Microgestin Fe 1/20 and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 7, 2012

For Birth Control "I was on Microgestin Fe for 8 months. At first, I had no symptoms and it worked great. Then, after about 5 months, I started having irregular bleeding. Almost as if I was having 2 periods a month. I also had a low sex drive. I would hardly have any lubrication during intercourse, which was never a problem before I started taking this. I also gained about 10 pounds during the time I was on it."

• Gul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 20, 2016

For Birth Control "The pros for this pill are that it did lighten my period, which is what I was looking for since I have fibroids that make my cycles heavier than normal. Also, I didn't get migraines with these pills like I did with some other birth control pills. Now to the cons. Within a few months of taking this pill, I have picked up 14 pounds! My moods are horrible, and my sex drive is low. I tend to feel down a lot more than usual as well. I was also very, very tired all the time. No matter how much sleep I got or how well I ate, my energy was just gone. I decided to switch after the last pack of pills. They just didn't agree with my body."

• 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."

• Mrs...
• October 16, 2010

For Birth Control "I have been on Microgestin for about six months now. At first, I thought it was great. However, at this point, I have gained 15 pounds since I started it. It definitely does its job, though... I NEVER WANT SEX! I am shocked by how unappealing sex has become since starting Microgestin. I literally have lost all signs of a sex drive. Also, my acne started out great but has gotten worse in the last few months. I am probably going to switch soon. This is miserable."

• 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."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 1, 2012

For Birth Control "I've been on this particular birth control for a little over a year now. I've been on Loestrin 24 Fe and Lo Loestrin 24 Fe. It's helped more than Loestrin itself did. I haven't had bad acne, no weight gain whatsoever (it's extremely hard for me, so weight gain is welcomed for me), no crazy mood swings, no nausea. Cramps haven't been the greatest, but they are better than they used to be on the other birth controls!"

• She...
• November 15, 2016

For Birth Control "This is my first time on birth control. I know they recommend you only being on the pill for 10 years, so I wanted to wait until it was truly needed. I have been on this pill for 4 1/2 years. The first 3 1/2 years were amazing. I lost weight, my skin was amazing, my periods were very light and only lasted 3 days. I am always moody around my period, but I've always been like that. But this past year is totally different. My boobs are massive, I've gained weight for no reason, and I stopped getting my period altogether. I feel I needed to take stock in pregnancy tests because I was always 28 days on the pill, and now I get it every 6 months, if that. My mood swings are crazy, and my food cravings are nuts. My sex drive dropped too."

• Sha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 22, 2016

For Birth Control "I have currently been on Microgestin Fe 1/20 for 6 months now. At first, when starting this medication, I noticed a little bit of anxiety after the first 3 weeks, but decided to let my body adjust to the hormones and see what happens. This birth control has caused me to have an insatiable appetite. This has also caused me weight gain of about 8 pounds, and I have a pretty active lifestyle. Furthermore, I am constantly fatigued and tired on this medication. When I do sleep, it's restless, with nightmares and very vivid dreams. The worst is the anxiety. I have never been anxious before, but on this medication, I have had severe anxiety and panic attacks, which I never had before. I have stopped taking this medication because of this."

• 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."

• 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."

• Mrs...
• October 19, 2010

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for about 9 months. So far, I'm not pregnant, so it's been effective in that avenue, but I've gained 15 lbs, my breasts are tender and sensitive most of the time, and they've increased in size from a C cup to DD. My acne is only marginally better, my periods have been irregular, I'm moody, weepy at times, and I have NO sex drive. I still have some pelvic pain, and I don't sleep, which is weird because I also take Singulair, which causes drowsiness. In the first three months, I had daily morning-sickness-like nausea, but this has tapered off and happens only on the first day or so of my pill cycle."

• 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!)."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 2, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this BC for about a year and a half, and for the most part, I've really liked it! I gained a little bit of weight, but not a huge amount. I was scared to take it because of the bad reviews on here, but it's really worked for me!"

• Hal...
• July 25, 2013

For Birth Control "I loved this birth control at first. I never had any side effects at all, and then when I moved, I had to switch brands because my pharmacy didn't carry it. That brand was fine too, but then I ended up moving again and got switched back over to this. Ever since the switch (it's been almost 8 months now), I have felt terrible. I get depressed and moody easily, and I have completely lost my sex drive. When I do try to have sex with my boyfriend, it takes an extremely long time to get me aroused, and we end up having to use lube every time. It's also made me gain about 10 pounds. Basically, the only upside I've had to being on this pill is that I've gone from a B to a D."

