Portia User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

• Aan...
• February 19, 2019

For Birth Control "This pill is awful! I was switched from Levora. I have been dealing with a ton of depression and anxiety, increased blood sugar, and 10 lb weight gain within the first 2 months. Will be switching ASAP!"

• eed...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 27, 2018

For Birth Control "I have had a rather decent experience on Portia. When it comes to my period, it has not improved my flow any, but it has lessened my cramps and the number of days my period is. My period used to last about 7 to 10 days, and now my period lasts a maximum of four days. I have also lost weight instead of gaining weight like I expected. I have gone from 132 to 120 ever since I started it."

• Anonymous
• August 17, 2011

For Birth Control "I'm rating this 5/10 because, well, it prevented pregnancy. It was cheap and easy to use, I used it back to back to prevent periods, too. I took it for about 8 months. Right away, I had trouble eating foods, especially in the morning. Even things I liked to eat, cereals, fruits, etc., I couldn't stomach. By month 5, I had chronic nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach. There was hardly anything I could eat that wouldn't make me sick. In the beginning of month 8, I was diagnosed with gallbladder disease. I stopped taking Portia, and my symptoms disappeared within a week, so I was able to cancel my surgery. I've been on various birth control continuously for over 7 years. I have never had problems before."

• Mag...
• June 11, 2018

For Birth Control "I was switched to Portia from Levora when my pharmacy switched manufacturers. The only issues I had with this birth control were that my emotions were very high the week before my period, and I experienced a lot of water retention/bloating. However, I already suffer from severe anxiety, OCD, and depression regardless that has always gotten worse around my period, so it is hard for me to tell if this is a side effect or merely just part of how my body deals. I hear a lot of talk about Portia being blamed for weight gain, but scientifically, there is no evidence that hormonal birth control leads to actual weight gain. I have gained weight, however, I noticed a change in my diet as well. I was not eating well, craving sweets and more food than normal, so that is what is responsible for my weight gain, I believe. Anyway, overall, this is a good birth control. My boyfriend and I never use protection, and I tend to take my pill late, and I have never even had a pregnancy scare. Love, love, love"

• Nek...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 18, 2018

For Birth Control "I feel absolutely terrible. I have painful breast pains/tenderness, pelvic pain. I've been super anxious and depressed, the nausea is my worst effect. I could eat normally and still feel nauseous. I wake up and feel nauseous. I recently spotted for the first time, and it sucked. I've never had such a terrible period. For my first month, it caused heavy bleeding and painful cramps. It also hasn't affected my sex drive, but the discharge is horrible, I'm always wet. Also, recently, as of these past two weeks, I've been diagnosed with a yeast infection and vaginitis, and yesterday I went to urgent care, and they did x-rays to find out the pills' hormones have been causing me to be constipated - making my stomach growl after literally anything I eat. I get gas/bloating, so everything has been building up inside me causing the pelvic pain on my left side. Now, the only good effects are I've been losing weight, and my acne got somewhat better. I hope to switch brands soon. I hope this information helps someone."

• Que...
• September 8, 2022

For Birth Control "I was given Portia as a birth control option because I didn't want to have any more children at the moment. I started to suffer from severe depression to the point of a suicide attempt, I had severe anxiety and mood swings. Seven months into using the birth control, I stopped bleeding excessively, and it turns out I developed a serious amount of fibroids on my uterus to the point that I had to have a total hysterectomy at the age of 34."

• Lex...
• October 17, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on Portia for a couple of months now, and I noticed I've been super depressed and overly tired. I went from a good 7/8 hours of sleep and now sleep for 10/11 a night and still feel the need to nap in the evenings. I also suddenly became uninterested in studying and lazy. I've also been vomiting out of nowhere and I'm not sure if it's because of the pill. I've taken a few pregnancy tests and they are negative. Plus, my boyfriend is always away at camp, so it's already a low risk of me getting pregnant anyway."

• 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."

• Que...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 5, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been on Portia for 4 months for heavy and long periods. I had an ablation for fibroids 2 years ago, and it was a failed ablation which left me with one tiny fibroid. It was causing problems with periods lasting up to 8 days and spotting in the middle of the month. I am so pleased with this pill. I am 47, and I am ready for my periods to be over. Being on Portia allows me to plan my vacations. My periods are lasting about 6 days now, with the 1st days being basically spotting and day 5 being light and day 6 being spotting with a watery drainage. My only problem is that my sex drive has been very high. I thought it was my age. I have always had a sex drive, but now it is so unbearably high. I like this pill and hope that my days continue to decrease. I will keep the sex drive because I am going to need it when my soulmate comes. lol"

• por...
• December 14, 2017

For Birth Control "This is the worst birth control pill I've been on (I've also used Yaz, Sronyx, Lutera, Alesse, Levora). I've never really experienced any side effects before. I was on Levora last and loved it, but was switched to Portia when Levora was discontinued. I've been on Portia for 3.5 months and have gained 5 pounds and have been depressed and anxious the whole time - I wake up in the middle of the night crying or am unable to sleep because of the anxiety."

