Femcon FE and breasts

I was on Femcon Fe for around a year. I didn't experience any negative side effects, it was easy to remember and quite effective. In May of 09 I started experiencing some weird symptoms (mind you, Ive been on this drug for almost a year by that point), my breasts were so tender it hurt to touch them, I was overly emotional, and exhausted all the time. I complained to my husband and my friends. They all joked and said "Uhoh sounds like youre pregnant". I already have one child and I figured I would KNOW if I were pregnant. Besides, I never missed a period. Never, not once. Finally, in July I broke down and made an appt with my OBGYN to discuss what was going on. My Dr. said she could almost guarantee that I wasn't pregnant and that it was a hormonal imbalance. Well, she got me a blood test and sure enough I was pregnant. 2 more blood tests down the road (because my HCG level was fluctuating strangely), they scheduled me for an ultrasound. Not only was I pregnant but I was 10 weeks pregnant! I will swear in a court of law that I never missed a period. If anything, my periods from May-July were heavier and lasted an average of 9 days. Junes period lasted almost 14 days.
Anyways, September 17th after a detailed 20 week level 2 ultrasound, my Perinatologist detected fetal birth defects. My baby has hydroureter and her left kidney is significantly malformed. The kidney will never improve and they can only monitor its function until birth and the bladder will have to be shunted immediately after birth to drain the excess fluids.
I will never EVER take another birth control pill...EVER. My daughters life will be forever altered due to Femcon. Ladies, beware.

One month too long....this is an update from my two previous posts dated May 6th and May 1st, 2009. After starting to spot on the second day of the second week of the pill pack of Femcon FE, I contacted the doctor to verify that everything was truly okay. When it was the third week of the pill pack and I was still spotting quarter sized clots, I called again, and the docs office said to just keep on with it. So I did. At one point I stated to my fiance that the reason it's effective birth control, was because it's impossible to get pregnant if you can't have sex!! He wasn't too amused!!!

I took my last pill of the pack on Saturday May 16th and have lost 4 and half pounds and much of the fullness in my cup size of my already large sized 36DDs. Now, if I were to choose to continue with Femcon FE, which I am not, I would start my new pill pack on Sunday. I would assume that the pounds would come back along with the fullness of my breasts. I refuse to put my body through that on a monthly basis.

Good luck to all of those who are trying to make the decision themselves to take Femcon FE. I was really hoping that it would work for me. So far it hasn't. If I had more time to fool with it I would, but I am getting married in 6 weeks and can't play with my weight like that (I have to fit into that dress!!). I do have 5 months worth of samples left though, so maybe after the wedding, I will give it the two months that the doctor wanted me to. My primary doctor said that she thought the hormone wasn't strong enough since I spotted the whole time, so then again maybe not!!!

Again, Good Luck!!!

I've been on Femcon for about a month now, and so far so good. I started out on OrthoTriCyclen which made me vomit several times a week, so, strike one. Then went to Yasmin, which was okay, but decided to switch to Seasonique (sp?) for the convenience of a few periods a year, but it made the skin peel off my face at an alarming rate. I was then switched to Yaz, that was great except for one thing: It stole away any sex drive I may have had--no good. Because of this, my doctor switched me to Errin-a progesterone based mini pill-which did give me back my sex drive, but also made my acne horrific, the skin on my scalp peel off, and my breasts painful. Needless to say, it has been a long and difficult struggle with the world of oral contraceptives, so here's hoping that Femcon works out for me!

i'm still only on my first week of femcon and am hoping it stays as wonderful as it is now. I have not had any of these side effects, funny thing is..I had all those side effects prior to taking this..but not this week. Less anxiousness, i used to have lumps in my breasts all month..now they're soft like they should be, my skin seems the same..only thing i noticed is I did get a little red bump on my forearm that hurt but went away and then i noticed another on my breast..painful to touch but not raised at all. but they are both almost gone. the only thing i am concerned about is two time now in 3 days when i used the bathroom this clump of mucus with blood in it poured out of me..it was the most disgusting thing ever. I don't know what it is..I figure I'll wait it out a little while longer. otherwise, excellent birth control.

I just started taking Femcon FE about three weeks ago and so far can’t say I have noticed anything that’s being mention in the posts related to nausea and mood swings. But I do have more appetite than before and I am hungry all the time. Also I have more bowel movements than usual. My breasts are tender for last 2 days and am cramping but that could be due to my period cycle coming near. I guess that’s expected. I take the pill before going to bed each night I have been sleeping quiet well actually, better than normal. I am not going to jump to any conclusion yet and will continue taking it for couple of more weeks and see how my body reacts to this new change. So far it’s been okay. I guess just have to watch what I eat and be cautious about my health.

