Loestrin 24 Fe and acne

I have been on Loestrin for about 6+ months now. I have a lot of the same symptoms as everyone else. The only thing that is different is that I'm not feeling psycho anymore...because I had my doctor put me on another medication to help with that. The name of it is Lexapro. It is AMAZING! I could tell a huge difference within the first week. I have never felt so rational, level headed, and normal before in my life. My husband loves it! We used to fight all the time. Now, it's only once in a blue moon. Lexapro works wonders, hand in hand with loestrin. As far as the extreme fatigue, weight gain, acne, etc. that I have, I don't know what to do. I haven't had a period in 3 months.

hey, this is my first time taking the pill ever!!!! i was on theshot almost 2 yrs ago after i had my daughter for about 2 yrs that was cool no weight gain nothing:) but then my doc told me she had 2 take me off because the hormone makes u lose bone mass(yikes!!!) so 2 yrs later i back at it with loestrin so far so good. my period is ramdon i spot here and there no acne thank goodness. i always had depressing moments i don't if i'm having more or this is jus regular ol me crying, lol, but anyway i sorta like it im stick it out until i can't take it anymore. i think it may just b how ur body reacts to certain types of bc, bcuz i kno that my best friend had major issues with her body when it comes to bc but me 4 the most part i'm cool so i goona stick 2 it until then!!! peace

I have been on this pill for about 3 months now and I absolutely love it. Have had no mood problems, a VERY light period lasting about 2 days each month and no weight gain. My face is actually looking better where as I had acne before and no issues with sex drive either. Maybe it's not just the pill itself but it depends on your body as well, and what you're more susceptible to. Just a thought.

OH BOY... ok so i have been on Loestrin 24fe for a little over a year. haha. for the first 6 months.. everything was fabulous!! no mood swings.. no bloating .. weight LOSS... no acne.. it was the happy pill! also.. i had absolutely NO periods at all!! no spotting.. bleeding.. cramps. nothing! it was great. then.. just recently.. in the past 4-5 months.. i have been tired all of the time! it seems like no amount of sleep will satisfy!! i could sleep all day and still be tired! sex drive has definitely taken a nose dive.. and the bad part about that is my bf and i have a long distance relationship.. we only see each other every few months!! so when i am w/ him.. what do you think i wanna do?! but the sex drive just isn't there! recently.. i have started to have random spotty periods even on the white pills. and that makes me crazy paranoid that i am pregnant or something else is wrong.. even though i have taken my pill by alarm daily! mood swings.. OH man.. depression up and down. one day i seem fine and motivated to live.. the next.. i hate my life.. i am confused and all i want to do is lay alone in bed and eat chocolate. it sucks. i was so weird out and thought i was all alone in this.. but in reading this website.. i am so glad that i am NOT the only one in HELL with this whole birth control pill crap!

I had been on Yaz for one year and loved it for the most part. I didn't gain weight, my adult acne cleared, and my periods were very light. However, right the week before my period I would become depressed. My gyno found a very large cyst on one of my ovaries and told me that I should not have one that large while being on birth control. She told me Yaz was not right for me and I could not longer take it. I begged her to prescribe me Yasmin, she said NO. She thought Loestrin would be the best, so she put me on Loestrin 24 for 6 weeks to see if it shrinks, if it doesn't she will remove it. I have only been on Loestrin for 5 days and it has completely turned my world upside down! I have no sex drive, dryness down there, my face is breaking out, and I have been super down. I hate it!!!!! I hope that when I go back for a re-check that my cyst is still there so she can see that Loestrin is not right for me! I hate being on birth control and would love to stop taking any form of it, but it looks like my body cant regulate it's self, I just hope I can find a birth control that is right for me. Good luck everyone with Loestrin and if you find a birth control that works let me know! Take care.

I took this pill for 3 weeks, I know they say it takes 3 months for your body to get use to them. There is no way I would of made 3 months, I was so moody, depressed for no reason,sick to my stomach all day, had horrible headaches, and acne that I have never had before. This pill was horrible for me. So, I have stopped taking it about a week ago, I am still nausea. All the other side effects went away of course my acne it still there : ( Just wondering if anyone else had stopped taking it and how long there side effects took to go away, or maybe I have a stomach flu not really sure.

