Loestrin 24 Fe and Acne: What Users Say

• Joa...
• December 2, 2009

For Birth Control "I have been on Loestrin 24 for about 4 years now, and I thought I would share my excellent experience on here, since no one usually goes on the internet to post about their good experiences! Loestrin is a miracle drug in my opinion. The 24-day regimen made a huge difference as opposed to a 21-day regimen. This means that there are only 4 placebo pills at the end of the pack instead of 7! My periods were reduced to almost nothing (but didn't completely disappear, for those that like the assurance of bleeding). I need one panty-liner a day for about 3 days a month. It's amazing! I never gained any weight, and I would say it helped my acne only a little bit - I get pimples no matter what I do. Try Loestrin! You won't regret it!"

• Anonymous
• November 10, 2008

For Birth Control "I have been taking Loestrin 24 Fe for 13 months now, and I have no complaints. It is the first birth control that I have tried. After 3 months of taking the pill, it completely ended my period. I was a little nervous about it, but my doctor assured me that not having a period was normal (especially if you were light before) and that it would not affect my ability to have children later. Also, the pill took away all of my acne, which is always a plus!"

• Nik...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 20, 2012

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've read a lot of reviews on this birth control, and everyone writes negative reviews, so I'm going to give a positive one. I used to get very heavy 10-day periods before I went on this pill, and I am now down to light to moderate 4-day periods, and let me tell you, what a relief. I also used to get cramps so bad that sometimes I couldn't walk. Three months on this pill, and the cramps had gone. I was 23 with horrible acne. I had it everywhere: cheeks, forehead, but especially on my chin. Three months after starting the pill, and my skin cleared up tremendously. I hardly ever get a pimple, but when I do, it's usually a small one around the time of my period. I gained no weight, and my sex drive is as high as ever. I love this pill!"

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2012

For Acne "I switched to Loestrin, as the pill I was on before caused me to have migraines. I've only used Loestrin for a week, but my migraines have stopped, however, it's caused me to break out ridiculously. I've never suffered from spots before, but I've broken out all over my forehead and on my cheeks."

• Mad...
• May 4, 2020

For Birth Control "I recently started taking this birth control, and 2 weeks on it, my chin blew up with acne. I didn’t have acne until I started birth control last year. My depression is so much worse, and it’s rare to have a good day. My doctor is having me stay on it for 3 months to see if it levels out. Hoping for the best."

• Anonymous
• October 16, 2012

For Acne "I'm 19 years old, and I've taken Loestrin 24 Fe for 4 years now - I absolutely love it! From age 12, I had 9-10 day irregular, extremely heavy cycles. My cramps were so bad that I couldn't get out of bed and would start vomiting, and my acne was out of control. Once I turned 15, my mother suggested birth control. The first month was rough; I started the pack the day after my period ended, and a week later had another full period. The next month was a drastic change - my period was 4 days, no cramps, and my skin has looked amazing ever since! Went from taking muscle relaxers for pain to an occasional Advil every few months! My insurance is great - 3 months for $22! That's less than $7.50/month! Sadly, no increase in breast size, but no weight gain, either!"

• Anonymous
• October 11, 2012

For Acne "I started taking Lo Loestrin Fe about 2 months ago, and I am breaking out horribly around my mouth and chin. I have always had acne but not that severe, and it actually cleared up in the past year with the occasional pimple here and there. Now I have cysts and whiteheads all over my chin that are not going away. I am finishing this pack and then calling my doctor to switch."

• Anonymous
• October 11, 2012

For Acne "I started taking Lo Loestrin Fe about 2 months ago, and I am breaking out horribly around my mouth and chin. I have always had acne but not that severe, and it actually cleared up in the past year with the occasional pimple here and there. Now I have cysts and whiteheads all over my chin that are not going away. I am finishing this pack and then calling my doctor to switch."

• cra...
• September 28, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for five months. I wanted a contraceptive pill that would control my acne and that would have a lower dosage of hormones as well (I was taking Yaz before). I happen to be very sensitive to hormones. With this pill, though, I got cystic acne on my forehead, on my temples, on my cheeks, on my chin, and on my neck. I have acne-prone skin, but I have never had such bad acne since I started this pill! Also, my mood swings are a rollercoaster, and I can feel sad and cry for no reason in the middle of the day and feel happy again right after that. I am done with this pill and am going to find another birth control solution."

