Norethindrone and Acne: What Users Say

• fig...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 13, 2020

Norethindrone for Birth Control "Please keep in mind that everyone reacts differently to hormones and what I experienced may not be what you experience. I am writing this so the people that do experience these side effects do not feel like they are crazy. I started this birth control because I was no longer allowed to be on a combined pill. I took it for about four months and couldn’t take it anymore. My boobs hurt so bad I could barely put a bra on, my periods never regulated the way they were supposed to, I broke out like crazy and it made me so nauseous. Every month I was taking a pregnancy test because all the symptoms I was experiencing were the same as if I was pregnant, the late or non-existent period didn’t help either. I hope someone finds this useful."

• Neo...
• February 15, 2016

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I had a blood clot during my first pregnancy and this is the only thing they could prescribe. I have been taking it for 7 days and I'm moody, crampy, my face broke out (I have clear skin), no sex drive, spacy, I'm extremely tired and I'm so overly hungry. I'm very athletic so it's frustrating. Birth control is ridiculous. I have never found a good one. Even the IUD moved twice! Where the hell is male birth control?"

• Ms ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2021

Norethindrone for Endometriosis "Nuvaring user aged 19-22, tried again at 29. In 2016, I began having pelvic pain, turned out to be a ruptured cyst. In 2019 and 2020, I underwent testing for endometriosis. In 2021, I had a triple-surgeon operation for endo and was put on Norlyda to keep hormones in balance, at the age of 34. I noticed tiredness with the first packet. I am about to finish my third pack, and my skin itches horribly every day, my vision gets blurry, I'm sweating more, feeling depressed (and coping differently), and have gained 13 lbs!! These are listed side effects for Norlyda, unbeknownst to me. What's not listed is that my nipples look incredibly ugly now, my butt crack hair grows quickly, and I have more acne breakouts. BUT, I am living pain-free and with little effect on my pooping schedule. My periods are sporadic, usually shorter with darker blood. My whole body changed using this birth control. :( Sorry if TMI, but I think it's important to share, and I hope I helped someone with my experience."

• ACa...
• May 1, 2020

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I have tried every type of birth control, from implants to IUDs to rings to 5 different types of combined BCPs, but Ortho Micronor is my favorite. I take generic Micronor and it has the least amount of side effects of any hormonal birth control method I have ever used. It’s the only pill that doesn’t cause me mood swings. I have not had any notable extra acne, no facial hair, no weight gain. All other combined pills made me emotional, weepy, agitated, and irritable. I have PMDD, and Yaz actually made it worse. I will take Norethindrone for as long as I can. It’s been the best yet for me. I know every body is different, but I wish I tried this sooner. I would have saved myself a lot of painful and emotional trial and error."

• Iss...
• December 29, 2020

Norethindrone 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!"

• Sun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2020

Norethindrone for Birth Control "First, I'll say I was VERY worried about taking this after reading reviews. I'm on my second month of taking Errin, and it's gone well so far. I have not taken any meds (before this) in over 15 years, I'm 31. But after getting married, I needed birth control because we have enough fur children and don't want human ones. I really haven't noticed any major side effects. I have had somewhat tender breasts, and I did break out my first week on this, but it may have been the stress of getting married, it cleared up fine now. I don't notice any change in mood, weight, or anxiety (I have had anxiety for a while). My period is normally 28 days on the dot, with very occasional one or two day differences. My period came 2 days early after taking this (I started the pill day 1 of my period). I do notice darker periods with more clots, but other than that, it's about the same. Overall, I'm happy with this pill, especially after reading a lot of other reviews and feeling so worried!"

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

Norethindrone 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."

• man...
• May 9, 2021

Norethindrone for Endometriosis "I’ve been on Norlyda (norethindrone) for almost 2 months now. My doctor prescribed it to help with my severe periods due to endometriosis, and I was bleeding insanely badly and having severe cramps. Ever since I started this, I have yet to have a period. I take it at the same time every day, the most I’ve gone is 12 minutes past my pill time. The only side effects I've had were some acne for the first couple of weeks, but now my skin has stayed clear, my breasts are slightly smaller, I am slightly more bloated (but I do have IBS and endo), and I had some trouble sleeping for like the first 2 weeks, but nothing crazy-just had a hard time falling asleep. I have depression and anxiety, and this medication has not affected it. I think the key to this pill is taking it at the same time every day. So far, I would rate it 10/10."

