Loestrin 24 Fe and Cramps: What Users Say

• 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 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!"

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2018

For Birth Control "Coming from someone who already struggles with bipolar and anxiety, this made me feel like I was losing my mind. I’ve been in a mental hospital and felt more sane. The cramping and vomiting were the cherry on top. If you struggle with mental health issues, please, please stay away from this."

• Anonymous
• July 13, 2009

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I started the pill after being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome when I was 18. My doctor put me on Yasmin. I gained a lot of weight, and my cup size went from barely C to D/almost DD. I switched to Loestrin 24 FE to make my breast 'normal' size again. It worked, and I went back to my normal weight, too. The first month, I was spotty and moody; the pill timing is sensitive. But since then, everything has been smooth. I have a light period (only about 3 days) with minor cramps every month, which sure beats the inconsistent, week-long ones with heavy bleeding and paralyzing cramps that resulted from PCOS. Overall, after almost 3 years, Loestrin has worked great for me and made my menstrual cycle a breeze. As long as you are consistent, it should work fine."

• Sli...
• January 15, 2013

For Menstrual Disorders "Loestrin is VERY effective as a contraceptive. However, I am on the pill because of irregular and painful periods. The pill is good, but what bothers me is that my monthly cycle, though tolerable, is COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE. The first few months I had a period, short and light. Then my period disappeared, and I thought I was pregnant. My doctor told me this is normal with this pill. After two or three months of no period, it came back preceded by cramping and severe nausea -- I thought I was pregnant AGAIN! The number of days between periods is not consistent. This cycle, I was exhausted, nauseous, and moody a week and a half before the bleeding began. Now I am having nausea, though physical symptoms usually disappear a day or two after bleeding."

• 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."

• Suz...
• May 27, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "The first month was okay, but this is my second month of use, and I started bleeding (moderately) in the second week of the pill pack! No fair! I should be in the 'no bleeding zone' right now! I am less than thrilled. I feel gross, bloated, and have cramping and low back pain. I am only on the pill to keep regular, to avoid anemia, but this month it's doing just the opposite! I don't know if I should stay on it and give it more time, or go to something else. Ugh!"

• aud...
• September 10, 2010

For Birth Control "Give the pill a chance. After taking it for a week, or even a few months, you simply cannot judge how it will affect you. I have been on this pill for about a year, and at first, I hated it. It made me nauseous, my boobs hurt, and all that, but after a while, that disappeared. Only a few things have remained annoying about this medicine, like irritability, cramps, and tiredness while menstruating, but isn't that what happens anyway? I have had no weight change, no headaches, no pimples, no change in sex drive, and nothing else! Plus, the most important thing is that I have not gotten pregnant. 9/10"

• Anonymous
• July 18, 2010

For Menstrual Disorders "I was taking Yaz for 3 years. My Ob/Gyn took me off and put me on this one. I have been taking it for 2 months, and until I came across this site, I wondered what was going on with my body! I have gained 15 pounds, no periods at all, bigger breasts, very bad headaches, anxiety, leg cramps, insomnia, and very moody. I feel like a whole different person, and I don't like it. I loved Yaz. I was taking a birth control to help my never-ending periods but have decided I don't like what this pill is doing to me, and I don't plan on taking it anymore."

• Anonymous
• July 17, 2009

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been on this pill for 2 weeks. I took the 2nd day (pill) 15 minutes late, but since then I've had my period. So I've had my period for 2 weeks straight now. Plus, I get cramps and am moody all the time."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2011

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "For the past 5 months, I have been having severe periods with extremely heavy bleeding to the point where I had to wear a pad and a tampon, and I would bleed through both in a matter of hours (overnight pad and regular strength tampon). So I went to my OB/GYN. Turns out I have a big fibroid tumor, ovarian cyst, and most likely endometriosis, which would explain why I had really bad cramps for a long time. She put me on Loestrin, and I'm literally on the fourth pill, and it has slowed down my bleeding so much. I did bleed through a little, but I was only wearing a pad because I have surgery next week, and I'm not allowed to use tampons before it. So I know this is a pretty early review, but I'm really happy so far. No cramps at all."

