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Camila and Bleeding: What Users Say

Bleeding: mentioned by 21 users (17.5%)

Based on user experiences from 120 Camila reviews, the following table shows the most commonly mentioned side effects.

All user comments are moderated by Drugs.com. Each review is verified for relevance and screened for inappropriate content. Side effects are user-reported and not clinically verified.

acne 25.0%
weight gain 25.0%
mood swings 19.2%
cramps 18.3%
bleeding 17.5%
bloating 15.0%
irregular periods 14.2%
sexual dysfunction 11.7%
hair loss 10.0%
spotting 10.0%

Reviews for Camila

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Sha...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • August 16, 2015

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Started this medication 4 months ago as a trial/alternative to hysterectomy. Thus far, I have experienced bleeding more than not. (Great way to spend summer!) The abdominal pain and never knowing when you will start to bleed out is awful!! Can't wait to meet with the doctor next month and get off of this drug :("

1 / 10
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31 Report
  • cec...
  • October 14, 2020

For Birth Control "I'll preface that I know every woman is different, but I LOVE Camila birth control pill. This is the first birth control I have tried, and I do not plan on switching to anything different anytime soon. I have been on Camila for about a year and 3 months now (I'm currently 20), and the only side effects I have experienced were a slight libido change when I first went on it the first week. I'm currently on my 3rd period cycle (I had a period in April, June, and now October), which does not bother me too much since my gynecologist said irregular bleeding is common on 'minipills.' I also cannot take anything with estrogen because I get migraines with aura, so I was happy to find a pill that seems to work for me and help with my migraines! Just take into account the time sensitivity of minipills and how important the timing of taking the pill is, as this could lead to pregnancy, as I've seen in other comments. If you are thinking of going on Camila, I definitely recommend it since the side effects are very minimal and it gets its job done! (:"

10 / 10
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15 Report
  • Jes...
  • July 1, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have just finished my 2nd pack. Starting 3rd tomorrow. I am bleeding every other week. I started taking it to regulate my periods. It has made it worse. I am constantly bleeding, either spotting or full-blown. My breasts have gotten bigger. My mood swings are off the wall. I do not know if I can make it through this 3rd month all the way. I am tired of having to buy 2 packs of pads."

1 / 10
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17 Report
  • Hap...
  • June 16, 2016

For Birth Control "After having awful hemiplegic migraines with aura (which mimics a stroke and is really scary) on the combined pill, my OB prescribed this instead. I have not had one of these debilitating migraines since. I do notice some hair loss, but it's not noticeable to anyone else but me. I rarely get breakthrough bleeding (but I never had heavy periods to begin with, just really painful). The tradeoff is so worth it. This pill has made my life so much better."

9 / 10
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17 Report
  • Did...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • April 29, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I tried to take Camila for three months in order to stop very painful periods with heavy bleeding. I had one normal period, and then I had a period EVERY OTHER WEEK for two months. The severity of my periods had not changed at all, so I was essentially bedridden every other week with bad cramps and heavy bleeding. I was too exhausted to do anything on the 'off' weeks. I hoped this birth control would work for me because I can't take estrogen birth control in case it would raise my intracranial pressure. In fact, I do think that taking Camila still raised my pressure anyway, but not a significant amount. It also may have been exacerbating the ovarian cysts and polyp that I have, which are probably causing my painful periods in the first place! Ultimately, the risk of side effects on top of the excessive bleeding was not worth it, and I stopped taking this medication."

1 / 10
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10 Report

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  • Jun...
  • August 29, 2018

For Birth Control "This bc almost ruined my life and destroyed my last relationship. I was on and off Camila for the past 3 years that I was with my ex-boyfriend because I get migraines and couldn't take the combo pill. This bc gave me awful, painful acne that wrecked my self-esteem and made me never want to go outside. My hair started falling out in clumps (I lost probably one-third of the total volume), and I became an angry, mean person. I experienced severe depression and anxiety on this pill, and I had a hair-trigger temper, which I never did before. I almost didn't graduate college because of how difficult it became to just get out of bed in the morning. Some days all I could do was cry. I barely recognized myself. I also would bleed randomly during the month and ruined a lot of underwear this way. Being on this pill was honestly a nightmare for me. I switched to a low-dosage IUD (Skyla) a couple of years ago, and my life (and skin) have been so much better since. My moods are much more stable, plus my hair even grew back!"

