Mononessa and Cramps: What Users Say

• bay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2015

For Birth Control "I have to say this pill has been a miracle for me. I was scared reading some other reviews of what people said but take everything with a grain of salt because everyone's body is different. There will be a right pill out there for you! I wanted birth control to regulate things and clear my hormonal acne. I got prescribed Sprintec and got the Mononessa. After one month, things are great. My acne is cleared, just leftover marks healing. My moods have improved. I feel happier and less anxious. Sometimes a little hungry and sore/bigger breasts, but my breasts were small, so that's a plus for me. Light flow and little cramping the first day. Never felt sick and no headaches at all, and no weight gain."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking Mononessa for a little over 2 months now, and I love it! My periods used to be absolutely horrible (dreadful cramps and heavy bleeding), now they're not bad at all! I only had minor cramps on the first day. The flow was so light I never even needed a tampon. It hasn't affected my mood at all, coming from my fiancé. No nausea or headaches. The only reason I give it a 9 instead of 10 is I feel like my acne is a little worse around my chin area :/"

• Yee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2016

For Birth Control "While I haven't been on it long, I can say I have been worlds different. I originally was on Sprintec for a good 10 years. Got a new job where I just got my RXs filled there (insurance requirement) and was given Estrace as a substitute. Can we say all hell broke loose on it? Moody (which I'm not at all), gained 15 lbs, always bloated, foods I should want and love made me sick, no sex drive, horrible periods, lethargic, etc., etc. Well, then the pharmacy got Mononessa in. No joke, within a week the bloating subsided, I dropped 5 lbs, my mood was way better, and my drive is back. Honestly, I feel better on it than even Sprintec. Watch your inactive ingredients, those are what cause the side effects more than the hormones."

• Kat...
• February 3, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on Mononessa for two years. I started on it while young and then switched to Implanon, which I absolutely hated, but after being back on the pill, I feel so relieved! I rarely have skin breakouts, my cramps used to be awful, but now I hardly have them, if any at all. Only downside is dryness, but nothing lube can't fix!"

• Nik...
• October 6, 2015

For Birth Control "This birth control works and does its job, it's just the mood swings that have been terrible for me. I cry all the time over nothing, and I go from being happy to angry to depressed. I feel it putting a strain on my relationship, and I am considering going off it. On the plus side, however, my period cramps are now nonexistent. I haven't experienced any weight gain or cravings (I've always eaten a lot, though, so it's hard to tell!). My acne actually got better, but only slightly, and that could be due to other factors. I just feel like the mood swings outweigh the benefits, and I just want to feel better."

• Gir...
• April 23, 2017

For Birth Control "I started to take Mononessa on the first day of my period and I bled for 3 weeks, got really nauseous for a week, and gained 3 pounds in 3 weeks. I had cramps during it all, and my doc told me to take 800 mg of ibuprofen 3x a day to stop the bleeding. It didn't work. I stopped the pill after the second week because, on top of all the side effects, it made me feel apathetic. Now, at the end of week 3, my bleeding has subsided, and I feel back to normal again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 17, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been taking Mononessa for about 6 years now. I have had no undesirable side effects. My periods are always on time, they're not heavy at all, and last generally 4 days, sometimes 5. I have experienced no nausea and no cramps. I have acne, but I had acne as a teenager, and then it went away and came back years later, so I don't think the birth control is the culprit. I pay nothing out of pocket, and the one time my insurance did get cut off, it was $28, which I did not feel was completely unreasonable. And most importantly, I have not gotten pregnant since being on it."

• Sea...
• August 26, 2016

For Birth Control "I have taken and tried many different types of birth control pills, and Mononessa had been the absolute worst experience of my life. 1 mg of Mononessa and three days of taking it made me cramp daily and painfully. I thought it would get better, but my symptoms contributed to getting worse as my period got closer. It got to the point where I could hardly sit upright. A month into it, and on my period, I had to take days off work because the cramping was distracting and unbearable. It lightened my period, but I would rather have a heavy flow than be in that much pain ever again. I recommend Levora for you ladies. Do not go through what I went through. Good luck."

