Tarina Fe 1/20 EQ and Mood Swings: What Users Say

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2018

For Birth Control "I got pregnant!!! I took the pill every single day at 8 a.m. Five months in -- pregnant. Also -- I felt emotionally crazy and would randomly bleed the entire time I took the pill. Could not possibly be more disappointed. I feel less hormonal pregnant than I did on that 'birth control' pill."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 6, 2020

For Birth Control "The Tarina Fe 1/20 was the first birth control pill I’ve gotten on. It wasn’t too bad. Although I gained around 10 or 15 pounds after being on it for a year (recently just started the Blisovi Fe pill), it did clear up my acne pretty good. But I would get very emotional at times where I would literally tear up for the slightest thing, then become moody the next second. My period was only 4 days instead of being 7 days, and I would get cramps, but they weren’t too bad, and my periods weren’t too heavy but not too light. Also, my sex drive didn’t decrease! Hopefully this helps someone! :)"

• Pis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2019

For Birth Control "I started taking Tarina Fe 1/20 for lighter, shorter periods. So far, I've bled almost every day since I started taking this (2 months ago). I've noticed a bit of hair loss, eczema breakouts (which I haven't had this badly in years), depression, mood swings, decreased sex drive, increased appetite and weight gain, and I can't sleep at all. I'm done taking this as of today, and I don't intend to touch it ever again! The only slight upside was I went up a bra size, but my chest hurts all the time now, so that's a 50/50 win regardless. I would not recommend even trying this!"

• Loa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 13, 2018

For Birth Control "It’s going to be 1 year in December that I’ve been on Tarina. The first 6-7 months were great. I’d get my period when I’d get to the brown pills, and I had lighter periods, which is a big thumbs up from all the heavy periods I had prior to being on birth control. These last few months have been a bit odd. I haven’t had a period, and I can honestly say YES I’d love to have my period. It’s been about 3 months that I haven’t had one. I’ve taken pregnancy tests and take the pill every day on time. My hair has thinned out. I don’t break out. My sex drive is great. No dryness. I do get emotional here and there, and I’ve actually lost 17 lbs. I don’t know how to feel about switching just so I can have a frequent period."

• acr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this Tarina Fe 1/20 pill for 1 month and wow... I’ve experienced chest, back, and underarm pain. Mood changes that consisted of sad, anxious, a little depressed, and extremely paranoid. My period was about 2 days late, and I couldn’t tell if it was spotting or just a lighter period (TMI: my period was dark brown). I gained weight in my arms, mid-belly, breasts, and thighs. I had some acne on my forehead that was red-white heads and some red dots on my chin. Again, TMI, my discharge was thick and milky white and came in large amounts daily. It’s definitely not my favorite pill, but I hope this helped anyone."

• Bla...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 9, 2019

For Birth Control "I'm 5'5", 150 lbs normally. I was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS within a 2-month span. Suffering with intense pain between cycles and fluid was in my lower abdomen according to an MRI. Tarina Fe is not the best when it comes to mood swings, but it's worked for the endometriosis pain and now my cycles are light to nonexistent. It is big on water retention, which causes weight gain. I wasn't sweating well during my workouts and not peeing as much water as I consumed, which scared me for a while. The effect was my abdomen would bloat, I wear waist beads, so I notice it more. No amount of diet change and exercise worked to get that 10-15 lb fluctuation down. I spiked at 167 lbs. The doctor thought I was going in on hamburgers or something for a while. When I stopped the birth control for a one-month period (after 6 months on it), the weight fell off like melted butter. Once I started back, it's creeped up again. My skin has cleared up a bit. I haven't noticed any pigmentation problems."

• Per...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 17, 2022

For Birth Control "I've been using this for a little over 3 years now, and it's the best birth control I've used. Other brands have made me gain weight or amplified my mood swings, but this one has solved all of my problems, including: heavy and irregular periods (used to bleed through the heaviest overnight pad on the shelf every 4 hours for 7-11 days, and now I only bleed for 5 days and can wear smaller pads and tampons without worrying about leakage!), body acne. I experience less intense cramps and mood swings, and of course, no babies. The only negative side effect I've noticed is vaginal dryness. Compared to other birth control pills and when I didn't take them, it's significantly drier down there, but the benefits totally outweigh the negatives for me!"

