Femcon FE and weight gain

Hi, my name is B. and I am 24, this is my first time using birth control and I have been on Femcon FE for a little over one month now. I always had irregular periods, sometimes i skipped, sometimes i bleed for an excessive amount of time. The reason why I was put on birth control now is because I had very heavy bleeding, which i clotted badly, passed out, was extremely dizzy, and so forth. It is normal to have periods like that in my family but after a few days i went to the hospital cause i noticed that my situation was getting worst, i was told I was anemic and i had to have 4 units of blood transfusions...

My gyno put me on Femcon FE and i was told to take two a day to stop the bleeding first off, she also gave me additional meds for the nausea. Well, at first I stopped bleeding for about a week and after the week was up I went down to one pill, well I started spotting, but my gyno told me that was normal. A few more days has past and my bleeding is getting heavier, not as bad before, so my gyno told me to start taking two a day again, and i did and still am. Well I am STILL bleeding, and I have been bleeding for 16 days now. I have been taking Femcon FE for a little over a month and I am almost done with the 3rd month's package of Femcon FE.

Some of the side effects I have been feeling:
-vaginal cramps (some REALLY painful)
-depression
-moodiness
-being tired most days
-some weight gain
-bleeding

Since reading these stories you have shared with me, I am going to discuss with my gyno on Thursday about maybe trying a new birth control, so thank you for your opinions.

I am so glad I came across this website! I have always read that birth control is not the cause of weight gain, but I just could not understand how after years not dealing with weight as an issue that within a matter of a few months I had gained nearly 10 lbs! I exercise 4-7 times per week intensely and have recently been watching every calorie I've taken in and still managed to gain a ton of weight! Also, I've noticed that I've been increasingly lethargic lately and could not figure out why I needed to take at least 2 hour naps everyday. Needless to say, I will be calling my doctor tomorrow and telling him everything. Thanks for everyones comments!

I have great experience with this pill unlike others. Just like with any pill you can get melasma which is dark spots on your skin. I got few but from my previous pill witch was Yaz (it was terrible; daily headaches, no periods which is normal but kept buying pregnancy tests because of it, terrible breast soreness, vaginal dryness, zero sex drive). With this pill, at the beginning of taking this pill, first few days I felt little nauseous but nothing that bothered me. First month I had some breakthrough bleeding but that was gone after a month. No headaches, slight breast increase which I am not complaining about (it can happen in pills with higher estrogen). No breast soreness, no weight gain, no darkening of the skin so far, sex drive is normal. The only negative, this pill costs $75.

I just started taking FEMCON a month ago and I stopped this morning! I am an active 27 year old who runs at least 15 miles a week with a small appetite. Since taking this pill I find it hard to make it through a run and I am eating constantly!! Nothing satisfies my cravings! Also, since taking this pill I wake up at night with calf cramping. I started taking the pill due to breakthrough bleeding, which has still continued. I tried to give the pill the benefit of the doubt and understand that within the first month weight gain and fatigue might be normal, however I feel HORRIBLE! I am changing my pill along with my doctor, who rather prescribe different pills than solve whatever real problem there is. I recommend Loestrin or zovia to anyone who is considering the pill.

Thank you ladies for all your comments!
:-)

Femcon Fe is the first BC I have ever tried. I only got through the 2nd week of my first pack and then I stopped! I couldn't stop eating...I was crying for the smallest things...I had spotting! So I gave up just like that! After 2 months, I decided to give it another try ( I still have the 2nd pack sample). So far, after 3 weeks, everything is OK. No weight gain, or spotting...headaches, yes but it is nothing that Tylenol can't fix. So there..I am going to give this pill a chance. I do hope I get my period once I get to the inactive ones and not bleed for days like the ones did...wish me luck :)

It is so crazy that I found this site today, and super glad that I did....I should have went with my gut 3 months ago when I wanted to stop taking this pill...but now for sure I will!!
I originally started taking a Triphasil pill when I was 14..then it changed to Trivora, and I never had any problems with those pills....then when I moved to California when I was 19 I got greedy and wanted no periods (or short ones at least) so I tried Loestrin...which by the way made me bleed for 58 days straight...I thought I was going to die! So my doc prescribed me Femcon...and I said I'd try anything to get me to stop....It was fine the first few years but I was diagnosed with the first stages of Hypertension 2 years ago (age 24) and I blamed all of my bc symptoms on that! I thought, ugh I hate getting older cause now I have side effects like crazy...well I don't think its my blood pressure, and I wouldn't doubt that FEMCON has helped cause my high BP!!! Always tired, fatigue, WEIGHT gain like crazy, moody, ZILCH sex drive (poor bf), jawline acne (always was blessed with nice skin!), depression (poor bf again, we broke up constantly) and just recently nausea...no food can satiate me...I thought I was going crazy....Im getting off this crazy pill and hopefully I will get back to being normal...I'm 26...I'm not old!! This definitely is birth control cause I don't have sex, and I feel like a total fat @ss all the time!! It sucks!! I sure do feel like it and I'm stopping this pill today! I hope this site helped you as much as it did me!!