I keep getting these sharp pains in the bottom of my feet and breasts. Is anyone else experiencing this? I'm not sure if it is from the pill or not. I'm not on any other type of medication.

After suffering from severe cramps and heavy bleeding for several years I decided to go to the doctor to see if I might possibly have endometriosis. He put me on Femcon in hopes of getting the pain and bleeding under control. I immediately noticed side effects from this medication. Much of what many of you are posting. I had constant tenderness and discomfort in my breasts, vivid/realistic nightmares, weight gain and most of all severe moodiness and irritability. I felt angry and hostile three weeks out of every month. Not a pleasant situation for me or the people around me. After two months of this, I called my doctor to possibly switch to something else. His response: exercise, high protein diet and Prozac as needed. I have been on a high protein diet for the better part of 20 years and have been exercising regularly all my life. As I am already on Paxil, albeit an extremely low dose (6.25mg-half of a 12.5), I found the Prozac part of his solution to be questionable. Number one, I don't believe in over medicating. Number two, it is my understanding that with antidepressants like Prozac, you have to take them consistently to achieve the desired effects. Having been on Prozac in the past, I was not willing to go back on it for any reason. I continued to take the Femcon for two more months with no relief of the side effects. Two days ago I went to a different doctor who put me on the generic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen. It's been almost two weeks that I have been off the Femcon and I literally feel like a new person. The Femcon did great with controlling the pain and bleeding. However, that was no longer worth the negative side effects I had been experiencing on a daily basis for the last four months. I agree with many of you. The negative and/or positive effects will be individual. This is just my experience with it.

I started this pill about 2 months ago when my gyn told me I had endometriosis, and said this could help. I received both of my periods on time, but this pill was driving me crazy the first month with nausea, and abdominal pain, and the second month my breasts started to change, meaning in appearance, and are now really sensitive. I felt so strange that I took a pregnancy test but it was once again negative. This pill is awful, and I believe it gave me a urinary tract infection which I haven't had sense I was a child

I am on the third pack of Femcon, switched from Ortho Tri-Cyclen because my periods were too long. I can't say I have any major side effects, no depression, no wackiness etc., One that I do have is breast tenderness, my boobs blew up like balloons and I do have major skin/chin problems that no dermatologist can help me with for the last few weeks. I couldn't figure it out what it was from but I think it might be from the pill. Never had any skin problems, acne and all of the sudden my chin breaks out badly, not pimples more like under the skin red bumps. Anyone with the similar problem???? HELP.

***IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON STARTING FEMCON FE PLEASE READ THIS FIRST***
I am 31 years old and have been on contraceptives for 15 years. I have endometriosis and have very bad periods. In the past I have taken several different brands of the pill and have had no side effects, aside from a very occasional migrane, but they have not controlled my pain/periods...so we tried femcon fe. I stopped taking it today after three months when i realized that the horrible things i have been going through match up with what all of the other ladies are saying here. The first day i had such pain in my breasts that my bra itself almost brought me to tears, then came the nausea. I actually took three pregnancy tests because i was sick at the same time everyday. I started vomiting with painful abdominal cramping off and on and not putting two and two together i was about to go and have a GI thinking it was an ulcer or worse! then i started to notice the weight gain, skin issues - not pimples but splotches, Then came the depression, rage and mental cloudiness. I started having trouble concentrating or even listening, was experiencing horrible anxiety to the point of near rage, and even having some trouble slurring my words and having significant "blank outs" where i couldn't find my words or remember things. I was depressed enough to consider psychiatric help/meds...this is NOT me!! Insomnia, crazy vivid dreams and nightmares, trembling, irrational fears and reactions...these are serious side effects that were doing nothing but getting worse. Today i got a migrane and could not stop vomiting, that is when i sat in fear that there was something terribly wrong with me and it hit me...THAT DAMNED PILL!!! I am not kidding, i really thought that i was deathly ill. stomach cancer?, a stroke? i thought, what the hell is going on here?!? That's when i found this site and thanks to you ladies i am no longer afraid that i am crazy or going to die! immediately, i called my OB who has advised me not to take another femcon, obviously, and said that everyone reacts differently and this is not something that will "level out." If you are having these issues CALL YOUR DOCTOR!!! Please don't let yourself get to the point of total misery that I stupidly did...there are HUNDREDS of pills out there that will not do this to you!!! I wish i would have realized this sooner i thought it was all coincidental having been on so many different pills and never having even a tiny pimple of a side effect. Please do you research and please don't continue taking this pill if you are having problems with it...it is not for everyone and an irregular period is nothing compared to the sheer hell i have been going through to have 10% less cramps and a one day shorted period!!
Jacqueline B.

