Jolessa and Bleeding: What Users Say

• Unh...
• March 19, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Pluses: clear skin, no mood swings or headaches. BUT, at first, I spotted every day for months. Light enough for a pantyliner. My period stopped for a while, went fine. Then, with no warning, I would have gigantic clots and blood gushing when I stood up. Then later on in the day and the next day... nothing. Happened a few times. Last straw: family goes to Disney World for the first time. Second day I’m walking around the park then stand up, start gushing blood. I spend the whole time afraid to stand because I’m going through a tampon and pad every hour. Next day nothing. Fourth day at Disney, same heavy gushing and clotting. Airport gushing. Arrive home, bleeding lightens. Then I stand up, heaviest bleeding ever! Soaked through a super tampon, pad, my underwear, pants were soaked with blood and it stained my bed. I am 39 years old and this didn’t happen before Jolessa. I had heavy periods but not random hemorrhaging in between cycles. I have stopped this birth control and my provider is trying me on something different!"

• car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 11, 2018

For Birth Control "This medication is awful. I immediately started with breast tenderness/soreness, then came joint pains and massive headaches. Then there were sharp pains in my lower abdomen that would last about ten seconds, and I would have them throughout the day. I’m barely 19, healthy, and have had regular periods for the past two years. I just wanted something to help cramps, and it sounded like a dream when my gynecologist told me I’d only bleed 4 times a year! I just finished my second month, and I’ve been bleeding for 6 days now! I’m not even supposed to be bleeding! I’m not even talking about spotting, I’m talking about HEAVY bleeding. Before I started this medication, my periods were light/regular and only lasted 5 days MAX. This is one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made, the side effects are not worth it. I’d rather get my period every month than deal with this. Don’t get on this medication."

• sat...
• May 26, 2010

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Jolessa is awesome! I've been on it before and had spotting during the first pack, but then it worked great! I began using it again, and this time my doctor suggested taking the first month and stopping for a week to get a period and then continuing with the second and third month. (So two periods on the first pack) to minimize, if not eliminate, breakthrough bleeding or spotting. Worked well, and I couldn't be happier. Regulated and way less painful!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 7, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on Jolessa for 4 years and am quite pleased with it. I chose to go on birth control because I used to get really bad cramps and have heavy bleeding. The reason it doesn't get a 10-star review from me is because the first month of adjusting to it was awful for me. I had horrible cramps and pretty much nonstop bleeding. But 4 years removed from the situation, I would say it was worth it. I did not experience weight gain, and it's so nice to have control over my body. Now my periods are predictable, and the cramps aren't as bad."

• Pri...
• November 2, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I started taking Jolessa to alleviate perimenopausal symptoms, i.e., inability to sleep, weight gain, fatigue, unpredictable periods, thinning hair, and new facial hair. The first month on it, my facial hair lightened up and my face became smooth again. My mood lifted, and I felt great, but that was the only beneficial thing about it. I started bleeding for months-heavily. Using tampons and pads at the same time did not protect me from accidents. The minute I stood up in the morning, it would be flowing all over the place. I started getting bouts of sciatic nerve pain, and severe pain in my knees. I'd be unable to go from a sitting to standing position. I had headaches and more weight gain. I immediately stopped taking it and opted to try natural herbs and vitamins: hemp oil, kohosh, omegas, and magnesium/zinc. Plus, I just started taking the cherry juice concentrate. I wouldn't recommend it. Try to go natural, you'll see the benefits like I did."

• Bra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 1, 2016

For Birth Control "I began taking this because I had very heavy periods, and I was tired of having a period every month. After the first pack, I was a little concerned because I had breakthrough bleeding the entire 3rd month. This happened every pack. I decided to stick with it. Nov. 30, 2015, I had a severe abdominal attack. I went to 2 ERs that did nothing for me. They told me I had gas and to go home and take Miralax. It did not work. I followed up with a gastroenterologist on Monday. He immediately admitted me to the hospital. Long story short... I had major liver surgery on Dec. 4, 2015, to remove a hepatic adenoma that had ruptured. These were completely hormonal, caused by the birth control. PLEASE STOP TAKING THIS. MY LIFE WAS BARELY SAVED."

• Anonymous
• December 25, 2011

For Birth Control "Jolessa is my favorite birth control so far. I have tried many, including Yasmin, Depo-Provera, the patch, NuvaRing, and Beyaz. None of these helped my acne, and a few had horrible breakthrough bleeding. However, since I've been on Jolessa, I haven't experienced any negative side effects, and surprisingly, my breakouts are few and far between. When I do breakout, it's usually one pimple at a time and heals much faster than before. No weight gain or increased appetite, and my sex drive is thriving. No breakthrough bleeding whatsoever. Love it."

