Nortrel 1/35 for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 2)

• Len...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2018

"I've been on this pill for about 4-5 months now, and it's been pretty good. I used to get HORRIBLE and CRIPPLING period cramps, but this pill has helped that so much and has regulated my period and made them shorter. But the downside of this pill is that it has made my emotions super out of whack! I cry for no reason sometimes, or I'll be mad for no reason, it's just super frustrating. And makes me super nauseous! But that was only when I was starting it the first 1-3 months, so now everything feels more regulated, and I don't feel like the emotional mess it used to make me (I still get nauseous every once in a while, but it happens)."

• Ano...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 17, 2020

"I started out on Necon back in the '80s, worked great but was taken off the market. No side effects and perfect skin as well. I'm on Nortrel now as hormone replacement therapy, taking it continuously 1/35, and it works perfectly for me. Without it, I have horrible menopausal symptoms. This keeps me feeling well and happy. I need my hormones, and this works. Please keep making it!"

• T M...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 9, 2017

"I was also switched from Necon to Nortrel. I stopped taking birth control for about 2 years. After I had my son, I was prescribed Necon again, which was great! Then all of a sudden, I was switched to Nortrel, and I've been having problems ever since. My periods are irregular. I get a period a week or 2 before I am supposed to. Then when I'm actually supposed to, it's little to non-existent and only lasts about 2 days. I have frequent nausea. I wish they had not discontinued Necon. I had no problems with it after being on it for several years."

• Ano...
• April 8, 2016

"I've been on the pill for about 9 months. I've never been on any other birth control pill before, but then again, I'm only 18. I came on here because for the past month, my lower part has been extremely dry, and it feels like how it usually does after I have sex. Other than the dryness and fear of sex, the pill has been great. My periods are light and only last maybe 3-4 days, and so far, I haven't gotten pregnant. Definitely recommended."

• nck...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 21, 2016

"I took Nortrel 1/35 for five years and generally liked it. I will consider getting on it again when the need arises. My skin was clear, I didn't get pregnant, I didn't have mood swings, and my period was light. I would take 6 weeks' worth of pills and then have a period, as recommended by my doctor. My main issue with it was that by day four of my period I would get a withdrawal headache that would last until I took the first pill of my next pack. This bothered me enough to stop taking it when I'm not in need of a birth control method. I did lose a few pounds almost overnight when I stopped taking it also."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 24, 2019

"I’ve been taking Nortrel for about 2 years now. At first, my period cramps were horrible for about a week, and also I was on a period for almost two weeks due to this being my first time on birth control. I was 17 when I first started taking the pill, and the only reason why my doctor recommended I take Nortrel was due to my horrible acne (which was bad). After 1 year, my acne finally cleared up of bruises and scars, and my period became regular. I think because I’m young, I really balanced my hormones along with my acne."

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

"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."

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2020

"I started taking this medicine, Nortrel 1/35, in January 2020, it is now April 2020, and I have gained 20 pounds since being on this medication. I will be stopping after this pack is over. When I initially started, I had the worst cramps and nausea. It did get better and served its purpose. But a side effect of weight gain is not my favorite."

• Cas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 18, 2017

"I, like one of the other reviewers, have taken Nortrel 1/35 in place of Necon 1/35 due to lack of meds at the pharmacy. I was told that it's literally the same thing but a different company. I am so glad that I stumbled across this forum because it explains the abnormal symptoms that I'm experiencing. I've been taking it for 2 weeks today. The past few days, I haven't had an appetite at all. I have to force myself to eat. Also, complete loss of interest in sex. As a newlywed... Not a good thing. I also noticed the dryness with sex as well, which has never been a problem for me. I will be stopping this med immediately! The pros are not worth the cons."

