Lutera and Acne: What Users Say

• Nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 13, 2019

For Birth Control "This Lutera is the first birth control pill I've ever been on, so I can't compare my experience at all, but personally I love this pill. I gained no weight, maybe at the beginning I was a little bloated for a week or two, but it subsided naturally. The first month I had some very mild mood swings, such as getting overly upset about trivial things, however, I didn’t experience any serious depression or anxiety like how some others have expressed. I'm on my fourth pack now, and the spotting is finally going away gradually. At the beginning, it was really heavy, but now it's little to none. I experienced a little acne on my forehead and chin, but I started taking magnesium, and that went away almost entirely. This pill has not affected my sex drive at all either. (Also TMI possibly, but my partner and I have gotten a little reckless in the bedroom, and I can happily report my womb is still vacant, so it works very well in my opinion)"

• Sni...
• May 20, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for about 3 months. In this time, I've gained some weight. I go to the gym 5-6 times a week and am a pretty health-conscious person, so there is no reason for this to happen. I've never had a problem with my skin, but over the last 3 months, I haven't gone a day without a pimple on my face, and my back and chest are not okay. I feel so gross. I do so much to take care of myself, and after looking at my daily life, the only thing I can attribute these things to is my pill. It is also the only medication I take."

• Nik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 14, 2019

For Birth Control "Lutera is the first birth control I ever tried, and I love it. Honestly, the reason I never went on BC before was because I was so afraid of weight gain. I’ve even had friends who’ve suffered from weight gain (I’m talking 10+ lbs) from birth control, as well as friends who aren’t able to lose weight from birth control even with diet and exercise. So, even after picking up the Lutera, I was reluctant to take it. But I figured that I’d try it, and if I hated it, I’d just finish out the month and stop it. All I can say is this has been the best thing ever! I broke out the first few days and noticed bloating for about a month, but my body adjusted, and I feel great. I was also a little more emotional the first week or so, but I have no weight gain, no mood swings, and no acne, on top of taking a lot of wording off my shoulders. I know that everyone’s body is different, so this might not be the one for everyone, but I would definitely recommend it!"

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2014

For Birth Control "Took Lutera for 5 months, probably my worst birth control experience. Pros: Not pregnant! So, at least that part worked. Cons: my face exploded in acne. Other kinds I've tried controlled the acne very well, but this seemed to make my skin turn into a minefield of sore, red, under-the-skin pimples. I've been off it for almost 2 months, and my face is much better. Also, had terrible mood swings. I even hit my boyfriend with a shoe. :( I've felt much better and much more like myself since then. It gave me this strange, clear discharge all the time too, that is all gone now."

• klh...
• July 16, 2014

For Birth Control "This is the first birth control pill I've been on, and I started taking it the same time as Lexapro (anti-anxiety). I conquered all of my anxiety problems and stopped taking it, however, I have gained 10 lbs since April, and my acne has been horrible. I've read a lot of reviews about Lutera and have noticed the same things. I don't have cramps or bleed near as bad, however, the day before I start my period and the day after the last sugar pill, I'm an absolute nightmare. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm looking for a different pill. I'm asking my doctor about it as soon as I get home."

• Rea...
• December 20, 2019

For Birth Control "I just moved to the United States, and now I needed new birth control, and honestly, I tried Lutera, and it worked amazing. My old birth control was the worst, so I was skeptical about trying Lutera, but with the new birth control, I had no mood swings, I did not break out, in fact, it cleared my acne tremendously. I only need birth control to control my period and not break out, and it worked amazing."

• Anonymous
• June 15, 2012

For Birth Control "The pill worked great at preventing babies, but it did make me extremely tired all the time. Plus, it made me super emotional, crying about the littlest of things to being angry about everything. It also made my skin break out really bad."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 22, 2016

For Birth Control "Started taking 3 years ago. It is important to understand more people will review for negative experiences. When I realized all the negative reviews on this birth control, I thought it was time to hear from a Lutera 'expert' (of course everyone's body is different). PROS: LIGHTER periods (went from 5-7 days of super tampons to 2-3 days of regular/light tampons!), CONSISTENT periods, LESS cramps, BIGGER boobs (lol I went up from an A to a B so I personally like this), NO pregnancy! CONS: HEADACHES (before/during/after period), MOOD SWINGS/DEPRESSION (idk if I'm crazy but I cry a lot and cause fights), BROWN periods, ACNE (never broke out before), WEIGHT GAIN (20 lbs in 3 yrs)."

