Microgestin Fe 1.5/30 and Headaches: What Users Say

• tan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 13, 2019

For Birth Control "I thought I was the only one experiencing such negative side effects on this birth control, but after reading all the reviews, it makes sense to me. I was only on Microgestin Fe 1.5/30 for about three months, but I was the most miserable I have ever been. I had constant mood swings and was always crying. I had low energy, no excitement for anything, and angry for no reason! I would have headaches almost every week. Everyone could tell something was wrong with me, and I thought I was going insane, but really it was the pill. It made my periods more painful, and my cramps were worse. I would stay away from this pill."

• Nat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 23, 2017

For Birth Control "I went on this birth control for two reasons: acne and protection from pregnancy. Have been taking it for 6 months and always have sex with my boyfriend without a condom. I haven't had a single side effect from this birth control. Never any headaches, food cravings, significant loss or weight gain, bloating. Nothing. My periods have been always regular even before taking this drug, and they are still regular now. A day or two before I finish my active pills, I get mild cramps. Then, when I'm on placebo week, my period comes and is there for a good 5-6 days just like my period is if I were not taking the pill. I never saw any changes in my mood, I don't feel tired and have never been pregnant. I feel like my usual self on this pill."

• 25 ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 21, 2014

For Birth Control "This is my first birth control pill and have been on it going on 3 months. Aside from the fact that it seems to be working well with lighter and shorter periods, there are some negatives. It gives me terrible lingering headaches, which sometimes turn into migraines. It also makes me very nauseous. I feel dizzy and squeezed at times. With this said, I take it in the evenings before I go to bed, so I'm not awake during the instant side effects. I realized I have also been a bit irritable, gained weight, and I have also been feeling very overwhelmed by things! With all of this said, maybe I will consider changing over. But each one has its new side effects, so maybe I'll stick it out."

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 22, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been taking Microgestin 1.5/30 for almost 6 months, and so far, it is great. My main concern when starting birth control was weight gain and acne, but I was able to maintain my weight, and my skin has significantly cleared up. My period arrives at the same time every time it is due, which is great. Slight headaches and moodiness right before my period, although I experience moodiness throughout the cycle. This took me a while to get used to, but now I am able to control it. I do not use a condom when having sex, so this is my only birth control method, and so far, it has worked to keep me from getting pregnant. I did take antibiotics while on this pill, and it seemed to still work fine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2016

For Birth Control "My pharmacist put me on this when I had been on GILDESS 1.5/30 (21) ORAL for almost 2 years, and that was perfect. But now that I'm on Microgestin Fe 1.5/30, I'm having horrible headaches, major mood swings, and depression. I absolutely hate this pill, I would give it a negative rating if I could."

• Anonymous
• August 23, 2010

For Birth Control "I was on this pill for only a month when I started to notice that I was having problems wearing my contact lenses, which I never experienced before. By the end of the day, my eyes were red. I was taking Orth Tri-Cyclen a couple of years before and never had any problems. But with this pill, by the end of the month, I had experienced a real bad headache, sharp stomach pains, and vision problems. My vision in my left eye started getting blurry, and I felt pressure on my eye as well. This side effect even continued while wearing my glasses. So I was freaking out because this is my vision we're talking about. So I stopped taking this pill, and within two days, my vision was back to normal, and I can wear my contact lenses again without any discomfort."

• thi...
• February 10, 2017

For Birth Control "NOT WORTH THE LITERAL MIGRAINE YOU GET!!! AND I DON'T PAY ANYTHING FOR IT!!!!! Worst BC I have EVER experienced! Terrible mood swings, horrendous weight gain (because if I don't eat every hour, I get sick, shake, and headaches - even after switching to taking the pill at night AND eating healthy alternatives - fruit, veggies, hell even crackers). How is it I actually LOSE weight (5-10 lbs) when I start my period? Oh, because I'm not taking this Godforsaken pill. You're better off being pregnant with how sick this awful BC will make you and how much weight you will put on. At least then you will have an excuse to look like a heifer. I have been on this for 3 months as I wanted to give my body time to adjust to it, and it's been consistent. AWFUL"

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2020

For Birth Control "I switched to this birth control after 3 weeks of spotting on my previous one that was after I had been on it for a few months. I was on this birth control for about 5 days and ended up switching back to my old one! I had never felt more horrible than I did on this pill! I got no sleep due to my throbbing headache that was so bad I couldn't even move my eyes up or down without feeling like someone was hitting the back of my head with a hammer. The nausea was terrible as well! I felt dizzy and like I was going to faint on this pill. I ended up stopping as quickly as possible when driving became unsafe for me due to the side effects I experienced from this pill."