• Anonymous
• August 26, 2017

"I am so glad to see I'm not the only one who had a bad experience with this! I was also switched from Neocon and made to feel crazy when I told the pharmacist this did not feel the same as the Neocon. I experienced a lot of nausea, sometimes waking me up in the middle of the night. Headaches, dizziness. Really painful period, weight fluctuation, terrible mood swings. Increased vaginal discharge. Neocon was certainly better. I just switched to Aviane, thankfully, a new doctor's office was able to help me do so. I've been on Aviane before, and it was worlds better."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2020

"This is the worst pill out there. I was on Desetta 1/35 for years and had to switch pharmacies, and they gave me Nortrel 1/35. I had extreme nausea that woke me up out of my sleep and caused me to throw up every morning. And no, it was not morning sickness, I had multiple pregnancy tests and blood tests done. I do not recommend this pill at all. I’ve never had a medication make me feel so sick."

• Kel...
• February 17, 2019

"Pros: no acne, no pregnancy, regular periods. Cons: weight gain. Water retention and bloating. Had migraines but went away, still get headaches a lot. Breast tenderness. Hair was thinning out. Dry skin, eyes, vagina. No sex drive, even if I did, the outcome would be dry. Mental cons: crazy mood swings. Anxiety, insomnia mixed with depression. Stopped the pill for a month. Felt like myself again. Slept sooo good, like my body felt like it was healing itself. My groin was feeling flutters like it was on relapse. I was so calm and felt like my outward attitude on everything was way more content, happy, and more clear. Not agitated so easily. Starting losing weight already for that month. Now I'm switching to another form of BC, but had to get back on the monster pill until I get that. To make sure I don't get pregnant (IUD). So I'm feeling like crap again. Good luck, ladies. Experiment, 'cause everyone is different until you find the best for you. This BC just didn't work out for me personally."

• Nor...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 23, 2018

"I was on Nortrel (Necon previously) for about 3 years and satisfied with it somewhat. I took it continuously because otherwise I had wild, continuous breakthrough bleeding after the sugar pills. While on it, I went from 120 lbs to 150 lbs. With serious changes in diet and exercise, I was able to get down to 145, which I wasn't happy with, but dealing with. Recently, due to upcoming lifestyle changes (starting work), I didn't want to have to deal with pills every day, I switched to the Nuvaring. After 1 month on the ring, I have lost 8 lbs, despite working out only 3-4 days a week compared to the 6-7 I was doing previously. I can't definitively say it was the switch, but the correlation is there. Everyone is different, but I can say that this pill, due to the higher dose, may have affected my weight negatively."

• Ave...
• October 7, 2017

"This birth control was awful for me. Like many others on here, I was switched from Necon 1/35, which I was on for a year and a half, and it was working wonderfully for me. The first few months I was taking this, I noticed my periods were incredibly heavy, and my cramps were debilitating. My mood swings became so severe, and every month I would have incredible nausea the week before and after my period, yet I managed to gain about 5 pounds despite not having an appetite. I decided to stay on it for a few months to see if the symptoms would straighten themselves out. Now, 6 months in, I'm experiencing massive hair loss. I'm talking 6-8 thick handfuls a day. I've lost about half of my hair thickness/volume. Switched to OrthotricyclenLo. Hoping this works."

• Rac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 31, 2017

"I had a wonderful experience with Necon, which I was on for several years. I was given Nortrel 3 months ago and told it was the same. I have been experiencing symptoms of anxiety/depression recently that have been affecting my relationships. I am usually the opposite and have nothing going on that would lead to feeling this way. Interesting to find that others have had similar bad experiences. Sad to hear they discontinued Necon. Will have to switch yet again."

• Sha...
• March 20, 2015

"I've been on this pill for 10 years now, all of my 20s and late teens. The first 3 months were hell, as the other reviews pointed out: heavy bleeding that lasted two weeks for me, super emotional, cramps. After about 3 months, things started to level out, and I have not had any problems since then. So far, the pill has proven effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy, helped control my acne slightly, and my periods have gotten lighter. One downer I have noticed is it feels like my sex drive has taken a dip after a year of being on the pill, but aside from that, no problems after 10 years."

• Tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2019

"I started the Nortrel 1/35 birth control a week ago and have been nauseous ever since! I have no appetite, everything makes me nauseous. I have horrible mood swings and am starting to get cystic acne. I was on the depo shot in 2017 but got off after reading many horror stories. I decided on the pill because it was the safest form to me. Despite all the horror stories, I can say my experience on depo wasn’t nearly as bad as being on the pills and am definitely thinking about switching back!"

