Lo Loestrin Fe and Acne: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Ano...
• November 3, 2015

For Birth Control "The only good thing that came from being on this pill was that it prevented pregnancy. Unfortunately, the side effects forced me off it. In the beginning, there was cystic acne (face, chest, back), mild weight gain/bloating, and mild mood swings. I gave it some time, my body just needed to adjust. After four months, the acne cleared up, but the mood swings worsened and depression kicked in. It only got worse from there. Just before stopping this pill at nine months, I felt like a completely different person-crying over every little thing, everything irritated me, little sex drive, constantly depressed. These side effects were having a huge negative impact on my life, totally not worth it to me."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2019

For Birth Control "I've had a similar experience to another reviewer - the manufacturer, Janssen, of my previous pill brand name Ortho Tri-Cyclen stopped making it, so I decided to try this since it was a low-dose pill. I'm on my second pack but getting off - never in my life have I felt depressed, but I started feeling moody, easily agitated, angry at the little things, not motivated to go to work, SUPER tired and wanting to sleep even after a full night's sleep. I started getting a little acne on my back and chest too. Nothing bad is going on in my life at all, and there have been no changes besides being on this pill. This pill did not work for me, I was going to try to stay on for a 3rd month, but it's clearly not working for me, so I am getting off!"

• hon...
• June 26, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for almost three months now, and I love it. After my first birth control experience, I was terrified to use birth control ever again. However, I'd rather take the risk instead of becoming pregnant, so I tried it again. The first month was horrible, with minor breakouts and bad mood swings, but I have adjusted now. You must wait out the first month or two to be adjusted. After that, it's smooth sailing. I don't have any breakouts, my sex drive is normal, and I haven't gained any weight. I still get moody every once in a while, which is bearable. Overall, a very good birth control. But EXPENSIVE without insurance!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2021

For Birth Control "Do not recommend: Mood swings - screaming at everyone in sight and then crying hysterically. Depression, weight gain, cystic acne on my face, chest, and back, severe headaches. Very light period was the only positive I can think of, but it is not worth the negatives..."

• mam...
• December 17, 2011

For Birth Control "I was worried about starting birth control. I wanted something with little to no side effects and something that wouldn't be a big risk to the bits of cervical cancer I have. So I talked to my doctor, and he put me on Lo Loestrin Fe, and I love it. It's amazing. I have very little side effects, like when on the blue pills in the pack. I have a little bit of acne, but when my period comes at the end of the pack, the acne goes away. I also have a little bit of bloating in the belly, but no big weight gain, and sometimes I get a bad headache an hour after taking it. I also have trouble sleeping, and sometimes my arm goes numb, but I don't have bad side effects. These are nothing, I love this pill. I have no random spotting or bleeding, and it does not make me sick."

• Ccc...
• September 17, 2013

For Birth Control "I originally took this pill to regulate my periods and obviously prevent pregnancy. Before taking any sort of birth control, I had PMS with moderate to heavy periods. Ever since this pill, my period is where the blue pills stop, and my period is so light, no cramps, no PMS. But I have realized I am gaining a little weight. My breasts definitely seem a little bigger, so used to a B cup, so when they get bigger-I know the difference. This pill has done a good job. I haven't had sex without a condom while being on this birth control. I see less acne, though."

• Lal...
• January 24, 2019

For Birth Control "Used this birth control for 4 months now, and it gave me really bad acne. My boobs became bigger and bigger (now happy about that), and the top of my hair started thinning. Gained a bunch of weight. This and the depo shot, I can honestly say, have ruined my life. I don’t feel pretty or confident."

• Jen...
• April 3, 2015

For Birth Control "There is a reason this is the highest-rated oral contraceptive on Drugs.com. It is the best. It has no equivalent. This is the safest type of progestin in terms of blood clots; the pill is highly androgenic (so, sorry for those with a pre-existing tendency towards acne; this pill may not be the best for you), but for the rest of us, it means your sex drive will likely stay intact. It has the least amount of estrogen which, again, means it's the safest pill out there. After a few months, your period will be so short and so light. No pill is perfect. Being on the pill means fewer gains in muscle mass at the gym. But this is the closest pill to perfect you will find. You honestly can't do any better, so don't waste your time trying."

