Nortrel 1/35 User Reviews & Ratings

• clove
• April 22, 2021

For Birth Control "THE WORST EXPERIENCE in my life. Like others, I was on Necon for years and loved it. Then moved to a new city and the new pharmacy didn't have the Necon in stock so gave me the Nortrel instead because "it's the same exact thing". Famous last words. The worst 6 weeks of my life followed. Crippling anxiety, the worst depression (had never had depression before), heart racing, zero appetite (had to force myself to eat protein bars so, you know, I'd stay alive). Even had 2 ER trips because I thought I had a heart problem. I'd sob 6-7 times a day. Had no interest in anything and couldn't even choke down my favorite foods. Suspected Nortrel, stopped immediately, and within a week, felt like myself again. Now I take ONLY Necon and haven't had an issue since. There is something off with this pill, even though the active ingredients are the same, there are other differences. THESE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOME PEOPLE. There's something fishy. Avoid if possible. It's not worth going through that nightmare."

• Nina
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 28, 2018

For Birth Control "I was terrified to take this after reading reviews on here, but I actually have had a good experience with this birth control. I didn't really get any side effects, except I've gained 5 pounds, which could definitely be due to my eating habits. My skin has cleared up and my periods aren't as painful or long as before. It has also prevented pregnancy very well, basically it does everything it should. I previously took trinessa and yaz and my body hated them both (cystic acne, bloating, nausea) so Nortrel has been a breath of fresh air."

• Leyah
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2019

For Birth Control "Okay so this is MY experience with Nortrel 1/35. (Meaning my body reacts differently than yours on this birth control) So I got on this BC because of the depo. I was bleeding nonstop for 5 months. My gyno prescribed me this since it was a high dose and was sure my bleeding would stop. It definitely worked as it should. I stopped bleeding and I get my period at the end of the month. My period now only lasts 3/4 days instead of 7/8, from before I took any type of birth control. Now the cons of this. My mood is HORRIBLE. I cry for any little thing, everything bothers me. It even affected my relationship. If you’re currently depressed and have anxiety I do not recommend it. I have never felt so low of myself. It’s emotionally and mentally exhausting."

• bruh
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2020

For Birth Control "Works fine. not pregnant so that's good. A little more emotional than usual but nothing major! no overall weight gain but my boobs got bigger ;) it's important to remember everyone's experience will be different!"

• Mano
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 23, 2019

For Birth Control "I have Stage III endometriosis and have had two surgeries in two years. I was put on Nortrel continuously for the past few years and never had endo symptoms, no sore breasts, no period or spotting, and overall didn’t feel emotional or anything. Unlike most here my pharmacy gave me Necon saying it’s the same (it is the generic).. even though the binders aren’t. And I had two weeks of sore breasts and just started my period for the first time in two years. Terrible pain and issues. So I would take anybody’s opinion with a grain of salt, even mine. It fully depends on how your body metabolizes ALL of the ingredients not just the active ones! Ratings on medications can only get you so far without trying it, unfortunately."

• Brayict
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I overreacted the first few days and got scared I was having a heart attack haha. It can mess with you if you read everything online. But truly, your body is just getting used to it, you shouldn’t stop taking it the first week - that’s so silly (unless your really ill). I've been on it for a bit now and I like this first ever birth control for me. I’m 20 and I’m pretty active. I always drink a lot of water and prop my feet above my heart for about 15 minutes a day because it’s good for you. Especially if you’re worried about blood clots. Just listen to your body(: it’ll be fine."

• Nena
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 10, 2020

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for over a year now. Sadly gained more than 20lbs from this. Super abnormal for me and it's so hard to lose this weight. Constantly nauseous even after months of taking it, even when taking it at night. I'm a very happy person and now I have days of depression. I've been sleeping more and feel unmotivated. I have unreasonable anxiety levels. I've never been an anxious, nervous or sad person. I've even been losing more hair than usual! Nortrel has been horrible to me! This birth control was prescribed because I had really heavy bleeding from the nuvaring and experienced a bit of anemia (gone now). It has regulated my period to super light but it's not worth it when there are so many options. Finally switching to another pill!!"

• Camille
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 28, 2022

For Birth Control "I remember feeling freaked out reading these reviews before I took Nortrel, so I wanted to share my experience! I was taking Sprintec for quite a few years before this, but I had been having some breakthrough bleeding mid-cycle, so my doctor recommended that I try Nortrel, and I'm honestly really glad I did. I have been taking it for about 10 months now. After a few months of adjusting, the breakthrough bleeding stopped, and my periods have gotten MUCH lighter (from 5 day, relatively heavy periods to 2-3 days with super light bleeding). I didn't gain any weight at all, and my mild hormonal breakouts around my mouth (that I got nearly every period) stopped. I still get a bit grouchy on the 2 or 3 days leading up to my period, but I thankfully haven't had any of the mental/emotional symptoms that others here have experienced. It's very effective for me."

