Cryselle and Acne: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 25, 2016

For Birth Control "Bad: I took it for about a year, then it gave me bad acne that automatically cleared away when I took a 2-week break from it, and automatically came back when I got back on it. It has also made my hair so dry, frail, and frizzy regardless of how good I take care of it. My blood pressure, anxiety, and mood swings also fluctuated when I was on and off this pill. Good: makes my periods ultra light, almost never cramp. Haven't gotten pregnant. Overall I would not recommend it if you can be on something else."

• ano...
• March 31, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for a month now due to unbalanced hormone levels. I wasn't getting my period (I got it 4 out of the 12 months in a year). My gynecologist made me double up on the pill, so it makes me extremely nauseous at times. I get horrible mood swings, and I've been breaking out, not badly though. Today was my 4th day on the sugar pill, and I finally got my period. It is very light, but I do have minor cramps."

• Sal...
• January 26, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Cryselle 28 (0.3 mg) for 1 year and 3 months since I was blessed with terrible period genes. My periods were extremely heavy (almost like hemorrhaging), were irregular, and would last for 7-10 days. Now, I can track my period and my flow is normal (lasts for 4-5 days). I struggled with acne on my chest and back, it cleared up within 2 months. Before I took the pill, I was a very happy, carefree, and lived-in-the-moment type of individual. The first month, I would cry my eyes out every night. The symptoms got worse until I hit 8 months, and now I'm struggling with anxiety and depression. I never dealt with anxiety or depression before, and it doesn’t run in my family, so I would not recommend this pill at all. I finally hit my breaking point not too long ago, and I’m switching to a different pill. Clearing up acne and helping my period was great and all, but mental health is extremely important, and Cryselle 28 took me to a place where I would never want to go back again."

• Jes...
• April 26, 2017

For Birth Control "I gave this pill a 5 because it did protect me from getting pregnant, so the pill does the job. Pros: easy to take. Protected me for 2 years. Did not gain any weight. Sex drive stayed normal. Cons: constant chin acne, bad PMS that would start a week after getting my period, so I felt like I never had a break. That food craving, sore breasts, emotional, angry feeling would pop up 2 weeks before my period even started. Basically, it was 1 week of normal and the rest was all hormonal. Overall, the pill does what you need it to do. Protects you from pregnancy. However, I can't take the emotions/acne, so I'm on the hunt for a new pill."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2019

For Birth Control "My doctor recommended I switch to this birth control about 2 months ago because of my worsening cramps on my period. This medication has worsened my anxiety, caused my depression to be through the roof, and made me break out with acne all over my face. My anxiety is so bad sometimes that I can’t even work up the courage to walk out of the door and go do things during the day. I had never struggled with acne in the past until I was put on this medication. Now I have acne scars and pimples all over my forehead that won’t go away even after getting medicine from a dermatologist. I am seeing my doctor on Friday to get off of this horrible birth control and get my life back on track. Do yourself a favor and NEVER go on this medication. It will make you hormonal and make you feel crazy."

• Anonymous
• May 14, 2011

For Birth Control "This really helped me for my period. Before this pill, my period was so bad, going on for 7-8 days, with serious pain for the first 4 days. I would take like 4 ibuprofen (in just 3 hours, NOT good), and it wouldn't help! But now my pain is mild to none, and that makes me happy. I was seriously hoping it would help lower my acne level though... but it gave me more, plus oily skin. Just as long as it keeps the pain away, I'll keep taking it."

• Bcc...
• May 24, 2014

For Birth Control "I switched to Cryselle after a terrible experience starting birth control with Junel. On that, I bled without break for months. So Cryselle seemed like a godsend when the bleeding stopped and I had no spotting between periods. Minimal side effects besides increased acne. My skin was fine before, but I've been on this pill for just under a year now and in recent months have developed horrible, painful cystic acne. I am looking into a new pill now."

• Bcc...
• May 24, 2014

For Birth Control "I switched to Cryselle after a terrible experience starting birth control with Junel. On that, I bled without break for months. So Cryselle seemed like a godsend when the bleeding stopped and I had no spotting between periods. Minimal side effects besides increased acne. My skin was fine before, but I've been on this pill for just under a year now and in recent months have developed horrible, painful cystic acne. I am looking into a new pill now."

