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

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 8, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on the Junel Fe 1/20 pill for almost 3 months! I switched from Taytulla and was very scared considering I loved Taytulla. Fortunately, I transitioned to this pill with ease. Prevents pregnancy, and I've seen no significant side effects. Among all these bad reviews, I can say I love this pill! No weight gain. Helps with acne. No mood swings. Give it a try! PS these pills contain the same active ingredients at the same strength, the only difference is Junel is 21 days of active tabs, 7 days of inactive tabs, whereas Taytulla is 24 days of active tabs and 4 days of inactive tabs, and Taytulla is a capsule."

• sr1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for about two months. I normally take Microgestin but was given this prescription randomly. First month was fine, I didn't notice any changes. Second month, I am a complete psychopath. Extremely irritable, constant mood swings, crying literally all of the time. Gained weight and developed acne. I would highly avoid taking this pill."

• Mel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 26, 2019

For Birth Control "I was taking Microgestin, but then my pharmacy switched me to this god-awful pill, Junel Fe 1/20, when insurance could not cover the Microgestin. This pill sucks. I have been miserable. I have gained a lot of weight even though I eat healthy and exercise daily. I am crying constantly, mood swings, etc. I am barely bleeding on my period and cramping only a little, but that is the only plus side of this medication. Do not take this pill."

• Sad...
• November 19, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on Junel Fe 1/20 for about 10 months. Honestly, the worst birth control I've ever been on. Yes, it prevented pregnancy, but it also made me hormonal, moody, depressed. I began to grow hair on my chin and chest, weight gain, cyst on my breast, hot flashes, and the list goes on. I would not recommend this to anyone."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• December 27, 2019

For Birth Control "Junel Fe 1/20 is the worst experience on any meds I have ever taken. In the nine days I was able to stand taking this BC, I dealt with all the usual - sore chest, constipation, bloated belly, weight gain, and heightened sadness with no external cause. This is all to be expected and may have worked itself out over time. However, the scariest side effect by day two was excruciating pain that, over the course of at least the next two weeks, traveled from my shoulder, to my neck, to mid back, to my lower left back, to my groin, and settled into my mid lower back. I was in excruciating pain at times and was not able to drive for fear I would pass out. Needless to say, I missed work time, and it significantly impacted the holiday season for me and my family in a very negative way. I was afraid I would not be able to walk normally again. After a week off this medication, I am only in moderate pain and can walk and drive, but in pain. At least I know I am not going to become disabled. This experience was truly horrifying."

• 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."

• per...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 3, 2019

For Birth Control "If you have a family history of mental illness, stay far away from this pill, Junel Fe 1/20. I never showed any signs of depression until I started this pill, and I am stopping after a year of taking it because I cannot do it anymore. I work out 7 days a week with an average diet and still have experienced weight gain, and my skin is the worst it has ever been. I also have not had actual blood in my periods since I started taking it. This has nearly scared me away from all birth control pills entirely. Don’t put yourself through this, there are better meds on the market."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 21, 2020

For Birth Control "This birth control is horrible. I was switched to it from another and have had numerous side effects. Do not take this product. It has made me uncontrollably emotional for no reason and caused weight gain. Stay away."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 1, 2019

For Birth Control "This was my first experience with birth control ever. The only reason I'm not giving it a 0 is because I didn't get pregnant the two years I was on it. However, I did manage to gain 100 lbs (no joke) taking this, and many other weird health issues arose taking this. I've NEVER had such an issue with my weight or my health. Once I got off it, 'shockingly,' my health has improved."

• Bst...
• November 7, 2017

For Birth Control "I started Junel to try and have shorter, more regular periods. I'm on my 5th month using it now. For the first 3 months, I would spot for the entire week before my period would actually start, but I stuck with it since they say your body takes time to get used to it. I don't have that issue anymore, but I have gained at least 11 lbs in the last 2 months, and I'm the type that does not gain weight easily (I've probably gained about a pound a year since 2007). I've been wanting to gain weight, but this came on kind of suddenly, so I'm a little worried."

• 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."

• kel...
• April 16, 2012

"I didn't like being on this birth control. I was on it for about 2 months when I started to have seriously bad acne breakouts. I always would have a few pimples before my period, but these breakouts were terrible, and they would last forever. I also started to break out on my chest. Something else I noticed was weight gain. I am an avid runner, and when I started Junel, I gained about 6 pounds and felt consistently bloated... which is very abnormal for me. As far as protecting against pregnancy goes, it definitely did its job, and I haven't noticed any significant changes in my mood one way or the other. I have cramping on the first day of my period, but it isn't too bad, and my period lasted about 4-5 days."

