Camrese and Depression: What Users Say

• hey...
• February 2, 2014

For Birth Control "Taking this pill was an awful experience. Everything was going fine until right around the time that I started the second month of it, and since then, I have had nasty breakthrough bleeding ever since then! (Not to mention the breast soreness, leg cramps, and depression.) I'm finishing the pill this week, and it hasn't gotten any better or worse. So basically, I've had my period for 8 weeks straight."

• 097...
• February 6, 2016

For Birth Control "I'm currently taking Camrese. I had no complaints. My periods are shorter and bearable, and my face is clear. I thought I was perfectly content until I realized a few things. I have night sweats, my boobs hurt, I've gained like 20 pounds, and I think I am depressed."

• Dru...
• September 30, 2014

For Birth Control "I developed terrible depression taking this medication. The first month and a half were fine, even energizing. I actually slept less and felt more alert the first few weeks. The first two nights I took the pill, I only slept 4 hours and woke up sweating, and then couldn't sleep the rest of the night. This side effect went away, and then all was pretty normal for a while. Then I felt myself slowly slipping into a funk. It started with a negative attitude toward things I used to enjoy and progressed into terrible depression. I suspected the pill, and the day after the 3 months ended, I felt immediately better and happy again. It was like day and night. I went back to NuvaRing after this experience."

• Lor...
• July 2, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this for about three months now. The first month and a half were great. No mood swings, no spotting or headaches, or depression, but then I got into my third month and was experiencing breakthrough bleeding a lot and then had several blood clots. And I am still having spotting. I've been depressed, acne is horrible, I have horrible food cravings, not to mention awful cramps to where I can't even move. I want to continue and try to see if it gets better, but I am just having the worst time with this and am miserable that I am over taking this. I know for some it has worked and maybe if I stick it out it will get better, but I have no interest in continuing with this bc."

• L00...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 2, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on the Camrese three-month birth control for a total of six months now. The first three-month pack did not go too well, which is why I gave it an eight for a rating. After the first month, I spotted heavily enough to ruin underwear, but not enough to use a pad/tampon, up until month three when it was time for my actual period. I would have specific periods of sadness as well, but no weight gain. But I decided to see if it got any better. It did! My second three-month pack, I did not have any spotting, and there is no weight gain with me or mood swings that I have noticed. I have fallen in love with this birth control."

• Emi...
• March 22, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm 6 weeks into this pill. I have PMDD and treat it with other medication, but it makes me sad and depressed even with the other medication. The anxiety is through the roof. This pill makes me so tired. I also have horrible night sweats every night. I also can't sleep. The insomnia is awful. Headaches every day. I have spent the last month trying to figure out what my deal was, and it's this awful pill. I thought I may have had another condition. The idea of 4 periods a year is amazing, but this pill just isn't worth it. I am stopping this pill ASAP and hoping that everything returns to normal in a few days. Oh, and the fact that I have completely lost my sex drive! Yeah, that sucks too. I just want to sleep and not sweat at night."

• Emi...
• March 22, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm 6 weeks into this pill. I have PMDD and treat it with other medication, but it makes me sad and depressed even with the other medication. The anxiety is through the roof. This pill makes me so tired. I also have horrible night sweats every night. I also can't sleep. The insomnia is awful. Headaches every day. I have spent the last month trying to figure out what my deal was, and it's this awful pill. I thought I may have had another condition. The idea of 4 periods a year is amazing, but this pill just isn't worth it. I am stopping this pill ASAP and hoping that everything returns to normal in a few days. Oh, and the fact that I have completely lost my sex drive! Yeah, that sucks too. I just want to sleep and not sweat at night."

• Bri...
• October 27, 2015

For Birth Control "This is the generic version of Seasonique. I had been on Seasonique up until I got pregnant, which was about 6 years. After I gave birth, my doctor put me on Camrese. For the longest time, I thought the terrible side effects were because I gave birth. 2 years later, I am realizing it is Camrese. I have been tired nonstop, depressed, super emotional over the most simple things, have gained 15 pounds that I can't seem to shake, headaches, and my appetite has increased. I would not recommend getting this birth control. I will be switching back to Seasonique tomorrow, it never gave me any problems!"

