Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• gig...
• May 4, 2010

For Birth Control "I have an ovarian cyst. I've taken Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for about 2.5 weeks. I read so many reviews, all were so negative. I was stressing out about taking it. But to my surprise, and somewhat disappointment, I didn't get ANY side effects. No headaches, no nausea, no digestive system problems. I don't know yet how effective it is for my problem (ovarian cyst), but it didn't clear up my shoulder acne. Actually, it got somewhat worse. So I'm wondering if it's actually working for me. Don't know how it works as birth control, somewhat scared of getting off the condoms. As for the price, I had to pay $70 for one month, which is a lot for me. I'm 17, about 5'2”, about 115-120 lbs. Hope this helps!!"

• Anonymous
• November 5, 2011

For Birth Control "I took this pill for about a month. And in that month, I thought I was doing fine. No mood swings, nausea, headaches, not as much acne. But then my mom pulls me out of my room one day and tells me that I was gaining weight. I thought I had noticed it, but thought it was just because I was eating a lot. Being on this pill made me overly hungry all the time."

• Jas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2012

"I've been using this pill for three weeks now. I've experienced no side effects at all. No nausea, headaches, cramps, weight gain, or spotting. It doesn't feel like anything has changed. Actually, I think I noticed mild mood swings. I can get really mad from a small comment. My period should start any day now, so I'm curious to see if it will be lighter with less cramps."

• FDa...
• April 14, 2011

For Birth Control "I used this specifically as a contraceptive. At the beginning of every cycle (the first couple of white pills), I would wake up in the middle of the night with nausea. This would then lead to a couple of hours of throwing up. I also had severe headaches, mood swings, no sex drive, and I was bloated."

• Anonymous
• April 16, 2012

For Birth Control "I've been on the pill for a solid 4 months now and have had overall no bad experiences. It has taken my body a bit to get used to it, but I haven't experienced mood swings, nausea, or headaches. It has helped me to regulate my period, even lighten my flow. I normally have really terrible and painful periods, but after the 3rd month, my cramps became more bearable. I have moderate acne, and it's caused my skin to become a little red, but it's starting to go away now. I'd say the only con is my period lasts about 6-7 days.... Maybe that will change later on. I haven't experienced weight gain, but I hope I do. But overall, I suggest it to women who have had bad experiences with high-dosage birth control pills. I went from YAZ to this and feel better."

• Lyn...
• May 9, 2011

For Birth Control "I was on this pill last year, and I had a really good experience with it. My face cleared up, I actually lost weight, and I did not get pregnant. However, one night I got a severe headache. I rarely get headaches, so I read the back label, and it said if you get severe headaches to contact your doctor, so I did, and they switched me to Ortho Micronor, which I hated. So now I'm back on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, and hopefully, it will work as great as last time. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to go on a birth control pill."

• Anonymous
• August 26, 2011

"I love this birth control. I have been on it for 3 years. The things I like most about it are, my period is always on time, I bleed a little lighter. I don't break out from acne as much, and of course, I am NOT pregnant. The ONLY issue I have with this birth control is it gives me a TERRIBLE headache every once in a blue moon, but I can handle that. Overall, this birth control is GREAT, and I highly recommend those who are seeking birth control to choose Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo."

• ugh...
• December 3, 2011

For Birth Control "I don't think I noticed this at first or even realized the pill was the cause, but this pill gave me terrible headaches for 3-4 days during my period. I am hungry and moody before my period. The period is very light, which is a plus, but I can't stand the headaches. It feels like I have a sinus infection, and taking Advil nonstop doesn't help. It's not worth it. I would love to have cramps instead of headaches."

• Kie...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on birth control for three years, and due to weight gain, I changed from Depo to Ortho, and it's the worst yet. My period is very heavy, and the headaches and nausea are unbearable. I have come to the conclusion that I am just going to stop birth control completely."

• Dka...
• June 1, 2017

For Birth Control "This is my first time using birth control pills, and it was for 2 reasons: preventing pregnancy and reducing forehead acne that always worsened around ovulation. I've been taking Tricira Lo (generic brand) for the past 7 1/2 weeks. Initially, I found myself more tearful, but that settled down after 4 weeks. I had one instance of a headache and nausea during the first 4 weeks; haven't experienced either since. There's been about 5 lb weight gain and some increase in breast size (not by a full cup though). I haven't noticed a significant difference in my forehead acne. It's still an issue for me, especially during the 3rd and 4th (placebo) weeks of the pack. I think this may be because hormonal acne more often presents on the cheeks and chin."

