Ortho Tri-Cyclen for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 2)

• Jax...
• February 13, 2014

"First time on birth control, and I started with this one mainly because I had terrible cramps and period side effects. Doctor recommended Ortho Tri-Cyclen, and I have been using it for 4 months now. Can't complain about the pill. My face has significantly become clearer. Still have pretty bad cramping though. My period now lasts about 4-5 days versus the 6-7. I also had weight gain. Gained 15 lbs in a matter of 3 months. I am 5'8 and normally weigh 115, so for me, it wasn't a big deal. I definitely felt my breasts a lot heavier too. I rarely suffer from headaches, and this pill made me get one almost every other day, which was annoying and uncomfy. Had to switch due to breakthrough bleeding though, either Azurette or Lutera."

• 8-y...
• August 13, 2009

"I used Ortho Tri-Cyclen for 8 years, and had very few side effects. I had 7-day periods, which was unwelcome but expected. I gained 15 lbs over the course of taking the pill, but that is probably due to getting older (16y-24y). I never had any emotional problems or problems with sex drive that some users report. Overall, I had a good experience with this pill."

• Sar...
• September 28, 2015

"At first, I was quite terrified to start Tri-Cyclen based off of these reviews, however, my doctor thought it would be a good fit for me. First of all, this birth control does what it promises-no babies have been conceived! It seems that many users complain of weight gain, I have actually experienced weight loss. Starting Tri-Cyclen, I weighed 148 pounds, currently, I am 143. I have not experienced bloating, nausea, or abdominal discomfort either. Tri-Cyclen helped to make my periods lighter and relieve my cramps associated with my period, which has been great. I have noticed that I receive more headaches than usual, which I am associating with this medication. This is why this birth control is receiving a 9/10 for me, otherwise, I love it so far."

• elh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 22, 2015

"Cons: Experienced a significant increase in appetite, which led to lots of weight gain (I went from 115 lbs to 125 lbs after 6 months of use). I felt bloated all the time, and I felt like I looked 4 months pregnant. Also, I had no sex drive at all. Breast tenderness/pain was a problem too. Pros: I didn't get pregnant, my mood was pretty stable, my skin was clear, and periods were pretty light."

• jes...
• July 23, 2009

"I've only been taking this birth control for a month. I didn't know birth control could affect my mood so much. I was getting angry and upset for no reason. I would cry for no reason at the smallest things. Also, with extreme tenderness to my breasts and growth. I gained 5 lbs and didn't sleep well. Right now, I'm at the end of the cycle and finally feel like my old self."

• Ste...
• February 18, 2016

"I am 25 years old and have been taking this for over 2 years now. 2 years ago I was 145 lbs and now I am 165 and miserable. My husband and I have been dieting and exercising for the past year and a half, and I have only gained weight, never lost. I finally went to my doctor with the following symptoms: tired all the time even with 10 hours of sleep, mood swings (which affect my relationship), depression, sadness (for no reason), crying out of nowhere, weight gain and inability to lose weight, bad skin. All of those symptoms are also what people with thyroid issues have. Well, I got my thyroid tested this past week and it's normal. I read these reviews and bam! I am getting off this immediately, and I am really upset I did not read these sooner."

• ell...
• February 21, 2012

"I started this pill and immediately had horrible mood swings. I thought I was losing my mind, I am not a crier, and I cried almost every day for a week. I had horrible cramping, nausea, and weird sleeping patterns. Also, my anxiety increased, my breasts became severely sore, and I started to sweat a lot more. I'm switching to Aviane now, and hopefully it works better. The plus side to this pill, though, was my acne cleared up, and I didn't gain any weight."

• Sha...
• July 15, 2016

"Been on the pill (specifically this pill) since I was 15 and now I am 28. I am more than happy with the pill. I have never had issues with weight gain (unless I am hogging into a box of cookies), no acne, mood swings, and no pregnancy scares. Extremely predictable periods that are super minor: 1 heavy day and light-regular for the other 3 days-4 day period and done. Best thing I have ever done. Period. I recommend it for sure, but obviously it won't be the same for everyone."

• cou...
• November 17, 2011

"I have been using this pill for almost three months now. It has worked great for preventing pregnancy and has made my periods lighter with less cramping. At first, I was experiencing some abdominal cramping, but that went away after a while. The only side effect that has caused me problems is it made me very emotional. I get depressed easily, but not on a daily basis. Usually, every one to two weeks, I go through a phase where I cry a lot and think about things from my past that upset me. Judging from what I have read, the emotional side effects go away after a while, so I want to keep taking it, and I would recommend it for anyone."

• Lea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2019

"I’ve tried many birth controls, and Ortho Tri-Cyclen is incredible. I don’t get acne, my appetite hasn’t changed. I was a little moody when I first started, but it went away, and now I feel great! I feel like it’s helped my mood. I do have nausea every once in a while. Sometimes it’s bad, and sometimes it’s mild. I also have vaginal dryness, but these things don’t bother me compared to the other side effects I’ve had with other birth controls."

• Kel...
• February 29, 2012

"It took me a long time to realize some major changes in my life directly correlated with the time I began to take Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I thought these were just general changes in my life until I realized they all started around the same time. I gained about 8-10 pounds, which is almost 10% of my body weight, so it made a noticeable difference. The biggest negative point, however, was the depression and irritability. I would cry for at least 2 days every month for no reason and considered dropping out of school and moving back home because I was so unhappy. Since I stopped taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen a month ago, my whole life has gone back to normal, dropped 5 pounds, and generally happy and comfortable. I never got pregnant, though."

