Ethinyl estradiol / norethindrone and Depression: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Shi...
• March 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I just started taking this birth control, Lo Loestrin, and honestly, I am so depressed. I have never felt this way in my life. I missed two days of work because I couldn’t even move from my bed. I have been spotting since I’ve been taking the pills. I'm on my 12th pill, I don’t think I’m gonna take it anymore."

• G98...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2021

For Birth Control "4 months in and I can't complain. I am on this for PCOS. My main thing is I would recommend taking a B complex. I saw that birth control depletes B vitamins, which can cause mood swings and depression. I've taken a B complex vitamin every day along with the birth control and haven't had any mood swings. Had spotting during my second month but was expecting that while adjusting. My acne didn't get better or worse and didn't gain any weight. Always eat a little something with the pill or you'll be nauseous."

• Nop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 26, 2020

For Birth Control "I had been taking Microgestin or Junel with no problems for over 5 years when my pharmacy switched to Aurovela. By week 3, I was fighting severe and life-altering depression, anxiety, self-loathing, and feeling overwhelmed. When I called my pharmacy to switch back, I was told they have received many such complaints about Aurovela."

• Nop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 26, 2020

For Birth Control "I had been taking Microgestin or Junel with no problems for over 5 years when my pharmacy switched to Aurovela. By week 3, I was fighting severe and life-altering depression, anxiety, self-loathing, and feeling overwhelmed. When I called my pharmacy to switch back, I was told they have received many such complaints about Aurovela."

• Shl...
• July 3, 2013

For Birth Control "I started this pill 8 months ago. I got my period horribly the first month, maybe even the worst I've ever had it. It was heavy, painful, and I gained 6 pounds in water weight. Since then, I have not gotten my period once. I will get some period symptoms around the time I would get my period and some discharge, but no period, which is great for me. I have been on probably more than 5 birth control pills before this, and this by far is the best. I've lost 10 pounds, no acne, and no depression, which is the main reason I switched. The only negative about this pill is the crazy high price. Great pill!"

• Ray...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 10, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on Microgestin Fe 1/20 for about 3 years. I've tried many other brands or generics like Junel Fe 1/20, which is a form of Microgestin. But Junel made me gain weight and get depressed. Microgestin, however, has never given me any problems at all. I start and finish my period on the exact same days every month. My periods are so light and so manageable. I've had no problem with weight gain or mood swings with this pill. I am so sad to see this pill go on back order. I highly recommend. This is the only pill I have completely loved and not had any problems on. I am a 20-year-old girl and in college, so it's very important I'm on a good pill that doesn't get in the way of my mental health for my studies. I love this pill and am sad to see it go."

• kra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 31, 2020

For Birth Control "I took only one month of Aurovela Fe 1/20 birth control pill. Within that one month, I had the worst depression and anxiety of my entire life. I couldn’t sleep or eat. I was nauseous almost 24 hours of the day. I even threw up after the first time I took it. I was given this pill when my pharmacy didn’t have my regular pill, and went back almost once a week to see if I could get the original pill I was on. On top of all that, I take the birth control to get rid of my acne, and it didn’t even help with that."

• Meg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 10, 2019

For Birth Control "Larin Fe has quite a few pros, but for me they do not outweigh the cons. I’ve been taking this for 4 months and this is my experience. Pros: - Protects well against pregnancy. - Acne has decreased. - I haven’t gained any weight so far. - My periods have become extremely light and short, only 3 days long. Cons: - Slight cramps throughout the whole month. - Pretty much every time I eat, and sometimes even if I don’t eat, I have terrible acid reflux. I have taken an acid reducer almost every day. I am assuming it’s from the pill because it never used to be this bad. - Depression. This is what’s making this pill not worth it to me. I have had anxiety in the past but I’ve never cried this much, not even while PMSing. My husband wants to know why I’m crying, but sometimes there’s nothing I can tell him because I have no idea why I’m crying. I will be in a great mood and be having a conversation, and suddenly my voice will start shaking and I’ll be in tears."