• dlp...
• November 2, 2015

For Birth Control "I was not a fan of this pill. It was supposed to be three months non-cyclic, and I still had a period every month, longer than normal. And I would bleed in between. It also made me gain 13 pounds in 6 weeks - while I was counting calories and working out. It was impossible to lose weight on it. It made me super emotional. I was constantly weepy and depressed many days. I don't want to take this one ever again."

• Hea...
• July 26, 2017

For Birth Control "I am on the 3rd sheet of pills, so about 3 months in... Before taking, I weighed 120, now I am 130... I feel depressed. Just this week, I started to get brown discharge and thick red blood clots. I try to take the pill every day with my coffee, but I was an hour off a few times. My boobs grew from C to double DD. I don't mind, but I do feel bloated and have had a couple of angry, depressed days. Not sure it's worth these symptoms, but before, I had such bad cramps and migraines, I was in bed every month for at least 2 days. Plus, I thought only being 29 and having early menopause with hot flashes and migraines this would help me... not sure yet. Staying on for another week or so to see what happens, and the weight gain for me is the worst. I don't fit in my pants, plus need new bras."

• Kpr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 19, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on this for over a year, and I am sad that it isn't working for certain things. I have a very light 3-4 day period every time, no breakthrough bleeding, no cramps, headaches, or anything else! My skin cleared up immensely. The three biggest problems were the fact that ever since I have been on this, I have absolutely no sex drive at all, I have been so depressed and down, and I gained 20 pounds because of the hormone levels. I would still be on it if the couple side effects I have weren't so large."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been taking this medication for a month. No breakthrough bleeding, and my menstrual cycle has been great, but the negative side effects have been miserable. I experienced severe mood swings, depression (and I am usually a happy person), bloating, weight gain, increased appetite, breast tenderness, discomfort and pain in my abdomen, and extreme fatigue. I have been miserable since starting this medication and will discontinue it and try something else."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 23, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Camrese for about 9 months, and at first, it was terrible. I got through the first month (out of 3), and then had a period for 2 straight months, constant bleeding. My nurse said it was normal, that my body needed to regulate. So then I finished that packet and got another one (another 3-month packet), and my period was gone consistently till the yellow pills. It was like I almost forgot what a period was even like, lol. I lost 15 lbs with Camrese, which is a plus for me. The only problem with the pill for me is that I’ve had crazy mood swings and some depression and sad periods. I’ve always been a chipper, bubbly person, but this BC has gotten to me. Overall, it does its job and works for me, so I gave it a 7!"

• Liz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2016

For Birth Control "I wouldn't even rate this oral contraceptive as high as 1 out of 10. I was prescribed this by my doctor for birth control as well as issues with P.M.S. This medication is horrible. Upon starting it, my depression was off the charts, I was so irritable that people closest to me asked, 'Why am I so miserable?' I had acne breakouts, which I have not had since the age of 15, so 12 years later and not sexy outbreaks. My sex drive went to zero. Insomnia constantly. When I did get my period, Jesus, heavy flow, fatigue, fever-like feeling/hard time getting out of bed and functioning, and cramps worse than without being on this med. The PMS is horrible. This website won't let me write more. Hair loss as well. 4 periods a month is not worth this med."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2020

For Birth Control "My 20-year-old daughter started taking this to help with her periods. They were very heavy, and the cramping kept her home from work and school 1-2 days per month. She takes the pills every day at the same time. She is on week 5, and for the past week has been very depressed and has mood swings that involve anger. She says on a scale of 1-10 it is a 10. She says in addition she does have breast tenderness. She is sleeping more, and the depression has me worried. No spotting or weight gain. We have called the doctor for advice. God bless."

