Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and Acne: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• June 27, 2011

For Birth Control "I have been on OTCL for 4 months. The first couple of months, I had several bad mood swings, but those have improved. I still experience irritability and nausea daily and have gained 5 lbs. I feel bloated often and less energetic. My sex drive hasn't decreased much, my periods are light and predictable, and I haven't become pregnant. I get moderate breakouts, and this medication hasn't had any effect on those either way. I've tried worse, but I definitely don't feel as good as when I'm not on birth control."

• Anonymous
• January 4, 2011

For Birth Control "PROS: For me, this pill caused no weight gain. It really did help with cramps, too. CONS: This pill caused me to break out horribly (my acne was solely concentrated on my forehead before, and even then, it was very mild). I had better skin when I was 15 (I'm 20 now). I'm having a variety of weird symptoms I have literally never had before going on this pill, such as constant dizziness/lightheadedness, fatigue, acid reflux, and rapid heartbeat (which I absolutely believe was caused by this birth control. Why else would a healthy 20-year-old have these problems literally within the exact time frame of taking this pill?). Overall, not for me. I will keep searching for my ideal pill."

• Kye...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I am so in love with this BC!!! Give it time, and it works. I had acne, and now it's gone. Also, terrible cramps, and now I have no cramps whatsoever. I've been using it for about 4 months now. Very happy."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2018

For Birth Control "I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo when I was a teenager, and it worked fine. Fast forward a few years and two kids later, I am back on it. However, I've been experiencing mood swings, breast tenderness, and depression. I had no idea what it could be, and it had me feeling worse by the week. To add to the problem, I developed hormonal acne along my jawline. After seeing all these other reviews, I will be changing my birth control. I feel a little better knowing what could be causing these symptoms. I hope this helps someone out too!"

• ala...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 10, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I got on this birth control to regulate my period and get rid of acne. The only good thing about this was that my period started on the same day each month, and it was shorter. The negative effects I had were bad acne, cramps worsened, period was really heavy, and heavy spotting the first 2 months. I figured I needed to wait at least 3 months for any good effects, but the negatives outweighed the positives, and I'm now off this medicine. I didn't gain any weight, luckily. In fact, I lost some weight, but that could be a coincidence. The breakouts were the worst part about this birth control, though, and that is why I'm not taking it anymore."

• jan...
• September 23, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for about 3 years now. I haven't had any side effects, but my acne got pretty bad, and my sex drive is totally down. I wish there was something I could do to change this. Other than those issues, I have been trusting this pill."

• KJu...
• December 7, 2016

For Birth Control "Feb. to Sept. I was on the mini pill, just progesterone, and during that time I got acne that never went away and I gained 25 pounds with bad mood swings. Prior to that, I was on Yasmine for a year, which caused my hair to thin out, but my doctor was concerned it was giving me really bad headaches. I started Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo 32 days ago, and every day I've had a period, which today it seems to be going away. I know it takes up to 90 days for my body to adjust, so I'm willing to work through it. The acne has gone away completely, no headaches, no severe mood swings, and my hair has stopped falling out. I don't have the food cravings, so hopefully I can start to lose the weight. I have noticed my breasts have grown, which is fine by me."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 8, 2018

For Birth Control "I am super conflicted about this birth control. I have tried many pills, and this is the one pill that I feel 'myself' on. Has significantly decreased my acne, anxiety, mood swings, and depression. However, my periods are ~7 days long, which kind of sucks. In addition, my appetite is out of control. The first week of the pack is usually okay, but going onto my third week, I can gain ~6 pounds just from water weight and increased hunger, wanting to eat everything in sight. I don't even remember what it's like to not feel hungry all the time. I will be switching next month in the hopes of gaining back control of my appetite!"

• Bro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 10, 2017

For Birth Control "This is an awful birth control. I was switched to it because my last birth control was very low dose and mainly for my acne, not pregnancy prevention. I am a gym junkie and eat super healthy but still gained so much weight on my hips and stomach. I was so exhausted I would fall asleep driving and take daily naps - I have never been like that and have always had lots of energy. My face exploded with acne, which hasn't happened to me in years. Not to mention I spotted every week before my period. Sometimes two weeks before. Overall, this has done me no good. Do not recommend at all."

• Tea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 4, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Awful. Awful. Awful. I started on the pill when I was 15 because I was getting cramps so bad I was almost throwing up from the pain. Now at 25, I am still using the pill but have switched a few times. The brand that I am using now is terrible. Horrible cramps, periods last for a week or more, spotting, mood swings, weight gain, acne, discharge... you name it, I've got it. The pill is effective for birth control, I'll give it that, but there are a lot of negative side effects that come along with it."

• Anonymous
• February 26, 2018

For Birth Control "I was on Diane-35 for about 4.5 years for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and acne. Worked AMAZING, clear skin, regular periods, lightened all my dark hair from PCOS. What I didn’t know was that once your acne goes away you're supposed to get off of it because it shouldn’t be used as birth control alone. So my doctor prescribed me Tri-Cyclen Lo (the generic), and it’s been about 3 months and I hate it. I have so much acne on my back, worse than before. I broke out like crazy on my jawline and chest, and on top of that, I have this weird rash on my chest. A friend of mine also said she got a rash on her chest as well from this brand. It only took about 2 weeks for all this to happen and I figured my body was just trying to get used to it, but I’m going to be switching to something else, my skin has never been this bad in years. No other side effects. Just made my skin worse."

• Kat...
• June 25, 2010

For Birth Control "I've been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for about a year now, and it has done its job on preventing pregnancy. It has not affected my weight and has not caused me any sickness. What it hasn't done, though, is help with breakouts on my face or my flow. And it has caused me to be moody and get upset easily. It has definitely lowered my sex drive."

• hat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I have been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for 9 months now and I am switching to another. The first 3 months were a huge wave of mood swings and acne. I gained 10 pounds in just 4 months, and on top of that, I have never been so prone to yeast infections!!!! I do not recommend this birth control."

• Em2...
• August 14, 2012

For Ovarian Cysts "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)."

• asa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 27, 2017

For Birth Control "I started using birth control about 5 years ago to regulate my periods - at the time, I'd had my period for about 4 years already, and it never became regular. I was on Lutera 28, which helped protection/regulation-wise, but gave me vaginal dryness during sex and horrible, painful acne. I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen and I'm on my third month. The first week of the first pack really amped up my depression and anxiety, but by the second week, it subsided and I haven't had any issues since. I've noticed I also get fatigued the first week every month. No weight gain, acne is starting to go away and hopefully no more dryness, but I won't know about that until my boyfriend comes back from being abroad ;)"

• Mpe...
• January 23, 2015

For Birth Control "Since starting this pill, I've had a three-week cycle, major breakouts, mood swings, and lack of appetite. I've only been on it one month, but that was enough."

• Can...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2019

For Birth Control "Ok. I just backed to Tri-Cyclen Lo after using Tri-Cyclen because Tri-Cyclen caused me horrible breakouts. Tri-Cyclen Lo works better on acne more than Tri-Cyclen. Purchased for CAD $7.50."

• Ban...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 10, 2019

For Birth Control "I have acne-prone skin, and this birth control caused me to have dark spots on my cheeks and cystic acne! Do not recommend if you have acne-prone skin!"

• All...
• November 10, 2017

For Birth Control "Worst birth control I've ever been on. Extreme burning and itching throughout vaginal area, acne, and horribly tender breasts."