• Xox...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 7, 2013

"I have taken this pill for years. It helped predict when my cycle would come and for how long. It was very short and light. Hardly ever had any cramps as well. It also did wonders for acne! I never realized until I switched birth control pills."

• SJF...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 8, 2014

"I took it for a while, mainly for acne, and I wanted the IUD, but my OB suggested I try this as a birth control method as well as help with my acne after I had my first child. I must admit it did wonders on my periods and acne. I had lighter and shorter periods, but my sex drive went down. I also missed a week's worth of the pill due to not picking it up from the pharmacy, so I waited till my next period to restart it, and now I'm nauseated and cramping super bad. This is the second day back on it, and my period ended just last week. I started my period again right after taking the pill the Sunday after my period ended, and now I feel like poo. I know it will pass. As I take it, as I said above, I had a great first experience besides having no sex drive."

• col...
• January 27, 2013

"I've been taking this pill for about 6 months now, and have gained 20 pounds. I haven't made any change to my diet or exercise routine. But the pill's been working well otherwise. I never really got acne, so that stayed about the same. I'm about the same emotionally, except for maybe worse PMS symptoms. My sex drive is outrageous, maybe even a little more than when I started on the pill. I'm just worried about the amount of weight gained in such a short time. I am also really bad at remembering to take the pill every day."

• Sta...
• April 7, 2017

"I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen as soon as I turned 18 and used it until my husband and I wanted to conceive a few years later. I went back on it after my daughter was born. It made my periods regular, they were basically clockwork, which was awesome. I had no acne, mood swings, or breakthrough bleeding."

• E12...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2021

"I didn’t have many physical side effects (maybe gained a little weight) with Ortho Tri-Cyclen, but I became extremely depressed and went through a depressive episode worse than any I had before. When I stopped the pill, I went back to normal. For those with a history of depression (like myself), I would advise you to be cautious with Ortho Tri-Cyclen."

• Irr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2021

"My gyno started me on this as I've had issues with other pills. This pill has made me so unbelievably angry and depressed. The acne that comes with it is worse than it was when I was a teenager. Periods were so light that I didn't know if I should actually consider them a period. DEFINITELY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND."

• Mis...
• March 19, 2017

"I'm a happy person and never had depression or anxiety in all my life until I got on this BC. I started getting sad, then the sadness started to feel like depression... almost debilitating... then anxiety started to kick in. I thought maybe I should give it a little more time because my body was adjusting, but the last straw was 7 months into taking it, I started getting suicidal and psychotic thoughts at a family party!! I was freaking out and it felt like I had voices in my head! I have a friend who loves this BC, but unfortunately it did not work for me :(. BC is really a trial and error and different for everyone. This is the only BC that has made me craziness! I had a better experience with Nuva Ring and Lomedia 24Fe."

• Pea...
• February 12, 2014

"I've been taking this pill on and off for a while now. I say about a year. And until I read everyone else's review, I've noticed why I was moody for a while. Depression was bad, I always thought my boyfriend didn't want me. My sex drive went up. I think my overall attitude was kind of trashy. Even if things were going okay, the brighter side wouldn't make my day. I like it because I'm never questioning if I'm pregnant, but it's best not to miss any pills where you have to take more than one at once because I became really sick... Hours of constant upchucking. I didn't notice any weight issues."

• sha...
• March 13, 2011

"Have been taking this for not even a month, and I have been super emotional. It's crazy because I'm usually laid back. I want sex more now, but I guess you can say I experience a little cramping, sharp pains every now and then. Overall, it's okay."

• Ash...
• April 22, 2016

"I was prescribed this as my first ever birth control because I had horrible 14-day-long periods. It got to the point where I'd end up dizzy and hyperventilating. So my doc gave me this, so far, everything has been normal except my boobs don't feel the same. I've only been on the pill for about three weeks, but my bras are all too tight now and the girls feel super heavy. Coming from a 16-year-old who's had a B cup for a while, this was a surprise. I haven't had any mood swings out of the regular, and my acne is nonexistent."

• ECa...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 31, 2018

"Cleared up my acne. Increased sex drive. Increased sugar cravings. Worked perfectly for contraception. Regulated my period. No problem getting pregnant after going off. Possibly contributed to developing dry eye syndrome."

• Anonymous
• December 7, 2010

"I took Ortho Tri-Cyclen for a few years when I was younger. During the first month, I gained 5 lbs, but that was it. I did notice I was very emotional for the first couple of months, and I was told by others that I got angry or upset easily. However, while taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen, I never got pregnant. It helped decrease my acne, my period went from 5-6 days to 3-4 days, my period was also very light (almost no heavy days), and I almost never had cramps. I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo after, and I was less moody and less emotional, so I guess the decrease in estrogen was better for me, and the pill was just as effective as the regular Ortho Tri-Cyclen for me."

• yes...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 6, 2012

"I have PCOS and worked for years on diet and exercise to regulate my period. But I was never able to get regular to where I could predict it. For about nine months prior, I was taking metformin to help, and I lost about 16 pounds with it. So my gyn recommended taking birth control to help regulate my cycle. My period became regular to between a 22-24 day cycle. However, I had intense bloating and crazy food cravings that I had never had before. My mood swings changed to the point where some months I would be really depressed and down. Around the 3rd or 4th month of being on the pill, I started having severe breakthrough bleeding that lasted between cycles and eventually did go away. Once that stopped, I was experiencing severe indigestion."

• car...
• October 17, 2008

"Ortho Tri-Cyclen (in my opinion) seems to be the most effective birth control pill with the least amount of unwanted side effects. I have tried several generic forms as well as the Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and experienced mild unwanted side effects such as cramping and spotting."