Ethinyl estradiol / norgestrel User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

• Emm...
• February 2, 2014

For Endometriosis "I started taking Cryselle almost 9 months ago to treat my endometriosis as well as to act as birth control. My OB-GYN instructed me to skip the placebos, and as a result, I have had virtually no cramping or breakthrough bleeding (common on my last pill). However, as she warned, I developed severe acne. The acne I could deal with, but the emotional side effects I cannot. I have become increasingly moody the longer I have been on Cryselle, especially around the time of my 'period.' I have also developed strong feelings of anxiety and depression. I had hoped when these symptoms began that they would lessen over time, but they have just increased in severity."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "WORST BIRTH CONTROL EVER!!! Positive: It helps with the bleeding and cramps. Negative: I never had health issues until now. I’m having the worst anxiety attacks, panic attacks, and depression. I feel like I’m going crazy! It makes you feel you’re in a dark place... If you have these symptoms, you should go to your doctor immediately."

• nas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 19, 2012

For Birth Control "I switched from Loestrin 24 to this pill because I was having spotting for 3 weeks out of every month. As soon as I started this pill, the spotting stopped, and now I only have my period from the middle to the end of the last week of pills (4 days). Overall, I have few side effects besides some bloating at the end of the month and a pretty bad headache the first day of my period. I did gain 5 lbs. within a few months of starting this (on top of 5 lbs. from Loestrin), but a few months ago I started a modest diet/exercise plan and have lost 6 lbs. fairly easily. Well worth it for pregnancy prevention and regular periods!"

• Mrs...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 18, 2017

For Birth Control "I took this pill for 3 years, and in those three years, I THOUGHT nothing was wrong, but I was really emotional, and I got depressed before my periods. I thought I had just changed, but as soon as I went off this pill, all those things went away. Be highly aware of your emotional state before and during."

• kka...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 21, 2019

For Birth Control "I switched from Junel Fe to Cryselle after I was having spotting in between periods. I was hesitant at first after reading these reviews and wasn't even going to pick it up from the pharmacy. I am happy I did pick it up. I have anxiety and have not noticed any changes. I do get a little bit more emotional the last few days of the third week, but nothing out of the ordinary. I no longer have spotting in between periods, and my periods are so light when they do happen. Everyone's body reacts differently to birth control, and Cryselle is a great fit for me."

• Ale...
• June 17, 2016

For Birth Control "The first three weeks on Cryselle were pretty awful. I had headaches and stomach pain constantly. But after the first three weeks, all of that ended, and now I take it without any issues. As long as you get through those three weeks and stick it out, it's awesome! I've lost weight, my periods are light and short, and my acne is gone. Definitely recommend this! Just push through those first three weeks!"

• Rac...
• January 28, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on Cryselle for two years now, and I absolutely love it! I actually lost weight since taking the pill and have maintained this new low weight ever since. My periods used to be 8-10 days and filled with unbearable cramps and heavy bleeding. My periods are now 3-4 days and extremely light. My boobs get a little sore before I'm going to begin, but that's how it's always been for me. Everyone's different. I experience little to no cramps with the pill, which is amazing compared to what I used to deal with. I can remember having to stay home from school because my cramps and bleeding were so severe it would make me sick. I'm 20 years old and began taking Cryselle at 18. I highly recommend!!!"

• bat...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 10, 2018

For Birth Control "I have been using Cryselle for about 6 years now, and I have had a great experience, all in all. I originally started the pill because I had unbelievably horrible cramps every cycle that started a few days before my period and continued for four days after. It's a 28-day pill, so the only difficult part of the drug is just remembering to take it at the same time every day in order for the contraceptive aspect to be effective. I never really had skin problems, so I'm not sure how Cryselle affects skin, but it definitely didn't cause any skin problems once I started taking it; my skin is still mostly clear. Of course, I'm not sure how effective it is as a contraceptive, but considering I did have unprotected sex a few times while on the pill, I never had any pregnancy scares. In general, I'd recommend Cryselle to anyone looking for the birth control pill."

