Loestrin 24 Fe side effects

I am at the end of my first packet and due to start the end cycle two days later. And to be honest i am utterly confused. I have been having late periods for the past few months and also suffered from mood swings. I was prescribed this Loestrin 24 mainly for some hormonal dis balance which was presumably causing these problem with menstruation. And now i have had more mood swings than ever, cried without reason felt depressed more often than ever. I have also had spotting atleast 3 times over the month but not my regular period till date though it's been well over a month. to make it worse , i have eye pain and headache over the past few days. Sex has been rare this month!! dry vagina and almost no interest in sex , and I am just 28.
wasn't I better off with the small hormonal problem?
-Priyanka

so i went to my doctor yesterday and got prescribed with loestrin 24. i havent started it yet and figured it would be a good idea to research it a little bit. now that i have read all the side effects and troubles, im worried.
I don't now what to do. should i start loestrin anyway and see what happens or go ahead and switch to yaz? suggestions please

I have read several of your comments and a lot of us are on the same page. I am 40 and considered going off the pill, but the benefits of staying on the pill outweigh the risks of going off in my case. I have just started my second week on this pill (my insurance no longer covered Mircette). I have been extremely bloated, with gas and my breats and nipples are so tender I could cry. I do know that for those of you who want to stop taking this pill, wait until you finish your pack, don't stop in the middle. I also would like to recommend to women under 35 that a tri-phasic pill is typically what is recommended. Loestrin is a mono-phasic pill...which means you are getting the same dose of hormones throughout the month versus 3 gradual levels. This may be why a lot of you are experiencing worse side effects. I know after I turned 35 the tri-phasic pills for me were getting worse, I was on edge and irritable and didn't feel good. I then switched to Mircette which is a bi-phasic pill. That was so wonderful for me, probably because my own natural hormones are beginning to change, but my insurance stopped covering it. If my symptoms continue, I am going to stop taking this pill when I am done with the pack.

I have been on Loestrin for over 2 years. I have had no bad side effects other than I no longer have a monthly cycle. Last week, I forgot to take two pills in a row, so I had to double up for two days. Since I no longer get a period, I am wondering if it is possible that I may be pregnant. My husband and I had sex on the second night that I missed a pill. On the following say is when I doubled up to get back on track. Now, a week later, I feel nauseated, tired, and hungry. I guess I have to wait and see!

I'm 36 and I've been on Loestrin24 FE for almost two years. I used to have very heavy and painful periods. And thanks to Loestrin my periods are shorter, and very light. My concern now is that this is the third period I miss. There's no way I could be pregnant and my pregnancy test came out negative. I still feel a little anxious that I'm not having my period, and I would blame that to my current emotional state. I called the doctor's office and they said is normal to miss periods with this pill and have no periods at all. In my case I rather keep taking the pill, having painful periods was much worse. I didn't gain weight, I think is actually helping me keep a healthy weight, my mood swings were worse before, and my skin has improved (I used to have dark spots and they cleared after a few months of use) Loestrin has been a life saver for me. I still wish I get my period though.

I've been on the pill for about 7 days, and yes, I know it takes awhile to adjust, but I really didn't expect to be cramping so much, or for there to be breakthrough bleeding every day. The pills are making me bloated and giving me gas; I have to take pain meds each night to sleep since the cramping starts around bedtime. How long should I give the pill before I give up on it?

OMG! SO glad I decided to research Loestrin24Fe. I am on my 2nd pack now well into the 2nd week. I used to be on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo, but that made me moody, emotional, crampy, bloody and fat. I was switched to Trivora which was 10 times worse. I quit BC pills for a year. Now, I am on Loestrin 24Fe. I have for sure experienced some changes good and bad. I feel my sex drive has gone up! But my eyesight is getting blurry, my breast and nipples are sore most of the time. I'm very constipated all of a sudden. I'm also feeling exhausted and started experiencing headaches. I do get heartburn, but I think that's not related to the pill. I will start paying close attention to the things you ladies pointed out. My husband wants me to stop the pill (due to the eyesight thing) but I want to see if things get better by the 3rd pack. I'll let you know.
-L.

I began taking this pill in August 2009, to prevent pregnancy. I am nineteen years old. In the first month, my sex drive increased, I had no "breakthrough bleeding" or spotting, no mood swings that I could tell...everything seemed fine. My doctor put me on this pill because I told her I wanted a pill that wouldn't make me go crazy. This is the first bc pill I've ever been on, and hopefully the last. Let me put it this way: before I got on Loestrin 24 Fe, I actually WANTED to have sex. I had a sex drive. I have absolutely NO SEX DRIVE now. Sex is a chore. What's the point of taking a pill that enables you to have sex without the risk of being pregnant, if you completely lose interest in having sex anyway? I'm extremely frustrated. Over the past two months (I'm now on my fourth pack) I have been extremely fatigued, depressed, and especially anxious. I also have a blistering headache 90% of the time, I kid you not. Additionally, my blood pressure has gone way down, which makes no sense, as I am a very active and healthy person. This pill is literally deteriorating my mental and physical health. I refuse to put these pills, or any bc pills, in my body any more. I would much rather deal with the terrible cramps and heavy periods that I had before. And I still experienced bad cramps while on the pill anyway. I'm sticking with condoms.

