Seasonique and Headaches: What Users Say

• Jad...
• September 14, 2010

For Birth Control "I usually don't write in these forums, but after reading a few posts, I realized that I needed to share my experiences to help someone else. I'm on my 8th week of Seasonique. Of course, I started taking it because I was attracted to the 4 periods a year. The first side effect I started experiencing was headaches, backaches, and stomach cramps. It either went away, or I just got used to it. Secondly, I noticed my face breaking out along the jawline. This has been a problematic area for me before but never quite this severe. I get once-a-week facials, and there was absolutely no explanation for this. Lastly, I've had these non-stop hysterical crying episodes."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "This birth control has literally ruined the past few months of my life. Not only have I gained almost ten pounds, about a week after I started taking it, I started bleeding. I have since been bleeding, and today is day number 16. I have the worst cramps, headaches, and heavy flow that I have had in YEARS! Not only does it keep happening, I am clotting... and the blood looks horrible. I also developed a rash on my legs, and my doctor told me to keep taking it! I will absolutely NOT keep taking these pills."

• Anonymous
• February 6, 2012

For Birth Control "People reading and writing birth control reviews need to think carefully about how individual hormonal contraceptives are. A woman who has never been on the pill is bound to take a few months to adjust to the introduction of a new hormone. That said, I love Seasonique. I had been on Nordette for years - a low-dose combination. I always got migraines after stepping off the active pills, triggered by the pre-period hormone dip. They were horrendous, vision-impairing headaches. With Seasonique (same medication combination), I only have this dip every three months. Fantastic! Sometimes I get my 2-day headache from hell right before my period, sometimes I can avoid it. Seasonique literally keeps me from missing work due to migraines."

• Mis...
• July 14, 2017

For Birth Control "I have suffered from incredibly awful menstrual migraines while on the 'inactive' break pills with every brand of birth control for years. The low-dose estrogen break pills with Seasonique have saved my life! Zero headaches and lighter periods. I can't believe I suffered all these years. 10/10 recommend!"

• Anonymous
• August 5, 2010

For Endometriosis "I am in my third month of taking this, and absolutely love it. The first two weeks I had headaches and slight nausea, so I switched to taking it at night. So if you try this, don't give up, it went away for me. I don't have mood swings, which I did before taking it. I don't feel like I get bloated either. I've had some slight bleeding at the end of my second month, but the doctor said that was normal, that my body has to get used to the pill. Love the fact I don't have heavy periods anymore. I would recommend it. Looking forward to not having a period every month. My mood is stable, and I feel happy. As far as acne goes, I can say it's not giving me any problems."

• no...
• October 23, 2011

For Birth Control "I'm not the type of person to write reviews, but I had such a bad experience with this pill I felt like I should write about it. I have been on it for a year, and about a week ago I quit it. I started getting headaches every day. I felt weird, like not like myself. I'm generally a really happy person. Being on this birth control, I actually felt really sad a lot. I cried often for no reason, like really cried nonstop for hours at a time. I'm an active person, I go to the gym about three times a week and always have a lot of energy, but on the pill, I felt so tired. It's also expensive. I quit in the beginning of a new pack. I don't care, I had to get off of that. Now that I am off of it, I honestly feel amazing."

• Anonymous
• October 14, 2011

For Endometriosis "I've been on this pill for about 3 or 4 years. Up until about 6 months ago, this pill was a blessing. I have been on everything else (Depo, a laundry list of other pills), and nothing worked as well as Seasonique. A few months ago, I gained about 30 pounds out of nowhere, and I lost about 20 pounds with a lot of hard work, but no matter what I do, I can't get under 130. I have severe headaches, and recently I've been bleeding through and not just spotting, like full-on period. On top of that, I was cramping severely and having stomach problems. My husband and I just decided to quit the pill and see what happens, and let me tell you I feel much better. I would say yes to this pill except for the side effects I started having."

• Anonymous
• June 20, 2011

For Endometriosis "My doctor prescribed this birth control to help ease the side effects of endometriosis. She leaned towards this one because Seasonique should mean fewer periods and fewer periods should mean less endometriosis pain. This medication was a total failure for me. I know different people have different reactions to medications, but my experience was not a positive one. I bled off and on very frequently and cramped. I had very bad headaches at times (unusual for me). I was extremely emotional and moody (also unusual for me) and stayed bloated a good majority of the time. I was on it for four and a half months and could not take it anymore. Also, very pricey."

