Portia and Acne: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• February 6, 2020

For Birth Control "I don’t remember when Kaiser changed from Levora brand of birth control pills to Portia. But I know that since I started these pills, my life has sucked. Awful weight gain, I don’t eat bad at all and exercise 3-4 times a week. I have never had bad acne, now I get it on my forehead and chin all the time?? I feel depressed, not motivated to do anything, just want to sleep. I have really bad headaches, which is another thing I never really had prior to these pills. I am changing ASAP, and please, girl, for your sake, you should too!"

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 23, 2019

For Birth Control "I was switched to Portia after Levora was discontinued. TLDR: It was not a cute look. I experienced wild physical side effects that I had not experienced with Levora. 1) My skin broke out into more acne than it has in years, and my cheeks were constantly red. 2) I started Portia the same time I got back into my old cardio routine and clean diet that typically maintains my weight. THIS BIRTH CONTROL MADE ME GAIN 20 POUNDS in a month. And I'm 23, so it's not because my metabolism is slowing down. 3) I'm bloated ALL the time and hate how this medication gives me a perpetual food baby. 4) I'm constantly nauseous. 5) But I'm also constantly hungry. Now for the psychological symptoms: 6) I got depressed so easily and intensely, in a way that I had never been before and ended up being sent to the psychiatric ward for the first time."

• Sof...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2018

For Birth Control "I switched from Levora to Portia about two months ago because Levora was discontinued. It is by far the worst two months. I have had a dramatic increase in acne. Levora really helped my acne, but with Portia, I am having constant breakouts everywhere. I have chronic headaches and feel very nauseous in the mornings. I feel an increase in my appetite. I tend to feel very down most of the time-sad for no reason. I am very unhappy being on this birth control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been on a couple of birth control pills since I was 17. I'm 24 now, and I just started Portia. I've noticed bad bloating and weight gain. I work out a lot, and I've felt HUGE for over a week now. I've also had mood swings and BAD acne."

• Aai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 10, 2020

For Birth Control "If you are considering Portia, please don't do it. I was switched from my previous BC by insurance and was given Portia. About 3 months in, I started gaining weight, my face started to break out and was constantly oily (which sucks for me because I've gone through 2 rounds of Accutane to get my skin clear), and I was a mean, moody grump all the time. After taking it for about 6 months, it finally dawned on me that maybe my issues were connected to the new BC pill. I immediately switched to Sprintec, which I love. I've only been on it a month, but I have already lost 8 lbs (no diet or exercise), my skin is clearing up and is less greasy, and my mood has greatly improved. I wish I had never ever tried Portia. It has by far been the worst pill I've ever taken."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2020

For Birth Control "I wish I researched this birth control before taking it because it has sucked the entire life out of me. I have been taking Portia for 5 months, and after the first month, I noticed I gained 15 pounds, but I exercised 4 to 5 times a week and ate a calorie deficit as I was just trying to lose a few pounds from Thanksgiving/Holiday eating. Before this BC, my skin was dry/normal, and I luckily never battled with acne. After a month on Portia, my skin became so oily, I got cystic acne on my chin, and my skin started peeling around my mouth. I will be changing BC next month. NEVER LET YOUR DOCTOR PRESCRIBE THIS BC TO YOU."

• Ren...
• January 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking this pill for around 8 months now, and it has turned my world upside down. I now have random, crazy migraines. I am extremely irritable and depressed all the time. I am gradually gaining weight despite lowering my calorie intake. My acne has gone from mild to severe. Don’t think these comments are a joke, I wish I listened to them 8 months ago. I’m quitting this pill tonight."

• Anonymous
• August 23, 2011

For Birth Control "I switched to this from the NuvaRing about three to four years ago. It originally worked great; timed my periods perfectly (always Sunday at noon after the last active pill), would stop my period with no breakthrough bleeding when starting another pack and made my periods light and pain-free. It was also an effective birth control method as I've never been pregnant. This year, however, my boyfriend and I noticed I would have severe mood swings in my third week of active pills. I would literally not want to be in a relationship. I've also noticed breakouts on my face and body and get mild cramping every few months."

• DoU...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 1, 2019

For Birth Control "One of the worst BC pills I have ever been on. Took it for 8 months. The only pro - I didn't get pregnant. Everything else was a con, here is the following: severe - migraines, PMS (PMS would be almost a month long), mood swings (to a point of psychosis & paranoia), depression & anxiety, cystic body acne (vile). Complete loss of libido, made my current partner seem repulsive. Weight gain (I gained 15 pounds!) greasy skin & hair, constant dermatitis and dry patches of skin. Would make me bloat before and during my periods immensely. Did not matter if the periods were 'lighter' considering the PMS, and bloating was so bad to a point of needing to take time off work. I started getting horrible gingivitis on this pill, bad breath & garnered over 6 tooth cavities after 6 months of being on this pill. I never get cavities. Once I went off this pill, all of these disgusting and unfortunate side effects went away. If a GP prescribes you this pill, say no."

