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

• Jea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 12, 2019

For Birth Control "I used Lo Loestrin Fe in an attempt to manage painful periods. My periods weren't as painful on them, but I spotted heavily for most of the 3 months I took it and had two periods per month the last two months I took it. It also caused some pretty bad depression. I've had depression before, but nothing this severe. It built up slowly and definitely peaked in severity at the 3rd month. Otherwise, I had minimal side effects after the first month. My face stayed clear, not nauseous or sore or very crampy."

• nic...
• May 30, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on Lo Loestrin Fe for about a year and a half now. This is my first BC pill. After taking it for the first time, I basically had what felt like severe PMS for a week or so, accompanied by cramps, general moodiness, and spotting. After that, it seemed to even out and things got better. My main complaint is that I seem to be much moodier than I've ever been in the past during my period - becoming depressed and I have almost no sex drive. I have had major breast tenderness in the first few months of taking it (feels like my boobs were getting bigger and just achy). I've gained a little weight (4 lb) but nothing unusual. But I also can't seem to lose it, either. (I bike every day for at least an hour and am generally a healthy eater.)"

• 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."

• Anonymous
• December 19, 2020

For Birth Control "I was prescribed Lo Lo for heavy bleeding and bad period cramps. I wanted to give the pill a chance. I started the pill about 3 1/2 months prior. For the first two months, my period came, but the bleeding was light, and I had minimal cramps. For the past three weeks, I've had non-stop spotting. I don't know why. Aside from that, I am depressed, and I feel out of it all the time. I was never depressed in my life. I have extreme mood swings. It's like one second I'm elated, and the next second I'm crying. I have nausea, bloating, and constipation every day. Lo Lo doesn't fit me. I really wanted to give it a try, but I'm cutting it off."

• Pup...
• May 6, 2017

For Birth Control "Do not use this if you suffer from anxiety. This made mine way worse. I've been suffering anxiety, depression, and bad mood swings since taking this. I have had two periods each month with bad cramping."

• 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."

• Lib...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 31, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on Lo Loestrin Fe for about 2-3 years. I was having severe mood swings whenever I was on the white or brown pills, anger followed by depression. When I told my doctor, she said I could take the blue pills continuously, and now I have no periods, no cramps, and no mood swings. Last week I missed a pill and took it 12 hours late (in the morning), a few days later, I was severely depressed and had breast tenderness that lasted 2-3 days. Usually, it's perfect, but a few hours without it can cause days of depression, so I recommend others use it with caution, and I would not recommend it for anyone who cannot take the pill at exactly the same time daily. Also, you can run into insurance coverage issues by skipping 4 pills a pack."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 23, 2018

For Birth Control "I started taking this pill about 1 1/2 years ago due to my doctor trying to keep my blood pressure under control. After a couple of months, I called my doctor telling her my breasts hurt, I was experiencing weight gain, and also major cramps midway through the month and towards the time I would have a period. She informed me that it should be doing the opposite of everything I was saying. So I kept taking it. I recently stopped after making the connection that I was sinking into depression, with mood swings all over the place. Crying and angry. I will not be taking it ever again. I will also be having a conversation with my doctor about listening to her patient."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 14, 2018

For Birth Control "I was on Lo Lo for 4 miserable months! During those 4 months, I spotted and or bled heavily for 3 weeks out of the month, stopped bleeding only while on the first week of the pack. I was also severely depressed and had 3 horrible panic attacks, one was so bad I was taken to the ER. My anxiety while on Lo Lo got to a point where simple everyday tasks, like going to the grocery or taking my kids out, were impossible for me. I felt lightheaded/dizzy and fatigued on a daily basis. After numerous visits and phone calls to my OBGYN, she finally took me off this pill, and my mood has changed dramatically. I now feel I’m back to my normal self. Lo Lo was a nightmare for me!"

• Who...
• April 6, 2017

For Birth Control "I am 22 and have been taking this medication for 4 months. I have horrible acne now that I didn't have before, on my face and my chest. I had a 2-week long period in the first month and haven't had one since, but I still cramp at times. I've been extremely moody and depressed, which isn't going away or decreasing. Also, I can't lose weight because I'm hungry all the time and always feel too miserable to exercise."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2023

For Birth Control "Honestly, mixed opinions. My biggest concerns when starting birth control were the potential weight gain and sex drive effects. For me, my weight has only changed by a few pounds, and my boobs have grown 2 bra sizes in 2 packs, so that’s nice. It’s very effective so far, contraceptive-wise, I regularly check in with pregnancy tests to make sure. On the sex drive effects, I don’t experience dryness or inability to orgasm, but the desire to have sex has decreased slightly. This isn’t a problem, as I used to be very hypersexual. I will say for the negatives, I have mental breakdowns and outbursts almost every day, my anger issues have gotten worse. I have no motivation for the gym or sports as I used to, or even for school work and basic tasks. All in all, I’m getting off of this in a few days."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2023

For Birth Control "Honestly, mixed opinions. My biggest concerns when starting birth control were the potential weight gain and sex drive effects. For me, my weight has only changed by a few pounds, and my boobs have grown 2 bra sizes in 2 packs, so that’s nice. It’s very effective so far, contraceptive-wise, I regularly check in with pregnancy tests to make sure. On the sex drive effects, I don’t experience dryness or inability to orgasm, but the desire to have sex has decreased slightly. This isn’t a problem, as I used to be very hypersexual. I will say for the negatives, I have mental breakdowns and outbursts almost every day, my anger issues have gotten worse. I have no motivation for the gym or sports as I used to, or even for school work and basic tasks. All in all, I’m getting off of this in a few days."

