Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for Ovarian Cysts User Reviews

• Lau...
• June 8, 2013

"I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome in 2011, and my doctor put me on Ocella. After about two years on it, I became so irritated and unhappy with everything I switched (Ocella is horrible). I called my doctor and explained that Ocella was making my hormones go crazy, so she switched me to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. I've been taking it for probably 6 months now, and everything is great! My periods are really light, they've gone from three days to two days, which worries me a little bit, but my doctor said this can happen after being on the pill for so long. I haven't gained any weight, my slight acne has cleared, and my breasts have jumped about one cup size! I also barely notice myself getting irritated anymore. So far, so good! This pill has been great for me."

• lcg...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 13, 2019

"Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo has been the best and only birth control that has never interacted with any of my other medications. It's also the only birth control my body was able to tolerate without negative side effects. I was on the medication for 10+ years, and now they discontinued it. I am beyond devastated that I have to switch since I am extremely sensitive to medications and dosage changes. So far, I have tried another generic (Tri-Lo-Marzia) and had a terrible experience. I switched to something else but am still trying to adjust to the new one. I wish they would bring this medication back!!! Please!!!!! Call Janssen (1-800-JANSSEN, M-F, 9 AM-8 PM) and file a complaint regarding the discontinuation of this product. The more people contact them, the higher the likelihood they might bring it back."

• Anonymous
• August 19, 2010

"I got on this pill to stop from getting ovarian cysts; while I don't think it completely solved this problem, I found this pill very helpful overall. I had very few side effects: no spotting, no nausea, no loss of hair, but I do still get cramping before my period. It shortened my period to about 5 days, and it always comes when expected. I have tried two other types of pills, one being Yaz, and I came back to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo because of the fewer side effects. It's a great pill, and I haven't had any problems with it. I've been on it for about 2 years."

• Smi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 27, 2015

"LOVE this BCP. It's the only one I've tried that didn't make my hair fall out, didn't make me feel bloated, didn't make me swell, and didn't ruin my skin. My libido isn't dampened half as much as it was on other BCPs (it was non-existent on other BCPs). It helps immensely with PCOS symptoms. At first, it made me a little tired, but by the middle of week 2, I was fine. :) Love it. My insurance charged me $ for this drug, but that's against the ACA - there's no generic for this drug, and it was RX'd as medically necessary, so it should have been covered at $0 copay. The issue is currently being investigated."

• HSR...
• February 18, 2016

"While on this pill, I had a very positive experience. My cysts were gone, and the pain was under control. No nausea, my acne cleared up completely, and my breasts grew 1 whole cup size! (a bonus for me) My periods were lighter, and I had no cramping. Previous to this pill, I tried 4 other brands that made me feel completely sick and unable to do anything. I've been off birth control for about 3 years now, and I am probably going to get back on. My periods have been irregular with very bad cramping! Surely giving Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo another shot"

• Anonymous
• May 10, 2016

"I have really bad periods (pain almost all month long directly in ovaries, back aches, and heavy bleeding during period, diarrhea before period, panic attacks, anxiety). I started taking the pill 3 weeks ago to see if it would help with my symptoms. I immediately noticed the nausea. It lasted all day at first and then moved to just in the evenings. When the nausea went away, I noticed my breasts being achy and my nipples felt very tingly, which was super weird. My sex drive has definitely increased since I started taking it. The positives I've experienced so far are that my panic attacks have really calmed down, my breasts have grown, I feel more mentally present, and my appetite has decreased."

• Per...
• January 16, 2013

"I was on this pill for 5 years with absolutely no problems. My periods were on time, short, and light. Also, my ovarian cysts disappeared. Then my doctor decided to change me to a different pill because she was worried about high blood pressure. On the new pill, I've had constant spotting for the last 5 months and now I've had my period for the last 4 weeks. Ugh! Since my blood pressure monitoring came back normal, I finally convinced her to switch my pills again. Oh, I wish she'd switch me back to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, but she picked a new one instead. We'll see how that goes..."

• Mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2019

"The first week I was on the Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo pill, I dropped ten lbs. I was eating better, but still! I didn't expect to lose that much. I rated it an 8 because I'm crying more and notice myself to be more irritable. I'm going to give it a few months before I decide to stop or not because I'm hoping to lose more weight!"

• Two...
• April 19, 2016

"This pill made me feel horrible to the point I was depressed and had mood swings. My parents noticed, and so did my boyfriend because I wanted to strangle him. I would cry on the days I took the 7-day non-normal pills in the case. Thank God the doctor changed my prescription, and I feel better. To think such a tiny pill can change me into a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

• 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!"

• 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."

• Isa...
• December 18, 2015

"I really loved this birth control. I had no side effects, it reduced the heaviness of my period. I had little to no period cramps while on it, and it worked well as a contraceptive. Unfortunately, it was really expensive even with my insurance, so I had to switch."

• Kat...
• November 22, 2017

"Horrible! I started using it as a recommendation by my doctor to treat PCOS. My breasts have been swollen since day 2, it's now day 14. I've had cramps, back pain, irritability, random crying fits, emotional outbursts, and now I'm spotting, and I'm in so much pain. I also have diarrhea. This medication has been just horrible for me. I've used other birth controls. None have done this to me."

• Mkz...
• January 20, 2012

"I have tried this pill for a month now. My symptoms include headaches, blurry vision, sleeplessness, and spotting for the entire month! Definitely going to try something else to keep the cysts under control, probably Depo shot. I was on the shot for a few years a while ago and had no symptoms with no periods at all, can do without those!"

• Em2...
• August 14, 2012

"I recently switched from Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo because I had spotting, so I'm switching to a pill with more progesterone because that's what the nice doctor said I should do. But while on this pill, I could definitely tell I broke out instantly and had crazy mood swings during the third week, but it was doable. I don't think I like phasic pills. But other than that, no weight gain, no loss of sex drive, and still the same periods (which have always been bad)."

• Lo7...
• April 29, 2017

"I'm about to hit my placebo week. So far, I haven't really had a good experience. But I'm willing to be patient and see if the side effects subside. I've been bloated, tired, and my skin is at its worst. The only pros so far are I haven't gotten my period every two weeks, which is why I started it. I have PCOS, and this has made my hair stop falling out. I also take 50 mg of spironolactone. What's bothering me the most is that I'm an extremely active person, and this makes me want to sleep all day and eat everything. I'm doing my best to make good choices. I haven't really had any significant weight gain, just the feeling of being swollen in the abdomen area from retaining so much water. And my boobs got slightly bigger, nothing crazy."

• rai...
• April 22, 2016

"10 years on this BC pill and I had to have surgery to remove a 5 cm and 2 cm cyst on my right ovary that was causing it to twist. Fast forward a year, and the same thing may be happening again."