for me (heavy periods, cramping, acne). I liked Slynd at first, but I came off of it due to having no period at all, constant bloating, weight gain, acne, and cramping. I switched to another progestin-only pill in 2021, and my period has still yet to come back. I overall feel like the pill truly wrecked my body, and I haven’t felt right since taking it. I definitely do NOT recommend! My insurance also stopped covering this medicine, and it was $30 a month."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2021

For Birth Control "I'm on day 8 of my second Slynd box, and so far these are the side effects that I experienced: - headache the very first days (when I started taking the pill) - bloating, constipation - dizziness, weakness - lack of energy and motivation - need to urinate frequently - dehydration - amenorrhea (had no period) - acne at its worst (never had a breakthrough acne like this. On the contrary, when I took other pills containing Drospirenone like Yasmín, Yasminelle, and Yaz, my skin improved a lot). Had to buy lotions and creams to fight it, but every single day a new pimple appears, which is so annoying. Taking into account all these adverse effects, I'll switch to another pill as soon as possible."

• Ms ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2020

For Birth Control "I have been on Slynd for over a month now. Transitioned from the depo shot. I can tell already my body is so much happier on Slynd than the shot! Less bloating, I think I have lost a few pounds. I was preparing myself for major breakthrough bleeding, but really I had maybe a couple of days of cramping and spotting, but that’s it! If you’re worried about acne, talk to your doctor about being prescribed Spironolactone along with the pill. It helps prevent acne from progestin-only birth control. Overall, I am very happy with Slynd!!"

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 14, 2022

For Birth Control "I had to come off the combination pill I was on after 30 years, give or take, after I developed a huge DVT in my leg from my ankle to my stomach. My GP and hematologist recommended Slynd, or Slinda as it is known here in Australia. I have been on it for 3 months now, and I wish it was around 30 years ago. I have always had heavy, painful periods. Now I haven't had a period, only a little cramping and bloating for a few days, then gone. So far, this pill has been such a relief, I never realized just how much pain I was in every month until now that it's gone. My iron and ferritin levels have been the best they have ever been for the first time, it looks like I might even avoid an iron infusion too. In Australia, this medication isn't on the PBS, so it costs $75 for a 3-pack."

• Vic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2022

For Birth Control "I'm 47 and have dealt with extremely heavy periods for 30 years now. Unfortunately, when I turned 45, the bleeding became so much worse. So recently, I had my OB put in a PO IUD on the 1st of October, however, (side note: I bled 24/7 non-stop all 3 months) at the end of my third month, the bloating was so unbearable that I had the IUD removed on Jan 18th. My doctor suggested Slynd the day I had the IUD removed, and being willing to try anything, I said yes. I just finished my first pack, and I am still bleeding. I have been bleeding since October 1st, and tonight I passed (I'm so sorry, this is gross, but it's the only real-life experience I've had to compare it to) miscarriage-sized clots!!! I can describe how scary that was seeing that in my Lena cup and coming out over the cup because they were so large. I read someone's review that said the reason it's great for pregnancy prevention is that you're always bleeding! I laughed at that because my sex life has been nonexistent, too! lol *throw hands up"

• ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2020

For Birth Control "So I’m starting the last week of the first pack. I've felt a little nauseous on and off throughout the whole month. Right now, it’s 2 am and I’m feeling awful. This makes my back hurt, and I have cramps at least once a day. It makes me feel bloated all the time. No weight gain or spotting. This BC gives me small little bumps all over my face. I guess we’ll see by the end of this week if it prevents pregnancy or not. If someone were to experience the same side effects as me, I would not recommend."

• Jen...
• July 22, 2021

For Birth Control "Started taking Slynd several months ago. I'm 39, I have heavy periods with lots of pain, and I get migraines with aura. Slynd was an alternative to norethindrone, which caused me bloating, major oral issues, and daily dehydration symptoms even when cutting caffeine. Here are the benefits after taking it for 90 days: light periods, no facial flushing, no heavy cramps except sometimes, it cured my anxiety completely, and I experienced short-term depression for 1-2 months but am better. However, there are severe downfalls: my mouth is severely dry all the time, my gums are pale, and my tongue is coated with white. I lost hair. I have weird leg cramps at night and dull headaches consistently. I urinate frequently, which triggers a bladder condition I already have, it's a strong diuretic. All of my blood work and urinalysis are coming out normal. This is strange to me. Hope this helps someone decide."