I am in complete horror at reading all these posts yet somewhat comforted that I'm not alone. I'm 22 started Loestrin 3 weeks ago and I have gained at least 5 lbs, I feel completely horrible my cheeks are huge and my butt and stomach have also gotten quite larger. I am moody and depressed and I have been spotting nonstop since I started this pill (going on my 3rd week now). I also get these from my university so I'm assuming this is all they have but I do not recommend it. I'm not even that sexually active I just thought it was better to be safe than sorry but now I just want it to stop, should I finish the pack or just stop right away? I just want to quit right now but I don't know what to do. Suggestions please?

wow, I feel a little better reading everyone elses comments. I've been kind of freeking out. I started Loestrin 24 Fe 3 weeks ago because my period was really irregular (I went as long as 8 mos without getting it). I've been getting side effects ever since starting the pill... for about a week my breasts were so tender I didn't know what to do, wearing a bra really hurt and not wearing hurt bc my nipples were really sensitive. Then I was really nauseous and started vomiting. I've been really moody and cry out of nowhere and have been spotting basically since i started the pill. NOW I've been bleeding heavily with very bad cramps for the past 6 days and it hasn't let up at all. I've basically been freaking out because my period wasn't supposed to start until a couple of days from now and I was starting to get worried it wouldn't stop. After reading everyones comments I'm going to call my doctor for other options bc this is ridiculous... I hate being irregular but i don't want to wind up having my period for practically the whole month along with all the other side effects that go along with it. Anyone looking to start this pill... DON'T, and those already on it, good luck.

I started taking Loestrin24 Fe in July...At this point I'm on my 4th package....The first 2 months, I missed my periods (even though I had some bleeding but not when I was taking the placebo pills). I would usually get some bleeding on the 2nd of week of active pills. My third month was normal, I was so happy. Unfortunately, now I am on my 4th pack and 15th day onto it, I have some really heavy bleeding with terrible cramps (cannot deal without taking pain killers). Today is my 3rd day of bleeding and really bad cramps which makes me really scared.....Don't know what to do...Any suggestions???

I wanted to give you all an update to my post from Oct 23. I went to my OBGYN and gave her my complaints. She's switching me to Lo Ovral, which has a higher dosage of hormones than Loestrin. Apparently the low hormonal dosage in Loestrin is causing the excessive bleeding.

Honestly, I don't know how I feel about putting more hormones into my body...

okay so i have been on Loestrin 24 fe since July and since i've started it i have not had a period, just light spotting. And in October i didn't even have any spotting. My acne is worse as it's ever been since taking this pill, i have mood swings, i've noticed that i find myself feeling depressed sometimes. And worst of all about two weeks ago while i was doing a routine breast exam on myself i noticed a lump. Since i've noticed it, the lump has gotten bigger, it's tender to the touch, and my boob has gotten bigger, but just the one. And i've never had any problems with lumps, or anything else. When i went to the gyno in july she gave me a breast exam and said everything was fine, this was the day she prescribed me loestrin 24fe. I also experience headaches, i feel sick to my stomach a lot, and i find myself blacking out. I'm not going to take this birth control anymore.

making the appointment for my lump tomorrow hopefully everything goes good.

I am so glad I found this site. I thought I was crazy with the fact that I have put on weight, break out, and right before my period get so blah..I feel nausea than am starving, heart burn, tired and feel like S#$T before and after my period. The only good thing was I only had a period for 3 days but the other stuff is enough to make me stop it now. I have been on it for about 6 or 7 months now and have decided not to take it anymore. I think I will look into getting my tubes tied since I am not having much luck with pills...thanks all for making me realize it isn't me.

I'm experiencing the same side effects. Within 10 days, my libido dropped and my weight increased practically by itself. It's a good thing I'm scheduled for a tubal ligation so I don't have to deal with hormone issues ever again. No wonder it's called birth control - if you gain weight, have mood swings, a lowered libido and other issues you don't exactly feel like having a lot of sex!

OMG i don't like this pill. Im 28 was given this pill cuz i spotted a lot on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo for years. well this pill loestrin24 fe scares the daylights outta me. I just started to take it last month and i haven't gotten my period when i was supposed to! i freaked out took a HPT came out negative. Im still scared and think i am hearing some people have this im a lil ok. I didn't start my new pack cuz im waiting my period to come. I don't know how people can be ok on this pill when u don't get your monthly period. plus i started to break out with ance on my back ugh.i also get stomach pains, frequent urination, spotting, and mood swings. Basically i rather spot on my old pill then deal with this crazy pill

I am 28 and have almost been on Loestrin 24 for a month now. I haven't noticed many side effects. It has actually even helped my acne thus far into my journey. However, I've felt bloated for about two weeks straight. I was on Yaz for the past few years and liked it okay but switched due to a conflict with another medication with potassium in it. Long story short, I have gained 5-8lbs this month. I am working out at least an hour most days and eating well, so I am really bothered by this. It seems others have had this issue as well. When you switched back to another BC pill did the weight seem to come off? I am trying to decide if I stick it out for another month or two and see if my body adjusts to Loestrin or if I should call it quits and start on Yaz again.

