Ethinyl estradiol / levonorgestrel and Cramps: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Anonymous
• November 8, 2009

For Birth Control "Well, it worked to prevent pregnancy because there was no way I could have become pregnant when I couldn't even have sex since I basically had my period for a month! In addition, I had the pleasure of getting severe cystic acne that I haven't been able to get under control. The cramps that accompanied my period were terrible. I'm going back on Loestrin 24."

• Tan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 23, 2019

For Birth Control "I was very excited to start this and get a hold of my endometriosis, but as soon as I started this, I started breaking out, gaining weight, couldn’t sleep anymore, my anxiety became so much worse than it had been, bleeding every day, cramping off and on, and headaches. It has made me feel crazy, and I just stopped taking it. I’m praying this goes away fast. I am highly disappointed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2014

For Birth Control "I've just completed my first week on Orsythia. Being that I had to start it during my period, I noticed a change in my cycle immediately. I'm usually a 3/4 day-er. I am now on my 7th day with no sign of let-up. That's a bummer. From what I've gathered from friends/family, it's just my body getting used to the hormones. But when is it going to end? No cramps, no mood swings, no headaches, and FREE! I guess, so far, so good. Just ready to be off my period!"

• Ms ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I started taking Levora 3 months ago with the initial goal to correct my anemia and reduce bleeding. My Dr. prescribed it for a short period of time, 6 months max. I must say, I started bleeding heavily before the first 'scheduled' period on the pack. I bled for nearly 2 weeks, which never happened before. The Dr. office nurse said it was normal to get used to the medication. Fine. Now, I'm on the 4th month of taking Levora and I'm quitting it because I'm outraged that, again, I have heavy bleeding for nearly two weeks, and it's not even close to the 'period' mark on the blister. Again, that's very concerning and causing my anxiety to spike. I haven't noticed any weight gain, however, acne appeared on my face and chest, which hasn't happened since my teenage years. Also, I noticed worsening symptoms of gas, bloating, cramping, and pain in my ovaries."

• Aga...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 1, 2013

For Birth Control "Though I have only been on Aviane for a week, I just wanted to say that it's great! My breasts got bigger within a day or two of starting the pill. They're a bit sore, but it's nothing horrible. I have occasional cramps, but they are infrequent and only last a few seconds. I have noticed that I am hungry a lot more often, but the key to not gaining weight on birth control is to not give in to the increased tummy rumbles. I had a little bit of stomach bloating the first three or so days of starting the pill, but it's subsided now. One more huge benefit I've noticed is that within a day of taking the pill, my mood did a complete 180. I have noticed that, since starting Aviane, I am a lot happier and optimistic. It's great! I highly recommend this pill!"

• Pea...
• April 4, 2014

For Birth Control "I'm about 3 pills away from finishing my first pack. My experience is okay so far. I say okay because I started the pack 3 days before my period. Worst mistake ever. My period was super heavy for 4 days and had really bad cramping. My advice for first timers is to wait until you end your period and start taking the pill right after. Because I didn't wait, now I have my period again (this time it's really light, still cramping). Hopefully, by this next pack, my period is on track. On a good note, my skin is clear from acne, and I went up a cup size. Breasts are still tender, but I'm hoping that goes away. I have gained some weight, but I'm working on losing it. Some PMS, nothing crazy. I can say I'm pleased with Lutera so far."

• nan...
• January 9, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Lutera about a year and 3 months, and I love it. Clear skin, no weight gain, but I lost some, no mood swings, no cramps, no tender breasts, no pregnancies. I had heavy 7-day periods, now I have light 5-day periods, which is awesome."

• No ...
• January 9, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for 6 months now, and I'm calling my doctor today to switch. I'm constantly tired, my cramping is more painful than when I was on a different pill that was discontinued, I have 10-day periods when I used to have 3-4 day ones, headaches all the time, and absolutely no sex drive whatsoever. The only positive thing I can say is no pregnancies!"

• jn2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2018

For Birth Control "I was forced to switch to this brand after CVS gave me this instead of my normal prescription. I took this for two months and refuse to ever use this birth control again. I’m not new to birth control, as I’ve been on it for four years due to extreme periods. My first month on this pill was fine. The second month I missed one pill, which has happened numerous times throughout my years on the pill. I did what the normal process is and took two in one day. The very next day I was cramping extremely, all the way to my placebo week (2 weeks). I was extremely tired and almost seemed like I was bleeding through. Not to mention, my acne on this pill was insane. I know every woman is different, but this dosage seems to be off compared to the name-brand version."

