Loestrin 24 Fe and headaches

I have been on Loestrin24 since I had my six week appointment from having a beautiful baby girl... THIS PILL SUCKS! Its bad enough after you have a baby that you have to have a period for almost six weeks... but I haven't stopped.. Ever since being on the pill I will have like two days I don't spot then two weeks where I spot constantly. I have headaches, backaches.. I am ALWAYS tired which could be from the baby but I NEVER feel rested.. I have constant anxiety and there is too much going on to tell if its just stress or the dang pill! I have a doc appt in a couple of days and I am demanding to be taken off of this pill!

I just got my doctor to prescribe a new bc for me because of my side effects(headaches, emotional wreck, and missing period). She put me on ortho-tricyclen lo. So far so good. I would recommend it all of you who are not happy with loestrin.

ok, im on day 3 of the pill today. i have noticed this really really random mood swing/ i went form calm to all of a sudden bitchy and indifferent about anything. my boyfriend and i have gotten into a fight because of it. i really think its the pill but then again im not sure. but i feel like i want to cry for every little thing!
i hope this doesn't last. as for sex drive, its at an all time high. but i cant have sex yet considering im only on day 3
and im locked in my house until the seven days r up.
no headaches except for the second day (lasted a whole day!)
and no random bleeding. i'll keep posting
and im not indulging food to satisfy my completely non exsistant hunger (yet, tho i hope not).

Ahhh, Loestrin 24 E....where do I begin?? Well, first off I have to say that I started taking this
with a completely open mind. I didn't read the box for side effects and I didn't search the web
to read all the blogs. I just started taking the pills on the first day of my period as instructed.
I knew from taking birth control previously in my life that I am putting hormones in my body and that
my body might react to them but, I didn't think that much about it. I started feeling 'funny' about
the 2nd day into the pill but, I just thought that it was the extra hormones that were in my body that
had not been put there for YEARS!!! About the 4th day on the pill my husband really started to
notice a change in me. I was moody. I would go from happy to sad in a second flat. He told me that
I was doing it and I just got mad at him for saying it. Then I would be mad for being mad. I could
not get happy-these feelings didn't end. I had a HARD time getting over ANYTHING!!! I also had a
major sex drive before I started the pill, then it dropped. It was so weird. I went from wanting and
having sex up to 3 times a day to not wanting my husband to put his hands on me at all. It was not
good for us. About day 8 or so I still was not admitting that the pills were making me not me. By
this time I was in a MAJOR depression. Nothing made me happy, my husband would try and try to get
me anything and everything to make me happy and nothing would work. I hate to admit this but, I
didn't even want to see my son. And he and my husband our both my life!!! I live for them and love
them more than anything and want nothing more to spend all the time in the world with them so when
I started feeling like I didn't want either one of them around and that if I died or killed myself
that no one would notice I knew that there was a problem. I hurt my body was in constant pain.
It didn't matter what way I would sit or how much I would stretch I still hurt. I would fall asleep
(well really pass out) at 8:30-I just was sooo tired. It was worse than being prego. I was bi-polar
like crazy!! I could not concentrate on anything. I had major anxiety!! My breasts were super tender
and blew up the week before my period. They hurt so bad. My back hurt like crazy. I have NEVER had
zits before but, since I have been on this my face has broken out a number of times and I have back acne!!
I HAVE NEVER HAD THAT!! I was so sad for no reason at all. I am not a person who cries and I would cry over
ANYTHING!! I got nausea BAD!! I have had headaches. I gained weight quick!!! The list could go on and on!!!
It was pretty hard to get it off. I didn't admit it to myself or my husband
until about day 11. I finally called the doctor and told her to get me off the pill. She has put
me on ocella and I started it 3 days ago. I was still bleeding until yesterday. I had a light period
but, it isn't work the crazy bit** that I was in the mean time. I am so happy to be off Loestrin 24 E
and would not give this pill to ANYONE. My sister-in-law had the same problems that I did. I am finally starting
to feel like myself again and I am loving it. Looking back on the way I acted it was like an out of
body experience. I hope this helps others!!!