I started the pill about 2 months ago..and wow do i regret it..when i first started it i had migraines that lasted for hours..i mean before i used to get them but it was when i was stressed out or something but they would go away..i barely ever got acne on my face and now i have huge red pimples that last for days on random places on my face..i have gotten my period like 3 times already and it sticks around for so long..lately i been feeling like everything in my life is wrong like no matter what i do it just gets worse..i don't even go out on the weekends anymore because im so tired..i sleep about 12 hours a night and im still tired..i go to the doctor and they tell me im fine that my immune system is fine and theirs nothing wrong with me..so i came to my conclusion that its the pill..its caused for me to be so moody that my relationship with my boyfriend has hit the worst..and now to top it off i started getting some weird rash type of marks on my body that tend to look like hickeys fading away..i got the last 4 pills to go and im done with them...i took them for 2 months and thats it im going to to try a different method..depression and anxiety and fatigue are not worth it..
so for most girls reading this blog think twice about it before taking this pill and if right off the bat you start struggling with these type of symptoms i recommend you stop taking them.

I have been on loestrin for two months and this is my last pack and I'm going back to ortho cyclen. This pill gave me headaches, acne, and depression. I went on it to lighten my period and it gave me my period every week and a half. It also lowered my sex drive and since I've been on the pill sex is sometimes painful. So ortho cyclen here I come

I have only ever taken microgynon and loestrin 20.
I had problems with acne on microgynon so I asked the doctor for dianette but he said no and gave me loestrin instead.
Three years on my acne is worse than ever and I have done my research and apparently loestrin is bad for acne. Ive just joined a good model agency so this is not great!
Ive been depressed on off, had anxiety, and have often stayed off school or uni because of this (thankfully I passed my exams) Constantly paranoid.
Last year I fell out with all of my friends because they were sick of my constant low mood, and this made me worse.
I have no libido and have been suffering from vaginismus for two and a half years (starting when I was 16, not good!)
I either have no period or two per month. Every now and then I will suffer from headaches for weeks.
I also have contact lens intolerance, which has caused episcleritis on off for 5 months. (ive only worn them twice in this time)

I'm writing in behalf of my 15 year old daughter who is trying loestrin24fe to get some relief from her back pain and migraine headaches (which she inherited from me). She had a full period after just 10 days and has had a non-stop headache since starting this pill that won't stop even with her migraine medicine. I know it takes time for bodies to adjust, each is different and the doctor says give it 3 months- but she is considering just stopping because her headaches are so bad. I'm just not sure she can hold out for 2 and a half more months to give it a good try. Her acne is a lot worse too. Moody- yes, this was another thing we were hoping the pill would help with but hasn't. I'm sure this site is biased for people having problems since if it's working okay- why look up information on it? In any case, 30 years ago the lowest dose pill made me depressed, I barely made the 3 month mark before I stopped and I thought it would be different now. I have spent years before and after having kids using an IUD, and for me, that has always been the greatest birth control!

I have been on this for a few years now and I am thinking about switching to something else or going off completely. I'm 34 and I have been the pill for 15 years. At first, Loestrin 24 was great - 3 day light period. But overtime, my period went to 4, to 5, to 6 days. Now it's 7 days of heavy bleeding as if I'm not taking anything at akk. I've gained weight, like 20 lbs, that I can't seem to lose. My fiance and I dance so I'm usually in shape. But over the last year, even dancing as much as we do isn't keeping the weight off. I'm emotional all of the time. I have a heart murmur, which my OBGYN admits is probably caused by the pill. One thing I can say is my acne is under control, which basically is the only reason (besides shorter periods) I am on it since my fiance has had a vasectomy. It's hard to know what to do when the doctor's really don't know either. It's all trial and error since every patients hormones are different. But, this 7 days of heavy bleeding is for the birds. I might as well not be on anything! We Are All Just Ginniepigs.
Indecisive in Indiana,

Oh my - I'm so glad, for once, that I googled something. I have just taken my 17th Loestrin pill and it will be my last. I could NOT understand why I felt the way I did. It started with nausea, progressed to acne and dry patches (in the same place!), then extreme fatigue, then I just couldn't do anything but sleep or mope around. Gradually I had an increasing feeling of extreme anxiety. I dreaded the future but I couldn't understand why. Then the depression kicked in on day 11 and I felt as though I was grieving very deeply... but for what? Nothing had happened! I began to think of my husband leaving me and how it would be for the best. And I felt like walking out on my children and climbing a mountain and just sitting there. I was like a zombie and passed over many social events because I just couldn't bear to talk to anyone. I began to look half dead and stopped taking care of myself. Eventually I had thoughts of quitting my job and was very close to making a phone call and saying some very final things to my bosses! Thank GOD I didn't - I stopped the pills first. THen I googled the brand name. Then I saw all these comments and may more on another site and it was such a huge relief. Now I just feel angry that my damn stooped bloody GP had no idea about how wildly varied people's experiences on this pill are - and therefore didn't warn me.