• Jad...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 2, 2023

For Birth Control "I was on Lo Loestrin Fe for 14 months. I was on the NuvaRing for 10 years prior to that. My mental health was good on these pills, however, my libido really tanked to the point I had no interest at all. I also became a bit more irritable, and the main issue was the cystic acne! This pill made me break out like hell, and it got awful by the 6-7 month mark once I stopped seeing an esthetician regularly. It was pustular, with smaller cysts/papules and excessive dry patches of eczema. Then the excessive sweating started with crazy hot flashes. My scalp was also having dry patches and hair loss with lots of itching. I also stopped getting my period completely 3 months into the pill. So I didn’t have a period for almost a year. This pill is probably great if you want little to no periods and don’t have skin issues. I want my skin back to normal, so I’m trying Beyaz. I think the hormone combo just wasn’t for me, and this progestin type is known to cause acne."

• M20...
• July 30, 2015

For Birth Control "This is the only birth control I've been on, and I'm sticking to it because it works really great for me! The first three months or so, I had no sex drive - but it passed, so it wasn't a permanent side effect. It's been at least seven months now, and I get hardly any cramps, whereas before I used to get them so bad that I'd fall on the floor in pain. Hardly any period (lasts about three days, and I can use liners for two days, regular sized pad for one day), whereas before I had a really awful, heavy seven-eight day period. I also have really clear skin now too. I'll get maybe two tiny pimples in total, nearing my period, and that's it. It's fantastic. And of course, it's also done its job as a birth control pill."

• seb...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 19, 2016

For Birth Control "This review is past due because I stopped taking Lo Loestrin a couple of years ago due to a job/insurance change and moving. But out of all the pills I've tried, this one was actually one of the better ones I tried. PROS: NO periods, no cramps, no mood swings, all gone :D!! I'm a heavy bleeder with horrible cramps/pains. This completely got rid of it, and it was SO nice. Weight gain! For some, this is a huge con, but I'm a 5'2" 105 lb stick figure girl and I've always struggled with trying to gain a healthy weight. This added about 5-10 lbs on, and I was really happy about it. CONS: Acne :( I never had bad acne until I started taking this. Also had no desire for sex, but I took it to fix my bad periods, not for dodging babies."

• Car...
• August 4, 2016

For Birth Control "Had almost every side effect! Gained weight, very moody, my face and back broke out badly (which I usually never have), very tender breasts, frequent headaches, tired. Was just NOT a good experience, after 3 1/2 months, I couldn't take it anymore. Scared to try a different one now since how bad of an experience this was."

• Uku...
• April 29, 2014

For Birth Control "Pro: little to no period (I didn't have one at all after month four), no weight gain (I am very active, though), no mood swings. Con: acne, headaches (not migraines), little to no sex drive. The sex drive issue is why I'm trying a different birth control. I love my husband and want to enjoy married life."

• She...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 3, 2016

For Birth Control "STAY AWAY FROM THIS PILL. I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. I liked it a lot because I had zero acne. The only problem was that my periods lasted over a week and could be painful. I changed gynecologist when I moved to college. She put me on Lo Loestrin Fe, and it was the worst year of my entire life. My face looked worse than it did in 7th grade. I have ZERO sex drive. I already have anxiety, and this pill made it a million times worse, and I about drove everyone, as well as myself, crazy with my mood swings and attitude. Wanna know the worst part? I had two periods a month. One on the week my actual period was supposed to start and one on the second week in the pack. I put up with that for an entire year thinking it would 'regulate.' It didn't. BEWARE."

• meo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2017

For Birth Control "I would not recommend this birth control at all. I've taken BC in the past and had 0 complications. To begin, this BC is a low dosage, so it really shouldn't have this severe of symptoms. Two weeks after starting this birth control, I noticed a huge increase in appetite (causing me to gain weight), I had mood swings, spotting, and fatigue. I am now finishing up my 2nd month and am stopping this because I ended up having episodes of depression again, heavier spotting (had to wear a tampon), and got acne (in addition to the 1st month side effects). Do not waste your time, pain, and energy with this birth control."

• LKM...
• March 30, 2016

For Birth Control "WORST BIRTH CONTROL. I was on it for a little over a year and just got off of it (thank goodness!) First 3 months of taking the pill, I gained 18 pounds... And my diet and exercise did not change whatsoever. I developed these extremely painful vaginal infections while on this pill, and my sex drive dropped significantly. Never suffered with acne, not even during my awkward teen years, but as soon as I started taking this medication, I broke out EVERYWHERE... Face and body. But worst of all, this pill made me absolutely PSYCHOTIC. I'm generally a really happy person, but all of a sudden, I became EXTREMELY testy, angry, and teary all the time. Even had quite a few gnarly panic attacks. I would never recommend this to anyone..."

