Microgestin Fe 1/20 and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• December 30, 2009

For Birth Control "I am taking Microgestin FE 1/20 for a month now. I took the first pill and then decided to just read up on it. I was scared out of my mind after reading reviews. I tried to calm myself down by saying that people usually only give reviews with a bad experience. Rarely do people seek these sites out to give a positive one. Nevertheless, I was scared. I thought I was going to gain weight, be an emotional crazy person, suffer from bad eyesight, etc. I was especially scared because I would take the pill at noon and at 5 pm every day I would feel nauseous. I changed my time to 5 pm, and hey, problem solved. I am usually in bed by the time the nausea would start. Other than that, no weight gain, no headaches, no loss of sexual interest, and no breast tenderness. Everyone is different, and their bodies react differently. I would say I am very satisfied with this birth control."

• bee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2020

For Birth Control "I absolutely hate this medication. They gave it to me because my Junel Fe was on backorder. Horrible mood swings, zero sex drive whatsoever, symptoms of depression, breakthrough bleeding, and lack of interest in things I previously loved. I didn't use this for the purpose of preventing pregnancy, but it didn't even work for the things I needed it for. Everyone is different, but I have never experienced such dark emotions in my life, and this was a horrible experience."

• Anonymous
• July 16, 2010

For Birth Control "I am 5 months postpartum and started taking this pill a couple of months ago. I had lost 15 lbs of my baby weight before starting this pill. After taking Microgestin Fe 1/20, I gained back 10 lbs in the first month. I eat right and exercise 3 times a week and also take my son on walks every day. I should be losing weight, and so far, after gaining back the 10 lbs, the scale will not budge. It made my breasts larger and actually gave me pregnancy symptoms, which I was not a fan of. I have completely lost my sex drive and motivation for anything. My husband has noticed a change in my moods and asked if I'd consider changing birth control because he wants the old me back. I'm completely frustrated with the weight gain."

• cla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Microgestin for almost three months now; I switched over from Previfem. During the first month or so, my sex drive decreased a bit, and I was nauseated in the morning sometimes. I did notice some mood swings, too. Since I've been on it for a while, though, the symptoms have let up. My withdrawal bleeds only last for about 3-5 days, and they're light. I do have backaches and cramps periodically throughout my cycle, but they're manageable with a little ibuprofen. My breasts swell a bit and get sore around my placebo week, but that's not really a big deal. Overall, I'm happy with Microgestin. I haven't gotten pregnant, so that's awesome, and the side effects are minimal. Also, my skin is looking good!"

• dev...
• October 1, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 3 weeks and already can't wait to switch to something else. After the first week, I became severely depressed with heavy mood swings and no sex drive at all. I cried at everything. I felt nauseous almost every day."

• Kel...
• May 15, 2017

For Birth Control "This is the only birth control that I have used, and it was recommended to me by a friend. I have been on it for over two years now and have had virtually no side effects at all. During my first month on it, I spotted almost every day, but after that, I did not have a single issue with this pill. My periods are extremely light to the point where I have not even needed a pad or tampon in two years. I have not experienced any acne, mood swings, weight gain, or libido changes whatsoever."

• Cat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 22, 2014

For Birth Control "My OBGYN switched me to this pill because she believed the Necon 0.5/35 I was previously on contained unnecessary amounts of hormone for me. About 3 months in, my libido decreased, but I wasn't having any other side effects, so I decided to wait it out and see if things got better. Around month six, I missed my period three months in a row, wasn't pregnant, thank God, and started breaking out like crazy. My periods have resumed, but I've got no sex drive, really bad skin, and have become emotionally unstable around my time of the month, which is very unusual for me. I am 24 years old, 125 lbs., and have a pretty active lifestyle if anyone wants those statistics for their reference. I'll be switching at the end of this month's pack."

• Cat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 22, 2014

For Birth Control "My OBGYN switched me to this pill because she believed the Necon 0.5/35 I was previously on contained unnecessary amounts of hormone for me. About 3 months in, my libido decreased, but I wasn't having any other side effects, so I decided to wait it out and see if things got better. Around month six, I missed my period three months in a row, wasn't pregnant, thank God, and started breaking out like crazy. My periods have resumed, but I've got no sex drive, really bad skin, and have become emotionally unstable around my time of the month, which is very unusual for me. I am 24 years old, 125 lbs., and have a pretty active lifestyle if anyone wants those statistics for their reference. I'll be switching at the end of this month's pack."