I absolutely HATE this pill. Since I've been on it I have had.... Horrible mood swings, acne on face AND back!!, break through two weeks before my real period so I basically have two periods a month, I've gained 20lbs since being on it can't seem to lose the weight, I wake up every morning feeling bloated and crampy, I have no energy and basically just feel like crap ALL THE TIME. I'm about to drive my family crazy!! I have one more week left and then I'm getting off these pills for good!! It's crazy how one little pill can affect you in SO many different ways. I'm so glad I found this site because I thought I was going nuts or something. Glad to know where all these symptoms are coming from!

I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS PILL! This pill is the reason why I will never use birth control again! It altered my life completely, and changed ME for the worse. I had the WORSE ACNE on this pill! It is supposed to clear up minimal acne (which I barely ever had pimples) but it gave me so many! My face is still recovering from the acne, months of being off the pill! I suffered depression, migranes, cramps, bloating, feeling more hungry, and I was always MOODY. I could be in the best mood then start crying because of the stupidest, most little thing. My boyfriend could not tolerate me on this pill, it jepordized our relationship! I was so depressed and upset on this pill that I cried all the time! I'm normally a happy person 100% of the time, but this pill caused me to be a complete bitch! I only took two packs of this pill and it changed my life drastically. Never take this pill!!

I took loestrin for 3 weeks and of all the pills i have ever been on this one is the worst. I have had acne, weight gain, headaches, cramps, no sex drive, anxiety, rapid heart rate, my breast were extremely sore, and depression. I didn't even finish the pack because I was severely paranoid that I was going to have a heart attack. Once I stopped I got my period within 2 days and all of those side effects went away. My only issue now is I haven't had my period since that time. It has only been a month and a pregnancy test came out negative adding to the fact that I don't feel like I did when I was pregnant. It is still frightening though.

Negative Side effects:
1.increased facial hair ( yes I am female)
2.acne
3. no sex drive
For the first month I had no problems.
From the second month to the fifth month I had breast tenderness every day!. On the 6th month of the pill I had no breast tenderness.

Positive effects:
2-3 day light periods ( mine used to b 5-7 days)
No cramps ( I used to have terrible cramps)
No mood swings

I have been taking Loestrin 24 FE for the past five days and i am doing pretty good, it actually stopped my period because i still had it when i started the pack which was awesome. Its hard to tell because i have a sinus infection if i am not feeling well from the pill or from the infection. I really think its just me being sick.

everyone needs to realize that this isnt the pill from hell, it just wasn't for you body, everyone is different, ill update you guys in like two weeks, see if im still saying the same thing

I've been on LoE 24 for about a month. Luckily, i haven't had any bad side effects, just maybe a little stomach ache. I have acne n i was hoping that the pills would help me with that: NOT! But on the other hand, i got my period while i was still on the white pills and i just got on the brown pills now. I finished my period last week but i still am spotting a little bit which is kinda weird. My mom was telling me maybe my body just needs to adjust to the pills and then my period will adjust.

I just started my fourth month on Loe. The first two were awful, I bled for at least half of each month. At the end of the third month I did not even get my period. Just very, very light spotting for a day. I have also been having trouble with acne, something that has not been a problem for me since my early teens. (I am almost 19). I have been extremely emotional and easily upset over petty things for no apparent reason. It was not until reading these reviews that it occurred to me that Loe may be the cause. Nothing is for sure, but it does seem to be a strong coincidence that many of us are having the same exact side effects from this pill. I cannot decide if I should continue taking it and see what happens, or stop for a little while and see if the symptoms subside. If they do, I will know Loe is causing these problems and perhaps I can switch pills.

I have been on Loesterin 24 since Dec 2007 so far it has given me slight discoloration spots two under the breast, two on the shoulder blade and two on my arm, Mild to extreme moods swing, depression, nausea, headache, acne and speratic periods, ranging from a week before the period is suppose to start to two days after the period stops just to start all over again. Night mares and restless sleep patterns have been a usual.
I really do not recommend this birth control to any one but can’t stop taking it for fear of getting pregnant again.