• Anonymous
• January 19, 2016

For Birth Control "I began taking birth control to help control my heavy bleeding and cramping. I was on a lower dose birth control, Norethindrone/Eth 24 Fe, for 8 months, and it was amazing until I started to have breakthrough bleeding. My ob-gyn switched me to this to stop the bleeding. I'm a Sunday starter, and the switch between the two was hard for my body and resulted in a full month of bleeding. The periods lightened and shortened with this pill, but I started getting a ton of side effects I never had before; such as nausea, headaches, constant aching during periods, bloating, weight gain around my stomach area, and constipation. The pill worked to prevent pregnancy (condoms) and in reducing flow, but with the added side effects, it wasn't worth it to stay."

• Pil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2018

For Birth Control "I have NOT had a good experience with Microgestin Fe 1.5/30. I am taking it to regulate periods. After my new gynecologist suggested I stop the Depo shot and start this, I began noticing many negative effects, such as weight gain, increased acne, decreased libido, depressed thoughts, and MAJOR headaches and migraines! I can’t stress enough how much I’m missing out on doing when these headaches hit. It has made my quality of life decrease an incredible amount. I would not recommend. I would rather be incredibly irregular and never know when to wear lining than take this horrid pill."

• Mig...
• November 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been taking Microgestin Fe 1.5/30 for almost 6 months now for the sole purpose of birth control. While it has never failed me in regard to contraception, it has given me crazy mood swings, sharp cramps, and intense sudden headaches that sometimes become migraines. I'm talking migraines so bad that I have to close my eyes and crawl to get anywhere I need to go, if I can even move at all. It has been an emotional and painful 6-month trial, and I'm done with this contraceptive."

• Kay...
• February 21, 2017

For Birth Control "This pill works absolute wonders for me. Before I got on this pill, I had very heavy and painful periods. When I started the Microgestin 1.5/30, the heavy bleeding and painful cramps went away. My periods are now light, and the cramps are little to none. Not to mention, I had a very bad acne problem, that went away too. Besides the headaches that I get once in a while, this pill seems to be treating me good. No pregnancies or anything. It is actually worth it. It works! It also helps for more than just birth control."

• Bea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2019

For Birth Control "Not worth it for me with the side effects. Constant headaches, mood swings, and depression, heavy bleeding and clots from half dollar to golf ball in size, accompanied by painful cramps. Made me feel wiped out and killed my sex drive. My doctor put me on a lower dose birth control pill, but I’ve still had constant bleeding and clots for the past two weeks."

• Emm...
• July 27, 2015

For Menstrual Disorders "I originally started on the 1/20 dose, moving up to the 1.5/30 because my doctor made an error on my script. I am very happy with this BCP, as it reduced my awful cramps and heavy menstruation. I have 2-day periods now, little to no cramping. My acne has cleared almost completely, other than the once-a-month breakout on my chin that I feel is unavoidable, and I'd rather be on a pill that takes care of most of my acne rather than no acne at all. I occasionally will have breast tenderness, but not every month, and I don't really notice it when it does happen. Also, my symptoms of PMS have decreased significantly. My only complaint is that I do get headaches that may be caused by this pill, but I cannot say for sure that they are."

• Emi...
• May 17, 2016

For Birth Control "This birth control protected me from pregnancy every time! Sometimes I would take it a few hours later as well, and it would still work. There is a lot of estrogen in it, so it caused me to get headaches. Super light, predicted period every month. No cramps. No weight gain other than your typical bloating."

• Cai...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 25, 2021

For Birth Control "When I first started this pill, it was due to spotting off of my period and hormonal changes. I was switched to a higher dose of Microgestin after taking the lower dose for a year or two. On the lower dose, my skin was the clearest it has ever been after a few months, but I started getting bad migraines and terrible hot flashes on my period, and so my doctor switched me to this form to see if it would help. I've been on this higher dose for probably almost 2 years now, and it has gotten so bad, I've gotten the worst headaches I've ever gotten, and I started getting acne on my jaw and neck where I never got it, so it is solely hormone-related. I wouldn't recommend taking this pill for people starting out on their first birth control. Overall, I think it is a really high dose, and it might've helped with my spotting off of my period, but it made everything else worse, like my headaches and acne. Yet again, birth control affects every person differently, this is just my experience."