• Tma...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was having abnormal bleeding due to ovarian cysts, so my gyno put me on birth control, even though I told her my body has never reacted well to any kind I’ve tried. I’ve been on it for 1.5 months now, and my breasts have already increased a full cup size, and they hurt so bad I have to put heat on them at night. My face was clear until I started Cryselle... I now have cystic acne and am currently icing my face to bring down the inflammation. The only positive thing I can say is I haven’t bled for almost 2 months, which is amazing, but I’d take abnormal bleeding anyway over these side effects."

• Ril...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 23, 2016

For Birth Control "I have had an awful experience on this pill. I switched to it 9 months ago, and since then I've gained about 15 lbs. It's given me terrible acne and headaches. I'm waiting for a different pill now, I can't wait to be off of this stuff. Everyone has different reactions to different BCs, but I would highly suggest using a different one if you can."

• Mrs...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 4, 2018

For Birth Control "I would not recommend this pill. I've been on this pill for 5 years, and at the beginning, it was okay to use for my acne and to use for regular periods, but over time, my acne comes back horribly. I have severe anxiety and I hyperventilate. I absolutely have no sex drive. It's been making me beat myself up. My mind goes crazy all the time, overthinking. I have extreme anxiety and depression, and I have crazy mood swings. I realize that I've been changing the way that I am and being angry over small things, or I cry for super small things. I've also been having chest pains that I read are a side effect. I would not recommend this pill, and I'm deciding to go off as soon as my pack is up. I would not recommend it long term."

• Anonymous
• May 30, 2012

"This is my third month on this pill, and so far, it's really good. I have not experienced any bad acne or weight gain. My periods are much less painful, I don't have to take any painkillers during my period now! (Sometimes I took 2-4 Aleve a day to stop the pain.) I haven't experienced any nausea or discomfort, and I rarely have mood swings now."

• Anonymous
• July 7, 2011

For Endometriosis "I was on this birth control pill for four years. It shortened my period from 18 days to 7, stopped my cramps completely. I did not gain any weight or have any other symptoms. When I stopped taking it, within one month I gained 20 pounds, got acne, and my cramps are worse than before. My period was back up to 10 days after one month."

• uni...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 23, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Cryselle for two months, and my overall experience has been pretty decent. The last birth control I was on made me extremely nauseous all the time. Cryselle, in my case, has only two cons. I have extremely sore breasts, and I have more acne."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 27, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on Cryselle for 5 years now. At first, it did its exact job, prevented pregnancy, and regulated my period. I became an emotional roller coaster once I got on the pill, but my mom and I always chalked it up to teenager issues (I got on it when I was 16). Once I got older and grew to realize that I was severely struggling with anxiety and depression, I felt it was best that I got off. I only got off a week ago, so I can’t say what side effects come yet, but I will say that this pill makes anxiety and depression so much worse than I could have ever expected! I also struggled with severe acne in high school. Never any weight gain though, but with the depression, I had severe body dysmorphia, and anorexia could have just kept my weight down."

• jus...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 16, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've been taking Cryselle since I was 15, I am now 21. I needed a medication to lighten my periods because I have severe anemia. Overall, I was satisfied with this birth control. I did have side effects like weight gain. I gained nearly 50 lbs over the last 7 years, which isn't normal since I have a strict diet and work out every single day. My periods were still heavy at first. But during the last year and a half, my periods last 2 days and are very light, like spotting. I am sexually active, so I was worried that I may have been pregnant, but tests say otherwise. I had random acne before my periods on my chin and cheeks. I craved salty foods around the time of my period, so that could be the culprit of my acne. Cramps weren't awful. There would be cramps that stopped me in my tracks, but they lasted a few seconds and I was fine. It's just the normal period symptoms that are normal to have! I am currently switching to Lo Loestrin and have read more bad reviews than good ones, so I'm not sure that I want to go ahead and start the pack after my last dose of Cryselle or not."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 30, 2016

For Birth Control "This pill is honestly so terrible. The first week I began taking it, I started to break out all over my face with extremely painful cystic acne. It was uncontrollable. As soon as I started to take the inert pills, my face cleared up. Also, this has caused me to form a fibroadenoma in my breast, and I have an extremely extensive family history of breast cancer in young women. I'm only 20 years old, and I have fibrocystic breast disease, and I've been on just about every birth control on the market. If you have this condition as well, STAY AWAY from this drug at all costs."

• Jaa...
• April 26, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on the pill for more than a year now, and I love it. I used to get really bad headaches before, horrible cramps, and a heavy period twice a month. The pill changed everything: no more constant headaches, no cramps or any menstrual symptoms, no acne, light flow 3-4 days, and no weight gain. The pill's been great to me!"

