Microgestin Fe 1/20 and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• November 21, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been taking the pills for 4 months now. I was using the Mirena for 7 years prior. Pros: no pregnancy, very light menstrual cycle, and no spotting. Cons: 1st month pregnancy symptoms, ongoing: increased appetite, bigger breasts that are sore to the touch, and headaches from time to time. If you can control your diet and exercise, the weight gain won't occur or would be more manageable."

• Amb...
• March 12, 2013

"I was on Junel FE 1/20 and randomly got switched to this without any notice. Since it was a bit cheaper, I decided to try it without complaints, but I have had a terrible time with this pill. I'm an emotional roller coaster and find myself mopey a lot of the time. I can't sleep, I have nighttime nausea, I'm on edge and get pissed very easily, and I can't stop eating junk food. My sex drive has dropped also, and my acne has flared up, and now I'm breaking out all over. I've also had headaches, which is unusual for me, I never get headaches unless I slept wrong or am very, very stressed. I'm going to get put back on Junel before it gets worse."

• May...
• September 18, 2018

For Birth Control "I have had extremely painful, heavy periods since the start of my 20s. This pill has gotten rid of my cramps and made my period lighter. It has also cleared up the hormonal acne on my chin, and I actually feel less bloated on this pill. The negative side effects I have experienced are spotting, horrible headaches the first few months, and breast tenderness. The jury is still out on mood swings and possible hair loss because I struggle with depression/anxiety and have low iron, so it's hard to tell how much - if any - of that is coming from the birth control. Birth control is a minefield for us women, and what works for one could be horrible for another. I haven't tried any other scripts in fear of trading off for worse side effects. Most of the bad side effects came at times when I was not consistent with taking the pill, and I don't want to get an IUD. I would recommend giving it a good three months of accurate consecutive dosage before giving the next one a go."

• Big...
• May 19, 2018

For Birth Control "The first two months on Microgestin Fe 1/20 were fine. It did make me get two periods each month, but they were light. Once I started my third pack, all heck broke loose. Anxiety so bad I couldn’t drive, I felt dizzy, weak, and tired, and had a horrible headache for days. My heart rate was through the roof, and my eyes felt...weird. I lost 10 pounds in 3 days, probably because I couldn’t stop going to the bathroom and had no appetite. I thought there was something seriously wrong with me until I did a search and found others with similar experiences with this BC. This morning I skipped my dose, and I feel fine! Needless to say, I will be switching BC. I expected some side effects but not this. If you have a history of anxiety or panic attacks, I would be very cautious with this medication. The only reason I didn’t give it the lowest rating is because it did prevent pregnancy."

• VFa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 14, 2014

For Birth Control "I started taking these pills in December 2013. A month has passed and I have bad migraines that last from morning till night. I stopped taking the pills for two days and those awful headaches stopped. I did enjoy the light periods, and they were short, but I'm considering changing to a different pill because the migraines are terrible for me."

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2015

For Birth Control "I switched from Tri-Sprintec to Microgestin Fe. I tried Microgestin Fe for two months, and I actually felt suicidal. I didn't feel that way with Tri-Sprintec at all, so I switched back. Also, my headaches seemed to last longer with this one. Extremely undesirable side effects."

• Lup...
• August 12, 2016

For Birth Control "Horrible! I switched from Lo Loestrin Fe to Microgestin due to insurance. Going on my third month! Ever since, I've gained 15-20 pounds. I live a very active lifestyle, and for the most part, I eat super healthy. I've been experiencing horrible headaches along with mood swings and heartburn, besides my gained weight. I do not recommend this BC! I am certainly going back to Lo Loestrin Fe. Screw this BC."

• kay...
• November 23, 2016

For Birth Control "Well, I'm going to start off by saying that every girl is different and has different side effects. My experience wasn't a great one. At first, it worked great, but my periods started to become very irregular the third month I was on it. Some months, I'd have my period for a straight 3 weeks, and sometimes it was only 4 days. I experienced excruciating cramps and severe headaches. I also just seemed very cloudy. Didn't really seem myself. Everything was so 'eh' to me. Although, it did seem to help with some acne. But you just need to figure out what birth control fits right for you! I hope this helps some of you get a little insight on this birth control."

