Junel 1/20 and Cramps: What Users Say

• Aud...
• May 6, 2018

For Birth Control "First and foremost, most of the reviews that are negative are due to the fact that women aren’t patient enough to bear the immediate side effects. You need to wait 3 months before you decide to switch or stay on the birth control. I’ve tried several different birth controls and this one has worked the BEST! However, the first month you’ll be hungry, constantly. Try to drink tea or have smaller meals throughout the day to avoid weight gain. I really, really love this medication. I feel back to myself, I gained probably 2-3 pounds the first few weeks, actually, but it’s been 2 months and now I can control my appetite. I recently got my period and didn’t experience ANY PMS. Just the first day I got my period, I was moody. Little to no bleeding, still got minor cramps, but not bad enough to take Midol. Overall, try this medication. But stay on it. If you really don’t like it after 3 months, then you can switch."

• Mor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2020

For Birth Control "I started using this Junel 1/20 a couple of months after having my first baby. At first, it made me pretty nauseous the first couple of months. I’ve been on it about 5 months now, and my periods are regular and shorter and lighter. I rarely get cramps anymore either. For a while there, I would have some anxiousness randomly. Not sure if it was the pill or just from being a new mama. It seems to have calmed down now. My skin has also been very clear as well. Hoping this works out for me."

• Mel...
• May 14, 2020

For Birth Control "I just started my third month of Junel Fe 1/20. The first month, I was very nauseous, especially at night, even though my doctor told me to take it at night to avoid nausea. I still experience the nausea, but not as often as I did the first month, and I avoid eating gooey, creamy things in the evening around the time I take my pill, which I notice does help a lot. However, if it’s really bothering me, a dose of Pepto-Bismol usually does the trick. I feel that my skin is breaking out more often than normal, not badly, but I definitely notice it. Usually, I only get one or two small pimples around my period, but now I get four each month, especially around my chin. My periods are definitely lighter and only last about 4-5 days, but I’m still experiencing cramping. I didn’t notice any mood swings or weight gain. I actually feel sexier these past couple of weeks. Sex drive is the same, energy levels are the same."

• Col...
• September 19, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve only been taking this pill for about a month, but so far I am very happy with the results. I was very nervous to start Junel based off the other reviews, but I’ve had a fairly positive experience. Before taking Junel, I would get terrible cramps (that would cause me to cancel plans/responsibilities) and extremely heavy periods. I now only have very minor, if any, cramping at all during my period and a significantly lighter flow. The only semi-problem I’ve experienced is a little acne, but I’m sure this is just because my body is normalizing to the hormones and hope this begins to go away. I hope this helps and reduces some of your nerves about this pill :)"

• jiq...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2018

For Birth Control "I switched to Junel 1/20 recently from taking Tri Sprintec. And personally, I enjoy Junel 1/20 so much more. The only side effects I get are having a headache, feeling drowsy after 1 hour of taking it, loss of appetite, and a little mood swings. Yeah, these are side effects that many may be frightened of, but honestly, it's so much better than my side effects from taking Tri Sprintec. When I took Tri Sprintec, my side effects were depression, weight gain, breast growth, cramps, and constantly being in a bad mood."

• Jen...
• August 21, 2020

For Birth Control "I switched to Junel 1/20 after being on another pill for years. Everyone convinced me to switch, as I was tired and a bit moody on my other pill. However, switching to Junel has been a huge regret. I couldn’t last longer than 3 months on it. When I first started, I threw up several mornings and felt so sick. My skin (jaw/chin) broke out terribly, and I’ve NEVER broken out on my chin before. My periods were heavy, and cramps were unbelievably painful. I was constantly crying, and my rage was out of control. I have a short temper, but I have never seen myself turn into such a raging, angry person over the tiniest things than I did on this pill. My anxiety was awful, my nipples were in so much pain and super sensitive (this got better after the first month or so). Always groggy and tired. Hair loss. Can’t really think of one positive of this pill. Everyone’s different, and I’ve had several friends who love this pill. But I gave it 3 months and couldn’t handle any more of it."

• Zee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2019

"Ladies, listen up! Today would mark the first month of me taking this birth control, Junel 1/20, and it has been a rollercoaster. It started off with me missing my period, but recently I’ve been getting these red-brownish clots (totally gross). As for my cramps, these pills helped somewhat, but I still have them. They aren’t as intense, but they’re still there. Moving on to acne, when I first started taking these pills, I got cystic pimples and kind of still am. But the worst part about taking this birth control is the hair loss. I take a lot of pride in having thick, luscious curly hair, but every time I take a shower, I notice that a lot of hair is falling out, and for that reason, I’m making the decision to stop taking birth control. I’d rather have terrible cramps than to be bald. Seriously. Last thing, ever since I’ve been taking it, I’ve been having nausea. So save yourself the headache and don’t take it."

• Che...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 19, 2016

For Birth Control "This birth control overall is great (for me). I have not had any problems on it besides weight gain. I definitely notice an increase in appetite and always gain 5-7 lbs when on it. I don't have an appetite when off of it. My periods are 2-3 days and are barely even there. I do have cramping and headaches a couple of hours before getting it, but nothing crazy that I cannot tolerate. No acne either!"