• bpq...
• April 4, 2013

For Birth Control "I started Loestrin 24 about a year and a half ago. I initially gained about 10 pounds and have consistently continued to gain weight. I look bloated most of the time and have also gotten cellulite, even though I am only in my twenties. I constantly have an appetite, and even though I exercise regularly, I cannot seem to lose the weight. However, the bright side is that my periods are non-existent, and I don't have cramping."

• Anonymous
• October 13, 2009

For Birth Control "After only taking this medicine for 9 days, I've already decided to discontinue use. My side effects are as follows: 1. Mood swings/depression/anxiety: none of these were present before I began taking the pill. I cry for no reason and have a constant feeling of deep, deep worry. I have begun questioning everyone's motives and feel hopeless. 2. Constant sleeping: before the pill, I would have to force myself to go to bed by 10 to be able to fall asleep by 11. I am exhausted by 8 pm now and generally crash by 9. 3. Cramps: stabbing pains, like with a period. 4. Breast tenderness. 5. Pain during intercourse. 6. Acne. 7. Severe nausea. I am stopping this now and getting my life back."

• LC1...
• November 14, 2011

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I am 21 years old and started taking Loestrin Fe in the beginning of September. I have heard that birth control is supposed to make you gain weight, but I've actually been steadily losing weight, and that's without taking my Metformin regularly (which I am now back on). My breasts also continue to grow in size and are quite tender for about a week leading up to my period. I get some cramps, but they don't last very long. I had pretty bad PMS for a couple of days before my first period, but once I started my period, I was fine. Before taking this regularly, I was on progesterone for ten days once every three months but had not gotten a menstrual cycle from it for three doses. For PCOS, this is great."

• Meg...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 23, 2020

For Birth Control "I hated being on this birth control. I switched from the patch that was throwing my liver out of control. My doctor suggested this low-dose birth control. I thought this would be awesome. I was horribly wrong. I went from having a period once a month to bleeding heavily every 2 weeks. After about a month, I started losing a lot of hair, I called my doctor, and he said it could take a few months to normalize. I finally started having a period once a month, but I would start when I still had 8 days of active pills left. Then it went to nothing for 3 months, great, right? Then bam, 2-week heavy period, cramps for days. I noticed my skin was having more breakouts that wouldn't go away. My under-control depression went crazy. Biggest mood swings: one minute I'm happy-go-lucky, the next I'm a rage case, the next moment I'm uncontrollably sad. I finally couldn't handle it and got put on a different birth control. I know every woman is different. But this one definitely wasn't for me."

• Anonymous
• January 20, 2012

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I started Loestrin 24 Fe about two weeks ago, and ever since I have had random spotting at least once a day. It took away my cramps and pains from my period, but my period won't go away now. After I finish this pack, I'll see what happens and if I should switch or not."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2012

For Acne "I'm 22, and this is my first time being on birth control. At first, I liked it because it regulated my period, and I went up a cup size, but that's the only positive experience I've had with this pill. I'm bloated around my midsection (I'm 5'6" and 107 lbs, and I look 2 months pregnant because of the bloating), my cramps are just as bad as they were off the pill, my breasts hurt so bad, and the biggest thing of all that I hate is that my face went from being flawless to severe acne EVERYWHERE! The pill is also expensive."

• Bas...
• October 7, 2011

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've only been on Loestrin 24 Fe for a month now. The side effects I have been having are cramping. I also started spotting, and the cramps became a bit worse, where I had to literally curl in a ball because it hurt so bad, and I got a period that is just all clotting. I'm not sure if that's normal, but maybe my body is just getting used to it. I notice a little increase in my breast size, which is a plus for me. I will continue to take Loestrin with hopes that the cramping clears up and the clotting of my period, because it worries me. Has anyone else had these issues? I sure hope my body becomes used to it and all my symptoms go away."