I think that if you are having any question on if you should stop taking this drug then STOP taking it!! I am so glad that I did!!!!!!!!!!!

so happy to have found this site! I have been taking loestrin 24 since mid July, making it almost five months on this medicine. IT IS HORRIBLE. to say the least. for almost a year and a half I was on NuvaRing, which surprisingly I liked, aside from the almost 20 lb weight gain and virtually no sex drive. Who needs birth control if you don't have a sex drive? So anyway, I switched to loestrin 24 in July. BIG MISTAKE. for the first few weeks of this pill I lost all appetite and hardly ate a thing. In the past few months I have been experiencing incredible anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts, and depression. This pill is messing with my head! It almost cost me and my boyfriend of two years our relationship because of the way it makes me crazy. I experience increased heart rate, especially when I wake up and strange leg cramps. I have always been funny, outgoing, and upbeat about life until this pill. This past weekend I was a social recluse and just felt like being alone. I cry over the littlest things and am so irritable when someone says the slightest things. I have been overly mean to my mom, sister and boyfriend over the simplest things. Something is not right with this pill. I thought I was just losing my mind until I read all these other posts. Thank goodness I'm not alone. I had an appt. with my OBGYN today, told her all my symptoms, and she gave me a trial pack of Femcon FE. I am very wary to start them because I have read it has very similar side effects to Loestrin. Has anyone found a good birth control that actually makes them a happy, normal person?! Jeeze, I am ready to swear off hormonal birth control for good! Please let me know if anyone has any experience with switching from Loestrin to Femcon? I just want to be my old, happy self again!

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 started Loestrin over one month and a half ago. I was put on Loestrin as a way to regulate my hormones and hopefully get rid of a cyst on my ovary. I hate these pills. I have two weeks left to go but have decided to stop the pills. My period was regular before I started the pills 6 weeks ago, but in 6 weeks I have had periodic bleeding at least once a week. My cycle was late and lasted 8 days compared to the 4 it usually lasts. Last week when I had an episode of bleeding (lasted one day) my back was spasming and cramping like crazy. I have never had back spasms or cramps in my back before these pills. I also have lymphedema in my lower legs and it has been acting up like crazy. I am having headaches that last for days. My emotions are also being affected. I will never take these pills again and I will think twice before taking any other pills. I am hoping that after a couple of weeks my body will return to normal.

I have been on this pill for a little over a week. I started the pill exactly when I started my period and I am still having my period. Normally my period lasts 4 to 5 days MAX. But I'm getting nervous that it is day 9 and I am still bleeding. I have been extremely horrible headaches, back pain, and extreme fatigue. I was diagnosed with mono the other day but my symptoms also sound like what some people experience on this pill. I'm just not sure what's causing my horrible mood swings (I've cried myself to sleep every night for no reason...and I rarely cry over ANYTHING) and I've been very paranoid and bitchy towards my boyfriend. The first doctor I went to said I didn't have mono but I was diagnosed a couple days later by a different doctor. I'm starting to wonder which one is the correct diagnosis and whether my symptoms are actually from this pill. I don't want to completely throw it away yet because i'm not sure if it is actually the pill affecting me. But reading all these posts really scare me about it!
Most of my abdominal pains are around my pelvic area. I just don't understand why mono would target this area.

I just want to thank all of you on this blog and other blogs. I was going to start this pill for pms and pmdd. I feel like I have the flu when I have my period. I am so exhausted. Bleeding is not so bad, cramps could kill me but thank god for alive and Advil. I started to get headaches about 2 years ago during my period or a few days before and sometimes the aleve and Advil don't help it even though they help my cramps. I am a group fitness instructor and don't want to feel sick or be unable to teach my classes. But after reading the side affects that could happen forget it. About 20 years ago( i was 18 then) I was on pills and had severe panic attacks and was hospitalized for a week. They couldn't directly pin it on the pill but trying it a year later and having it happen again I never took them again. I was assured by my gyn that pills have changed and that I would be fine on loestrin24 but I just can't chance it. I would say to the people who have severe bleeding and prolonged bleeding, fibroids or other problems, find a pill that can maybe help you. But for those of you who just need it for birth control and are having these problems, find another method. It is not worth it if you loose you sex drive, have mood swings and depression or any other of the horrible things I read can happen. And if you are predisposed to panic and depression, I wouldn't take it after reading all these complaints. The bad is outweighing the good on all the blogs I have read. Thanks again and good luck ladies!!