i am almost done with my second pack of Femcon Fe, i have 3 days left of active pills. I started my first pack the day of my period, then for a whole month i bled continuously. Only when i was done with the brown pills for the first pack did it stop. I started my second & for two weeks was period free, then for the 3rd week i started to bleed again. I know they say that your period won't regulate til the third pack, but come on i want a break here. Not only have i had a VERY long period i also cramp badly in my lower pelvic area after each meal & i mean every single time i eat even if it is only a cracker or something. I always feel sick to my stomach too. My breasts have been continuously terribly sore. My breasts have also increased in size dramatically, a whole cup size I was a 36 c now i am a 36 d. I don't have signifigant weight gain anywhere else either. I have headaches & my heart seems to flutter more often too. I talked to my doctor & she told me to just stick it out for a little while, she said that everything will become more regulated after the third pack. I am just wondering if anyone else had these kinds of symptoms with this pill 7 does everything eventually work itself out?

Well now it all makes sense! I am just finishing my 2nd week on Femcon FE and I couldn't understand why my breasts hurt so much...now I get it! I was on the depo shot for 2 years and LOVED it, no migraines, no periods...nothing. But because of my age and family history of osteoporosis I had to go off of it. Another doctor in my doctor's practice put me on the femcon because after not having my period for 2 years I got it really bad twice for a week in 3 weeks time. I can't go back on Yasmin because of the migraines, however besides the tenderness issue (which sucks if you have to run/walk fast anywhere), and I'm convinced weight gain, all of the sudden nothing fits. I'm not having the bleeding everyone else seems to be. But when I go for my annual in a week, I am going to definitely ask for something else after being on BC for the last 12 years this has to be the worst.

i will be starting femcon fe as soon as my next period comes..and from a lot of peoples postings im getting really nervous about this pill. i have an irregular flow. my period last for 9 days and sometimes comes twice a month..my OBGYN said that it will help regulate me and make my period shorter..im just really hoping that i dont break out in acne, because i have never had bad skin before.
does anyone have any good results from this pill????

-jacqueline

i absolutely hate this pill. i have only been on it for a couple of days and i feel like im going to die! my breasts are not tender but i constantly have headaches, diarrhea and vomit all the time. I hate it but then again im not gonna say its the worst pill bc its the first time i am on birth control. i don't know if i should keep taking it or just stop. also, im a little confused on how to take the pill bc my doctor just handed it to me without telling me ANYTHING about it even when i told him i have never been on any kind of pill before. he was dumb. if anyone can please explain to me how to take them i would really appreciate it. i am just nervous that my period wont come once i get to the brown pill and what if i take all the brown pills and it doesn't come? what do i do? start a new pack? im sorry if i sound dumb but my doctor shouldve told me everything about this pill before he prescribed it to me.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!! I am sooo glad that I read all your posts, because I was so confused about taking this pill. I have been diagnosed with PCOS, and I have been told to take Provera, but then told that my acne and hair growth won't be under control by Provera, so I went to another gynecologist, and she prescribed Femcon FE, but I have been told that BC makes you fat, and makes you breasts bigger. I have already gained like 20 pounds since I started having irregular periods, my breasts have increased from a 32A to a 34D..its good, but it sucks at the same time! I hate being fat. I am only 18!! I don't wanna get anymore fatter! I am def. not taking this..Thanks again!!

Thank god I read this. I have been feeling lumps in my breast (that are normal to feel right before your period but for the entire month) which have been extremely tender and huge! I know that birth control can have that effect but this pill has made my body do things it never did. I have been on about 10 different birth controls and I'm am constantly telling my husband to be careful with my breasts with this one. My periods are inconsistent and I just can't get over how much my breasts hurt! I'm ready to get off this one...

This pill is the worst....I am on my second pack, and I keep on having light spotting and I keep on getting yeast infections. The infection will clear up when i start taking the brown pills and it will come back 2-3 days after I start taking the white pills again..I know birth control will give you more yeast infections, but this is ridiculous!!!!!!!...I am bloated and swollen..my breasts are very tender, and I cant seem to go to sleep!!!!!!!! Im going to ask the doctor for another pill. I was on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen for 7 years, and had to stop because my insurance stopped covering it. These pills are much cheaper, and the doctor said they were great. I AM GOING TO GET ANOTHER PILL!! THANK GOD FOR THIS WEBSITE!

