Junel Fe 1/20 and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Jan...
• February 10, 2018

For Birth Control "In the first 2-3 weeks, I felt really great! My mood did not change, my sex drive seemed to increase, and my acne lessened a bit. Then I got my period, and it was the worst I’ve ever had. A few days before my period, I was so bloated it was uncomfortable to the point of pain when walking. Through the second month, my acne went back to the way it was before Junel Fe (terrible), I gained 10 pounds (right to the hips and thighs), had no energy, headaches, severe food cravings, nausea, and became depressed and had anxiety. Now at the end of the second month, I had my first ever emotional breakdown, crying for reasons I can’t explain. Prior to Junel Fe, I was birth control-free for 7 months. I had felt the healthiest I had been in my adult life, minus the acne. If you are considering taking this medication, please look for an alternative. I never write reviews but felt I should share my story as I feel very strongly about how terrible this drug is."

• Len...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2019

For Birth Control "I was prescribed Junel Fe to regulate my periods, so I could try and get pregnant next year. I have very heavy, irregular periods, and they last for 2-3 weeks. The first few days were okay. I went to the gym on day 3, and afterwards, I had anxiety that ended up becoming a full-on panic attack. I went to the hospital because I thought I was dying. Doctors ran tests and said I was fine but to follow up with a doctor. I've had anxiety and depression since. I went to the doctor who prescribed me antidepressants and said that might be my birth control, but I should try to stay on it until my body adjusts. It's been 3 weeks, and I'm almost done with my first pack, and I can't do this anymore. I'm so depressed, I can't even do my job. I've also started my period already before I finished the pack, and it's super heavy. I really don't recommend this birth control."

• Bab...
• October 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on Junel Fe for a year and recently switched to a different brand of birth control. Overall, it did what it was supposed to do: prevented pregnancy. However, it gave me constant mood swings and anxiety. I had never dealt with these things before, so I knew that I could relate it to the pill. My periods became barely existent, and I would skip periods almost every other month. It sounds like a dream, but it can get a little stressful when you rely on periods to prove that you are not pregnant. Overall, I had a decent experience, but I decided to try something else to try to get rid of the anxiety. Also: I was off of the pill for a month in between trying a different type and let me just say it was the happiest I've been in a long time!"

• Thi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2017

For Birth Control "I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16 - I'm now about 25. Nine years of being on the Pill, I've tried a number of different scripts. Juleber was fabulous (was on it for about two years), but before leaving to study abroad, I was accidentally prescribed Junel Fe instead. GOOD GRIEF. I am miserable! Like many other reviewers noted, I'm crying at random, I'm randomly hit with bouts of incredible sadness/depression, especially at night or later in the day. I'm anxious out of my mind, having panic attacks. I feel like a crazy person, not myself at all. I'm utterly horrified that this Pill is being prescribed to anyone. Going to the doctor locally tomorrow to fix this mess - ladies, STAY AWAY from this garbage Pill."

• Jen...
• May 8, 2019

For Birth Control "For as long as I can remember, I struggled with terrible PMS symptoms such as increased anxiety, depression, bloating, and cramping. I also had very heavy periods that lasted 6-7 days. Since starting the Junel Fe pill, I can honestly say my PMS symptoms have vastly improved. Under my doctor's orders, I am taking the pill continuously (skipping placebos). So, I have not had my period this month, which has been a huge burden lifted. I have had minimal spotting for a couple of days, but only enough to need a pantyliner. I have tried several other types of pills throughout my adult life, and this is the only one I have been able to tolerate. I have not experienced significant weight gain but have noticed a bit of a bloated feeling as well as some mild breakouts on my chest and face. My breasts have increased in size, which has been nice as I'm normally a small B cup. I expect all of these side effects to dissipate after 3 months, as according to my doctor, it takes that long for the body to adjust."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2019

For Birth Control "This birth control has been an absolutely awful experience. I have never had anxiety, depression, or any crazy mood swings until I got put on this pill. I have extreme mood swings, anxiety is through the roof, and depression never lets up. I have NEVER had this problem. I cry constantly and couldn't figure out what was wrong with me but finally put it together with this pill. To top it off, the first month I bled for the entire month except for 8 days. Not just a little, full-on period for the whole month. I have never written a review before, so believe me when I say that this pill is horrible. If I could have given it a 0, I would have."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2020

For Birth Control "I have never had such a bad experience! I have been on multiple birth controls my whole life, and this one made me feel so low. I was on Yaz and loved it, but was taken off it due to high DVT risk. They gave me this garbage, and I noticed I was more anxious, and then during my placebo/period week, I got the most crippling depressive dark thoughts. I just felt like what's the point, and life wasn't worth it. I blew it off at first, thinking I must be becoming depressed. But every month this continued for the next 3 months. Same horrible crushing depression. My Dr. said to come off it and stay off any b.c. for at least 2 months. I would NEVER recommend this to anyone."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2018

For Birth Control "I have been on Junel Fe for almost a month, and I can't stop bleeding! On top of the ruined underwear and annoyance, I have experienced lower abdominal discomfort (light cramping), headaches, low libido, and my anxiety has spiked. It has been a nightmare. I plan on talking to my doctor ASAP because nothing about this situation is pleasant."

