Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Bleeding: What Users Say

• dre...
• March 10, 2013

For Birth Control "I started taking birth control pills a few years ago, but after trying 5 or 6 different ones, I started taking OTC. This is the ONLY pill I have tried that does not make me bleed through half the pack, clears up my acne to an extent, does not affect my mood, and makes my cramps basically nonexistent. It is a miracle pill for me. I think because it has varying amounts of hormones each week that mimic your own cycle, it works better for many women. I have not experienced any difference in my weight, I've started working out since I began taking this pill and have lost a little weight. The thing I am happiest about, though, is that I do not have breakthrough bleeding."

• Jax...
• February 13, 2014

For Birth Control "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."

• Lex...
• April 25, 2015

For Acne "I started back in October after suffering about 6 months with acne that just kept on getting worse. I had pus-filled pimples and small cysts. I didn't see major results until about 2 months in, and even then I was still getting one or two cysts. On my third month, I wasn't getting cysts and would only get small pimples. I suggest if you start the pill and don't see results immediately to just stick with it for at least 3 months. After my pimples went away, I got red hyperpigmentation (which a lot of people have been blaming on the pill; it's not, it's from the old pimples), so now I put a little bit of lemon on those parts to lighten them, and it's been working. As for my period, it lasts for 4 days now instead of 7, but I still bleed a lot."

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 21, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "While I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, I was hospitalized. I came very close to needing a blood transfusion. Halfway through a pack, I started to bleed heavily. I went to the ER and had ultrasounds done to be sure I wasn't having a miscarriage or cyst rupture. It was explained to me that the added hormones were not balancing well, which was causing one to crash and cause heavy bleeding. I was immediately taken off of birth control. I won't ever try it again. It was a very scary experience."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2015

For Acne "I went on my first pack this month and am taking my third week right now and just experienced some major breakthrough bleeding (which I guess is normal, so we'll see how it keeps going), but as far as my acne, I used to have insane cysts on my cheeks and chin. Within one week, I had no cysts but just minor small pimples, which I'm totally fine with. So I'm on my third week, and I don't get the painful cysts anymore. I just had one or two small ones on my chin, but that's it! I would recommend it for acne, but the breakthrough bleeding scared me."

• Sta...
• April 7, 2017

For Birth Control "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."

• Emm...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 9, 2019

For Ovarian Cysts "This birth control has been a truly horrible experience for me. The only positive I can say is it cleared my skin after six months, but for the first three months, I had eczema on my face, which I’ve never had before. DO NOT TAKE THIS IF YOU HAVE DRY SKIN. I was on the lower dose version of this birth control but was having breakthrough, so I switched to this. I still am having breakthrough bleeding. I’ve gained about 10 lbs, and my breasts have enlarged so much it's painful. I have always had anxiety but never suffered from mood swings, and this birth control makes me feel like I’m suffering from bipolar. I am constantly angry, both my family and boyfriend have said I have been acting insane. I don’t feel like myself anymore, I feel like I completely lose my sanity the week before I receive my period. Every month I have had breakthrough bleeding, and twice I didn’t receive my period at all."

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

For Birth Control "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."

• Che...
• August 30, 2016

For Birth Control "Worst ever. Mood swings. Depressed. Doesn't feel like I get enough sleep. I get angry then sad for no real reason. I am also noticing an increase in appetite, breakouts, no energy. This is the most horrible because one is not going to be able to function to lead a normal life. I'm so disappointed that it has caused irregular bleeding."

• Rab...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 7, 2018

For Birth Control "My first pills I took were regular Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I switched due to bleeding between cycles to another pill. The pill worked for a while until I had more breakthrough bleeding a year in. They then switched me to this. I had no irregular bleeding. But over 6+ months, my partner and I noticed a big change in my moods. I already struggle with depression and anxiety, and it wasn't for 8 or so months that I had a full-on mental breakdown unlike I have EVER had. I started thinking about it, and I really have a low-stress life at the moment, so I looked for triggers. Then I thought about the fact that this is a tri-phasic pill, which means constantly changing hormones from week to week. I feel like that hormonal swing could possibly be that trigger. I immediately set up an appointment and switched to a monophasic pill, and my mood has changed tenfold. Not a good pill for people with already touchy mental health in my opinion."

• Lea...
• June 15, 2017

For Acne "I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen from Seasonique because I started getting acne. This completely cleared up my skin in a matter of weeks. However, I ended up with breakthrough bleeding for 2 weeks, followed by a heavy period with painful cramps during the placebo week. It also got me extremely nauseous and dizzy. I'd rather have a little acne than have to deal with those side effects."