• Sum...
• October 28, 2013

For Birth Control "After being on Tri-Nessa for at least a decade with no problems, I was switched from Tri-Nessa to Low-Ogestrel because I was experiencing very heavy bleeding during my periods. The Low-Ogestrel did fix the heavy bleeding but at a cost. I've been on L.O. for 6 months and have been experiencing depression, mood swings, acne on my chin, and pimples on my scalp. At first, I attributed these things to the beginning of menopause, but after really thinking about it, it just seemed too coincidental that these things began when I began taking a different pill. This morning, I googled 'side effects of Low-Ogestrel' and am finding pages of stories just like mine. I already have a call into my Dr. and will switch pills."

• Anonymous
• June 13, 2019

For Birth Control "This pill Cryselle is downright terrible. I could not give a more honest opinion. Yes, it does its job of protecting you from pregnancy, but the side effects are NOT worth it. I’ve been taking it a year and a half now, and not once in my life have I ever had acne until this pill. My face feels like a gravel road because my skin is so haggard. So that right there has ruined my self-confidence, and on top of that, I’m more depressed than I’ve ever felt in my whole life. Constant mood swings. I feel fat, pimple-ridden, moody, and all around awful. But hey, at least I’m not pregnant. Totally not worth it, ladies."

• Nev...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 14, 2021

For Birth Control "I started taking this pill to regulate my period, prescribed by my doctor, and this is by far the worst pill I have ever taken. I have never been so sad, depressed, paranoid, and not to mention the terrible anxiety. I’m not an emotional person at all, I have always been a happy person, but taking this pill has made me lose myself very quickly. I feel like I live in my head and am never fully present. I have been taking this pill for about 9 months, hoping my body just needs time to get used to it, but it’s not, it is just making my side effects worse and worse. Not to mention the extreme hair loss I have from this pill, my hair has thinned tremendously. The only thing about this pill that has worked is preventing pregnancy. I still have cramps, bloating, mood swings, etc."

• Lau...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 17, 2019

For Birth Control "Overall, Cryselle is a good birth control. Periods are light and last only a few days at the same time each month. Hasn’t helped with my acne, but that’s okay. My cramps have been worse, but not sure if that’s linked to the pill."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 20, 2019

For Birth Control "(18F) Before starting this Cryselle, I had 7-8 day-long periods with awful cramps (to the point of passing out). To make a future point, I also had zero acne and no family history of acne. About a month in, my acne got so bad I never considered the cause was Cryselle (Norgestrel 0.3 mg, ethinyl estradiol 0.30 mg). My periods were so light and only lasted 2 days. Never had any cramps, and I felt like I could live my life. But my acne was all over my body, and it hurt to even put glasses on. After a year on antibiotics for the acne (which helped a lot), the acne came back when my only medication was this birth control. Finally, after 1.5 years, I switched to Sprintec (Norgestimate 0.25 mg, ethinyl estradiol 0.035 mg) instead, it has a different type of progestin and slightly more estradiol. Now, my acne is completely gone. When I read reviews saying the medication has no effect on acne, don’t always trust them. Was even told this by my doctor. Make sure to pay close attention to changes in your body. Also gained 35 pounds very quickly."

• Dol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2013

For Birth Control "I was switched to this medication after being on a birth control that worked wonders for me. My doctor was sure it would help me with some of my skin issues, such as eczema. However, it made everything a million times worse! Not only did my skin break out in rashes on my wrist and face, I had pimples all over my body, had horrible morning sickness to the point where I could barely eat anything all day, and it made me extremely moody. I was told that the pill caused my hormones to go out of whack and sent me into a state like a pregnant teenager. It was horrible. If they work for you, that's great, but they're not for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 3, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been taking this for a while, and as a fairly small lady, the side effects can be a little much at times. Sometimes it causes really nasty headaches behind my eyes due to my contact lenses. Also, I tend to get stomach pains that happen at random times throughout my cycle. However, it has kept my cycle very regular and reduced my period from seven days to four. Great if you have irregular cycles, but the side effects can be a tad overpowering if you're not prepared."

• Anonymous
• August 20, 2015

For Birth Control "The only benefit to the birth control is that it prevents pregnancy. It has caused me major mood swings (anger and sadness), pain in my breasts, and acne breakouts. I have never had issues with acne, even as a teen. It's not worth it."

• Anonymous
• May 17, 2010

"I really like this pill. At first, I noticed my skin become more oily, but then that went away. I have had no other problems so far, and it works really well for me. My skin has actually cleared up more. I have not gained weight, and my periods are now regular and lighter. But what might work on me might not work on others."

