Ethinyl estradiol / levonorgestrel and Depression: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Fir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 4, 2018

For Birth Control "Since there aren't many reviews for this brand and most of them aren't that great, I thought I'd share my experience since the reviews here scared me a little. I went on BC for the first time and started out with Sprintec, which was awful. I had horrible mood swings, nausea, and it was making me depressed. I immediately switched, and the first week on Larissia I was still feeling this way, but that's probably just the Sprintec wearing off. Now, I feel great, no mood swings, and it's even making me grow in 'all the right places.' So pleased with this pill!"

• 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."

• Kel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2019

For Birth Control "I have never in my life been so miserable. Please don’t do this to yourself. I have acne everywhere, and I’ve never had acne in my life, and it’s ALL OVER. Huge red bumps. I’ve never been this depressed in my entire life."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 19, 2013

For Birth Control "Since pills work differently depending on the individual, I think it's important to know a little about the person reviewing. I'm 5'1", Asian, 105 lbs. Lutera is the second birth control pill I've tried, before was Beyaz. I do like Lutera better, as Beyaz was depressing. I've been taking Lutera for 4 months now. I have noticed a difference with my period timing. It would come earlier than the average 28-day cycle but would only last 3-4 days. These past two months, it has only lasted 3 days. The pill seems REALLY effective, considering sometimes I forget to take my pill at the designated time. NO difference in acne for me."

• Vie...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 24, 2019

For Birth Control "Do NOT take this birth control. I have never been an emotional person. I hardly ever cry, I'm generally happy, and very motivated. After taking this pill for a few months, I was so depressed that I couldn't force myself to even get out of bed. I wouldn't go to class, I wouldn't go to work, and I didn't even want to do fun things with my friends. Even when I was in bed avoiding everything, I was still feeling depressed. Once I realized that it was the pill doing it, I stopped taking it and immediately felt like myself again. It made me go up a cup size and made my skin clearer, but nothing is worth the emotional turmoil. Save yourself."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 24, 2019

For Birth Control "I started Aubra because I had severe cramps. The first few months had been really great and pain-free. My period became gradually more painful as I continued to take it. I had also gained over 35 pounds even though I worked out and ate well. My sex drive disappeared completely, and my period was so light it was barely there, but it was still really painful. My depression and anxiety had gotten so bad I had to leave my job because I was so anxious I could not work efficiently anymore. I felt like I wasn’t myself anymore, and it got to the point where I could no longer look in the mirror at my body anymore because of the weight gain. I’ve been off of it for two days, and I hope my life returns to normal."

• Ris...
• February 12, 2020

For Birth Control "This is the absolute worst birth control I ever took. Weight gain to the max. And not to mention, I have been having the most insane night terrors religiously. My eyes are sensitive to lights. I feel tired always and so depressed. My doctor switched me to this one because they called in the wrong pill and told me it was fine to take for a month. I truly do not feel like myself at all. I am stopping it immediately. DO NOT TAKE EVER!"

• Pai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I took this med for about a week and a half. The first few days, pleasantly, no side effects. Then I started having the worst insomnia, vivid nightmares, and deep-bone back pain/body aches every night. Fast forward to days 7-9, I still had all of the above, plus acne, panic attacks, racing thoughts, stomach cramps, diarrhea, depression, and hot flashes. At this point, I would rather have heavy, painful periods! I am an attorney and cannot function like this."

• Cle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2020

For Birth Control "When I started taking Alesse, the only side effects were feeling a bit nauseous for the first few days. I’ve now been on it for a month and a half, and I’ve noticed increased mood swings, sadness, and irritability that I never experienced before taking Alesse. I’m also starting to experience a bit of depression (not sure if it’s related to birth control). I’ve gained a bit of weight and feel bloated, appetite has increased majorly. At times, I also feel like my sex drive is lower. I’m going to continue until the 3rd pack, if I see no improvement, I consider switching to a non-hormonal birth control."

