Loestrin 24 Fe and 5 months

Im glad to see that I am not the only one going through some changes being on the pill. I complained to my doctor that after a year of taking Femcom Fe I was getting a lot of pregnancy symptoms the week before getting my period making me think I was pregnant. She then switched me to Loestrin 24 Fe and now for the past two months I have not gotten my period but im still getting pregnancy symptoms plus more the week before I should get a period. Also I have seen a significant amount of bloating in my mid section and I have not changed my diet or exercise pattern and yet I seem to look like if I was about 4 to 5 months pregnant. I am stopping the pill and just waiting until I get a period and then speaking to my doctor about another method of birth control. I believe that once you hit an age (just turned 35) your body changes and birth control pills are not the best option. Also been extremely moody, feeling drained and have no energy around the time I should get it.

Hope everyone finds their best option soon!

I am the happiest ive ever been in my life...i have two great kids and im getting married in 6 months. My fiance and I do not fight...until lately. I have jeopardized relationships with my mother as well as my fiance. I have no patience for my kids and it all began about 5 months ago. Ive been on this pill a little over a year and never in my life felt so out of sorts. I get headaches more than i normally do. I am falling apart. I feel depressed for NO reason! I feel BIPOLAR. I also cannot sleep enough. I am soooo tired all the time and Im extremely depressed and have gone as far as wanting to get help from a therapist. I came on this site hoping just HOPING I was not alone and im so thankful to know that im not. I cry all the time and I have NO reason to. Im so happy in my life and I get so low in such depressions that i feel everyone hates me adn my loving and patient fiance is gonna leave me. im going to make an appointment because i just don't know what to do anymore....thank you all for writing

N.
Ohio

I have been on the Loestrin 24 for 3 months and i am about to call my dr and see if i can try the IUD, the side effects on the Loestrin 24 is horrible, i work out every day and i am having a battle with my weight management and i can only blame the pill, before i was in good shape i kept my weight in check by working out but now is very serious, i need to get back to my 135lb, since i gave birth 5 months ago i have been 150lb and it does not drop. i am really disappointed

Well i been on loestrin for about 5 months now, Ive tried 4 other contraceptives (that kept giving me nasty yeast infections, headaches and severe nausea! , but this is probably the only one my body tolerates..... as far as symptoms, in the beginning i would have massive migraines and nausea almost everyday it was horrible! but it got a lil better as time past....of coarse mood swings from here to there, and a low sex drive... it suxs my boyfriend thinks "im not into him" anymore, and im telling u its the pills... cuz i didnt have this problem before i got on em. but i guess i choose to be on the pills cuz i dont want any accidents....it helps my acne for the most part.....haven't had any migrans lately hopefully they wont come back.... but my next step will probably be the IUD...hopefully this wont give me no problems =/ if that dont work then i dont no what im gonna do...anything with tooo much estrogen gets me really sick.....

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'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.

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'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.

I am 27 and I started birth control at age 21. I always had an irregular period with terrible cramping. I also had a very high sex drive.

The first pill I tried was Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and I stopped taking it after 2 months because I felt depressed and I totally lost my sex drive. I always had perfectly clear skin and about a week after I discontinued this pill I broke out on my face and my back. I had a rash on my forehead. I also noticed a few dark hairs on my chin.

The next birth control I tried was the NuvaRing. This also made me depressed and moody.

I have now been on Loestrin 24 Fe for more than 2 years and this is the one that has worked best for me. The first few months I had my period and spotting. The first year on Loestrin I got my period once every 3 months and the period maybe lasted a couple of days and was very light. I must have taken more than 5 pregnancy tests. I asked my doctor about it and he told me that there was nothing to worry about not having periods. The second year my periods got even further apart. I went 5 months without a period then almost a whole month having a period (very light and a lot of cramping).

Besides having my period coming and going as it pleases, I feel great. My sex drive is still alive and I haven't experienced any mood swings. I do still break out on my face, usually around the end of my pack. I have not had a problem with breaking out on my back with this pill. I have gained a little weight, but after I hit 25 my metabolism really slowed down, so I cannot completely blame weight gain on the pills. I believe you have to work twice as hard to maintain a healthy weight when you get older.

With that said, I wish everyone the best on their BC journey!

I've been taking Loestrin 24 Fe for about 4 or 5 months now. In the beginning I experienced the most horrible mood swings and I bled for the first month straight. My period subsided for a week then managed to come back. This continued for the next 2 months. I'm happy to announce that it sees to have finally started working properly. My period is extremely light. I do still experience about the same amount of cramping I experienced before. Also I did find that the pill did inhibit my sex drive tremendously but even that seems to be improving. Good luck to all!