• Jan...
• June 19, 2009

For Birth Control "Wow. It sure did the job. No pregnancies because I lost my sex drive and became dry. I don't do any drugs nor smoke. And I had mood swings that were insane. Once, I got to the point where I couldn't go to sleep at night and went through my boyfriend's phone and accused him of cheating. So just please beware, and if others are noticing symptoms, I hope they speak out because I didn't come to terms with it until I reached a scary point."

• cam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 15, 2014

For Birth Control "This is effective in preventing pregnancies, but I've had some other unpleasant side effects. I've been on this for 9 months. During the first three, I would always break out real bad around the time of my period. Then for a couple of months, the acne stopped, but other symptoms began popping up: spotting, sometimes an early period, extreme mood swings, weight gain (20 lbs). The last two months, when my libido began to suffer, I decided to switch. No sex drive. None. It's killing me. Even if I want to have sex, which is rare anyway, my body says no. The end of this pack is it for me."

• pet...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 16, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control for a while now, probably a year. I love the fact it makes my periods super light and super short. I even skip periods often, which is scary but a relief at the same time. The biggest downfall is the fact I am depressed a lot and have zero sex drive. I blame the birth control because I have gone without it for a few days because I ran out, and I felt like a new happy woman with a sex drive."

• Van...
• December 18, 2015

For Birth Control "This birth control is the worst kind I've ever taken in my life. I thought I had a bad experience with Seasonique solely because of the weight gain, but Microgestin Fe was 100 times worse. The first month I was totally fine, then after a while, I started getting really emotional. I cried at the most absurd things, and I'm not usually a crier. It made me so irritable and cranky with my family, my boyfriend, and even his family. Not to mention it caused me to get a yeast infection, which I never had before and haven't had since I got off the pill. And the worst part, it made me go from someone with an extremely high libido to someone that cringed at sex. Getting off it was the best decision I've made."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2015

For Birth Control "I am finishing up my 4th pack of this pill, and I am seriously considering switching pills. The first two months weren't too bad, I had mild side effects, but they were manageable. It wasn't until the third month that I started getting constant nausea like all day, every day, and even worse at night, headaches, sore boobs, frequent urination, and absolutely no sex drive. The only good thing is my period is like clockwork, and I'm for sure not pregnant, but the side effects make me feel like I am!!!"

• Kil...
• July 24, 2011

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I was terrified of taking this. I had been on Lo-ovral in the past and had a terrible experience with it (mood swings, lack of sex drive, constant hunger, weight gain, etc.). This was pretty much off the bat. Plus, I have seen some scary reviews about Microgestin. But after getting diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), I had to do something. I have had pretty much zero side effects after a month of use. Breasts grew a little bit and were tender at first, but other than that I feel fine. I am typically hypersensitive to medicines. It could be that I am used to high hormone levels due to the PCOS and this just balances it out. With birth control (and anti-depressants), it is important to really shop around until you find one that works with your body."

• dan...
• September 13, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for 8 months. I've always been overweight, but I've significantly changed my lifestyle, going to the gym consistently for the first time ever, yet I'm gaining weight. Ugh. Other side effects: anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings, weird, vivid, and often sexual dreams. I sleep so much (10 hrs/night), loss of sex drive. Headaches and disturbed sleep, which were extremely rare for me before. Also, my blood pressure was 140/89 the other day, and I've never had high blood pressure! I was compelled to read reviews after that, and I see some people had the same issue. This is the first pill I've been on, so I thought 'maybe this isn't so bad,' but now, writing out all of my side effects, I'm seriously considering stopping this pill."

• Eri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2014

For Birth Control "I am 20 years old, and here's my experience with this birth control. Pros: didn't get pregnant. SLIGHTLY fuller breasts in the same cup size. Didn't gain weight. Cons: I lost ALL sex drive and became a moody, depressive, crying, tired, sad prude. Which is sad because my husband thought I wasn't attracted to him, and I am VERY attracted to his sexy, handsome self! My acne also got worse. After two months, I stopped the pills and switched to condoms. I am back to my sexual self and get along 100."

