Lessina and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Lyn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2019

For Birth Control "DO NOT TAKE THESE PILLS! I used to take Lutera, and it was great for me, but the pharmacy ran out when it was time to refill, and they gave me Lessina. They said it was the same active ingredient. At first, I hesitated. I should've listened to my instinct. I have been having anxiety, mood swings, irritability, can't focus, even had to take off from work, and fatigue, insomnia. It's horrible! I'm so mad that the pharmacy gave me Lessina."

• Nat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 28, 2019

For Birth Control "I started taking Lessina birth control pill a few years ago. I like the fact that my periods are a lot shorter and not as heavy. However, I caught myself experiencing terrible mood swings, and I always feel hungry and bloated. I started getting bipolar episodes, as others have shared on this site. I didn't realize that it was because of birth control. I am always at EDGE and dislike how I feel so antsy all the time. Recently, I noticed my hair has been thinning out, and I've been losing SO much! I got tested for thyroid and other things, and my results came back normal. I am not currently taking any medication, therefore, this must be the reason. I highly suggest trying other options. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It is upsetting being a woman in my early 30s and having thinning hair, anxiety, and irritability."

• jvu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 14, 2020

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control for about 3 months now. The first month was fine. Last month, I started developing horrible boob pain and veins coursing all over them. Then I noticed spider veins on my hips and then on my butt. I have occasional leg pains. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I also have headaches, occasional nausea, lacking motivation, really bad appetite changes (one day super hungry, the next day don’t want to eat), starting to feel depressed, and anxiety increasing by a ton. I just feel generally tired and am thinking of switching pills."

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

For Ovarian Cysts "I was so nervous to give this a try after reading the reviews. I used to get a SUPER heavy period, usually lasting about 7-8 days. I'd need a tampon or pad for at least 3-4 of those days. Combined with ovarian cysts, I always had cramps. I've been on Lessina for 2 months now, the first period I got was 4 days and super light. I was SO HAPPY to see. Yes, the side effects at first do suck. I noticed I was VERY hungry, easily irritable, and had mood swings with some anxiety. After about 3-4 weeks, this finally subsided."

• Man...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 16, 2019

For Birth Control "Do not take this birth control!!! I had been put on this birth control a couple of years ago, absolutely hated it, went to Planned Parenthood to change back to my other birth control, and Rite Aid lost my prescription for the good birth control and now I’ve been stuck with Lessina again for almost a year. I’ve had my period for about a month straight on Lessina, it does nothing for cramps, causes headaches, mood swings, terrible anxiety, please do not take Lessina, I couldn’t think of a worse birth control."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 13, 2018

For Birth Control "Would not recommend this birth control at all. Regret ever taking it. I was on Lessina for about 6 weeks when I realized I needed to stop. I was constantly tired and wanted to sleep. My weight stayed the same, but I wasn’t on it long enough. I felt like my acne actually got worse - I had painful pimples that didn’t go away for weeks. On top of this, I started to lose my self-confidence and motivation. I did already have anxiety but was always able to control it, but on this birth control, my anxiety was terrible and I couldn’t control it - I had to hold myself from having anxiety attacks in school. I would easily get ticked off or upset over the smallest things. I started to experience depression and didn’t feel like myself at all on this pill. Forgot what it was like to feel normal and really happy like I used to be. DON'T TAKE THIS PILL."

• big...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 9, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking Lessina for about 7 and a half weeks. Ever since I started it, I have had a non-stop period, currently heavy, which is so disappointing because the downsides are not worth it. My acne has greatly improved. I was previously diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and being on this medication has led me to become paranoid for no reason and has led me to develop really dark thoughts along with suffering severe depression and anxiety (I am medicated for depression and was fine before I started taking this pill). I have also experienced heavy mood swings and bipolar episodes."

• Mh2...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve only been taking Lessina for a week, and it has genuinely been the worst week of my life. It took me until today to realize it was my birth control. I’ve had anxiety/depression for as long as I can remember, but the suicidal thoughts I’ve had this week have been nothing like I have ever experienced. I’ve cried constantly and randomly for no reason. My poor boyfriend has tried to help. I threw up last night, haven’t been eating, I’m nauseous all the time. I will not be ingesting this pill a single day more. I genuinely almost checked myself into a mental institution, and I fully believe it has to do with this pill."