• Hon...
• January 12, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been using this pill for a year now to have regular periods because I don't have periods and to also ovulate every month, which the pill did help me. But the side effects are the worst, which are nausea, weight gain, breast enlargement, tenderness, hurting a lot, mood swings, depression, emotional changes, changes in appetite, nervousness, headaches. I'll be using my last two packs, and I'm done with the birth control pills altogether. I hate that my body went through so many changes."

• Zam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 7, 2013

For Birth Control "I began taking this after my Loestrin 24 Fe became too expensive. Loestrin always worked really well for me with very few side effects, but you can't beat free. Pros with Microgestin Fe: my skin is mostly clear (I rarely get pimples), and my period is usually light, and I sometimes barely get anything at all if I've consistently taken the pills and don't miss one/take one late. Cons: low libido, lots of breast tenderness, frequent headaches/migraines, spotting between periods, exhaustion, some weight gain (especially in my breasts, which is not a plus if you're already ~curvy~ to begin with). I just started using Reclipsen because I couldn't handle the low libido, breast tenderness, and headaches! Here's to hoping I do better on Reclipsen."

• Anonymous
• November 1, 2010

For Birth Control "I have been taking this medication for two months now. Overall, it has been good and does what it needs to do, I have had nearly no bad side effects: no weight gain, no headaches/nausea, no mood changes, spotted only once, lighter 'period,' etc. Slight improvement in acne that wasn't bad to begin with, no change in breast size. The glaring exception to this is a drop in sex drive that was low to begin with, which kind of negates why I chose this form of birth control in the first place."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 3, 2015

"I am 18 years old and have been on this birth control (the only birth control I've ever taken) since January of 2015. My first few months were pretty good. I had mood swings, of course, regular periods, very mild cramps, and headaches (which I usually get every now and then with a period). But in March of 2015, I had a very light period and haven't had one since. Yes, I'm regularly sexually active, I've had the same boyfriend for the past three years, and we've never used any protection until I got on the pill. I take my pill regularly every day around the same time, and yet, I've still had no period. I took a pregnancy test, and it came back negative. Any suggestions on what may be going on? Are other females having this same problem?"

• Ann...
• June 6, 2015

For Birth Control "After switching from Levora to which I had the worst experience for 3 months, gained 14 lbs, my doctor decided to prescribe Microgestin. I'm in my 2nd pack, and so far I've had. The only thing good about this pill is my high sex drive, and that's it. Other than that, it's headaches, short breath, ache, moody, increased hunger, weight gain, blurred vision, light periods. I seem to have gotten all of the side effects on this pill, but overall it does the job and I'm not prego. But I'm gonna stick around a little more to see how my body does for the last pack."

• ken...
• November 29, 2011

For Birth Control "I have been on birth control for about 3 years. I started out on the shot, it worked well, but I didn't like not having a period, and with my emotions, I spotted all the time. The patch did not work for me (hated it). I'm 5'5" and weigh about 110, my weight has always been on the lighter side (and I can't gain it no matter what). For me, I like the pill, I've been on it for about a year. I do have a low sex drive, I'm always dry. I did go up one cup size. Periods are on the lighter side, and sometimes I don't have one. Since I have been on the pill, I feel sick more often: stomach pains, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, leg pains, vaginal pains, back pains, but it's never constant, so I usually dismiss it."

• Bra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2015

For Birth Control "Well, I recently started my second pack, and the least I can say is I've grown a cup size bigger (boob-wise), and I'm maintaining my average weight. I have slight acne, I never get bad pimples, but now my T-zone is bad! No nausea, no headaches. My first pack I had bad, even suicidal depression, but I've noticed all of it is toning down. I have a little acne between my breasts (which NEVER happens). My periods are light and stay for 4 days at the most, no cramps. Everything is great except for the acne...."

• Fla...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 22, 2018

For Birth Control "I was put on this birth control after I had my son. All was good, and I didn't have a period for almost a year. After that year, I'd get my period every 2 months, which was okay with me because they were light and lasted 3 days. Now, almost 5 years later, I've noticed I have gained weight, my legs are swollen, I get very bad headaches that last for 2 days, and I'm not the same person as I was when I began taking it. And here lately, I've been getting my periods twice a month with bad cramps. The pharmacist had discontinued this birth control, and now they have me on Norethindrone. I was on this one for a month a few years ago, and my period was on the whole time. Guess I'll be trying it again next month."