been on for 2 months. hungry all the time. and have the weird light brown/milky flossy discharge every few days. oh, and first 2 weeks on, urine smelled like cheerios. no, haven't been laying on the cereal. no weight gain, but that's because i am really working on it, but the craves are like i am pregnant. which i am not. weird. no acne, thank goodness, and none of the extreme other stuff. can't wait to see what my period is like, i haven't had one yet! not even on the brown pills the first month. pregnancy test negative. so we will see.

Ladies there are some things you should consider before raging out against your BC. First of all, and your doctor should tell you this, it can take up to four months for things to straighten out, but they will straighten out. Anything that means you should stop taking the pill now should be told to you by your doctor (in fact you have to sign off on it), so PAY ATTENTION. There are obviously other less serious side effects that aren't worth putting up with, like hair loss; call your Doc and say your going to stop because your hair is falling out. I had difficulty while on LoOvral driving: I would get body aches, become disoriented, and slowly pass out. When eating/drinking water didn't cure the problem, I immediately stopped the only change I had made - taking the BC. It isn't a listed side effect, just my bad luck with it. I hadn't had the problem before and do not have it with FEMCON. You need to use a little logic. If there is an unbearable side effect, stop and change pills, but please don't rage out (unless that's your side effect). If your worried about your OBGYN trying to give you an easy fix, ask your general practitioner.

I'm going to throw weight gain in right now. I haven't had any. Furthermore, I was told that I might by my Doc. It's temporary, may take several months but it will go away. Also, you body weight fluctuates up to five pounds a day, everyday. It depends on a lot of things ie. when you last went to the bathroom, when you last ate, how much water your retaining...

I suppose the first thing I should say is why I'm on FEMCON. I have alwasy had extremely regular periods (five week cycles - so cool), starting at age nine. In middle school I began to have very painful periods. In High School, the nurse would give me a heating pad and put me to bed for the rest of the day (other girls got 15 min). The pain was so bad I cried in my sleep. When I went to college my OBGYN started me on Yaz. I went about three months with no improvement what-so-ever, and a mild increase in my depression/anxiety. So I stopped, my cycle was now regulated to four weeks and never recovered. The monthly pain reduced to a lower constant over the next few months, but now had terrible spiking shooting pains, at one point I nearly fell down the stairs. Over the next two years a couple more pills were tried with no help and irritating side effects, none lasted long. I changed doctors. My new doctor, said he wanted to try me on a high dose pill tricycle to do a sort of hormonal reset. The jury is out but it seems to be on a good trend.

I have had several side effects with FEMCON. Or at least what could be side effects. I'm currently on a study abroad so any of them could be from an environmental cause, but I'm thinking not. The most irritating has been a pretty severe case of motion sickness, if it's moving and I'm in it, I get a severe migraine, which eventually makes me very nauseous (I don't throw up for anything, but this would have had anyone else I know talking to a toilet). That is steadily going away. The addition of a ginger tablet each day to keep my stomach calm didn't hurt any, either. Second most annoying was breakthrough bleeding and cramping. Starting in the middle of my first pack I got nasty brown breakthrough bleeding (varying degrees) and moderate cramping daily. Very aggravating when your cycle is three months and it lasted the whole time. This cycle I'm don't have either. I couldn't tell you if FEMCON is effecting my depression, but I did have a nasty spell the last time I saw my brother (then again he is my brother). I seem to be doing as well as I ever have since he left. I have some breast tenderness still, mostly in the nipples. During my first cycle it could be very painful, but now doesn't bother me much. Personally, I believed that I was rather insensitive (physically speaking) before, so this may now just be a normal level of sensitivity. I never really had a sex drive before but I've got a pint sized one now. Other short-lived side effects were: nausea, occasional dizziness (continuing, but I am more inclined to blame my diet of cafeteria food at this point), swollen fingers (water retention), heavy watery discharge (not an infection).

If your pill isn't right for you, you'll know pretty quickly. If you get side effects, read the reference packet. I don't recommend reading all of the piddly side effects (ie. headache, nervousness) before hand because you may cause yourself to get them. The mind has a lot of power over the body, if you worry about side effects your just might get them as a point of mind over matter. Do not ignore anything, side effects for most BC are the same, if you've read one packet you've read 90% of every other packet. If you think your having a side effect that's dangerous deal with it immediately, if it isn't listed in your packet - go to the ER or call your Doctor on the spot. If your having one of the generic temporary ones (or worsening of a previous condition), the packet is a good place to look to see if it's normal. If you aren't happy with your BC talk to your Doc. Be smart and give things a chance to normalize. I hope this note can be helpful to people.