I was on Yaz for two years before switching to Loestrin in July because of cost and because my Ob/Gyn gave me a discount card. I thought that Yaz was making me depressed. Well,I am still depressed and I have never had acne like I have now in my life. And its not premenstrual break out-its constant on my forehead and my back.
Worse, and most startling, is my inability to wear my contacts. It seems as though my blood vessels pop, my eyes get so inflamed and irritated. This concerns me most. I have been wearing glasses for weeks to allow the irritation to subside, and I fear that the inflammation was caused by the Loestrin, the only variable. What else is this pill doing to me, I wonder, after reading all of the other posts. I need to get off it, but switch to what???

Ok...here is my story. I went on Loestrin 24 Fe at the beginning of August. My first couple weeks were ridiculous---so moody, constant cramping, bloating, etc. I gained at least 5 lbs in the first two weeks. I am very active and fit so this bothered me a lot. I thought about quitting BC altogether but I decided to switch to Yaz my second month. The adjustment wasn't perfect. I had some spotting...but my moods were sooo much more regulated and I FELT more normal. As I am in my third month now things seem normal. I have no spotting, my moods are normal, and I think I even lost some of the weight I first gained. They say it takes your body 3 months to regulate. I think that is true. I remember at the time of being on my first month, I didn't think I could make it. My advice is stick with BC...even if you have to change brands.

Loestrin 24 Fe has been nothing but a nightmare for me. I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for about a year (originally prescribed for a sudden, random outbreak of HORRIBLE chin acne), and started noticing depression, mood swings, very heavy periods, and severe stomachaches and indigestion problems about nine months into it. I had to switch doctors in order to get off of it...I was seeing a male doctor who thought that my side effects were "in my head" and wanted me to take 5000 blood tests before he'd switch my prescription. My new doctor prescribed Loestrin 24 Fe during my first visit with her.

The first month of my new pill was great; no mood swings, no depression, no issues...I even dropped five pounds, even though the Ortho hadn't given me a problem with weight gain. I didn't get my period until the second day of the new pill pack though, and it was VERY light. I took a pregnancy test that came out negative, even though my husband and I had used back-up methods the first month of the pills to be safe. One week into the second month of my Loestrin pills, everything went crazy. It's been three weeks and not only is my chin AND my forehead completely broken out, but my hair is falling out in clumps when I wash or brush it, I am completely depressed and unhappy with life, I am exhausted beyond belief, AND I have gained a total of TWELVE POUNDS. I am a very physically fit girl...I eat right, I have always had a very fast metabolism, I have been a size 0/1 for years, I work all day and am on the go all day and all evening...and now I am twelve pounds heavier in three weeks and have jumped to a size 4/5. None of my work clothes fit me anymore, and I feel awful. I have taken seven home pregnancy tests just to be sure and have even gone in to the doctor for a professional test, but everything has come out negative.

I am apparently switching to another pill (or whatever will work) today; I'm waiting for my doctor to call and discuss my options as I type this. Ladies, if your doctor suggests this stuff, please take my advice and DON'T try it. It has been nothing but hell for me over the past several weeks. Save yourself the time, money, aggravation, and lost pounds and stay away from Loestrin.

I began using the loestrin 24 almost 5 months ago. I was having severe cramping and heavy bleeding, which prompted my doctor to prescribe this pill. It was my first time in more than 20 years trying a bc pill and in the past I only used the pill about 2 months, because it caused severe bleeding then. When I began Loestrin 24 fe, I was not sexually active, and only began a sexual relationship within the last 2 months. My boyfriend, uses a condom in addition to the bc I use. Recently, we talked about trying to conceive. He stopped using a condom close to a month ago. I had noticed nausea from time to time, but didn't really think about side effects of the pill. The other day, after getting nauseated again, it occurred to me I might be pregnant. I have spent the last 2 days trying to figure out if that might be the case. I was loving the Loestrin, my last couple of months have been virtually pain free. However, after reading the signs of pregnancy and side effects of Loestrin, I am noticing they are very similar. I have been experiencing headaches for about 2 weeks now, non stop, nausea, abdominal cramping (although nothing compared to my menstrual cramps), fatigue, depression, increased appetite and recently frequent peeing. The only side I haven't experienced that many women above describe is breast tenderness. The tenderness, however, was something I'd experience before BC. I'm getting off because I decided to conceive, but I was very disappointed with the false signs of pregnancy. I don't think I'd like to go through that on a regular basis.

I am 20 years old.

