Nora-Be and Acne: What Users Say

• Iss...
• December 29, 2020

For Birth Control "I was switched to Nora-Be from generic Beyaz. I have horrible issues with estrogen (mainly caused by my PCOS and PMDD), and so I needed a progestin-only option. Currently on pack one and will update again in a few months, but it’s amazing how much my PMDD/intrusive thoughts have decreased since starting this. No issues with acne or weight so far. Birth control is so individual that it can be trial and error to see what works. There are so many different kinds of progestin that certain ones you swear by may be awful for other women. This is just my current experience with Nora-Be, I will be back to update!"

• Lul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "This is the most awful birth control pill I’ve ever taken in my entire life, and I’ve tried several. I took it exactly on time every day for one week. Starting with day 3, I had a constant headache, nausea, acne, pain in my legs, generalized pain in my body (back, joints, etc.). By day 5 I was bleeding a little, then by day 7 I was bleeding a LOT - like if someone just drew blood straight from my arm and dumped it in the toilet. It wasn’t even like normal period blood, it was so bright red and thin. And on top of the other symptoms, I was dizzy and had cramping, too. It also gave me intense hot flashes and a slight fever, I was sweating practically all the time, and I would wake up several times a night. AWFUL! I would absolutely never recommend this pill to anyone. If I could give it negative stars, I would."

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2016

For Endometriosis "Ok, almost 3 months into taking Nora-Be, and I'm back with an update... So, I had breakthrough bleeding the first 2 months, but it slowly went away. You have to make sure to take the pill at the exact same time every day. I've lost weight, typically, looking at BC makes me gain weight. All the pain and bleeding I had for years with endo is gone. I haven't been taking the week 4 pills and jumping to a new pack, but I just read somewhere that pop doesn't have placebo pills, so the 4th week is also hormone? I'm not 100% on that yet. Ok, back to side effects... No more acne, but skin feels dry. I'm dry everywhere, unfortunately. Small price to pay for a pain-free, cyst-free existence. No headaches, no nausea, no more breakthrough bleeding. Will update in another month..."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 7, 2013

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for about 9 months now, and while I love not having a period and no mood swings, I've had terrible acne, breast tenderness (to the point of walking being painful), and I've put on about 15 lbs. I've even increased my exercise and gone on a diet, and I'm still putting on weight."

• K G...
• July 16, 2014

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been on Nora-BE for 2 full years now, prescribed post D&C for heavy bleeding and birth control. I have bad fibroids. It didn't really help with the bleeding at all. Fibroids won that battle, so I recently had the UAE procedure. Night and day! The doctor said normal periods would resume 2-4 months after UAE, and to keep taking Nora-BE. Now, 6 months post UAE, not sure when/if the period is coming. Didn't last month at all. Lots of spotting though... maybe this is my period? But spotting lasts longer than my 5-day period, more like 8-12, kind of annoying. Thought the itchiness was just me, but now that I read other users' experiences as well... I'm connecting the dots. Definitely weight gain, approximately 8-10 lbs. Breast tenderness, acne, questioning whether to continue."

• Bri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 7, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have been on Nora-Be for 2 years now. I had tried other combination pills to help with my abnormal heavy bleeding and had adverse side effects (high blood pressure, mood swings, acne, bloating). There is no estrogen in Nora-Be, so my blood pressure went back to normal once I was on it. I find that my PMS is much more stable and my complexion even cleared up on it. No issues with weight gain or hair loss. It took about 6 months for my period to stabilize, but now I have a 4-day very manageable cycle instead of 7 days of extremely heavy and clotty bleeding. Nora-Be has changed my life! Highly recommended."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 9, 2017

For Birth Control "24 yr old female. I've been on this pill for a year, and I have been on various other pills since 17. This one is one of my more favorite pills. Hardly any acne, no weight gain, no moodiness. I pretty much feel like myself except I get no periods at all, like going on 8 months now. So I talked with my OB/GYN, and I want to get my monthly cycle back, so I'm switching back to a pill I had previously. Nothing was wrong with this pill, and I loved that it was estrogen-free, but the lack of periods was disconcerting."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 18, 2019

For Birth Control "I started taking Nora-Be in January of 2018 for my periods (horrible cramps and heavy periods) and for birth control. Since I've been taking this, I haven't really noticed any bad side effects, except maybe my weight gain. In 16 months, I have gained 30 pounds. Other than that, I haven't had any bad mood swings, acne (other than what I normally have gotten my whole life). I can't take regular birth control with both hormones because there is a history of blood clots in my family. Overall, I like this medication, it's helped my bleeding and cramping so much."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 24, 2016

For Birth Control "I'm 25. I was put on this pill 8 months ago because I've been breastfeeding. Since starting the pill, I've gotten horrible acne. I'm bloated and gassy all day, every day. I'm extremely moody. My period is typically every 14 days, with the occasional 5-7 week break (very rare though) and very heavy with horrible cramps. I've gained 14 lbs; I was losing lots of my baby weight until I started this pill. Since I've started this pill, it doesn't matter how much diet and exercise I do, I can't lose the weight... I will never recommend this pill and will never go back on it!"

