Portia and Sore Breasts: What Users Say

• Ros...
• January 7, 2019

For Birth Control "This product should be banned! Everything that can go wrong will go wrong! Painful abdominal cramping all day, every day, breast tenderness and heavy pain in breasts, dramatic mood swings, intense depression, cramping during sex, yeast infections, dry skin and scalp itch, numbness in arms and legs, heart palpitations. It is taking STOP IMMEDIATELY and talk to your doctor. I was put on this without my consent!"

• Fed...
• November 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I have never experienced anything more awful. I was taking Levora, and I loved it, but then it got discontinued, and my insurance switched me to Portia. At first, I took two months of it and felt terrible. My breasts were so tender and hurting all the time, I had chest pains constantly and thought I had heart problems. I was incredibly moody and got sad or upset for no reason pretty often. I took a month break from it, but then felt like I had no choice to get back on since my insurance didn’t cover anything else, and things got worse. I have been getting panic attacks, feeling depressed and even suicidal, not acting like myself, shutting everyone out, and I finally realized that this drastic change is because of my birth control. It’s messing up my hormones and my mental health, and it’s just not worth it. I cry all the time and feel so empty inside, and I’ve never experienced this sort of helplessness before. Please don’t take this pill."

• And...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 2, 2019

For Birth Control "If I could give a -1 rating, I would. My pharmacy switched me to Portia in July (WITHOUT CONSULTING ME FIRST), so I have been on it for 7 months, and let me tell you, I have not been myself ever since. I was on Levora before, and with Levora, life was simple, now it's hell. My boobs are always sore, I have frequent acne, I am always annoyed and angry, I cry more often, and worst of all, I have no sex drive. This pill is horrible. Never again."

• Cfz...
• February 7, 2017

For Birth Control "Absolutely hate this pill. Was on Nuvaring, but co-pay was going up to 65 bucks a month, and I couldn't afford that! This pill makes me moody, and little things bother me that shouldn't. I have no sex drive, breasts are tender, and don't want to be touched. Unfortunately, I have to wait out the month before switching to another pill. Definitely not a fan of this birth control."

• Ash...
• June 21, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on Portia off and on for the past few years. My pharmacy kept telling me that Levora was the same, which seemed pretty true. I have no period. I thought something was wrong with me, but nope, I got all checked out by an OB, and the pill just causes me to not bleed, which is fine by me. I do, however, get sore breasts every month when it should be my period, and I have slight mood swings. Overall, I think it's a good pill."

• 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."

• Bet...
• February 23, 2016

For Birth Control "I'm on day 2 of the Portia-28 pack. Started my period Saturday, and my gynecologist told me to start the pill on Sunday. I couldn't get to the pharmacy, so I started on Monday. Since day 1, I have noticed a change in my period already, it immediately lightened it up. Usually, my periods are heavy the first 2-3 days. I am also sporting a Kotex super plus or super. Now I don't need a tampon, and when I took my regular tampon out after it had been in all day, the blood was brown. I also have noticed my sex drive has spiked, and so far, no nasty side effects such as nausea or breast tenderness. I am sure that as much as it has already shortened my period, I won't be spotting throughout the month. I hope it stays this great for me for as long as I take it :)"

• Lov...
• June 1, 2019

For Birth Control "I would never knowingly recommend Portia to anyone I know to take it. Other than putting on a little bit of weight in the first 2 1/2 months, seemed like everything was going fine. Then that third month was about to hit, and I was nauseous, I had breast tenderness, and was sleeping for 15 hours a day. I figure I must have been pregnant. The fatigue was so horrible, but then I lost my eyesight twice within a week and had migraines so bad that I couldn’t function as a person. Not symptoms of being pregnant, that’s when I finally went to the hospital to get an MRI done. I wasn’t on another medication. I had my blood work checked, everything came back normal. I have now been off Portia for 3 weeks now and still having headaches and migraines from time to time. Sure, I didn’t get pregnant, but I also didn’t have sex because I never saw my other half due to me sleeping so much and the severe migraines that I’d wake up with and go to bed with."

• Mim...
• November 23, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control for years, with no side effects. No cramps. No weight gain. No sore breasts. No bleeding through. I haven't gotten pregnant and my acne has gone away. I highly recommend."

• No ...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 29, 2021

For Birth Control "I’m a bit stunned by all the negative reviews! I recently went out of the country but forgot my birth control (Portia). I was given Yasmin and not a fan (sore breasts, headaches, trouble focusing, fatigue, not as excitable). I can say I honestly don’t have any of these issues at all with Portia. Maybe I’m not the best person for an accurate before and after experience since I’ve been on Portia for years, and before that on different birth controls since I was 16 (32 now). I have clear skin, happy, focused, and don’t really have mood swings. Also, my periods are lighter on this pill compared to others I have taken. Hope this helps!"