• Hea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 5, 2017

For Birth Control "I didn't become pregnant on this pill, but I stopped taking it after 7 months due to side effects. I was moody, sad, getting horrible headaches weekly, and felt anxious all the time. Never had any problems like that before, so I stopped the pill, and sure enough, everything went back to normal. I also had several days of mild cramping rather than my usual one day of more intense cramps-wasn't a fan. I'd much rather get that discomfort over with in one day. Though covered by insurance, the side effects of this pill were not worth it to me."

• Fea...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 2, 2018

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control for 5 years now. My doctor prescribed it to me because my flow was severely heavy, and that, coupled with my anemia, led to me passing out a lot. Also, before I began it, I had cramps so painful that I would miss work or school because I couldn't get out of the fetal position. The first thing I noticed when I originally went on it was the cramps went away. After 4 months of being on it, my period started to lessen. After the first year, I went from 5 days of heavy flow and 2 days of average flow to 3 days of heavy flow, and then it lessened over the course of the week. Now, I have 3 days of normal flow and light spotting the rest of the week. I never gained weight or had any anxiety attacks. Honestly, this pill is great."

• Ann...
• April 8, 2017

For Birth Control "I was switched to this pill from LoLoestrin Fe after changing my health insurance that didn't cover LoLo. I loved LoLo as I didn't get any side effects. Even aware of the horrible ratings that I read about Junel Fe, I decided to give it a try because, hey, everybody is different. HORRIBLE PILL. From the moment I started taking it, I felt dizzy, had cramps, anxiety, mood swings, loss of energy, and worst of all, I was getting migraines almost every day. I also started to gain weight and THE HORROR... ACNE TOO! I told my OBGYN, and we are going to try another method. Pills like this should not be on the market, PERIOD, and insurance companies should not just take the cheapest stuff that makes their subscribers PAYING THEM miserable."

• Pip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2020

For Birth Control "UPDATE: It is now March, and I had to switch off the Junel because I was getting severe chest/heart pains and had to get an EKG. I wanted to write about the symptoms I had for those months. Well, my pharmacy unexpectedly switched me to Microgestin the second month because Junel was 'backordered.' I was always extremely tired, nauseous, and had a continuous splitting headache. Also, I'm usually a person who is ALWAYS trying to have sex, and since I was on Junel/Microgestin, I am NEVER thinking of sex. No sex drive at all. Really sucks. Also, because of my PCOS, I still have severe bloating and pain. So the birth control hasn't helped with that either, but I understand it takes time. So now, because of the chest pains and other symptoms, I am currently taking LoLoestrin. I am genuinely an anxious person, so my gyno said this might help with my anxiety as well as my other issues. Hopefully, this pill will be different. The chest pains have lowered but still kind of remain. I will update again. Hope this helps, ladies."

• Lyn...
• April 29, 2016

For Birth Control "Worst pill ever! I started taking this pill to regulate my period, clear my skin, and combat night sweats. I figure at mid-40s, I might be just now losing too much estrogen. Within one week, I went from having a high sex drive to none. I had hot flashes all day and was sweating like a gross animal, which only increased my acne. The fun continued as I had day-long anxiety! There was no way I was waiting to see if my body regulated. This pill got the trash!"

• Ell...
• February 3, 2018

For Birth Control "This page just gave me so much relief! I have just started my second month's worth of Junel Fe and was having unbelievable anxiety. I teach for a living and started having panic attacks while teaching. The only thing that has changed in my life is this birth control, and the only reason I changed to this is because my insurance no longer covered my previous prescription. I’m going to stop taking it as of today! That’s terrifying that the side effects are so scary. I don’t care about breast tenderness or a little weight gain, but having anxiety 24/7 is completely unmanageable."

• Ann...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 7, 2019

For Birth Control "So I started taking Junel after my last pill made me constantly cry. At first, it was great, for a solid year, I had light, regular periods and no emotional problems. I have now been on the pill for about 2 years, and my periods have disappeared. This causes me a lot of stress, and I constantly take pregnancy tests that come back negative. I wish I could have regular periods again. I have also noticed that I have had a lot of anxiety that I never had problems with before. My only positive is that my acne is better."

• Sib...
• August 2, 2019

For Birth Control "This birth control is pure trash. I got brown spots all over my forehead, insane cystic acne on my arms, back, and chin, never had pimples ever. Extremely horrible mood swings, crying constantly, blurry vision, anxiety, depression. No weight gain for me. I went to see a dermatologist, no answers for my acne until I saw my doctor, and he realized what I was on. I’m on day 5 off of it, and got my period instantly. My period has not been the same: dark, dark blood, getting my period about 3 times a month. My first month on, I bled for 3 weeks straight. Horrible, never taking any birth control, this one did it for me for good."

