Sprintec and Acne: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Dan...
• May 15, 2020

For Ovarian Cysts "I got on Sprintec to try to fix acne and stop getting ovarian cysts. I haven't had an ovarian cyst for either month, and I've had at least one for 7 months in a row before starting this. At first, my back and chest broke out, which wasn't normal, and my face acne didn't get better or worse. My back and chest have been healing, and my face still is about the same, maybe a little better. My boobs hurt pretty bad for the whole first month but have felt better and almost back to normal now. I do feel nauseous, but I did before from ovarian cysts too, so I'm not sure if that's because of the birth control. I have felt hungry a lot from this, I think, but I haven't gained weight from it. I haven't had mood swings out of the ordinary. The biggest complaint I have about this is that my period cramps usually happened the first day or two and then went away, and on Sprintec, it's hurt the whole time I've been on my period. I'm also not pregnant, so it's doing its job on that part. So, overall, not complaining!"

• Tin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2017

For Birth Control "I started taking birth control for the first time back in October. Since I was 23 and had never been on the pill, I was expecting the worst: weight gain, acne, mood swings, no sex drive... and for the first 2 months of Sprintec, I can say all of that was true. But I just finished month 3 on Sprintec and WOW. My face is a smooth porcelain complexion, I've lost several pounds, my sex drive has been gradually growing week by week, and my mood swings are dissipating. I still get PMS-like symptoms the week before my placebos, but I had those before the pill, so really no complaint there. My depression hasn't improved, but it hasn't gotten worse either. I was depressed before the pill, so I can't say if Sprintec has affected that any."

• ACa...
• June 10, 2019

For Birth Control "Sprintec did the job of preventing pregnancy, but the side effects are not worth it. I have experienced extreme mood swings, some of the worst depression of my life, anxiety, paranoia (“Do my friends hate me?”), and I have gained 13 pounds in 4 months. Plus, my acne has gone back to pre-teen-level bad, including on my back, shoulders, and chest. And I never actually know when my period will start. Sometimes it’s a week before the placebo week (a 14+ day period!), sometimes it’s a day or two after (pregnancy scare). I also had my first ever yeast infection after antibiotics while on this pill, which I saw mentioned in another review. My boobs did get bigger, but they are often sore. My waist got bigger too! :( The only reason I didn’t give this 1/10 is because it did prevent pregnancy. (Though I’m on the second day of the placebo right now and have not started my period, so we’ll see.) But I will be stopping Sprintec immediately and finding a different pill."

• Mak...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 23, 2019

For Birth Control "Pros: get rid of heavy cramps, lightens your flow, and makes your breasts a little bigger. Cons: every month it seems like I have new symptoms. The first month, nausea and a loss of appetite, the second, I had really bad acne and a huge black spot on my face (I’m assuming this is from the pill, I always had great skin), and this month I’m extremely sensitive. I cried for a while this month without any real reason for me being sad."

• Hel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 13, 2016

For Birth Control "I'm a healthy 26-year-old. I took Sronyx for about two or three months, which I had to stop due to the intense migraines it caused. I was then switched to Sprintec. I was on it for almost two years. I must say it was absolutely effective at preventing pregnancy. No scares. And even when I missed a day and had to double up (which only happened once or twice). For the first three months or more, I had no issues other than fatigue. Then the other side effects came: acne, extremely dry skin, hair loss. I experienced a significant amount of weight gain, which I was unable to lose, even though I run and work out regularly. And I got mood swings and depression to the point of suicidal thoughts! I thought I was going crazy. But everyone is different."

• Eni...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 16, 2018

For Birth Control "For birth control, it did its job. Never got pregnant with my boyfriend (we NEVER EVER used additional protection). However, it made me gain a lot of weight, made my face look swollen, gave me very bad back acne, and made me very dry down there. I developed a burning sensation in the vaginal area, which I thought was because of laser hair removal, but once I switched to a different brand (Microgestin), it went away!"

• Zz1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 3, 2018

For Birth Control "This is by far the best birth control I have ever been on. This pill improved my sexual function immensely. Before being on Sprintec, I would have a difficult time reaching orgasm, but now that I am on the pill, I can climax easily and frequently. Only downsides are slight increase in anxiety, acne, and weight. But overall, I would recommend. Like I said, the negatives are very slight."

• Lea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I just started this pill, and I am already having so many issues. I came online to see if anyone else was experiencing the same things, and thank goodness I found these comments so I knew I wasn’t alone. Since being on Sprintec, I have had horrible headaches and painful acne. And that’s just the beginning, I have also started gaining weight even though I just started the pill. I have had major car sickness, and the worst part is that I have had some spotting and some serious mood swings. I go from crying my eyes out one minute to so mad I could scream the next. It’s making me feel anxious, depressed, irritable, and just overall not like my usual self."