• Eli...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 18, 2016

For Birth Control "The first time I went on birth control, the doctor gave me a one-month trial pack of this along with a prescription. I didn't have any problems or side effects. The only thing worth noting is that I basically never got my period on this, which can be worrisome for obvious reasons. But it never failed me, so I stopped worrying after awhile. I gained a true appreciation for this pill after a switch in job/insurance caused the price to go up and I had to switch to a generic. There's no generic for this, so my doctor gave me what was supposed to be the most similar thing - Microgestin FE. So many side effects with that - moody, depressed, tired, acne, headaches, bloating, etc. So I went back to Lo Loestrin FE, it's worth the cost."

• Anonymous
• June 3, 2020

For Birth Control "First month on Lo Lo was great, but bad side effects started hitting month 2. Depression, not wanting to leave bed in the morning, tiredness, no motivation in the mornings, blood clots in my veins, zero appetite. It really helped with other things, but overall the side effects were more. Had to stop it, and I went back to feeling normal the next day of quitting."

• Anonymous
• June 3, 2020

For Birth Control "First month on Lo Lo was great, but bad side effects started hitting month 2. Depression, not wanting to leave bed in the morning, tiredness, no motivation in the mornings, blood clots in my veins, zero appetite. It really helped with other things, but overall the side effects were more. Had to stop it, and I went back to feeling normal the next day of quitting."

• Cal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 5, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on this for a year before having to switch due to switching insurance and the out-of-pocket cost. When I first started this medication, I did have pretty serious nausea that cleared up within two weeks after my body was able to adjust from the switch. After that, I never noticed any other side effects. I did take this in combination with Topamax, so weight gain was not an issue for me like others mentioned. I also took this in a continuous method in order to prevent mood swings, and this worked extremely well for me. So that being said, I cannot attest to how it affected my periods other than I did not have any spotting, etc. It worked extremely well for me, and I did not experience any depression or any other negative side effects."

• OMK...
• November 9, 2017

For Birth Control "I took this pill after I had my daughter. The only thing it was good for was preventing pregnancy and little to no cycle. I had no sex drive, I was moody, always crying, gained weight, depressed, etc. Literally, a week after I got off, I felt like a new normal person again, and I've dropped the weight. I won't be taking it again. Almost ruined my relationship."

• Lin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 14, 2019

For Birth Control "This birth control, Lo Loestrin Fe, was fine for a month, but by month three, I was having horrible depression and mood swings. Other than that, I didn’t experience any other side effects. My period was very light (almost nonexistent). Weight stayed pretty consistent, and it did help with my PMS cravings! However, mood and feeling like I’d rather not live was NOT worth staying on this pill! Will try another. Everyone is different!"

• ewi...
• September 3, 2019

For Birth Control "I gave this a try for about 2 months and was waiting for the side effects to wear off, but they did not. The Lo Loestrin Fe pill made me extremely exhausted, to the point where I could sleep for 10 hours and need to sleep again hours after waking up. I did not have the energy to get out of bed and would have to force myself to do simple daily tasks, and it made me feel depressed. My skin broke out very badly about 2 weeks into the medication and continues to be worse than it was before starting this medication. I have also gained weight, even though I feel I have been eating less, I will get extremely hungry at weird times during the night. I think I will just stop taking birth control altogether at this point because I can’t continue to feel this bad. I would definitely recommend going with a different birth control, such as YAZ."

• Mar...
• January 13, 2018

For Birth Control "I have endometriosis, so my doctor recommended this BC to reduce the possibility of getting more ovarian cysts, to stop spotting between periods, and to get rid of painful periods. After three months, the periods stopped, and so did the pain. My energy level has gone up, and my concentration has gotten better. I have gained some weight, but I have noticed that I can manage that with exercise and a better diet. Also, I am not experiencing any mood swings or depression."

• Meg...
• October 26, 2017

For Birth Control "I am always bleeding between periods. I’ve also gained 15 pounds, and on a skinny girl, it’s very noticeable! My acne hasn’t gotten worse or better. And now I’m not getting my period when I should be. I am experiencing depression where I don’t want to be around anyone. I don’t want to eat because I’m gaining so much weight. I’m stuck in my head and lashing out at people. I’m not my normal self. I wish I found a pill that rids my acne and doesn’t affect my weight or sex drive."

• Lyn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 24, 2020

For Birth Control "This was my first birth control, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. My skin was clear, and my cramps weren't bad before taking this birth control. After about 3 weeks of taking it, I started breaking out and getting the worst cramps of my life. I kept on getting nonstop, painful breakouts that wouldn't go away. This pill has also caused me to have terrible mood swings, I've gained 5 lbs in 2 months, and I have been depressed and have had heightened anxiety. Wish I never took this pill!!"

• Cle...
• June 2, 2021

For Birth Control "I love this pill. It’s crazy to me how different women’s experiences are with the same birth control. I think low dose is the way to go (for me)!! When I was previously on a higher dosage pill, Junel Fe, I had pretty bad anxiety, depression, anger, and panic attacks daily that were beyond my control. It wasn’t me, and it was awful. Ever since I switched to Lo Loestrin, I’m back to my normal self AND I straight up don’t get a period anymore... I used to have heavy, painful periods, so that is a major win for me. I also have much clearer skin now! And no weight gain. The ONLY thing I don’t like about this pill is that I get very dry down there - it’s not fun. But with all the benefits, I’ll take it, and I’m too worried to experiment and switch off altogether or onto a different one after my first experience and knowing my natural acne and periods. Don’t be scared off by the bad reviews - it was a blessing for me, and it could be for you too!"