• Hun...
• June 6, 2015

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "On my second month. Just starting to get spotty (panty liner is enough) but nothing that isn't manageable. The first 2 weeks I had minor headaches and nausea, but it went away. Very tender breasts still. So far, month one--no period. Yay. Great not to have a period, but if the spotting gets worse (I think it may), that kind of defeats the whole purpose long term. I'm using this to stop periods while training for a half marathon. So far, its purpose for now, I'm fine. As far as sexual activity, it would be uncomfortable because the spotting is dark, slimy, and weird. But that's not an issue now.... So pros and cons. But no period 3 months in a row (hopefully), that's all right by me!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2012

For Birth Control "Honestly, I know experiences often depend on the woman, but I had nothing but problems. I bled every single day for 4 months before I finally stopped taking it. It was awful. I am a healthy young woman with a regular period. My doctor said the bleeding was normal. But 4 months straight? I don't think so. That being said, the upside was I didn't have worsening acne, weight gain, headaches, etc."

• All...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 17, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for a year and a half. It took my body over 6 months to finally adjust to this pill and stop spotting. Cramps are worsened when my period finally does come. The only benefits of this pill are its effectiveness in pregnancy prevention and fewer periods. The following are just a few of my negative side effects I’ve had since starting this pill: - dry eyes - anxiety - heart palpitations - extreme appetite increase - 20-pound weight gain and cannot lose it! - dry skin - cellulite - spider veins - random PMS - tired/low energy all the time - dry brittle hair/hair thinning - extreme bloating - headaches - yeast infections once a month (never had them before the pill) - more discharge - different body odor. Stopping this pill ASAP!"

• ran...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 10, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on this BC for 1 month. I had no adverse symptoms or side effects for the full 4 weeks (no nausea, bloating, headaches, etc.) until my period started at its usual time... though it's much lighter. On day 4 of my period, so hopefully, it doesn't last much longer! Having some dull cramping on and off too, which is unusual for me. That said, this can happen with any pill when you start, so I will give it more time before a final review!"

• Cry...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 10, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Seasonique for about nine months. I just started my 4th pack. I was originally on the shot, but it made me extremely depressed after getting it once, so I took a 5-month break and started Seasonique. I rarely have mood swings, I don’t get acne or headaches, and haven’t gained any weight. This birth control was perfect for me until I started bleeding for 3 months straight. I don’t bleed a lot, I could pass by just wearing liners all day, but it stops for maybe a week when I start a new pack, and I start it again out of nowhere. If I didn’t bleed so constantly, this would be the perfect birth control for me. When I am on my “period pills,” I only bleed for about 4 days and get a little cramp here and there, but it’s nothing compared to how they used to be. Debating if I should wait to finish my last pack or just try to get a new one."

• Cha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 23, 2019

For Birth Control "So, I was on this birth control from 2014 to 2017, and I LOVED it. I went through many trials and errors before finding that this medication didn’t cause me any awful side effects. Others I tried made me secretly nauseous to the point of not being able to keep anything down, lightheadedness, headaches. I raved and raved about this birth control! My doctor recommended that I stop due to an autoimmune disease that I was suspected to have. I stopped for one year and recently got back on it and just finished my first three months. This time was a completely different experience for me, and I am SO confused. Terrible spotting, ACNE (I have never had acne in my life), spotting heavily, along with a heavy period, which is why I am on this BC to begin with primarily. I realized that the manufacturer is Mylan, and before I don’t know exactly what brand, but it was in a bright green case, and those worked great for me. Can’t figure out what manufacturer that was or if it makes a difference."

• red...
• April 25, 2015

For Birth Control "I am 38 years old. I have been on this pill for the last three years on and off. I was good in the beginning, but after a year, everything is not good. I have bad mood swings, headaches, and now my period comes before I even start the last month. I figured I would continue to try it, but I cannot anymore. With severe pains and excessive bleeding to the point I have had to go home from work, I wear Depend undergarments at night because I use three packs of overnight pads in the space of a week. I have never had problems this bad until lately. I am already anemic as is and cannot continue with this pill. One good thing is I have never gotten pregnant on it."

• Anonymous
• June 8, 2010

"I have been on Seasonique for about a year now, and I have found that it does have some side effects (mild nausea during the first week of the first cycle and mild headaches here and there), but I have also found that with Seasonique my previously horrid cramps have almost disappeared, my complexion is better than it's ever been, and that I really, really enjoy only having a light period every 3 months."

