Aviane and Depression: What Users Say

• Emm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 8, 2019

For Birth Control "Aviane is by far the best birth control I’ve tried! I was using Tri-Cyclen, and that was the worst time of my life. I was horribly depressed, moody, ovarian cysts would rupture and send me to the E.R., my acne was bad, gained 25 pounds, and my hair was falling out in giant clumps. It made me afraid to try birth control again. My doctor suggested Aviane because it’s very low dose and would better suit my body. Best decision ever. I have perfect skin, keep losing weight, NO MOOD SWINGS, plus I won’t get pregnant. It’s the best birth control out there."

• len...
• September 4, 2018

For Birth Control "I was so afraid of taking birth control again after having so many bad experiences with other ones, but I am so happy I gave this one a chance. Previous pills I was on, Kariva, Sprintec, Orthotricyclen-ALL made me gain weight; super moody and always depressed. This pill works for me, honestly. I have zero side effects, no weight gain, my skin is so clear it freaks me out. The only side effect is my breasts grew from an A to a full B. They're still growing; I'm a little concerned, but hey, free boob job essentially! So girls, if you had a bad reaction to the pills I mentioned above, maybe give this one a try!"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 10, 2019

For Birth Control "I hate Aviane. I can't even bear taking it any longer than I have been because it’s just making me feel incredibly depressed. I am in such a dark, dark place. My period has been going on strong for 11 days, coupled with nausea and tiredness. My body has changed in ways I did not want it to. If you are somebody who already struggles with mental health issues and body confidence, then I don’t recommend this unless you want to feel like a completely different, 100% worse version of yourself."

• ale...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 17, 2023

For Birth Control "I have been taking Aviane for a little more than a year, and I’ve had no anxiety or depression that I keep hearing about. Honestly, it did make me a bit more emotional, but nothing too severe. Periods are very light and come on time. No mood swings, and I gained no weight. Pro: my boobs grew a lot. I do recommend this pill, but I think it’s different for everyone."

• nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on Lutera for 6 months before being switched to Aviane due to insurance covering it. I was told that it is the same exact pill and not to worry. Let me tell you, it is NOT the same pill. I had a great experience on Lutera, of course, starting was a little hard, but I had light periods, high sex drive, etc. On Aviane, I was extremely depressed and had NO sexual drive at all, couldn’t finish, and felt foggy and gained like 10 pounds. I also had a pregnancy scare and missed a period cycle on it. It’s so bad. I switched back to Lutera and have been off Aviane for about 2 weeks. I already feel so much better and am so much happier. Sex drive is back to normal, etc. Please stay away from this. I also found out insurance covers Lutera, so I did all of that for nothing."

• bro...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 8, 2020

For Birth Control "This pill, Aviane, works as a birth control, and it made my periods super short and super light, and cramps disappeared. That being said, there were a lot of cons associated with this: headaches, nausea, weight gain, acne, acne, acne (my skin was clear before this), and crazy anxiety, depression, and mood swings. I would not recommend. Going to switch back to Ortho Cyclen."

• Ray...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 15, 2020

For Birth Control "This was the worst birth control I have ever been on. I am honestly stopping birth control because this stuff gave me the worst mental breakdown of my life. I stopped taking it and immediately started bleeding after. I have gotten acne where I have never had it before, and I have had the worst flare-up of BV in my life... not even antibiotics helped. Now I suffer from severe cramps and stuff, and this made things worse... I have never been laid out in bed because of cramps before this medication... 100% do not recommend!!!!"

• Nic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 16, 2019

For Birth Control "DO NOT USE! Not only does this birth control NOT WORK, it has horrible side effects, not just on me, but on my roommates who were also prescribed it. We went together and got prescribed Aviane for birth control. Since being prescribed Aviane, I've been extremely irritable, hormonal, angry, depressed, and I am easier to lash out at people for no reason. I've gained a lot of weight and worst of all, I'm covered in cystic acne all over my face, neck, back, and thighs - sometimes on my bum too - I've never gotten acne before taking Aviane!!! And on top of that, I'm 1 month pregnant, even though I took the pill every day, on time, exactly how I was supposed to. My roommates have experienced all the same things. One of them got pregnant 2 months after they started taking it, another gained almost 50 pounds in only a few months, and don't even get me going about all of our acne problems. Ladies: do not use. Aviane birth control doesn't work, you could end up pregnant!!!!"