• Kry...
• February 29, 2012

For Endometriosis "I have horrible pain during my periods due to endometriosis, and I've tried many other drugs to help control it. In August of 2011, I had the laparoscopic surgery to remove some of the endometriosis, this surgery did not help me one bit. So my doctor put me on Loestrin just recently (Feb. 2012), and the first few days the only side effect I had was nausea and some slight stomach cramping. About 2 weeks into it, I started bleeding - not spotting - not as heavy as a period, I'd say it was a good mix. Now I'm having constant cramps, they're pretty intense. They feel somewhat like my pre-period cramps, which are terrible due to the endo. I'm just waiting for my period to come and hoping it will be better. But so far, the side effects have not been worth it."

• Lei...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 18, 2017

For Birth Control "So this is my second time on this birth control. When I took it correctly, I wouldn't have many periods and never super painful. I'm terribly sensitive to most birth controls. My migraines were so bad they thought I had a tumor. But it was too much estrogen in the birth control. The first time went well, but I was taken off of it due to migraines again with auras. But later, I figured out it was biotin instead. So far, I'm 4 months on this, and my skin hasn't looked healthier in the past 6 months. My periods are more like two days of light cramping and then brown sludge for 3 to 4 days. I'll gladly take that over other periods for sure. For me, this works because it's such a low dose."

• No ...
• September 14, 2015

For Birth Control "I started taking Loestrin 24 Fe when I was 19 years old for 4 years. I have a slim body, and I'm active. My periods are light, and I don't get cramps or back aches while on my period, and I don't have problems with acne. My periods were just very irregular. I would sometimes get my period the next month, the next week, and even the next three months! And they would last like 1 week, 2 weeks, and even 4 weeks one time! I was on Loestrin for 4 years because it didn't give me any negative side effects. It gave me regular periods, and I never got pregnant. I stopped taking it because my doc told me they discontinued it! So she prescribed me Minastrin 24 Fe. I looked up the reviews for it and didn't like what I saw. So I've been off bc for 2 years."

• Anonymous
• September 1, 2010

For Birth Control "I switched from Kariva because I was having pretty bad cramping during my period. I have been on Loestrin for a week. The first 3-4 days, I had severe migraines constantly. I was relieved when that passed, but a few days later, the insomnia began. I have a horrible time falling asleep, and when I can fall asleep, it's a very light sleep, and I feel exhausted all day, which is terrible since I have a 14-month-old to care for. I'm talking to my doctor and either switching back to Kariva (I'd rather have cramps than this) or using another method. I'm over pills. Can someone please make a pill for men? It's so unfair that we have to put our bodies through this to prevent pregnancy."

• kit...
• April 8, 2009

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I love this birth control pill. Before birth control pills, I would have horrible periods. Heavy bleeding, painful cramps, period would last for months, vomiting, etc. On this, I had only a 4-day period! Light bleeding and the cramps were better but still hurt. I would definitely recommend this for women to try."

• Anonymous
• October 10, 2009

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I started this birth control about a month ago after bleeding non-stop for four months (have PCOS), and it stopped my bleeding immediately. However, in about the second week, I began having mild cramps and spotting brown. I missed the last pill of my third week and took it the next morning - and bam, there was the heavy bleeding again. The bleeding and clotting are awful. If the bleeding doesn't stop after I start my new pack, I think I'm going to switch. As for other side effects, none!"

• Anonymous
• July 10, 2011

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've been on Loestrin 24 for a month now. My doctor prescribed it because I have had long periods in the past and other symptoms of low estrogen. I am also on Celexa to help stabilize the terrible depression and anxiety I get with my menstrual cycle. I started the pill on the first day of my period, and my period stopped for two days, and then I spotted for a week and a half before having a full period that lasted 8 days. Then I was without spotting or a period for a week before I made it to the brown pills. On the first day of the brown pills, my period started again. So, I've pretty much been bleeding all month. I had terrible cramps for 4 days on the pill while I was having a full period. I usually don't get bad cramps."