• Lue...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2019

For Birth Control "I started taking this birth control about 5 months ago, and I’m not too sure about it. My face has been breaking out more compared to the other pills I have taken. My periods are extremely light, cramps, and back pain every month, mood swings, and headaches. I do not recommend this birth control at all, there are definitely better options for you."

• bba...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been taking Tarina Fe 1/20 for 3 months now. I have gained 25 lbs and constantly struggle with depression, bad belly pain, mood changes, feeling very tired or weak, nausea, swollen breasts, breast tenderness, etc. Because of all these things, my doctor has prescribed me Aubra EQ, which I start next month. I will see how that pans out."

• Doo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I was skeptical of this birth control after reading reviews, but decided to give it a shot anyway. I started taking it toward the tail end of my period, and everything seemed okay, a little nausea but nothing too bad. But then two days after my period ended, I started bleeding again. HEAVY. Almost scary amounts of blood, especially considering my normal period was a bit heavier than usual as well. I was also insanely bloated compared to usual. The thing that’s making me quit is the mood changes. I burst into tears for no reason, which is so unlike me, and I find myself being rude and on a short fuse out of nowhere. This is the first time I’ve taken birth control since I was a teenager, and it’s definitely been a terrible experience. I wouldn’t recommend."

• Sad...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 20, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been a crazy emotional mess, especially the last 8 or so months. I’ve been on Tarina Fe for almost 2 years, just got switched to a higher hormone pill in hopes it can help with the mood swings. I’ve been sticking it out on this pill because I don’t have insurance, so I couldn’t afford to keep going back to the doctor to find a better fit until now. Never had an issue with the breakthrough bleeding until the last 5 months. Very strange considering I’ve been on it so long. I’m hoping that a different pill can get my hormones regulated and get my moods back on track!"

• cra...
• December 11, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Tarina for three months now, and it's great as a birth control factor. However, I am very emotional now, not as extreme as others, but I do get upset at little things now, and I take offense at harmless jokes that I would have never gotten upset about before the pill. I also notice that my cramps are strong (5/10) considering I barely had cramps before these pills, and I get bloated often. Overall, it does prevent pregnancy, but crying, cramps, and bloating are the price you have to pay."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2020

For Birth Control "I am on my second pack in Week 3, and I would describe my experience with Tarina as not bad. When I was on the first pack, I definitely experienced those mood swings that everyone was talking about. I got mad easily and became very emotional. But I noticed once I started my second pack, my mood swings calmed down a bit. I guess it was just my body adjusting to it. I haven't experienced any sudden weight gain. I am currently working out and eating right, so maybe that's a plus. One negative thing I will say, though, is that it has made my acne WORSE even though it says it's supposed to clear it. I have been experiencing maskne (mask acne from wearing COVID masks), but it wasn't as bad as it's been since I started taking Tarina. Overall, it's okay. I will continue using it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for 6 months, and it's the worst. I get 2 periods a month, super emotional, terrible cramps, and crazy mood swings. It's good at preventing pregnancy, but I definitely would not recommend."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for 6 months, and it's the worst. I get 2 periods a month, super emotional, terrible cramps, and crazy mood swings. It's good at preventing pregnancy, but I definitely would not recommend."

• Uni...
• April 17, 2017

For Birth Control "With these pills, I didn't have any kind of bad effects. The only thing while being on these pills is I was very emotional, crying over every little small thing that my boyfriend did. In addition, the painful pains in the abdominal were like having menstrual cramps. Oh, but the sugar pill week! The worst period experience. I go to university, and I had to leave class because I had explosive diarrhea, and when I say painful, I mean excruciating cramps and blood clots falling out of my vagina every time I went to the bathroom (sorry for getting too personal). Would I try them again? If they were my only option, but I wouldn't take the placebos... never again!"