Acne on jawline/shoulders/back, major sun sensitivity, anxiety!, weight gain, absolutely NO sex drive, bleeding in between periods, bloating, sometimes a metallic taste in mouth for a week at a time whether chew it or not, migraines, breast aching, cramps at weird times in the cycle... My Dr. switched me to this after I asked for one with a generic because I was tired of paying the $20 copay. After a couple months of samples I went to fill the prescription. There is NO generic and I had to pay $40 because my insurance didn't cover it. Thanks Doc! Then they refused to switch me because I was only on it a couple months. I don't know why I have put up with it for so long - partly because they gave me a bunch more free samples and I'm just a busy person - I've been taking it for maybe a year and a half now. After breaking out in nasty rash yesterday in the sun I have HAD IT! The doctors must get some kind of kickback for prescribing this garbage. I DO NOT recommend Femcon FE!!

I started with Provera in early March 2009 then my doctor prescribed for me to start taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo as soon as I'm done with Provera to control my heavy bleeding, both pills were not strong enough so I was prescribed to take Femcon Fe in the same month. I have finished 2 packs and have experienced a major weight gain, my appetite increased and always hungry. I feel nauseated all the time after taking it and I'm always sleepy and fatigue (don't know if this is from Femcon or my anemia). Towards the last week of my 2nd pack, I had a severe migraine attack that caused me to extremely vomit which I have strained or pulled a muscle in my chest and had numbness on my left side of my head and body. Ever since this migraine episode, I have headache everyday and blurr vision on my left side and decided to discontinue taking the pills. My Internal doctor performed an EKG and made me set up an appointment to take an Echo Stress Test which resulted an abnormal unspecified cardiovascular. Now I'm doing a thorough follow up with my Cardiologist and doing a second step of Nuclear Stress Test to identify the abnormality of my heart. In addition, my Neurologist set up an MRI to follow up on my migraine, headache. and numbness on my left side of my body. Before taking this pill, I only had the bleeding problem now I have additional "serious" medical condition that I have to worry about. Taking this pill is not worth it and I would not recommend this to anyone.

I have endometriosis and chronic migraines (not related to the pill). I am taking a preventative migraine medication daily now, so we figured we would try again to help my pain from the edo with the pill. At this point, all of my doctors have suggested taking lupron, which will put me into temporary menopause, instead of the pill. I am just not ready for that option. Because I have tried so many different pills, Femcon FE is one of my last options before taking the lupron. I was concerned after reading many of the posts on this site, but figured I would give it a try and see. I started it on Sunday April 25th and so far this is what I have experienced:
Increased onset of migraine pain- (but the pharmacy didn't have my migraine medication and I had to wait two days until they ordered it, so that could be the cause of that)
Slight breakout- (but I started a new foundation, so that could be the cause of that)
Increased moodiness
I have not had any cravings like I did on Seasonale (all I could think about was chocolate)
I don't know if I have had any weight gain yet, my scale is out of batteries and I haven't had a chance to replace them! But my cloths do not feel tighter, so that is a good sign!!
I will continue to post periodically while taking Femcon FE. Hopefully it works for me and I will have nothing but great things to say! I am going to stay positive and will away the negative side effects!!!

I have been on Femcon since February. My doctor switched my pills from Loestrin to try and get a handle on my heavy bleeding during my cycles. I think that's finally under control, but I have gained about 8-10 pounds! I work out and eat sensibly so it didn't make sense why the scale was steadily climbing upward. I know that a lot of birth control pills mention weight gain as a common side effect, but after taking several different brands over the last 20 years, I have never experienced weight gain until now. My appetite has increased and I seem to never feel satisfied after eating. That has to end. It's mostly in my stomach and I just feel bloated! So needless to say, I am switching back to Loestrin as soon as this pack is over and hope for the best. Other side effects included nausea, but that happens the first couple of weeks with me with almost every brand of birth control.

I started taking Femcon FE three weeks ago and I am refusing to finish the pack! Since I have taken it I have been experience nausea ( I throw up ever time I eat), moodiness, and weight gain (I eat healthy and work out 6 days a week) and slight depression. I have also noticed a pattern of binge eating and it’s become constant since I have taken this pill. YIKES! I didn't know what was wrong with me until I got on this website and read all these posts! I just want things to go back to normal! Has anyone experienced my specific symptoms?