• Cle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2020

For Birth Control "When I started taking Alesse, the only side effects were feeling a bit nauseous for the first few days. I’ve now been on it for a month and a half, and I’ve noticed increased mood swings, sadness, and irritability that I never experienced before taking Alesse. I’m also starting to experience a bit of depression (not sure if it’s related to birth control). I’ve gained a bit of weight and feel bloated, appetite has increased majorly. At times, I also feel like my sex drive is lower. I’m going to continue until the 3rd pack, if I see no improvement, I consider switching to a non-hormonal birth control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 20, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on the pills for 2 months, and I have been so emotional, as in depressed. I've had a little bit of acne, but it's not that bad. No weight gain, in fact, I've lost 5 pounds. Very, very nauseous but can't throw up. Headaches here and there. I'm not sure if I'll switch just yet... I'll probably try it out a little longer."

• Joy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2013

For Birth Control "My doctor switched me from YAZ to Alesse to help with the weight gain that YAZ gave me (20 pounds in 1 year), and I hate this birth control. From the first month of using it, I was an angry beast, it was way too much. Second month, I noticed that I lost a little bit of the weight, but I noticed I would start crying for no reason often and become depressed. My doctor told me to stick it out for 3 months. Third month, I am still an angry beast, as well as extremely irritable for extended periods of time. Mind you that YAZ also caused some of these symptoms as well, but on Alesse it was tripled."

• Pea...
• November 10, 2015

For Birth Control "Worst birth control ever! My first month, 2 months were great, no period, mild bloating, a little weight gain, and my boobs went up an entire cup size (no issues with this)... Although I did start my period halfway through the second pack, and it lasted for 28 days! And my symptoms were terrible. I was so depressed and bloated the first 3 weeks of bleeding, and then the last week, I became extremely lightheaded and vomited at the smell of anything. I went in to see my doctor wanting to get answers, and he had me stop taking it right away, explaining that due to the bleeding, my iron had dropped dangerously low! And it was all thanks to this birth control. I have tried plenty of birth controls in the past and never had anything like this happen!"

• Fdu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on Chateal for around 4 months and have been having a terrible experience. Not until I had read some of these other reviews today did I realize that my horrible mood swings, depression, and anxiety were completely exacerbated by Chateal. I honestly thought I was losing my mind and have had some suicidal thoughts from time to time. I'm a college student, and these emotional episodes are taking a huge toll on my academic life. In addition, I have gained a significant amount of weight and feel bloated a good amount of the time, and also, I'm always breaking out with acne on my face, back, and arms. I'm so glad that I was able to see some of these reviews, which validated what I was going through. I'm going to stop taking Chateal today!!!"

• And...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 24, 2019

For Birth Control "I started this pill Sronyx 5 months ago after the pharmacy switched me off Lutera. The first few weeks I was having really bad cervix area pain. After that subsided, everything was alright for a little while. After about 2 months, I noticed I gained about 10 lbs and my hair was coming out more often in the shower. No other side effects until about month 4 when I started noticing how depressed I was becoming. This pill has turned me from a sweet, kind, and patient person into a monster. My anxiety has skyrocketed, and I've fallen into the deepest depression of my life. I'm not myself anymore, so I decided to just stop taking all BC for a while. The only upside to this pill is it kept me from getting pregnant and cleared up my acne."

• Dis...
• October 31, 2019

For Birth Control "I, like many others, was previously on Levora and was switched to Portia (without my consent) by Kaiser. Levora was my first experience with BC, and I took it for a little over a year. My only issue was prolonged spotting if I missed a dose. Once I was given Portia, I gained a little over 30 pounds in less than 4 months, I had frequent headaches, extreme fatigue (had to use my lunch break to nap daily), woke up nauseous every morning, and experienced the only 2 yeast infections I have ever had. Unfortunately, it took me about a year to realize Portia was the culprit. Since they told me it was the same when I switched, I never even suspected. I felt like a failure for gaining weight and not being able to get it off, I was frequently depressed, and my work suffered because I was often too tired to focus. Because of this thread, and my other research, I stopped taking Portia about a week ago and just opted to purchase Levora through an online BC provider NuRx."

• TT1...
• August 1, 2017

For Birth Control "Run far away from this pill! I was also switched from Orysthia (which did wonders for me) to Vienva without being notified. I figured also since it had the same active ingredients I would be fine. Wrong! The past week has been nothing but a nightmare! My moods have been so up and down! Feeling depressed, I lashed out at one of my best friends for no reason! Please don't take this! I'm calling my pharmacy right now to see if I could get back on Orysthia!"