• sam...
• October 30, 2015

For Endometriosis "I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and had a chocolate cyst that was removed 6 months ago. However, excruciating pain and cramps persisted. I was so drained all the time and attributed it to my busy schedule. A month ago, I went to the OB-GYN because my cramps became daily. They found a lemon-sized cyst on the right ovary and told me to go on Cryselle for 4 months to shrivel it. Before I could start taking it, I had a horrible bout of pain, fever, nausea, and dizziness that felt like my endo symptoms. I think my cyst burst because the persistent pain was gone. Doc said to take Cryselle anyway. The first week, I got a few big pimples and expected to gain weight and be moody. It did the opposite, felt like my old self, energetic and happy!!"

• Man...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I just finished the first month of this birth control. After taking Tri-Sprintec for years, I started developing ovarian cysts that would make having sex painful. My doctor suggested switching my birth control to help with the cysts. Well, after 3 weeks of taking Cryselle, my ultrasound showed no cysts, which was great, but my side effects have been rough. I immediately became moody and even paranoid. I felt like everyone was out to get me. I have been very bloated and very gassy. The worst has been the headaches. Especially in the last week of pills, which I just completed, it was daily severe headaches. My doctor switched me to Mircette, and I took the first pill last night. Hopefully, this will be a better experience."

• oli...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 15, 2016

For Birth Control "I was very fond of this birth control for many reasons. I was put on it a few months before I turned 17, and since I was about 12, my skin had been very bad. This medicine, combined with my dermatological medicines, kept my skin smooth and completely clear for months on end. My periods were never very painful and only started on Wednesday or Thursday with light bleeding and cramps. I was never moody and did not gain any weight at all, it might have actually regulated my weight. The only downside (and reason I'm switching) is that I had extreme vaginal dryness to the point where, during intercourse, we had to reapply lube at least three times. Sex became painful and unenjoyable for me, so I am switching to a birth control with less estrogen in it."

• Anonymous
• October 8, 2010

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for a year now, and I noticed my skin is getting progressively worse. I never had bad skin before, and now even on Proactiv, it's bad! I also have very dry eyes from the pill. My doctor even put punctal plugs in my tear ducts, and my eyes are still dry. I also noticed that it makes me sweat a lot more than I normally do."

• Kat...
• December 13, 2010

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was put on Lo/Ovral at 13 for abnormal bleeding, basically 6 weeks, non-stop. I stayed on it until I was 28 years old with no problems. Previously, as most young girls, I was very moody and had a lot of struggles. On Lo/Ovral, I did have one hard day a month prior to getting my period, but otherwise it was great. I never noticed any weight changes, had no spotting, acne symptoms, cramping, or heavy bleeding. I have two children now and had them without any difficulty relating to taking this birth control for so long. The problem is now that I am older, 33, it no longer works for me, I spot during the month. I am truly struggling to find a good replacement birth control. It may not work as well for everyone, but I wouldn't be afraid to try it!"

• Jus...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 15, 2017

For Birth Control "This was the first birth control I was on, I've since bounced around to three others, and I'm finally back to Cryselle. I have found this to be the most consistent and dependable. It normalized my cycle and helped my bad cramps and PCOS. My acne didn't really change much, but it did help my deep cystic acne. Now, I just get those clusters of tiny acne around my placebo week. If I skip it, I don't get them, though. All in all, I like Cryselle the best out of the four I've been on. I've been on Cryselle for about three years now, and I don't think I'll be changing anytime soon. Especially since it's cheaper than the others. Just remember, everyone is different and will react differently to every pill."

• Deb...
• July 8, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Cryselle for 2.5 months now. I've had acne all my life and had finally gotten it under control before starting Cryselle. It's out of control again. Additionally, I've had some serious anxiety, depression, mood swings. I cry all the time and have irrational obsessive, anxious thoughts. The benefits definitely did not outweigh the costs. My GYN is switching my prescription."

• bcb...
• January 14, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 3 months now, and I have to say it has been awful! I do not feel like myself, I'm really irritable, angry, depressed, and my sex drive is gone. I've been working out daily and eating right and still gaining weight. I've also got awful period acne breakouts on Cryselle. The only positive things are that the pill does its job and my periods are 4 days max (they're also light)."