Lo Loestrin Fe and Depression: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Kri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 10, 2013

For Birth Control "I posted on this forum when I first started Lo Loestrin Fe. And I still love it! I used to have ovarian cysts that would rupture and cause immense pain, so I was placed on birth control by my gyno. My periods are 2-3 days (mostly spotting) and light cramping. I do, however, get more depressed around this time, and I feel the birth control does it. I also get more tired. But other than that, I'm still loving it! I pay around 15.00 a month after insurance. I plan on staying on this pill."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2021

For Birth Control "If you have pre-existing mental health conditions such as anxiety and panic attacks, please, please do not take this birth control. I was on a combination pill for almost 15 years and then decided to try Lo Loestrin Fe so my periods would be more manageable. I would take my painful periods over what this pill did to me any day. After my second pack, I started having the worst anxiety (had it prior but not terrible), panic attacks, and depression (I have NEVER had depression). I stuck it out but finally stopped Nov. 26th after my depression got scary. It got worse for a week after discontinuing (almost got admitted to psych), but now, almost 3 weeks after stopping, I am slowly feeling better. Please avoid if you already have anxiety, depression, or panic disorder!"

• hon...
• August 16, 2013

For Birth Control "I was on it for a year. I love to eat. (Never noticed an increase in weight gain, always have had the same body figure.) I wasn't sexually active, so can't vote on that effectiveness. I hear it's expensive, but the state pays for mine. I'm considering going back to it. Pros: clear skin (1-2 pimples a day before I start, but that's it). No cramps (I've always suffered from bad ones). Energetic. No breast tenderness. Cons: On or a week before; very emotional. I never got my period, which is why I decided to get off it. (Dr. said it was normal - I got my cycle a week after I got off the pill.) Stated side effects were depression - I've had it, and this possibly increased it a bit. Possibly caused hypertension. Everyone is different. Give it at least 6 months."

• Kit...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 2, 2019

For Birth Control "I absolutely love this birth control. My first birth control was newer and called Taytulla. It was awful and made me super depressed as well as worsened my acne. After that, I was so nervous to switch birth controls, but this one has made my life so much better! My periods are shorter, my anxiety has lessened than before I was even on birth control, and I don’t break out besides on my period. If it doesn’t work for others, remember it could work for you! I love this so much! (I also know a lot of people on it who loved it!)"

• Fab...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 1, 2016

For Birth Control "Worst birth control ever! I was taking this pill for a little over a year, and yeah, I gained about 10 lbs and had breakouts, but the real issues were that it made me extremely irritable, emotional, as well as depressed. My sex drive became nonexistent, and I was having severe dryness, plus yeast infections. So I guess, yes, it completely worked as an effective birth control because I just didn't want to have sex, plus what boyfriend would want to have sex with their emotionally crazy girlfriend who is dry or having a yeast infection? Honestly, I've been off of it for 6 months, but I remember even after the first week off, my body was normalizing, and I felt radiant! Stay away from this pill! You've been warned."

• Cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2019

For Birth Control "I understand birth control is different for every person, but from my experience, you should avoid this birth control or be very careful/prepared before taking it. The first two weeks I gained 7 pounds, had horrible acne, and was so tired. I knew my body was going through a hormonal change, so I decided to ride out the first month. By the end of the first month, I developed extreme, crippling anxiety and depression. Nothing brought me joy, I panicked about everything, I cried for no reason, and had no motivation to do anything. I’d even wake up 5-6 times a night in extreme panics about nothing. This pill honestly almost ruined my life. I just finished my first month, and I am never taking it again. I can’t risk how much worse it could get if I stayed on this pill any longer. If you want to try for yourself and notice any extreme symptoms within the first few weeks, I would recommend stopping immediately!"

• gra...
• February 3, 2020

For Birth Control "So! I started this birth control because I had been having migraines with my last brand, and I will say right now I would take the migraines over this monstrosity. I have been taking this for around seven months now and am about to change because of the side effects alone. I have had two periods every month, one around halfway through the pack and one at the end. I gave it a grace period of three months to make sure it wasn't my body just getting used to it. While I haven't had migraines around my period anymore at all, I have become depressed. I have never felt like this before, but I will often just start feeling upset and can't explain why. My sex drive dropped severely as a result as well. I lost a lot of my energy and would just prefer to lay in bed. I forced myself to work out, go to therapy, and eat better but to no avail. I will say that this doesn't seem to be a common side effect for most users, and I am prone to anxiety, so do what you will with that."

• Gol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2014

For Birth Control "This is my second time around on this. I took it about 3 years ago for a full year and totally loved it, hence why I got back on it. This time it was a much different experience. The 3 months I was on it was constant breakthrough bleeding pretty much every single day. About 8-10 lbs weight gain (fairly active, in my late 20s, eat clean). Sex drive was nonexistent. No acne, thankfully. I also experienced some depression, never suicide but just down and blue most days. I am switching to Microgestin Fe 1/20 because my OB said Lo Loestrin may have been too low of a dosage for me."

