Lo Loestrin Fe and Depression: What Users Say (Page 4)
Reviews for Lo Loestrin Fe
- Ash...
- January 2, 2012
For Birth Control "I'm a very petite, 16-year-old girl who is taking this to help regulate my periods. From what I can tell, I have had no side effects (weight gain, bloating, depression, mood swings) yet except for a few breakouts (which could be caused by just being a teen) and breast tenderness! This is severe! I'm just an A cup, and I can't tell if I'm growing at all or not, but I do know that I've only been on the pill for 1 week, and the pain I am feeling in my breasts is ridiculous! I can no longer lay on my stomach. The slightest amount of pressure hurts. I hope this wears off pretty soon, or I might consider stopping the pill."
- Ste...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- June 21, 2016
For Birth Control "I have been using this pill for 5 months, and during this time, I gained over 10 lbs, and my anxiety and paranoia have caused irreparable damage to my relationship. I must note I work out and have no changes in lifestyle that should've caused me to gain weight. I am constantly sad, on the verge of tears, I am oversensitive and negative. I am just not myself. I gave the pill more than the 3-month trial period because I don't want to keep switching hormones, but I cannot keep this up any longer. I am going to try the NuvaRing. For the record, I was previously on Diane 35 very happily for 2 years with no side effects, but my doctor took me off because it is apparently too high in hormones."
- Ale...
- May 21, 2019
For Birth Control "I was on Lo Loestrin Fe for about 3 years. Although Lo Loestrin Fe did stop cramping and gave me a little to no bleeding monthly periods, the mental health dip that I took was not worth it. Within the first year, my family and friends noticed I was moody and possibly depressed. I knew I was anxious and began having panic attacks. I was prescribed antidepressants and lived the next two years very out of it and sad. The last year on this birth control I started having migraines. The migraines were debilitating. My gut instinct told me to stop taking the birth control after doing some research. Within the first 6 months of not taking this birth control, I started to feel like myself again and the migraines went away. I am happier than ever and loving life! I have decided to go the hormone-less route. I've had the copper IUD for about a year now and I love it! I’m sure the Lo Loestrin works for some, but for me, it did not."
- Its...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- November 2, 2013
For Birth Control "I have been using Lo Loestrin Fe for 1 month now, and I've had my period three times this month, breaking out like crazy and having so many mood swings with depression. On my period, I have medium-high cramps, back pains, and my breasts are sore. All the time! I haven't really gained any weight, which is good, but I'm going to keep using it and see if it gets better."
- Idk...
- April 25, 2016
For Birth Control "While this was an effective contraceptive, the negative side effects were beyond unbearable. Within the first week, I experienced the most horrible cystic acne breakout of my life. The progestin in this pill is androgen-based, which is found to increase acne. Additionally, my mood swings were wild, and I found myself feeling incredibly depressed. I would cry for literally no reason. This birth control ruined my skin. I switched to a different BC, and since then, my skin and mood have improved exponentially."
- Ell...
- November 14, 2017
For Birth Control "Since I started this pill, I've experienced seriously insane jump and change in my eating habits, lack of motivation to do anything physical that I previously enjoyed, and the worst symptom I've had has been the change in my mood. I have said and done some pretty horrible things that were unlike me. I felt extreme sadness and hopelessness, so bad that even others noticed these changes in me and it wasn't good. I was prescribed this medication to help with excessive bleeding and cysts; however, it no longer feels worth continuing this specific med."
- Ell...
- November 14, 2017
For Birth Control "Since I started this pill, I've experienced seriously insane jump and change in my eating habits, lack of motivation to do anything physical that I previously enjoyed, and the worst symptom I've had has been the change in my mood. I have said and done some pretty horrible things that were unlike me. I felt extreme sadness and hopelessness, so bad that even others noticed these changes in me and it wasn't good. I was prescribed this medication to help with excessive bleeding and cysts; however, it no longer feels worth continuing this specific med."
- Ell...
- November 14, 2017
For Birth Control "Since I started this pill, I've experienced seriously insane jump and change in my eating habits, lack of motivation to do anything physical that I previously enjoyed, and the worst symptom I've had has been the change in my mood. I have said and done some pretty horrible things that were unlike me. I felt extreme sadness and hopelessness, so bad that even others noticed these changes in me and it wasn't good. I was prescribed this medication to help with excessive bleeding and cysts; however, it no longer feels worth continuing this specific med."
- May...
- May 9, 2014
For Birth Control "It's my first month on it, and so many things have gone wrong. Firstly, I got my first yeast infection because of it, secondly, I get the worst mood swings and depression like no other. I'm trying to hold out, they say your body is getting used to it, but I don't think I will continue. I'm at the end of the white pill and haven't gotten my period yet. Oh yeah, and to top it off, I also got more acne and back/chest pain."
