Nora-Be and Sore Breasts: What Users Say

• col...
• June 10, 2010

For Birth Control "I had been on the combined oral pill for many years and had tried many different kinds. I have experienced every kind of mood swing possible, severe cramping and abdominal pain, headaches, nausea, heartburn, moodiness, and had severe irritability, and uncontrollable bursts of tears before and during my period! As well as a decrease in libido. I felt out of control! I went to the doctor, she told me I was experiencing PMDD, which is much worse than PMS. She put me on Nora-Be since it only has a synthetic progesterone and no synthetic estrogen (which apparently increases all of the craziness). Only taken for a short time, but better already! I have more control of my emotions, and my libido is back in overdrive! Breasts are tender though."

• 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."

• efa...
• May 21, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been taking Nora-Be for a year now and have noticed the following side effects: 1. I never knew when I would have my period. On this birth control, it seems to be every 3 months. 2. I have gained about 10 pounds even though I have maintained my normal level of physical activity and diet. Before starting BC, I had maintained the same weight for a number of years, so the weight gain is not welcome. 3. I have experienced minor vision problems. Mostly, my eyesight is blurry, and sometimes I have difficulty focusing. 4. My breasts have increased in size (probably due to the weight gain). Though I cannot really complain about the larger breasts, they are fairly tender-sometimes uncomfortably so."

• Mom...
• January 17, 2019

For Birth Control "I’m breastfeeding, so my doc gave me this med as birth control. I’ve been taking it for almost 2 months. During that time, I’ve been extremely gassy, gained about 20 lbs (after losing almost all the baby weight!) with no change in eating habits (generally eating healthy and balanced and exercising), and have felt “blah.” I have not experienced any bleeding-no period, no discharge, no cramping, or abdominal pain. I do have breast tenderness. No emotional side effects like mood swings. At first, I didn’t realize what was making me feel this way. Thought it was the stress and business involved in taking care of 5 kids. Then, when I was taking the pill one morning, my husband suggested maybe it was the reason. I went online to see if others also had similar issues. Needless to say, I’m making an appointment with my doc to see if she can switch to something else that is safe to take during breastfeeding. Hope this feedback helps."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2017

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Well, ever since I was 13, my periods were not normal, they would last for more than a week. I would get horrible side effects, such as nausea, cravings, cramps, you name it. I got extremely tired of it, and I was prescribed Nora-Be. It's been good to me. I started it while on my period, I only bled for two days! Not even bad! It was a small spot and done. I felt so relieved!!! I noticed no weight gain, and I felt great. I get no side effects from it, but if I do, which is rare, it's breast pain. I recommend this, but of course, everyone's body is different!!! P.S. I've been on it for ages."

• Spe...
• April 30, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on this medication (Nora-Be) for a little over a month now, and my only complaint is that I have no idea when I'll get my period, the random spotting, and the length of the period. Each time I have spotting, I'm not sure if it's my period or spotting. Then when I finally got my period, I had no idea how long it would be (still having it 6 days later). One of the main reasons I went on birth control was to control my period, since I have migraines, however, I'm no longer allowed (per PPNE) to have estrogen in my birth control, which takes out that ability to control my period. Beyond that, no other side effects (i.e., weight gain, breast tenderness). I'll report back if that changes over the next few months."

• SDa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 18, 2019

For Birth Control "Started taking Nora-Be (norethindrone) about ten months ago after having a serious DVT and pulmonary embolism with lung damage. I had been on NuvaRing prior to that for over a decade without issue, but after DVT/PE I can only use birth control methods without estrogens. Overall, I am satisfied with Nora-Be and haven’t had any pregnancies while taking it. When I first started, I did notice my breasts were more tender, periods were less regular/reliable, and I had some hair loss (although I am unsure of whether taking this caused it). Those have all resolved. It has to be taken at the same time every day, so I set an alarm and am pretty good about taking it on time. I take a pregnancy test now and then if my period runs late. There has only been one month on this pill that I did not get a period. It can be less convenient than other methods (at least at first), but better than nothing for those of us who have limited birth control options due to health issues."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 10, 2013

For Birth Control "I asked my doctor to change my birth control because of migraines. He put me on Nora-Be, and after 3 weeks, I started with these side effects: cramping, bloating, breast sensitivity, trouble sleeping, itchy scalp, and constipation, and still had a few migraines. I was like that for 2 weeks and had the doctor put me back on the loretadine b.c. I used before for irregular periods. Would not recommend this medicine at all!!!!"