• Mrs...
• October 29, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on this medication, Junel Fe 1/20, for almost a year with very little side effects. About a year in, I became overwhelmed with severe anxiety. It was getting in the way of my ability to function. I was planning a wedding and starting a new job, so I thought that was the reason for the anxiety. I also completely missed my period for 2 months in a row (which has never happened). Even though I took the pill like clockwork, I was terrified I was pregnant. I took many tests, and they all came back negative. Convinced I was pregnant anyway, I stopped taking the pill until I could get in to see a doctor to confirm it. About two days later, I got a period. In about a week, my severe anxiety was pretty much gone. I’m not saying that this is or will be everyone’s experience. I just want you to know that if you are feeling overly anxious or depressed, don’t rule anything out. I thought that since I had been on this pill for a year with no symptoms, it couldn’t be the pill. Trust your body!"

• Cha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 26, 2023

For Birth Control "This birth control is the only one I’ve ever taken. Sometimes I go back and forth between Junel Fe and Blisovi Fe. It has been a really good pill to me, honestly. I started my freshman year of high school, and now I am going into my sophomore year of college on it. I was bigger when I started this pill and have lost lots of weight since I started this pill, but I don’t believe the pill was any help to that, just my own diet changes. I always had moderate/mild anxiety and got more anxiety through my life from life experiences, but I don’t think this pill is to blame. My acne is nonexistent usually, and my periods are about 3 days long with little to no cramping. This pill is really great, I never got the severe symptoms of depression/anxiety/panic like the other reviews say until I went through traumatic experiences, and that was almost four years after I started taking it. It may be hormones trying to balance still, but everyone responds differently, and I recommend trying something else!"

• jgh...
• April 30, 2019

For Birth Control "The only thing worse than the 2-week long period (followed by a yeast infection) is my mood. I'm crying multiple times a day-- even at work. My anxiety is through the roof, causing stress and depression, which in my case leads to gastrointestinal issues (nausea and diarrhea). I've only been on this pill for a little while, and I cannot wait to get off."

• jgh...
• April 30, 2019

For Birth Control "The only thing worse than the 2-week long period (followed by a yeast infection) is my mood. I'm crying multiple times a day-- even at work. My anxiety is through the roof, causing stress and depression, which in my case leads to gastrointestinal issues (nausea and diarrhea). I've only been on this pill for a little while, and I cannot wait to get off."

• ala...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2019

For Birth Control "Worst experience with this birth control. I have been taking this for about 6 months, and this has made me extremely irritable. My hormones are all over the place, I feel like I have no control of my emotions. I gained 10 pounds, even though I was eating healthy and exercising, and I was always bloated! I had brain fog all day and was constantly sleepy! The ONLY plus side to this pill is how clear my skin was. So overall, I do not recommend this birth control, especially if you suffer from anxiety."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 10, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on Junel Fe for 8 months now. At first, I thought it was great! No more cramps, no acne (unless I was about to start), hadn't gotten pregnant. So perfect, right? Well, for the past 3-4 months, I have been in nothing but HORRIBLE moods. Like, lock myself in my room so I don't have to talk to anyone, and when I do, it turns into an argument. I'll lay in bed and think really horrible thoughts also. I'll get random bursts of anxiety and sweat my butt off. I've gained over 13 lbs since the pill, and even if I went to the gym, it seemed like a never-ending cycle of gain and lose. So overall, I'm not pleased with my experience with this pill. I highly advise not to take it if you have ANY history of depression or anxiety of ANY sort."

• Gem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 13, 2017

For Birth Control "I was switched to Junel after a problem with my Rx at CVS and took it for almost a month. Near the end of that month, I started getting extreme anxiety with no history of anxiety ever in my life. After stopping and refusing to take the last two pills of my 24-day pack, I developed such a bad depression where I would have bouts of crying and couldn't think straight. I'd lay on my bed and cry for hours straight and haven't been able to stop since. The anxiety wouldn't go away, even at work when I would try and keep myself busy. My head was constantly screaming irrational fears at me. I stopped eating, stopped brushing my hair, stopped wanting to see my boyfriend and family (who are extremely loving and supportive). AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!"

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 28, 2018

For Birth Control "This pill is awful. I've been on it for about a year and am switching off now. I've gained almost 40 pounds with no lifestyle or eating changes. It also exacerbates my anxiety and murdered my sex drive. I'm 27, a newlywed, and sex has been a huge struggle on this pill. Switching ASAP to something different."

• Anonymous
• July 4, 2018

For Birth Control "Stopped BC for about 2 years, and then went on it again a year and a half ago, about 3 months before I got married. About 4 months after taking it, I had my first ever panic attack. I slowly gained weight all the time to the point that now I am 22 pounds heavier than when I started. I have bad anxiety and feel stressed ALL the time. I thought this was just due to being married (everyone kept telling me 'the first year of marriage is stressful, everyone gains weight after they get married'). I've literally tried everything to lose weight and manage my stress and have only GAINED weight and felt the same emotionally. I thought this was all normal due to my life change and getting older (turned 33 this year) and now to find all of these reviews a year and a half later, it's all getting put together in my head. Finishing this month and then getting off this! Will give an updated review a couple of months after being off it."