• Kan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2019

For Birth Control "I'm 23, taking for 3 months. I take my pill every day at the same time, no missed doses. I don't consume the pills during the placebo week. Pros: Not pregnant. Acne has improved. Still get a few blind pimples on the placebo week, though. No longer experience ovulation pain related to cysts. No weight gain. The only thing I've noticed is that my breasts went up about 1/2 cup size, but I had minimal soreness, if any. My period is very light, no cramping. No hair loss, oiliness, normal sex drive, no yeast infections (my doctor recommends taking a probiotic), no migraines, no breakthrough bleeding. No signs of any of the more serious side effects like blood clots, etc. Cons: On the first few days of the placebo week, I experience some depression and anxiety. I do have a history of these issues, though, so that may be a factor. Some moodiness. I don't get as 'wet' during sex. Some fatigue in the first month. In weighing the pros and cons, I'm moderately satisfied taking the pill."

• Ran...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 9, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this Aviane birth control for 8 months now, and it’s made my PMS symptoms and depression so bad. Like a week before my period, I feel like I’m going insane. I feel like every month it makes it worse and worse. Honestly, I don’t think I can take this pill anymore, it’s wrecking my mind. It always made me gain weight, and my boobs are sore 24/7."

• Anonymous
• April 10, 2012

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "My periods were fine. I was ovulating, had normal blood flow, slightly heavy cramps. I started this pill for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome symptoms. While it did clear up my skin a little, it has made me borderline suicidal. Within 3 days, I started hating people, crying at the drop of a hat, becoming irrationally angry, entertaining thoughts of suicide, and becoming severely depressed. I would be losing weight since I have no appetite, except I'm so bloated it doesn't matter."

• sam...
• July 13, 2017

For Birth Control "Amazing! It broke me out the first two months, but by now, at month six, my skin has been completely clear. I used to struggle with PMDD, which gave me really bad depression around my period. Now, I feel so much more stable and my depression and mood swings are gone. No weight gain, I actually lost a few pounds. No bad side effects at all! Would recommend this to anyone if you're looking for birth control with only positive side effects. And of course, I have not gotten pregnant."

• Wor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I was on Aviane for a month and a half, and I can honestly say it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I never had a problem with acne, I would get a pimple here or there occasionally, but Aviane made me break out horribly. I am left with scarring from it, and although it has gotten a lot better, I am still trying to get rid of some of the acne. I felt depressed and emotional while taking it and definitely had mood changes while on it. My period lasted 7 days on this, and it came with horrible cramping and blood clots. I began to feel better just days after stopping this pill. I would not recommend it to anyone. The worst mistake I have made was to go on this pill."

• Sal...
• March 18, 2013

For Birth Control "I will have been on Aviane for two years as of next month. Once my prescription ends next month, I find it is time to get off of it. It's done its job preventing pregnancy, and I do have shorter periods. However, I have gained 20 pounds in the past two years, went from a 34 C to a 38 D (on the brink of DD), acne has stayed the same, and I have experienced mood swings, anger, and depression."

• Jen...
• December 24, 2016

For Birth Control "I tried Alesse in the past and liked it, but it made me feel extremely tired. I decided to try the generic Aviane to see if I felt different. I'm only on day 11, but I don't feel mentally well. I'm starting to feel irritated and depressed. I'm finishing the pack and will stop taking this pill. Our emotional health is much more important."

• Nel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 2, 2021

For Birth Control "I was prescribed Aviane a year ago, and have since enjoyed my experience. My discharge is slightly thicker, but still has normal consistency from time to time. My period is very light, and my cramps are mild. Before, I used to have bad cramps. I will say that my libido seems to have slightly decreased, but I find I just need a little more time to warm up. Recently, I have been experiencing anxious and depressive symptoms, but that could be a result of the COVID-19 pandemic."

• Sam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 29, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control regularly for almost a year now. I am very sensitive to the hormones and experienced extreme sickness, I mean to the point I was throwing up every morning and on the verge of passing out, no matter what I tried to prevent it. I learned that taking it in the morning solved this problem. Negative side effects are that I have a huge appetite (thankfully a high metabolism), constant headaches, worse PMS, no motivation, tiredness, irrational mood swings, and last week I noticed breakthrough bleeding and cramps halfway through the pack. But all in all, my periods are short and I'm not pregnant yet! Remember, every woman is different."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this Aviane pill since February (so about 5 months now), and I absolutely hate the way it makes me feel. Ever since starting Aviane, my periods have been at least 10 days long or more, and my last period lasted a full 2 weeks, which is incredibly annoying. I have the worst mood swings ever and cry at the slightest things and often find myself hysterically crying for no reason. I have felt incredibly depressed since starting Aviane and want nothing more than to feel like my old self again. The only positives of this pill were that I didn’t gain any weight, didn’t experience any acne breakouts, my sex drive didn’t decrease, and most importantly, I didn’t get pregnant! I talked with my doctor, and she believes the reason for my symptoms is that the dosage of hormones is just too low for my body, so I received a prescription for a pill with a little bit higher dosage (Marlissa) and will be starting that soon."