• Fur...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 4, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "First of all, everyone will have their own unique experience with birth control. My experience with this BC was pretty good. When I first started taking it, I felt a little dizzy and nauseous for about a week. I began taking this BC to treat heavy periods. It definitely reduced my bleeding, as needed. It also cleared up my acne and leveled my mood. What I didn’t like was the unpredictability of my cycle. Sometimes I would go 3 months with no period, sometimes I would have 26-day cycles. Sometimes I would go a month or two feeling great. Sometimes I would have PMS symptoms (mostly bloating, tender breasts, and some cramping) for months. Knowing this BC is not as effective for preventing pregnancy, several times I felt like I might be pregnant, and I stressed about it a lot. After 2.5 years of taking this BC, I decided I wanted something that makes my cycle more predictable and more effective. I’m now taking a low-dose conventional BC, and I feel so much better."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2016

For Birth Control "Well, I initially went on this birth control to regulate my hormones - lots of breakouts lately and mood swings. I've been on the patch, Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, and Yaz before - all of them I had bad side effects with. I can say for sure Nora-Be calmed my breakouts and mood swings, which is great... but it definitely gave me a heavy period, bloating, fatigue, depression, aloofness, itchy dryness, and tender breasts. The pros do not outweigh the cons in this case, so I will be going off. Also, I just read about the ovarian cyst side effects... not worth it!"

• Kay...
• February 21, 2018

For Birth Control "I started taking this after my IUD came out, and my doctor advised that this was a safe pill for me since I have a history of elevated BP. Upon starting to take the pill, my breasts became incredibly tender, and none of my bras would fit. After about 3 months on this, I gained about 20 pounds even while following a healthy diet and exercising regularly. I would also bleed every other week and had constant mood swings. It did its job, though, I didn’t get pregnant, but the side effects, I felt, ended up being too much for me to deal with."

• Bek...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 4, 2021

For Birth Control "While this pill did prevent pregnancy, it hurt everything else. I started taking this around 6 weeks after having my daughter. I was prescribed this pill because I was pumping breast milk. All postpartum bleeding had stopped. Then I took this for the first time and had extreme cramps similar to contractions. I then had heavy bleeding for almost 3 months. Along with that bleeding came cramps, nausea, migraines, and fatigue. After the bleeding stopped, I never got another period. It was to the point that I thought I may have been pregnant because it also caused tender breasts, nausea, and fatigue. It also gave me a lot of acne, which is something I never had an issue with before. I stopped taking this pill today and am already experiencing heavy bleeding and awful cramps. While I know birth control works differently for everyone, I strongly recommend making sure this is right for you before you start taking it."

• Dia...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 18, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Nora-Be now for 2 years, and it’s worked good, but it gave me most of the side effects: blurred vision, breast pain, changes in menstrual period, chills, dark urine, decreased vision, diarrhea, difficulty with swallowing, discouragement, dizziness, double vision, feeling sad or empty, general tiredness and weakness, headache, heavy non-menstrual vaginal bleeding, hives, light vaginal bleeding between regular menstrual periods, loss of interest or pleasure, migraine headache, nausea, and vomiting. It really makes me feel sad all the time, even in the happiest times, I can’t feel happy anymore."

• Dov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on this pill for 1 month, and it's been treating me good so far. The only side effects experienced were breast tenderness, increased appetite, and itchy scalp."