I must say that this is so interesting to me. I have had some of the same exact side effects from breakthrough bleeding to the point of have two weeks worth of periods. I switched to Femcon Fe about a year ago about 8 months ago from Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo to get rid of ovarian cysts. It helped with that but, my periods are longer, cramps are more severe and bleeding more than ever. Weight gain and moods however have not been affected neither has my sex drive. I believe that can be managed with drive and self control. I wouldn't say for everyone to stop because some women have said it works. But, I know now to do research before taking everything thrown at me. After all medicine is a practice :-) As for me, I think I am done with birth control pills altogether.

I'm 21 and Ive been taking birth control since I was 16 for depression. I started with Yasmin, which after a bit lost its effectiveness - when yaz came out I switched to that. It was wonderful. I had been on it for about a year or so and Ive had problems with pelvic pain for awhile. I had a laparoscopy in November and my doctor switched me to Femcon, saying that I might just have a hormone imbalance and that would fix it right up. I haven't been so miserable in my entire life. I went out and bought a preg test because of all the breast tenderness, sickness, mood swings, weight gain and headaches I have all the time. I feel bad for my boyfriend having to get up in the middle of the night to console me when I cant sleep because Im so uncomfortable and nauseous. Im unhappy. And I get two periods a month, sometimes lasting for two weeks, I don't get it! I don't care what the waiting period is to switch back, I still have a box of yaz and Im switching tomorrow.

I'm glad to see that I am not alone with disappointing side effects from this pill. DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL!!
When I list these side effects, do NOT interpret these lightly. This is serious, ladies. Magnify these feelings by 100 times because that's how I felt. Absolutely disgusting medicine!!!
Here are my side effects:
1. weight gain
2. increased appetite (I don't have a satisfied feeling after eating a meal).
3. insomnia
4. dry skin
5. mood swings
6. fatigue
7. vivid dreams
8. depression
9. breast tenderness
10. breast sensitivity
11. nipple hardness

I have been taking Femcon for two months now. I did not experience any nausea, emotional outbursts or any other crazy side effects. I have been a many other pills before, and I always tolerate it all them well. I did notice that I gained about 7 lbs in the last two months or so. After reading the posts on this website I automatically attributed the weight gain to the bill. I have numerous friends who are either physicians and/or residents so I decided to inquire about this. My friends and MY DOCTOR assured me that the weight gain is not caused by bc. I also did some online research and found the same thing. You need to control ur appetite instead of taking the easy way out and blame the pill. I do, however have spotting with this pill that I never experienced before. My doctor told me that I need to give it at least 4 months to see how my body will tolerate any bc. I will wait and see.

I have been on Femcon fe for 15 days. I am not happy at all with the amount of side effects I have been experiencing.

here are a few to mention:
1. Headaches- severe
2. Yeast infection
3. Heavy breakthrough bleeding
4. Cystic acne
5. Mood swings, depression, crying spells
6. Weight gain (eating more due to increased appetite)

So, hopefully all these side effects will subside after the 3 months the doctors want you to stay on before switching. But I do not remember any other of the pills I've taken in the past having such severe and uncomfortable side effects.

I've Been Taking The Pill, I'd Say For About Three Months. I'm Sixteen Years Old. It Has Caused A Lot Of Problems For Me. I've Had Weight Gain, And Irregular Bleeding. Before, I Took Yaz. I Had To Get That Switched Because Every time I Had Sexual Intercourse I Would Bleed. Now On Femcon, I Just Randomly Bleed. Last Month, I Probably Went Sixteen Days With A Period, && Now, I'm Eleven Pills Into The Pack And Heavily Bleeding Again. I Would Say, That Since On The Pill, I've Gained About Ten To Twelve Pounds. Anyone Else Have Symptoms Like This?

I'm so glad I found this site. I have an IUD, but I have been talking Femcon FE for about 6 months because I had cysts on my ovaries which were making my life miserable. I have had countless yeast infections; I went to my general practitioner and she gave me antibiotics. They cleared up for about 2 weeks and then returned. When I don't have a yeast infection I still have discharge. I also have gained weight. It's only been about 5 lbs., but it's been all in my stomach. I exercise for 45 minutes every day and eat healthy, but I look like I'm in the early stages of pregnancy. I just finished my pack, and I'm never taking this again.

I can't believe what im reading, I have almost every side effect to what you are all saying. When I called my doctor after the 3rd day of taking the pill, she said it was normal, nausea for hours is normal! Take it @ night... ok still nausea. I thought it was just me getting older, (44) my mood swings are so out of control I would divorce me...my breast are large to begin with, I feel like im carrying 20lb weights on each one. Leg cramps, nausea, not sleeping, hot flashes. After reading this im done... I'll deal with the ovarian cyst my way...Time for a new doctor to. Good luck girls

So.. the beginning of Femcon Fe seemed great and all (no side effects) has not helped my period however ive tried 3 other kinds and they Never seem to help-- but experiencing the very real vivid dreams.. so glad other ppl had this symptom- weight gain is horrible- im not fat but i eat healthy and exercise and NOTHING im ready to give up this pill-and possibly all birth control pills- im sick of feeling "crazy" and upset over nothing- over reacting and so fourth. this is not me. im taking a break from the pill. i will let u know what happens.. just ready to feel like me again
-J.