• Jaz...
• October 1, 2019

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I love this pill. I was on Sprintec before this, and that one was terrible! This pill has been good for me. I’ve lost around 10 pounds. I was 124 when I started it, and 7 months later, I am now at 116. I have no acne (only on my period), and my skin and hair look the same. My cramps aren’t as bad, and I only get my period once a month between day 27-31, and it only lasts for exactly 5 days. At first, I had irregular periods for about 3 months, and now it’s getting on a schedule. I don’t feel depressed or sad or annoyed. I actually have PMDD, and this hasn’t made it worse, it’s helped, if anything. I do get massive migraines, but that's nothing medicine can’t fix or a nap. I do get tired a lot, and I haven’t been eating as much as I used to. Overall, it’s a great pill choice, and I recommend it for anyone whose body can’t take estrogen like mine."

• Ren...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 15, 2023

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I was taking this contraceptive as a replacement for the one I was on. My CNP told me I was at high risk for a heart attack being on the other birth control with my blood pressure med. Started taking it and my period became longer, 5-7 days. I was so used to a 2-3 day period. After 4 months on Heather, I was bleeding very heavily to the point I became scared. I was going through a heavy flow tampon every hour. I would have a 7-day period, stop for a week, and then wham, another 7 days. Every other week, a damn period! One month, I bled for 18 days straight, had a four-day break, and voila, another full 11-day period. I was miserable and spent more money on feminine products in 9 months than I had ever in my previous birth control experience of 2 years. Acne, so fun at my age of 48. And, the worst side effect I noticed - arthritic aches in every joint. I could barely move in the morning. I discontinued recently and feel wonderful!"

• Not...
• January 14, 2021

Norethindrone for Birth Control "Read reviews, but thought... hey, everyone is different, so it may help. YEAH RIGHT. I’m on month 3, and my periods are horrible. I was put on Heather to regulate them, but it’s made my days longer. I was originally 6-7 days a month, now I’m 11-15 days. I’m already anemic and was hoping this would be the answer. Not to mention acne. It’s awful. I’ve never had acne. Tender breasts for 2 months, mood swings & depression. Crying for no reason. I’m discontinuing this."

• Mca...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 7, 2019

Norethindrone for Birth Control "You have to be patient with this stuff. The first 3-6 months come with some pretty annoying side effects such as multiple periods a month, mood swings, and acne, but luckily for me, no weight gain. I take it for normal birth control and have been on it for about 8 months now, and I like it. My acne has actually gone away, and I get a period every other month that lasts about 3 days! I know this pill reacts differently on people, but I have no problem with it. I guess you can’t base your actual opinion off of using it for a week. Give it a chance and be patient. Also, you should be taking it at the same time every day for it to be most effective!!"

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

Norethindrone 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..."

• Lov...
• January 31, 2013

Norethindrone for Birth Control "This birth control did prevent me from getting pregnant, which is the main concern. However, I have never bled so much in my life. I am someone who has always had perfect periods without birth control. I went from that to bleeding three weeks out of the month, and it never would stop. It wasn't necessarily heavy bleeding, but it is very aggravating to bleed constantly. This medicine also made me have acne, and I normally have very clear skin. It made me have mood swings that my husband noticed. He even asked me when his nice wife was coming back. I decided after giving this three months to go for a permanent birth control method."

• Tis...
• April 30, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I have uterine fibroids, and I'm anemic. I elected to have the myomectomy, however, all surgeries were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to stop the bleeding and keep my blood levels up, I was prescribed norethindrone to stop my cycles altogether. The first three weeks or so, I didn't have any bleeding. However, at one month, I began experiencing severe acne at 42 years old! The same week, I noticed bleeding and then more frequent breakthrough bleeding while at work and when I woke up. I called to tell my gynecologist about these incidents, and the dosage was increased to 1 in the AM and 1 in the PM...the bleeding never stopped. Three packages of overnight superpads and 1 box of super tampons later, I began having excruciating contraction-like cramps. I couldn't even stand up straight. I've gained 15 lbs, and within 2 months, all of this...I'm not going to take this medication. I'll take my iron pills and hope for the best with my cycles. But nothing should feel like this."

• ama...
• May 11, 2015

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I was on a combo pill for years before Micronor, and it was the worst. I had terrible mood swings, weight gain, an increase in appetite, and low sex drive, and the headaches were TERRIBLE. Once I started getting aura migraines, my doctor made me switch. I thought Micronor would be just as bad or worse. Thankfully, however, everything has been good! I've only noticed around an 8 lb weight gain, and it pretty much all went to my chest, I went from barely a B to a full C. Can't complain about that, lol. My only real complaint is that my face, which has always been clear even throughout my teenage years, now breaks out every so often. No mood swings, decreased appetite, up sex drive, bigger boobs, regular periods, and no babies. Go Micronor!"