I was put on Loestrin when I was 17 to prevent pregnancy. I had very light periods that lasted a day maybe every month. Until I completely stopped having a period altogether for about 8 months while being on it. I enjoyed it, but started to get a little concerned so I went to my gyno and they gave me a pregnancy test (standard procedure) which was negative (I knew my body and knew I wasn't pregnant and it was just the pill that made me not have a period but still wanted to check).

I was 18 at the time and they switched me to Yasmin. I started having a normal period again. But I had awful side effects with Yasmin..HORRIBLE depression and mood swings....soooo bad that I went back to the gyno and switched to Yaz...I don't remember much about Yaz but I didn't take it very long because I wanted to be back on Loestrin again.

My script ran out when I was 19, and I never went back to get another script...to give my body a break from BC.

I just turned 20 and recently went to the gyno and asked to be put back on Loestrin again. I have been on it for three weeks so far. I've have some mood swings and slight depression. I also have had some very light spotting, nausea/heartburn/acid reflux this time around....which i don't recall having when i was on it before... but i'm sure my body is just getting re-adjusted and I plan on waiting it out, considering I had a positive experience with it before (minus the nonexistent periods..which wasn't even a problem to me)

I also had mild acne before BC, but when I take Loestrin it completely clears up (Which is a huuuuuuge plus for me..obviously.) When I wasn't taking BC for a year, my acne came back! It was awful! (to me at least) Big difference! But it has once again diminished once I started taking Loestrin again.

I have tried Loestrin, Yasmin, and Yaz..and will swear by Loestrin over the other two....especially Yasmin (that was awful). For those of you who have only tried one brand of BC and hated it.. i suggest you switch to another one before completely saying goodbye to BC pills forever. Thankfully I did switch and try other brands..because I now know that Loestrin is right for me. But everyone is different. Good luck :)

I'm 43 years old and had a baby 5 months ago. I decided to go back on the pill and have been doing a lot of research about the "right" pill. My gyno recommended Loestrin 24 FE because of the low hormones/less effects. I was scared to death to start this pill based on all of the horrible reviews I've been reading. So, I thought I'd report on my experience so far... It's been two weeks and so far so good. I haven't noticed anything dramatic so far. I will give it more time and see how it goes. Hopefully it continues working well. I have a feeling this pill is better for women in their 40's who are peri-menopausal. Maybe the estrogen is too low for the younger women, I don't know. I'll continue to post comments as I stay on the pill. I value these reviews, but remember, everyone's body is different. So far this is working for me but again, it's only 2 weeks. Hope you find thi helpful.

Hi.. I am 31 and i have been on this pill for 3 months now. I did not know until now that these pills are developed for low periodic cycle. My main concern was the mood swings my previous pill was causing. May be i am the odd one out but i have had no side effects of this pill and that is the reason i have joined the 24$ program too. My previous birth control pills had me getting angry and upset without any reason and crazy headaches. But they have sincerely stopped since my doctor gave me free samples of this pill. Maybe its just that the pill affects different people in different way. So far my experience with this pill has been great.. i don't have my mood swings anymore and my periods are for 3 days only.

I am an active teenager and i got this birth control because i get really bad cramps and a steady boyfriend. I got my period as normal the first month then skipped four months without getting my period. i thought i was pregnant because my stomach feels totally weird almost like a little bulge where my bladder is located. Has anyone else's stomach felt weird, or different then normal? it's not that i look fatter just different. i took a pregnancy test and was not pregnant and i ended up up getting my period the 6th month of being on this. i am just wondering if this is normal?

I am on my 3rd pack, 2nd week. My doctor prescribed this when I complained of heavy and painful periods, and also bleeding in between periods. The first month I started taking this, I had "breakthrough bleeding" that was more like a light period, for 2 weeks BEFORE my actual period. Yes, I was bleeding for 3 weeks out of the month.

The second month, there was "breakthrough bleeding" again, this time 1 week before my actual period. So I was bleeding for a total of 2 weeks of the month. Now I'm on my third month (because they say to give your body 3 months to adjust). After my period this time, I had light spotting for 2 full weeks, whereas I didn't the prior 2 months. Then today I started bleeding again, only it was more than just bleeding: it feels like a real period with cramps. I wasn't prepared and basically had an accident. I only JUST had my real period 2 weeks ago.

I seem to be bleeding more often now than before I started on Loestrin, so now I'm wondering why I'm doing this to myself. Should I just suck it up and take Midol during my periods and forget about these bc pills altogether?

i've been on it or ONE WEEK as of yesterday.
ever since day two i've felt terrible. moody and cry all the time for no reason. my boyfriend keeps asking me what's wrong, and so do all my friends and that just makes me feel even worse for not feeling like anythings wrong, but making it appear like there is. after reading all these post about how terrible it is and how the mood swings don't go away but get worse, i'm quitting. i just wanted to post this to say THANK YOU to everyone who posted here prior to me!! im glad im quitting before it gets worse.