• Asa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 25, 2020

For Birth Control "I have had a pretty positive experience on this pill. I have been on Nora-Be for about 5 months, and I have had regular periods, lasting exactly my usual 26 days, except for the most recent month where my cycle lasted 40 days (period length has still been 4-5 days). My mood feels more stable on this pill than not, and I felt stabilized after the first month. I have gained 8 lbs since being on this pill, but it feels like this pill just increased my cravings for bad food, not necessarily forcing my weight gain. For the first 2 months, my acne was really bad. I’m on a prescribed acne cream, and it took my skin 4 months to clear back up, but everything is fine and adjusted. The UTIs are the biggest hassle. I had never had a UTI before this pill, and I’ve had one almost every month since."

• Col...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 12, 2015

For Birth Control "I'm 38 years old and have been taking Nora-Be for 10 months. I have never been pregnant and do not plan to have children. I chose this pill because I was looking for a progestin-only option with low hormones. My doctor also suggested it as a safer option because I am a smoker. Overall, my experience has been pretty positive on this pill. Way less mood swings than other pills I have been on. I get a period about every 28 days for about 5-6 days that is heavy for about 3 days and lighter the last 3 days. No spotting between periods. My sex drive increased after the first month and has remained strong. Some breast tenderness and back pain about a week before my period. Worst part: weight gain of 15 lbs and some facial hair and acne."

• Kbm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 21, 2021

For Birth Control "I've been on birth control for 5 years now. I started out on Cryselle for 3 years. I generally liked it, but it made me extremely paranoid and depressed. A new doctor then changed me to Nora-Be. I bled for a month straight, had horrible headaches, and started having terrible acne. I called my doctor, they told me it was not the pill, and they basically wouldn’t change me to a different one. So, I just stayed on Nora-Be, hoping my body would get used to it. I've been on it for 2 years now, my periods are now so irregular (roughly every 2 months) and absolutely painful. It is giving me horrible cystic acne, and it is causing me to have UTIs. I have never had acne until now, and it is painful, so I have finally decided to stop taking it, and I do not recommend this pill to anyone. I feel so naive, I didn’t realize that this pill was causing all of this until now. I give this a 2 rating because it did prevent pregnancy, but it is nowhere near worth the suffering that it has caused."

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on Nora-Be for 4 months now. For the first 3 months, the spotting seemed never-ending. It would stop for a few days and then start again. It was so annoying feeling like I should always keep a tampon in, just in case. I've gotten increased acne, but not too bad. I've also had an increased appetite and gained about 15 lbs! Major bummer! I wasn't eating well either, but I've NEVER gained weight this fast! This past month, no spotting. My period actually came a couple of weeks later than expected. I almost thought I was pregnant. This pill was useful as birth control-2 stars for that. But now I've been experiencing mood swings and depression in overdrive. I cry so easily and so often now. I'm planning on trying the full pill."

• Jes...
• September 15, 2016

For Birth Control "I was prescribed Nora-Be back in March of this year. Prior to taking this, I never had an irregular monthly cycle. Every month before, I knew my cycle like clockwork. I started taking Nora because I was recently married, and my husband and I were not ready for a child of our own just yet. Within the first few months, I hated it. I experienced acne, mood swings, and my cycle would come on at weird times and stay on for 7-10 days as opposed to my usual 3-5 days. I told my doctor I didn't like it, and she suggested I stick with it because it takes at least 3 months for my body to adjust. My cycle came on, and I have bled every day for 1 solid month. I trashed the pills and pray my body can eventually rid the hormone. Rids birth by preventing sex."

• Tay...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 30, 2017

For Birth Control "This is honestly the worst birth control I've ever been on. I've been on several types and have never experienced acne like I did on Nora-Be. I stayed on it for 9 months, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. It caused me to have painful cystic acne all over my face, the worst was by my mouth and chin. I had such bad cramps during my period that I was in tears. I just changed birth controls, and these symptoms have gone away completely. I don't know why I had such a bad effect from it, but please keep in mind you don't have to suffer for months like I did."

• Tay...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 30, 2017

For Birth Control "This is honestly the worst birth control I've ever been on. I've been on several types and have never experienced acne like I did on Nora-Be. I stayed on it for 9 months, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. It caused me to have painful cystic acne all over my face, the worst was by my mouth and chin. I had such bad cramps during my period that I was in tears. I just changed birth controls, and these symptoms have gone away completely. I don't know why I had such a bad effect from it, but please keep in mind you don't have to suffer for months like I did."