• cos...
• September 19, 2011

For Birth Control "I have been on and off taking birth control pills. I started Microgestin Fe 1/20 about 4 months ago. And ever since, I have had a lot of rough mornings with nausea and headaches. It helped clear out my cystic acne; but I have gained dramatically 10 lbs within 4 months, and that wasn't funny! More like a devastating realization. Every woman is different, and I had read these reviews before taking it. I guess you won't really know until you try it. That's how you know what's best for you, and I found that Microgestin Fe 1/20 is not for me. Hope this is helpful!"

• Anonymous
• July 12, 2010

For Birth Control "I have been using this medicine for a little over 6 months. I have noticed some weight gain, but on the plus side, my acne has cleared up. This pill gives me little to no nausea (all pills make me feel very sick). I have had no headaches, my periods are shorter, lighter, and I do not experience cramps anymore. All in all, I say it's not bad. I have been on several types of pills, this is the best so far (minus the weight gain, of course...but if I were to get pregnant, I would gain a lot more weight!)."

• Emm...
• August 19, 2016

For Menstrual Disorders "This has done absolutely nothing. I was put on Junel Fe, and that did wonders for me: clearing up acne, helping with weakness and cramps. However, my local pharmacy switched me to this. I never ever write bad reviews, but I feel so strongly about this I have to. My cramps are equally as painful as before going on the pill, my acne has flared, my mood has worsened, and I've had horrific headaches. Totally the worst thing in the world. Now I'm sitting in an 18-hour long car ride with some of the worst cramps I've ever had. No point in taking the medicine for period symptoms if it does absolutely nothing."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2017

For Birth Control "Microgestin has more pros than cons for me. I have been on for almost a month now, and not only am I not pregnant, but I went from a 34C to a D cup (yeah boi). I have also gained like 7-8 pounds, but that could be from the hearty eating. My chest acne has pretty much cleared up, my face is eh, though. My sex drive is through the roof. I've gotten a lot of minor headaches, and I'm a little emotional. Eager to see what my results will be after three months. This pill ain't too shabby."

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 14, 2014

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Slowed down my abnormal bleeding after a few weeks, it stopped altogether, then started up again, but not to the degree that it was before I was taking it. I've gained 10 lbs from it. I eat half of what I used to and eat an extremely healthy diet. I do 30 mins of cardio and 30 minutes of weight training 5-6 days a week, plus bicycling 7 days a week. I've had awful mood swings and depression, bad headaches on top of it."

• Wya...
• October 12, 2015

For Birth Control "Ok, so I was taking norethindrone because I was breastfeeding my son when I decided to stop breastfeeding. My doctor prescribed Microgestin 1/20. At first, it was okay, my headaches improved, and it helped decrease my milk supply faster. But once I got on the second pack, I started having frequent headaches and migraines. My periods have gotten lighter, a plus considering I'm a bleeder. (TMI, sorry.) I haven't gotten pregnant, but I get bloated almost every day, and I literally have no energy. I could sleep all day and still wake up like I haven't slept in a week. I am not prone to depression at all, yet since I've started this, I get depressed for long stretches of time, and I get extremely irritable. I'm getting an IUD later this week because of the effects."

• Lec...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 6, 2019

For Birth Control "Microgestin Fe made my periods much lighter, even to the point where I would skip one or two periods in between, helped my acne some over time, although it did not clear it up completely, but it was better than before. Also a few more headaches here and there. Only negative thing I noticed, which could be due to other things, was my energy has been lower. Overall, not too bad."

• Anonymous
• February 15, 2012

For Birth Control "I started taking Microgestin Fe 1/20 to get rid of the bad symptoms I had from being on my period. So far, I haven't had any problems, and it has pretty much gotten rid of the bad symptoms I had before. I haven't gained any weight and have found that my skin is completely cleared of any acne. I really like this pill and recommend it. The only side effect I've had is light headaches every once in a while."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2016

For Birth Control "On my 5th month of Microgestin. For the first 3 months, I experienced some side effects. I gained 5-10 lbs and felt 'headachy' at times. After 3 months, my weight has returned to normal and no more headachy. No changes to libido or any other side effects."