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 am a 27 year old who has been on birth control for the past 11 years. I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen for the majority of that time until my sophomore year of college when the doctor suggested I switch to the "shot". Depo Provera caused me to bleed continuously for several months on end and I was then switched back to pills by my new gynecologist. He placed me on a generic form of the ortho which again worked wonders for several years. At 25, I started bleeding constantly from the generic and was switched to several Loestrin 24 which completely stopped the breakthrough bleeding... initially. After a year of it, we were back to constant bleeding. The ONLY side effect I have ever experienced from birth control is breakthrough bleeding. I moved cities and with a new town came a new doctor who thought Femcon might work. I was prescribed it in May and have been taking it for nearly 6 months. Over that time I have been so happy with it as there is no bleeding except when there should be. That is until I read today that my increased anxiety (I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder to begin with), vivid, realistic nightmares, and 15 lb weight gain could be caused by this pill. I am getting married in January and my dress barely fits at this point because of the weight gain. I go to the gym 5 days a week for cardio and weight training yet keep getting fatter... I thought I was stressed out by the wedding and that is what was causing my emotional imbalance... I really thought I was losing it. I just called my gyno and left a VM asking if this could be the reason... Don't quit taking a birth control based on other peoples reports, they are all going to react differently to different people and all meds come with an initial side effect that goes away once your body is accustomed to having that hormone or chemical in it. Initial nausea is common... I have always had it when I started a new medication, especially birth control. It goes away after a couple of weeks. Will keep you posted.

I took FemCon FE for seven days and experienced a lot of severe side effects which included diarrhea after I eat, foully smell in urine, itching and burning in vagina (like a yeast infection), hearburn, hot flashes, burning feeling in my heart and chest (not the same thing as hearburn), and terrifying anxiety symptoms that consisted of heart palpitations, heart flutters, shortness of breath, numbness in arms, dizziness, join pain, lump in throat, tight chest pains, and insomnia. The anxiety symptoms seemed to be worse at nighttime. I literally felt like I was going to have a heart attack and die. I stopped taking the pill three days ago and I do feel some better, but not completely back to normal yet. I did a lot of praying during this difficult time and God helped me get through it. I know I couldn't have made it without Him. The fear of dying was so intense that I thought my heart was literally going to stop. I almost passed out a few times which is also a scary feeling. My doctor put me on Femcom FE for my hormones, not for birth control, because I had a tubal back in 2002. I would rather put up with my crazy hormones then have the extreme anxiety attacks. The only good thing was my period didn't last as long and was lighter. Now that I have went off of FemCon, I started bleeding again like a normal period. I don't recommend Femcom FE for anyone.

I am 18 years old and I've been on birth control since the age of 15. Why so young? I was raped shortly after my 15th birthday. I was on Estrostep for awhile and loved it, but I ran out and have yet to find more of it. I was then started on Ortho-Tricylen and had been on it for almost 2 years when I noticed something wasn't right. I went to the doctor and they sent me straight to the hospital after having an abnormal ultrasound. Long story short, I had a cyst on my right ovary the size of a tennis ball and my doctor diagnosed me with endometriosis phase 2. I was scheduled to have surgery that following morning. I was in so much pain that I was hoping this one surgery would fix it all. They had to remove my appendix and burn a lot of scar tissue and whatnot to fix me up. After surgery, my doctor told me that I was ate up pretty bad with endo, and that they didn't want to have to do a total hysterectomy on an 18 year old. I don't have any kids, but I have hopes to someday have a couple. He started me on Femcon Fe right away, saying that this would control my endo cell growth. I have been on it for almost 5 months now and it's the worst pill I've ever taken! I have all the side effects listed on the package. The worst of them are breast tenderness, heavy spotting, nausea, vomiting, headaches, acne, weight gain, and severe moodiness. I can't take this anymore! I missed two pills one weekend and ended up back in the hospital because I started gushing blood that looked like black water. I don't know what else to do, so I'm quitting them. I took my last one Wednesday. I will be returning to the doctor next week and seeing if I can get back on Estrostep. I want my body back! I really hope all of you out there on this pill read this and stop immediately!! It's not safe!