• Sek...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 28, 2020

For Birth Control "Whoa, so glad I'm not alone with all of these side effects!! After having my last baby, I dealt with unbearable periods and cramps while ovulating, to the point it was getting in the way of everyday life. Was checked for endometriosis and was cleared of that, so my OB prescribed Junel Fe to me. The first couple of months seemed great! Very light and almost nonexistent cramps. After a few months, migraine after migraine. Lashing out at my family for no reason, depression, felt like nothing in life mattered, and absolutely NO sex drive. The thought of sex made me feel sick to my stomach (my poor husband lol). After discussing with my husband that I felt the pill was to blame for all of this, I stopped taking it. A little over a week later, I am feeling amazing and am even starting to think about sex again. Yippee. Just hoping not to get pregnant lol. All in all, if this is prescribed to you, please ask for something else!!"

• har...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 6, 2014

For Birth Control "This is probably the pill I'll never take. The first six months were great. I lost weight, had 100% regular periods with no in-between bleeding. Now I've had a good 4 months of non-stop anxiety, paranoia, and depression that wasn't there before. I have also developed bleeding the week before my period is supposed to show up. Definitely switching pills ASAP."

• Mad...
• May 4, 2020

For Birth Control "I recently started taking this birth control, and 2 weeks on it, my chin blew up with acne. I didn’t have acne until I started birth control last year. My depression is so much worse, and it’s rare to have a good day. My doctor is having me stay on it for 3 months to see if it levels out. Hoping for the best."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 18, 2023

For Birth Control "Please do not take this birth control. I have always maintained a healthy weight. In less than a year on this pill, I gained over 20 pounds. My mood swings are awful, and I get a lot of anxiety. My self-esteem and confidence have been so low that I never want to leave the house. I also had a lot of swelling and pain in my ankle and leg, which was most likely a blood clot. I feel like I have experienced every single negative side effect. Please avoid this pill, it has changed me so much."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 18, 2023

For Birth Control "Please do not take this birth control. I have always maintained a healthy weight. In less than a year on this pill, I gained over 20 pounds. My mood swings are awful, and I get a lot of anxiety. My self-esteem and confidence have been so low that I never want to leave the house. I also had a lot of swelling and pain in my ankle and leg, which was most likely a blood clot. I feel like I have experienced every single negative side effect. Please avoid this pill, it has changed me so much."

• wor...
• September 2, 2020

For Birth Control "Please stay away from this birth control. I literally have never written a review for anything in 19 years of my life, but I needed to warn everyone researching birth controls to steer clear of this medication, especially if you are acne-prone. I am on my second course of Accutane because of this awful drug. It absolutely ruined my skin and gave me the worst cystic, hormonal acne, which I have never had in my life. It also gave me the most irregular periods that would last for weeks on and off and made me so sad, tired, and unmotivated all the time. My cramps and mood were affected in the worst way possible, the only minor plus of this is that I didn't gain any weight. I wish I never gave this birth control a try, and I really tried to push through and see if my body would get used to it, but after 5 months, it wasn't really worth it. Please don't let this medication do its damage to your body like it did to mine and many others. It's the worst."

• wor...
• September 2, 2020

For Birth Control "Please stay away from this birth control. I literally have never written a review for anything in 19 years of my life, but I needed to warn everyone researching birth controls to steer clear of this medication, especially if you are acne-prone. I am on my second course of Accutane because of this awful drug. It absolutely ruined my skin and gave me the worst cystic, hormonal acne, which I have never had in my life. It also gave me the most irregular periods that would last for weeks on and off and made me so sad, tired, and unmotivated all the time. My cramps and mood were affected in the worst way possible, the only minor plus of this is that I didn't gain any weight. I wish I never gave this birth control a try, and I really tried to push through and see if my body would get used to it, but after 5 months, it wasn't really worth it. Please don't let this medication do its damage to your body like it did to mine and many others. It's the worst."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2012

For Birth Control "Generess Fe made me gain 10 lbs in 2 weeks! I had cravings all the time, and I was always tired. All I could do is sleep and eat. My body retained so much water around the stomach and thigh area that I couldn't look at myself in the mirror without getting depressed! Overall, it was a HORRIBLE experience, I stopped taking it after 3 weeks. My OBGYN said I should have stuck with it for at least 3 months before stopping, but I didn't want the 10 pounds to turn into 30 or 50."

