Estrostep Fe side effects

I've taken Estrostep for at least 7 years now, and I thought I have been symptom free until just recently I started to question some unusual symptoms and if they were caused from my birth control. I've had terrible bloating and constipation for the past year and I am thinking I might have a bad reaction to eating wheat, but I've never gone off the pill since I was 14 so I don't know. Also I find it IMPOSSIBLE to lose weight. I am a very serious triathlete and I train 12 hours a week, two to three times a day most days and cannot lose even 5 pounds with a perfectly clean low calorie diet. My sex drive is completely in the dumps and has been for years. It causes a lot of problems with my boyfriend and I but I'm afraid to stop taking the pill to see. I've tried Junel Fe and ortho tri-cyclen and felt that each made me gain at least 15 pounds with no diet change.

I had been taking Estrostep for about 2.5 years, and it was almost like i wasn't on any pills. I had normal symptoms, I'd bloat a lil the week before my period, and get hungry. The day my period would start i would get extremely tired. But otherwise i had no complaints it was the first pill i was ever on. It was so predictable i had calculated my period down to the hour of the day it would start. But around the end of the time i was taking it i started to cramp a little more than usual and also bleed a lil heavier, and longer. So i figured it was my body getting used to the pill, so my Dr. decided to switch me, and so far i've been thru 2 other pills, and i def. don't recommend Orth-Tri Cyclen Lo, i was a maniac.

I started taking Estrostep Fe when I was 14, and just recently stopped back in May for no reason really. I just started back on them a few weeks ago and I'm have some pretty bad cramps and keep thinking I'm about to start my period because I can't stop eating! I'm not sure what's going on?!? This is the first problem I've noticed, ever!

I started on Estrostep 4 months ago. I had been on it about 6 years ago but stopped taking it when my husband and I started our family. After my second child, I was debating BC methods. Four mos ago, I went to the ER with a ruptured ovarian cyst. Tests showed additional cysts so my doctor recommended I go on the pill to prevent/control new cysts. I started Estrostep and for the first 3 months, I had really painful cramping and my period arrived a week earlier than it was supposed to. I've also noticed that my irritable bowel syndrome (which had been controlled for 8 years) has flared up. I'm having panic attacks and just general anxiety... can't help but wonder if the pill is causing some of this.

I started on Estropstep Fe about 7 years ago and during that time I switched once to Ortho-Novum (which I did not like at all). Ortho-Novum made me gain weight and just did not feel good on it... So I switched back to Estrostep Fe about 2 years ago and I am still taking them. I guess my concern is that I have been super irregular since i have started back on them. For instance, I will have my period one month and then not have it again for the next two months, then I will have it and then not again for one month and the pattern goes on... Is this normal or is there some underlying thing to this?

My side effects have mainly to do with the generic for Estrostep. It is called
Tri Le Gest FE. In one month it raised my blood pressure from 120/80 to 144/99. My doctor put me on Ativan thinking I had anxiety. That reacted badly also.
Ended up in the ER with BP 165/100 heart rate 135. Since stopping generic my bp is now back in the 120'/70 range. I have gained 15 pounds and had my cholesterol go up 20 points in one year. I will blame regular Estrostep for that but the generic form really messes with your heart. Just wanted to let everyone know to keep really close tabs on blood pressure.

well...I've been taking estro step for a about a year and i noticed the week before my period i would itch my skin like crazy, especially at night it kept me awake and it was so annoying so my doctor told me to take vitamin b and it helped somewhat and then they switch me to generic brand and i went back on estro step this month and after a few days i started itching worse than before and it wasn't even around the same time and its keeping me from sleeping and i noticed a small rash , a few red dots...whats going on? i was on it for so long and i just don't understand it, help anyone?>

Hi I had been on Estrostep for 2 years and I hated it it caused me to have blood clots every time my period would come since I have been of the pill I have not had a period its been a year.

I have taken Estrostep Fe for as long as I can remember. I have always experienced pretty much all of the symptoms I have read here since I began taking it. This was the first and only birth control I have ever tried.

From what I'm reading though, it's hard to tell if what I have been experiencing is normal problems women have when their hormone levels change (anytime you change a birth control or start taking one for the first time this WILL HAPPEN guaranteed-it's a product of being a woman) or if the problems are caused by the pill.

I have however noticed through the years that certain things make the symptoms worse. Mostly dietary changes, things you eat during hormonal changes, among other environmental things actually contribute to the problems.

I'm wondering how many people that have posted here about their problems started on the pill for the first time using Estrostep Fe and also how many were just reaching the age where that wonderful gift of getting a period arrives?