• Meo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 28, 2015

For Birth Control "I went on this for 2 months to see if it would offset the breakthrough bleeding I had on Ortho Tri Lo. I lost weight because this pill caused me to have terrible diarrhea. It was so bad it continued after I was off of it for 6 months. I had to see a GI doctor because I thought I had IBS. This pill caused me to be nauseous, have acid reflux, and zapped my sex drive. It caused vaginal dryness too. I would also get terrible migraines and I NEVER get migraines or headaches. I ended up going off of it because my body couldn't handle the side effects. Made me slightly melancholy and tired too. It did prevent pregnancy and no spotting. I also had a decreased appetite and weight loss, so it wasn't the worst."

• Sky...
• April 27, 2016

For Acne "I've been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for about 12 months, and my skin has been flawless. I love how it's cleared up my acne, but I'm having major breakthrough bleeding at the moment. I missed 2 pills about 2 weeks ago, and I have since then been bleeding continuously, and I'm just about to go on my placebo pills. So after I'm finished with this pack, it will be about 3 weeks with constant bleeding, and it's terrible. Even when I didn't miss any pills, I would have breakthrough bleeding the week before I started my placebo pills, and it would drive me nuts. I saw my doctor, and I'm going to try out another acne birth control, Yasmin, so hopefully all goes well...."

• EMM...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 31, 2016

For Acne "I took Ortho Tri-Cyclen for about six months, plenty of time to give it a chance to completely clear my acne, but unfortunately, that was not the case. My skin always had at least 3 zits. I experienced major spotting almost constantly and only had about 2 months of no blood. I was extremely moody, as if I was bipolar and/or always about to get my period. The breakthrough bleeding was so painful. I had to take Tylenol at least once a day. This was my experience, but my 23-year-old friend loves it and her skin is never better, but she does have spotting. I got a 9-month supply of this pill for free."

• Mel...
• September 29, 2015

For Birth Control "Didn't trigger my regular migraines, great birth control to start on and it's effective! Lo made me breakthrough bleed, so I started on a regular 28 cycle and had no problems, until I went off of it. I started birth control at 115 pounds and ended it at 132 pounds. Though I am petite, it's not a huge weight gain, nor is it noticeable. My acne and oily skin came back, and I am very irritable (PMS). Cramping on my period is very painful, so I'll be going back on birth control, this time trying Seasonique."

• 29P...
• December 29, 2015

For Acne "I'm on the final week of my 3-pack of Ortho. I haven't had any side effects from this. In the past, I've had issues with BC affecting my moods and sex drive, abnormal bleeding, and making my hormonal acne even worse. So I'm giving it an 8. Because it's not helping with my hormonal acne at all."

• Bun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2019

For Acne "I heard this Ortho Tri-Cyclen was best for hormonal acne after two months of my old BC being basically too low in hormones, in my opinion, for my age, 32, and for two months destroying my nice skin. This actually made me bleed a week before my period was due. I don't know if the hormones get less strong as you get through the pack, but hopefully, next month I don't go through this."

• alb...
• April 18, 2011

For Ovarian Cysts "I took Ortho Tri-Cyclen for symptoms of ovarian cysts. These symptoms included spotting and/or bleeding when it wasn't time for my period and periods every 3 weeks (21 days) instead of every 28 or so. So basically, some sort of bleeding was going on almost constantly! After a period of about 4-5 months, my symptoms became less severe, the spotting stopped, and my periods became less frequent. However, I experienced severe cramping and longer and heavier periods while I was taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen. So in some ways, it helped the symptoms I had experienced before taking it, but it also created some new symptoms in the year that I took it."

• Lil...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 17, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I went through a number of birth control pills and even had the Implanon. Each one gave me some sort of side effect (mostly horrible mood swings, terrible breakthrough bleeding, and depression). I started taking this pill a couple of months after I had my daughter, and it worked great for me. But as soon as my prescription ran out and I had to wait a few days to get back on schedule, I just kept bleeding. It's been going on for two weeks now, and I'm still bleeding today. IDK what to do about this. I'm so frustrated because this has been the only pill that hasn't severely altered my hormones until recently. Should I continue the usage and wait it out a bit longer? Really don't want to be pregnant again."

• Anonymous
• January 11, 2012

For Birth Control "I started taking this as an alternative to the Nuvaring, which was giving me all sorts of troubles. I bled the entire time, and after the first month, I decided I couldn't keep doing it. I bled for a little over a week after. I wouldn't say it's a terrible birth control pill, I just don't think it agreed with me."

• jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 24, 2013

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I experienced a lot of breakthrough bleeding with this birth control."

• New...
• August 1, 2016

For Birth Control "Breakthrough bleeding, two periods in one month, weight gain, horrible lower back pain and cramping, and terrible acne! Not moody at all, but all the above a good reason to find something else."

• Anonymous
• May 31, 2010

For Birth Control "I've used this pill for a month, and I've gained 10 pounds in just one month, and I became very moody. Besides, I've got breakthrough bleeding, and it lasted over a week."