• No...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 26, 2016

For Birth Control "I used to be incapacitated during my period due to cramps, and I'd never remember when the blood would start. This almost eliminated my cramps, lightened the flow, and shortened my period. As a plus, the pill packaging makes it super easy to remember when to break out the pads. I don't think I saw any side effects, but that might be because I already had headaches and nausea."

• xxs...
• January 24, 2017

For Birth Control "I got pretty bad mood swings/anxiety with this, but worst of all, I got cramps. I had cramps all month long for about 3 months before I switched. It would feel like someone punched me in the uterus, and I'd bend over in pain at random times in the day. However, I did experience this with other Barr/Teva pharmaceutical birth controls. I didn't get pregnant, so I suppose it was effective in that sense."

• Mae...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2021

For Birth Control "I’m so glad I found this thread. I am 5 months postpartum, and my doctor put me on this after I stopped breastfeeding. I have been spotting almost nonstop, been extremely tired, and now after three months of being on this, I’m realizing I’ve been super moody. I also have zero libido. I made excuses and kept telling myself that I felt this way because I had an infant, and I just went back to work. But I think it exacerbated a problem I already have. I’m going to stop my BC tomorrow and see how I feel. I’m just so glad I did some research and found other women have had similar experiences because I thought I was going nuts!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 14, 2013

For Birth Control "I was on Levora, but my pharmacist switched me to this because it's cheaper. I hate it. I have acid reflux, and it's making it unbearable. I'm sick all the time, terrible heartburn making me puke. I've been on the pill for a little over a month. I have a terrible headache almost every day, and now I have this terrible pain in my left hand and going up a little bit. Next month, I'm off this pill. My period was horrible last month, horrible cramps, I couldn't get out of bed!"

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

For Birth Control "I have been using Portia birth control for less than 1 year. I had the IUD for 2 years but had to come off of it due to getting numerous cysts. Prior to the IUD, I was on Levora, which worked well until it didn't. Anyway, I was already diagnosed bipolar 5 years ago, but have had unreal mood swings, weight fluctuation, depression, anxiety, and low sex drive ever since being on Portia. I found this blog today, and I am low-key annoyed that I didn't look into these side effects sooner. I am coming off of this medication and consulting with my OBGYN, demanding alternate birth control. I do not recommend this form of contraceptive to anyone."

• not...
• October 23, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on Portia for almost 3 full months, and I hate it. I’m so emotional all the time and cry over everything, and I was never emotional before! Also, I get insanely bloated. It looks like I’m 7 or 8 months pregnant, and it makes me cry. Also, I've noticed I’m extremely tired all the time and have lost a lot of motivation in school. And the most recent problem is dryness down there! It will happen in the middle of sex, and it’s the worst thing. So, I’ll definitely be switching."

• May...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 21, 2019

For Birth Control "I was prescribed the pill Portia after my last miscarriage because they did not do Levora anymore at Kaiser. Portia is one of the generics of Levora, so is supposed to be the same. Worst mistake of my life. Before Portia, I was on the implant, nothing ever happened, so I love the implant. I wanted something short-term after my miscarriage so I could grieve without getting pregnant in the meantime. So I asked my doctor for Levora, which I used as a teen prior to the implant. She gave me Portia instead. Since then, I have the worst nausea I have ever experienced. Migraines that debilitate my everyday functions. Once, I was so weak from my migraines and nausea I couldn’t even drive myself home after leaving from school sick. Not to mention its adverse reactions to my depression medication! I’m officially done with this pill!"

• Kjt...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2021

For Birth Control "Literally been on it for 7 days, and I want to check myself into a psych ward. I cry uncontrollably for NO REASON. And if there is anything I’d normally be slightly emotional about, it’s like the worst day of my life. SE start bleeding, diarrhea, anxiety like no other, I didn’t even want to be near my partner. Awful, awful, awful."

• 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."

• shy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2021

For Birth Control "Don't ever use this. It is horrible. I've taken the pill twice, I take them at night, and I make sure to drink plenty of water and eat with it too, but both times I have woken up super sick. I throw up to the point where I'm dry heaving, and it doesn't stop. My body has a severe reaction, I get cramps like I'm PMSing, and I'm not due for another couple of weeks. I can't leave the bathroom because every time I do, I'm back within five minutes needing the toilet or trash can, if not both. I don't know if it helps with anything else, and I'm not going to find out. This is awful, please listen to these reviews. It sucks and is not worth it."

• 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."

• Kay...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 12, 2016

For Birth Control "I was put on this about two years ago. My periods are shorter, my anxiety is gone, not as much breast pain, no headaches EVER. I can't remember the last time I had one and have not gotten pregnant. My only complaint: stretch marks. I have so many stretch marks now from this birth control on my lower belly/thigh/groin/hip area. I have gained some weight (college), but my weight has always fluctuated. These stretch marks are insane. Otherwise, the medication is great."

• Dwi...
• April 9, 2013

For Birth Control "My experience with Portia is great. I've been taking it for about a year now, and at first I was using it for polycystic ovarian syndrome control, but now I'm using it as my only form of birth control. I've never been pregnant on it, and my periods always come on time, and my bleeding is rather light. At first, it made my skin a lot clearer, but now it's back to normal, which is the only bad thing I can say about it."