Cryselle and Bleeding: What Users Say

• 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."

• bjg...
• August 25, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was prescribed Cryselle for extremely heavy periods due to a fibroid tumor. The bleeding I experienced not only interfered with my daily life but also caused anemia and seemed to only be getting heavier by the month. I started taking Cryselle 4 months ago - and haven't experienced any negative side effects (other than the expected breakthrough bleeding month two, which I attributed to my body adjusting to the medication). My periods are much lighter! Also, PMS type symptoms like sore breasts and bloating have significantly decreased. I'm very pleased so far with Cryselle!"

• Sca...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2018

For Birth Control "I never would recommend. It's only prevented pregnancy. I've had every worse side effect. Ever since I started it, I've bled so heavily for over a month. I feel like I'm sick and dizzy from blood loss. I have major headaches and episodes of crying. Episodes of anger, depression, irritation, frustration, like a psycho. I'm not myself at all. I'm in such a dark place. I can't take it! It's ruining my life. I've never been so mad and sad in my life. Uncontrollably miserable in and out every day. If I'm not raging annoyed over small stuff, I'm blank, blah, and annoyed, and I mentally break down every other day. I'm switching to Ortho Tri-Cyclen. Something about Cryselle will make you cry forever. If you want to be negative all the time, just plain miserable, and unpleasant to be around, or want to be a psycho, this pill's for you. I can't believe how horrible this is."

• Hai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I was only on this birth control for one cycle. I couldn't stand it. It made me crazy, utterly insane. I was so paranoid, I couldn’t get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night because I was convinced someone was in my apartment. I would cry at the drop of a hat, and everything made me rage-y. On top of that, I had the worst vaginal dryness of my life. I was actually cracking and bleeding. Cryselle may work for you, but it made me feel horrible-mentally, emotionally, and physically."

• Anonymous
• September 21, 2016

For Birth Control "Breakthrough bleeding all month for almost two years, extreme irritability, to the point that I came here to read others' moods when on this drug. Also, the PMS symptoms last all month long. I am only level-headed when it's the week off. No sex drive, bloating, cramping, nausea, fatigue, and really greasy hair. I am going to ask for a new pill. I tried to stay on this pill, but it's bad in every way."

• Nik...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I started Cryselle as my first birth control drug. When I started, I bled on and off for about a month. After that, everything was great. Very regular periods lasting about 5 days with only 1-2 “heavy” days. Just experienced the normal teenage acne problems, nothing out of the ordinary. No cramps. Some weight gain but was also a part of growing out of adolescence. I’m 20 now and had to switch pills because over the past year, periods have gone down to about 3 days with very light cycles and have had pre-hypertension for about 2 years. Now my blood pressure qualifies for hypertension, so I switched in hopes it would come down. Also experienced breakthrough bleeding of brown discharge for two weeks straight. Assuming it was a lot of old blood that had accumulated. After switching, my body has finally let go of all that old blood (there was a lot), so just be mindful of that. Was on this pill for about 4 years and it was a good run."

• Nik...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I started Cryselle as my first birth control drug. When I started, I bled on and off for about a month. After that, everything was great. Very regular periods lasting about 5 days with only 1-2 “heavy” days. Just experienced the normal teenage acne problems, nothing out of the ordinary. No cramps. Some weight gain but was also a part of growing out of adolescence. I’m 20 now and had to switch pills because over the past year, periods have gone down to about 3 days with very light cycles and have had pre-hypertension for about 2 years. Now my blood pressure qualifies for hypertension, so I switched in hopes it would come down. Also experienced breakthrough bleeding of brown discharge for two weeks straight. Assuming it was a lot of old blood that had accumulated. After switching, my body has finally let go of all that old blood (there was a lot), so just be mindful of that. Was on this pill for about 4 years and it was a good run."

• Kkk...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 19, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on multiple different BC pills because I always end up getting breakthrough bleeding after 8 months or so. This pill I've been on the longest, 2 years, and I just started experiencing the breakthrough bleeding 4 months ago. It would start around my second week of pills, and I would begin with all the PMS symptoms first. Swollen breasts, bloating, mood swings. Then I would have spotting for a day or two. The spotting would go away, but the PMS symptoms would stay until I got my period at the scheduled time. So the bloating and swollen, tender breasts for 3 weeks out of the month got old, so my doctor switched me to Aleese. I've yet to try it. But overall, I didn't have a bad experience with Cryselle. I would highly recommend it."