I have been taking FEMCON for 8 months now...and for some reason I never put my weight gain of 8 pounds and the pill together. I noticed the gain after 3-4 month's and could do NOTHING to get it off. Its been to the point where I joined Jenny craig which works for everyone and work out, tried low carb......everything and never ever did a pound come off. I don't know what else to attribute it to . I had a blood test and it was normal......so no endocrine problems as a cause.
Anyway-- if anyone had this side effect as well, how long did it take when you go off of it to start losing some of the weight? I am at the end of my rope here with trying to even drop a single pound. It's impossible! I just stopped taking the pill 2 days ago, I am hoping I see some results!

I haven't taken the pill in 25 years. I'm now 42, having heavy periods every 2 weeks with heavy clotting for the last 8 months now. My husband and my kids say I'm an emotional nightmare (which I don't see at all). I have called the nurse complaining about constant leg cramping/charlie horse, but I keep getting the same response that it's just a potassium/calcium deficiency. So now what. I'm now starting my 2nd pack taking it twice a day to help control the bleeding. I do have to say that this time around, my period is lighter and cramps don't seem to be as bad. I haven't noticed any weight gain since the pill, but again, my family complains that I'm extremely edgy, and sensitive.

I, do, however, think that all medications attack each person in a different way. Good luck. Sign: PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!!!

***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 posted a couple weeks ago that I was not having any side effects other than severe depression. I have more to report. I developed such terrible acid refluxe, that I literally could not EAT. If I ate lunch, I would not be able to eat dinner as the acid was literally coming up my throat, continuously and NOTHING I took helped.

The only good thing i noticed was I had more lubrication (I had none before) and it upped my libido some. You have to understand that I am pre-menopausal though so my hormones were very low to begin with.

I have done much research on this, since I was on Loesterin before this and did not have the depression, I wondered what the difference in the pills was.
Loestrin has more progesterone and a little less estrogen. Fem Con has a little more estrogen but LESS progesterone than loestrin.Ok, so if we're ALL going skitzo nuts on Fem con, maybe it's because there is not enough progesterone to balance it out? That would also explain the weight gain. Too much estrogen vs too little progesterone. I am going to try some progesterone cream at night to see if that helps. I don't know why they put only .4 mg of progesterone in a pill that has more estrogen when loestrin had 1 mg.

We'll see what happens.

HEY EVERYBODY, IVE BEEN ON FEMCON FE FOR THE PAST 6MNTHS AND I HATE IT. MOST OF THE SYMPTOMS ALL YOU LADIES HAVE, I HAVE HAD AND DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT COULD BE THE PILL: WEIGHT GAIN, DIZZINESS, LEG CRAMPS, GROWTH AND TENDERNESS OF THE BREAST, NO SEX DRIVE, ACHNE, AND THE WORST OF ALL AND THAT WORRIES ME THE MOST IS THE GREAT AMOUNT OF HAIR LOSS IM EXPERIENCING!!! IM 22 AND FEEL THAT I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. IM JUST WONDERING IF ANY OF YOU HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND IF YOU HAVE WHEN YOU GOT OFF THE PILL, DID YOUR HAIR COME BACK? YOUR REPLY IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

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?

My new Dr. put me on Femcon to alleviate extremely painful cramps and very heavy bleeding. I am in the 2nd month of taking it, and am experiencing many of the symptoms mentioned here. Extremely painful, swollen breasts, crazy insomnia for days and days, depression, leg muscle spasms, headaches, acne and weight gain. But flow is lighter and the cramps are mild. Trade-off worth it? Not at this point. But I'll go thru the 3rd month to see if things improve. Yikes.

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.

Hi Ive been on Femcon FE for one month now. I am 20, 5'1'' and weigh 100 lbs. I have not gained any weight at all, nor experienced any nausea. The first 2 weeks I felt like I had some mood swings, the third week I broke out in horrible acne... However, my period lasted about 4 days and was soo light I almost forgot that I had it. I never got any cramps either. Now, I am on my second month, first week, and my acne is starting to clear a little bit.. However, I have battled acne for a lil while and - as I have been told by doctors - it takes your body time to respond to all these hormones. If you are having problems with acne, just remember that usually things that are supposed to clear acne will break you out for about 2 months before it starts clearing you up. It's your body's response to the drastic change going on inside. I would suggest seeing a dermatologist and using some topical gel (Differin).. it has helped mine a little bit. I don't think I'll change BC because I would rather my body just get used to one type and just stay on it....
good luck ladies! Just remember, don't get too frightened by all these postings because every woman's body is different so not everyone will experience the same side effects.