I have to say I think I'm the odd ball. I'm 32 I just finished my 2nd pack of Loestrin 24 and I love it! I'm not crazy the week before my period, I have little to know cramping, and my heavy period is no longer. I have gained weight, and weight I can not afford to gain, but for me this pill has been a god sent. I'm going to diet to loose this weight. I did have very sensitive breasts, but thats fine I'd rather have sore boobies than cry at a drop of a hat. Love this pill!

I am 26 years old and finishing on my 2nd week of my 3rd pack of Loestrin. Reading these post is the only thing that makes me feel better. I switched to Loestrin from Yasmin because it made my blood pressure sky rocket. Before Yasmin I have never had high blood pressure. I am extremely active. I am a runner and have been for several years. I haven't had too bad side effects with Loestrin prior to this month. I have noticed a bit of moodiness but I knew that would occur when switching BC's. I am also a little less energetic. My daily runs are getting a little harder than they used to be. This week (3rd month 2nd week) I woke up with EXTREMELY tender breast and radiating back pain. My breasts have started to go back to normal sensitivity wise but are a little larger than they where. My lower back still hurts. Looking back I remember that the past 2 months I have had lower back pain prior to my period but never the tender breast. My skin did break out a little the 1st month but that is normal with every BC I have tried. Another negative that I have experienced is the anxiety and chest pain. I have constant anxiety that I am pregnant but thankfully its always wrong. I take adderall everyday and have been for the past 8 years so I thought that may be what was causing the anxiety but now after reading these posts I feel that its the BC. I also get frequent chest pain. It feels like someone is sitting on my chest. On a positive side my periods are much lighter than before. I suffer from horrific menstruation to the point where I can't move from bed. Im going to give this BC a little longer but if my symptoms keep getting worse I am going to have to switch. Thanks everyone for being honest about this BC. I thought I was going crazy.

I just started Loestrin 24 last mth n have been having excruciating back, stomach & side pains which caused me to go to the doctor. I haven't had a period, but I don't blame the pill, I was on the Implanon which caused me to have cysts on both ovaries and side pains. While on the Implanon I didn't have any periods, and now on the pill I still don't have a period. I have noticed that once it get to the end of the pill pack and I am suppose to have a period that's when all the pain starts. I am looking into other options.

I am sooo glad i read everyone's comments on this horrible BC pill!
I hate it! I have gained over 15 lbs and look so completely different, my face, my body, my stomach. None of my clothes from last summer fit me this summer. I was a size 4 and now a 6 is pushing it. I look so fat and was retaining so much water, I took an EPT test because I thought I was pregnant. Anyway - I have been off it for some months now and I'm just wondering when and if all this FAT will go away. I feel so ugly and uncomfortable and this pill was nothing but a nightmare. Mood swings...forget about it! Scary b**h was me. And now I don't even get normal periods anymore. It was such a HORRIBLE experience I don't think I will EVER take a BC pill again...its not worth it! Im 40 yrs old and don't need the extra weight, drama and all the rest of this crap pill. It sucks!

I have been on Loestrin 24 for almost 3 years now and have virtually no side effects. Slight weight gain did occur however I also attribute that to starting college around the same time. My periods were slightly irregular during the beginning but have evened out substantially and now last a maximum of 3 days. Also any mood swings I encountered may have been due to the Loestrin but again I was under abnormal stress because of beginning college

I have been on this drug for a month because I HAVE BEEN HAVING IRREGULAR PERIODS FOR 5 MONTHS AND THEN MY DOCTOR GAVE THIS TO ME and THREE WEEKS LATER I HAD A PERIOD CHANGING TAMPONS EVERY TWO- THREE HOURS WITH VERY HEAVY CRAMPING? BLEEDING AND BREAKTHROUGH BLEEDING ALSO EVEN NOT ON PERIOD DAYS..PERIOD LASTS FOR 8 DAYS......YEA RIGHT? SHORTER AND LIGHTER........NO WAY!

I just turned 21 this month and went to the gyno for the first time just before my birthday. she gave me a trial pack (one month) of loestrin. a few of my friends are on yaz and told me about the horrible side effects, so i figured this one would be better since it's the lowest hormone dose and my body is super sensitive. i started them last week and since then i've been even more moody than usual, go into these random bouts of hysterical crying for no reason, and the worst part is that two days ago my "breakthrough" bleeding started- only it's not just spotting, it's basically like a full-blown period. i got blood work done (almost a month ago) at the gyno's, and i called last night because i hadn't gotten a call since. waiting to hear back this morning because there was a slight abnormality with the pap smear.. needless to say i'm pretty pissed with this doctor for not following up, and for leaving me in anxious suspense about what's wrong with me. is this normal to bleed like this? i went on birth control to regulate my severe, debilitating periods, and now i feel sick and have been bleeding for the past two days pretty heavily. :( really disappointed & upset.