Yes, I do agree that everyone reacts differently to bcp, and should decide for themselves once taken the pills, their own opinions. However, even though many women on this website have negative comments about Loestrin, believe it or not, it has helped me. The comments have not persuaded my decision to start or stop the pill, but has let me know that what I'm experiencing is NORMAL! I was freaking out and my doctor was of NO help! The extreme moodiness, pregnancy symptoms, back pain, fatigue, and worst of all(no one posted but makes sense now) was after intimacy I would immediately have severe cramps, leg pain, and back pain that lasted about 30min. I felt as if I was in labor, and I know that feeling. So yes, decide which pill is right for you, but Loestrin is NOT the pill for me!!! Thank you to all the comments posted because it made me realize I am not alone, and helped me figure out why I was experiencing these symptoms when my doctor couldn't.
Tahira, N.Y.

So i only just started taking this pill almost 2 weeks ago and i had never been on birth control before. I started taking it and was fine after about a couple days I found myself being very moody, bad head aches and easily depressed(which was driving my boyfriend crazy). Now lately all i wanna do is sleep and have no motivation for anything and worse of all anytime i am with my boyfriend there is bleeding during and ends shortly after every time and i don't know why it is doing that or if it is even normal. And i also thought this stuff was suppose to help you with your acne i never got it really bad but since i started i have been breaking out like crazy and i hate it. Also today i have been experiencing extreme cramps with not period but i only just ended it 2 weeks ago when i started this pack. these things are starting to worry me because i have no idea if they are normal and my doctor is of no help.

I started taking Loestrin because I was having very heavy and long periods. However, once I started taking it, I bled for a month straight. Then, I noticed that I had an increase in acne and hair growth. I was unsure if this was a side effect of the BC, but after doing some research I found that Loestrin has a very high amount of androgens, which cause acne and hair growth. I stopped it after 3 months and my hair growth and acne have definitely improved within the past month that I haven't been on Loestrin.

I discontinued Loestrin 24 due to is causing 3 months of breakthrough bleeding lasting about 7-15 days along with having a period. I had severe acne from it, constipation, gallbladder attacks,pain in right side,anxiety, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, etc. I have PCOS and this is a combination of hormones that do not work properly. Since I have stopped using this medicine all of these side effects have gone away.

I was on Loestrin for 4 years, and though I've been on depo, pop, yaz, and ortho-tri lo since, Loestrin was far and away the best pill. All the others caused depression, mood swings, weight gain (depo was the worst for all of these. stay away) and loss of libido, which were serious problems for me. I'm either done with pills altogether, or going back on Loestrin.

Yaz made me vomit, the pop gave me acne, ortho made me so bloated I gained 4 lbs in a week (and I'm an athlete--it was water weight that came off days after I stopped the pill). I don't know how anyone stays on those things. Maybe you can handle them if you don't miss your sex drive.

Loestrin has gotten terrible reviews, but it *can* be a good choice, so don't discount it entirely.

I'm 25, on birth control for the first time and I am just finishing up my first month on Loestrin Fe (I was on Yaz for one month before that). I am a bit concerned that I'm set to start a new pack tomorrow and have not had a period, not even spotting. I haven't really had any of the side effects some are describing of weight gain, chest pain, or hair loss. Maybe a bit more acne than usual, but I had expected that since this is only my second month on The Pill.

However reading your experiences I'm beginning to wonder about the mood swings. I have been EXTREMELY pissed off this month, anxious, and stressed, and in general a horrible person to be around. It's like I'm 15 again going through "that stage." It's awful, and I'm quite embarrassed by my childish behavior though I can't seem to help it. I've attributed it to other factors (which, who knows?) but reading your experiences makes me wonder if this pill isn't contributing. I'm definitely going to pay attention; if this continues for another month I'm going to change to another pill. Ugh.

I'm also wondering if I'm going to get my period back? I began taking birth control to control my normally heavy bleeding and severe cramps. Not to eliminate my period entirely!

I just started taking Loestrin, and so far it's made me sick to my stomach, cramp and generally feel like I'm on my period.
I started taking it right after a normal period and so far it's been ok except for the symptoms mentioned above. Surprise surprise, I started what seems to be like my normal period when it's the last two days (mostly brown rust color). I know that it might take a while for the hormones to regulate in my body, but I feel that this shouldn't be happening... Any suggestions? I'm planning to call my doctor tomorrow.