i was giving the "free sample" packet of Femcon Fe by my ob-gyn to help with the irregularities of my periods due to PCOS.from day one its been a major pain!a headache and insane nausea!it was awful...and this trend continued non stop through the entire 3 1/2 weeks of use.headache nausea fatigue moody tender breast heartburn...heck...i began to think i was flipping pregnant and took a test to reassure myself i wasn't and that this birth control pill was just really working me over. i know one must allow their bodies to get used to the b/c...but this was ridiculous! i finally threw in the towel last night and stopped taking them.in my third week and already i'm spotting with incredibly bad cramps nonstop.makes me think something is seriously wrong...wait i know..its this freaking pill! i think there is a hidden agenda to these pharmacal companies handing out free samples of b/c....using you as little test subjects without being up front about how bad the effects are on the body.heck...i was foolish enough to be convinced....a minty chewable birth control pill.AWESOME!...cha! they should include on the packaging"This product has the tendency to totally annihilate your sense of comfort during the entire duration of consumption".screw this pill...i'd rather deal with the side effects of my last pill which is like cake and ice cream compared to this one here!

i am so grateful i found this site. i thought i was losing my mind since starting the pill . the side effects as you all already know are awful. i started the pills in march and now it is june and i feel and look so much bigger not only the weight gain but the nausea, headache,abdominal pain,dizziness and just ill feeling is terrible. i would not suggest this pill to my worst enemy.

Ugh. I'm so glad I found this list and that everyone has been so candid!!! I am in my 2nd pack of Femcon and the symptoms are only getting worse. Toward the end of the first week I began spotting and did so on and off for 2 weeks. When I took the brown pills, I had my classic day-later start of a true period, as I have done with the Ortho versions I used to be on. Naturally, the period was very light--actually it never did go to red, only icky brown for a whole week. Then I started the first 2 pills of the 2nd pack before seeing my doctor for the pre-op appointment before my Esure procedure. (He put me on this pill when I told him that I didn't trust condoms alone in the 3 month waiting period while the procedure takes--I don't trust the Divine Sense of Humor this close to finally being sterile.) He told me to stop taking them for 5 days while they put me on something else that would thin out my lining so they could better see the entrances to my tubes, then continue them like I had never stopped. Great. I did that and the procedure has healed nicely. I went back on the pills--much to my dismay. I'm back to all-month-long PMS, tender breasts and spotting. I have been baffled and attributing the constant headaches, cycles of insomnia & exhaustion, lack of motivation, depression, acne breakouts, weight gain, dehydration even though I'm guzzling water, bloating, mood swings, and decreased sex drive to the stresses of everything BUT this pill, because I have never had this problem before. In fact, previous ones helped alleviate mood swings, cramping, irregular and heavy periods, acne, and bloating, but I've been experiencing the opposite for nearly 2 months now. The other day, in addition to the cramps and spotting, I started having major stabbing pains in my lower abdomen--where the Esure could be possibly causing pain--except that they didn't do it on that side because my fallopian tube is blocked naturally. My breasts have been getting more and more sore, and tonight they hurt terribly without touching anything except clothing! The cramps are continual, as are the headaches, and I wake up with my hands completely numb. I haven't been able to get to sleep well for weeks (it is 3:05 a.m. now) and I'm dragging all day. Trying to wake up from a nap is like waking from the dead, and then I'm disoriented and out of it. I'm having dizzy spells too. I can't focus and every little thing sets me off--my poor friends and boyfriend! I'm up and down like a toilet seat!! I don't know if the sore throat I've had for the past couple days has anything to do with this, but I don't feel sick. Could be allergies...??? The last couple days I've had diarrhea and an upset stomach, and with how quickly the breast tenderness level rose to horrible, my insomnia and anxiety rose to an all-time high as I feared I was pregnant. So I bounded out of bed to start looking up pregnancy side-effects, only to see that many of them could be caused by birth control--particularly this birth control--and hence I found this list. THANKFULLY! Grrrrrrrr. Needless to say, I'll be making a phone call to my doc tomorrow. Thanks again for sharing your experiences. I hope mine helps others!

I am about to start FemconFE. I have just come off 2 years of Yasmin<-- which i really like but is way too expensive...
I am very nervous about starting a new pill... Mostly I am concerned about the weight gain. About nine months ago I was given YAZ and it made me so emotional and depressed that i could hardly function. So that is also a cocern for me as well. I will post again in a few weeks to update with my thoughts on Femcon

I started Femcon FE for the first time 3 1/2 weeks ago, and have noticed weight gain (5-7lbs), severe bloating, pains in my abdomen, not depressed, but definitely not as upbeat & positive as usual. I also have been much more jumpy, thinking I'm seeing things out of the corner of my eye... I have been on birth control for many years, and have never had such noticeable changes as with this one!! YUCK! I'm thinking about going back to my old pill!!! I'm so glad I found this site, I could not figure out why I felt so different all of a sudden!

