Lo Loestrin Fe and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• November 12, 2011

For Birth Control "I've tried several types of birth control/contraceptives, and this is by far the best. In the past, I have had insane mood swings, random periods that last for months, serious weight gain, headaches/nausea, extremely low sex drive, etc. Since I started taking this, I feel like a normal person again. I'm not randomly mean to my boyfriend, I want to sleep with him too. I have noticed that since I've started taking this pill (I'm on my 3rd month), I've been able to lose weight a little bit easier, unlike the last pill I took. I will continue taking this."

• Mer...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2021

For Birth Control "DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL. This is my first ever drug review. I was on this pill for only 9 days. This pill gave me severe anxiety and intrusive thoughts that I am still dealing with almost a month after, although they’ve gotten a little better. This was the worst pill I’ve ever taken in my life. I had fatigue, heavy chest, random pains in my body, severe depression, I could not think or form a thought, anxiety, and fear. And I developed scary intrusive thoughts I never had before. My libido left, and I also experienced dryness I never had before. Only in 9 days! It was awful! Quit this pill and do not take it. Most of the side effects have left, but I’m still having the fear and OCD and I’m scared it screwed me up permanently."

• Jez...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 21, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on this BC for three and a half years now, and it's been amazing. I was on two other types of birth control before: NuvaRing and another oral pill that drove me crazy-nausea, crazy mood swings, cramps, heavy periods, the works. It made me never want to go on BC again, but I'm so glad I gave it a second chance. With Lo Loestrin Fe, I haven't had any period, cramps, backache, mood swings, decrease in sex drive, weight gain, or acne. The only problem I've had is that it seems to lessen my appetite, so I try to make sure I eat before taking it, otherwise, I forget. At first, I was concerned that I wasn't getting my period, but I talked to my doctor, and he said it was fine as long as I was comfortable with not having one."

• sxk...
• October 13, 2011

For Birth Control "I've been on this for almost a year, and I really like it. My old pills (tried Ortho Tri, NuvaRing, etc. for around 5-10 years) lowered my sex drive and gave me other weird side effects. For the first few months, I had some of the basic side effects, but now they're mostly gone, except I never get periods anymore. I asked my doctor if that's normal, and she said it was fine."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 16, 2021

For Birth Control "This pill was good in the beginning, but after a few months, I no longer got my period at all. Some may like this, but I, however, prefer to feel like my body functions. My acne began to come back after 6 months, and I have 0 sex drive, which destroyed my relationship. Even with foreplay, sex was painful and disinteresting. (For reference, we'd once had a very frequent healthy sex life.) Any combination pill is likely to kill your sex drive, so if you don't have acne, I'd recommend a progesterone-only pill."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 16, 2021

For Birth Control "This pill was good in the beginning, but after a few months, I no longer got my period at all. Some may like this, but I, however, prefer to feel like my body functions. My acne began to come back after 6 months, and I have 0 sex drive, which destroyed my relationship. Even with foreplay, sex was painful and disinteresting. (For reference, we'd once had a very frequent healthy sex life.) Any combination pill is likely to kill your sex drive, so if you don't have acne, I'd recommend a progesterone-only pill."

• Rac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 17, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking Lo Loestrin Fe for about 2.5 years now. The first few months were pretty rough, i.e., mood swings, weight gain, low sex drive. I was even nauseous and sometimes had two periods in one month. YES, I agree it can be tough to give this one a chance, but I'm glad I did. At this point, I have not had a period in months, and all side effects have mellowed. I do get normal PMS symptoms, light cramping, and body aches, just no bleeding. No more weight gain or mood swings. I'm glad I stuck it out because it has been the best birth control I've used."

• Mis...
• July 15, 2013

For Birth Control "This is my first time taking birth control pills. I am on my second pack, and I have not had my period since I started. I have bad cramping and bloating to the point where it feels like my period wants to come on but won't. I have very bad mood swings, which is affecting my relationship, breast tenderness. I take a pregnancy test every month because I have pregnancy symptoms. My sex drive is really low, but the pill works very well preventing pregnancy. I never really had an acne problem until I started taking these pills. I have not gained any weight, but I have not lost any either, and I work out a lot. I will be going to my doctor to talk about changing to something else."

• Ash...
• September 11, 2013

For Birth Control "Best birth control I've been on. It's the only one that hasn't caused migraines for me. I have light spotting or no period at all each month. My mood has greatly improved. No weight gain. No acne. Only drawback has been decreased sex drive, but not enough to make a huge difference. Highly recommend this pill."

• Kat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 31, 2020

For Birth Control "I only had a period every 6 months, if at all, on Lo Loestrin Fe. I had acne, some weight gain, and my vag was dry all the time, 0 sex drive, and it wasn't normal. I took it from 16 to 18 y/o. Would rate it more than 1 for no pregnancy, but I never had sex on it. I am now in my 20s and take Femynor, and I love it so much, no issues."