• Ala...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 26, 2018

For Birth Control "So I shared how much I loved Taytulla after a month of being on it, and I’m now here to update you on month 6 of my experience! First off, this BCP was the first I had ever been on, so I was definitely nervous at the start. It never gave me weird hormones, depression, or anxiety, like other people have said. I did not gain weight, my acne has cleared up, and I'm overall loving how I feel (plus I’m not pregnant!). Definitely give Taytulla a try...I was very hesitant, but I really love it."

• Bri...
• April 14, 2021

For Birth Control "At first, it wasn’t too bad, but by the second month, I could immediately notice the side effects. I suffered a lot with anxiety and depression when I was going through puberty and had long since outgrown it, but by the second month on this pill, I literally felt like I was back in middle school. I’m a nervous wreck and sad at the same time all the time, and it only gets worse the closer I get to my periods. What doesn’t help is that my periods are still fairly painful and last me almost the entire placebo week. I decided today that I’m not taking this pill anymore and am scheduling an appointment with my doctor to talk about starting a new one. Unless you are using it strictly as birth control, I wouldn’t recommend this pill, even women with the strongest mental health seem to struggle emotionally while on this pill, and it just isn’t worth it in my opinion."

• Gir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2019

For Birth Control "Three stars because I did not experience any mood swings, depression, or weight gain like I have in the past using other birth control. It did cut my lubrication and it was very painful to have sex. I honestly did not want to believe it was the birth control that was causing dryness, but once I stopped taking it, I realized it was."

• Emi...
• August 6, 2014

For Birth Control "I started taking Junel Fe after taking Sprintec for three months, and at first, I liked it. It is effective for birth control, but I had the worst side effects. It made my face break out, I gained some weight, and it made me so moody and depressed. Going on month five, I spent a lot of time sleeping and spending time alone because of the pill."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 17, 2020

For Birth Control "I started Microgestin 1/20 FE last year. I got a year's supply, so I didn't have to worry about switching, and it was one of the most depressing years I have experienced. I didn't blame the pill for my daily super dark thoughts until I switched pills 2 weeks ago, and since then I have had zero suicidal thoughts or impulses. In my experience, Microgestin increases depression and dark thoughts exponentially. One plus is that I did not get pregnant while on it."

• Cla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2021

For Birth Control "So I understand that everyone has different experiences with birth control, but I had some pros and cons. First off, I started my Blisovi Fe 1/20 pill in October, so this would make it my third month on it, and they say it takes three months for birth control to start working. Here are my pros: it kept my period on track. I knew when I was going to get it. Before I started, I would have heavy and long periods, with Blisovi, it kept it light and short. As well as my cramps, they weren’t super painful as before. Cons: I’ve had anxiety for about two years, and this pill has really taken a toll on my mental health. I’ve had crazy panic attacks. My anxiety was super high. I felt like I was going into this stage where I wasn’t able to control my emotions at some point. I felt super depressed because of the way I was feeling, I wouldn’t get out of bed and was sad because this wasn’t who I was. I think if you have any emotional issues, this won’t be the pill for you."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on this Blisovi Fe 1.5/30 birth control for 3 months before I had to change. I did not feel like myself, and I felt like I was living outside of my body. I started having panic attacks multiple times a week, and it almost cost my relationship with my amazing boyfriend. I became very depressed and anxious that the smallest things made me freak out. I couldn't think ahead about my life or even the week without having a panic attack. I do not recommend this birth control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2022

For Birth Control "Do not take this pill. This medication has made my life a living nightmare. I have depression and anxiety, but this pill took it to a whole other level. Panic attacks, nonstop crying, intrusive thoughts, just overall a terrible time. Please use any other form of birth control."

• Mis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 3, 2019

For Birth Control "This was not a good option for me. I began taking Blisovi about 4 years ago because of my heavy periods. It stopped the heavy bleeding, but the side effects were horrible. For me, it took 3 years for me to really notice the side effects, and they seemed to get worse as time passed. I would get headaches about 2 days before and also 2 days after my cycle, along with severe anxiety, and just sad for no reason at all. I had no desire to have sex, and I would get really irritable. After going through about 4 to 5 days of this, the symptoms would just go away, and then would repeat the same cycle of side effects the following month. I spoke with my doctor about this, and he’s taken me off. This was my experience, everyone is different, and for some, this could be your resolution, for me, it just didn’t do it."