• nkk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 10, 2019

For Birth Control "This pill was not a good fit for me. I experience many side effects that I have never experienced before, at least not like this. I was on Lutera before for three months, then used Junel for four months. Immediately after switching to Junel, my libido was basically non-existent. I was bloated all the time and gained 5 pounds (even though I had been the same weight for almost 1.5 years). I was experiencing some mood swings in the evening, but not like when I was on Lutera. Junel claims to help with acne, but it did not help with my acne at all. While taking this pill, I experienced more acne than I had for like three or four years, but it did not affect acne to any extreme. I am switching to Ocella next week. Hopefully, that will be a better experience."

• 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."

• mak...
• November 12, 2014

For Birth Control "Been on Junel Fe for about 8 years now. Never really had any problems with it, except that once I gained some weight, it's a lot harder to lose while on the pill. I didn't have any negative side effects, except a lower libido, which has never really bothered me. But for the last couple of months, my periods have been way out of whack. Last month, I had 3 periods, this month, I missed my scheduled period...not really sure what's going on here, but I haven't missed taking any pills. I'm thinking about going off the pill now, which is what brought me here, but I'm worried that it will make me gain weight and get acne again."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2018

For Birth Control "I have been on and off of Junel Fe 1/20 for this past year and previously took Loestrin, and before that Depo-Provera (worst three years ever!). I started taking Junel Fe back in January, and by the first week, I was already regretting it. I was eating everything in sight, having the worst mood swings, and 0 sex drive! I finished the first pack and gained 10 pounds in one month, and then took a break from it. Recently, I have had a pregnancy scare, which I resorted to getting another pack just to give it another try. Needless to say, my mood swings were awful, and my sex drive was nonexistent, to the point that sex hurt. Also, in trying another pack, one hour after taking a pill, I would feel nauseated and lethargic. Do yourself a favor and do not take these. They are a nightmare!"

• Ise...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2014

For Birth Control "I started this as my first-ever birth control pill. My doctor prescribed it to me because I had crippling cramps and nausea. The first month my cramps were completely gone, and it was amazing, 3 months later, they are exactly the same as before I started the pill. I get my period twice a month now. I've been getting chronic headaches, repressed appetites, spotting, and cramps. The pill has improved my acne and made me gain a little weight (which I don't mind because I'm on a weight-gaining diet), but otherwise, this isn't the medication for me. I totally need a stronger medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 25, 2015

For Menstrual Disorders "I have been taking Junel Fe for 1 complete year after switching from Loestrin because of the expenses. Personally, it did great for me for preventing birth control. But I gained 18 pounds and always have food cravings. My breasts gained 2 cup sizes and are always sore...it's hard to sleep. My emotions are all over the place, I can be fine one minute, then I am angry and crying my eyeballs out the next for no reason. My anxiety increased severely, and I was depressed. My acne got worse, and my periods were awful. Obviously, this pill wasn't for me. I am finishing my pack and then starting a new one that my doctor prescribed. It's the generic for Yaz, which has me worried. But I will give it a try since I know my doctor would not recommend it if not safe."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been having terrible side effects from this pill, so I Googled it and found these reviews, which are exactly what I've been experiencing. I'm craving bad foods, gaining weight, my boobs are tremendously sore, I'm tired, and I haven't had a period. I've been on many other birth controls that I had no side effects on, so I will be switching back to Altavera ASAP!"

• car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2015

For Birth Control "I experienced a lot of weight gain, but the worst side effect has been dry skin on my face, and I have never had skin problems. I have also experienced some headaches, but I am going to actually take the brown pill this month. I have a missed period one month, and then the next month I get my period two times in one cycle. But it's working the best out of all the birth controls that I have used. (I use birth control for hormone headaches)"

• Ean...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 4, 2021

For Birth Control "I switched to this birth control when I was 15 after trying Depo-Provera injection and having a terrible experience and one other pill, which made me throw up every day. I've now been on Junel for 6 years. I have no side effects at all and have never had a pregnancy scare. I did notice it helped stabilize my mood throughout my teenage years. Now that I am 21, I'm starting to rapidly gain weight. Not sure if that correlates with the birth control. But I've seen a lot of comments on here from short-term Junel users and wanted to give some feedback from a long-term user. It's been great to me, and unless I find out it's causing my weight gain after all this time, I'll probably never switch. I also skip my periods until I start spotting, then I know it's time to have one. I have no cramps, but my periods were pretty easy before Junel. My acne was never affected (i.e., I still have it). All in all, this BC basically did nothing to me except keep me from getting pregnant."

• Kay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 6, 2016

For Birth Control "This pill made me break out like crazy. Also, it made me very depressed and irritated with everyone! I gained a little weight and ate like crazy. I tried to get off of it, but my doctor says I should take it for 3 months so my body can get used to it."