Marlissa and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• Mon...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 16, 2019

For Birth Control "I wish I would have read the reviews on this a lot sooner. I have been taking this contraceptive pill, Marlissa, for about a year now and am not happy with the side effects at all. Sure, the 3-day period and no pregnancies are great, but it’s not worth what it does to you physically and mentally. Everyone reacts differently to certain types of medication, but this was the absolute worst birth control I have ever been on. Throughout my entire time being on this drug, I have gained a tremendous amount of weight (30 lbs), have been severely depressed, very moody, anxious all the time, huge increase in appetite, fatigue and wanting to sleep all the time, and it feels like I am constantly bloated every single day. Please, stay away from this one."

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

For Birth Control "I haven’t been feeling myself, so I decided to look up reviews of Marlissa. I have migraines from the week before my cycle, continuing throughout my cycle on and off. I’ve become extremely depressed, anxious, emotional, and gained weight. I started having vaginal discharge that I’ve never experienced before. I usually don’t have acne problems, maybe a pimple before my cycle usually. I’ve been breaking out like crazy, and I wasn’t sure why until reading some reviews. I’m stopping this birth control. Even my husband has seen a tremendous change in me. The worst."

• Cap...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 18, 2020

For Birth Control "I was prescribed Marlissa when I was 18, so I’ve been on it for almost two years now. It has worked absolutely perfectly for me with almost no negative side effects. (There was no noticeable weight gain, but I do still notice obvious signs of PMS before my period (mood swings, etc.)) I take it at the same time every night, give or take a few hours. Before starting Marlissa, I had very irregular and painful periods. Since taking it, I get my period on the same week at the same time and have very minimal cramps. If I accidentally miss one pill, I take it when I remember the next day and there are never any side effects. I’m confused why so many reviews are negative, because I would 100% recommend this to anyone starting or switching birth control."

• Jus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 23, 2019

For Birth Control "Marlissa is one of the worst birth controls I have ever been on. I originally started using Altavera at 15 and used it all the way until the summer before my 20th birthday. I would be lying if I said I had any problems with it. However, almost immediately after starting this one, I could not stop eating. It got so bad that I would have to leave my dorm room so I wouldn’t graze in my fridge. Not only did I begin to notice weight gain (obviously), but excessive sweating a few days before I began my period. I could easily sweat through 2-3 shirts a day, and the smell was so pungent all of a sudden. It’s been so bad that sometimes I’m waking up in puddles of sweat with wet sheets... and not the good kind either. Overall, I would not recommend this BC and hope you ladies are stronger than I am and fight for the medication you want, because Lord knows how many times my doctor has told me that the medication I’m taking and the one I was originally on 'are the same.'"

• hel...
• April 1, 2020

For Birth Control "It was recommended I take Marlissa after the BC shot I was getting, leading to constant spotting (6 mo). My doctor said it would take 3 months to regulate. Worked after 2 months. My side effects have been minimal - I gained 2 pounds over 2 years, a mood swing the day or 2 leading up, acne breakouts the week of (dad had terrible acne, no way I can contribute it to one cause), and my periods have decreased in heaviness to normal (used to be heavy) as long as I stick to PA every day. I’ve accepted the mood swings and give myself a day of self-care. SO, all of that was until 2 months ago. The new side effect is a diminished period. My period isn’t starting until 5 days off of BC pills - usually start on day 2. That comes with an insane amount of anxiety of missing a period. Previously, my doctor recommended this is not a BC to stay on, as it has a complication of the possibility of losing a period entirely. I hope to schedule an appointment to switch to a different BC in the summer."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 9, 2020

For Birth Control "Did not like this Marlissa birth control. I gained 15 lbs in 3 months from this birth control, which really sucked since I have a pretty small frame, and this change was really noticeable. I originally went on birth control because I have a very heavy period and extreme cramps, however, neither have shown any improvement after a year on this BC. The only benefit was I didn't get pregnant."

• sv2...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 3, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on Marlissa for almost a year now. I used to have severe cramps and heavy bleeding throughout my period. The first few months, I didn't notice too much of a change. For one, I take it at night as most medications upset my stomach (so I didn't really have any nausea). It didn't do much to make my cycle lighter until about 4-5 months in. Now, I do still have some cramping around when my cycle 'should' be (I naturally have a shorter cycle), but beyond that, am quite satisfied with this medication. My periods are much lighter, I do still break out some during my period but not as much, and it effectively prevents pregnancy for me. I do still experience some PMS symptoms, but not as severely as before. I haven't noticed any weight gain I could attribute to this medication."

• Nik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2020

For Birth Control "I had a love-hate relationship with Marlissa birth control. I loved that it gave me the lightest and shortest periods ever (I used to have the worst cramps and bleed heavily for 5-7 days). My period was only about 4 days and super light on this pill. However, when I first started this pill, I had horrible mood swings. I was depressed and would lash out at everyone. That settled down after a month, but then I noticed I gained weight, about 10-20 pounds. My hunger got larger, so that’s probably why. The main reason I switched, though, was because of my acne. It made my acne worse than it was before BC."

• Nob...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 2, 2020

For Birth Control "I can say that Marlissa is the best and the worst birth control at the same time. On one side, it didn’t give me any mood swings, and it regulated my periods. I had less PMS, and it made my skin good, less cramps. However, on the other side, I gained 20 pounds in one year of birth control. In the beginning, everything was good, but when I hit 6 months, all went bad (weight). This month completes one year that I’ve been on it, but I’m seriously thinking of changing to another one, because I can’t deal with these extra pounds. Maybe it’s the cost of having a nice birth control with my mood? But not with my physical side."

• anc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 25, 2025

For Birth Control "I am a gym 5-7 times a week, walk 10k steps a day, and eat so-so healthy. Yet still gained weight when I started taking this."