Mono-Linyah and Acne: What Users Say

• Aly...
• November 17, 2020

For Birth Control "If I could give this medication a lower rating than 1/10, I would. I was told 'Mono-Linyah' is a generic form of Sprintec. This can't be any more different in the effect it is having on me. I have been on Mono-Linyah for approximately 9 months. I don't know how I stayed on it for this long. I trusted my doctor when she told me it was a generic form of Sprintec. I gained about 15 pounds in the 9 months I've been on this pill. My acne has been awful while on this pill. The biggest and most drastic change in myself, other than the weight gain, was my mood changes. My anxiety was already pretty bad, but while on Mono-Linyah, it made me feel I couldn't manage it. I started to have mood swings, dark thoughts, anxiety attacks, and would cry all the time. I regret not realizing this medication was the reason for all of my symptoms earlier on."

• Anonymous
• April 5, 2020

For Birth Control "I was originally on a different pill, but my insurance wouldn’t cover the name brand, so I was switched to Mono-Linyah. The first month I took this, I suffered from painful cramps and mood swings. I attributed these to switching birth control, and after the first month, they went away. I continued using this pill for a year with little side effects and a lighter, shorter period, yay! But after a year, all the benefits stopped. My acne has exploded! My hair is thinning and falling out. I bleed randomly between periods, and during my regular period, I experience horrible cramps and really heavy bleeding. I started experiencing abnormal levels of anxiety and panic attacks, and I slipped into a really dark depressive state for 2-3 months. The only reason I’m still taking this pill is because it does its job in the sense that it prevents pregnancy. I will be seeing a doctor soon to switch."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 27, 2019

For Acne "I guess everyone’s experience is way different. Everyone seems to have had a bad experience with Mono-Linyah, but for me, I, on the other hand, have been on this BC for the past 5 years, and it has done wonders. I have never gotten pregnant, and I use this for acne. I had really bad acne as a teen, and this was able to control my acne and my oily face. Of course, I get a breakout here and there when I’m about to start my period, but nothing major. I then got off of Mono-Linyah for about 4 months, and my oily face came back, and I broke out like crazy. I just got back on it because this was the only medication able to help with my acne."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 11, 2020

For Birth Control "Do not take Mono-Linyah birth control! I’ve been taking it for a week, and I broke out really bad in the sense of huge cystic acne and dry, irritated skin! I’ve never had that before, and my face is so bad right now I’ve been crying for 2 days straight, whether that be hormonal crying or I’m just super upset about my face. I was put on this birth control by my gyno to fix my acne and hormones, meanwhile, it made it worse. They always say it has to get worse before it can get better, but I kid you not, I didn’t take my pill last night, and I woke up with already better looking, glowing skin. I have also been lightly spotting since I started this pill. Take at your own risk, please."

• Son...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 12, 2020

For Birth Control "I've been on birth control since I was 14 because of horrible periods and cramps, and have tried a lot of different pills. I am now 22 and have been on Mono-Linyah for a few years now. At first, the pill was a godsend as I was experiencing a lot of acne on Sprintec, and this pill cleared it up. However, I feel like as I get older I'm beginning to experience a lot more PMS. I cry, get mad, and feel overall depressed and low during placebo week. My periods have gotten super heavy, and my cramps are back with a vengeance. This pill worked for me when I was younger, but now that I'm getting older, it seems to be working less effectively."

• Que...
• June 12, 2020

For Acne "This birth control Mono-Linyah has been absolutely HORRIBLE for my acne. I started taking this when Mononessa was discontinued. I regret taking this pill. My complexion had been cleared thanks to previously taking Yaz/Yasmin, but this has messed it up. I have cystic acne and post-acne scars. I am now trying to get back on Ocella/Yas/Yasmin to clear up my complexion ..."

• Que...
• June 12, 2020

For Acne "This birth control Mono-Linyah has been absolutely HORRIBLE for my acne. I started taking this when Mononessa was discontinued. I regret taking this pill. My complexion had been cleared thanks to previously taking Yaz/Yasmin, but this has messed it up. I have cystic acne and post-acne scars. I am now trying to get back on Ocella/Yas/Yasmin to clear up my complexion ..."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 2 months now, prior, I was on Lo Leestrin, which I was on my period constantly for even a month one time. This pill is great so far for my period but horrible for acne. I’ve never had acne, and now my face is in constant breakouts. I get a new zit every day. I’m going to do the full 3 months, and if the breakouts continue, I will advise my Gyno I need to go on a different pill."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 2 months now, prior, I was on Lo Leestrin, which I was on my period constantly for even a month one time. This pill is great so far for my period but horrible for acne. I’ve never had acne, and now my face is in constant breakouts. I get a new zit every day. I’m going to do the full 3 months, and if the breakouts continue, I will advise my Gyno I need to go on a different pill."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2019