• Roc...
• August 9, 2015

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "This has been such a sweet relief. I wish I started sooner as soon as my periods were getting slowly heavier and horrible. After throwing up on my last period and getting anemic - enough was ENOUGH and decided to speak to my doctor. After getting my script filled and examined (I had nothing wrong internally), I got Seasonique. Took about a month for my body to settle down. EXPECT some side effects: headache, tender breasts, and fluid retention until your levels even out. YOU MUST take the pill the SAME time EVERY DAY! I experienced one breakthrough bleed because I was 8 hours late in taking one, and it lasted a week. This is because the hormones last so long in the bloodstream, and any slight dip triggers bleeding. Good luck in starting!! :)"

• Lit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2022

For Birth Control "I quit taking my old birth control due to my mood fluctuations due to PMDD. I was put on Seasonique, and it's helped immensely. I'm on my second month of it now. The only real side effects I experienced were headaches and hot flashes. But these hot flashes are intense. I'm only 31, so I wasn't expecting a side effect like that, but my Dr. said symptoms usually balance out after taking it for 3 months. I'll keep taking it because of how helpful it's been mood-wise. But just know that hot flashes can indeed happen to younger people with a female reproductive system."

• 0Su...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 7, 2016

For Birth Control "This pill was great for a while. I had one period every 3 months, and it helps with mild acne. My only problem is the headaches! They are hell, some have even brought me to tears. There's no stopping it with pain pills, it just stops randomly. Also, your sex drive will hit rock bottom."

• loo...
• February 7, 2011

For Endometriosis "I have been taking Seasonique for about 2 months now. When I first took it, I noticed some dizziness and headaches. I was going to get off of it as I didn't want to deal with that but decided to wait it out. Before the end of the first month, that all stopped. I haven't had any breakthrough bleeding, but I do get a little crampy when I get close to the end of the month, which I'm guessing will go away with time. I'm now in my last week of my second month, and I have extreme breast tenderness. Not sure what that is all about, but I am also going to hold it out and only hope it gets better. I have had endometriosis for 12 years now, and they got rid of the birth control I was using before I had my kids. So I needed to try something new."

• Anonymous
• July 28, 2010

For Birth Control "I started taking this as birth control about 5 months after the birth of my first child. I am in the middle of week 7, and it's not going good so far. I haven't had any weight gain yet, however, I have headaches almost every day. Along with middle acne, and I've been bleeding enough to use a tampon for about ten days. I'm going to take it until the end of pack one, but being 22 with a 6-month-old, attending school full time, I can't handle the bleeding, headaches, and exhaustion if they continue!"

• Lif...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been on these pills for 3 months now to combat heavy periods, and everything has been great! I've had zero bleeding over the past 3 months. No headaches, no weight gain, no hair loss, so basically no side effects. I guess I'm lucky that my body seems to work well with these pills, but everyone's experience is different. I'm on the yellow pills right now, expecting a period, but I'm having some extremely light spotting and no breakthrough bleeding. According to the pharmacist, this is normal in the beginning. I'm hopeful they continue to work well. Honestly, taking them at the same time every single day is the key to getting the best effectiveness possible. Well, that's the end of my spiel."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 4, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Well, I was on this BC Seasonique for 3 years. It has been great. I have stopped the BC because I want to try and have my last baby. Well, since I stopped it on October 10, 2019, I have been bleeding very heavily, very bad cramping, and headaches. Has anyone else gone through this after stopping this BC? I have tried a few other BCs, but nothing ever happened like this after stopping it. Please let me know if you have had this problem after stopping this BC. Thank you all."

• Anonymous
• April 19, 2012

For Birth Control "I have really good insurance, so the cost was not a problem. I've been on this pill for 4 1/2 months, and for the first three months, everything was fine besides the bleeding and breast tenderness. I started month 4, and everything was perfect! Halfway through week 5, I experienced awful cramping, bloating, constipation, and headaches, hopefully, they will go away! As long as I can get rid of that, it would be a great pill due to the fact I'm anemic, and it helps to not have a period but 4 times a year!"

• Anonymous
• August 2, 2010

"Before I started this birth control, I would go months (6-7) without a period. I have been on Seasonique for 8 weeks now. The first week everything went fine, but as the weeks progressed, I have been having horrible cramps to where all I can do is lay on the couch. I've experienced headaches, which I have never had before, and severe acne. Lastly, I have had bleeding for 14 days now, which hasn't even begun to lighten up or show signs of stopping soon."