• Avo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2019

For Birth Control "Planned Parenthood gave me 18 months' worth of this birth control. I used to take Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for 3 years until they discontinued it, and I was so sad, for me, it was the best birth control and gave me no side effects. The Dr. at PP said Aubra EQ was similar to Ortho. WRONG! I've been on this birth control for 2 months, and it has been bad. The first day I took this pill, immediately I got a huge headache and was nauseous. I still took the pills every day, same time, for 1 month. Throughout the month, I had severe depression, headaches, tiredness, and regular spotting. And now, all of a sudden, I got my period again, which is horrible because I just got my period last week. This birth control is awful, do not take this. I'm getting off this and finding a different brand."

• Sea...
• April 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I got this birth control in February (now it's April), and I have noticed this pill has had a few side effects. One being I'm always tired and get tired out really easily, which is annoying because I'm always sleeping when I want to be with friends, another is nausea. I will feel sick occasionally and have headaches, and the last is being SUPER emotional. I will cry for no reason, and I believe it has made me a little depressed. I'm hoping this will all blow over, if not, I'm getting a new pill."

• Lol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2019

For Birth Control "I was taking Lo Seasonique with no issues for 2-3 years until I was switched to Ashlyna for insurance and pharmacy reasons. It is the same hormones, but Ashlyna is stronger. The first 3-6 months were seemingly okay until I started bleeding/spotting randomly at any time in the pack (not on placebo pills), mood swings/depression became an everyday thing, and if I did not take the pill like clockwork and was off by even 4 hours, I would get breakthrough bleeding. Not to mention the weight gain, 20 lbs in 6 months. I would not recommend."

• Wor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I was on Aviane for a month and a half, and I can honestly say it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I never had a problem with acne, I would get a pimple here or there occasionally, but Aviane made me break out horribly. I am left with scarring from it, and although it has gotten a lot better, I am still trying to get rid of some of the acne. I felt depressed and emotional while taking it and definitely had mood changes while on it. My period lasted 7 days on this, and it came with horrible cramping and blood clots. I began to feel better just days after stopping this pill. I would not recommend it to anyone. The worst mistake I have made was to go on this pill."

• ell...
• July 22, 2015

For Birth Control "I was on Levlen for around 8 months. I started it a month before my wedding day, and because I'm still quite young, I was really adamant about contraception. After researching about pills, I figured as long as I didn't get acne breakouts, gain weight, or get hairy, it was perfect. Boy, was I wrong! I was completely depressed, anxious, and stressed the entire time, my libido was almost non-existent, and I started to get cystic acne on my face... you can imagine how all of this would affect newlyweds!! It wasn't until I had a major breakdown a month ago that I knew I had to get off Levlen ASAP! I'm now on Femme Tab, and it's working fine, just waiting to see how my hormones will react!"

• Izz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control for the past 4 months. It's my first time ever being on birth control, and I'm 19 years old. The positives for me about it are that I don't have cramps at all, I have a period for only 3 or 4 days, and my acne cleared up really well. I still get a few little pimples every now and then, but not as bad as I used to. The negative factors about this are the weight gain, I hate it. I went from a size 8 jeans to a size 10-12 in the past 4 months. I'm trying to find ways to control it, though. I also don't have any sex drive, I'm hardly ever in the mood to do anything anymore. The last one is that I get depressed every now and then."

• Mra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 12, 2019

For Birth Control "I was reading a lot of these reviews and honestly can’t relate to most of them. Fortunately, I’ve had a fine experience using Portia except for one side effect. But I’ve been on Portia for about a year and a half and actually got randomly switched to another brand, in which I even requested to go back to Portia! I only get one day of cramps and a 3-day period, so it’s been nice. The one bad thing is the severe mood swings/depression I get the week before the placebo pills. At one point, I was starting to think I had bipolar disorder! (Before realizing this was due to the birth control). Thinking about switching to a new brand just because of that, but I may return to Portia in the future."

• krr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 26, 2013

For Birth Control "I switched to Lutera from Tri-Sprintec on my doctor's recommendation. Everyone reacts differently to birth controls, and my body did not like Lutera. I've gained about 15 lbs in 2 months of being on it. I'm extremely moody and borderline depressed, always tired, feel spaced out a lot, and I don't have much of an appetite, ever. Which made it even more frustrating that I was gaining weight. Planning on switching back to Yaz, I've never had side effects with that one, it was just more pricey."