I am 20 years old and get my birth control through my university health center (it's only 15 bucks a month). Im not having sex now and have not in QUITE some time as my boyfriend and I broke up almost a year ago. I have been on birth control for three years now and NEVER had any problems. Since i get my meds through the school they give me what they can get in. I had been prescribed solia when i first started taking it and it was perfect. I had shorter periods, NO cramping, barely any weight gain if any at all and it even helped with mood swings during my period. This past month, the center got in Loestrin 24 and that's what they gave me. I am VERY pissed about it. I started taking it and within days could tell a difference. I would cry for no reason and the slightest things upset me. I was cramping all the time. I missed my birth control ONE day and made up for it the next day, BUT i also got my period. That was two weeks ago. I have not missed another pill and i STILL have my period! I am cramping irritable and just a downright bitch, and that is NOWHERE near my normal self. Im the type of person to let most things roll of my back in time and just go with the flow. Im glad I got on here and found out im not the only one having problems.

u dammed if u do dammed if u don't. i just picked up may pack yesterday of loestrin 24 waiting on my period to start to begin taken them. but by the looks of this site might not be taken them.im just confused right now.i was on Yasmin years ago caused me depression.then last year levora.28 made my blood pressure high and my heart beat extremely fast.depo made me gain weight and spot and bleed irregularly.im even using condoms with my boyfriend right now to be extremely cautious they SUCK..I just don't know what to do the pull out method isn't full proof.im just lost at this point.

I've been on Loestrin for about 4 or 5 months. I didn't even have a period last month and haven't gotten one this month (I'm not pregnant). I had some breakthrough bleeding the first month and second months, but none anymore. I take Loestrin because of debilitating severe cramps and I haven't had any in months after starting this pill. The only problem I've been having is that I get extremely nauseous when I eat anything. The funny thing is that I get super hungry a little while later and the vicious cycle starts over. I don't know if it is because of this pill. I had extremely low blood pressure before taking it, so it could be because of that.

My daughter is 13. We put her on Loestrin to control her extreme cramping.
She was always nausea complained and lower back pain. But the most disturbing symptom was EXTREME exhaustion. She could barely make it through a day of school. She would come home and go to bed. I was having trouble getting her back up to go to practice. She would cry like a baby, unusual for her. She said she just felt so weak and tired. We went to the doctor who tested her for mono, anemia, thyroid, and anything else they could think of. All the test were negative. That is when I got on the internet and looked up Loestrin. It was the only medication that she was on. I had her stop the pill that very day. She was herself again in less than a week! I am now afraid to "try" another pill with her. I am just so glad we figured it out!

I am so happy I read all these posts! I have been on Loestrin 24 Fe for about 7 months now and I thought I was going crazy! After the first 3 months on it I was extremely depressed and usually I'm a very outgoing person. I called my doc and he said that usually after 3 months things will get better. So I waited and for a month things were find but then everything got so much worse then they were. I would get depressed about everything and think the craziest things which in turn made me think the craziest things. Also I always thought I was pregnant because I felt nauseous and lost my appetite and for a whole month 2 months ago my boobs were sore. This is my first bc and so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Well after reading all the posts I know I am not crazy! I am a very happy out going person but since using this pill i've been the complete opposite! As of today I am no longer using this pill! I'd rather have my horrible cramps and heavy periods then deal with feeling like I have been!

I'm 21 years old, this is my 3rd brand of birth control pills. I've never had a problem with the pills I've had in the past, but I've moved frequently and my insurance changed. So my different doctors prescribed different pills. I started taking Loestrin 24 Fe two Sundays ago and since have had constant nausea and occasional vomiting. I've not only had mood swings but also extreme depression. I am usually a very upbeat and "happy-go-lucky" person but lately and very randomly do I find myself with thoughts of worthlessness and unprovoked guilt. I attend college and have even missed a couple of classes because I didn't feel worthy of going. I usually have clear skin with occasional small breakouts before I menstruate but currently found my face to be broken out all along my chin area and am not due for another period for another couple of weeks. My reasons for taking birth control have changed and I believe I am going to discontinue my use and notify my doctor.

Wow. I am not even close to being done reading everyone's comments on Loestrin, and I am already EXTREMELY P.O'ed and at the same time relieved, at the fact that I found this page. I am 18 years old, and I started on Tri-Cyclin Lo when I was 15. I loved it, and never had any problems with it what-so-ever. It even helped with my acne problems. But a few months ago, my insurance decided to stop covering birth control, so my OBGYN decided to put me on Loestrin 24 Fe, because with the card you only have to pay 24 tops a month. But anyway, I now realize that all of the hell that has been happening in the past 3-4 months is due to Loestrin Fe. And after reading all of your comments I am POSITIVE! My Boyfriend and me have been fighting all of the time, and I have just been getting upset for no reason. I thought that it was because things between my boyfriend and me just aren't the same, and that maybe we are just growing apart.. but after reading all of your comments, and taking some time to think about it... IT HAS TO BE THE B.C! Before I started this pill we got along all the time... And also, my sex drive has plummeted so fast and drastically, to the point where my sex drive is NON EXISTENT. It has been hurting our relationship on top of my mood swings, because our sex life is also NONEXISTENT.. and we live together! I used to want to have sex all of the time.. and I haven't honestly wanted to have sex (not even once!) for the past few months...since I started Loestrin!!! Additionally, my face has been breaking out before periods excruciatingly bad. It has seriously hurt my self esteem. I have always had some issues with acne, but it has gotten ridiculous. I even bought an expensive acne kit that is supposed to be number one in the country, and it still keeps getting worse! .. And lastly I have been putting on a lot of weight, even though I have been eating the same.. also hurting my self esteem. Today, my bf and I finally came to the conclusion that "hmmm.. it most definitely might be the birth control." ..so I decided to come online and check out the side effects. AND BOOM! I see tons and tons and tons of comments from Women of all ages with the same, horrifying side effects. I am going to stop this birth control immediately. If my insurance won't cover anything else, and I can't afford any others, I will just deal with my cramps and longer periods. I never thought I would say this in a million years, but I would RATHER deal with the horrible cramps and long periods, than have to deal with the bull s*** that Loestrin has put me through. If anyone has anymore insight, message me or reply! Thanks.

