Mononessa and Depression: What Users Say

• asm...
• March 31, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on and off different birth controls for the past 6 years, including the Mirena IUD, NuvaRing, and other pills. The Mirena made me lose weight and have bigger boobs, but it also made me crazy. Like a psychotic to my husband, and my acne was horrible. The NuvaRing cleared up my face amazingly well, but made me gain weight like crazy, which in turn made me depressed. Some other pills I tried (can't remember names because there were probably 3 different kinds) worsened my acne or made me have crazy mood swings. A year after having a baby, my doctor put me on Mononessa, and it's the first time I have been happy with my birth control ever! My face is normally clear, weight is normal, mood swings low, periods normal to light."

• 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."

• oli...
• February 11, 2017

For Birth Control "I got my prescription from PP after previously using Chateal and having an awful experience, so my expectations were not high. However, since using Mononessa for 3 months now, I have had the best experience. No weight gain, feelings of depression, or pregnancy. My period is a day longer, but all in all, it is lighter and less painful. The only negatives I have noticed are that I have small breakouts and cravings."

• lex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2015

For Birth Control "I took this pill as a birth control option, and I could not even last three days. Honestly, I know I should have given it more time, but I know my body, and the way I have felt has been extremely miserable. Nausea, headaches, aches, and depression. The sight or smell of food made me so sick. I am not in a relationship but was seeing this guy for three months and was having sex, but not on a frequent basis (we used condoms), so I feel this may be best for girls who are really active. Our bodies are all different, but I have high stress levels as it is being a full-time college student with work. Like I said, we all are different, but I just could not handle the side effects. Hope it works for other girls, but as for me, I am staying away for now!"

• Chr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 14, 2018

For Ovarian Cysts "Now let start this real quick. I know we have different bodies from one woman to another. I’ve struggled with PCOS for years. I had my first BC by age 22. It was okay. After the Mononessa, I had no issues, it fixed my greasy hair, stopped me from losing hair, and reduced my pain during my period. Somehow Mononessa disappeared from the market. I tried Trinessa, I had nightmares and stupid moods. After that, I got Estrylla. I had reached a level of deep depression and loss of appetite, that was just a bad, bad idea. Now I’m back to these amazing pills that I’m eating better, and my moods are better. Just wanted to share with you that."

• Bla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2015

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I'm only 15, and the doctor prescribed me this to regulate my period because I would only get it once every 6 months, and it was making me gain a lot of weight. I gained 20 pounds in less than a year. The pills have worked on getting my period monthly and at a decent flow. The only thing is I'm worried this is causing me to be depressed. I'm normally really happy and fun to be around, but for about 2 months now, my mood changes from mad to sad. It's rare when I'm happy. I don't know if it's just because I'm still young and I'm having the typical teenage mood swings or if I'm actually getting depressed and it can be a serious problem. I'm very concerned about that."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 4, 2016

For Birth Control "Well, I did not get pregnant. I started this birth control on January 1st of this year and have been on my period ever since. It's now May 4th, and I'm still bleeding heavily. It's not even spotting, it's just a full-on period for five months. I have spoken to my doctor multiple times, and he said that it should stop, but apparently it's not going to do that. On top of this, I have become extremely depressed and stressed out as a result. I just switched to Camrese, and I do not feel depressed anymore, though still stressed, but that could be from the never-ending menstruation. Literally, the only good thing that has come from Mononessa was the avoidance of pregnancy."

• lol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 24, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I got prescribed this birth control for abnormal periods, and I've continued taking it for 4 years. I'm switching because of all the side effects. When I started taking it, I felt very emotional, anxiety-ridden, depressed, terrible moodiness, and felt insecure. It was at the same time I started taking it. I'm constantly nauseous and can barely eat, but will still gain weight. My face is always dry or oily or red, my scalp is always itchy. I also have troubles with sex, like libido and lost my natural lubricant. I also started getting acne and get extremely depressed when I'm on my period and the week before. I've had to go on anxiety meds because of this. But I will say I never got pregnant, only plus side."

• lol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 24, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I got prescribed this birth control for abnormal periods, and I've continued taking it for 4 years. I'm switching because of all the side effects. When I started taking it, I felt very emotional, anxiety-ridden, depressed, terrible moodiness, and felt insecure. It was at the same time I started taking it. I'm constantly nauseous and can barely eat, but will still gain weight. My face is always dry or oily or red, my scalp is always itchy. I also have troubles with sex, like libido and lost my natural lubricant. I also started getting acne and get extremely depressed when I'm on my period and the week before. I've had to go on anxiety meds because of this. But I will say I never got pregnant, only plus side."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 12, 2018

For Birth Control "This was awful! On the fourth month of use, I experienced extreme anxiety and depression. I had to go see a therapist to calm down. It made me not want to get out of bed or do things I love. I just stopped taking this birth control, so hopefully I will feel better again."