I'm not posting anything new that anyone hasn't said- I just wanted to google my side effects because since taking Loestrin 24 I have all the pregnancy symptoms I had before with my 2 kids. I have been on this pill for about 3 months now, and took FIVE pregnancy tests already because I have NO period at all and I am PARANOID since I was always a heavy bleeder with periods. I went from bleeding for days on end, sometimes up to 10-14 days with headaches and everything. Now I have no period and all these awful side effects. I wake up feeling exhausted, I'm restless at night, having anxiety dreams and even feeling anxious during the day. My husband (and myself) cannot handle anymore of the severe mood swings for no reason. I am peeing all the time like I did when I was pregnant...I'm also nauseous and frequently have upset stomach...like I did when I was prego. the ONLY thing that has been a "relief" is not having periods, but if it means I have to deal with feeling bloated, nauseous, crampy, miserable, and anxious, then it's really not worth taking.

I'll be calling my GYN soon...glad I googled this pill and found all these similar comments because I certainly was not warned of these side effects.

I've been on Loestrin for almost 5 months now, but I'm still not so sure how I feel about it. Before I took the pill, I had 7 day long, heavy periods, headaches, cramps, vomiting- the whole nine yards. The first month I took the pill, I got my period as usual, but for about 5 days ( the 5 days I happened to be on vacation, fun). The next month, my period lasted about 4 days, the next month three days, and this past month I didn't get it at all. I have to admit, I was quite relieved when I read some of other comments with women also having missed periods, or no periods altogether, as I'm not ready for a mini-me quite yet. The only major problems I've had with this pill so far are severe mood swings, which my boyfriend doesn't appreciate very much, and the last few days I've had severe pain in my lower abdomen, which, if it persists, will force me to visit my gyno. Overall, I do like this pill, it's really toned down my migraines, which I've had for years, and seems to be quite effective at lessening my heavy blood flow and severe cramps.

I'm not sure; I don't feel like myself on this pill, but I've just been told that that is what a birth control pill will do to you. Do I just try to wait it out for a while or switch pills? All I know is that I'm tired of feeling like this, but if all pills are the same, then should I even bother switching?

HORRIBLE!!!!! I was on this pill for 3 months, reported spotting and irregular periods to Obgyn. Told me to try another 3 months, same problems plus, massive migraines, sleepless nights, mood swings, no interest in sex, bitchy! I continued to take it for a full year! Not realizing it was this pill causing these problems. Once I read about them, I stopped taking the pill and in about a week, no more headaches, more energy and sex drive is returning. Warn others that you know are taking this about all these side effects. I wish someone told me!!!!!!!

I have been on Loestrin for a month now. I had breakthrough bleeding the 2nd week in for four days, wasn't bad at all. Then i had three more white pills to go until I went to the iron and i started spotting so i am guessing i got my period? I went on Loestrin bc i still had bad cramps and my period for seven straight days and headaches. I have had a headache for the past three days straight and ive been crampy and have had back pain. I will give this pill some more time. it was nice having just spotting as a period. To make sure I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. But i hope my migraines stop :[

I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for not even a month before I had problems. bled, literally, 14 days straight before I stopped taking it. My OB-GYN prescribed Loestrin 24 Fe, and for the first few months it was okay. I am now on my last day of my 6 month on it and I cannot even handle it. My period comes twice a month, or so it seems with spotting. I do NOT get my period when I take the brown pills, as I supposed to. I feel moody, sick, tired yet I cannot sleep, I go to the bathroom several times a day, I throw up, feel short of breath, I get headaches, TERRIBLE stomach pains and I don't feel like going to work or school ever. It's hell. Maybe my body is not right for birth control, but I am DONE with this pill. It's been HELL.

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.