• Sea...
• April 23, 2012

For Birth Control "I experience mood swings, breakouts, and cramps during the first two weeks. After that, I have not had any issues. I did not spot for the first two months. On the third month, I took the pill 4 hours late and I spotted lightly for two days. My skin is flawless. I had no weight gain. I have no crazy mood swings. It's the perfect pill. Oh, and my breasts increased about a cup size. The breast tenderness I experienced was a minimum soreness for a month. I recommend Seasonale!"

• Eri...
• August 10, 2013

For Birth Control "My doctor prescribed Alesse for me after convincing me to get off of Diane 35, as it had a much lower hormone dose. Almost immediately, I began suffering from abdominal cramps, spotting unpredictably, and increased acne on my back, shoulders, and jawline. I expected much of this from reading about coming off of Diane, and my doctor assured me it would only last a few months. It's been nearly a year later, and although the spotting and cramping have subsided, the acne is still there (I can't even wear a top without a hood, let alone a tank top or bathing suit!), and I'm displaying a huge lack of interest in life. I have some good days, but spend a lot of time feeling unmotivated, tired, uninterested, etc. I want my life back."

• Amy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2012

For Birth Control "I just finished my first month on Alesse, and I am SO pleased! I used to avoid hormonal birth control because of recurrent yeast infections and weight gain, but with Alesse, I have no problems! I feel like myself again! It's hard for me to review the contraceptive effect on me since I was told to wait a whole month before having 'unprotected' sex. But so far, so good. No weight gain, no infections, no nausea, but sometimes my breasts hurt a little. They didn't get any bigger though. I sometimes feel crampy in the last few days of the month, but nothing severe. I take it with no stop in between because my PMS and period were too intense. I'm in love with Alesse!"

• Sap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2022

For Birth Control "My doctor put me on Ashlyna to try and help my periods. The first 3 weeks was fine. Week 4 hit and I started bleeding like a period (not breakthrough bleeding), along with having horrible mood swings, dizziness every now and then, cramps, and hot flashes, and from time to time passing big blood clots. After 2 weeks of this, I started to get concerned because I have never had this reaction to birth control before, so I called my doctor, she said to ride it out because all those were side effects of Ashlyna, and it will eventually stop. I did my best to ride it out, but I felt absolutely horrible. I didn't feel like myself. So I called my doctor back and told her she needs to give me something else because my body is having a hard time adjusting to this pill. So I finished my pill pack and she switched me to a different Sprintec. After a few weeks on the new one, I started to feel better. I had a 28-day period on Ashlyna. Everyone is different, but for me, I will never use Ashlyna again."

• Anonymous
• November 2, 2009

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I am on my second, three-month pack of LoSeasonique, and I am seriously contemplating stopping the birth control. My first three-month pack, around week six, I started bleeding. This lasted about a week, and I thought my body was adjusting. Since then, my face has broken out - I have never had acne problems. I am now on week four of my second cycle of pills, and I am now bleeding lightly again. I am experiencing the worst cramps I have ever had in my life. All I do is sleep, and I am still exhausted all the time. I can't even get myself to do normal activities like grocery shopping."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2014

For Birth Control "At first, I hated this pill but had a 3-month supply. In the first 2 months, I had spotting all the time, crazy mood swings, intense cravings, and cramps around PMS time and was losing a dramatic amount of hair. On the bright side, my acne was non-existent and I noticed weight loss. By the 3rd month, I feel most symptoms cleared."

• 7...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 7, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Alesse was the first birth control I ever took. I was 18 and had been having horrible periods. Constant, painful cramps and heavy flow. My gynecologist suggested Alesse to make my period lighter. I bled for over a month! Not spotting. Full-on heavy bleeding with horrible cramps. I eventually stopped and decided to deal with my period. At least I knew when it would end."