• Rox...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 19, 2017

For Birth Control "6 years I've been on this pill. It's a great pill if you hate having a period every month. But being 22 is a lot different than being 16, and my body just isn't liking the pill anymore. Main cons - heavy bleeding, ZERO sex drive. Cons of taking the pill in the 1st to 3 years - painful sex due to vaginal dryness, slight nausea if taken in the morning. Cons at the end & why I'm stopping (4-6 years) - hair loss (just more hairs come out when I would brush it), more pee breaks, breakthrough bleeding, cramps & spotting when climaxing, & spotting during vigorous workouts. Pros - never got pregnant, stable mood, no breakouts, hair thinner on arms & legs. I never had spotting in between packs (until now) or gained any weight, & I'm pretty sedentary."

• Rox...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 19, 2017

For Birth Control "6 years I've been on this pill. It's a great pill if you hate having a period every month. But being 22 is a lot different than being 16, and my body just isn't liking the pill anymore. Main cons - heavy bleeding, ZERO sex drive. Cons of taking the pill in the 1st to 3 years - painful sex due to vaginal dryness, slight nausea if taken in the morning. Cons at the end & why I'm stopping (4-6 years) - hair loss (just more hairs come out when I would brush it), more pee breaks, breakthrough bleeding, cramps & spotting when climaxing, & spotting during vigorous workouts. Pros - never got pregnant, stable mood, no breakouts, hair thinner on arms & legs. I never had spotting in between packs (until now) or gained any weight, & I'm pretty sedentary."

• tha...
• October 5, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Jolessa since I was 17, and I'm now 23, and I absolutely love it! I had breakthrough bleeding the first month, but after that, only four periods a year, and they only last 2 days, 3 at the most. I recently changed doctors and got Camrese, and I hate it! I've been spotting the whole first month. At the end of the month, I had a full five-day period. I'm switching back to Jolessa. I thought that Jolessa and Camrese were the same, but they are not."

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Switched from Tri-Sprintec because of side effects. Started Jolessa. The first 7 weeks were great, no side effects, no issues. I'm now ten weeks in. I started spotting at the end of week 7, which was normal, but it kept getting heavier. I've been bleeding heavily for 14 days now, longer than any of my periods before birth control. I've also had cramps so bad that they caused vomiting, which has never happened before. I'm nearly doubled over in pain half the day and constantly nauseous. I saw one doctor, they told me to stick with the pill, so I did, but my symptoms only continued to get worse, so I got a second opinion from a doctor trained in this field. She recommended stopping the pill. So, I did, the bleeding is the same after being pill-free for three days. I've been really sick: nausea and headache. Starting Jolessa was great, and I thought it was helping, but if I knew it would have been such a nightmare, I never would have gone on this pill."

• kat...
• May 2, 2010

For Birth Control "I love Jolessa! I hated it at first. During the first pack, I bled for about 9 weeks. It was awful. Some days heavy, some days light. I talked to my doctor and decided to hang in there and try the second pack. I am so glad that I did. I had finished bleeding a couple of days before I started the second pack. The second pack worked perfectly. The third pack, which I just finished, worked the same. This period is super light. I kept waiting all week for it to start, and finally, on Friday it did, and it's Sunday, and it might be gone already. I knew one of the side effects was abnormal bleeding that diminished over time... it took 9 weeks... but I would do it all again for only having 4 periods a year. I love Jolessa!"

• Tam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 27, 2012

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I have been on Jolessa for 41 days, and for the last 16, I have been bleeding some days with terrible, terrible cramping, then clotting like crazy, and just when I think it's over, it remains, and I am bleeding again. I can't wait for my appointment, I may stop before then."

• tri...
• March 13, 2017

For Birth Control "I am 19 years old and have been on Jolessa for a little over seven months now. I have had no problems with this contraceptive, except for the obvious, when being on an antibiotic, I had spotting. I have always had headaches and migraines growing up, which is also a side effect of this contraceptive, they go away easily if I just drink plenty of water when I take the pill. I get most of the side effects, which are exactly like my usual period symptoms, and they only happen the week before or during my period. Which is exactly how it was before I was on Jolessa. I was put on this because of overheating, severe cramps, heavy bleeding, and shaking from my periods. I have none of these side effects except heavy bleeding, other than that, all good."

• Lar...
• January 10, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm going on month 3 on Jolessa, and the bleeding hasn't stopped since the month prior. As a BC, it's great because I'm not pregnant, but the bleeding sucks. I haven't gained any weight, which is great, but I've become super irritable. I had this same reaction to the Depo shot. I'm waiting on a doctor's appointment to change my BC."

• ham...
• February 12, 2014

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I started Jolessa in October 2013, right when my period started at the beginning of the month. Right away, I was sick to my stomach several days, and my periods normally last the full 7 days, but on this pill it never stopped. It went to a light period and gradually, throughout the 3 months, got heavier until I started the white pills-the period week, at the end of December. Once I started the new pack January 1st, the bleeding finally stopped until February 1st, I started the second month of pills and right away started bleeding again. It is now February 12, and I went to the doctor yesterday, she put me on a different birth control, Low-Ogestrel 28, and we're hoping this stops my bleeding and works better for me."