I was on Loestrin 24 Fe for a year (after a year of Yasmin) and I just wanted to post this to be helpful to other women considering Loestrin because this medication obviously does not work well with everyone. But, I loved it. I did not have any side effects at all (clear skin, tiny amounts of cramping around PMS time, no mood swings, light periods, very predictable periods, no headaches, no pregnancy, one month of break-through bleeding). I am trying an IUD instead at the moment because I could not always remember to take the pill every day at the same time, but if the IUD does not work, I am going back to Loestrin (however I am going to ask for the generic because it is less expensive!).

Hey everyone. I had been on Loestrin 24 for an entire year before I realized that It was in fact the pill that was giving me terrible migraines, so emotional over the littlest things, and I was getting immediate headaches after any type of alcoholic beverage which had never happened to me before. My periods with Loestrin would last about 3 days. I recently asked my doctor if I could change my pill bc it was altering my normal life. She switched me to the generic of Yaz called Ocella. I took my last pill of Loestrin on Wed 9/17, my period usually comes a couple days following but this time it never came, not even any spotting. I started my new pill that Sunday 9/20/08 so it was awful timing bc now Im worrying about being pregnant but also my body taking to a new pill. I always take my pills on time and haven't missed any. I took a pregnancy test on Sunday 9/20 and it was negative and I took another this morning 9/25 which was also negative. Im worried bc I have never missed a period while being on Loestrin and trying to figure out if after being on Loestrin for so long if my periods were just going to stop coming and if this is all a big coincidence.

I have to say, I am not experiencing any horrific side effects like some of you. When I first started taking the pill about a month ago I did for a week or so wake up with nausea but only once did I actually vomit. As many people have mentioned, different bodies react differently, and I went on the pill not to avoid pregnancy but to decrease pain associated with my periods. The women in my family have terrible episodes at the onset of the periods, PARALYZING cramps, headaches, vomiting, weakness, even fainting. My last period was hardly a period, I had minimal cramps and only spotted a couple days... no bleeding at all. So for me this pill has done more good that bad. But again, it is a smart move to talk to your doctor if you are experiencing such awful side effects. One pill is not always right for every person. And hey, if many are really worried about getting pregnant but are going through this HELL experience due to birth control, explore other options; getting tubes tied or men 'snipped' might be in fact a better alternative. I wish you all well and better health!

I have been on Loestin 24 Fe for 4 days and had to stop taking it on my 5th day. I am experiencing terrible headaches, nausea, and dizziness! I started thinking that I might be pregnant, but after reading all of these posts I know that it's not the case. I would not recommend for anyone to get on this pill because of the sickness I have had with it. It just doesn't seem worth it to me! DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL! I'm Switching for Sure!

Hey everyone. I have been on orthocyclen for about 2 years now from a clinic. I finally got health insurance *yay* and I went to a gyno. He was going to prescribe me the same pills but since i still was having my period pretty bad for seven days straight and had headaches etc, he prescribed me on Loestrin 24 FE. I was happy to find out that it had iron pills instead of placebos bc i have low iron. I start it this Sunday. i am a little nervous after reading everyone comments but i have to keep in mind that everyone is different. Once I start taking it, ill update everyone :]]

Bella

I just posted a few days ago but need to update. I just started the 4th pack. I Had normal period(slightly longer than when I'm off birth control. on the brown pills third pack and no break through bleed or spotting. But my breast are extremely tender which didn't end with the end of my period. I'm extremely fatigued but have sleepless restless nights. i've developed rashes in the creases of my breast. Not fun. My sex drive has gone down and so has any feeling during sex. My poor husband doesn't understand. I'm moody. I have no appetite but am slowly gaining weight. Crappy pill. I just keep sticking it out because although my husband and I would someday like to have kids, today is not the day as we are both still students. I'll give it till the end of the month and then maybe I'll switch to a new pill.