For Birth Control "This is my second review. I was put on this birth control because my prior one gave me irregular periods. This birth control is the worst, but it is seriously amazing for my periods. But it has destroyed my face. I never had an issue with pimples or acne until now. I now have over 50 pimples on my face, and it’s depressing. I have now been switched to something norg-ee, which is supposed to be a lower dose version. Since my gyno is surprised that a pill designed for acne is causing acne."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2019

For Birth Control "This is my second review. I was put on this birth control because my prior one gave me irregular periods. This birth control is the worst, but it is seriously amazing for my periods. But it has destroyed my face. I never had an issue with pimples or acne until now. I now have over 50 pimples on my face, and it’s depressing. I have now been switched to something norg-ee, which is supposed to be a lower dose version. Since my gyno is surprised that a pill designed for acne is causing acne."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2020

For Birth Control "Y'all, this Mono-Linyah BC was terrible for me. I had run out of my regular Sprintec prescription and had to take this as a backup. This was one of the worst months of my life. I'm talking mood swings that made me actually feel like I was a crazy person. Extreme highs and lows. I've suffered from depression since age 15 (I'm 22 now) and anxiety for the past 3 years, and this made it so much worse for me. It got to the point where I was self-harming, which I've never done in the past. Also, I had acne from age 14-21, and when I got on Sprintec last year, it cleared it up completely! As soon as I started this BC, however, it started coming back :( I would avoid this BC at all costs! It is not worth the emotional damage to you and your loved ones as a result of the mood swings."

• hat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2019

For Birth Control "I'm usually not one to write reviews like this, but this pill caused me so much grief I feel I need to. Anyone who has any form of mental illness, BEWARE of this pill. I had such terrible depression and anxiety while on this pill that I couldn't get out of bed for days on end. It also affected my thyroid so severely I lost almost 50 pounds in two months without doing anything to change my diet or activity level. I have never had this much acne on my face in my entire life, to the point I don't like to leave my house anymore. One thing I will say, it didn't affect the flow of my period very much, it stayed relatively consistent as if I wasn't on the pill. I don't recommend this pill to anyone, really. It caused a lot of hardship these past few weeks that I wouldn't wish on anybody."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2019

For Birth Control "The Mono-Linyah is the absolute WORST. I’ve been using Mononessa for 5 years, and my pharmacy was out of it last week. They only had Mono-Linyah in stock, and I needed to start my new pack. So, of course, I took it. WITHIN 4 DAYS, MY FACE BROKE OUT WITH THE WORST ACNE EVER!!!!! I called the pharmacy today, and they said the manufacturer of Mononessa isn’t selling it anymore? I have no idea what to do, but I need to get off this, and now I’m scared to try any other generics because of the reaction I had. Seriously, don’t take this."

• Bee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2020

For Birth Control "I have been on Mono-Linyah for a little over a month now, and I can give nothing but negatives. I have the worst cystic acne on my chin that I haven’t experienced since I was 15. I’m 21 now, and this is ridiculous. I’m constantly nauseous and have bad migraines every week. I’m switching back to my old birth control. This is absolutely horrible. If I were you, I’d look for something else before getting this one."

• Anonymous
• September 22, 2020

For Birth Control "This Mono-Linyah birth control pill is absolutely terrible! I use Sprintec, which the pharmacist swore was the same as this (she said Mono-Linyah was the generic brand of Sprintec), but due to financial reasons, I went to Costco pharmacy and was prescribed this pill. Worst mistake ever! I’ve been on it for about 2 weeks, and I’ve gained around 3 pounds already and have broken out terribly. I learned my lesson, and I’m never again getting Mono-Linyah, it’s most definitely not the same! I’m switching back to Sprintec after this month."

• rac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2020

For Birth Control "After starting this pill, I’ve been experiencing a lot of anxiety and dark thoughts, worse than I’ve experienced in years. It’s made me so moody, and I don’t feel like myself. After month 2, I started having constant brown spotting/discharge, which I’m hoping will go away when I change the prescription. I’ve also started getting hormonal acne, which I haven’t had in years. Overall, this pill did not work well for me at all, and I’ll be switching once I finish my third month."

