Nortrel 7/7/7 and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• May 20, 2010

For Birth Control "Causes severe migraines in my case, weight gaining (I used to weigh 117 lbs after using it for a couple of months, I'm 130 lbs). I haven't changed my diet, I am always careful about what I eat, and I cook at home. I go to the gym regularly, I see nothing else I can blame for this situation. I am having mood swings, and I get irritated a lot. I never had these symptoms when I was using Minulet, Femoden, or Harmonet. I have been taking birth control for 9 years now. I will ask my doctor to change it."

• Rac...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 19, 2017

For Birth Control "I started Nortrel in August 2016, and whenever I went on it, my appetite increased like crazy, and I became severely depressed. I started binge eating and gained about 20 lbs in two months. For a while, I didn't put two and two together and thought that I was just depressed and developing terrible eating habits. The next few months, I was going through therapy and trying to get my binge eating under control. Nothing worked, and I felt awful. Finally, about two months ago, I questioned whether the birth control was to blame for all of my problems. I went off and got a Skyla IUD, and let me tell you... BEST DECISION EVER! I've lost about 5 lbs in a month with no effort, and I definitely have noticed that my appetite is back to normal since switching."

• Anonymous
• July 6, 2011

For Menstrual Disorders "After a 'period from hell' one summer at camp when I became anemic, my doctor put me on Ortho Novum. However, when I switched to another doctor, I was put on 'the generic form' that is Nortrel 7/7/7. That's when things got weird. I gained at least 30 pounds that year (and I play sports and eat relatively healthy), and soon I was at a point when 11 hours of sleep was barely keeping me functional through the day."

• Ano...
• February 15, 2011

For Endometriosis "I've been on Nortrel 7/7/7 for about six months. I went on it to help with my endometriosis. The first couple of months, the pain was actually much worse. Though that settled and is somewhat better now. Not totally gone, though. I've gained about ten pounds in those six months. I retain a lot of fluid while taking the active pills, and my breasts are continuously sore and heavy. I'm going to try something else with a lower estrogen level to try and get rid of this water weight."

• Jan...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 2, 2020

For Birth Control "Took this birth control, Nortrel, for about 8 years and gained weight on it (went from 115 lb to 137 lb in two years) and had to stop it due to high blood pressure. Had bad acne and oily skin also. Made me extremely moody and decreased my sex drive sometimes. The only positive was it kept me from getting pregnant."