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 30, 2019

For Birth Control "I was prescribed this to help lessen my cramps since they were debilitating, but it stopped them completely, and as someone who someday wants to be a mother, this was distressing, but obviously reversible. I began the birth control at the end of my period as prescribed, and three weeks came, and I began to expect my period. I got severe mood swings, irritation, anxiety, and beyond severe depression. I usually get moody around my period, so I didn’t think anything of it. But I ended up skipping two periods with no let-up of the emotions I was feeling, not to mention tender and painful breasts and random punches of cramps. My depression and overall emotional state have been bad before, but never this bad. Never to the point of such incredibly dark thoughts. If you are being prescribed Portia, go ahead, but it may muck you up mentally and physically, and you’ll prefer your periods to it any day."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 30, 2019

For Birth Control "I was prescribed this to help lessen my cramps since they were debilitating, but it stopped them completely, and as someone who someday wants to be a mother, this was distressing, but obviously reversible. I began the birth control at the end of my period as prescribed, and three weeks came, and I began to expect my period. I got severe mood swings, irritation, anxiety, and beyond severe depression. I usually get moody around my period, so I didn’t think anything of it. But I ended up skipping two periods with no let-up of the emotions I was feeling, not to mention tender and painful breasts and random punches of cramps. My depression and overall emotional state have been bad before, but never this bad. Never to the point of such incredibly dark thoughts. If you are being prescribed Portia, go ahead, but it may muck you up mentally and physically, and you’ll prefer your periods to it any day."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 19, 2019

For Birth Control "In terms of doing its job of not getting pregnant, Portia does very well, and I did not experience heavy periods or extreme cramping while I was on it for 4 months. Just like many others, I was not notified when my pharmacy changed me from Levora to Portia. I feel so dumb for not connecting the dots that this BC could be the cause of my emotional distress (started happening around the time I started Portia), which was bouts of depression, MAJOR mood swings, very short temperament, and breast tenderness. My breasts were so sensitive I took out my nipple piercings I had for over a year. After consulting my doctor, I was able to switch back to Levora, and everything has been much more normal since! Ask your doctor to go back to Levora if it works for you ladies!"

• Kse...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 17, 2020

For Birth Control "Portia is the worst form of contraceptive I've ever been on in my life. Less than one month of these pills, and I have started to develop cystic acne on one side of my face (before this medication, I had clear skin). Also, my breasts have become tender, and the left one has become painfully swollen. I've felt a general sense of fatigue every day, despite getting sufficient sleep. I've felt far more anxious and irritable. Honestly, not worth it. In the past, Kaiser prescribed Levora brand, and I loved it. I had no problems with that medication. I really wish Kaiser hadn't forced their clients to switch to Portia. Reading the reviews, I'm glad I stopped taking it before the inevitable weight gain. This contraceptive is an absolute nightmare, and I'm throwing it in the trash tonight."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 13, 2015

For Birth Control "The first month on this BC was brutal. I had all the side effects except for irregular bleeding and my hair falling out. After the first month, all of my symptoms subsided. Remember that everyone's body will react differently. Occasionally, I have breast tenderness during the third week of the active pills, right before my period. My periods have become so light. The only disadvantage for me is that my periods have not become shorter. But all in all, my experience has been good."

• Sun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2018

For Birth Control "This pill has made me feel horrible! I have awful morning-like sickness and wake up in the middle of the night throwing up. My breasts have become bigger and so sensitive. I have broken out. My moods are all over the place - very depressed and lethargic - uncharacteristic for me. I am so bloated and gassy no matter what I eat - I can eat rice and bananas all day and still bloat up."

• JLS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 7, 2019

For Birth Control "Oh Portia - it's rough. The first month, it was great! Then my period came and it was 8 days long (usually 3, MAYBE 4). Since I've opened the 2nd month's pack, I've been getting worse every day. My emotional state feels like it's getting more and more unstable. I didn't have any prior mental condition; however, I've been crying or mad at someone at the drop of a hat now. Along with the mental struggles Portia has caused me, I have breast tenderness and severe lower back pain. I haven't made the decision to leave it yet. I would like to see if one more month makes a difference for my mental state."

• Jen...
• May 22, 2016

For Birth Control "Haven't gotten pregnant, so it's working. I have migraines, but this pill doesn't give me headaches. Short and lighter periods. Great medicine, although my boobs are more sensitive."

• sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2018

For Birth Control "I do not recommend at all! I gained 20 pounds in 1.5 months and had no sex drive. I also had stomach and chest pain and breast tenderness. Switching back to Chateal ASAP!"