• Gre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I got this to maintain my period to stay on track/work with an abnormal period. So far, it is good unless I miss some days - I have a bad habit of missing some on accident. I did notice my acne cleared up pretty well, and that has been good. I'm also not sexually active, I don't get any mood swings. The pill doesn't make me gain or lose weight. I may get kind of sick every once in a while at my stomach, but it does manage to go away."

• Kri...
• April 17, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been on various forms of Mono-Linyah for 11 years (Ortho Cyclen and Sprintec). I am tired often and generally fatigued. I attribute that to birth control but also forget what it’s like to feel normal without it. I got on it to help with acne, and it definitely helped me a bit but not much. My sis was also on it for 13 years and just got off of it and did a birth control cleanse and feels so much better. She doesn’t lash out and have mood swings anymore, and her “dark thoughts” have gone away. BC in general can give you mood issues. So overall, I would say this is a great BC compared to most. This option is MUCH better than the Nexplanon implant. I have friends who have had the implant, and they gained weight and had terrible acne. Mono-Linyah doesn’t get rid of sex drive, but it definitely lessens it a bit compared to another one I was on that had the opposite effect. Other BCs made me lose hair or break out, but not this one. BC in general has many side effects. So pick your poison."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 10, 2020

"Mono-Linyah is absolutely terrible. Worst birth control I’ve ever taken. Stay away from it. Made me so dizzy, nauseous, made me break out like crazy, made me gain weight, made my period 10 days when my period usually only lasts like 3 days. Screwed up my stomach, gave me so much gas. In all, worst decision I’ve ever made. And it’s only been 3 weeks."

• Mat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 30, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "From the second I started this pill, Mono-Linyah, I had the worst cystic acne I have ever had before. My face was completely broken out in painful acne. I just thought to myself, it is probably just the medication adjusting to my body, right? Nope, I was wrong. I continued to have a 9-day-long period. The period was heavy and one of the worst experiences of my life. My acne was so bad during my period, my face has scarring from it. At this point, I emailed the doctor who prescribed it to me, and she told me I needed to wait longer for the medicine to adjust. I was about a month deep in my pills. Now, going forward, I’m still breaking out badly and with cystic acne that is scarring. My periods are still extremely heavy and are lasting more than 7 days. I have tried everything to lighten my period too, and nothing has worked. I do not recommend this medication at all. I understand it affects everyone differently, but try to find an alternative before coming to this brand."

• She...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 12, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this birth control my entire teen years and now into adulthood. I struggle with both anxiety and depression, so it is very hard to see if this pill has contributed. As far as acne goes, it hasn’t helped at all, and I still have awful breakouts. Ironically, my skin is the clearest on placebo week, if that tells you anything. I only continue to take this because this helps tremendously with my awful bed-ridden cramps. I have not gained any weight with this pill, but I did go up two cup sizes back in high school when I first started taking it."

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I started taking this med to help control my cycle better. Immediately made me gain weight, noticed increased acne, mood swings, excessive fatigue, and severe upset stomach. Within an hour, I would go from feeling hungry to nauseous, then it traveled down. I do not recommend this med. All of this just from one week of use."

• gor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 26, 2020

For Birth Control "This birth control Mono-Linyah is absolutely awful! It wasn’t even what my doctor had prescribed me! I went to Costco pharmacy as it’s supposedly a cheaper alternative, and the pharmacist gave me this and said it was the same as Sprintec, which is what my doctor prescribed me. She said Mono-Linyah is the generic brand for Sprintec. She couldn’t be further from wrong! This has made me break out terribly, and I haven’t even been taking it for a month. I’ve been getting huge, painful pimples all over my face. Oh yeah, and it was more expensive than Sprintec!! Definitely not worth the money. It ruined my skin."

• gor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 26, 2020

For Birth Control "This birth control Mono-Linyah is absolutely awful! It wasn’t even what my doctor had prescribed me! I went to Costco pharmacy as it’s supposedly a cheaper alternative, and the pharmacist gave me this and said it was the same as Sprintec, which is what my doctor prescribed me. She said Mono-Linyah is the generic brand for Sprintec. She couldn’t be further from wrong! This has made me break out terribly, and I haven’t even been taking it for a month. I’ve been getting huge, painful pimples all over my face. Oh yeah, and it was more expensive than Sprintec!! Definitely not worth the money. It ruined my skin."