• Nea...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 7, 2014

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've been taking Sprintec for years. When I lost my health insurance, it was cheap, and it was a mono-phase pill that I could take continuously, and it's been the best pill I've tried for cramps and lighter, shorter periods. I use it to control my polycystic ovarian syndrome (it's a low-androgen pill that helps control my PCOS-raised testosterone levels). If it impacts T levels too far, it can lower the sex drive too much for some people. For me, it removed the worst aspects of having naturally high T levels and put me into the 'normal' range, though, including 'balancing' my sex drive and clearing up my acne. I also use this pill continuously (4 periods/year) to minimize pre-menstrual and menstrual migraines - 'yay,' I get both types. No period = no hormonal migraines."

• Jus...
• March 6, 2017

For Birth Control "I used to have intense menstrual pains. I started taking Sprintec in 2012, so I've been on it for almost five years. I did not have an adverse reaction to it. The menstrual pains are almost completely gone. I notice when I do not get much exercise that month, I have minor cramps. My periods (usually spotting or light periods) start on Wednesday and usually are gone by Saturday. I've downgraded to panty liners. I always try to take my pills at 10:30 every night. Occasionally, I would be an hour or two late, and after I got into the habit of taking the pill every day, I stopped taking the white sugar pills. Acne actually cleared up, no weight gain, or depression."

• Ela...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2019

For Birth Control "This is my first time taking birth control. The first couple of days, I was having bad diarrhea and stomach problems, but they subsided. My boobs have been very sore and tender, but it’s gotten better. My skin wasn’t too bad before, but I'd occasionally get cysts. I’ve been on the pill for almost a month, and so far I haven’t gotten any large pimples, but I am experiencing small breakouts lately. But that could be because I was nearing my period. I’m going to keep taking it because it’s supposed to help your skin around 2-3 months in! It is very effective! My boyfriend and I had lots of unprotected sex and no baby! I recommend this pill and stick with it!"

• kat...
• June 13, 2020

For Endometriosis "Remember everyone’s body reacts differently to birth control, so don’t let the reviews scare you from trying. I decided to take Sprintec after my friend was on it and had no problems. The first month I had bad nausea, and my cramps were worse than before. But after the second pack, the cramps were better, and I had less bleeding then. Besides the first couple of weeks, I experienced no mood changes. I have normally acne-prone skin and get breakouts before my period. But on the second month of Sprintec, I had the worst cystic acne I have ever had in my life. My face was completely covered in painful breakouts. I decided to stay on it until I completed my third pack to see if my body was adjusting to it. But after the third month, it continued to breakout. My doctor decided I should stop taking it. After stopping taking it, my skin drastically cleared up. It took three months off of it to 100% clear up my skin to normal. So if you have acne-prone skin or get breakouts around your period, I would not recommend this."

• kat...
• June 13, 2020

For Endometriosis "Remember everyone’s body reacts differently to birth control, so don’t let the reviews scare you from trying. I decided to take Sprintec after my friend was on it and had no problems. The first month I had bad nausea, and my cramps were worse than before. But after the second pack, the cramps were better, and I had less bleeding then. Besides the first couple of weeks, I experienced no mood changes. I have normally acne-prone skin and get breakouts before my period. But on the second month of Sprintec, I had the worst cystic acne I have ever had in my life. My face was completely covered in painful breakouts. I decided to stay on it until I completed my third pack to see if my body was adjusting to it. But after the third month, it continued to breakout. My doctor decided I should stop taking it. After stopping taking it, my skin drastically cleared up. It took three months off of it to 100% clear up my skin to normal. So if you have acne-prone skin or get breakouts around your period, I would not recommend this."

• B1L...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 29, 2013

For Birth Control "I will shortly finish my first pack of Sprintec and must say that this has been the best birth control I've yet to be on. No issues with sex drive, tiredness, weight gain other than my breasts, which have become a bit larger; however, really tender, but I don't mind and/or complain. My skin did break out at first but is slowly clearing up, and I didn't have much of an appetite 2 to 3 days in, that too is better. Other than the few minor changes, I will continue to use Sprintec!"

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "So I started Sprintec the second day of my period (the first day was mainly just spotting, and the second day was a Sunday). Anyways, I’ve only been taking it about 12 days now, and I’m exhausted. All the time. I mean I’m usually constantly tired, but I need a nap after going up the stairs. I also have been having brown bleeding for a week after my period. So it’s like I’ve been on my period two weeks. I usually have good skin, and now my face is starting to break out all over. My boobs are sore, but they're enhancing, so I’m taking that as a “beauty is pain.” Lol. I stay bloated a lot. I'm not too sure how to feel about it, honestly."

• em1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2019

For Birth Control "Yeah, this birth control sucked for me. I went on Sprintec for only three months, but I gained about 15 pounds, was constantly bloated and anxious, broke out (and I don’t usually break out), my periods did not become any shorter, and my cramps did not become any less bad, and my sex drive disappeared, and I also lost hair. Please do your research because going through this and having to lose the weight is not worth it just to be protected from pregnancy when there are better pills out there. You can find one that works great for you while doing that. For some, this may work, but this was awful for me."