• col...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 30, 2016

For Birth Control "Was on this pill for two years. Gained about 15 pounds, had cystic acne around my periods, and my mood swings were unbelievable. I would find myself getting so angry and irritated at everyone and everything for absolutely no reason. Perks were I didn't get pregnant and my periods were short and light, with no cramping. This was my 6th pill I tried, and after this, I gave up and switched to an IUD. Couldn't be happier."

• Ont...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 7, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on it for about 3 years, it works, as I haven't gotten pregnant. My first 3 months were horrible, with nausea and vomiting on the first 2 weeks of the pack. I take my pill at night, so waking up on the first weeks of the pack was horrible. My doctor warned me of feeling 'morning sickness,' but the nausea subsided after the 3 months. I still occasionally get some nausea, but it's only if I missed a dose and had to take 2 on the same day. My periods are about 3 days and light. I always get it by the third day of taking the placebo pills. Some months I get cramps, but they're not painful. I get PMS one week before my period, and I've noticed I get really depressed, emotional, and get chin acne. I've gotten used to it, so I'm okay with it."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 5, 2019

For Birth Control "Comments from people with positive reviews assuming things like, “Women who rated this pill poorly just didn’t give their bodies time to adjust,” are so disheartening to see. This pill gave me crazy back acne, headaches so bad I couldn’t get up, and awful anxiety for months on end. I assure you that I gave it plenty of time to see if I would “adjust” to this pill, and I had had enough of feeling like I was going insane waiting for that to happen. If this pill worked for you, that’s great. But there’s a large number of us it didn’t work for, and that’s okay. Birth control is completely dependent on body chemistry, and while some people have done great on this pill, people who have gone through horrible things because of it are completely valid in their reviews as well. Be careful and watch your emotions and mental health when being on Cryselle."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 22, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on Cryselle for 3 months now. The first month, I was an emotional wreck, crying over nothing and just super bothered by anyone and everyone! It's gotten better now, but the week of my sugar pills, I'm still on an emotional rollercoaster. My periods shortened from 7 days to about 3-4, which is nice. My face breaks out during my period and is blotchy, but I can't completely blame it all on the pill since it happened before. This pill didn't make me gain any weight, I actually lost about 10 lbs during the first two months. Overall, this pill has been alright. At the very least, it's been effective, but I am considering switching it up."

• Geo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 30, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on Cryselle for a year and one month. I had noticed some random anxiety here and there (never have had anxiety), but it always went away quickly, and I didn’t think anything of it. However, my parents noted how I was more apathetic, withdrawn, and disinterested as time passed. I was put on an equivalent (generic) of this drug at my annual, and things quickly went off a cliff. Weight gain, acne, irrational anxiety and depression, no sex drive at all with my fiancé, and mental fog all the time. I would say that it all depends on individual body chemistry, but this pill was awful for me, maybe due to being higher in estrogen than my previous pill. I am now off this and doing so much better. Do not recommend."

• She...
• April 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been using Cryselle for almost 2 years now. ACNE: The first couple of months... my acne got pretty awful. Eventually, I started to see my acne dramatically getting better. I had severe acne before starting the pill, and now I only have a couple of pimples at a time. WEIGHT: For the first 5 months, I stayed the same weight, and my breasts didn’t grow at all (so if you are looking for a pill to make your breasts bigger, I would not recommend this pill). By the 7th month, I gained 15 pounds without changing anything in my diet or exercise. Now I fluctuate up and down quite a lot in weight without changing anything. MOOD: my mood has pretty much stayed the same from what I have noticed. The only thing that has changed since taking the pill is that my irritability has increased quite a bit. This could just be non-related to the pill, but I’m not exactly sure. Do realize not everyone reacts to medication the same, so my experience may differ from yours!"

• Kel...
• August 18, 2015

For Birth Control "Was not on BC for many years till my dr recommended birth control in order to help with my endometriosis. I've been on this for a month and a half and no progress in period or cramps, and I've never had worse acne than I do right now. I hardly wear any makeup and rarely ever get pimples, and what started as a dry, scaly rash-type thing on my chin and jawline has one week later turned into burning red acne all over my face. I've also noticed how severely depressed I have become. Although I have struggled with depression throughout the past 8 years, I have never ever felt this depressed or uninterested in anybody and everything. Everything and everyone irritates me. Once I looked up others' reviews, I decided I will not take this again."