I am 17 and i was prescribed loestrin 24 as my first birth control pill. I've been on it for less than a week and i can't stand it and neither can my boyfriend! I have had a period from hell with has been 5 days in counting, I bleed so much i get dizzy when i stand up and my legs feel like 1000 lbs i can barely move them. Also i had diminished sex drive and raging hormones (bad acne, emotional hell) so i have decided to stop taking it. I called my gynec. and she recommended the opposite, and told me to get a blood test to check my iron levels and to see if i was pregnant! I'm almost positive i am not but not shes got me worried and i go for the blood test today. Loestrin ruined the second half of my summer but after reading all these other ladies tales i am very glad i decided to quit now. Thank you for opening my eyes, i realized it probably won't just go away in a week. I stopped it yesterday and i feel better already.

I am 18 years old and have been taking Loestrin 24 for about 7 months now. I started taking the pill because I was sexually active and was having extremely long and painful periods. The first few months of the pill were fine, I had some minor bloating. However, I was happy with the pill for the most part. The little acne I had cleared up and my periods were almost non-existent (12 hours of a light brown spotting at most).

Now, for the past three months I have been struggling with depression and anxiety. I could not figure out what was happening to me because I had never had emotional problems like this before. Given, I am prone to depression (both my mother and father have been diagnosed). Nevertheless, I am starting to wonder if the hormones in Loestrin 24 have triggered my depression symptoms and made them worse since they were NEVER a problem until I went on this pill. Previously, I was on Ortho Tricyclen Lo and did not have any emotional side effects whatsoever.

Also, I am pretty much fed up with this pill after today. A few days ago, I suddenly began having chest pains and a numbness/tingling on my left side (arms, legs, face). Feeling nervous, I went to the doctor today. They gave me an EKG which was normal (thank goodness). However, they have ordered me an MRI for tomorrow to see if I have suffered from a stroke! My doctor said that he thinks that then numbness pain is more likely caused my depression/anxiety. Depression and anxiety that I think were caused by this pill.

I can't stand these pills and I refuse to finish this pack. Enough is enough already! Has anybody else suffered symptoms similar to these and if so, what was your outcome?

If you are just starting BC,

YOU MUST GIVE IT AT LEAST THREE MONTHS TIME.

BC is a medication. It's a man-made drug. Of course you will have side-effects and probably bad ones while you are just starting it. I really can't say that enough.

When I started Loestrin 24 Fe, it was my first time on BC and I had all the terrible side effects previous posters have had, especially breast tenderness. I had to wear a sports bra at all times, it hurt that badly!

But after that three month mark, everything improved. I stopped retaining water, and actually LOST weight. This pill has helped to regulate my appetite. My acne that I'd had for 7 years disappeared. My periods stopped being weeks long and now last only 3 days at most.

So, until we can create a BC Pill/Injection for men (wouldn't that be more practical anyway to begin with? Get someone on this right away!), we ladies have to endure Short-term side effects associated with the Pill.

I've been on Loestrin 24 Fe for about a year, my periods were never only 3 days and they were barely periods. They were very weird and painful!

I became a royal bitch and my skin was ok but I have always had great skin so when I got a blemish or two I felt that it was because of the pill. To top it all off I gained weight on it so I started restricting my diet and working out harder. My weight didn't go down at all, but I didn't gain. As soon as I stopped taking the pill my working out and eating little helped me dropped 5 pounds (it has been 2 weeks). I'm thinking the pill didn't allow me to lose weight.

I also had a diminished libido which sucks because I like sex. It was only the last week on hormones, I was crazy for sex but only then.

I decided to get off the pill because I was hating myself on it and now I see the beginning of bad acne. I haven't had my first period off the pill yet but I have a feeling it won't be pleasant.

I was on yaz for about 8 months and loved it. I didn't break out at all and I even lost weight. It helped a lot with PMDD. I was very satisfied. Then, after my 4th month, I started experiencing long periods that lasted about 9 days and breakthrough bleeding that lasted all month. My GYN switched me to Loestrin 24 Fe. My period is now very light and about 4-5 days. My only complaint is that I have horrible acne! I have only been on Loestrin 24 Fe for a month and a half so I wonder if I should just wait it out and see if the acne improves. I am very pleased that my period is so short, but the acne looks terrible!!

I'm on pack 3 of Loestrin 24 and I've had a lot of the same symptoms everyone else is having. The first month was cool, but the second month, I think I had bleeding that ranged from spotting to a full on period for the entire month! It really makes you into a cranky person because you can't have sex and you are constantly bleeding, and having to wear a pantie liner. How annoying is that! Now that I'm on my 3rd pack, I'm on week two and just got my period 2 days ago...so I'm sure I'll now have my period for the next two weeks, and it will continue after the brown pills. I also wish I had started these pills during the week, because I don't want to constantly have my period on the weekend. Plus, it didn't help with acne at all yet. I'm headed to my doctor on Friday to discuss all this, but it seems like after this hump, things get better....let's hope.