• Jux...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 10, 2016

For Birth Control "I would advise taking caution when reading other people's comments. Like any doctor will mention to you, all medications affect others differently, and they will have side effects. To give my short story: it was my first birth control, and I have been taking it for 1.5 years. Pros: less to little acne, no headaches, less cramps, prevented pregnancy every time, lighter periods (this was a plus!) Cons: more emotional during period, 5 lb weight gain (I am also in college, so that could be an aiding major factor), sometimes less sex drive EXCEPT around my period. Again, just because some people had issues with it doesn't mean you'll have the same. Try it out for yourself if you're considering this BC brand and talk with your doctor!"

• taj...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 4, 2016

For Birth Control "An incredible birth control. Do not be turned off by people saying they bled or spotted for weeks or months - this is only because it must be started at a specific point in your cycle. It stopped my period for three months without any spotting until it was finally due. My only complaint is that the bleeding lasted a few days longer than usual, but that is it. I didn't even experience the horrible cramps I previously did. An excellent birth control I recommend for both regulating/stopping your period and as actual birth control."

• dre...
• November 26, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for 2 months now and have been experiencing breast pain, bloating, fatigue. I have really bad mood swings, and I yell for no apparent reason. And severe cramps. And during the second month, I've had my period twice. This is my first time using birth control."

• Ban...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2020

For Birth Control "Balcoltra is the first birth control that I’ve ever been on. The first 2-3 months, I had really bad headaches and bad mood swings that would come after taking the pill at night, and I was about to call my doctor to switch off of it. The only other side effect symptoms that I’ve noticed are my breasts becoming tender, headaches every now and then, mood swings, and abdominal cramping. Over the months, it’s gotten a lot better, and I really can’t complain about Balcoltra. It’s helped my acne, and I still sometimes get those other symptoms, but it’s not often, so it’s bearable. It’s a lot better than I expected it to be."

• kek...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 28, 2020

For Birth Control "I switched from Microgestin FE to Larissia. Microgestin FE gave me terrible anxiety and depression and made me feel like I was an alien in my own body. Switching to Larissia, I definitely had some cramping, breakthrough bleeding, mood swings, and acne during my first 2-3 packs of this pill, but after a couple months, all of those symptoms went away. My first pack, I could tell that my boobs were bigger, but that went away as well over time. I haven’t gained any weight on this pill (I was actually hoping that I would) and have less acne than I did while on other pills. I would recommend this to a friend."

• UT1...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 28, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been taking Seasonale for almost 3 years now. I'm 21 and pretty healthy. When I started, I had breakthrough bleeding for about 3 weeks and a little nausea. Before Seasonale, I had 8-day heavy periods and would get pretty bad cramping. With this pill, I have a very light period once every 3 months, no cramping at all and no other symptoms. I have had no weight gain, rarely any breast tenderness, and it prevents pregnancy, so I can't complain too much. My ONLY problem with this pill is that it gives me acne in waves. I'll go a month with very little acne, then for a few months have lots of breakouts, some of them painful. I never had any acne prior to taking the pill, but now I do. Otherwise, I highly recommend this pill."

• Con...
• July 25, 2018

For Birth Control "I'm very concerned about this pill. My daughter has been experiencing severe leg cramps. Actually, she has a hard time walking, and it lasts for two days. Her hands swell, and her legs swell, becoming very, very heavy. She is in tears. Actually, she had blood work, and her inflammatory markers were elevated. Anyone taking this pill, BE CAREFUL. Listen to your body and seek medical attention when needed. Don't wait. Reviewing reports about this medication, I realize that all medications have side effects, but this one is SCARY. Ladies, do your research and let a friend know."

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2009

For Birth Control "Have been on Lybrel for 1 year now and get periods, breakthrough bleeding, spotting, and cramps. I used to have a normal 28-day cycle, and my period was 5 days, it was very regimented. Now I have periods randomly that last 7 to 10 days. I was hoping to stop my periods, but this obviously does not work for me."

• Lor...
• July 2, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this for about three months now. The first month and a half were great. No mood swings, no spotting or headaches, or depression, but then I got into my third month and was experiencing breakthrough bleeding a lot and then had several blood clots. And I am still having spotting. I've been depressed, acne is horrible, I have horrible food cravings, not to mention awful cramps to where I can't even move. I want to continue and try to see if it gets better, but I am just having the worst time with this and am miserable that I am over taking this. I know for some it has worked and maybe if I stick it out it will get better, but I have no interest in continuing with this bc."