• man...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 19, 2019

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I was on this birth control for about one year, April 2018 to April 2019. My gyno told me to expect changes in my skin/weight, but boy did I not know what I was in for. The only upside of using this pill was no periods, but the downside was so much of my hair fell out, I gained about 30 pounds, and I went from clear skin to the worst acne I've ever had in my life. I'm 31, and it wasn't even this bad in my teenage years. I'm officially done with this pill. I gave it time for my body to become used to it, but even after a year it only seems to be getting worse. Seems like the weight gain is not stopping and the acne is so bad. If possible, please find another BC pill."

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2022

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I have struggled with depression and anxiety for years. When I decided to get back on birth control at age 43, my Dr. prescribed Heather because pills with estrogen had a high risk of adverse reaction with an antidepressant I'm taking. After 3 months of extreme fatigue, super irritability, increased depression/constant crying, hair loss, acne, insane bleeding with large clots, bloating, cramps, headache, and back pain, all my Dr. (who I used to love) said was, 'I'm sorry you're having trouble adjusting to the hormones.' I feel like I've been set back several months on the progress I'd been making with my emotional issues. I stopped taking it today and can't wait to get back to 'normal.' Beware!"

• Abl...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 27, 2015

Norethindrone for Endometriosis "First 4 months I had a period every 2 weeks, extreme bloating (15 lbs), very tender breasts, but those all went away. After this, my periods evened out to every 28 days. I had some mild acne, and my PMS and cramps were very, very mild. About a year in, I went off these pills because I was very depressed and suicidal. I had also developed severe insomnia, social anxiety, and was constantly freezing. Within days of being off these pills, my depression disappeared (I have never been depressed before), I'm warm at a temperature below 78 degrees, and I can sleep. I can't have estrogen, so these pills were a godsend for my severe PMS and cramps, but the mental side effects were horrible and developed slowly. Be careful."

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2019

Norethindrone for Birth Control "Before I got on this pill, I looked up the reviews and was terrified from all the terrible things I read, but my gyne highly recommended it for me, and I’m happy she did. I’ve been on this pill for about two months now, and my experience has been great. Before getting on this pill, I would have terrible heavy periods that came along with cramps, acne, tender breasts, and mood swings. I have not gotten my period at all since starting it, only spotting with minor cramps. And I have not had any other terrible side effect. I would say give it a try because not everyone’s body is the same."

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

Norethindrone 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."

• Rah...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 6, 2019

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I have been taking Errin for a week now. I started it the first day of my period. I usually have a 2-3 day period, but it stayed on for 6 days, it wasn't heavy. I get emotional due to the pill, I have lost weight, and I also notice my bottom is getting rounder! I'm experiencing light cramping, my hair is still intact, and no acne. I will follow up with you guys in about a month if there are any changes..."

• Emm...
• December 5, 2014

Norethindrone for Birth Control "I have been taking Micronor for almost a month now. I used to take Yaz for 2 years but had to stop due to migraines. I've honestly had 0 problems with Micronor, much to my surprise after reading so many negative reviews. I do not have spotting, weight gain, etc. It doesn't help my acne, but I don't think it's making it worse. I think people may be having issues with spotting and heavy bleeding because they are not taking the pill at the exact same time every day. I take it at exactly 6 and have had no problems!"

• blo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 10, 2018

Norethindrone for Endometriosis "Taking this medicine is a severe mistake. This drug does not at all reduce cramping, bleeding severity, or promote bodily menstrual regularity. Instead, after only 2 months of using it, my hair is falling out in the shower, my acne is severe, I've gained 11 pounds, and my anxiety is unbearable. This drug has caused me to have a period every 2 weeks since being on it, and with each period, I am vomiting and swelling up. My breasts are so tender that I cannot even put a bra on. I am entirely exhausted all of the time - something I never had an issue with until taking this medicine. I have an appointment first thing tomorrow to come off of this drug - what a nightmare."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2020

Norethindrone for Endometriosis "The doctor placed me on this when I came off the birth control patch and had magnified symptoms such as excruciating cramps and extended bleeding. While these were both suppressed by the norethindrone, this medicine brought on a whole host of new side effects: hot flashes, night sweats, oily skin and hair, acne, water retention, breast tenderness, and - holy heck - the MOOD SWINGS! I feel like I'm yelling at everyone! I have PMDD, and this medicine has made it 10x worse, where I cannot stand to be around anyone and vice versa. I decided to tell my doctor about it this week, and he wanted to give me the Minivelle Dot to see if that would help, but I felt even worse after wearing it for 5 hours. I decided to go back on Xulane because at least that controls all the symptoms, even if I do have spotting for most of the month. I'd rather deal with that than feeling like this!"