• 21f...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 9, 2019

"I took these pills for two weeks to regulate bleeding from my copper IUD, and it was a complete disaster. I didn’t experience any weight gain, but I was consistently nauseous, and my clear face turned into a pepperoni pizza. I also experienced intense mood swings during my last three days on Nortrel. I would not recommend this birth control to anyone. I would rather deal with heavy and irregular periods than put the rest of my body through the gauntlet."

• AMT...
• November 4, 2017

"This medication is the worst! I've been very depressed, anxious, not myself at all, had crying outbursts, lost all interest in sex altogether (I'm 24, healthy, work out 3-4 times a week and eat well). The GYN's solution was to have me take fewer placebos and go straight to the actives after that. I too was switched from Necon (took for 10 years) to this nightmare from which I cannot wake up, and Walgreens had the nerve to tell me it's the same thing. Newsflash, it is NOT. The inactive ingredients are different and metabolized differently. Also, name brands such as Necon are held to stringent standards of how much active hormone is in each pill - generics are not! Please God, let there be something they can switch me to."

• Lau...
• August 22, 2017

"I hate this drug. Supposedly, they took Necon 1/35 off the market, so Walgreens gave me this. I didn't have a period for three months, and it tore my stomach up so much that I had to miss work days due to upset stomach and vomiting. I asked to be put on the name brand drug. Ortho Novum 1/35, while it is expensive, $65 per month, it's worth not having all the pain and discomfort."

• Jen...
• August 17, 2014

"The first night I took this pill, I got the worst headache that woke me up, followed by severe nausea and vomiting. Hours later, my left arm went numb, and I had to go to urgent care. It was so scary! If this happens to you, stop taking it!"

• Jan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 26, 2022

"I switched to Nortrel 1/35 after a horrible experience with Ortho Tri-Cyclen. With Ortho, I had migraines constantly (never had them before taking that pill), so I had to switch. My gyno recommended I try Nortrel and skip my period for the first three months. Those first three months were definitely the worst time I had with Nortrel. I had cramping, and it wouldn’t go away when I tried to use the bathroom, and I was very nauseous and extremely sensitive to smells (trash and minor body odor from others). Once I made it past the three months, I was fine. No cramps, no migraines, lighter periods, and less severe PMS symptoms. I’ve been on it for a few years now and I haven’t wanted to switch. I do still get ovarian cysts occasionally (which I had before birth control) and spotting every now and then. But overall I would recommend, with the recommendation to just fight through the first three months."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 18, 2022

"I am a 26-year-old woman, and this is my first time EVER on birth control. I was recently diagnosed with a 5 cm uterine fibroid and was recommended this BC by my obgyn in hopes that it regulates my period and helps with the HORRIBLE pain. As of right now, I’ve been on my period for 7 days. It has been HEAVY, nonstop, and with very bad pain and giant blood clots. I started this BC on Monday, and it is now Wednesday, my period has not stopped or gotten any lighter at all. I don’t think I’ve had any side effects yet, but it could be because I’ve only been taking it for less than a week. Last night, I woke up from my sleep with nausea and threw up. I have been feeling fatigued, but it can be due to my anemia and constant massive blood loss. I’m really hoping this BC works for me even if it takes my body some time to get used to it. I don’t want to give this BC a low rating because I still don’t know how my body will continue to react to it, but I’ll come back and give an update."

• Anonymous
• May 23, 2017

"I've started this birth control, and it's been shy of a month for me. I did experience nausea for the first week, then it went away. I hardly had an appetite as well. However, I noticed large amounts of hair shedding after I showered each time... and my hair is noticeably feeling thinner than ever before. Very depressing! I had to completely stop taking it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2022

"I was on Ocella for a few years. My insurance stopped covering it, so my OBGYN recommended switching to Nortrel! This pill is the worst! My bleeding literally doesn’t stop! Even when I’m on the 3 weeks of the pack, I still bleed! After going back and forth with my doctor, he asked me to stop taking the pills for a while, and my bleeding is extremely heavy that I can barely even walk! I don't like this pill and will never go back on it."