• Hia...
• February 27, 2018

For Birth Control "I always find myself coming back to this pill. I went off of it because I wanted to try the Kyleena IUD, and all my hair fell out. I got back on Junel 1/20, and my hair grew like weeds. Got off of it, hair shed. Got back on, hair grew like weeds. 8/10 because this pill does make me pretty emotional before my period, but it only lasts 2-3 days and is pretty light. Also noticed bleeding during intercourse after being on this pill (was checked by doctor, no STDs), probably from a thinning of the uterine wall. Cramps are mild, and acne flares up only during my period. I’ve only noticed a 5-pound fluctuation on the pill that I accredit to poor diet and exercise... overall, this has been my favorite birth control!"

• may...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2021

For Birth Control "I started this pill back in September to regulate my period. I seem to have more cons than pros when it comes to this BC. I have definitely experienced depression and mood swings while taking it. During my placebo week, I feel the best I possibly can be. Just whenever I'm taking the pill, I find myself never in a good mood. I also never experienced cramping until I started taking these pills. I'm definitely considering switching my BC or coming off of it completely because I'm sick of not feeling like myself."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2018

For Birth Control "Had to switch to this after being on Loestrin for years because it got too expensive. First month, no symptoms, second and third month, I got my period twice. Gained weight and broke out, which never happened before Loestrin or during. Would feel sick during my period. Emotions of depression and anxiety would kick in severely before and during my period. Since I would get it twice a month, I would only feel slightly normal a week out of the month. Cramps were insanely painful. Breasts became so painful by the third month, just wearing a shirt or bra hurt. I am so glad I found these reviews because I thought I was losing it. After much research, I stopped taking Junel the second I realized it was the cause."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2018

For Birth Control "Switched to Junel 1/20 for one month and gained 7 pounds! I have never been over 115 lb and as soon as I started this pill, I noticed I gained weight... turns out it was seven pounds! I have also never had cramps this bad before!"

• Mrl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2018

For Birth Control "Second month on Junel FE. I'm 35 years old, never on birth control before, this is my first time ever. Cons: horrible acne (never had acne before), cramps, painful intercourse (never had before this). First month on it, I had nausea, as I'm finishing the second month, it has subsided. First period started really light and got heavier, which was a bit disappointing, I was under the impression that this would help lessen the heaviness. Pros: prevents pregnancy, loss of appetite. I will give this a total of 3 months but will probably switch if the acne persists and periods don't get lighter."

• 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."

• Pai...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 23, 2015

For Birth Control "I went on Junel FE about 15 months ago for extremely painful cramps during my period and for birth control. About two months after, I lost most of my sex drive, and over the course I've been taking it, I went from 110-138. I'm 5'0 and 18, and even after all these months, I'm still finding new stretch marks and gaining weight, and I'm barely eating. I'm switching at the end of this pack (finally). I gave it 4/10 because it kept me from getting pregnant, but otherwise it sucks."

• AAG...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 8, 2019

For Birth Control "Horrible. I’ve only been on this pill for 2 months, and already my face is breaking out in rashes, dark spots all over my body, weight gain, and my cycle is so long, and I've been cramping for the past week now. Not only that, my jaws and joints have been in pain for the past week, and don’t get me started on the yeast infection. This pill is just horrible. I drink lots of water and eat right, so I don’t understand, but either way, I do NOT recommend this awful pill."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 3, 2023

For Birth Control "I started taking Junel about 3 years ago after having a bad experience with Haley FE beforehand. After hearing bad reviews about it, I feel like I'd give my personal experience with it. I absolutely love it. I actually lost about 10 lbs and have been maintaining it since the beginning. It's actually pretty easy to lose weight on it. My cramps are practically nonexistent, if not, they last maybe a couple of hours. My periods only last about 3 days (if I decide to have one that month). The only drawback is my sex drive is not very high, but I don't mind it since I am in a LDR."

• Jes...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 11, 2021

For Birth Control "I took this pill for 5 years. At first, it was great for about a year, I had light periods, always on time, my skin was clear, and I had no acne ever, which continued the whole 5 years. But then my periods became even lighter, but cramping was worse. I started getting more anxiety than ever, panic attacks all the time, and I gained 10 pounds. My boobs did grow a size, but with all of that said, it’s not worth it in my opinion. Getting off of it was the best decision ever."

• 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."

• ldu...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 23, 2023

For Birth Control "I’m glad this drug has helped others because I have not been having a good experience with Junel 1/20. I was taking the pill in the morning, and I would get super nauseous because I’d have an empty stomach. So my doctor suggested I take it at night. This makes me wake up nauseous, and I have thrown up because of the feeling two different times. I gag like my body wants to get it out of my system. My breasts have been tender, but look bigger. My sex drive has plummeted, and my periods/spotting would last up to two weeks. I will say the horrible cramps I was having from my periods stopped after I started Junel. There are definitely pros and cons, but that goes for all medications. Everyone’s body is different, so while I’m not having a good experience, I’d still recommend people try it out. Better to be on birth control rather than be pregnant."