• Liz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 9, 2017

For Birth Control "I started taking this to prevent pregnancy, since I have light, painless periods and no acne. Even after a year, I had acne breakouts every month, significant cramping on my periods, loss of appetite, nausea, and mood swings/suicidal thoughts during my PMS week. I decided to switch after I kept waking up in the middle of the night with severe stomach pain. I'm sure it works fine for some women, and it did prevent pregnancy, but the side effects weren't worth it."

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2020

For Ovarian Cysts "I was diagnosed with PCOS very young. Been on many birth controls. Weight always fluctuating, period always out of whack... now acne. But now on Sprintec, weight is finally normal. Mental health is better. I feel fatigued and have cravings. My acne is awful. But that is it. So far my period has been NORMAL, and for someone that had bled for months on end, that is a blessing. So, for three months, this medication is alright."

• Abs...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 29, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on this birth control for almost 9 years now (went on at 14, and now I’m 23). For 95% of that time, I had incredibly clear skin, never needed foundation, have never had a pregnancy scare, and always had moderate to light periods. Recently, with life being crazy, I started missing pills left and right, to the point where I’ve taken 3 pills at once just because I forgot for a few days (I suck). Since this has happened quite often in the last few months, my skin has been the worst it’s ever been. I’ve been getting painful cystic breakouts, pimples on my cheeks and chin, super oily skin around my nose and on my back. It’s been horrible. I believe this birth control works wonders for helping clear skin! Just make sure you take it every day and stay consistent! I’m getting back into the flow of taking it every day at around the right time, and my skin has already started clearing up again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been taking Sprintec for about 3 weeks, haven't even started my period pills yet. So far, I am pleased with the results, I was getting the Depo shot before I switched to Sprintec. I switched because I never stopped bleeding on the Depo shot for almost a year, I bled. So far, no side effects, no weight gain, no headaches or nausea, and I actually think it is helping clear what little acne I had."

• cee...
• November 29, 2012

For Birth Control "I've been on Sprintec for 3 weeks now, I've got 3 blue pills left. I've been on 4 different kinds of birth control in the past, and I can honestly say that Sprintec has been my favorite! I have had no mood swings or weight gain, which is awesome. I had horrible weight gain with other birth controls. I have chronic migraines, and I haven't had any increase in them or any more acne than normal. I did have a very suppressed appetite at first, I was very hungry but would sit down to eat and just be nauseous at the thought. That only lasted a week and a half or so. My breasts have grown, which I'm not complaining about at all. All in all, I'm very pleased and would recommend Sprintec to anyone!"

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 20, 2014

For Birth Control "I switched to Sprintec (because it was cheap) from Amethia after losing my insurance. I began experiencing acne breakouts on my face and very sudden mood swings, which I had not experienced on Amethia. I am no longer using Sprintec because the side effects are not worth it."

• Kel...
• January 17, 2011

For Birth Control "I've been using Sprintec for over a year now, and I honestly don't have too many complaints. For the first month, my breasts were tender, but it went away. My period comes exactly at the same time and day of the month. I don't usually miss a pill, but the few times I did, I ended up getting pretty sick at night for around 6 hours. I would throw up and have stomach pains; obviously, this could have been avoided. My sex drive has not decreased; if anything, it increased. I didn't have any skin breakout issues that I know were caused by Sprintec; my face is usually clear with the seldom pimple or two. It seems to be pretty effective in preventing pregnancy. I didn't experience any unusual mood swings or weight gain. Overall, I would recommend it."

• Cas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 17, 2016

For Birth Control "I've never taken birth control before because I've never been sexually active (and I'm still not). I started this a few months before my wedding, and it seemed totally fine at first. I read a ton of reviews that warned of major mood swings and irritability, but I never experienced that. I also read a ton of reviews that praised this pill for helping with flawless skin, but that is NOT the case for me. While my chest did grow and I didn't have mood swings or weight gain, I experienced some of the most painful and humiliating acne of my life while taking it. My forehead never breaks out, but for 3 constant months it's been a war zone, as are my cheeks, chin, and brow area. I'm switching to Yaz. Fingers crossed I clear up before the big day."

• Ser...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2018

For Birth Control "So I've taken Sprintec for the past four months. Before I started taking the pill, I would only get breakouts when stressed. Now I have almost constant breakouts with large, painful pimples. While I have lost weight, my appetite is really weird now, and some days I struggle to eat at all before I begin to feel sick. All this I can look past, except for the last four months I have experienced crazy mood swings, jealousy, and I get really upset. Now normally I'm a fairly happy, mild-tempered person, so this was all really weird for me. Definitely do your research before taking this. It wasn't for me, but it might be for you!!"