• Hal...
• April 26, 2021

For Birth Control "Worst medication. It did what it was supposed to, but the side effects aren’t worth preventing pregnancy. It was okay, but I bled for the first month. Then my skin broke out, then was fine after the first month. Then the severe water retention and weight gain happened. Started at 120 lb and am 170 lb now. The premenstrual symptoms were insane. Like I had mood swings, anxiety, and depression. I’m a year in and have had serious suicidal thoughts. I never had mental health issues prior to this medication. Out of the whole month, I only felt mentally stable one week. That’s so crazy. Please don’t take them. Your mental health isn’t worth it."

• RWa...
• January 25, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on Aviane for almost 5 months now. I have experienced weight gain, increased anxiety, and have had moderate depression. I have also had difficulty breathing when working out and have recently developed vision problems (a floater). I am not 100% sure that this is derived strictly from Aviane, but I have never had these issues before. I am going to discontinue use."

• sha...
• March 8, 2017

For Birth Control "I was on this pill for almost 2 years as of a week ago. The first week of taking it, I experienced mood swings and weight gain, but it settled after a while. I was good for about a year, never got pregnant, but just recently I noticed I had severe side effects, from depression to being angry all of the time. I even started to get irritated 'down there' after every cycle. I just switched to Tri-Sprintec, so hopefully this works wonders. Don't go off of my horrible experience, everyone's body is different."

• Ros...
• November 10, 2015

For Birth Control "Okay, so I'm 15, and I've been on this birth control for almost 3 months. I've never been more emotional or sad in my life. I didn't know what it was until I found this website. My mood swings have been crazy and have affected my relationship. Besides that, my skin is clearer, I've lost weight, my appetite is really small, but my breasts are larger, and nothing has changed with my period, it's not lighter or heavier. I'm hoping that changes soon, though. I might change to a different contraceptive because the moody thing is way too much, but besides that, I'm not pregnant, so yeah."

• bbb...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 24, 2018

For Birth Control "I used this for a few reasons. It helped make my periods lighter. I never had issues with that. But: 1. It made my hair fall out and thin out. 2. It gave me bumps all over my forehead. 3. I believe this pill aided me in becoming severely depressed. I've never been like this in my life. But I was heading in that direction while taking this. I felt completely numb every day. I naturally have anxiety and depression, but I have never been that bad ever. I think it made it worse. 4. I kept getting UTIs after sex while on this. I was always very dry 'down there.' Most likely due to the pill. I think it helped cause infections. 5. I also gained a few lbs on this and wasn't able to get rid of it, it seemed like. I stopped taking it and went on something else. My skin cleared up. My hair doesn't fall out as much. I haven't had another UTI so far. I'm definitely not as depressed as I was, but I want to wait longer to see with that."

• Els...
• August 28, 2020

For Birth Control "I was on another birth control for over a year, and it was fine, but it gave me too much depression. I switched to the Aviane, and the past two months haven’t been that great. My acne is the worst it has ever been in my life. I had some really bad periods in the beginning. The worst part for me is that the Aviane has caused me to gain ten pounds in two months. I’ve weighed the same weight for the past three years. My mood has improved significantly on this pill, but I hate my appearance so much now I don’t know if it’s worth it. I kind of want to quit hormonal birth control altogether now, it’s been a tough experience."

• Lou...
• June 17, 2014

For Endometriosis "I've been on Aviane for almost a year now, but recently started taking it continuously because of the terrible breakouts and mood swings/depression I was having on a monthly basis around when my period would start. Pros: continuous method (for me) works well at delaying periods and not dealing with the negative, no weight gain (Sprintec made me put on a lot of weight), easy to use, milder cramps, breasts went up from C's to D's, lighter flow, prevents pregnancy. Cons (with normal use): major depression-like symptoms for 2 weeks of the month, breakouts (I can usually keep them under control), enlarged breasts, feeling tired before period week."