• Yas...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 22, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I'm 19, and I've been on Mononessa for about two years now. I originally started it to help with extremely heavy periods, but it has helped with so much more. I don't get any acne anymore, periods are so much lighter, cramps are almost completely gone, and cravings and mood swings are not near as bad. I highly recommend!"

• Cur...
• January 9, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I’ve used this pill for 7 days, and I’ve been on my deathbed ever since. This is my first time taking any form of birth control. This pill made me so nauseous and dizzy that I couldn’t get out of bed. I have a very regular system, if you catch my drift, and this pill LOCKED ME UP. I’ve been having painful bloating and gas pockets, and nothing I’ve tried yet had been able to relieve it. I’ve been scared to eat because my stomach is already so full, and nothing’s moving. It’s also caused some substantial cramping. It makes me SO exhausted. I've been taking 4+ naps a day. This pill has been ravaging my system, and I don’t really see an upside to it. I’ve been trying to give my body a chance to adjust, but I will probably discontinue use."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2017

For Birth Control "So far, so good! I switched from Lo Loestrin Fe. I was liking the Lo-Fe the first 3 months, 3-day periods was amazing. Then, months 4-6, I had spotting, breakthrough bleeding, and cramps, sometimes crazy discharge, sometimes I was super dry, terrible mood swings, etc. Anyways, I switched to this because it contained more estrogen, and ever since January, I've felt loads better. I don't see any difference in weight, appetite, or sleep. I have seen an improvement in my mood and concentration/focus since switching to this pill, I feel balanced. My period does last 5 days, but my cramps aren't as bad, nor is my period nearly as heavy as when I wasn't on birth control. 9/10 because I still use condoms and haven't really tested it 100%."

• haw...
• June 24, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for almost a year now, and this is the only birth control I have ever been on. My period is erratic and has been 4 days late before. I have insane cravings and went from having regular, light, easy periods to long, painful ones. The second month out of the three-month pack is always the better month, but I am certainly switching. Also, lost about 10 pounds, and nothing I've tried works to gain it back. Every body is different, though! Good luck on your birth control quest!"

• Mon...
• November 25, 2015

For Birth Control "When I started Mononessa a year ago, the first month I had headaches and cramps, but they went away after 1 cycle. Sometimes I get breakthrough bleeding, but for the last 2 cycles, I have not had any breakthrough bleeding. My skin has cleared up with no acne."

• hor...
• January 12, 2018

For Birth Control "I had irregular periods since I started having my period. I also had terrible acne and nasty cramps. After taking Mononessa, my acne went away, with the exception of the occasional blackheads. I have absolutely no cramps while on my period, and I get my period every month for 3-4 days."

• MRD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "My doctor prescribed this for me to help with extremely heavy periods due to uterine fibroids. Two and a half months in, and I started bleeding every day, cramping, and passing sizable clots. Despite my fibroids, I never had bleeding in between my periods prior to taking this medication. This was great for two months, but sadly did not work for me. Doc just told me to stop taking it while we figure out other options."

• Lex...
• January 31, 2018

For Birth Control "I have been on Mononessa for about 4 years now. The first couple of years were fine. I was taking Mononessa for my PMD (premenstrual disorder), it's where I get heavy periods with bad mood swings. It helped perfectly. This past year I've had horrible periods, sometimes I would spot for 2-3 days (brown or dark red) then a full period for like 1 day. Now I haven't had my period in a month. I usually have my period at the end of every month, and it ends at the beginning of the next month. Then my period changed, and I started having them in the middle of the month. Last month it went back to normal. Now this month I haven't had it at all, but I'm getting period symptoms and cramping for the past week. I rated this based on what it's actually for: birth control. I don't use condoms, and I haven't gotten pregnant."

• Not...
• November 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been taking the pill for 3-4 years now, and it had always given me weird side effects before my period that changed with each month. Some months I would experience cramps or breast tenderness that I never had before being on it. It also made me gain weight and increased my anxiety and depression. However, the past few months, my side effects have worsened just before my period. Depression and anxiety get really bad for 1-2 days, and I started vomiting. This month I couldn't even get out of bed, I experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, back pain, dizziness, weakness."