I just finished my third pack and am willing to try a couple more to see if gets any better because it seemed like it was but now I'm not to sure. The first pack I had a little bit of spotting 2 weeks in and nausea and migraines most of the pack. I did have a light period at the end 5 days long (my period is 4 days off BC). The Second pack I had less headaches but a lot more spotting a break through bleeding through out the first 3 weeks of the pack the end of the pack finished okay, no problems. I started my 3rd pack and every thing has been going great all month but a couple days ago started freaking out because I thought I was pregnant. My breasts are extremely sore. I'm fatigued, feel nauseated, have headaches. I did eventually start a period but it's heavier than the last 2 packs The sore and tender breasts have happened every month which is normal for me off the pill as well but this month it started earlier and feels so much worse. I have noticed I have been gaining a little bit of wait the past three months and have been a little moody. I'll try a couple more months but if it doesn't get any better after that, I''m done.

I hate this pill. Im nauseated, cramping, bloated, angry, have high axiety, cry at the drop of a hat, leg pain, headaches, bubbles in my stomach. and it even gave me an infection canadisis (like a yeast infection of the skin). which I found out was actually a symptom of this pill! I want to switch so bad. But i have been on and off this freaking pill three times this year. Im worried that if i switch to a different birth control I'll just experience new horrible symptoms. Luckily no weight gain though. but horrible break outs as well.

I've been taking Loestrin 24 Fe for a year now. It took about 3 months to get used to. The good things for me is that my skin cleared up, my hair was not as oily, lighter periods and no weight gain! The bad things were HEADACHES, feelings of anxiety, rapid heartbeats, moodiness, and dryness. I want to come off the pill but I am kinda fearful of what other methods to take...I guess I should talk to my OBGYN.

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 have been taking this pill for almost a year now. Recently in the last few months, I have experienced insane mood swings, irritability, heart palpitations, headaches, and anxiety. I even went to a cardiologist the heart palpitations were so bad. My heart is completely healthy. I have not had a period in like 7 or 8 months which is great but now I am thinking that this pill is doing more damage than good. My poor sweet boyfriend has taken the hit the most and its unfair I dump all my irritability on him. I am calling my doctor in the morning to change. After reading all these negative responses, I think this pill sucks.

I'm 26 and I'm on week three of Loestrin24Fe. I have been getting these terrible headaches. I'm very moody and very light headed. My breast are tender and they hurt. Ever since I've been on Loestrin the word tired is on the TOP of my list through my day. I snap for any little thing and emotional. I took the pill Sunday, Monday and on Tuesday I got my period. I was shocked because I thought it was suppose to come on the fourth week. But anyways I don't like this BCP and its been making me feel like crap! Please I know everyone is different but the symptoms are terrible! Yes I'm SWITCHING!!!

Okay, I am 16, have never taken any birth control,and I am in my 3rd week of Loestrin. My doctor told me that if i started the pill on the first day of my period (august 1) that i would not have to wait to have UNPROTECTED sex, but to be safe, my boyfriend and I waited until august 7th to have sex, we also had sex on the 12th. Around the 15th I had some light pink discharge that lasted for 2 days...this worried me a little but i did not think much of it. Soon after that I started having back pains, cramps, nausea, headaches, my breasts are swollen, VERY tender, nipples are larger/darker, you can see the blue veins in them also. I have been picky about foods,discharge has increased, and have had terrible heartburn and have been extremely emotional. I have also had pains in my knees and ankles, and smells make me very sick to my stomach. I am very worried that I am pregnant.....but I am not supposed to get my period until the 28th so I have to wait...if anyone has been pregnant or had these symptoms on Loestrin PLEASE let me know....Thanks!