• jen...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 25, 2014

For Birth Control "Since getting a tubal ligation 10 years ago, I have had heavy periods. Over the years, it has gotten heavier and more painful. I got anemia and so fatigue at least 2 weeks before the period, and then my cycle would last at least 9-10 days. So basically a week out of the month I was semi-normal. The beginning of this year, I barely found out you can take birth control to stop your period. Obviously, I jumped on that and got a prescription for Jolessa. Started it and my period still came as usual but wasn't that heavy. Then for the next 2 months, I had spotting every day... but then the 3rd month maybe 1 or 2 days of breakthrough bleeding because I forgot to take a pill. Now, after 10 months of taking Jolessa, I don't have a period at all."

• K i...
• December 28, 2017

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I was on Jolessa for 5 months. I had to stop because of the constant bleeding. I've literally been bleeding for four months. I'm depressed, sometimes have thoughts that I'm dying, feeling hopeless, have gained 13 lbs that I can't seem to shake, and am exhausted. If I clean house, walk somewhere, or take out the trash, the bleeding increases. My doctor put me on Beyaz a week ago, and the bleeding hasn't stopped. I'm starting to wonder if it ever will. I think Jolessa broke my uterus."

• Unh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 9, 2018

For Birth Control "Reason for medication also includes irregular menstrual cycle, bilateral breast pain (ongoing), menstrual migraines. Years ago; I was on the brand name Seasonelle and had minimal issues. When my insurance changed at 23, I tried Jolessa due to the brand name being $235 (circa 2012). I remember having terrible mood swings, weight gain, acne, so I stopped taking it. Fast forward to 2018, I asked my doctor to try BC again due to irregularity and breast pain. Since the name brand drug now costs $435, I was forced to try Jolessa again. I have bled for 26 days straight and have stopped taking the pill. There has been no “trade-off” as far as my symptoms being reduced. I have had cramping, breast pain, headaches, and excessive bleeding. I do not recommend this generic medication."

• Yee...
• April 7, 2020

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "Background: 26 y/o female with PCOS since the age of 12. Been on and off 21/7 day birth controls for many years. They worked fine, but with how bad my PCOS has gotten, I wanted to avoid having a period every dang month. So I finally found a doctor that *allowed* me to use an 84/7 pack. It is hard to get different medications at this exact point, as my husband is in the military and they only dole out one month at a time and not a day before. I am almost done with week 7 of my first pack, and I am getting bleeding on and off since week 6. I am trying to manage this problem by taking Excedrin's NSAIDs ingredient to manage the bleeding and pain. My main complaint is that the whole world is in the middle of a toilet paper crisis as it's COVID-19 time. So if I started my period by stopping the pills and just toughed it out, I would be out of TP well before I stopped bleeding (and I just bought 12 rolls) OR I have to stick it out for who knows how long (these comments have me fretting)."

• Mrs...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 24, 2023

For Birth Control "This medication is horrible. I've had really bad anxiety and panic attacks constantly. I've never had this bad anxiety before, and I am definitely not going to take it anymore. I've also had headaches and a lack of appetite. I was restless and couldn't fall asleep. I wish I never would have taken this at all. I also was bleeding constantly. I have read that your body has to get used to the medicine, but with all the other side effects, I just couldn't take it anymore. I also have had a very low sex drive because of it and have mood swings. Hopefully, I can get back to normal soon because I am miserable. Please don't take this medicine, I hate it."

• Anonymous
• April 25, 2011

"I am almost on my third month of my first pack of Jolessa, and I have been bleeding for four weeks now. Spotting some of the time and full-on heavy bleeding the rest. I like the weight loss and the fact that nothing seems to stress me out anymore, but I would really like for this to stop. Plus, the cramps were terrible at first, but now they have kind of subsided. Hopefully, the next pack will be better."

• hyp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 14, 2015

For Birth Control "Finished my second pack and had a much better experience. I left a rather bad review after the first, because of the almost constant bleeding. However, after finishing the second pack, I have a much better review. Only spotted lightly once and had a short, although heavy for two days, period on the white pills. JUST GET THROUGH THE FIRST PACK! It gets better, I promise."

• ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2022

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have only taken this birth control for 1 month and a week. And now I have nonstop bleeding. I am currently still bleeding. I have been bleeding for two weeks straight. I have no health issues. Never have, and I have never had any issues with my period nor bleeding."

• Ano...
• January 19, 2011

For Birth Control "I am halfway through my first pack, and so far I love it. No bleeding or nausea. No weight gain. My gynecologist suggested I take birth control because I'm a wreck when I get my period-terrible cramps that nothing helps, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue. Hopefully, I'll have a lighter period (my period lasts 5-7 days) when I finish the pack and no cramps, fatigue, or headaches."