• Bsu...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 28, 2013

For Birth Control "I started this pill after a horrible experience with Implanon. I've been on the pill for over a year, and I love it! My periods are predictable and very light, and I have had no weight gain. I only get light acne (one or two pimples) when my cycle is about to come on. I've had no breakthrough bleeding, but have noticed a decrease in sex drive, but not by too much."

• Hay...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 12, 2014

For Birth Control "Yes, it is effective as a birth control contraceptive. The side effects I have had are loss of sex drive, moodiness, weight gain, and an irregular menstrual cycle. I stopped taking that pack of pills at the end of January 2014, as of now, I have yet to have a menstrual cycle. Something is right."

• xxx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2017

For Birth Control "This was my first birth control ever, so at the time I didn't have anything to compare it to. Looking back, it was a pretty bad experience. I have problem skin, and this drug gave me pretty extreme hormonal acne around my jawline that only got worse over time. Please be careful if you have past experience with acne or if you notice the acne isn't going away! I got acne scars that are just now fading. I also noticed that it nearly completely killed my sex drive and put me in a generally depressive state. It might work for some people, but I urge you to try multiple types of birth control before you settle for one because something you take every day should not leave you with such bad side effects."

• Pen...
• November 19, 2009

For Birth Control "I started this pill 4 months ago, and my hair is breaking badly. I have mood swings very, very badly. Also, I'm totally emotional all the time. You would think I was pregnant, no sex drive, and my husband is fed up with it!"

• Meg...
• October 3, 2016

For Birth Control "Awful, swore I was on this before and was miserable but gave it a chance because I switched doctors and we didn't have old records, but I had the horrible flashbacks instantly as soon as I switched to this birth control. I had the following symptoms: lowered sex drive; my boyfriend even noticed, it became embarrassing. Breaking out, weight gain, intense headaches, nausea all the time; felt like I was car sick 24/7. Severe cramping; never wanted to crawl in bed and cry so much as I had with this med. Heavy periods, interrupted sleep, tender boobs. Ugh, needless to say this has been a nightmare; do not do this to yourself."

• Jes...
• December 24, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been on this a couple of months. Little to no period. I've skipped two in a row. However, no sex drive and very 'dry' since I've started taking this. But I still like the fact that I don't have a period."

• 20K...
• November 4, 2015

For Birth Control "In reading the reviews of this birth control, I see a lot of been on it a week, a month, couple months. I see a lot of when Watson distributed it, etc. I'm one of those who've had a bad experience with it. While yes, it's done its job in preventing pregnancy, here I am after 18 mos on it, and I've decided enough is enough. Pros: no pregnancy, no periods, minimal spotting. Cons: 30 lb weight gain, mood swings, nausea-induced migraines, lethargic, zero energy, constant feeling of not enough sleep, unusual body pains, painful sex, emotional, looking and feeling pregnant numerous times (even having people ask), increased appetite, pregnancy symptoms, etc. As a mother and nanny, the cons are huge for me as they've greatly impacted me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been taking Microgestin for almost 4 years, and I have an appointment at my OB tomorrow to get it switched. My menstrual cycle has always been off. Therefore, I was put on Microgestin in hopes for proper regulation with a lower dose. In the beginning, I didn't notice many side effects. Now, four years later, I can't get off this fast enough. I gained a lot of weight, I'm constantly negative, moody, and my emotions are all over the place. I've never had problems with vision before, now I'm wearing glasses, and my vision is slowly getting worse. My anxiety levels are through the roof, and I have such a loss in sex drive. It has been terrible, and I'm really hoping that I find a new birth control that works for me."

• Kas...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 9, 2015

For Birth Control "I am 21 years old. I was first put on Microgestin at the age of 15, my freshman year of high school, because my anxiety was so bad. When I graduated high school 4 years later, I tried another pill-made me gain weight. NuvaRing made me nauseous every single day for 3 months, then another pill. Then I figured I'd just go for the IUD. Worst decision I ever made. Getting it inserted was the most painful thing I've ever experienced, and for 3 days after, I literally had 'labor pains.' I stayed with it for 6 months and completely lost my sex drive, and when I got it removed, I had my period for 3 weeks. I went back to Microgestin last week, and it's the best decision for me, and I've never had a single problem or scare. I love it!"