• Jas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 4, 2023

For Endometriosis "I started Cryselle a year and a half ago for endometriosis. My doctor originally started me on it with the instructions to take it perpetually, skipping the placebos. The worst thing to do. Your body can't handle that, and I had constant bleeding for several months. Once I started taking it for three months and then a week of placebos, my period evened out, and I haven’t experienced any pain or heavy periods since. However, I noticed I started gaining weight fast. I went up two dress sizes within three months. As of now, I have gained thirty pounds on this pill and can't seem to shake the weight off with exercise. I also naturally had a high metabolism, which seemed to completely disappear. Overall, I love that it works, but the side effects are a bit too much. I'm worried that I’ll just continue to gain weight on this pill, as I haven't stopped yet."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 25, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on Low-Ogestrel for about 6 years, and then all of a sudden my pharmacy stopped carrying it, so they gave me Cryselle. I was weary from the start because my body is so sensitive to changes in medication. The difference in the fillers was enough to cause me to have horrible breakthrough bleeding for multiple weeks. It helped with my cystic acne on my jaw and neck, but I can't deal with the constant bleeding, so switching to Syeda to see if that works!"

• DD1...
• October 19, 2016

For Birth Control "I first took Cryselle when I was 15, and I had the worst side effects: breakthrough bleeding, headaches, anxiety attacks, weight gain, and my periods lasted 2 weeks. I got on it again when I was 18 and had little side effects! My periods are a little heavier and hurt a bit more, and I have very sore boobs. Other than that, it's a charm. No pregnancy."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 24, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill twice now. The first time I was on it, I used it for 6 months, and my doctor decided to take me off of it for some time because I began having breakthrough bleeding and periods as long as, if not longer than, before I was on the pill and just as painful. After some time on another pill, my doctor recommended that I go back on it and see how things went the second time around. I have been on it for 6 more months, and nothing has changed since the last time. The first few periods were fine and like normal without the pill, but again, I began to bleed randomly, and the pain became worse, as well as my normal periods lengthening and becoming heavier."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 24, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill twice now. The first time I was on it, I used it for 6 months, and my doctor decided to take me off of it for some time because I began having breakthrough bleeding and periods as long as, if not longer than, before I was on the pill and just as painful. After some time on another pill, my doctor recommended that I go back on it and see how things went the second time around. I have been on it for 6 more months, and nothing has changed since the last time. The first few periods were fine and like normal without the pill, but again, I began to bleed randomly, and the pain became worse, as well as my normal periods lengthening and becoming heavier."

• Wen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 9 months after pregnancy. I don't feel that I've gained any weight. Although I eat well and recently, within 2 months, went back to the gym. The worst part about this BC is the breakthrough bleeding for weeks at a time. Skipping periods... My cycle is most definitely unregulated since the 1st month. I haven't gotten pregnant, so that's great, but my husband and I are losing our sex life. I want to change, but I dislike when hormones are messed up."

• E72...
• January 27, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control for nearly 6 months. In the beginning, I got that it wasn't awful, I did experience mood swings at first and breakthrough bleeding. The longer I have been on it, the more consistent it's almost as if I have my period 3 weeks on and one week off. It has made me severely irritable, to put it nicely, and because I have been bleeding so much, my sex drive has also suffered. I would not recommend this birth control to anybody. In my opinion, it's awful."

• mid...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2022

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "The first pack I had no issues. It was almost like I was taking nothing. Second pack, I began to have painful cystic acne pop up on my cheeks and lower jawline. I was almost finished with the pack, and due to my work schedule, took them off schedule (minutes to a few hours) for I think 3-4 days straight. Hell promptly began. I started bleeding lightly during the day and heavily during the night. At about 6 pm every day, painful cramps would begin to set in, back pain would intensify, breasts were swollen and tender, and flow increased during the night. I was getting up 2-3 times to empty my diva cup. I skipped 3 days of pills desperate for relief, and it worsened. It got to the point I was emptying my cup every hour/1.5 hours, and was leaking. Instructed to finish the third pack, and we’d reevaluate. Finished it. Still bleeding. Instructed to take 2 pills for 3 days, and if the bleeding didn’t stop we’d have to find a different option. So far, the extra pill has made the bleeding worse."

• Axm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I started this birth control completely fine the first week. After the first week, I started bleeding badly and continued to take the pill. I had been bleeding for 3 months straight while on Cryselle."

• DMH...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "On the third pack, and bleeding has yet to stop. Sometimes the bleeding is actually lighter on the week of my period."

• Cry...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 10, 2023

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "When I first started taking it, I had no problems. After a break, I started taking it again, and I’ve started bleeding for a very long time - 11 days. My cycle is usually 5 days."