Junel 1/20 and Bleeding: What Users Say

• Ran...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 20, 2021

For Birth Control "Reading the reviews on Junel 1/20 before I started did put some anxiety into me, but personally speaking, I’m having a pretty good experience with it. For the first 3 months, I did experience some breakthrough bleeding, but this was expected as my body was adjusting to the hormones, and after that, everything has been great. My periods are lighter and shorter, I didn’t go through mood swings, no weight gain, no vaginal dryness, no acne, and (I’m not as active anymore), but no pregnancy as well. So pretty much whatever negative side effects there could have been, I thankfully didn’t get any."

• Lal...
• October 1, 2020

For Birth Control "My experience with Junel Fe 1/20 has been okay, just been spotting on pill days and not having a period, or should I say breakthrough bleeding on placebo week. I'm not sure if that is normal, and I have been taking it for a month and one week. I have been very hot and emotional, hungry, and major fatigue."

• Kat...
• January 29, 2020

For Birth Control "The first month of Junel, I was bleeding for like 2 and a half weeks straight. It was super annoying, but after the first pack, it stopped. I did experience a little bit of weight gain, but it wasn’t noticeable at all. I saw a decrease in my sex drive, that’s a downside with this pill. I would be drier than usual, which was annoying at times. I also got on this pill because I had bad acne, and this pill cleared it up tremendously. It took about 3 packs of the pill for me to see a huge improvement. And once it did, it was just going up from there. I recently got off it because I messed up on it, and I started bleeding on my active pills, and I started breaking out again, so I had to switch. But it may be my fault or my body just rejected this BC... who knows. I wouldn’t give this BC a bad rating since it cleared most of my skin, and it’s nowhere near as bad compared to what my skin was before this birth control!!"

• Gir...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 26, 2019

For Birth Control "Got on this pill in January. It is almost August, and I’ve had breakthrough bleeding nearly every month. This month, I’ve had my period three times in three weeks. I’ve finally requested to be put on a different pill by my doctor. I cannot stand the multiple periods in a month."

• Non...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 19, 2018

For Birth Control "Junel 1/20 is terrible! My doctor put me on this pill to help with my endometriosis, and it has done nothing! I’ve had experiences where I’ve bled for a month straight, and it’s done nothing for my pain! I still fall to the ground and lay there for a few minutes before I find the strength to get up! Ladies, your doctor knows the body, but you know your body better! If it’s been 3 months or 10, if you have issues, please change your pill because you’re doing more harm than good."

• Lil...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 20, 2022

For Birth Control "This is my third year on Junel Fe. It is the best birth control I've had. Historically, my periods were painful. I missed work and could not function for the first day or two of getting my period. After having a daughter, my doctor prescribed this pill. I experienced intense nausea the first two weeks, comparable to morning sickness. This went away. I have lost weight on Junel Fe. My moods were noticeably regulated during the pre- and menstrual phase. My periods went from moderately heavy and passing clots to light periods to no periods after a year of use. I did find that if I missed 3 pills, I would experience breakthrough bleeding that lasted a few weeks, leading to the need for a reset. Every woman is unique. This has worked for me, and I ask for it specifically when some doctors attempt to give me a generic or different brand."

• Kum...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 31, 2019

For Birth Control "I got on it to reduce my heavy flow and painful cramps, which literally caused me to throw up basically every month. The first month was weird, with breakthrough bleeding and some nausea. But after the first month and for about a year, my cramps were nonexistent and my flow lasted 2 days max instead of 5 to 7. The absolute worst part was that I had clear skin before using Junel, and now I have acne all over my forehead, which is lessened noticeably during the week with no hormones. I thought this would go away, but it never did. About 1.5 years in, all the symptoms of cramps, heavy flow, and nausea came back. I initially thought I somehow got pregnant, but it turns out that my body just got used to the level of hormones, so I had to switch to a different pill with a different dosage, hoping it clears my acne."

• jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 16, 2019

For Birth Control "Started Junel a little over a month ago, and nothing changed for the better. I have been bleeding for almost a month, and my face and shoulders are breaking out like crazy. I have horrible abdominal pain and blood clots. I cannot wait to get off of this and hopefully switch to a better one."

• Jus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2019

For Birth Control "Only giving this birth control 2 stars because my cycle NEVER regulated. Took at the same time every day for 5 months and never stopped having breakthrough bleeding on the second week of every new cycle. The bleeding would last a few days. Then sometimes my period never came when it was supposed to. Very frustrating! Also, I’ve never had issues with acne in the past, but while using Junel I kept getting tiny whiteheads on my cheeks. Other than that, I didn’t get pregnant, so I guess that’s one plus."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 7, 2017

For Birth Control "I was on Junel Fe for 6 months. From the very beginning, it made my acne horrible. I normally never have acne except for the week of my period, and then it will only be like one or two whiteheads. But the entire time I was on this pill, terrible, terrible acne all over my face. After being off Junel for a month, my face is totally clear and back to normal. I stopped this pill because of the breakthrough bleeding I was having. It felt like I had to wear a light pad all the time because I never knew when I was going to bleed, and sometimes the spotting was heavier than just spotting. Super annoying. My MD said it was normal, wait 3 more months. Welp, after 6 months, no change, so I switched pills. Didn’t really decrease cramping either."

• Lun...
• August 6, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this type of birth control for over a year now; I was on Depo before, and it was horrible for me because I was bleeding for 6 months, and I lost weight. I am tall, 5’10.5, and I’m very slim, and then I was even more skinnier, like at 100 pounds. But this birth control has been working pretty well so far. I’m terrified of pregnancy, and my “periods” are short, and I don’t even bleed; it’s more brown than blood. I don’t get cramps because before any birth control, I was a heavy bleeder and had bad cramps. And my skin has been okay; I do get random pimples here and there, but I do my best to keep my skin clear. I don’t like that my skin is not 100 percent clear; I’ve noticed that I’ve been breaking out more than usual recently. And the first few months, I was very nauseous and had headaches. But after a few months, I felt better and normal. So far, I think I'm good; I really have a good experience! Please take vitamins with any BC."

• smi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 8, 2022

For Birth Control "I got prescribed this birth control back in 2019 when my doctor diagnosed me with PCOS. I took it for a while but had a hard time remembering to take them on time, so I switched to the Depo shot, which I didn’t like at all. But I got back on the pill around Oct 2021 since I was in a relationship, and I didn’t trust condoms. I had a few months of bleeding that would last for about 6 days, sometimes less, with minimal cramps, some weight gain, and nausea, but it has subsided. But for the past 2 or 3 months, I’ve only had light brownish spotting that’ll last 2 or 3 days. I’m not sure if that’s normal, but I took a pregnancy test last month, and it was negative. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of acne breakouts except maybe on my chin every now and then and the normal PMS symptoms before a period."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on the generic form of Junel 1/20 (norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol) for 6 months. I did not take it continuously and had a 7-day break after 21 active days. I, unfortunately, had too many side effects, and after 6 months needed to switch. My side effects included acne/rash, bloating 24/7, weight gain of 10 lbs, mood swings with depressive episodes, lack of sex drive, lack of energy, and breakthrough bleeding every other week lasting about a week (2 weeks out of 4 a month). The breakthrough bleeding was the last straw. 2 positives were no pregnancy scares and my bleeding was so light that I needed only liners or light tampons. This pill caused me to have a dark brown discharge for half of the month. I switched to Tri-Estarylla and so far no issues with this pill."

• it...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 27, 2021

For Birth Control "This birth control did not leave me with any bad side effects regarding my mood or weight. However, I was bleeding every other week. It was so annoying, and now I’m switching over to Sprintec."