Ethinyl estradiol / norgestimate for Ovarian Cysts User Reviews (Page 4)

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 30, 2021

"I was on Sprintec for about 8 months, and out of nowhere, it made my vulva dry. I had cracks on my vulva, then rashes. My vulva would get swollen after sex, and it was the worst pain ever. Yeah, it kept me safe, but it made me uncomfortable and insecure down there. This birth control dried out my vulva, and I was completely sure it did when I had no problems when I was off the pill for more than 2 weeks. I’m sure it made my vulva sensitive because now I react to anything. Beware."

• Anonymous
• January 3, 2011

"I had incredibly painful cramps and was told by both my ob/gyn and general doctor that birth control could really help me, so I tried Ortho. My skin stayed just about the same (got some tiny under-the-skin bumps that didn't bother me), and I was a little tired. My first period on it was extremely heavy and painful, but the next one was lighter and easier to deal with. But I noticed about a month in, I sprouted hair all over my cheeks (which I've NEVER had before). My hormones were basically normal before, but this pill made them go completely haywire (hence the hair growth). But apparently, this is a rare side effect. This pill seems to be one of the better ones for other people but was not right for me. I will keep looking for my perfect birth control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 14, 2012

"I got on it for my cysts, which cause horrible pain and heavy periods. Since taking it, the pain hasn't been too bad, and the periods are shorter and lighter. My only problem with it is that it made me gain weight, which I have tried everything to lose, but am unsuccessful."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2012

"This form of birth control helps with my making my period lighter and way less painful, but it has caused me to have both weight gain and crazy mood swings. I've only been on this pill for 5 months, but it's already causing me a headache. I feel depressed at times, upset, and even having problems when it comes to my sex drive. I'm not sure if that's this birth control or what, but I'm only 21. I shouldn't be having these problems."

• moo...
• July 6, 2014

"It helps with the heavy bleeding and long periods, but that's it! I get so sick to my stomach on these. I have real bad PMS and sore breasts and nipples, and it doesn't do anything for my skin or hair."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 24, 2017

"I didn't know what to classify my condition because it's many things. Birth control, acne, horrible periods, anemia, ovarian cysts, etc. BC has always made me very, very sick to the point where I couldn't take it because of all the vomiting and dizziness. I've tried five different ones, and this is the best by far. The first month was rough, very nauseous, felt like I was pregnant again. Slowly improved. Then the second night of every pack, for some reason, I'd get sick. But I kept hanging in there. My face broke out like CRAZY, even worse than usual. I have bad hormonal acne for years. Fast forward one year, and now my skin is awesome, and periods went from being super heavy for two weeks to only four days. Helped with my 24/7 cramps and cysts. Love it. Hang in there!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 25, 2020

"I was put on Sprintec after being diagnosed with PCOS. I'm 24, and it’s my first time taking birth control ever, so I didn’t know what to expect. Sprintec has made me feel so awful. It’s my fourth month on it, and I'm just now getting all the side effects. My boobs are so sore it’s actually painful! I wake up feeling like they were used as punching bags. Not exaggerating. Throughout the day, the pain relieves some, but the next morning it’s the same thing. I’m depressed and SO emotional all the time. I cry and yell about everything, my sex drive and lady juices are literally 0%, which was never an issue before. I actually feel sorry for my boyfriend. You feel like you’re not in control of your own emotions when you have these outbursts. It makes me really dizzy some days, others not so much. Luckily, I haven’t gained weight. Physically, this birth control is meh, but mentally... it’s so exhausting. I will probably decide to stop taking it once I finish this pack."

• awf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 11, 2023

"Do not take this! I have been on it for a few months, and it has done nothing but make me depressed, gain weight, and be incredibly moody. My eczema has gotten worse, my skin is breaking out, and overall it just makes me feel terrible. There are better options out there."

• Kco...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2016

"In July 2015, I had experienced a huge pain in my lower abdomen. The pain went on for three months when I was finally able to see the gynecologist after two months and a half of being on a waiting list. They ran a lot of tests on me, and I was told I had an ovarian cyst the size of a golf ball. I have never had a surgery, and I am terrified to even be told I'm going to have to get any type of surgery. Well, my doctor recommended I take birth control to help with pain and possibly reduce the size of the cyst. I started taking Tri-Previfem in the beginning of November 2015. When I went for my checkup on November 23, 2015, the cyst had been reduced from the size of a golf ball to the size of a pinto bean!! I totally recommend this birth control."