I am on my first pack of Loestrin 24 Fe. So far I am already having mood swings, some depression, crying for no apparent reason, and spotting. No headaches so far. But I have been on other BC's before and this is not the only one with side effects. Yasmin was the first BC I was on and it did the same thing to me for the first few months. Once my body got used to it, all of my symptoms went away. I am hoping the same will happen with Loestrin. But the important thing to remember is that everyone's body is different and if the BC your on isn't working for you, then talk to your doctor about trying something else. There is no one perfect answer for everyone. I have read many of these message boards about different BC's and this one is the same as the rest. Some do well on it and some don't. Talk to your doctor.

I am 18 years old and this is my first experience with BC. Loestrin FE 24 has ruined my entire view of BC. I have suffered many side effects of this pill, I am currently on my third pack of Loestrin. The side effect I have experienced are:
1. Moodiness/ Depression: I experienced this side effect during the first pack of Loestrin. Extreme depression was prominent at the beginning, I would randomly cry and I constantly down. Let alone my mood swings. My boyfriend would agree that I could be up and down within min.
2. Headaches: I have had horrible headaches daily with Loestrin. I started with my third pack of the pills. The headaches are terrible, it seems like I can only numb them with ibprofen but I can never fully get rid of it.
3. Spotting: How annoying is spotting? This side effect also started with my third pack of pills. I shouldn't even see any sort of menstruation for at least another 5-6 days. But yet here I am.
4. Massive acne before menstruation: I have always had really clear skin. Let it be before, during or after my period. But with Loestrin I am constantly breaking out. ESPECIALLY before my period.
5. Bloating/Constipation: I constantly feel bloated and feel like I am always constipated. I don't know what to do besides switch pills. I can't take it any longer.
P.S. This pill makes you feel that you are always pregnant. I see the signs but they are identical to the symptoms of the pill. So beware. I highly recommend NOT taking Loestrin FE 24

Wow, after reading everyone else's side effects, I feel a little bit more normal. I just started the pack last Sunday, and the past couple of days I have been very emotional, angry, and crying for no reason. Also, my boobs are so swollen and sore! It's incredibly painful. I couldn't sleep last night, but I don't know if this is due to the pill or not. The doctor just put my on it to regulate my period, do you guys have any suggestions for different birth control that won't destroy my body?!?!

Thankyou for posting all these indepth reviews. I spent more than an hour going through each one of them, they gave me a much better insight into the drug that I am taking - Loestrin 24 Fe.
I have been put on these to correct my heavy periods, I have been taking these since about a month and a half. I have never been on a birth control pill before. I noticed that I had difficulty in wearing my contacts the first month and attributed this to the pills since its a major side effect listed with using the pill. I spoke to my Ob/Gyn about this but she asked me check with my eye doctor first. But it just so happened that I never got a chance to visit an eye doctor.The problem ceased to exist when I changed my contacts, so I am assuming that it had nothing to do with the BC pills. Other than that during the first month I had headaches, which went away on their own, guess my body got used to the pills. The third side effect that I noticed in the second month (now) is the spotting (never saw that the first time around). Its not that bad but its definitely annoying. Other than that I haven't really experienced any other side effects. I have never been sexually active so cannot really comment on the libido part. My bleeding has decreased to almost one-half of what it used to be and I don't get the bad cramps that I used to get before, so this pill definitely seems to be doing what my doctor said it would do. Other than the spotting, I don't have any complaints with the pill. I haven't monitored my weight so thats one thing I will have to take a look at. Hopefully I wont have any other side effects, if I do I will make sure that I post them.

Good luck to all the ladies in finding the right pill............