• Blu...
• November 7, 2019

For Birth Control "I was originally on Levora as my first birth control, and it was great! My periods were getting lighter, and painful cramps were gone... until I got pretty much forcefully switched to Portia last year. As someone who rarely ever gets one pimple, I should’ve noticed something was off when I broke out on the side of my face, calling it not only pimples but acne. I thought it was just the summer heat, but nope, I was wrong. The breakouts never cleared, and I saw a dermatologist in December. At that time, I had been on the pill for 5 months. With every check-up, I noticed my weight increasing significantly, and when I say that, I was 130 for 4 years and suddenly rose up to 175 in just ONE year. No change in diet, no sugars, no fast foods, nothing. Just a pill. As of November 2019, my jawline has broken out badly to where it’s drawing the line. This pill may have lightened my period to 3 days, but it is NOT worth me hating my increased weight gain AND sudden acne."

• Gir...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 7, 2017

For Birth Control "Overall, Portia is a decent birth control. I’ve been on it for 9 months. Initially, I did have some acne, but that cleared up after the first month. No effects on my libido or my anxiety. One of the negatives for me would be that it made my breasts unequally bigger. It’s not noticeable, but I can tell my right breast is bigger. Also, I’ve tried to do continuous with this pill, but I start having breakthrough bleeding around week 9. But this is the only reason I’m looking into a different pill."

• Ane...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I wish I had read the reviews before starting to take this medication. This was the first time I have ever taken birth control, so I didn't have any basis for comparison. If I had, I doubt I would have stayed on it as long as I did. 1. Extreme weight gain. I gained 33 lbs in a year. I'm no stranger to weight loss. I lost over 100 lbs getting to my ideal weight. I know what to eat to lose weight, and I know what not to eat. No matter what I ate or how little I ate, I could not lose anything on this drug. When I went to the doctor's with my concern, they brushed me off. Well, guess what? I stopped taking Portia about three weeks ago, and I have already lost 15 lbs! 2. Moodiness. I could not stop crying on this medication. Every little thing set me off. Since stopping Portia, I've noticed that my mood is a lot more even. 3. Acne. This medication made me break out all over my chin. I now have scarring from the chronic zits that I kept getting."

• Cat...
• April 3, 2017

For Birth Control "During the first month of Portia, I was loving it. No side effects, no nothing. My only side effect was breast enlargement, which was not a problem for me. But when it came to be the week before my period, I noticed I was getting pimples by the daily. My face is always perfectly clear, but I literally turned into a pizza face. Not exaggerating, I decided to stay on it because I knew it was because of my period. But once my period came, my cramps got so much worse than what they normally are like. I was bending over the whole entire day, and it became painful to walk. Not to mention, my stomach is always flat. I am always bloated now. I could eat a grain of rice, and my stomach will pop back up. I've gained 10 pounds. I am not confident in myself."

• Sss...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 31, 2021

For Birth Control "I have taken a few different generic birth control pill options since I was 18, now almost 27. I switched to Portia in April of 2020 because I wanted to try a birth control option that I could skip my periods with. Worst decision I’ve ever made. Although I remained active throughout the pandemic (I am a horse trainer) and didn’t make any dietary changes, I gained nearly 20 pounds in the first 6 months on it. When I went to talk to my doctor, they convinced me that the pill wasn’t to blame, so I continued to take it for another few months. I am up to 165 now, from consistently weighing 130-135 before taking this medication. I also experienced extreme fatigue and lack of motivation, and debilitating anxiety and depression on this medication. To add to that, it made my occasional light acne turn into regular breakouts with cystic acne. AND I had breakthrough bleeding constantly, sometimes 2 full periods a month. Listen to your body, your doctor is wrong."

• Anonymous
• April 25, 2012

For Birth Control "I have been taking birth control pills for 7 years now. Was on Tri-Sprintec for most of that time, and my breasts would get really sore once a month, so the doctor switched me to Levora. I had no problems with Levora. However, for the past 4 months, the pharmacist switched me to Portia, and I have horrible breakouts one week a month. Kind of embarrassing when you're 27. To make matters worse, I have had perfect skin my entire life up until this point. That was the one thing I have always received compliments on, so it's especially heartbreaking to now go through this. I need to switch ASAP."

