Ethinyl estradiol / ethynodiol and Irritability: What Users Say

• Hea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2019

For Birth Control "I'm so thankful for Zovia! I’ve had awful experiences with past birth control pills (Lutera, Aviane, & Yaz) and prefer to take the natural route for health and have been very anti-pill for a long time. While off the pill, I have struggled with PMDD that kept getting longer and cramps that caused me to miss work. I had insomnia, irritability, crazy itching on my stomach and legs, depression, crying spells, fatigue, muscle pain, flare-ups in digestive and reproductive pain, and zero sex drive. I was a mess and tried every natural treatment in the book for years with no luck, and in fact, was getting worse. I had no quality of life and agreed to take Zovia. Since starting, I sleep like a baby, the itching has stopped, I’m calmer, happier, more “sane,” and at peace with life. My sex drive is back better than ever, and I feel healthy again! Cramps are really light. I can function again! The only side effects I’ve had are mid-cycle spotting and water retention, but having my life back makes those symptoms seem like nothing compared to before."

• Kel...
• August 21, 2013

For Birth Control "Zovia cleared my acne and helped regulate my period with no pregnancies. However, it caused huge mood swings around my period. I was very irritable and sometimes depressed. Also, if I didn't take the pill at the exact same time (or within an hour), I spotted."

• nee...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 26, 2012

For Birth Control "I've been on Zovia almost 10 years now. It's cheap and worked for the reason I was taking it, which was to prevent pregnancy. I can't say whether it made me gain weight because I figure after ten years it's bound to normalize. I can say I get pretty bad PMS, but I'm not sure this pill was ever advertised to treat PMS symptoms. I experienced depression, bloat, irritability, anxiety, and lethargy the week before every period. I attribute some to my family history of anxiety and depression, though, and it was never something I brought up with my doctor. Never thought there was any reason to change it until now. Recently, I did find a side effect to be too much to bear: low libido. I don't even want a man to look at me, let alone touch me; it's so terrible."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 30, 2013

For Birth Control "I'm 18, and I've been on Zovia for about a year. No weight gain, acne completely cleared up, and I never got pregnant even if I did miss a couple! However, very bad PMS and irritability. My boyfriend of 2 years finds it very frustrating around the time of my period because I turn moody. Love it though."

• sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 9, 2018

For Birth Control "Horrible spotting, making me so irritable. This OC is ruining my usually great relationship. Look up how androgens in birth control influence your mood and skin. I usually have great skin, and it's breaking me out. Please avoid if you have problems with mental health. Only upside is no migraines, which many pills make worse for me."

• Msc...
• December 12, 2015

For Birth Control "I had to quit this medication because it made me agitated and very paranoid. I was to the point that I was going to quit my job and was convinced that my family was turning on me. I stopped, and within 1.5 months, everything resolved. I am now on Ocella, and it works great."

• Aan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2018

For Birth Control "Okay, so I started this pill two months ago, and I’m currently going on my third month. I have yet to stop bleeding, and I developed acne when I didn’t have any before. My cramps also have gotten worse. I also have terrible back pain, worse than ever before. I also have moods of irritability, where I’ll snap at people if they are doing something even remotely annoying. I wouldn’t recommend this pill at all."