• MsG...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 26, 2015

For Birth Control "I got put on this BCP after I had surgery to remove ovarian cysts on both ovaries. BCP is supposed to stop cysts from coming back. I didn't notice any weight gain while I was on this pill, however, I worked out 3-4 times a week to avoid possible weight gain. I have back acne and occasional pimples on my face. I didn't notice it did anything to make it better or worsen it. I have some hair growth on my chin :'( which this didn't do anything to help or worsen my condition. Did not notice many side effects overall while on the pill. Once I stopped taking it, I noticed heavier periods, cramps (didn't have them before BCP), pain in my ovaries, and headaches. Wasn't able to go back to see if it helped my cysts because I lost insurance coverage."

• ano...
• March 4, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this pill for about 5 months now. I started taking it to control my acne and, of course, prevent pregnancy! I didn’t experience any major side effects (nausea, headaches, weight gain, etc.), but my boyfriend and I have both noticed that I’ve been extremely moody since I started, and I have been more emotional. For the acne, I see no difference at all. It hasn’t made it worse, but it also hasn’t gotten better. It has helped my cramps, and my period is so light now, too! On the first week of the month, I’m usually ALWAYS hungry, but now I've learned to control it and just eat how I normally do and drink more water to ease my hunger. I’ve read a lot of reviews that women’s sex drives have decreased on this pill, but I think mine has definitely increased! I’m switching to a new pill because I’ve been struggling with acne for years now, and this wasn’t doing the job. I love this pill, just not as satisfied as I wish I could have been (acne-wise)."

• Anonymous
• November 2, 2017

For Birth Control "It was horrible. The headaches were never-ending and it made me so hungry! I've been off it for 2 months now. Just got the Liletta IUD put in last month, and it's seriously like night and day. I'm so happy I got off the pill. I'm not crazy hungry anymore, and my headaches are gone!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 14, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm 29, and I was originally on Gildess, and I loved it! Suddenly, my pharmacy gave me this new pill. Bleh. They told me it was exactly the same, but something wasn't right. For some reason, Microgestin gave me insane headaches. At first, I was like, okay. 1 or 2 headaches every other week is fine. But then it went to 3x a week, then 4x a week! Suddenly, I had a throbbing headache that was literally with me for 2 weeks! I thought maybe at first it was my ventriculoperitoneal (VP) brain shunt malfunctioning, but I got it checked, and it was fine! Then I did some research and found that this BC can cause crazy amounts of headaches. I am so, so done with this BC. It's now been 1.5 weeks since I've been off it, and guess what? No headache! Getting an IUD on my next cycle."

• col...
• June 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I was prescribed this because I initially tried Velivet or Previfem, I can't remember. Whatever pill it was caused me unbearable side effects and immediate weight gain. Microgestin gave me nausea and headaches when I first started taking it, but it went away after the second month. It helped my back acne (which was really stubborn), but it didn't do much for my face acne. After taking it for about a year, I didn't see the best results. I have cystic acne, so I'm going to give Tri-Previfem a second shot. My period got lighter, and it helped with my cramps, but my goal is to improve my skin since it seems to be hormonal. Good luck with finding the pill that suits you best!"

• Emi...
• April 4, 2016

"This birth control really cleared up my acne, as well as shortening the length of my periods and making them light. It protected me from pregnancy every month, which was good, however, it made me have terrible headaches and made me extremely moody and sometimes depressed. You have to give any birth control time, and every pill works differently for everyone, but other than that, I give it 8 out of 10."

• Goo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2020

For Birth Control "I was put on this Microgestin Fe 1.5/30 because I have extremely bad menstrual cramps. It was effective at stopping the pain for the most part, but I had a lot of negative side effects. Horrible headaches, acne, fatigue, mood swings, depression, and dizziness are all things I started experiencing when starting this pill. These things are not things I experienced before starting this pill. I had light periods and the bleeding would stop for a week, but then I would spot from then until my next period came. Probably wouldn’t recommend this pill to anyone, but it works different for everyone."

• Ros...
• February 1, 2017

For Birth Control "Been on this pill for years. The only occasional problem I experience is breakthrough bleeding, but it's usually very light and goes away quickly. I had some headaches initially when I first started taking it, but they went away after the first month of being on the pill. It did eliminate my sex drive almost completely, which I loved, but I can see why many people wouldn't like that side effect."

• Nim...
• May 8, 2020

For Birth Control "Bad headache, nausea, vomiting. It was my first birth control, and I hate it."