- pam...
- April 4, 2013
For Birth Control "Well, I've been on this right now for about 3 months...and the first two months were horrific. It has evened out a little bit, I almost switched off of it. I am on an antidepressant, and the first two months have made me more depressed than I've ever been. I think things are evening out...the first two months I had the worst two periods of my life. I hope my mood evens out."
- Anonymous
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- February 28, 2017
For Birth Control "Rating it as a 3 only because it kept me from getting pregnant and didn't make me moody or depressed like the NuvaRing did. Let's just start off saying that I made the switch from the NuvaRing to Lo Loestrin because the doctor recommended it because of the lower dose of hormones. The NuvaRing was great for my skin and regulating and shortening my periods, but oh my god, did it ever mess me up mentally. I was tired all the time, so moody and depressed, made me feel suicidal and unhappy all the time, so that's why I switched. Lo Loestrin made my clear skin break out in cystic acne, made me have little sex drive, made me lose a tremendous amount of hair, and totally messed up my periods and made me spot throughout the whole month. I do not recommend Lo Loestrin."
- Anonymous
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- February 28, 2017
For Birth Control "Rating it as a 3 only because it kept me from getting pregnant and didn't make me moody or depressed like the NuvaRing did. Let's just start off saying that I made the switch from the NuvaRing to Lo Loestrin because the doctor recommended it because of the lower dose of hormones. The NuvaRing was great for my skin and regulating and shortening my periods, but oh my god, did it ever mess me up mentally. I was tired all the time, so moody and depressed, made me feel suicidal and unhappy all the time, so that's why I switched. Lo Loestrin made my clear skin break out in cystic acne, made me have little sex drive, made me lose a tremendous amount of hair, and totally messed up my periods and made me spot throughout the whole month. I do not recommend Lo Loestrin."
- cat...
- Taken for 6 months to 1 year
- December 10, 2019
For Birth Control "This birth control isn't the best, my periods don't correlate with the time on the pack, and I usually get it two weeks into my active pills. I also have become a crazy emotional person, I cry all the time, and it is exhausting. I am hopefully getting off of it soon, and I hope I am able to find an option that doesn't make me super depressed."
- Anonymous
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- March 20, 2017
For Birth Control "I started taking this pill around 2 years ago and started to get extremely depressed. My mom and I thought it was because of a boy I was seeing, so I broke it off and also got off the medicine, thinking I wouldn't need it anymore. About 2 months ago, I started on this same birth control again and have felt very emotionally overwhelmed and have not been myself at all. I have made the decision to go off this medicine for good this time and am already seeing positive effects. I do not at all recommend this product."
- Vee...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- September 1, 2018
For Birth Control "This product has had such a negative impact on me. I’ve always been in and around 110 pounds, but I immediately gained 20 on LoLo that won’t come off. I have zero sex drive, and my anxiety and depression have worsened. I also haven’t gotten my period in 2 years, which is not very comforting. The bloating and stomach cramps are daily, literally no way of minimizing that."
- Mia...
- January 16, 2017
For Birth Control "I read a lot of reviews before I took the Lo Loestrin Fe. No one wrote that it can make you crazy. At first, I was feeling good, no problem at all. Here and there, I had nausea, but that was nothing compared to the cramps I was having before. Then, I started having night sweats... (by the way, this was my first time taking birth control, and I only took the pills for 6 months). After taking the pill for about 5 months, I've noticed that I'm having a lack of interest in things, feeling sad, crying, negative thoughts. These thoughts really scared me. All this time, I've been consulting with my OBGYN, and she asked me if I was pregnant and said it had nothing to do with the pill."
- Mia...
- January 16, 2017
For Birth Control "I read a lot of reviews before I took the Lo Loestrin Fe. No one wrote that it can make you crazy. At first, I was feeling good, no problem at all. Here and there, I had nausea, but that was nothing compared to the cramps I was having before. Then, I started having night sweats... (by the way, this was my first time taking birth control, and I only took the pills for 6 months). After taking the pill for about 5 months, I've noticed that I'm having a lack of interest in things, feeling sad, crying, negative thoughts. These thoughts really scared me. All this time, I've been consulting with my OBGYN, and she asked me if I was pregnant and said it had nothing to do with the pill."
- Bec...