1 / 10
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13 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • October 8, 2015

For Birth Control "A life saver. I have never been able to take estrogen combined pills. Always had bad side effects. Once I was put on Camila, it was totally different. I had irregular bleeding at first, but now all is well. I love this pill. It's the only one my body has tolerated. We are still being careful because of the less efficiency of combined pills. But I give it a 10 because it's the only one for me!"

10 / 10
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15 Report
  • RIG...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • February 20, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on Camila since I had my baby in July 2015. I breastfeed, so this pill was the best for me at the time. I just had a consultation with my primary doctor due to a very big increase in my weight, before starting this pill, I had lost all my baby weight. I am now 25 pounds heavier, the heaviest I've been all my life. I have had headaches, hair loss, mood swings, low sex drive, and irregular bleeding. After reading all these reviews, it has become very clear to me I need to stop this pill immediately."

1 / 10
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12 Report
  • Dev...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • January 5, 2020

For Birth Control "Prescribed Camila as a birth control due to high blood pressure, couldn't take some of the others. My first 3 months were okay. I did have changes in my skin (went from clear skin to having weird acne all the time). My periods were lighter but longer, and the cramps were more painful than what I experienced pre-pill. Month 4, I started having breast tenderness constantly. Period was lighter and only lasted 4 days. I thought my body had finally adjusted to the pill. That excitement didn’t last as I had heavy bleeding which started up a week later, lasting 7 days. Similar situation month 5: *Possible TMI ahead* The first period was 5 days, barely any cramps, light bleeding but all tissue. There was almost no unclotted blood. Now, 6 days later, I wake up yesterday to blood everywhere. Totally unexpected. At the moment, I’m having terrible cramping and heavy flow with a lot of tissue present. I hate this! The irregularity and pain are not worth it."

4 / 10
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6 Report
  • Ano...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • February 12, 2020

For Birth Control "PREGNANT. Yup. To be honest, the pill seemed to work great for me. No weight gain that I noticed. No mood swings, crazy bleeding, or pain. Nothing. But alas, it failed me. Took the pill every day. But still ended up with a bun in the oven."

2 / 10
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7 Report
  • Man...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • December 13, 2019

For Birth Control "Was on Camila for about 3 years because I have debilitating migraines. I love it, however, I'm bloated some days and crampy. I definitely had breakthrough bleeding. You will have bleeding if you miss the pill sometimes. I didn't get a period for a whole month, and while it's great, my body just felt heavy. I had a baby (I stopped taking it) and went back on it again after."

5 / 10
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4 Report
  • Sha...
  • March 18, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on and off with the mini pill, switching between pills to see what works best. I haven’t been consistent until just now, starting in January. I constantly bleed. Either it's every other week or every other two weeks. My period comes every 28 days, but I always spot in between, and it’s bothersome when you think you’re done bleeding for the month and then out of nowhere start bleeding again. When my period is about to come, my breasts hurt super bad, and I get real nauseous. It made me think I was pregnant, until the test was negative and my period came on the 28th day. I get terrible cramps when I’m spotting and also when I’m on my period. It protects you for sure, but it’s a hassle to deal with constant bleeding. I also break out when I’m on my period, and my face does clear up though after my period ends. I crave things sometimes and mood swings. I get irritated more quickly, and I’m super tired most days."

10 / 10
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4 Report
  • Ale...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 19, 2018

For Birth Control "My doctor prescribed Camila because I was 5 weeks postpartum and still breastfeeding. After taking the pill for the first 3 days at the same time, I started spotting, by day 4 into day 5, I started having heavy bleeding. It didn't affect my milk supply, but I could not deal with the heavy bleeding, so I stopped taking the pill."