• kah...
• November 22, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control for quite some time. I had many side effects such as weight gain, dizziness/lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, severe onset of migraines and headaches, and moodiness. It was a great way to regulate my period and protect against pregnancy. I have been on it for 5 years. I stopped taking it for at least 6 months to a year, and all of the side effects were gone. However, I became active again and started taking it. I have been on it for more than 6 months now and have gained more weight, more headaches/migraines, more moodiness, increased dizziness and lightheadedness. It was a good way to start my periods regularly and to get them on track, but I can do without all of these side effects and being tired all the time."

• kri...
• December 14, 2011

For Birth Control "I do not like this pill at all. I always have headaches. I'm moody and depressed. I'm on Zoloft for that, and it's not working. Since I've been on this birth control pill, my vagina always hurts, especially during and after sex, and I suffer from dryness. I'm 15, I shouldn't have that problem."

• Anonymous
• July 26, 2010

For Birth Control "I am 23, about 5'3", 105. Been on it for about a year now. Went to my doctor to get on birth control when I was getting married. She recommended this because of the low side effects. WRONG! Everything you read here is true! I threw up my first three days on this. Went away after a week. Had headaches, couldn't sleep well, very moody, was always snapping at my husband, crying at everything, had spotting, and worst of all, I had very low sex drive. I feel I could live the rest of my life without sex. Got off of it for a month, and things were so much better. I was already back to my normal self. Got back on it two months ago because of two reasons: it did keep me from getting pregnant and got rid of my acne. Have not gained much weight."

• 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."

• Dan...
• June 21, 2016

For Birth Control "This pill was my 3rd try at birth control pills. From my last pill, this one decreased my severe headaches. But, after going off of the pill for a couple of months and going back to this, I felt like I went crazy during PMS week. I have never in my life experienced such severe depression and mood swings that I felt I was going crazy. I did have regular periods, but headaches came back full force, and I am moody always."

• 098...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 21, 2017

For Birth Control "This has been my first time on birth control. I never really experienced many symptoms; the worst would be the really bad headaches towards the end of my active pills and during the placebo pills. After 7-8 months is when things started to change. I spotted for 11 days, and that had never happened to me. I didn't miss a pill or anything, but I still got my period as usual. The following month, I did not miss any pills, did all I was supposed to, but I missed my period completely. And now on the 9th/10th month, I have been spotting for the past 3 days (I think due to missing one pill but taking it first thing in the morning and the other at my usual time), but the cramps are horrible. This BC has given me more of a headache than anything."

• Dan...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 12, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on the pill for five years now, only using Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, and I'd have to say I love it. When I first started taking it, I did feel nauseous the first two weeks, but after that, my body adjusted, and I was fine. I have bad eating habits and don't exercise regularly. I'm 5'7" and 210 lbs, and work in a busy restaurant where I'm always on my feet (to give a fair idea of my body/living style). I recently started getting headaches when I reached 21. There was a time during this year when my periods didn't start regularly (due to a big change and busy schedule), but that was because I would accidentally forget to take the last four pills in the pack. My period would start a day or two late, but once I set a sure schedule, it was regular."

• Mkz...
• January 20, 2012

For Ovarian Cysts "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!"

• Ano...
• October 21, 2017

For Birth Control "It all makes sense after reading some of these reviews. I haven’t been the most active person, but I did gain close to 20 lbs, which happened once before on the same medication. I’ve noticed my mood being all over the place, rather impatient and emotional at times. I also get headaches and now lower back pains. I think it’s time to break up with Ortho..."

• Anonymous
• July 24, 2010

For Birth Control "I am 20 and have been using this birth control for a little over a year. It is my first birth control pill. Effective at preventing pregnancy, but that's the only plus. Overall, I think it's an okay pill, but I wouldn't say it's the best. It takes about three months to adjust to it, and taking it at night helps with the nausea and headaches you may experience. I have gained 15 pounds while on the pill, which is very disappointing because my diet is better now than it was before, and I've always been very active and attend the gym. The weight is hard for me to shed now, it's frustrating. My periods are normal for the most part, but sometimes they come a little later and carry over when I'm back on active pills."

• Tat...
• November 17, 2011

For Birth Control "I'm 17, and my doctor has given me this birth control twice. My head always hurts, I never feel normal. I'm always sleepy, currently about to go to sleep."

• Bad...
• December 11, 2015

For Birth Control "The second day of using this pill, I got a really bad headache, and vomiting occurred. I do not recommend this pill, I much rather prefer Micronor."