• Ell...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2018

For Birth Control "I’m on my third month of Loestrin, and so far I can’t complain much. It’s definitely improved my acne. I still get a few breakouts right before my period starts, but this is still a dramatic improvement from the pizza face I was dealing with before starting this pill. I’m also still spotting the week before my period, but it seems to be going away slowly. Other than that, no mood swings, my weight is still the same, and periods are lighter and shorter with minimal cramping. If things keep going the way they are, I’ll probably stick to this birth control."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2019

For Birth Control "I am not happy with this medication, Loestrin 24 Fe. I switched birth control pills as my last pill made me gain 10 lbs in a short amount of time. I lost it all after I went off that pill within a few months. After about 3 weeks on this particular pill, I knew it would be normal for my chest to be tender, and my body felt a mess, but I wasn’t expecting to develop acne on my jawline and neck, especially since I have never had acne before. My skin is now really oily when I typically have dry skin. I thought it was because of the time of year and its warmth, but I’ve never had this issue throughout my life, and I’m in my 30s. Here come to find out after looking online, it seems like other people have the same problem, glad to see this thread and to know I’m not the only one. I’m on my last pill, and I will not be taking this anymore. Hopefully, my skin clears up fast."

• Anonymous
• February 28, 2010

For Acne "This is the worst birth control pill I've ever taken. It gave me the worst acne ever. I was super moody. Mood swings, depression, frustration, headaches, and everything. Maybe the only good thing about it was that it made my cramping go away, and my periods were very light and short. Other than that, I hate it! It was the worst experience ever. I tried to give it some time so my body could get used to it, but after 7 months there were no changes, so I decided to switch to another brand. Now I am taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and I love it. My acne went away right away and my face is so clear. I have no more mood swings and I just love it. I recommend this brand to everyone."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2013

For Acne "I have taken Lo Loestrin 24 for about 2 months now. I have had migraines, nausea, and fatigue nonstop. I only had one very light period since I started this pill. I have had horrible face and body acne since I started Loestrin, I feel 16 again! I have had a significant appetite increase and midsection bloating. However, I will continue with it one more month and see if my symptoms clear up."

• Rev...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2019

For Birth Control "I like this pill, Loestrin 24 Fe. I do not have mood swings, weight gain, or acne. So far, it has pretty much stopped my periods each month. I just get very, very light spotting for 2-3 days instead of a full-blown period. I've been on other pills, and I like this one better."

• adh...
• May 13, 2010

For Birth Control "Well, this is the first month that I have been on Loestrin. I have not gotten any weight gain as with other methods of birth control. I also haven't had any bleeding or spotting between periods. The reason my doctor told me to start taking Loestrin was that I was on Yasmin, and that pill made me have more side effects than Loestrin. With Loestrin, my acne has not broken out, it actually helped me with that. This is my last week for my first pack, and I feel really good with it. Maybe the reason why everyone else is having problems with the pill is because they may take it during the day. My doctor recommended taking it during the night, that way, you won't experience that many side effects."

• Anonymous
• April 15, 2012

For Acne "My acne got so bad, and my skin even started peeling. It's caused so many problems, and after trying this for 2 months and reading all these (mostly negative) reviews, today is my last day taking this pill."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 13, 2017

For Acne "I have only been on this pill for 4 days now, and I already have noticed large cystic pimples appearing on my cheeks and chin. I have never had perfect skin to begin with, but I have never experienced cystic pimples, nor have I ever broken out on my cheeks. After reading these reviews, I am glad to know that I am not the only one experiencing this. I started taking birth control to help with my heavy and irregular periods, but I have ultimately decided to stop using this pill due to the negative effects it has already had on my skin. I personally do not recommend this pill, especially if you are starting it with the intentions of clearing your skin."

• Kay...
• May 20, 2017

For Acne "I didn't notice at first why my acne was getting better, then I realized it was the birth control. After I stopped the pill, I noticed huge bumps on my chin and around my cheeks, and acne on my chest. I recently restarted back on the pill, and my skin is all of a sudden clear again, so it works for acne very well for me. Everyone seems to be different."