• KayAP
• July 16, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on birth control since I’m 15 years old (now 23 years old) because of the chronic pain and bloating I would get on my periods not to mention the very heavy flow. I’ve been on 4 different pills. I was taking Necon for 3 years, which was my favorite pill. Unfortunately, my pharmacy said the manufacturers were no longer making Necon and I had to switch to the generic brand of Nortrel. I’ve now been on Nortrel for about 2.5 years. I have only one complaint and it is a very crucial one... I receive HORRIBLE migraines. Other than that I react okay to the pill. My mood is fine. I don’t PMS. My flow is light. Periods last 3-4 days. I could say weight gain, but I’m not going to blame my overeating on a pill... that’s just me being unhealthy. As fast as I gain the weight, I can lose the weight so that’s the issue. It’s only those darn migraines. When they hit... they hit hard."

• Coody
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 11, 2019

For Birth Control "DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION. I started Nortrel 1/35 in Dec 2017. I became extremely anxious, depressed, extremely moody and would go from happy to sad or mad in a matter of seconds. I stopped taking this in January 2019, and all of the side effects subsided. Not realizing it was from the birth control, I started back up on it two weeks ago and I have been breaking out so bad, my moods are all over the place, my anxiety is worse than ever. I decided to look up reviews because starting this pill again was the only recent change in my life and now it all makes sense. I’ve also gained 5lbs in the two weeks I’ve been back on it and started my period yesterday when I’m not supposed to have my period for another full week. This pill is awful!"

• Anonymous
• June 8, 2011

For Birth Control "I've been on Nortrel 1/35 for about 10 months now. I'm 22 and this is the first time I've been on birth control. I had spotting between periods for the first few months I took it - way longer than you're supposed to. Sometimes it practically was a period, and then during the off-week I would have another one. But my periods were never regular and now they are - a good thing. My cramps, however, seem to have gotten worse. But my biggest problem is vaginal dryness! It's not that I don't have a sex drive, it's just that sex HURTS without an hour of foreplay and a gallon of lubricant. I guess that makes this a highly effective method of birth control, because I'm starting to avoid sex out of fear that it will leave me sore for hours."

• Ladyb...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 16, 2020

For Birth Control "This medication Nortrel 1/35 has really work well for me, I started taking it when I was 20 and have used it as my primary source of BC. I suppose I was lucky but I have not experienced any of the commonly mentioned side affects other than some mild cramping the 1 month I took it as my body adjusted to the hormones. Since then, ten years later, I have not had any weight gain, headaches or nausea and I can’t say that it has effects my mood either. My periods went from 8 heavy days of nightmare periods to 3 to 4 days of using a liner with only an occasional cramping. Most importantly after a decade of use I have not become pregnant or had a single pregnancy scare. This pill has worked very well for me"

• Mustang...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2020

For Birth Control "I really didn't like this Nortrel 1/35 pill. I was on Pirmella 1/35 for about three years but had to switch to a different pill due to the virus(I now get my pills from Nurx). This was "the closest thing they had to Pirmella". Bad, lingering headaches, weight gain, longer and heavier periods, and horrible acne. I never had any of these on my original pill. I also get numbness and tingling in my fingers and hands on this pill. I haven't got pregnant yet, so that's the only positive thing."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 16, 2012

For Menstrual Disorders "I love this pill! It has helped my skin, made my periods shorter and lighter (2 days) and I like it because its a monophasic pill. Triphasic pills often can lead to breakthrough bleeding because the hormones increase each week but the monophasic pills don't increase..they stay the same. "

• KBano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I took Necon in my 20s and had no issues. I just restarted last week, but I am 47 now. I thought I was just having a bad week, but my moodiness is awful. Extreme anger and frustration over the littlest things. Sleeping only 2-3 hrs a night and that's with the help of benadryl, melatonin, and ambien. Gained 5 pounds. No motivation to work out. Craving carbs and naps. I need to stop taking this med and see what happens."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2021

For Birth Control "Honestly the worst birth control I’ve been on. This is the third birth control I’ve tried, and I get two periods per month with cramps and heavy bleeding on one. I’m also SUPER hormonal—more than I ever was with just my regular period. I am depressed and super irritable and tired and hungry. Would not recommend."