A lot of teenage girls don't realize that BOTH the pill AND your period (even without the pill) cause big changes in hormone levels...and starting both at the same time, well.....if that's the case, then a lot of these posts make sense and seem to be completely normal.

FYI-to anyone frequently switching birth controls and not waiting at least 3 months in between to let your hormone levels stabilize..you can expect hair loss and/or facial hair, migraines, weight gain, and a host of other problems.

My point is, you can read things in these forums and think WOW I HAVE THOSE SYMPTOMS TOO!! DOWN WITH ESTROSTEP! without stopping to think about these things as well:

1. Women always have and always will be known for their mood changes, and bouts of depression. You also have to remember that during menstruation your body goes through a little phase that closely mimics that of being pregnant according to many doctors..PMS is a common thing. not just caused by birth control.

2. It is normal to have sore/tender breasts around the time of your period, before during and even after it. Look it up on any medical website!

3. read the side effects of the stuff BEFORE you decide to switch. they are put there for a reason.

4. the pill warns against taking it if you have or could have certain medical conditions. don't just blame it on the pill, go tell the doc EVERYTHING no matter how embarrassed you feel about it (trust me, they hear and see worse all day long)....don't be surprised if you find out you have some underlying condition you didn't know about. also, if you are overweight..taking most birth control pills is NOT a good idea for many reasons..the risk of blood clots (that can lead to stroke/heart attack goes WAY up)-also if you smoke..but did you know that if you are overweight your chances of getting pregnant on the pill DOUBLE (if your BMI is over 27%)..

My point is, keep an open mind, and for those of you just becoming a woman-learn more about how your body works because you'll need to be able to differentiate throughout life between the normal aches and pains and the ones that require a Dr. or hospital visit.

good luck!

I am having bouts of very bad dizziness and faint feeling, my heart will begin racing and then I become very anxious and nervous and then my head begins to hurt. I feel like I am losing my mind because I have had so many tests run and doctors say I am normal. Anyone else have these problems????

I have been taking Estrostep FE for almost 3 years now. About 4 months ago, I noticed that I had a slightly bad headache everyday. I would get this about 2 hours after I took the pill. At first, I thought it was from sleep deprivation, or caffeine withdrawals, but now those options are obsolete. Could severe headaches be a side effect of this pill? If so, what could I do to get rid of them?

I was on the pill for 2 years & then stopped for a few months b/c was low on funds. Started taking it again seemed like I was doing fine for a few days then started to get extremely depressed to the point that I was worrying my family with how depressed I sounded, then the 2nd week on the pill started my period, figured hormones just hadn't been able to stop my normal period from happening but it is still going on a week and a half later, I am still depressed, I have severe seizing abdominal pains occasionally, and have stopped feeling full ever, and can't stop eating which could be linked to the depression. I used to love this pill but now think I need to get back off it & switch to another.

I recently stopped taking Estrostep FE within the last two months. I was on Estrostep for roughly 18 months. I am a collegiate athlete, very healthy, 130lbs. - When I began taking this drug I started getting chronic yeast infections - they were mild, but were coming back every two and three weeks. When I contacted my doctor, she thought it was because of my athletics, that it was normal - a 'yeast imbalance' - I thought I had something really wrong with me. It was so awful. I also had very aggressive mood swings which were really very abnormal.

I feel much better now that I am off of this pill. Please be aware of side effects before taking this medication.

Is it possible to have no period on the pill. First period very dark, thick and only for a short period of time. Thought of the possibility of being pregnant. Tested myself 4 different times since the middle of July. All test are negative. Stopped pill and still no period. Should I be worried? Is there a possibility of being pregnant?

Very dry eyes and Im constantly feeling sad and unmotivated.

I have been taking Estrostep Fe since 2001. Before that I had tried other pills and had horrible side effecgts including nausea, extreme personal dryness and digestive problems.

Once I began taking Estrostep, I expereinced no negative side effects. The side effects that I expereinced were all positive. Before Estrostep I had severe cramping, back pain and moodieness during periods that lasted for 6-7 days. While on Estrostep, these menstral symptoms have significantly decreased or disapeared and my periods only last three days on average.