• Kir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 10, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this pill for about 4 years. I can honestly say I haven’t noticed any major problems like I’m reading from other women. I have been on birth control since I was 16, so it’s hard to say what’s normal and what’s abnormal for me. I don’t have acne problems. Occasionally annoying pimples. My periods are nonexistent at this point. I don’t bleed at all, which kind of bothers me because it’s not to get the “you’re not pregnant” notification from your period bleeding. I don’t get bloated. Mood swings? Eh, nothing out of the ordinary. I have my moments just like anyone else. I’m about to switch to the copper IUD because I feel like I’ve been on hormones for too long and fear the long-term consequences. Very nervous to switch considering I’ve had zero problems."

• Kir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 10, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this pill for about 4 years. I can honestly say I haven’t noticed any major problems like I’m reading from other women. I have been on birth control since I was 16, so it’s hard to say what’s normal and what’s abnormal for me. I don’t have acne problems. Occasionally annoying pimples. My periods are nonexistent at this point. I don’t bleed at all, which kind of bothers me because it’s not to get the “you’re not pregnant” notification from your period bleeding. I don’t get bloated. Mood swings? Eh, nothing out of the ordinary. I have my moments just like anyone else. I’m about to switch to the copper IUD because I feel like I’ve been on hormones for too long and fear the long-term consequences. Very nervous to switch considering I’ve had zero problems."

• Cai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on Lo Loestrin for 3 months. During those 3 months, I developed horrible acne. I’ve never had issues with acne, so when I started getting huge breakouts that wouldn’t go away all along my chin and jawline, I wasn’t too thrilled. No matter what acne products I used, the breakouts would not go away. Additionally, this stopped my periods entirely. Before, I was taking the pill Junel, and I was having light, regular periods that indicated I wasn’t pregnant, which is always a relief. I had no way of knowing with this birth control since I never had a period. My face is starting to finally clear up after a month of being off of this pill, and I finally had my period again. I would not recommend this pill at all."

• Mim...
• June 17, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for a month. I specifically asked my doctor for a low-dose pill because I have had really bad experiences with birth control in the past, from weight gain to ridiculous mood swings, PMS, my sex drive gone, to constant spotting. I am a healthy, slim, active 37-year-old. This pill is the BEST! It's like I am not on anything at all. I have not gained any weight. No acne, no mood swings, and my sex drive has increased, actually. The only reason why I can't give it a 10 is because it is a little pricey, and one thing I was not expecting was the boob growth! I was already a 32DD, and I am popping out of those bras already. My man is not complaining though...lol."

• Ray...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2019

For Birth Control "I started this birth control because it was low in estrogen, and all the other birth controls I have tried would make me bleed constantly. I was only 2 weeks in, and I started to bleed again, so I stopped. My issue, though, is the TERRIBLE acne this has caused me. I'm relieved to see that there are others who share the same issue. I have never had acne this severe, I am so embarrassed to show my skin. I seriously just want to hide, I feel disgusting. I've broken out so badly on my chin, back, and slightly on my chest. I went to the dermatologist to seek relief, but it's still going to take much time to heal. This has by far been the worst birth control I have ever taken. I would not recommend this."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2012

For Birth Control "I was on Loestrin 24 Fe for about 2 months. I'm active and have a very busy lifestyle, but this pill just made me feel like a lunatic. I felt like I was on the verge of crying all the time, really depressed, really anxious, and really tired. Serious mood swings, headaches, breast tenderness, acne - it also made me starving - like permanent PMS. I didn't want to work out and I didn't want to socialize. I gained maybe 5 lbs, but that's probably from not working out and eating way more. It did make my heavy, crampy periods light and short, and my breasts noticeably bigger. Birth control is different for everyone, I'm very in tune with my cycle, when I'm ovulating, and very sensitive to a shift in my hormones. This one was just not right for me."

• Bec...
• May 23, 2017

For Acne "Looking over these reviews, it's such a relief to know that I am not alone in dealing with the horrible, embarrassing, and painful cystic acne this has caused me. Until starting, my (then) clear, flawless skin was the thing I liked best about myself. However, within a month, this had truly ruined my skin forever. Excessive and deep cystic acne that did not respond to any dermatologist treatments sent me into a spiral of low self-esteem. Gyno insisted I stick with it for 6 months to see if it evened out. It did not! Instead, what I've been left with is unresponsive acne for the past two years (yes...1.5 years after I stopped taking this) because of this horrible pill. Also, did not work properly and gave me 2 periods/month :) Stay away!"