• Anonymous
• February 9, 2011

For Birth Control "Nortrel is the third birth control I've tried. I have been taking it the for 2 months now. I haven't experienced any breakthrough bleeding, which was my problem on the other two pills, but my periods on this pill have been unbearable. This pill has caused me to have extreme cramps, major mood swings, bloating, back pain, breast tenderness, and a very very heavy period. It lasts about 5 days, but it's far heavier than my period has ever been. I thought that my body just needed to get used to it, but my second period on this pill seemed considerably worse than the first. "

• Brit
• March 20, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on Necon 1/35 for almost two years now, but had to switch to Notrel last month because it was all my pharmacy had to distribute apparently. The first month of taking it I had no problems but my period was super light and lasted 2 days (concerning, but only slightly). Now I'm on month two and my first pill last night made me so incredibly nauseous. I woke up at 4am running to the bathroom because I thought I was going to vomit. This feeling has lasted another 5 hours now, and I've taken one ondansetron (anti nausea tablet) since then and drank some water with no change. So far the pill has been great at preventing pregnancy, but my sex drive has lowered significantly. Hoping this nauseousness goes away soon!"

• Revie...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 22, 2020

For Birth Control "I mostly love this pill, mostly. I have been using it continuously for the past two years, and out of those two years I've probably had my period about 6 times. With taking it continuously, I am not supposed to get my period. It's GREAT for a few months, you feel great, very good protection against conception, and easy. But, every now and then I will start to bleed randomly. If I keep taking the pill while bleeding, there is brown blood that will linger for about 2 weeks, BUT if its my actual if I stop my medicine for about 5-7 days, I can let myself have a period, and then start over. I really don't like it when I start spotting and bleeding randomly, with no clue. Has ruined underwear, and been embarrassing. I would say it's a I really like it / really don't like it relationship with this birth control. It works spectacular against pregnancy, and is great for a little bit, until your vagina has enough and decides it needs to have a period, even though technically it isn't necessary."

• Sue
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2019

For Birth Control "I took Necon in my 20s-30s. I am 40 now and have been on Nortrel (generic of Nortrel) for 3 months. My pros: regular, 3-4 day periods, light flow, no to little acne, intense sex drive in week 3 (no dryness here), no depression/anxiety or lack of sleep (I take clonazepam), rare headaches, rare spotting. My cons: extreme bloating (Midol helps), weight gain/ increased appetite, mood swings, irritability, fatigue, cramps, nausea (I take ondansetran), gas, backaches (I take 800 mg Ibuprofen). Besides weight gain, there are 2 cons that can be age vs the pill. I see cellulite on my legs and my hair is thinning. I noticed most reviews are from girls younger than me so I can’t compare. I love the light, short, regular periods. I am able to live with the majority of my cons. I am looking at ways to diet & become more active. Take at your own risk but note your symptoms. See what you can live with, medicate (if you are okay with it-it helps). For me this is not the best but it's not the worst either."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 2, 2020

For Birth Control "I began taking this birth control when I was 17 (I am now 20) because my periods were normally 10-15 days long, very heavy, and very painful. Overall the birth control works (I never got pregnant) but I experienced so much nausea and vomiting within the first year, and any time I would forget a pill this same nausea and vomiting would occur. I also experienced symptoms like migraines, bloating, and swelling in my breasts, but my periods were much more bearable. Overall it accomplished what I initially wanted, but I think it’s caused me more harm than good."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 14, 2019

For Birth Control "I too was on necon for years. Had to switch to nortrel. Can't tell the difference!! No side effects. I'm 47 and been on the pill since 18. Sex drive is somewhat low. But is that just the pill? Probably not!!!"

• Anonymous
• November 30, 2017

For Birth Control "This was the WORST experience I've ever had with a birth control. My relaxed and chill personality instantly changed when I started taking these pills to a severe extreme. I would have anxiety constantly, felt annoyed at everything, I would have bursts of intense crying over nothing, I felt depressed and sad. Why take birth control when you become a bitchy sad person that doesn't want sex anymore? DO NOT TAKE THIS!!!"

• CBano
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 17, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking Nortrel for a few years now after trying a few different pills. I have a very hard time finding one that’s doesn’t cause breakthrough bleeding all month long. This is the only one that has helped with that issue but it comes with its own consequences. I get extremely moody & have spells of minor depression. I also have zero sex drive, but that’s been an issue with every pill I’ve tried. I have gained weight but I also don’t eat the greatest & getting older. So, I’m not 100% happy with it but it’s the only one that doesn’t make me bleed all month which is my biggest concern."

• Ellie
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 12, 2021

For Birth Control "I love this birth control. I’ve been on the Depo-provera shot, and it caused me to keep a period for over a year. I tried another pill to regulate it but it didn’t. It gave me horrid mood swings. But with Nortrel, I don’t have mood swings, I have experienced no weight gain, my periods are regular again!! I have been on it for nearly a year and will continue. I feel like I even feel happier, more upbeat, and less depressed."