• Emk...
• November 6, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Nora-Be for about a year now, and there are a few things I can say. The first one is I am so happy to have found a birth control that (for me) has very little negative side effects. With that being said, there are two things I've noticed a few months into taking this. One is I have noticed an increase in pimples, and my skin has gotten a bit more oily, and the second one is my body hair (underarms, legs especially) seems to be growing much faster. All in all, these side effects barely bother me in comparison with what I've had to deal with on other birth controls."

• Anonymous
• November 21, 2011

"I was worried about starting hormonal birth control because I didn't want to become all crazy with mood swings and such. However, I haven't had anything like that with Nora-Be. You have to take it at the exact same time every day, but for me, that's easy, I just set the alarm on my phone. The only downfall is that I've broken out with acne on my chest and somewhat on my face, not very attractive, but a small price to pay for not getting pregnant."

• pen...
• September 13, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on Nora-Be for 2.5 years. Previously had taken a combination pill, then was off BC for a while. Started Nora-Be to alleviate my heavy, painful periods. At first, I was pleased because it helped the physical side effects of my cycle. But I noticed less and less regular periods (expected) with tons of other physical symptoms. Weight gain, acne, anxiousness, depression, fatigue, and bloating. I was so bloated all the time. I would have these horrible emotional PMS symptoms for like 3 weeks, spot for 2-3 days, normal for a week, and then back to the horrible symptoms. I just couldn't deal with it anymore - it was affecting every area of my life. On the plus side, I didn't get pregnant. I stopped taking it 6 months ago and feel great."

• Gir...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 31, 2022

For Birth Control "I feel so lucky that I have had literally only one issue with this pill. And that is… acne. I’ve had no period and literally no other side effects. But the acne… it’s starting to take a toll on my mental health, and so I’m considering switching because of this. Other than that, I love this pill."

• Hil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 27, 2022

For Birth Control "Most awful birth control in pill form that I have personally experienced taking. I have high blood pressure and have had 2 IUD expulsion experiences, so my provider thought this non-hormonal birth control would be best for me. After just 2 weeks of taking the pills, I started experiencing irregular bleeding. I had my normal menstrual period, and after my normal menstrual ended, I started having spotting for a week. Then, a week after the spotting stopped, I started experiencing non-stop heavy bright red bleeding with occasional blood clots! My normal periods hardly consisted of blood clots, and I rarely filled up an entire pad; I was having to use a tampon and a pad because the bleeding was that severe! Not to mention, I started developing painful cystic acne all along my jawline. Everyone’s body is different, but I have personally since stopped this pill after two weeks of using and do not plan to use it again!"

• Err...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2016

For Birth Control "I have 'white coat syndrome', therefore, my gyno felt that the mini pill made sense due to high blood pressure. I originally wanted a combo birth control to help with acne. I asked her about side effects, and I guess I could have researched more, but since she said it was the only option besides an IUD. I've been on it for 7 weeks now, and at first, the mini pill was wonderful. My period was shorter and had less cramping. Since then, my skin has been breaking out since it increases oil production. I look terrible. I can't have sex since I've been bleeding for 2 weeks since my period started. It's not breakthrough bleeding, it's like another period. My mood isn't affected, but I feel less confident because I'm either retaining water or gaining weight."

• Mad...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 14, 2019

For Endometriosis "I got on this Nora-Be pill maybe 3ish years ago. Thought it was helping my endometriosis. But my gynecologist and hormone doctor told me it wasn't great for helping endo. I'm taking progesterone as a hormone pill. Nora-Be has made my life change for the worse. Horrible acne, weight gain, and unwanted hair on my face. Also, my mood has changed since I've been on it. I stopped taking Nora-Be today, and I know once it gets out of my system, I'll be way better. In the near future, probably 2-3 months, I do want to get back on a better birth control that will help it better. I do not recommend this birth control to any women with endo. Does not help and makes things worse for you. I am 26 years old and without insurance right now. Without it, the pill for 3 months is over $130. Again, I do not recommend this birth control."

• Cca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2019

For Birth Control "After being on a combination pill for almost 8 years, my doctor wanted me to switch to a progestin pill due to the fact that I have a liver condition. While I protested, I switched. As soon as I switched, the first day I got acne, and the second I started to get major headaches all day that lasted until the end of the pill. The fourth day, my period started with HEAVY bleeding like never before, with huge clots, bad cramps, and crazy mood swings and depression. I called immediately to switch back to the combination pill as soon as possible. I might just be a bad case, but I'm just putting this out there to let others know it wasn't effective for my case."

• Alf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 8, 2021

For Birth Control "I took this pill as it’s one of the only hormone-free options for birth control. After a few months, I’ve gained around 10-15 pounds (I’ve been in the 120s weight range my whole adult life and now I’m 135). My breakouts are so much worse, and it got rid of my sex drive. I also feel incredibly sensitive and anxious all the time. My sister was on this pill for years and didn’t have any side effects. I guess it varies with each body. For me, it’s not worth it!"