• Lec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 14, 2019

"I've been on Mono-Linyah for a month and have experienced the worst pain where my cesarean scar is. I became prone to cysts by having the IUD back in '07, and now taking this brought them back. Having cysts from this birth control is rare. Hooray me! Not."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2016

"I was switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, but the pharmacy gave me this birth control, claiming it was the same thing. I have been on it for almost 2 weeks, and I've had all sorts of side effects. I've had nausea and vomiting, blurry vision, trouble concentrating, itchiness, dryness, zero libido, and recently I've experienced episodes of anxiety, what I believe to be high blood pressure, high heart rate, then drops to normal vital signs. It's just been an awful 2 weeks so far. I don't think I can handle continuing the pack."

• Oka...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 20, 2015

"So, I thought the light periods were a problem, but since I see people with the same issue, that makes me feel a little better. Although, I don't like that I come on at the end of the pack. I usually would come on the Wednesday during the non-active pills, but now it's like Saturday or Sunday, then extremely light for maybe 2 to 3 days. Good thing is I do not have problems with the cysts or fibroids now, no pain. Periods are once a month, although light. No acne, mood swings are normal, I think :-) overall good pill."

• E_m...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2015

"Update: Going into my fifth month on Sprintec. It works fine - my period is right on schedule and very light; no serious side effects. My mood dips around my period, but that's not new for me (happened prior to taking BCP too). Nonetheless, I hate this medication. I hate how it makes me retain water constantly, to the point of physical discomfort around the last two weeks of active pills. I hate how sluggish it makes my body feel. I hate how it screws around with my GI tract. It could just be weather changes, but now I'm getting a lot of headaches (which hasn't happened before this month). Don't let this scare you; if you have to be on BCP, Sprintec gets the job done. Personally though, I'm getting off this pill as soon as humanly possible."

• PCO...
• February 19, 2020

"Past: I started Sprintec at around the age of 14. I was not nauseous, I believe my breasts were tender and my appetite did change. However, I stopped (since I could not keep up with it when I was younger). Period was regulated, even when I first stopped birth control, and cramps sufficiently stopped. This year: I started back on it in around January, I’ve already stopped because when I first started, I was nauseous 24/7. I always felt the need to throw up, and thinking of certain foods made me want to throw up even more. After I stopped, my period regulated sufficiently, no cramping. Now: After about a month of not taking it, I decided to try again, this time I am still very nauseous (only around night time mainly, it usually goes away when I lay down). My breasts have been really sore for about two days, and my appetite has changed a little. Haven’t had a period lately, cramps have stopped."

• JBr...
• June 22, 2017

"I started this birth control to help with my PCOS and crazy periods. My periods were always 8-10 days and pretty heavy. But I started my period just 10 days into this medicine, and it continued for 19 days. I've never had a period that long. My depression was made worse, my sex drive was gone, dizziness, ridiculous mood swings, never wanted to eat, the list just goes on. I never had this issue with the previous two birth control pills I used 7 years ago. Needless to say, I stopped this medicine and will not be taking it again. I'd rather deal with a horrible 9-day period than a horrible 19-day period."

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 21, 2022

"This has worked really well for me. I was on 3-month cycle packs of a different birth control for 10 years to treat PCOS, and had tons of side effects. This gives me no side effects, it's re-regulated my cycle again, and no breakthrough bleeding. I'm really glad my new gyno suggested the switch."

• Moo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2019

"I have been taking Tri-Lo-Sprintec for over 7 months. The reason I have kept taking it was because my last birth control pills gave me awful mood swings, depression, and zero libido. I was crying almost every day for no reason, snapping at my husband. This one is better, but only just. After trying it out for these past months, I am talking to my doctor about stopping. I’m done settling. He says I need the pills to protect my ovary since I had one removed and I have no children yet. I’m also in my mid-20s. With Tri-Lo-Sprintec, my libido has gone up from zero to two, but it is still affecting my marriage life. We’re frustrated and unhappy as I don’t feel like my normal self at all, even if there is slight improvement from the other pill I took before. I also have severe sinus congestion that I didn’t previously have, and I am tired of it all."