I gained 10 pounds in the first month I was on Femcon. I have worked out for 30 minutes to an hour every day in the second month, with no results. I have always weighed around 120. Now at 130 I feel fat and uncomfortable, and my clothes are too tight. I feel bloated every day, and my stomach even looks bloated. My kids asked me if I was pregnant!!! My breasts have become so large and sore that I feel as if I am 7 months pregnant. Not to mention the embarrassment of having people stare at my chest - I started at 34DD so the sudden explosion of growth is definitely noticeable. I get nauseous almost every day and find it difficult to eat. In fact, I feel so much like I am pregnant that I actually took a home pregnancy test, which of course was negative. In a nutshell, I am miserable. I would not recommend this pill to anyone.

I’m at the end my 3rd month on Femcon Fe and I have to say that none of the side effects I’ve experienced have been too severe. My doctor put me on it after having a laparoscopy to treat endometriosis and in place of using harsher treatments such as Lupron. The 1st month I had some mild nausea, slight breast tenderness, and spotting for about 3 days. The second month the nausea increased greatly, I lost my appetite a little and I would even vomit sometimes. Fortunately the nausea was mostly in the early in the mornings and late at night when I would take it. My breasts also started to grow and were a little bit more tender. Now in my third month, the symptoms have finally started to subside. My breasts are still larger (which is nice hehe) but no longer hurt as much. I still have mild nausea from time to time but that’s also almost completely gone. It’s important to note that ALL birth control pills have side effects and you just need to find the one that is best for you. It is true that most side effects eventually go away once your body gets accustomed to the level of hormones but you have to give it a chance first. This pill isn’t for everyone but it doesn’t always have the harsh side effects that some women post here after using it for only two weeks. Some positives for me: my period is much lighter only lasting 3 days or so and with very little cramping (it used to be severe), my skin has cleared up and is less oily. No depression and my mood has actually improved. No change in sex drive either but I do need to use more lubrication now. Finally and most importantly (to me at least), I’ve had NO weight gain. Some bloating at times but no big deal. There have been times when I've felt hungrier than usual but you just have to have self control. Don’t eat more than you usual, only have healthy snacks and drinks lots of water.

My doctor switched me to Femcon Fe because I was experiencing breakthrough bleeding after taking Ortho Tricyclen/Ortho Tricyclen Lo for 8 years. I have taken Femcon Fe for 2 months and really dislike it. My breasts have grown almost a whole cup size, which may sound great, but they are always sore. I have gained almost 10 pounds, with no change in diet, and have been moodier and more fatigued than usual. Worst of all, I have had scant, barely existing periods these past 2 months. Seriously, I do not even need to wear a tampon/pad. My spotting on Ortho Tryclen Lo was heavier than my periods on Femcon Fe. This pill is not for me!

I have been on Femcon FE for the past 2 months, going on my third. My Doctor switched me from Ortho Tricyclen Lo to this because I had severe breakthrough bleeding for 3 weeks. I have to say I think the positives might outweigh the negatives for me. I have had some headaches, but I usually have them so its nothing new for me. I have been moody, but again, thats sort of a given so I don't really think its too bad but I will try to monitor it more closely next time. I love that my breasts have grown and I have had better skin since I went on this. I will definitely keep a closer eye on my health this month though to determine if I should stay on this. Thanks!

I have been on this pill for approximately 1 yr went off of it for four months to try my body without it. I went back on to regulate my cycle.. I have to say I like this pill. So many people are posting info. with taking the pill for a week. That's not enough time to give a good example of the pill plus everyone women is different. going back on the pill my only thing is my breasts have grown like a cups size which i really like but the tenderness is a pain. i too like some of the other women feel like my breasts are going to explode like I was nursing with full milk. other than that I tend to be a little drier during sex but nothing that some creams won't help. I have tried every pill and I really think this pill is a good one. Give it a chance..

I just finished my 2nd pack of Femcon . For the first 3 or 4 weeks I had headaches and was nauseous often. The symptoms were more avoidable when I began taking the pill at night. I occasionally still woke feeling nauseous, but it didn't last long and soon ended. My breasts have gotten bigger as I now have trouble fitting into some of my bras. I am not complaining though, since I was a small B cup before. They are still tender and feel tougher. I also did notice I was getting some big zits (3 or 4 at once when I usually have 1, if any, a month) the first few weeks were hell, but I am glad I stuck it out. I know the side effects can really be miserable, but I encourage you to try and stick it out, for at least a month and definitely try, if you can, to take your pill a couple hours before bedtime so you can hopefully sleep through the unpleasantness.

good luck! (:

I have been on femcon for almost 2 months now. i have one more week left on my second pack. anyway, i havent had any problems or any major side effects until now. i just feel like i am pregnant which i dont think i am but my breasts are so tender they feel like they could just burst, my nipples are darker and bigger. I just feel like i am really full of the time. Has anyone else ever felt like this?