• m18...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2021

For Birth Control "I've been on Tarina Fe for 6 months and have no complaints! I honestly love it as far as birth control goes. I haven't noticed any mood, weight, or acne changes. I am generally hungrier throughout the day, but that's totally manageable. One complaint is that my periods are weird, not really super bloody (sorry if that's TMI), and they only last 2-3 days. It's kind of strange, but they're completely pain-free, unlike my periods before being on birth control."

• liz...
• March 31, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been taking this birth control for quite a while now, and my body has gotten used to it. The first few months, I experienced mood swings and brown spotting, but other than that, it works quite well. No pregnancies so far."

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 13, 2017

For Birth Control "The first week into taking this pill, I got the yeast infection side effect, and I've never had one before. It made me way more emotional and sensitive to drama. My boyfriend doesn't even think I'm acting like the same person before I started taking the pill. Not only this, but it makes me really hungry even when I feel full, I just crave eating more food. It also caused my acne to get worse within the first week. I stopped taking it after the first week, so then I had the worst period of my whole life. I'm 18, and I rarely had any sort of painful cramps, and for the past 4 months, I've had cramps that are so painful it feels like I'm giving birth and having painful contractions. Taking this pill was the worst mistake I've ever made!"

• van...
• January 7, 2016

For Birth Control "My experience on the pill is going okay. I'm on my 3rd pack, no bleeding, just spotted for an hour. I get cramps when it's time for my period to come. I notice I have become more emotional lately. I feel like crying a lot. When someone tells me something, I get really sensitive. My boobs get sore, and they have gone up in cup size. I get acne when it's time for my period, but that's it. My hunger has been the same. When it's that time, I crave fried foods. I like the pill, just wish I wasn't so emotional. My sex drive is awesome. Hopefully, I will get my period irregular."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 29, 2020

For Birth Control "I was prescribed this birth control, Tarina Fe 1/20, after giving birth to my daughter (I was taking Sprintec before pregnancy). I am not a fan of Tarina Fe 1/20. Side effects are I’ve gained significant weight, mood swings are terrible, and my period lasts longer than usual. I also have noticed that I will spot throughout the month (dark brown), and there is an increase of milky white discharge. I’d say the only plus is that it does help with menstrual cramps - I can’t feel a thing, and it has cleared my skin. I’ll be taking this for another few months before asking my doctor to switch me back to Sprintec."

• Ela...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2020

For Birth Control "So I’m 32. After taking a break from IUD, which I had for 10 years, I decided to give the birth control a try: “Tarina.” This pill has me super emotional, hungry. It’s been 3 months and I’m bleeding on and off, and it’s so annoying. So with that being said, back on the IUD I go! Thumbs down."

• Cra...
• December 27, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this BC for 2.5 months now, and I hate it. At first, it was the acne all around my eyes and forehead, and the abdominal pains constantly. Then, in the second month, the bleeding never stopped. I wouldn't call it spotting, because it was more than that. Sometimes heavy bleeding for a random day, sometimes a glob, and I've passed a couple of clots. I came on here looking if I was crazy or if it was the BC, because my mood is out of control. I'm anxious, sad, depressed, I don't feel like myself anymore. My sex drive is non-existent, and the vaginal dryness is unbearable. It's good to know I'm not crazy. Hopefully, I can switch and relieve myself of these side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2016

For Birth Control "If you already have a lot of personality, this pill probably isn't for you. Mood swings were very common. I'm talking 0 to mega alpha psychotic in oscillations. Taking it at night had a caffeine-like effect. Cramping during the beginning of my cycle was almost negligible. Appetite was ravenous then leveled off towards the end of the pack. Libido was slightly decreased as well as slight vaginal dryness."

• Kyl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2018

For Birth Control "I was specifically put on this kind because the other kinds of birth control gave me severe mood swings. This helped with that. However, it made my period come a week before the placebo pills every single month. Not only that, but it made my cramps absolutely awful."