1 / 10
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4 Report
  • Juj...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • November 2, 2019

For Birth Control "When I first started on Camila in 2014, yes, I bled a lot over several months. I was going through a divorce and had a lot of stress anyway. I had lost 10 lbs in two months when I first started. I thought that was appropriate since the estrogen pills made me gain it. I stayed like that for about three years. Then, all of a sudden, it seemed like the formula changed. The packaging sure changed. I started gaining weight and bleeding again. I am a marathon runner and also a gym rat who watches what she eats, so I didn't understand the weight gain. I don't know if I can get back on this one, but I have been trying others with the same active ingredients (trying each for at least four months). The weight gain just won't stop, and I will do anything to have Camila work like it used to. All the reviews are so mixed. I am onto Heather to see if it will take the weight off. If not, I don't know what I will do...."

8 / 10
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3 Report
  • MkM...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 23, 2022

For Birth Control "I am 19 years old. Got on this prior to having kidney surgery because I was worried about blood pressure and clots from the combo pill. I was told that I would experience fewer side effects. I bled for weeks and stopped taking it after about a month and a half. After kidney surgery, I felt bloated and a lot more pain that was getting worse. Went to the ER and I have a massive ovarian cyst. It wasn't on my ultrasounds from March (it is now May). I truly believe that this birth control caused this! And I was not informed of this risk at all. I would have never taken it if I knew this could happen, and I'm kicking myself for trusting the nurse who prescribed it. Now I am trying to recover from surgery with this cyst on the same side. Do not take."

1 / 10
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2 Report
  • Rae...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 4, 2016

For Birth Control "This was the worst birth control I have been on since I started 10 years ago. I have taken Crystelle, the depo shot, and this. I changed doctors, and my previous doctor prescribed Camila when I was breastfeeding, but after I stopped, the side effects came out of nowhere, hard. That's when I had constant bloating, breakthrough bleeding, and mood swings. My new doctor said it wasn't a period like I thought because I would bleed on and off for days, then weeks. She said it was breakthrough bleeding. It stopped pregnancy by making you feel unattractive with all the random bleeding and bloating. Switching doctors was the best decision because she gave me Crystelle again, and now I am back to normal and lost some weight. Only use if breastfeeding."

3 / 10
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7 Report
  • Sam...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 12, 2019

For Birth Control "I was using Norlyda because my periods are heavy, super painful, and cause migraines. I stopped it due to breakthrough bleeding and acne, so I was then switched to Camila. A few months passed before I decided to give Camila a try. It's been a horrible experience overall: acne, vaginal pain, and cramping. Not to mention facial hair growth. I'll have to stop completely all over again and track my ovulation (which I already do). Just unfortunate that it has to be that way. I already suffer from cystic acne, but I'd rather deal with that than be on a pill that makes it worse. My face hurts, and so does my abdomen."

1 / 10
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4 Report
  • Mac...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 24, 2017

For Birth Control "I got on this pill specifically from my doctor because I was still nursing. She assured me this is the pill to get on so my milk supply would not dry up. WRONG. I took it for about 6 days - on the 6th day I started pumping and absolutely nothing came out. Just empty. I also started bleeding. Not heavy, very light. I got off of it immediately."

3 / 10
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1 Report
  • roa...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • March 6, 2018

For Birth Control "This birth control was horrible for me. I have never had such a bad experience. Generally, I respond just fine to any birth control (and I have been on quite a handful). The only potential factor here is that I am a few months postpartum, so it is possible that my body still needs time to regulate, but I have gotten so much breakthrough bleeding on this pill, and I really feel like things should be more normal by this point. If you have another option, I highly advise taking any pill other than this one."

1 / 10
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  • Ema...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • December 9, 2019

For Birth Control "I had to stop Camila after one month. Ordered it online after filling out a brief questionnaire. Due to the fact I smoke and am 35, they gave me Camila. I used Ortho Tri-Cyclen my whole life and had no issues. This one made me have my period for a straight month with maybe a week off. I bled so heavily I went to the ER and was in so much pain they thought I had developed a blood clot in my lung. I almost went a second time due to heavy bleeding again a week later. Mood swings were insane... I feel these results are caused by too much estrogen in this pill. Either way, I feel so much better being off it for just one week. Good luck!"

1 / 10
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9 Report
  • Ash...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • October 7, 2018

For Birth Control "With my experience - Don’t get it!!!! I have been bleeding for 2 months!"

1 / 10
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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.