I think it is interesting the symptoms that you mention here. I have been on birth control pills since the age of 19. I am now 28. Over the past year I have had similar symptoms. I have been on so many different BCP's that is is hard to keep count. They don't seem to work the way they claim to. The last BCP I was on was orthotryciclen. While taking these I began to experience severe heart palpitations. So bad that they would wake me up at night. Because I wasn't sure if it was an anxiety attack or just being in my head I decided to ignore it. Four months passed by and it seemed to get increasingly worse. I had enough and decided to go to my PCP. She wasn't really much help either. Although I was tested for Mitral Valve Prolapse, which I was told affects younger women my age. There was nothing found. What I thought was interesting is I really felt that it was the birth control pills, but I couldn't find it as a side affect on the information that was provided in the box. The tech who was doing my echocardiogram began to tell me she also experienced the same feelings and found out it was her BCP. Once she confirmed what I thought was right, decided to stop taking them. After three months the symptoms began to disappear. I figured it was just the particular brand. I began to take loestrin 24. I started to feel the same symptoms again, just not as severe. I would feel my heart beat when I would like down in my back and my stomach. My heart rate would reach 90 to 100 sometimes. I know this is not normal. When I visited my gyno yesterday she told me it was impossible that it was a result of the BCP. Maybe it was just anxiety and or perhaps I should get checked out by a cardiologist. That is serious stuff when you are talking to a young person about getting there heart check out. I think if there are any other women out there who are experiencing any similar symptoms should speak up. So these doctors won't keep telling us it is all in our heads and help to take care of this problem.

i started Loestrin 24 about a month ago and so far everything has been fine...i had headaches the week before my period came and i have been moody but i think it was just normal PMS. i have not gained any weight and i didn't have cramps when my period came-thank god, because that's part of the reason i went on this pill. my period was really light as well. i hope this continues for the next few months. it sounds like people have had really bad experiences with this pill and i hope that i don't suddenly have problems with it.. my sex drive has been normal and everything.

I have also been scared that I'm pregnant with Loestrin 24. I have had headaches everyday, nausea, cramps, major mood swings, my sex drive has significantly decreased, my gums bleed a little when I brush my teeth and sometimes I wake up with dried blood on my teeth. My periods barely last a day, and I wouldn't even say I was bleeding. I took a pregnancy test and it came back negative. I'm thinking about calling my GYNO now and asking her to switch my birth control. I have never found a BC that is perfect for me, but these are the worst side effects I've ever had with one.

I'm 25, and I have never used bc. I was given this from my gyno. because my bf kept taking off his thingy. So the first day, the very first day my hair started to come out. I gave it two weeks, and threw it in the garbage. I had hair falling out everywhere, I had EVERY side effect listed. My vision was also screwed up. I didn't know what the hell was going on with me. My bf broke up with me, my moods were crazy, my boobs hurt, i had cramps, heavy bleeding, nausea, all i wanted to do was eat food, stomach pains, depression, anxiety, a headache, I was dizzy to the point were I just wanted to start crying, I even had the shits...This pill is a joke. I can deal with minor things like spotting, and I realize it takes 3 months for your body to adjust, but I couldn't even take it for 2 weeks. I did notice that if you take vitamins, the side effects were better.. but still my heart hurt so much I thought, holy crap, I'm going to have a mini-stroke at the age of 25. I am so thankful to god that I found this site and I could read other people's stories. I really think the idea of bc is wonderful, but until they make a pill that my body will accept- I'll stick with condoms, they have worked so far, I would even go on to say, I rather never have sex again then to go through the toll of this pill. This should have never been put on the market.

I am 22 years old and have never used bc before. About three months ago, I started using YAZ, and was absolutely fine for the first two months! About two weeks into my third pill pack I started having terrible nausea, dizziness, and I could not drive. I contacted my gyno, and was told i had to finish the pill pack before I could get switched to something else. I was told that the new pill, loestrin 24, would work out much better for me. Six days on this pill gave me extreme anxiety attacks, nausea, my heart was racing, headaches, etc. My gyno kept telling me i would be fine, but I could not take it anymore. I took myself off of the pill a week into it. It has been a little over a week, and I was feeling much better, but I seem to have slipped backwards some. The anxiety attacks have seemed to subside, but my heart is still racing and now i have numbness and tingling all down my left arm. Oh and ps, i get married in four days and start a new job in two weeks. Can anyone who has been through this tell me how long to expect this stuff to last?

im so glad i found this site.. i have been taking loestrin24 for almost a year now and i cant stand it. i started taking it about the end of august '07 and of course had some break threw bleeding in the first months. then it stop and my periods became so light, i always felt sick and my breast were very tender i thought i was pregnant. i wasn't, thank god, and decided to just keep taking the pill. the past couple months I've been break threw bleeding again and the pains get worse and worse. I've gained a good 10 pounds threw the course of it and know that its from the pill. I've not changed one eating or working out habit ever since i can remember and never gained or lost a pound then. i get unbearable headaches from time to time and I've lost a lot of self confidence since it makes me some what moody almost everyday. It pretty much just makes me feel like crap all the time. so i have decided today that i am officially done with loestrin24. it sucks.