• Jgi...
• November 9, 2019

For Birth Control "It's been over half a year since I've been on this birth control, Lutera, and I have nothing but great things to say. It's affordable through means such as the pill club (online) for people with no insurance, and I experienced little to no side effects. I used to have excruciating cramps that would immobilize me, and I would have to take prescription-strength 800 mg ibuprofen to manage the pain, and even then it wouldn't go away. I used to bleed a lot with a lot of clotting, but since I've gotten on this pill, I only bleed lightly for about 2-3 days, and my cramps aren't even noticeable anymore. No weight gain, no acne. I feel beautiful, and my sex drive is also the same. I absolutely love this birth control. Especially after switching from Seasonique, which was the worst experience of my life, I was a completely different person, always moody, had food cravings and aversions, and basically felt pregnant all the time. I love, love, love this BC, it's perfect for me!"

• Anonymous
• January 19, 2011

For Birth Control "My doctor prescribed me Lutera since I am new to birth control. One major thing is that you really need to set a reminder (on phone, alarm clock, anything) because it is pretty easy to forget about it. I've been on the pill for about 9 months, and it's pretty good. Small things include: weight change (decreased - also my change in diet, I think), more acne than before I was on this pill, slim to no mood swings, slight spotting between periods, and definitely lighter periods. I wouldn't say shorter but definitely lighter. Overall, pretty good product for a first-time user. Just make sure you set an alarm, it also comes in a green sturdy pack, so I guess you can find it if you put clothes or books over it, and it's peeking out."

• did...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 27, 2019

For Birth Control "Lutera is a great birth control in terms of no moodiness or other severe side effects. My boobs did get bigger and did gain some weight (healthy weight around my hips and butt), but my acne did not clear up. I also broke out in hives throughout the four months I have been taking it."

• Sir...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 20, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on Lutera non-stop for about 5 years. Pros: Never had any noticeable weight gains, acne, mood swings, cramping, or any other side effects that would be linked to the pills. Also, no pregnancies, which is kind of the whole point! Cons: Within the past year or two, I've noticed a big decrease in sex drive. Also, stopped taking it for a week or two recently (was on antibiotics), and my next period was medium flow for almost two weeks. Noticed my PMS kicked in big time when I took that time off."

• Lea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 17, 2019

For Endometriosis "I took Lutera for a year from sophomore year to junior year back in high school. It was prescribed to me because endometriosis runs in my family, and I was starting to show symptoms and missed school 2-3 days a month due to cramps. The first month was fine, but then I began to have 2 periods a cycle. I had no problems with acne besides when I was in 6th grade and had my first period, but I began to develop severely painful cystic acne all over my face. I began starting actual physical fights with people, something I had never done before, as I’m a very calm person. I came to realize all the drastic changes that had happened in that year of use, so I switched birth controls, and I’ve felt like my normal self ever since. Ladies, please take action if you don’t begin to feel like yourself! I know a lot of others that have experienced the same thing, and I advise extreme bodily awareness while taking this."

• Cha...
• January 23, 2016

For Birth Control "Before I was on Lutera, I was on Lo Loestrin FE (which was awful! I would bleed literally two weeks out of the month, had no sex drive, and gained 10 lbs). After switching to Lutera, which I have been on for a month now, my mood swings have been consistent (even though I cried when a dog commercial came on). I have actually lost weight, there is no breakthrough bleeding, and my sex drive is back to normal, and this is covered 100% by my insurance. Also, no bad side effects such as acne, stomach pain, or severe discomfort in any form. The only thing is my boobs swell up a little bit, but no complaints there. This is such a great pill! I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to start a new BC or wanting to switch."

• Bro...
• January 2, 2016

For Birth Control "I just want to review this birth control because I know people are more likely to hop on the interweb to write negative reviews rather than positive ones. I had the Mirena for almost five years, and all of a sudden, CRAZY ACNE started. I wanted a BC pill to help with it, and I was given Lutera. PROS: After the first few weeks, I didn't break out nearly as bad as I was before taking it. Regulated period after the second month. My boobs! They're bigger! CONS: Acne was worse the first couple of weeks. First period was gross. Brown, and it came before the off week. Give it a chance, I'm on my tenth week. You need to give it a few months before deciding you hate it! It takes a while to regulate everything."

• Dre...
• October 2, 2019

For Birth Control "So I switched birth control because my old one, Novial, gave me bad side effects. It took me a month to find Lutera, but in the month I was not on birth control, I started to break out quickly and my breasts started to get extremely sensitive. Once I started Lutera, my acne went away immediately and my breasts were not swollen or hurting. I was impressed because my old birth control made me extremely unhappy, but so far Lutera has worked great. My only problem could be I started to get small little rashes like little mosquito bites on my arm. It does not bother me, they went away, but I do get them once in a while."