I'm 21 years old and I have had the WORST experiences with Loestrin24 Fe. DO NOT TAKE THIS SATANIC PILL. Seriously. This was the first birth control I was ever put on. My doctor put me on it because she said the low dose of estrogen would help my bad cramps (but I really think she was just trying to promote this new pill...because when I started it it was still pretty new). I started this pill before I turned 21, this past March, and for the first few months the only things I noticed were spotting when I didn't take it at the EXACT time everyday (which I soon set an alarm for and did take it at 9 am daily) and also, my breasts definitely got bigger and I didn't have as many breakouts as I used to. I also experienced being really depressed and upset for no reason or being really angry for no reason. After a few months, I started to get headaches a lot more often, have vivid weird dreams that I would remember the next day, I had trouble going to sleep at night (insomnia)...and I looked these up to see if they were symptoms of this pill...and they are. The worst was when I PASSED OUT the day I started my new pack of pills 2 months in a row! I just went to my doctor and had several tests done and they said that they were not positive, but it is a possibility that the passing out was related to my birth control. I passed out the day after the 4 placebo/iron pills (that I did not take, which could have also been a factor) which was the day I started my new pack...when your estrogen shoots up. I take my pills at 9 am and I passed out around noon in both cases. I switched to another birth control last month, but now I am completely off of birth control because the new pill made me lose my appetite and I just do not want to deal with putting these things into my body. I do NOT recommend this birth control to ANYONE. This pill should not be prescribed, especially after reading about how a large percentage of women have such awful experiences with this pill. I'm so excited to be DONE with Loestrin24 Fe and done with birth control in general. To me, birth control is not worth feeling awful all the time and having weird side effects when I could be living problem-free otherwise. I just wanted to share my thoughts and experiences and I hope that perhaps others will have better experiences with this pill than most of us seem to be having!

At 32 years old, this is my first experience with birth control and I have to say that I'm completely miserable. I'm eleven days into my first pack of pills, have been bleeding (like my regular period, maybe even worse!) since Tuesday, and decided this morning that i'm DONE. I'm taking this pill for contraceptive reasons only - and if I keep taking them, I won't need them anyway because my boyfriend will surely have dumped me. I'm moody, I'm tired, I have headaches, I can't sleep, my cramps are horrible today (and I've never had cramps in my life), and this out of control blood loss is a little concerning. I called my doc's office yesterday to see if I can stop abruptly, and they told me to finish the whole pack and THEN stop - but I cannot take one more day of this nonsense. My biggest concern with stopping midway through my pack is that I'll be really screwing up my cycle, but something is definitely already screwed up, so how much worse can if really get? Does anyone have any experience with just stopping birth control abruptly, and if so, what should I expect? THANKS!

I am 21 and have been on birth control since I was 10 to help keep my periods regular. I have to say that this is one is not so great, it's horrible. This is my fourth pack of this pills, at first I thought the emotional out burst and mood swings would go away. I thought wrong they got worse and I have even more. I have taken two pregnancy tests because I feel as if I am pregnant but nope just the pills. My breasts are sore, I am almost always sick to my stomach, head aches, my period is still irregular and they said it would get better, i am producing extra vaginal fluid, my boyfriend constantly asks "why do you seem weird" "what's wrong" well I feel weird I am an emotional mess. Now that I see a lot of other ladies out there have the same issues I do I can tell my boyfriend what is wrong are these pills they suck. This is one med. that is chalk full of side effects. And to be honest I didn't get on birth control to question if I am pregnant or not or to go and blow money on tests that aren't cheap. That's and good luck to every one

I'm 24 and I'm about to start my 3rd package of loestrin 24. I was on birth control several years earlier so it's been a while since I had taken the pill. I am having a lot of the same symptoms as everyone else.

Spotting, vomiting, severe migraines, my boobs are so sore that i almost cry when i touch them, moody, emotional, cry all the time for no reason, bitchy, i've gained 5lbs, i don't crave sex at all anymore, and at first my face was going crazy with break outs, but now it's evened out a little.

I also noticed that my hair is getting a little thinner, I can't sing as well (my throat feels more dry and hoarse), and I drank a few beers a couple of weeks ago and was completely out of it for like a week afterwards. By that i mean to the point that I was going to completely black out.

So here's the biggest question. If loestrin is chalked full of side-effects then what is the best pill to be on? I don't mind having full periods or a little pms. It's worth it to be on something that won't destroy my body. Besides I'm sure the less bitchy I am the more my boyfriend will appreciate the change lol.

I have been on Loestrin for 1 year and 4 months. This is my last month because I am changing to Ortho-TriCyclen. At first, I thought my symptoms were common: nausea, headaches, cramping, spotting. After the first 3 months, nothing changed. I began to notice that I was having 2 periods a month and that continued till this month where I am waiting on my period to start (I am 2 days late). After reading this blog, I noticed that I was experiencing other side effects and I didn't associate it with the pill. I have gained 15 pounds over the year, hungry all the time. Moody doesn't begin to describe it. I have thoughts every period of divorcing my husband, I'm miserable. I just figured I was going through a low point. My husband has noticed that I am not the same person he married. I was once very outgoing and energetic but now I just want to sleep and be alone. I hope that my slight depression is due to the pill and that changing it will help be bounce back.