I was on Loestrin 24 for a year and was having issues with mild acne, which I have never experienced in my whole life. I was also having major issues with my contacts. My eyes were always red and really bothersome. Now I have been off of Loestrin for a few weeks and back on Yaz and feeling great! I love Loestrin since I would never get my period, except 2x in the whole year and it was barely there. But now on Yaz, I don't have acne or trouble with my contacts. Plus I had gained weight on Loe and now losing a couple of pounds. The difficult thing is that the doctors tell you that you shouldn't experience side effects from these pills, such as weight gain, since they are such low hormones, but I think it's definitely possible. Anyways, if you are on Loe and reading a bunch of this stuff and nervous, it's fine, it's a great pill and you never get your period! How great is that! And in the beginning there may be breakthrough bleeding and spotting, which is normal while your body adjusts. But if you have other issues, later on, you just have to decide if you prefer side effects or your period?? It's your choice! lol! I am loving Yaz though!

Well i have been on loestrin 24 for a yr and 1mnth now and when i 1st started i had the btb and then it went away and no other real problems with it...its work the way it should no real bad mood swings/acne/weight gain and lighter periods..but now all of a sudden i have btb again but so much worse..it last about 2 weeks and i get the worst cramps. i don't understand why now that its been a year ( & my body should be use to it) how i have this annoying btb. i just need to know if i should wait it out or just swith bc?? anyone feel my pain??

I am so thankful that I found this site and these words on this drug!
I just started taking Loestrin 24; 2 weeks ago. Within a week I started "flowing." At first it was just spotting then it started into a full period bleeding. More so has been the extreme water bloating in my fingers, hands and feet; they feel heavy & sore/swollen. It's feels like I'm gaining weight or holding in everything in my body and it is swelling up. As well as the cramping in my stomach and back- that is worse than a regular period's symptoms off the pill. And the extreme headache pressure I've had for two days!
I have been off the pill for the last 5 years and only decided to get back on a pill to control my acne (hormone levels) and the strength/length of my periods. Reading these remarks and comments on this sites, makes me want to stop NOW- in taking this. I'm only a little into 2 weeks of this pill- and it sounds like from the comments posted that it can get even worse months on. I'm a little scared to stop taking now, but I'm going to as of today! Thanks all for sharing and making me feel like I'm not the only one experiencing this crazy-ness!

After reading all these posts I am shocked I didn't do research on this bc sooner. I got off the pill last July and developed an ovarian cyst. My gynecologist suggested I go back on the pill to try and dissolve the cyst, well that hasn't happened...I still have one on my right ovary and it isn't big enough for them to remove. I do not want to stay on bc but my doctor insists that I do to get rid of the cyst. I have had terrible side effects from Loestrin that I never had when I took Apri....I stopped taking Apri due to the high level of hormones. I have had really bad acne and dryness of skin even though I moisturize, I have been randomly crying over the stupidest situations, and I get side cramps a lot. There are a lot of things that are going on in my life that are positive and ever since I started taking this bill I keep getting down. I wish there was another way to get rid of this cyst! I hate taking birth control....anyone know a better one to take?

Hey all! I've been on Loestrin 24 for an entire month (just finished my pack today) and things have been smooth. No tender breasts, no weight gain, no depression, nothing! ***EXCEPT I still haven't got my period! I'm almost completely positive I'm not pregnant.. my boyfriend and I are extremely careful. What's weird is that I keep expecting to get my period because I'm getting the usual signs I get right before my period..

**Has anyone else experienced no period on this birth control???

I've been a pill taker for twenty years (maybe more). I switched to loestrin FE in November. I realize that any bc takes the body some time to adjust but this has been pretty brutal. I gained 12 lbs and I cannot get it off no matter how much I work out and/or don't eat. I'm depressed too yet I have a beautiful life. My doctor says you sometimes need a year for your body to adjust to a new pill... I don't know if I can wait that long. My kids think I have lost my mind because I cry so much. I too think irrationally a lot more than in prior years. I will ask my doctor about this next week. It seems like this pill might have serious effects on the thyroid? Most of the symptoms described are also associated with hypothyroidism.