• Jes...
• February 22, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for almost 4 years. I absolutely love it. I've had no problems nor side effects. I started taking this BC because I had severe, painful acne all over my face, and my doc decided since I wasn't on any BC, this should help clear up my acne and be protected at the same time. Although I didn't want to take it because my husband and I wanted to try for another baby right after I had my son that was 4 years ago. So in December of 2016, I stopped taking it because now my son is 4, and we want to try for another baby, and it sucks. As much as I want a baby, I wish I could still take it. I'm gaining weight. I'm getting acne all over again. And well, I have not gotten pregnant yet. If I don't get pregnant by July, I'll be back."

• ano...
• July 28, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been taking Microgestin for 10 years and have experienced minimal side effects. The positives: My periods are much lighter, shorter, and I have less cramping. My skin cleared up dramatically; I would get cystic acne, and this pill in combination with tretinoin from my dermatologist has drastically improved my skin. I have experienced no weight gain. The downside is my libido has decreased recently (only after being on the pill for many years); I'll be switching pills temporarily to see if there is a difference. I did stop taking this pill for about 6 months, and I immediately gained weight and my acne returned. If it works for you, it's a great low-dose option!"

• Agg...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 22, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on the Microgestin 1/20 pill for about a year now. I am 19 years old. This is the first and only birth control I have tried. From the start of the pills, I never had any symptoms of sickness, acne, or mood swings. My period always comes 2 days after I take the last pill of the pack on the dot. Very regular. I used to get very heavy periods with absolutely horrible cramps, and with the pill, I got my period very lightly for only 3 days with no cramps. The only downfall is that I gained about 15 pounds on the pill in one year. I have been the same weight for years, and within the past year, I noticed a lot of weight gain even with being conscious of what I eat. I am thinking about trying something else due to the weight gain."

• Mrs...
• January 11, 2012

For Birth Control "My doctor switched me from Loestrin Fe to Microgestin Fe to help my endometriosis. I could not figure out why I have been so miserable (tender breasts, extreme cramping and bloating, weight gain, and depression), but after reading some of these reviews, I can relate. The best oral contraceptive that I have tried is Loestrin 24, but my insurance doesn't cover it! The only positive thing from this experience: I've given up on it, and my husband and I are trying for a baby!"

• Bro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2016

For Birth Control "Horrible!!! I decided to give this a try, but in the first month I gained 10 lbs. My appetite increased so much. I couldn't control myself, it was worse than the munchies (420). My husband and I started having issues because I was never in the mood for sex, and I mean NEVER. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Mood swings, I would get really sad out of nowhere, pretty depressing. I was very negative, started losing confidence, which is not me. Only good thing this pill did was give me super clear skin. Today is 1 month and 1 week, I am not taking it anymore!!!"

• Pri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 16, 2016

For Endometriosis "Well, my experience so far has been really bad. I have had excessive weight gain, acne breakouts here and there, not too bad though. I've had no period for a long time, but now I'm somewhat bleeding, and it's not even heavy. The bad thing is I'm getting really bad ovary cramps. I feel very bad with mood swings, they're driving me crazy, and I'm eating like I'm pregnant. I have pregnancy symptoms without being pregnant. I don't know, I wouldn't recommend this for anyone, but I have to suffer on it for like 2-3 more months."

• Anonymous
• September 17, 2010

For Birth Control "I was put on this primarily for debilitating menstrual cramps, and I've been on it for 5 months now, going on my 6th. I noticed a little bit of weight gain/bloating in the first three months or so, but that has stabilized. My breasts have gained a cup size. My sex drive has stayed the same. I still have some intermittent bleeding, but I think that's my wacky menstrual cycle, not the pill. On the whole, it's helped me a lot getting the cramps and PMS symptoms under control. No pregnancy is also a great thing. Overall, my life has been improved with Microgestin, even with the minor side effects."

• Lat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 14, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control for almost 5 years, and it's definitely done its job. I did gain weight on it. I have this stubborn pouch on my stomach that I can't lose now, and it wasn't there before the pill. My periods come every month and last a week. I have no acne, but I'm not sure if that's because of the pill."

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2023

For Birth Control "Horrible. I just switched to this birth control, and I’ve decided to stop birth control completely until I can go back to my original. I’ve been taking it for a month and have experienced the worst mood swings, weight gain, and constant acne outbreaks. I haven’t had acne since I was 15!"