• Kim...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 3, 2022

For Birth Control "I've been on Lo Loestrin for 8 years! Absolutely the best birth control I've been on! Was skeptical at first to the idea of no period, but loved that fact after several months. Never got pregnant while on it. No mood swings. No weight gain. No acne! Wish my insurance didn't make me have to change."

• Eme...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 3, 2023

For Birth Control "I absolutely love Lo Loestrin Fe! I took it for about 8 years before trying an IUD (don’t get me started on that…) and have since switched back. On Lo Loestrin Fe, my acne is much better, my periods eventually disappear, and even when I do have periods, I don’t cramp."

• ATa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 8, 2021

For Birth Control "I love Lo Loestrin Fe! I took this for two years and never even had a period! Before taking, I got terrible hormonal acne and awful periods. While on it, my skin got clearer and I didn’t have to worry about getting my period. I only had to stop and go on generic because of insurance purposes."

• Bri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 20, 2015

For Birth Control "I love it! I went on these for irregular periods, bad cramps, and to prevent pregnancy. My body took a couple of months to adjust to it, and there was spotting for a couple of weeks at a time and breaking out, but these are only temporary side effects, and around pack 3 or 4, everything was great. No periods, no babies, hardly any pimples, no cramps, and I didn't gain weight. My sex drive is great, and energy is as it has always been, and my mood is normal as it was before. My suggestion to you all is to let your body adjust for a few months and only consider the reviews of people who have taken Lo Loestrin Fe for 6 months or more after the side effects have subsided. Best of luck!"

• Kei...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 12, 2015

For Birth Control "I took this pill for almost 1 month. I've tried other BCs but never had more bad side effects than I do on this pill. I was extremely nauseous, lightheaded, dizzy, unmotivated, VERY tired, irritable. I would black out daily. I started breaking out (never had acne before). Also, it messed with my vision. When trying to focus on something (like reading or writing), my eyes would strobe in and out of vision and shake uncontrollably. It would last about 5 seconds and come about every 3-5 minutes. I am 18 years old, 5'6 and used to weigh about 118. After starting this pill, I lost 13 pounds, which left me feeling weak and looking terrible. Headaches are bad too! I've never had health issues, but this really messed me up. I do NOT recommend!"

• vct...
• December 20, 2012

For Birth Control "I will have been on it for a month on December 25. About a week and a half into the pill, I noticed pink discharge that turned into a week or two of spotting. I have slight headaches, which I know is from the pill and getting used to it, and my skin went from flawless to 7 or 8 pimples, so I'm pretty angry. The doctor wants me to give it a month or two more, hopefully, my skin clears up soon!"

• Dan...
• February 23, 2012

For Birth Control "About to finish my third week. Started the pill on the first day of my period, so my period lasted a little longer than usual. I take it at night before bed to minimize the side effects. It did cause me to wake up a little nauseous a couple nights, and I did get a couple of zits over the last couple of weeks. I usually just get one zit the week before my period to let me know it's around the corner. I haven't really noticed any other side effects. I am a little bloated, but I think it's because my period is around the corner. All in all, the first few weeks have been surprisingly tolerable. I was scared at first, but it seems like this may just work out for me. I will update during my second month to keep you all posted."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on LOLO (Canadian version) for just over a month now. I personally have had side effects on this pill, but nothing extreme, and I feel pretty good. Here's a list of my side effects week by week: Week 1: dry eyes, dull cramps, vivid dreams, feeling tired. Week 2: small dark spotting, irritable, acne, large appetite, tired. Week 3: large appetite, acne, emotional, dark spotting. Week 4: dark spotting, tired, dull cramps, appetite normal. Did not get my period on the placebo pills. Spotting was no big deal at all. No weight gain. No bloating. No horrendous cramps that I usually get. So far, during the second pack, I am feeling pretty good. I think this pill is worth a try, and you need to give your body time to adjust!!"

• cur...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2016

For Birth Control "I wrote a review about this birth control pill 1 month in taking the pill. Things were great besides the 1 breakout that I can't necessarily put on the pill. But now, 4 months in, I'm having to go to my gynecologist back again because things worsened considerably. I break out like a teenager (I never had a pimple in my life, and I have no idea what to do about it), I actually have cysts, and they're sore to touch!!! I mean, it's ridiculous! I started having dryness during sex (not so much now, but I had to adjust my methods subsequently ;)), irregular periods, random spotting, can't plan anything because I don't know when my period will come... and my breasts are very tender to touch. I honestly hate it. It doesn't do anything for me :("