Good to know. I started on Loestrin fe 2 months before my wedding. When the wedding day arrived my dress was a little snug. I had noticed that my breasts were getting larger, but nothing that seemed too out of control. I snipped out the cups the seamstress had sewn in to "fill me out" and away we went. However, I am now finishing up my 3rd pack and I have now put on 20 lbs in the 3 weeks since the wedding. At first I was thinking my eating might have gotten a little out of control (we stayed at an all inclusive for the honeymoon) but since returning my eating habits have returned to normal. Now, none of my clothes fit. I had to buy new bras because I have gone up two cup sizes. I am now a 36 DD, was a 36 C. The weight gain is particularly troublesome to me because I lost about 80 lbs 3 years ago and don't want any of it back!!! I am also experiencing fine bumps on my forehead and I haven't experienced acne since I was a teenager. I have also had difficulty with spotting...and it is so annoying. I will spot for several days, stop and then repeat the cycle over again. I was bleeding so much on my wedding day that I had to use a tampon, and I was on week 2 of the pack! I have not had a proper "period" yet. Luckily I have an appointment with my GYN in 3 weeks.
The last birth control pill I was taking, over a year ago, was Yasmin. But I noticed after about 2 months on that I was starting to experience symptoms of depression. I had just started a new job and didn't like it, and thought that that was the issue. After crying on the way to work everyday for 3 weeks for no reason it occurred to me that it might be the pill. I stopped taking it and nearly immediately noticed the tearfulness disappeared. Perhaps I am just one of those who can't tolerate the pill.

wow after reading your posts i feel much better!!! i thought i was losing my mind...i have terrible periods, full seven days terrible painful cramps, just periods from hell come to find out i have endometriosis and an ovary thats stuck to the vaginal wall my doctor put me on loestrin 24 and its been the pill from hell im constantly bleeding on and off, my right leg goes numb, i had healthy clear skin and now its really dry with fine bumps, my mood swings are crazy im happy then i want to cry, depressed most definitely, constant headaches and nausea after taking it and this is only my first month taking it, i also noticed that im always cold!!! i would rather put up with my painful period then this crap

I just started taking this 4 days ago and my chin has 5 spots of acne. I have never had acne on my chin before. Can any one tell me if there is a product that will take away the acne. Additionally, I am 43 and watch my weight very carefully and I am afraid of what I have been reading about this pill causing weight gain and acne!

Hello everyone! Well I started with Loestrin 24 January 2008. I have previously used the ortho evra patch & the NuvaRing. I decided to try bc in the first place, because I had extreme periods lasting more than 9 days sometimes 13 days every two weeks. I tried to stay away from pills in general mostly because I have a tendency to forget to take them. Once the other methods failed to control my periods, I decided to to try the pill. The first month I got that really weird brownish discharge type period then a couple of weeks later, during the white pills I got very heavy spotting to a light period for almost a week. then the normal period. After that my periods are amazing! a few days, very light & hardly any cramping. that only lasted a couple of months. Now I have very ugly acne on my face, back and chest. I have gained about 10 lbs & I am always crying! I found myself just running home to lay down just to get away from people... I am going to finish this trail & discontinue the pill. Hopefully my heavy irregular periods don't start up again right away.

I was on L24Fe for over a year and experienced MAJOR depression, mood swings, crying for no reason, zero sex drive, bad acne. I stayed on it so long because I had no idea that it could do that to you and I thought i was having a mental breakdown at college...not good. There is good things about it: i did not get any headaches, cramps, spotting and not prego. I am now changing to Cyclessa...heard good and bad about it just like any other pill.

I was just changed by my gyno from Nordette, which I loved, to Loestrin 24 fe. I was switched because he thought I was losing to much iron w/ my periods w/ the Nordette. I have been on this pill for 12 days and have had heavy bleeding (like a period) for the last 3 days with cramping, back and every other muscle pain, headaches and I have been sweating like crazy due to the hormone change- so much that yesterday at work I had to sit down because I was sweating and dizzy to the point I thought I was going to pass out. It was crazy!! Acne is coming out too. Try it for 3 months, I don't think so. I have never experienced side effects like these, didn't experience any on Nordette for 4 years. I am going back to Nordette. I would honestly rather not use anything than this pill. The only good thing I can say is I haven't had any mood swings so far- I gotta go now I have a headache.LOL