• Man...
• July 1, 2019

For Birth Control "I would not recommend this pill to anyone who has prior anxiety issues. Typically, I am able to keep my anxiety under control with exercise and diet, however, on this pill, it has been off the charts. Every day, I go from being okay to running scenarios in my head that are outrageous, to feelings of impending doom, to being okay again. My chest constantly feels tight, and my breath is short. At first, I wasn't sure if all this was the pill or the changes I have going on in my life (new job, going on a trip without my kids, husband transitioning jobs), however, while I was on my period, the issues were manageable, and I didn't feel like a complete nutbag all the time. Along with the above, the hormonal acne I currently have is getting worse, and I am retaining a ton of water. I am sure this pill works great for some women, but it is absolutely wrecking my system, and I am in the process of trying to get off it now."

• Rjm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 7, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this birth control for about 4 months now. It started okay with almost no side effects, however, since the second month, my anxiety and obsessive thoughts have gotten really bad. I could be considered a very happy person, I’ve never had anxiety or these kinds of thoughts before, and now I’m just an emotional mess that I cannot recognize. I tried working out, eating better, and just putting my things in order to see if maybe that was causing it, but after looking and looking for other reasons to justify my mood, irritability, and anxiety, I came to this pill as my last conclusion. I did not have other side effects, very sore boobs if anything. I didn’t get pregnant, which is positive (?), didn’t get nausea, and had headaches only for a couple of weeks when starting. Don’t get scared if you want or need to try it though, it is birth control, and it works differently for everybody. It might work for you. Good luck out there, ladies!!"

• Mad...
• July 26, 2019

For Birth Control "My pharmacy switched me to Lessina from Aviane, saying that it was just a generic brand and basically the same thing, so I took it for 4 months. In the first month, I noticed my anxiety started to flare up out of control, and I would get very bad migraines. Then it got worse, I was short of breath from doing simple tasks or even nothing at all. Then came numb arms and chest pains, and the doctor telling me I have extremely high blood pressure (I've always had great blood pressure). Then I started experiencing excruciating pain from the base of my spine all the way up into my skull and my jaw, I could hardly sleep. I drove myself crazy trying to figure out what was causing it, then I read the side effects of this birth control and realized I had over half of the severe ones. I stopped taking it, and all those horrible symptoms stopped. I was so relieved. I know everyone is affected differently, so just keep an eye out for the extreme symptoms so that you can get help if you react adversely."

• kan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 12, 2020

For Birth Control "I began taking Lessina last month, and I do not recommend! The first few weeks, I had a consistent headache. Secondly, my appetite largely increased. Then, I was very, very emotional! I am having breakdowns over everything that happened. My anxiety has been way worse, and so have my intrusive thoughts. I thought for sure I at least wouldn't have a bad period. Wrong! This has been the worst period I've had in years! Such heavy bleeding, nausea, which caused me to have a panic attack, chills, headaches, the whole nine yards. Please do not take this medicine."

• kar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2020

For Birth Control "Lessina is making me as manic as I was when I was off my bipolar medicine. I'm having extreme anxiety attacks that wake me up at 3 a.m. every night now. I'm very nauseous and wake up at any time from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. and throw up, this is the first day that I haven't thrown up. I cried and had a manic breakdown over water yesterday. I know it's from this birth control because I was doing a lot better a week ago. I started taking Lessina on Sunday. Now I experience migraines as well as moodiness, really hoping this goes away, but if it doesn't, I'm going to switch. The only pros of this medicine are you get nauseous and can't eat, so your stomach looks flatter. I haven't seen any difference in my boobs, but they're sore as anything. I don't recommend this at all."

• aim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2019

For Birth Control "The anxiety from this Lessina birth control pill was bad for me. I had to stop taking it. Also, the acne I could tell was getting worse. I was highly stressed. So, people with depression and anxiety should be prepared for how this Lessina could affect you. I haven't been on it long at all, but I stopped almost immediately."

• aim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2019

For Birth Control "The anxiety from this Lessina birth control pill was bad for me. I had to stop taking it. Also, the acne I could tell was getting worse. I was highly stressed. So, people with depression and anxiety should be prepared for how this Lessina could affect you. I haven't been on it long at all, but I stopped almost immediately."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on a birth control that I really liked, with no side effects, and my pharmacist switched me to this brand, saying it was generic. However, I have had headaches, awful headaches since starting this birth control. I’m always bloated, and my anxiety is through the roof!"