• Anonymous
• May 29, 2011

For Birth Control "I have been taking Portia for 7 months now. Everything was fine the first 6 months, and then all of a sudden, I got really bad acne. I have also noticed I have crazy mood swings, and so has my boyfriend. I am going to switch."

• KBa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2020

For Birth Control "Yeah... no. I got switched to this brand Portia from Chateal (which I loved) and had a bunch of weird side effects. My acne got worse, I got stretch marks galore, and had pretty common chest pain. I got brown discharge most of the time. I skipped the placebos as I had really bad periods, but the pill really only took away the symptoms of a period but kept the bleeding. I don’t recommend if you’re using this brand to skip your periods."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2020

For Birth Control "OMG... Two weeks of taking the pill and I gained 8 pounds and got acne. I didn’t even notice I gained weight till I went on the scale... My skin was clear before and I didn’t change my diet or anything! I work out every day and was 115 lb, now I’m 123 lb. I should have read the reviews before. Please don’t take this pill... your doctor be lying that it gets better, but it won't."

• Anonymous
• February 1, 2020

For Birth Control "Horrible. I gained 30 pounds on it, I got acne like you wouldn’t believe. It was a rough time. My pharmacy switched me to Portia randomly, and right after that I gained weight. Didn't take long to figure out it was Portia causing the horrible acne and weight gain."

• AJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2019

For Birth Control "Update. I’m three days into my third week, and I have to stop cold turkey. My skin has always been clear and smooth, besides the occasional breakout. I’ve never had pimples or acne of any kind, and now my skin looks dreadful. I’ve never been so embarrassed. Sorry. Apparently, this is a generic to another brand, and I wish I had known because I would’ve said no."

• Thu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2018

For Birth Control "I was on Junel Fe for almost a year before I started taking Portia. Junel Fe made my acne clear up, but my period was very irregular. So my doctor prescribed me Portia. My acne has gotten so bad all along my jawline and chin. It’s cystic and painful. It’s nowhere else on my face, but it is so embarrassing, I don’t want to leave the house because I feel like people look at me and think it’s an STD. Not only that, but it has caused severe mood swings and depression. I got into a huge fight last week with my boyfriend for no reason at all and canceled plans with my mother the day of just because I had no motivation to get up and go do anything or see anyone. So now the question is, do I keep taking it for a few more months to see if things get better or change to something else?"

• Lau...
• January 29, 2018

For Birth Control "I took Portia for about two weeks, and I already have bad breakouts. It is by far the worst birth control I have ever taken. I was taking Viorele, and it kept my skin super clear, nevertheless, it made my period all whack. I want to go back just for the clear skin. But now I am on Mylan. And I can’t find any reviews for it. So hopefully this will help my skin because Portia messed it up."

• Moo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2018

For Birth Control "This pill is a nightmare! This is my first time taking the pill, I only started taking it in the hopes of improving my very painful periods, and I regret even trying it. I’ve been on it for 3 weeks now, and my life has been totally ruined. I have crazy mood swings, major depression, and mad rage! My face started breaking out even though I’ve never had issues with acne before. I have gained weight even though I’ve been working out and resisted most of the insanely strong cravings I’ve been getting. My life has gone downhill, so I’m going to stop taking this pill immediately. The sad thing is I have now lost faith in the pill and will just deal with my horrible periods."

• NCa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2018

For Birth Control "Was using Levora and Chateal before Portia. Portia has caused random weight gain, swelling in my arms and legs, abdomen area. I eat healthy and exercise regularly, so I know that this was my only change. It has given me so much acne that I have never had before, depression, excruciating headaches that are crippling. It’s terrible. I have used Allese, Chateal, Levora and haven’t had any issues until PORTIA! Portia is the worst. I stopped it after a month and a half because of the crazy side effects, and I am not willing to put myself through the worst I’ve ever felt again. Seek other birth control."

• EMB...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 26, 2021

For Birth Control "Like many others, I was originally on Levora and was switched to Portia by Kaiser sometime in 2018. I began taking BC to help with acne and to stop my heavier periods—this worked great for stopping periods but caused other issues that I didn't even connect to the BC until years later. For the last three years, I struggled with moderate acne, oily skin, increased facial and body hair, some weight gain (or water retention), and extreme bouts of anxiety and stress. I was much grumpier, had feelings of hopelessness, and my mind would often think of the worst-case scenario. I never connected these symptoms to the pill until I needed a pap to get a refill on my pills, and I was curious about switching (and began researching current vs. new). I've since stopped all BC and have been off of them for 10 days now, and I'm feeling 100% better. My skin is slowly healing, less facial hair, and my stress levels have significantly decreased. Check your symptoms and be sure to read reviews."