• Anonymous
• October 2, 2012

For Birth Control "Although I have been on this birth control for less than a week, I'm already seeing results! I have had acne for years, and it wasn't until I started birth control when I noticed how much it has been helping my skin. I have been told I look thinner, but I'm not sure if that's just from exercising. I have had strange back pains, as if it were period cramps, but other than that, I've had no side effects. Great first medicine to be on, and I recommend it to anyone first trying out birth control!"

• lau...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 15, 2013

For Birth Control "I give Lutera 5 stars because it effectively did half its job: birth control. I was on it for seven months and never got pregnant, nor did I have any scares. The other half of it was horrible for me: it gave me awful anxiety. I had panic attacks, to the point where I couldn't see straight or feel my legs. All this coming from a person who has never had an anxious bone in her body until I started this pill. I was crazy emotional and nearly ruined my relationship. I would cry over every little thing. All of that on top of the minor little annoyances like nausea, pimples, hot flashes, etc. All of my symptoms would come and go (except for the anxiety). Each month was different. Everyone is different, but that was my experience."

• bgl...
• April 26, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on Lutera for 8 months. It has made my period super consistent; it always comes on the same day or the day after. My period lasts about 5 days; not much different from when I was not on the pill. I have not had any spotting. I get cramps occasionally the first day or two on my period, but the cramps are not as bad as they used to be and not as frequent. I have not had any bad side effects except for occasional bloating, acne flare-up around when I'm getting my period, and some mood swings. Overall, I am pleased, so do not be afraid to try this kind; however, birth control affects everyone differently, so you may have a completely different experience than me!"

• Lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2019

For Birth Control "I am on my second package of Lutera, and so far it's been great! I had some acne at the start, but it's gone away now, and I did feel nauseous the first day of my period, but after that I was fine. I really haven't had any other side effects. I noticed a lot of people stated they have felt depressed taking this, and so I was so scared to take this birth control, but I've been just fine."

• Kel...
• February 19, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been taking Lutera for 7 months now. The first 3 months, I had horrible, painful bloating every time I ate anything. That has subsided, but I have gained a lot of weight, my hair and fingernails are growing rapidly, but are very brittle, my acne has gotten worse, my breasts are larger and more tender, and I get frequent headaches. I have been on several other birth control pills, and they all gave me insane mood swings. I don't seem to have that problem with this pill."

• Ian...
• September 28, 2019

For Birth Control "It was my first time on birth control. I’m starting my second packet of Lutera. No weight gain. A little acne and spotting. However, this birth control affects my emotions a lot. I feel very depressed for no reason sometimes. I think that’s the hardest side effect that happened to me. I’m satisfied with the pill, but the mood changes have been hard to control."

• Cla...
• November 12, 2013

For Birth Control "I've only been on the pill for three weeks so far, but I've noticed some side effects. My boobs are bigger and tender, and I cannot stop eating. My appetite is insane. I also used to have decent skin, but now I get some breakouts. Maybe I'm still adjusting? I didn't notice any mood changes, though."

• Jil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 15, 2019

For Birth Control "I’m on the last week of my second pack of Lutera. I had to switch from Aubra EQ, so they are supposed to be generics of each other, same hormones, same strength. I haven’t had any side effects aside from acne. My regular acne has not cleared up and has, in fact, gotten worse. I’m breaking out in places I never broke out before (cheeks, neck). The places I would occasionally break out right before my period (forehead and below my mouth) are now constantly breaking out. I also have cystic acne on my chin now. I used to never get acne on my chin and never, ever, ever get cysts. Haven’t gotten pregnant, which is cool, but my face is painful to look at and touch after starting Lutera. Honestly, if you want to treat acne or are afraid you will break out, then don’t even bother with Lutera. I just hope it will go away when I stop/switch and not scar."

• Jil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 15, 2019

For Birth Control "I’m on the last week of my second pack of Lutera. I had to switch from Aubra EQ, so they are supposed to be generics of each other, same hormones, same strength. I haven’t had any side effects aside from acne. My regular acne has not cleared up and has, in fact, gotten worse. I’m breaking out in places I never broke out before (cheeks, neck). The places I would occasionally break out right before my period (forehead and below my mouth) are now constantly breaking out. I also have cystic acne on my chin now. I used to never get acne on my chin and never, ever, ever get cysts. Haven’t gotten pregnant, which is cool, but my face is painful to look at and touch after starting Lutera. Honestly, if you want to treat acne or are afraid you will break out, then don’t even bother with Lutera. I just hope it will go away when I stop/switch and not scar."