I have been taking it for 2 months now and with this last period I have never experienced such "out of control" feelings in my life. I felt so angry and thought I was going crazy. I am stopping this pill as well.

I was put on Loestrin three weeks ago, and after being on it for 2 and half I've taken myself off of it. I've been on the pill for 7 years and was on Yasmin before I switched because I was having break through bleeding. With Loestrin I have been an emotional wreck, I can't go anywhere. I cry almost over anything and sometimes for no reason at all, and not a couple of little tears, sobbing hysterically. I had to stay home from an entire day of classes because I literally could not get out of bed the cramps and headaches were so bad (on the verge of a migraine which I never get). I've gained 7 pounds in these two and half weeks, I eat all the time. I am on adderall and usually have to make myself eat because I have no appetite, now it's all I do. It made me horribly anxious and depressed, and I didn't want to be social at all (not like I could because I would probably cry). This pill is awful. I also had spotting within the first week and bad spotting. I've been breaking out on my face more then I ever did before I was on the pill. I do not recommend this pill to anyone I much rather not have the positive side effects of birth control then take this.

I have been taking Loestrin 24 for almost a year now. I am not sexually active but I had such a heavy period so my doctor put me on it. At first my period was really weird and I would get random spotting which was really annoying but now its pretty regular and light like a normal period should be like. Except one problem I have is that I get headaches for a few days and sometimes my headache is like a substitute for my period which I still need to tell my doctor. I feel a lot better taking the pills although sometimes I will get cramps but thats normal. The only problem I have is headaches.

I started bc about 4months ago and it sucks. Im always going through mood swings. Every month i think im prego. My boobs r sore. I need chocolate everyday. I have headaches. Im not get tn my regular periods. Before the pill every 28 days i would get my period now every 2months i get a period. But during the wait of my next period im going through bad pms. Im happy to hear im not the only one feeling this way.

I've been on this bc method right after I stopped breast feeding... and it worked wonders for me. I didn't have any periods at all, which was a concern for me since with most bc methods you still bleed... after talking to doctor, they said it was fine. Then I ran out and then didn't take any bc for about 4 months and finally got back on it. Since being back on it (two months now), I've been crazy. Like most of you I've been very emotional, a little depressed, and mood swing-ish. On top of all that I've been having headaches everyday. I'm always hungry and need to eat something... My face looks like crap, I feel fat and bloated all the time, and I hate looking at myself in the mirror. And to top it off, today, for the first time I'm spotting and it freaked the living crap out of me because it was so unexpected that I ran out and got a pt because I was worried I got knocked up again. Thankfully I'm not... needless to say, be weary of this pill.

Wow, I don't feel so crazy after reading everyone's comments. I was on BC for 6 years, and stopped for a year and a half. I myself started this pill 4 days ago, and already I have noticed increase anxiety, paranoia, headaches, and irritability. I called my doctor and told them to write me a prescript for what I used to take -- Ortho Tri Cyclen. For some reason I allowed my doctor to talk me into taking this crap.
Yeah.. the 'lo' dose stuff isn't always the best stuff.

I was on Loestrin 24 for 3 months, and gained around 10 pounds, very unusual for me. I was very depressed and had sever headaches.I have been off the pill for 6 weeks, and have lost bloat, but no weight, even with diet and exercise. Does anyone know if the weight will ever come off???What an awful pill.

I'm a couple weeks into taking this Loestrin pill, after being on Seasonique for about 3 months, and I'm nervous about it. I'm in a monogamous relationship with my boyfriend, he uses condoms , and I'm on birth control , but I'm experiencing nausea in the morning, weird food cravings, unpleasant cramps, headaches, but still light blood spotting. I was absolutely terrified that I was pregnant, but after reading these other entries, it seems mildly common to 'be pregnant' for a month. To be safe I'm getting a pregnancy test, but I'm hoping that the chemicals in the Loestrin doesn't mess with the test. I don't think I dig these pills very much if this is going to happen every month.