• Wor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "My doctor put me on this medication a month ago in preparation for my surgery, and it has been the worst decision I have ever made! Two weeks into taking Mononessa, I began spotting. I thought, no big deal, the spotting should stop soon. Well, twelve days later, still spotting, so I called my doctor's office and was told that that sometimes happens. Ok. Two days after that conversation, I started having light bleeding with the worst cramping I have ever had! Add to that, I started having lower back pain also. Nothing I took seems to help with the pain. It got so bad that I had to go to the emergency room, I could barely stand up nor lie down! Can't even go to work yet because I'm still cramping severely and need to take narcotics. This med sucks!"

• Lil...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 27, 2017

For Birth Control "I had extremely heavy and irregular periods with unbearable cramping for years. I've been taking Mononessa for about 3 years now, have never gotten pregnant, and have little to barely any cramping, along with regular, once-a-month periods."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 31, 2017

For Birth Control "I used this birth control for about 2 months before I started seeing a difference in my complexion. I started to get acne all over my face. It wasn't red or big bumps, they were a bunch of tiny bumps all under my skin. The longer I took it, the worse it got. I went in for multiple facials to get rid of it because I never had problems with my skin. Finally, after 4 months of taking it, I decided to switch birth controls, and it has started clearing up only with my first pack of the new birth control. Mononessa worked, and I never had any breakthrough bleeding, but it made me extremely emotional! I also saw a difference in my mood once I changed birth controls. I have always had cramps, and Mononessa did not help with those either."

• Chr...
• November 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I am 3 months post-partum and have been taking Mononessa since I was 6 weeks pp. I have never taken birth control before. Ever since I started taking this birth control, I have periods that last about 3 weeks with cramping and headaches... I'm about to be done."

• Ehe...
• September 13, 2016

For Birth Control "Thank you girls for sharing your experiences about this drug. I feel so much better now knowing I'm not the only one with 'the side effects.' I was on this pill for 3 months. I used to get the Depo shot and I gained almost 30 lbs from that (I know). While I was on the pill: PROS: no breakouts, mild cramps, no heavy periods, just spotting, bloating disappeared. CONS: my boobs hurt, no sex drive, emotionally wrecked, very moody, I thought I was going crazy. It's been a month since I got off this pill: PROS: sex drive gone wild lol and slowly getting my energy back. CONS: bloating is back, painful cramps every now and then, moody AF (still), paranoia (still), I'm one of those people who still feel 'empty' inside, breakouts."

• Ehe...
• September 13, 2016

For Birth Control "Thank you girls for sharing your experiences about this drug. I feel so much better now knowing I'm not the only one with 'the side effects.' I was on this pill for 3 months. I used to get the Depo shot and I gained almost 30 lbs from that (I know). While I was on the pill: PROS: no breakouts, mild cramps, no heavy periods, just spotting, bloating disappeared. CONS: my boobs hurt, no sex drive, emotionally wrecked, very moody, I thought I was going crazy. It's been a month since I got off this pill: PROS: sex drive gone wild lol and slowly getting my energy back. CONS: bloating is back, painful cramps every now and then, moody AF (still), paranoia (still), I'm one of those people who still feel 'empty' inside, breakouts."

• han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2017

For Birth Control "I was most concerned about mood changes/depression when beginning this pill, as the last BC I was on built upon my already existing anxiety and depression. However, I just started my third pack, and it's helped my mood more than ruined it. That's not to say it's not without its obvious side effects - throughout the last two months I've experienced multiple side effects as my body adjusts to the hormones, albeit only for a few days to a week at most. Breast tenderness, cramps, headaches, dizziness, and even a two-week long period for the first two weeks. It seems like I'm finally experiencing the nausea side effect that almost everyone mentioned, but I somewhat expected it and it's not a huge deal."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 11, 2018

"I absolutely hate this pill, but I was given it for hormone replacement. It gave me the worst acne, mood swings, and cramps. I was bleeding for 1 whole month throughout the whole pack. It did nothing good for me. I did 3 months on this pill and ended up going back to my old birth control pill. The mood swings were bad. I'd cry over everything."