• Dia...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 20, 2016

For Birth Control "I was prescribed Lo Loestrin Fe to treat very painful ovulation and ovarian cysts. The pain was unbearable and made my life miserable. I experienced no more pain as soon as I started taking these pills and haven't had any since (1 year ago). I always had heavy periods, and now my periods are super light for a couple of days. I've had no weight gain, in fact, I've lost some. I do experience some moodiness, sadness, and low sex drive."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2012

For Birth Control "I'm on my 9th day of the pill and feel depressed and have been crying nonstop. I had to call in to work because of this. I have gained 6 lbs in the last 9 days and have no sex drive. I have been bleeding for 9 days now and there are no signs of that letting up anytime soon. This is severely atypical for me. I am usually the happiest person you will meet and now I can't stop crying."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2016

For Birth Control "I switched to Lo Loestrin after being on generic Loestrin for about 3 months. My body is high estrogen to begin with, so I needed something with less hormones. Generic gave me terrible anxiety, depression, mood swings, weight gain, and hormonal acne. After switching to Lo Loestrin, within 3 weeks I had lost 5 lbs, had glowing skin, and overall felt amazing. Every woman's body reacts to birth control differently, so my advice is if you feel awful, it definitely couldn't hurt to try something new, right? Lo Loestrin was amazing for me, but some people have terrible experiences."

• lol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2019

For Birth Control "Over the years, I have been sensitive to the hormones in BC pills, so my Dr. prescribed me Lo Loestrin Fe in hopes of a better option because of its low dose. I have been taking this pill for 3 months, I committed to 3 months to allow my body to adjust. The first month was okay, I noticed my hunger increase, but I figured that was a side effect I could adjust to. By the second month, I had become extremely tired, irritable, and very depressed. My eyes hurt and are blurry, my period has become irregular and lasts on and off for 8 consecutive days. I have gotten 3 yeast infections since starting the pill. I'm super hungry ALL THE TIME and have gained 10 lbs that will not come off! I am going to be stopping this pill at the end of the pack (as per recommendation) and looking into a copper IUD. I literally cannot wait to get off this garbage and get my life back!"

• kid...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 2, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been taking Lo Loestrin for 5 months now. My body has not adjusted to this dumb pill. I've had 2 weeks of periods, one week without bleeding, then I start again. I'm feeling depressed, all I want to do is cry. I haven't had sex with my husband because of the bleeding, and all we've been doing is fighting. I hate this pill. I'm done taking this damn pill, it's no good."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 7, 2020

For Birth Control "I took Lo Lo for two months. The first month wasn’t bad, I experienced mild breast tenderness and a bit of fatigue. The second month was bad. I was highly irritable with everyone and everything and became depressed. It was hard for me to get out of bed in the morning, and I had ZERO energy. I couldn’t even get through a workout. My appetite was off the charts, and particularly a craving for junk food. I felt very bloated and overall puffy. I am very sad this pill didn’t work out, it was nice not having a period at all, but that was the only upside."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2012

For Birth Control "Being an RN, I was very skeptical about birth control pills because of their reputation for causing issues. My OB/GYN encouraged me to take this pill due to a 7 cm left ovarian cyst... he said it may help alleviate the issues I was experiencing and prevent further complications. He gave me a couple of months' worth of samples of Lo Loestrin Fe to try. I will never take birth control again. I took a month's worth of the pills and quit. I was experiencing very severe mood swings, depression, etc. - very unlike me... I have always been very happy and stable. A week ago I quit taking the pills."

• CJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 8, 2020

For Birth Control "I have had negative reactions to hormonal birth control in the past, so I decided to try an ultra low-dose pill. I am on my 4th month now, and it's been a waking nightmare. I am constantly having anxiety attacks and bouts of depression. This birth control has made me break out severely on my chin, as others have mentioned as well. I would NOT recommend trying this medication."

• Dag...
• April 28, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on this pill for four months. A week after I started it, I noticed my hair was significantly thinner than normal. The hair loss kept getting worse over the next few months, which is terrifying, I can assure you. I quickly fell into a black hole of depression, which I had never had problems with before. I also had no libido and horrible dryness, to the point that it hurt to even touch my labia. I also gained weight in weird places and had the 'pregnant woman body.' I quit the pill two weeks ago, and it's like a black cloud has been lifted off me. I'm crying reading these reviews because it's such a relief to know I'm not crazy. If you're on this pill, just watch out for the side effects and know it's not you, it's the pill."