HEY..WELL HERE IS MY EXPERIENCE...I STARTED LOESTRIN 24 ALMOST 3 MONTHS AGO..I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ONE PERIOD YET...I SPOTTED THE FIRST WEEK I WAS ON IT, BUT OTHER THEN THAT IT NOTHING. I TOOK 2 PREGO TESTS BOTH SAY NEGATIVE...I AM SO MOODY, MY POOR HUSBAND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ME..THE HEADACHES ARE SO UNBEARABLE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO MY DOCTOR ON WEDNESDAY TO BE SWITCHED AND HE ALSO WANTS TO MAKE SURE I AM NOT PREGNANT. NO HAIR LOSS FOR ME OR WEIGHT GAIN YET, BUT I GUESS ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN IF I STAY ON IT, I JUST CAN NOT STAND WONDERING IF I AM PREGNANT EVERY MONTH. I AM SO HAPPY I FOUND THIS SIGHT, I AM GOING TO ASK MY DOCTOR A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT LOESTRIN AND HOW MANY PEOPLE HE HAS HAD COME IN WITH PROBLEMS WITH THIS PILL..DOES ANYONE HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT PILL TO ACTUALLY SWITCH TO?

I have been on Loestrin 24 for 2 years!! And I am finally getting off... and so happy to find this site! I have had to be put on Topamax because my migraines became so bad, which helped my weight gain (that I attributed to my own depression that I thought was my own fault!) I didn't even realize bc could cause depression but it all makes sense! I came on here to find out if Loestrin has been the cause of my SEVERE HAIR LOSS over the past year and a half! When I started taking it, I was also going through a stressful situation and thought that was the cause, but have now realized that my life is back to normal that something else must be causing it. I tried to get my Dr. to take me off of Loestrin about a year ago due to the EXTREME nausea, dizziness, headaches and fatigue that it was causing and he decided that I should just be put on Topamax because I was just a Migraine sufferer! What a nightmare. I can't wait to switch tomorrow!!

I'm on day 22 of taking this darn pill. I haven't been on bc for almost 3 years and the only reason I am taking it now is because my doctor has me trying it for 2 months because of ovarian cysts causing stomach discomfort. For the past week and a half I've have intolerable headaches that seem to be increasingly worse. For the past 4 days I have started to have horrible lower back pain and I have been told this weekend that I have been biting everyones heads off for no reason. I still have stomach pain. I snap at everyone just out of the blue. I started spotting brown discharge in day 21 and I am so not feeling right. I'm glad I finally decided to look up this pill and read everyones comments. First thing tomorrow morning I will be making a phone call to my doctor.

i am 100 lbs and i have a moderate appetite and cant gain weight im just really petite. I have been on YAZ ,Yasmin, and also Ortho Tri Cyclin lo, i have no sex drive on that so i have to stop it. i have never really gained weight on any of them but Yaz made me moody and have bad periods.. i am switching to Loestrin24 but After reading all these posts im so scared to start this pill! does anyone have similar body type or reactions that could help me out before taking this pill on Sunday?!?

I am 19 and was on Loestrin 24 for about a year and just switched to YAZ 3 days ago! I went on birth control because my periods were so awful..i was having a period every 2&1/2 weeks. So, I was hoping that going on this pill would make me regular. Well, from the very beginning it was like I wasn't on anything at all. They say it takes a while for your cycle to become regular, so i waited a few months and my period stayed messed up! Throughout the year I was spotting so much..I can't tell you how much money I spent on tampons. Not only was the spotting and 5-6 day period annoying, I just was not myself. About a month after starting them I was a wreck. I couldn't eat, little things upset me and made me feel depressed. I would cry uncontrollably, and I blame a lot of it on the pill. I really don't think it was right for my body. The month before I switched, I had three periods. I'm not talking about spotting, I mean 5 day long periods. I got cramps, headaches and even backaches. I felt awful. This pill may be good for some, but i sure HATED it and am happy to be trying something new.