- January 31, 2020
For Birth Control "On Lo Loestrin Fe, I became depressed and was in chronic pain that I couldn’t work or even get out of bed. I would wake up in the middle of the night screaming in pain that even laying in the fetal position wouldn’t help. Not even pain medication would help. I went to several gynecologists before someone diagnosed it as complications from this medication. My fiancé and I couldn’t even have sex while I was on this medication, it caused me so much pain that even a normal gynecology visit would have me crying in pain. Once I stopped taking the medication, I no longer had pain. My fiancé and my sex life is back, my family and friends even say I seem so much happier because I no longer felt depressed. I don’t recommend this medication at all. Not only is it horrible for your mental health and physical health, but it is horribly priced. I paid $90 a month for it, and that’s with a discount from Walgreens. I also gained 40 pounds in 10 months while on it. I regret ever going on this medication."
- Van...
- September 8, 2017
For Birth Control "Horrible side effects. Been on this pill for almost 8 months, and the bloating/cramps are just getting worse and worse. Put on about 10 pounds, even though it's water weight - it did NOT go away! Worsened my anxiety and depression, made me so tired I could barely do anything all day. I felt like I was on morphine. I feel like I have to pee 600 times a day because of how bloated I am. Terrible, terrible pill. Do not recommend."
- Aff...
- January 29, 2016
For Birth Control "I never write reviews but figured this might help someone out. I hated Lo Loestrin Fe. It made me super depressed, and I gained 15 pounds on it. Not to mention I bled for two weeks straight during the second month of taking it. After I got off this pill, I felt so much better. This pill really was awful and messed with me more than a higher dose estrogen pill, I would never recommend this."
- Pda...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- March 20, 2021
For Birth Control "So I started taking this because I was told I had to take birth control. Well, it did not work for me one bit. I started taking this on a Sunday, and it immediately started affecting me in negative ways. I had just gotten over being severely depressed. My stomach and chest were constantly hurting. I tried taking pain relievers, but it didn’t work. All I wanted to do was lay around and sleep all the time. My boyfriend noticed I wasn’t being myself because normally I would be cleaning random stuff, studying for school, but I just quit everything. Maybe this is for you, but it was not for me."
- chl...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- July 9, 2019
For Birth Control "Initially wanted a tubal ligation/hysterectomy because I have extremely painful endometriosis in addition to the fact that my partner and I are set on never having kids. The gyne didn't believe my resolution and insisted upon this pill. I took it for about a year and a half. At first, it cleared up my acne and mitigated period pain. Later, towards the one-year mark, it worsened my acne to the point where I'd wake up every morning with at least one new pimple. My depression also worsened so much I almost had a suicide attempt (never attempted in my life prior to taking this pill) and experienced mild psychosis. I'm not saying this will happen for everyone, Lo Loestrin Fe has obviously worked for some people. This is just my experience."
- Who...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- May 25, 2019
For Birth Control "Worst thing ever. First, I hate all birth controls, but my doctor insisted on it since I had one ovarian cyst. I asked not to have this one since I had it last time. The pill makes me very depressed and feel very aggressive, and I've been sick the whole time on it. I called to try and switch and was told I haven't taken it long enough to get used to it? But I've taken the exact same one twice, and last time I took myself off of it, I bled for three months straight. I don't think that's supposed to be normal. Moral of it, I need to find a better doctor and never touch this stupid pill ever again."
- Ash...
- May 24, 2016
For Birth Control "I was on this pill for over 6 months, and it has been the worst experience. When I first started taking it, it was fine, but 2 months into it, I started gaining weight. And gained up to 10 pounds. My breasts went from a B to almost a D cup and hurt all the time. I was super angry and depressed all the time. It got to the point where I did not want to get out of bed and go on with my normal routine. I lost many friendships due to being depressed. I also did not go to school for over 3 weeks. I would never recommend this pill to anyone. I should not have taken it when I saw the reviews the first time. I just switched to a different pill and already lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks!"
See also:
More about Lo Loestrin Fe (ethinyl estradiol / norethindrone)
- Lo Loestrin Fe consumer information
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- Reviews (1,565)
- Drug images
- Side effects
- Dosage information
- During pregnancy
- Support group
- FDA approval history
- Drug class: contraceptives
For Birth Control "I am 31 years old and have been on Lo Loestrin Fe for about 2 years now. My Dr. suggested putting me on this bc because the other birth control I was on was giving me severe mood swings. The thing I love about this bc is that I don't have my period AT ALL, not even once. The downside to this bc is that at the end of my pack, I start to have a few days of mood swings, depression, anxiety, and I get overly sensitive about stuff. Also, I gained a bunch of weight from taking this pill, before taking the pill, I was 115 lbs, and now I am about 145 lbs, and I'm 5'2. The other good side to the pill is that it stopped the cramping immediately. I want to go off the pill, but I am scared of the side effects of coming off it."