• Gho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2019

For Birth Control "Loved it at first, but now I'm totally over it. The first few days, I got headaches that went away quickly and didn't bother me much. The first week, I was nauseous, that went away and was bearable. The first month went by smoothly. The second month was absolutely bad. Non-stop bleeding. It's not a heavy flow, just light spotting, but three weeks of light spotting is horrible! I've been PMS'ing for three freaking weeks! Fighting with my boyfriend, paranoid anxiety, acne all over my body, AND A HORRIBLE VAGINAL ODOR, it's not going away and makes my boyfriend not want to have sex. So what's the point of birth control if we're not even having sex?! Right now, I haven't bled in three days, which is a miracle, but the smell still lingers and I'm showering three times a day. My doctor keeps telling me to wait three to four months for my body to adjust, but the stench is unbearable and I'm probably going to switch brands."

• Sop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 21, 2021

For Birth Control "I had a very bad experience from this birth control. I had no issues at first, however, after a month of taking it, I developed intense nausea. I started dry heaving every morning and completely lost my appetite and was unable to eat for about a week. I went to the doctor, and they recommended I stop taking this pill. After a few days of stopping the pill, I felt so much better and was able to start eating again. On top of the nausea, this pill also made me very anxious and irritable. I normally don’t have anxiety. I come to find out all of this was because of this pill. I’m starting to feel like my regular self again after stopping this pill. I do not recommend this to anyone."

• Jad...
• May 5, 2021

For Birth Control "Do not take this pill! Since I took this pill, I've been experiencing terrible anxiety and bipolar. It is horrible. I never experienced such a condition, but now I keep thinking about negative thoughts and crying for no reason. And it's been less than 2 weeks! It's insane. And since the 10th day, I got a yeast infection, and now I got a urinary infection and spotting. Honestly, I don't understand why this medicine is still allowed. It's literally so awful for me."

• Tha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 15, 2017

For Birth Control "This was the first pill I was put on after getting off the shot. It helped regulate my periods. It's also helped a lot with acne, gave me lighter periods and little to no cramps at all. I ended up switching off for one month and regret it. I love this birth control. I had issues with horrible cramps that were making me throw up, and now those cramps have gone down to an uncomfortable feeling and nothing too painful at all."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2019

For Birth Control "It's my 3rd week on Lessina, switching from Junel Fe (which has a different progestin). I had never had serious problems with anxiety until I started these pills. I started having severe migraines like never before, as well as tiredness, leg cramps, and outbursts of anger. I tried it out and now know these aren't for me. I don't feel normal, so I will be finding another form of contraception. Worst birth control I've had thus far."

• Mrs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2018

For Birth Control "I took this pill for two weeks. On the 14th day, I was ready to seriously harm myself. I had a complete emotional breakdown. I went to the ER and was prescribed anxiety pills and told to immediately discontinue this pill. I saw the reviews and got worried, but I have never had a problem with any other pill. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PILL TO ANYONE!!! IT SHOULDN'T BE AN OPTION FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN THOSE ALREADY TAKING IT!"

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 9, 2022

For Birth Control "I was on Lutera, which was great for me, then Vienva, which was okay, then now Lessina. I've been way more anxious, and I've been having outbursts, not to mention breakthrough bleeding. I'm usually pretty regular, but not with this birth control. Overall, it prevents pregnancy, but my libido has dipped, and I sometimes experience nausea as well. This birth control might work for others, but it does not work for me."

• Ng1...
• October 5, 2018

For Birth Control "Initially wanted to go back on the pill because I experience pretty severe PMS symptoms within the 10 days or so leading up to my period that really prevent me from my normal, everyday functions due to a hormonal imbalance. Tried to stick it out for a little over 2 weeks but then couldn’t take it anymore. Was constantly tired, depressed, and anxious within the first few days. Experienced severe mood swings at the start of week 2, crying for no reason and then suddenly would get angry and snap. Had insane acne and cravings from the start that I couldn’t resist, leading to a solid 10 lb weight gain and painful blemishes, which only made the depression worse. Felt so self-conscious and didn’t have the motivation to work out, which is something I love to do daily, during the entirety of my experience. Needless to say, probably some of the worst weeks I’ve experienced in a while. Started to return back to normal within a few days of stopping."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 23, 2019

For Ovarian Cysts "Been on Lessina for a month and a half, skipped sugar pills to not have to deal with my extreme PMS, as advised by my doctor. I have been bleeding for three weeks! The heaviest and most clotting period I have ever had to deal with! I have had tender breasts and horrible mood swings. I am so anxious and tired. I could not tell you if it works for birth control, haven't been able to have sex since I have started this due to a prolonged period."