• Pix...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2019

For Birth Control "I tried Camrese in hopes it would help my PMDD. It did not. Gave it a month and a half, but I spent a month of that ridiculously depressed and dissociating on and off. Mood swings were some of my worst. I could go from fine to sobbing to rage and back in a few minutes. Maybe if I'd hung on longer, my body would have adjusted, but I could not uproot my life to see. Do not recommend if you struggle with mood and/or depression already."

• Bet...
• October 11, 2015

"I'm 46, and I have been having menopausal symptoms, although I still get my period. My doctor prescribed me Camrese, thinking that regulating my hormones to a consistent level would help, and it would also allow me to have a period every three months, which she considered healthy. The first month was okay, I even lost weight. I'm now into my second month and have been spot bleeding for about 2 to 3 weeks. These last two days, I have been extremely tired, unable to concentrate, work, depressed, and with a migraine that will not go away. I have read that these are symptoms of low estrogen, and I now believe this medication does not have enough estrogen to deal with a perimenopausal condition in which you already have a low estrogen level."

• Gag...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been taking this pill for almost two weeks, and it has increased my libido times 100, and I am feeling normal again... Not as many mood swings as before and no depression. I have increased G-spot sensation and feel amazing... It will be nice to have my period only 4 times a year. I would recommend this to patients who have had difficulties with frequent UTIs and yeast infections due to the pill. I would never go back to Junel after this."

• hal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2021

For Birth Control "It was not worth it. I had to stop it after two months. I had side effects of severe depression, extreme anxiety (which also affected my sleep - yet I was always exhausted), lethargy, no sex drive whatsoever, irritability... I wanted to eat 24/7 even when I was full to the point of being sick. My hair fell out/shed WAY more than usual. It did not help my acne. The only thing it did was prevent pregnancy, yet it made me more susceptible to yeast infections due to strange discharge. I would dread taking it every day. It made my boobs a lot bigger, but the other fluid retention and weight gain canceled it out. I’m done with birth control for a while... back to heavy, painful periods."

• Ste...
• April 6, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been taking birth control for almost 10 years. After switching insurance companies, I was also forced to switch birth control. I was also placed on the extended cycle birth control to lower the chance of the cysts I just had removed returning. This birth control made me have crazy mood swings and feel very depressed. I rated it 2/10 because, hey, I didn't get pregnant, and I don't feel pain indicating my cysts have returned. I am approaching my 2nd month not taking this, my skin looks worse than it ever has, and I am broken out on my jawline (I would never break out there previously). My mood, however, has resumed to its former chipper self! I would not recommend this birth control to anyone."

• REA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2016

For Birth Control "Been on this for almost 2 months. I took it while I started my period, stopped bleeding for two days and spotted for another 2 weeks, and been fine since then. But I did experience nausea, but importantly, depression. I'm stopping because I'm so down and out, and I haven't finished the 3-month pack. Overall, I really like this birth control, but I can't deal with this depression."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2016

For Birth Control "I switched to Camrese because my last birth control was giving me consistent, debilitating migraines during the week of my period or if I forgot a pill. It was too unbearable to experience that every month. I'm now on my second pack of Camrese/month 4, and so far it has been great. I enjoy only having to deal with getting my period every 3 months, and I haven't had a migraine yet. Spotting happened for a short while in the beginning, but it went away. No weight gain. I have been feeling more depressed just recently, but it's hard to know if it's the BC or situational. I'll be following up with my doctor."

• Flu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2020

For Birth Control "This is the worst birth control I’ve ever been on. I have ovarian cysts, and they use birth control to regulate them. I have early onset bipolar disorder, depression, and GAD that I am all medicated for, but this has made my anxiety and depression go off the charts, with a bit of mania in there. Also, I’ve always been worried about my weight and my body, and this made me gain back all of the weight I just lost. I really don't like this medication."

• 826...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 6, 2017

For Birth Control "I got on birth control for my horrible cramps and to prevent getting pregnant. I have had mostly ups but some downs using this birth control. You must make sure to take it every day around the same time because it does affect you when you are supposed to get your period. Also, I have major mood swings now, depression, and gained weight with taking this. It does help majorly with my cramps and how much I was bleeding."