I have only been on estrpstep for about a week and already have lost weight. Actually for the last few days I have had bouts of nausea and have no or little interest in eating. I also feel like an emotional reck my chest looks and feels huge. This is my 3rd change of oral contraceptives and well, I feel like giving up. I was on othro for about 4 years until my bad cramps were coming back, which began this trial and error. All I know is that I'm miserable. Any advice?

this is my second month taking estropstep, and I've been extremely depressed, imagining the worst things happening to me and my children. Often times I feel like vomiting and I decided to talk to my doctor about it because I just can't get over it and I don't know how long this will last.

i used to take estrostep a few years ago and i was fine i never even gained weight felt like nothing, here i am taking it again and in my 3rd month, i have never been this depressed in my life, i cry alot i get mad at everything im always fighting with my bf and on top of that ever since i started it for these 3 months i havent gotten my period and no im not pregnant! before i got on it i was perfect and happy with my life and out of no where i am like this

Took this pill for a few months and then stopped. About two months later I noticed an increase in hair loss on my head. It has gotten worse....so, I have been losing tons of strands of hair for more than three months! Do not take Estrostep!

Within days of starting estrostep my face, upper arms and upper part of my back broke out. Thought it would start to clear up, but no sign. It's getting worse and itches/hurts on my face. My ob/gyn prescribed it to HELP my acne, oilyness and large pores. My breasts seem to be getting bigger, but really need more time to tell. Very concerned about my face breaking out...will it clear up?

Had really bad mood swings and depression the month I was on it. Which is very abnormal for me. Got off it right away.

First day wonder what will happen to me??? I don't think it's true that your chest will grow though~

I've been taking the pill for 2 months and i havent noticed much except mood swings. They tend to just come out of now where.

really bad acne on the face. painful, ingrown, red bumps onthe face after only 3 days of usage.

Does anyone else feel slightly depressed and irritable on estrostep??

I have experienced mood swings as well as my breast being very tender to the point that it hurts to hug anyone or put on a shirt. My nipples seem to stay hard a week before my period and while my period was on. I only took it for two months and i still had these problems in my third and fourth month cycle.

I am only in my 3rd week of taking Estrostep and I feel HORRIBLE! I am having some heart fluttering, feeling very anxious, upset stomach, tingling in my left hand, and moodiness. I took Orthocept prior to this for approx. 8 years with no adverse side effects. I am going back to Orthocept next month.

I am using estrostep for my acne but on my 9th day i started spotting. I thought my boobs were growing and now i read other people see the same result and i feel the urge to cry about stupid things. It has caused some anxity but i am just sick of being on my period every other week it's emotionally messing me up!

Since I have been on Estrostep, which I started taking it about 3 months ago, I have been very moody. I get mad and sad for no reason. I cry alot and I stay depressed most of the time. Also my sex drive has increased .. alot. And when I started taking the pill, my period was very irregular. It would stop for a day and then start again the next day .. or stop and 2 days later it would happen again.

i have noticed severe mood swings and a HUGE increase in sex drive.

Just days prior to my period I would have very bad abdominal spasms that would last for a few seconds but they would occur every twenty minutes and also I have bad mood swings where I want to cry.

so far so good, but I think the ferrous fumarate is making me cramp up...but I'm starting my period, too, so I don't know. I've been popping IB Profen and Tylenol all day and nothing seems to help. Anyone else have this happen?

Severe hair thinning in front and crown area. Weight gain, fluctuations in blood sugar levels making it difficult to manage and predict.

I've been taking Estrostep for about 6 months. I'm having horrible mood swings and severe anxiety and panic attacks!!! It helped with my menstral cramps which is why it was prescribed to me, but I feel like I'm losing my mind!

This might seem strange, but I've noticed a drastic increase in my sex drive since I've begun taking it a month ago. Anyone else?

I have at least one week of very extreme constipation and then two weeks of the exact opposite. Along with the tender breast and horrible cramping almost constantly. I am also extremely bloated!! I have been taking this for two months.

Weigth gain, fatigue, breasts have extreme sensitivity, my breasts are actually getting bigger

I had very bad hot flashes, terrible insomia and panic attacks while taking Estrostep. I felt like I was waiting to explode!!

Causes terrible acne everywhere immediately that does not dissipate -- both on face and body. Awful!

My breast have been tender for weeks... but i do feel like my breast are growing... or maybe thats because the feel so heavy.. not sure

extreme constipation; after 3 days that i started taking it, I was starting to get really angry at everything, then I would cry for no reason. I was spotting after the 6th pill i took, and it got heavier as the hormone dosage increased in the pills. Very bloated, but I guess it could be due to the constipation.

caused many brown spots on my face

Sinusitis, labile moods, depression, fatigue, slight increased growth of facial hairs

Weight gain. Also, I was depressed 1 week before period every month, didn't have that before I started taking it.

EXTREME HAIR LOSS!!! Very bad pill!