• Jas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on Trinessa Lo for a year, which was not the worst until it was discontinued and I was switched to Tri Lo Sprintec. The two should not even be compared. Tri Lo Sprintec turned me into a monster. I was on it for about 6 months before my boyfriend realized something changed about me. It made me so angry and destroyed my libido completely. It also made me constantly hungry, and I gained around 15 pounds on it. My doctor suggested I try Lo Loestrin Fe. I have taken it for about 4 days and feel like a changed person. I finally feel like myself again. My libido feels like it’s coming back, and I am no longer overeating or moody. The first day, I had some stomach pain, but after that, it has been pretty smooth. The negative reviews freaked me out. I would give it a try if I were you. Everybody’s body reacts differently."

• Rya...
• July 11, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for around 11 months, and for the most part, I find it good. I started off using it just to regulate my period, not knowing that it would just go away after the first few months. I'm sexually active, and I find that it does decrease my sex drive. It was very frightening when I stopped having my period, and I did gain weight, but I take pregnancy tests periodically (just as a precaution). I still have period symptoms at the end of the pack, but I haven't had one in 7 months. The worst thing I find about this pack is that it makes me more emotional and increases my headaches."

• 4kc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I started this birth control 5 months ago after Demulen was discontinued, which I was on for about 4 years and loved. I have not had a period since I started taking Lolo. I would prefer to have a period for 3 days just for the reassurance, but I'm not complaining too much. I have experienced no weight gain, no mood swings, but maybe a slightly lower libido. Overall, I think it is pretty good!"

• And...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 20, 2020

For Birth Control "I was previously on Sprintec and didn't realize how depressed Sprintec made me feel until I switched to Lo Loestrin Fe. This one is so much better for me! I don't notice any side effects other than a slightly decreased sex drive. I no longer get a period, which is a plus. Not much to say other than it treats me well."

• Meg...
• September 5, 2015

For Birth Control "After reading many of the reviews on the BC, I've concluded the three things common in most people are mood swings, depression, and loss of sex drive. I'm 29, I've been on this pill for four months, and all of these are true for me. No interest in sex at all, my boyfriend gets on my nerves all the time, and I cry pretty much every other day for no reason. What differs from me in most reviews, I have not had a period at all since I started taking it (DR says it's fine, but I'm not sure how I feel), I didn't get acne (didn't really have a problem to begin with), and I gained weight so my pants barely fit (mostly in the stomach area. May be bloating?). I feel my depression and moodiness are getting worse, so I think it's time for a change."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 24, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking this medication for about a year and a half now. I began taking it because other birth controls made me moody and the obvious fact that I'm not ready to be pregnant yet. This medication definitely makes you nauseous. I feel nauseous nearly every day. I haven't had a period since the first two months that I started the pill. Normally, I wouldn't complain about a lack of periods, but other side effects I've had include frequent (I'm talking back to back to back) yeast infections and (TMI) vaginal dryness. Intercourse can be very painful. I'm switching off of this medication as I have tried everything to no avail. Being on birth control seems pointless if I can't even have sex."

• Ell...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2019

For Birth Control "My doctor recommended that I start taking this pill two months ago to help with perimenopause. In the first six weeks, I have had three periods that lasted one week each, and the last one was so heavy that I bled through my clothes. I have had terrible lower abdominal cramps every day and have had to take pain medication to stop it. I cannot eat anything because the cramps hurt so severely, yet I have gained 10 lbs without eating. My breasts are suddenly growing, and my bras are all too small despite having been the same size for the last 18 years. My sex drive completely went away. I called my doctor, and the nurse said to give it more time (6 months) to adjust, but I don’t know if I can handle it. My moods have also been more intense and difficult to control. I don’t know whether this will go away or get worse. I don’t know what to do."

• B_C...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 22, 2017

For Birth Control "I have nothing bad to say! This is my first time taking any birth control, so maybe I'm a little biased. I was very hesitant to take any birth control due to the known side effects that come along with most oral contraceptives. However, after two separate ruptured ovarian cysts, my OBGYN said birth control is really the only way to prevent it in the future. I've been taking it a little over 6 months now - no weight gain, no acne, no mood changes, no loss of libido, and my periods are so light now, mostly spotting, no cramps, and a shorter duration! I definitely recommend this!"

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• pis...
• September 9, 2016

For Birth Control "Just when I thought that this birth control was working great..... Boy was I wrong. The first week I was feeling great, no side effects, no problems..... life was great. Then week 2 hit and everything went to hell. Now I'm bleeding uncontrollably. It's been 3 straight weeks. Guess what? I AM STILL BLEEDING! I have gained weight in my sides making me look like I've just consumed a baker's dozen donuts. I am emotionally unstable, as you can tell from this review......!!!!! I am hungry all the time, I am eating everything I can get my meaty hands on, and my snack supply has depleted by 2/3. My sex drive is GONE like a bird that hit the damn window. Unless you want your life to be turned upside down in a month like mine was.... DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL!"

• 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."

• Skw...
• April 9, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for about 2 years. I originally started taking it to relieve my horrible periods, not to avoid pregnancy. I normally have really horrible periods that last 7-9 days with heavy bleeding, immobilizing cramping, and sometimes nausea. Thank God for this pill! The first 6 months I would have periods every 2 weeks, and with every month, they got lighter and lighter until my period disappeared completely. I will occasionally spot, but it will only last a day or two. I have NO cramps (such a lifesaver!). I have taken other birth control pills, and none of them worked this well for me. As far as side effects, I have absolutely NO sex drive and bad acne (I used to have a really clear face)."

• 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."