• EKa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 21, 2018

"I have been on and off Previfem for about 6 years. My OBGYN started me on it after very irregular and heavy periods along with a diagnosis of PCOS. While on them, I noticed that I was very numb to emotions and found myself very depressed. The moment I stopped these pills, I found a whole new side of joy and sex drive in my life. I am still on the lookout for a better birth control method, but I do not recommend hormonal birth controls anymore, especially this one. I have always struggled with my weight (side effect of PCOS), so I cannot say that this pill made me gain or lose any weight. My skin has gotten progressively clearer over the years, but I did start the pill when I was 18 - hard to say if it was natural hormonal changes or the pill."

• Jlg...
• September 16, 2017

"I am 29, never been on birth control before. I recently started taking it due to painful periods caused by uterine fibroids. I started taking it a month ago. I would take it around 1 pm, and it was the worst mistake ever. I could not control my emotions or mood, I was feeling foggy and in a daze, always tired, could not concentrate, always agitated. My friend suggested I start taking them at night before bed, so I take them at 10-ish to 10:30 now, and it makes a huge difference. I'm back to my old self now. My periods last at least 5 days, nowhere near the bloating or the painful periods I've had before. I have not experienced any weight gain or any other negative effects besides the ones from taking them during the day. My breasts are sometimes tender, but not a big deal."

• Cur...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2019

"I was on Mononessa for several years. The pharmacy stopped carrying that brand and switched to this brand. The first three months were not great but tolerable. Periods were moderate flow but still an average of 5 days long. The fourth month on this drug started nausea mid-cycle. Then spotting started the third week of the pack, followed by an 8-day moderate flow period. This is absolutely awful. I take the pill at the exact same time every day, never missed a pill. This pill is supposed to be the same as Ortho-Cyclen and the other generics, but I think there is something drastically wrong with this brand. Do NOT recommend this one at all. Back to find Mononessa."

• bmc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2017

"I've been on this pill for two months. I started it to balance my hormones. My cycle had become irregular, which had never happened, ever. My doctor also found some cysts on my endometrium. The only bad thing is nausea and fatigue. Not going to start my third pack! No mood swings, no cravings, no breakthrough bleeding. It has evened out my cycle, or at least I feel like it has. I will have to see when I stop taking it. A co-worker told me to try taking it with an antacid, so I will try that before I stop taking it. Again, the nausea and fatigue are the worst, and all I want to do is sleep."

• E_m...
• December 26, 2014

"Second month on Sprintec; went on birth control pill because I hadn't had my period for almost a year (extreme stress, low BMI/hormone levels). Overall, it's been better than expected. I was a bit nauseous the first few days after taking the pill, and initially, it killed my appetite. Weeks two and three, I retained water; breasts felt pillowy; appetite went up; felt really tight and uncomfortable. But my period came right on schedule, without any cramps or heavy bleeding. Score! I've gained a few lbs, but it feels/looks like water weight only. I know this will improve as my body adjusts to the hormones, but right now it's pretty annoying. Otherwise, I feel so much more like 'myself' than I have in a while, so I'll take it."

• Jol...
• August 29, 2016

"Orthotricyclen is pretty bad, but this is the worst generic of it. As soon as my pharmacy switched to giving me this instead of Trisprintec, my side effects dramatically increased. I gained weight, had horrible mood swings, and even had a blood clot in my leg from this pill! It nearly killed me! It's claimed that generics are all the same, but that can't be true for birth control pills. Tri-Previfem is the worst! Do not take it if your pharmacy forces you to switch!"

• jin...
• May 1, 2017

"I have had a couple bouts of cysts, it is the reason why I got on birth control. I took it regularly for months and it did fine as a birth control, I suppose. It regulated my period, made them a little less severe. However, it didn't necessarily help prevent the cyst growth. I also had some episodes on my period while on this birth control, and they were still debilitating. I also experienced a ruptured cyst while on the medication. When I finally got to the gyno, we decided to have me take birth control on a constant basis, skipping the inactive to try to further reduce cyst possibilities and eliminate the period. However, this has caused me to have thick brown discharge EVERY day for 2 months. We are now trying a different pill, hopefully that helps."

• fre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 8, 2015

"Migraines and more migraines. I was getting up to 4 migraines a month to the point I started a headache log. I never put two and two together until I mentioned my frequent migraines to my doctor, and he told me to go off TriNessa immediately, as it may cause a stroke during a migraine. Alarming, to say the least. I wasn't convinced that my migraines were related to TriNessa, but now that I've been off it for well over a month with zero migraines, I know that was the cause. I suppose it did its job in regard to the cysts (I have a hysterectomy, so I didn't need it for BC reasons), but the migraines and decreased sex drive were no fun at all. I was blaming hormones, but I was mistaken."