• Abb...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 13, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on Mononessa right out of high school for about 2.5 years. In the beginning, my symptoms were mild: sore breasts, nausea (when I doubled up on pills or took the pills during the day instead of at night), occasional headaches. Eventually, my symptoms worsened; I developed debilitating anxiety, severe depression, and mood swings. Mononessa completely changed who I was; it almost ruined my relationship, it ruined my grades, and it made me feel hopeless. Within two weeks of quitting, I felt like the dark cloud that had been following me for years had finally cleared. I feel amazing now."

• Exp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2018

For Birth Control "Terrible. I have PCOS and endometriosis, this is the third birth control I’ve tried and by far the worst. I’ve been on it for two packs now, my doctor wouldn’t let me be off of it after the first month. She wanted me to stick it out to see if my body would adapt to it, and it hasn’t at all. I have extremely heavy periods, which is saying a lot because I’ve always had super heavy periods naturally. Now it’s like something out of a horror movie. I get extremely nauseous and have migraine headaches frequently. On top of all this, I’ve been having problems with anxiety and depression, which I’ve never had before. This pill is toxic for me. Don’t take it."

• but...
• January 23, 2018

For Birth Control "I've been on Mononessa for about 2 1/2 years now, and in the beginning, I can honestly say I had no complaints. It completely minimized my periods, my acne was non-existent, my sex drive was strong, and I was able to maintain my weight well! About a year and a half ago though, things took a turn for the worse. I was getting headaches and migraines practically 3-4 days out of the week, my periods were getting heavier again, my sex drive was on and off, my face started breaking out, and next thing I knew, I had gained 25 lbs. I can't shake that weight, despite eating even healthier and working out 2x/day, which is leading to insecurity and depression. Definitely wouldn't recommend using for longer than a year."

• Hor...
• February 8, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on Mononessa for 2 months, and I realize that everyone is different, but I think I have suffered almost every side effect in the book while being on this pill. First, it started with bloating; I have been extremely tired, to the point where it's hard for me to get off the couch midday. I've had a lot less energy and an outbreak of acne on my back, which is strange because hormonal BC is supposed to help with that. Dropped my sex drive significantly, but the hardest thing to manage is obsession with food; the amount I'm eating, binge eating, and craving high fats, carbs, and sugars. I'm feeling depressed; I don't know if it's because of all the symptoms or if it's a chemical imbalance. Needless to say, I'm going to the doctor's and switching."

• 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."

• Bai...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 17, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 4 or 5 years. I was put on it for irregular, severe periods. My periods came twice a month and sometimes not at all for 3 to 6 months, and they always lasted 8-10 days with severe cramps, large blood clots, severe mood swings, rendering me bedridden. The first month or so, I remember having some nausea, but I noticed for the first year a significant drop in my sex drive and depression issues, which I'm also prone to whether I'm on this pill or not. Doesn't really help my acne either. But as far as positive goes, my periods are way more bearable. 4-5 days, hardly any cramps, better moods, I haven't gotten pregnant, and I don't use condoms, I'm in a monogamous relationship. Overall, has it been good to me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 1, 2021

For Birth Control "Went on Mononessa to clear up mild/moderate acne. My doctor told me to wait at least 3-4 months to see the benefits, but the 4 months I was on Mononessa were a nightmare. I broke out with severe cystic acne that was so bad I couldn’t touch my face without being in pain. I experienced severe depression, crying every single day, which I have never experienced before Mononessa or since stopping it. I absolutely would not recommend it if you have other options."

• cj1...
• December 4, 2017

For Birth Control "I switched to this BC based on the recommendation from my Dr. I was looking for a contraceptive that would help with my acne. My previous BC made me hormonal and emotional, as in all of my emotions were on the extremes and I also experienced heightened anxiety and depression. After switching to this brand, I saw an evening out of my emotions and anxiety gradually as my body got used to the switch. I didn't experience any negative side effects at first, but over time as my body has gotten used to the BC, I started to gain weight, and my emotions are starting to become touchy again, especially during my period. Considering I got this for my acne, I've only noticed a slight difference, but that may also be due to other changes I have made."

• 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."

• kdu...
• November 7, 2017

For Birth Control "I only took this pill for a full month. Caused a heavy increase in appetite around 5 days after I started taking it along with very bad nausea, super painful breast tenderness, extreme bloating, and made me feel depressed."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "This pill made me so nauseous and sleepy and tired and depressed. I have small children, and I need all my energy. Well, this just killed it all for me."

• Dan...
• February 14, 2018

For Birth Control "I have been on it for almost a year, it has helped with my acne and cramping before my period. The only side effects I have experienced are slight depression and anxiety."