• hil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 30, 2019

For Birth Control "I started this birth control about two months ago. Within the first two weeks on the pill, I was spotting every day and experiencing terrible abdominal pain. I thought nothing of it and continued taking it. A week later, my anxiety started to build up. I was having frequent panic attacks and angry episodes. I would lash out at everyone around me: my friends, my family. And I started to complain about everything my boyfriend did. I was never happy. One little thing would tick me off, and I would be down about it for the entire day or sometimes the entire week. I cannot stress enough how angry the pill made me; I was pushing everyone away. My experience with this brand of birth control was not great, and I would not recommend it if you have experienced these side effects with different birth controls or if you are prone to depression."

• lem...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 27, 2018

For Birth Control "27 years old. I have been on this for 3 years and decided to give it up for good. There are definitely pros and cons, but for me, the cons are too much. Pros: -no period in 3 years -no cramps -cleared all of my acne -didn't get pregnant Cons: -anxiety -depression -extreme brain fog daily (like you're just walking around in a dream) -mood swings (happy for a few hours, then sad for hours, then happy) -makes my face very dry and not able to retain moisture -fat/water retention on my stomach.... I gained 10 pounds on it (I've never had fat/water on my stomach, but this medicine has me with a constant chubby belly that never goes away even with diet and exercise). It just isn't worth it anymore, I want to feel normal again."

• Nik...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 26, 2016

For Birth Control "I started this pill after my son was born. He is two and a half. I had lost all my baby weight and then gained 20 pounds on this. Also, I had some depression start, and I wasn't sure if it was from my dad passing away. But then I got severe mood swings and emotional states, so bad it was giving me chest pains. So, I stopped the pill and anything else vitamin-wise I was taking for about 10 months. When I wanted to be back on birth control, my new doctor put me on this again. Well, I'm 3 months in, the depression and severe mood swings are all back, worse than before. So, I'm going with that it is the pill! To the point where my husband wants me to immediately stop taking it, he believes it's the pill as well, because it's not like me to be like this."

• Tri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2019

For Birth Control "Do not take this pill!!!! This is the worst birth control experience I have ever had!!! I've been on it for 5 months now, and within the first month, I was extremely depressed, and it lasted for 3 months. I didn't want to get out of bed, lost interest in everyday activities, and was very sad every single day. In the 4th month, I was not as depressed, but still have mood swings from months 4 to 5, and am very emotional. I started the pill due to heavy cycles, and my cycles are light on the pill, but I am also bleeding all the time in between cycles now. I can't even have sex without bleeding. It is extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing. I have gained 7 pounds in less than 5 months. My blood pressure is also super high now. I tried to give the pill some time for my body to get used to it, but I can't do this anymore. I've already gone to my doctor to request a different pill to start once this month's pack is done. This pill is poison!!!!"

• Anonymous
• March 30, 2012

For Birth Control "The first few weeks on the pill, I found an increase in breast size as well as an increased sex drive. However, after two months of being on the pill, my breasts shrunk back to their normal size, my sex drive was completely gone, and my face broke out in horrendous acne. I have whiteheads and dark spots everywhere, and my skin really hurts. I have also become more depressed, and during the times of PMS, I have experienced severe thoughts of suicide. It has definitely affected my everyday life. I was on the pill for about five months. This is not the pill for me, and I have just switched to Apri. Best of luck, and I hope this has been helpful."

• TIa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 22, 2019

For Birth Control "This drug escalated my previously existing mental health conditions (anxiety and depression) to the point where it became debilitating. I have never been so suicidal, and my emotions have never been so out of control in my life."

• ray...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for a little over 4 months now. I've noticed a big change in my mental state. I'm usually a very chill and down-to-earth person and usually don't get super anxious or sad. I like never cry. But this pill has made me so sad and overthink and be super anxious that I've been having to take anxiety pills. I wouldn't recommend this pill if you have anxiety or depression running in your family, chances are you're a carrier of it. And trust me, it'll come out during this pill. I've also been skipping my periods every month and been getting them halfway through the pack, like 10 days later than I'm supposed to get them. Not too happy with this pill. The only good thing is the weight. This pill has helped me lose weight and keep it off. Other than that, I can't say I like anything else. I'm also in college trying to get my nursing degree. I don't have time for this unwanted depression and anxiety. Nursing school is hard as it is."

• ray...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for a little over 4 months now. I've noticed a big change in my mental state. I'm usually a very chill and down-to-earth person and usually don't get super anxious or sad. I like never cry. But this pill has made me so sad and overthink and be super anxious that I've been having to take anxiety pills. I wouldn't recommend this pill if you have anxiety or depression running in your family, chances are you're a carrier of it. And trust me, it'll come out during this pill. I've also been skipping my periods every month and been getting them halfway through the pack, like 10 days later than I'm supposed to get them. Not too happy with this pill. The only good thing is the weight. This pill has helped me lose weight and keep it off. Other than that, I can't say I like anything else. I'm also in college trying to get my nursing degree. I don't have time for this unwanted depression and anxiety. Nursing school is hard as it is."