Nortrel 1/35 and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• Nen...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 10, 2020

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for over a year now. Sadly, I gained more than 20 lbs 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!"

• Mus...
• 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 gotten pregnant yet, so that's the only positive thing."

• KBa...
• 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 hours 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."

• 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 ondansetron), 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."

• Coo...
• 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 5 lbs 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!"

• CBa...
• 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 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 and 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 and I'm 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."

• Ell...
• 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."

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

For Birth Control "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."

• Kel...
• February 17, 2019

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "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."

• Liv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2018

For Birth Control "It was an awful experience, mood swings, weight gain, and I had cystic acne, which developed within the first month of taking it. It ended up ruining the skin on my face. I have huge scars, the dermatologist is helping me remove them, but it scared me for life. Do not take."

• Oli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2020

For Birth Control "I started Nortrel about three months ago and have gained 30 pounds, completely lost my appetite, and also restart my period the second I stop taking my pills at the exact same time. I was on Marlissa before this, and while it gave me more anxiety, it was nowhere near as bad as Nortrel."