My doctor prescribed Loestrin 24 for me even though I have my tubal ligation because I have cyst in my ovaries and fibroid tumors. The birth control was suppose to elliminate the cyst. It did the first month I was on it. I had cyst tissue and bleeding throughout the entire first month. I have been bleeding everyday for two months now. I do take them everyday at the same time but that has not changed anything. I am always fatigue, cant get out of bed. Go to work and as soon as I get home I am in bed again. I feel very depressed and very moody. I cant sleep at night but I cant get out of bed either. I am always hungry and I just developed acne. As several of the other people state my doctor says its unusual and that the birth control has nothing to do with my depression or side effects. I have had so much blood work done and it always comes back normal. I think that the doctors want to see how long if ever the side effects will subside before they say just get off. But like other I was told it takes 3 months to get over the side effects but they have reassured me this pill does not cause depression. After reading all of the comments I am going to stop takng the birth control. Thank you

wow, i've been on L24 for a yr now and i have very minor acne, NO more headaches (used 2 live with a migraine) L24 took it away THANK U!!! the only bad thing i have to say is no sex drive but hell i'll take it if i can keep NO PERIODS AT ALL!!!! haha! i love L24!!! it actually keeps me very normal and stable moodwise, great find!!!!

Mircette always helped me with hormonal acne but recently i had breakthrough bleeding and my gyno switched me to loestirn 24. First month was fine and my recent breakthrough bleeding stopped. Second month i have severe headaches, nausea, cramps, and acne is worse than ever. No bloating, bleeding (period) or weight gain. My dermatologist saw me last week and said loestrin 24 is not one she would recommend to treat acne. She is putting me on YAZ which has ingredients to treat acne. I start in four days after the loestrin 24 is finished.

I had an experience with Loestrin 24 Fe that caused me to have to stop taking it. I'm 43, in good health, non-smoker, no weight issues, no blood pressure issues. My longtime OB/GYN said that there were 2 types of BC pills for women "of my age", Yaz and Loestrin 24 Fe. He mentioned that more women have reported to him that they had sex drive issues with Yaz but that more were reporting skin (acne) issues with the Loestrin....figuring it was counter to the point if I had low sex drive issues, I opted for the Loestrin. Started on it in March of last year...spotted pretty much every day for 6 weeks...then moderate spotting with light "periods". At about month 3, I started having moderate headaches. At month 5, I was in a movie theater seeing a movie with my boyfriend and all of a sudden, I felt what was like a wave of heat start at my toes and radiated up to my head....and then I felt paralyzed....couldn't move and felt like the room was spinning. An hour later when the movie was over, I was having trouble walking straight and remained shaky and dizzy. The next day, I had a migraine for only the 2nd time in my life, the first one having been 4 years earlier. Went to my regular doctor the next week and she gave me some migraine meds and told me that my blood pressure was up and my blood sugar was off the charts. She advised me that if I stopped taking the pill, it could make my symptoms worse. At this point, I was at my 4 days with the brown iron pills. To test the theory, once my 4 days were done, I took the first white pill of a new pack. Within 30 minutes, it felt like someone had hit me in the back of the head with a 2 x 4! That was all I needed to know. Later that week, I went in to give blood for a cholesterol test and to do a glucose tolerance test (never had any issues with this in my life to this point). The glucose tolerance test results were normal but my cholesterol was 239. That was July. Called my OB/GYN and he said no more pill...we could try the Mirena IUD once I had my next cycle. Went to see him in Sept to have it installed but ended up having it removed the first week of Feb of this year because I was dizzy, bloated, had acne, had severe headaches again, was extremely fatigued and my sex drive was in the toilet. The day it was removed, my stomach flattened back out and my fogginess lifted. Sex drive is back, skin is clear...feel like a real person again...AND my cholesterol was down to 196 without any real changes. My research tells me that the estrogen has an effect on your blood lipids so for me it impacted my cholesterol. The progestins in both the Loestrin and in the Mirena are what gave me the headaches.....I just can't take that drug. Good luck to all of you....I just don't think most of us "of a certain age" can take hormonal birth control.

I am 22 years old and have finished my first pack of Loestrin 24 Fe. I have not been on birth control for 2 years before I started this pack. I experienced some mild side effects such as acne, loss of appetite, and spotting. In my last week of pills my spotting stopped, my skin cleared up, and I am capable of carrying out my daily routines without exhaustion. I was really freaked out at first about the side effects but I am completely happy with the pill now. My period came exactly on the second brown pill day and it is light and I have very little cramping. I am also happy to say I have increased from an A to a B cup within the first month.

I suggest that everyone re-evaluate their lifestyles (smoking, drinking, exercise, medications, etc.) Also, I might agree that younger women that haven't been taking pills previously may be less prone to experiencing side effects.