Well...I guess I'm not crazy. My doctor assured me this pill was great...I'm finding that not to be the case! I was put on Femcon FE following the birth of my second child via c-section. Since starting the pill I have experienced headaches, depression and MAJOR WEIGHT GAIN. Prior to the pill I was about 3lbs. away from my pre-pregnancy weight. After 6 weeks on the pill I have gained over 12lbs. It makes no sense. I am monitoring my caloric intake which is around 1500-1700 calories per day. I attend a tough "boot camp" style workout 4 days a weeks. How can I be gaining weight? I'm considering just going off birth control all together. I'm 39 and our family is complete. I just can't tolerate this much longer.

I have been on Femcon for one month and just started the second month. I have experienced many of the side effects that are mentioned in this post, but one other I have it a severe pain in my right breast. It is almost like a burning sensation when I move a certain way. I have been to the Dr. and tested and assured it was nothing but hormonal. The only change is the Femcon. Has anyone else experienced this? I am stopping Femcon tonight and hopefully I will finally get some sleep!!!!

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 bec I got my period for 10 days on the 12th month of using Aviane. I anticipated the side effects but actually DID NOT get any- headache, nausea, weight gain, sore breast, etc. I'm supposed to get my period after the 1st pack but never got it at all, so I just started taking the 2nd pack anyway. That was the only side effect I got.

BLOATING, BLOATING, BLOATING! I FEEL LIKE I'M PREGNANT. MAJOR FATIGUE. WEIGHT GAIN, SOMETHING THAT I TRIED TO AVOID. I'VE ONLY BEEN TAKING IT FOR TWO WEEKS!

I WILL NEVER TAKE THIS PILL AGAIN!!!! I have been on it for over a year and have had fatigue, depression, anxiety issues, 13lb weight gain, bloating, decreased libido, bad headaches, sore breast, and moodiness. I just wished I would have realized sooner Femcom was the culprit. I have been on some form of an oral contraceptive for over 15 years and have NEVER experienced anything this unpleasant. Needless to say I have went off this pill and plan on getting an IUD this week.

I noticed my breast growing while I started this birth control. Then I noticed about 10lbs of weight gain. I am a small person. So 10lbs is a lot. I started this because the NuvaRing didn't get rid of my severe cramps and heavy menstrual. I am extremely moody, and I am very emotional.

I think FEMCON is a good pill compared to a lot of others. (I have no cramps, no weight gain, regular period, etc) But I have been struggling with severely vivid and scary dreams. I wake up hot, and I cannot get comfortable in bed for the life of me. I have NO sex drive at all. I am highly irritable and moody. My boyfriend has deemed me the grumpiest person ever. But, I don't want to blame the pill off the bat. I have been on it for a year and haven't had as many problems mentally until recently. I used to get a lot of headaches, but those have gone away. So I don't know what to think about it all. I don't like being on any sort of body chemical altering pill, but I'm not ready for a baby, either. I really want to get off so I can see if I'm just really stressed, or if the pill is playing a role in everything I have been experiencing.

I've been taking Femcon for about three months now, and while I haven't noticed 'typical' side effects i.e. weight gain (I've actually lost weight), moodiness/PMS, breast tenderness, etc., I've had my period THREE times in one month. They've been true periods, too, complete with cramps and fatigue. It's so frustrating.

I've also experienced a severe UTI while taking this pill; I thought it was due to sex, but upon reading an earlier post I can't help but wonder if it was from this pill. The pain was horrific, and I have a high pain threshold. I went to urgent care and had to have my boyfriend drive because I was in such severe pain. It felt like I had thrown my back out (pain was centered in my lower back).

I've been on and off birth control since I was 17 - for 6-7 years I took Ortho Tricyclen with no side effects, then the patch (which I absolutely HATED), and now have been trying different pills (Tricyclen, Tricyclen Lo and Femcon) to see what works best for me (I'm now 29) since I plan to take the pill continuously again.

Overall, I'd highly recommend Ortho Lo. I felt great, didn't appear to gain any weight and it made my period very light and as pleasant as possible (if that is possible!). Unfortunately, there is no generic for Lo and with insurance it's still $50/month. However, it's worth the extra money....I mean, who wants to perpertually bleed and feel like crap? Not me.

I'm glad I came on this site.. My GYN gave me Femcon FE because he saw that I have a cyst on my left ovary. I hard horror stories about birth controls, like weight gain, acne, and nausea.. I am afraid of all three of those.
He told me to start taking them over the weekend and I asked him will there be any side effect and he told me that I would like the pill.. I just gave him a look and said I will be doing some research on this pill and if I read any stories about bad side effect I will not be taking them.
So thanks guys for your comments...
I WILL NOT BE TAKING THIS PILL..
I'll just wait for the cyst to disappear on it's own.