I'm on my 2nd month of taking Femcon. The first week starting it, I had heart flutters and anxiety, then coinciding with depression and mood swings. I was patient though and all of that subsided. Throughout this entire time, I've had occassional nausea in the first few hours after I wake, but no vomiting. My ankles have been continuously swollen since on it, and I'm generally just bloated, I have to take a water pill to relieve some of it. My breasts have been tender, off and on, since I started taking it.
By the end of the 1st pack, I figured I was ok, I had my last period just a little over a week ago. A week after my cycle had ended, I started spotting, and now in the past 24 hrs I'm heavily bleeding, I'm actually concerned. I'm passing clots, bleeding heavily, having moderate to severe cramps in my lower back area. I'm currently trying to reach my doctor and hoping they'll call me back, since I've had 2 miscarriages in the past, I'm showing signs of a possible miscarriage, but I've been told that the pill will give you symptoms of pregnancy, so I don't know. Any advice on what to do? I believe I will see if the doctor will put me on Estrostep, I took that about 7 years ago and had no problems with it, but the doctor felt that Femcon is more effective against pregnancy. Anyone know what could be happening with me?

I've been taking Femcon Fe since the end of July of this year! My breasts feel really tender as if I am going to start my menstrual period and i have tiny cramps. Sometimes I get upset about little things and I cry over it for about five minutes then get mad that I was crying. The worst thing is I constantly have headaches and and every little thing triggers my headaches..ie sunlight, loud noises. Most of all I get nauseated and dizzy and feel like I am going to throw up at the worst times possible. I dont think this pill is working out for me, especially since I am a college student and the pill is only making me lazy and tired all the time!

I've been on Femcon Fe for 2 1/2 months. I'm frequently bloated, fatigued, and recently my breasts have been feeling like they're bound in a vice grip. When my mind says yes to sex, my body will not cooperate which have never been a problem til now so the only thing I can tie it to is Femcon. I'm supposed to be going back in two weeks to get a new prescription of BC. I don't think Femcon is right for me, and will be switching. Good luck to you all.

So this is my third month on Femcon Fe. I switched to this pill to stop with the breakthrough bleeding. I would have my period for 3 weeks at a time!! HORRIBLE...but the first month i continued with the 3 week period. i figured my body was just adjusting to it. The second pack was awesome...all my symptoms went away and i had a normal period. Im now on my third pack and i started the bleeding again...im not suppose to be on my period for about another week and a half..and my breasts are really really tender! I dont know if i should continue to stay on this pill or switch. Ive already switched bc pills 3 different times in the past year so i know my body is still adjusting but idont think it's normal to have a period that often! spotting i understand but a period..dont think so! If any of you have been on this longer and have any advice i would appreciate it. should i finish it out longer and see what happens? i dont want to switch again because that's another bc pill that my body has to get used to!! :(

This pill is wretched. The first week, I bled straight through it. The second week, I had terrible migraines and I couldn't stand up from the amount of abdominal pain I was in. Now my breasts are so tender that I have to sleep with not only my usual bra on, but a shelf bra tank top too. And I have been nauseous since I started taking them. I've lost about 8 pounds in three weeks. I'm wondering if this is normal for the upper dosage low-dose bc pills. I was on Ortho Tri-cyclen lo about two years ago but I had a lot of spotting. (even that pill made me nauseous.) Since then I've been steadily moving up the ladder of potency in terms of these pills, but how bad will these side effects become? Will they go away?

I just started taking Femcon Fe and the worst part for me is my breasts are so tender, I can't even stand being hugged!!!!! When I lay down at night my breast feel like they felt right before I was going to nurse my baby. I haven't been pregnant in ten years and don't want to be but I can't stand the breast tenderness. I've only been on Femcon for two weeks and don't like it at all. I haven't felt moody but have felt very bloated. The breast tenderness is the worst I have every felt in my life. I feel like I have to melons about ready to burst instead of breasts!

My daughter has just started taking Femcon FE. On the second day she took the pill she thought she was starting to get a urinary track infection. By the fourth day she had a pain in her lower back, vomiting feeling terrible. The doctor is saying the pill has noting to do with it. Has anyone else had these symptoms with this pill?