I am so glad I found this site. I'm 42 and the doc put me on these stupid pills because of ovarian cysts. The first few days were fine but by day 4 I had awful stomach and lower back pains and by day 9 I had leg pain. I have had awful insomnia which I NEVER had before. One other thing that I thought was odd I woke up in the middle of the night soaking wet, like I had peed myself but it wasn't urine. I thought I was really sick and then out of curiosity I googled these pills and was shocked at what I found. I will stop taking them tomorrow, it's not worth it. The body and joint aches are awful not to mention the bloating. I look like I'm 5 months pregnant. I wish I had seen this site at the first sign of my symptoms because I would have stopped right away. I was really starting to think I was going crazy.

I took Loestrin 24 for 5 months before I saw any side effects. I’ve always been a cheerful, healthy person. I’m healthy. I run track for my college. Everything was going great until for some reason I just didn’t want to see anyone anymore. I was constantly tired and lazy. My sexual drive became zero and I would fight with my boyfriend for no apparent reason. It was terrifying. Almost two weeks ago, I had a panic attack for the first time in my life. I thought I was having a heart attack. My left arm, chest, and back hurt. I couldn’t sleep. I had heartburn. So, I decided to go home and talk to my parents who comforted me. They also saw a change in my personality. My mother and I wouldn’t argue anymore. She would just say something and I would cry. I was depressed and kept on having anxiety attacks. At first I thought it was from caffeine but when the symptoms still persisted, I looked toward the birth control. I completely stopped it last Wednesday. Now, everyday is an improvement. I am much happier than I was. I felt a difference around 2 days after stopping the pill. Never take this pill. It’s terrible and no one should feel the way I have in these past two weeks.

I've been on Loestrin for about 6 months now. I haven't had a period in 5 months. no spotting, nothing. I've actually lost weight since i've been on it and my skin looks great. my only complaint is that i have been a little moody and i've had horrible headaches.

After being on YAZ for about 7 months and realizing how it was harmin my mind and body, my doctor told me to stop taking it immediately, even though it was mid-cycle. he put me on Loestrin24fe because "there has been a much higher success rate with a lower dose of estrogen" NOT IN MY CASE!

i started taking it on a Tuesday, it is now the following Monday and i have already experienced:
harsh aches and pains throughout my body, unbelievable mood swings from cryin until my eyes hurt for NO reason to sitting and talking calmly within 5 minutes of each other, once again a complete lack of sex drive which i *just* recovered from with YAZ, not being able to eat yet having extreme weight gain??? my stomach is completely round when i have had a 6pack for my entire adult life and my jeans will not get past my thighs anymore, my skin and hair are oily and i have broken out worse than i did when i was a teenager ...

and the BEST one yet! Severe Panic Attacks during the night to the point where i am terrified to sleep because of waking up hysterical and actually "feeling" my dreams. i woke up from a nap yesterday crying uncontrollably because i was convinced i snapped my spine/neck because i dream it, felt it snap and HEARD it snap in my dream. it is all too real and i am on lack of sleep AND not eating for a few days.

Needless to say, i have stopped taking the pill as of last night. i am hoping to get back to normal in about a week because i clearly cannot function like this. I missed a gorgeous Easter day yesterday because i was having a low grade panic attack ALL day and couldn't eat or even talk to anyone.

i am not going to let another bc pill ruin my life this year. its not worth it but i must ask, where do i go from here? i am concerned about getting an IUD because my body seems to have every side effect possible with any type of birth control but i think the IUD is my only option besides complete abstinence.

Hey everyone my name is Samantha...Honestly my doctor has tried me on several different birth controls and none of then ever worked out for me i always sorta had the migraines and spotting. But ive been on Loestrin now for about 5 months and my life has been a living hell! I seem to have gained about 15 lbs since i started... i only got my period 1 time and it only lasted for about half a day. I find myself eating more and i am extremely depressed and have had horrible mood swings. I fight with everyone who comes in my path. I hate the person ive become and so dose everyone else. My Family doctor tried me on a few different antidepressants and none worked. So I came to the conclusion that am going to have to change my GYN to some one who will actually listen to me and get off the horrible drug! I think they should remove it off the market!

I am 22 years old have been taking birth control for five years now and have used three different brands. The first one that I was on was too low of a dose and after six months my body became used to it and my periods became irregular. After that, I took Yaz for a while and loved it but once I switched insurance companies, it was $60 a pack. I then went on to Loestrin 24. I have been taking it for a little over a year now. I have not noticed weight gain or an increased appetite but have had many other problems with it. There have been months where I miss my period entirely and then have a very heavy period or two separate periods in the next month. As well, I think it has made my skin worse and my PMS a great deal more noticeable.
I often have unbearable cramping for two days prior to and on the first day of my period. Sometimes I have a "period" that lasts about 6 hours and is not more than just brown spotting on the Saturday before I am to start a new pack.
Currently, I have missed my period the last two months and have had to continuously purchase and take pregnancy tests to be sure that I am not pregnant. My breasts/nipples are swollen and extremely sensitive and painful. I will be purchasing a pregnancy test today because I am unsure of what is going on.
Suggestions for women looking to go on birth control: try other brands of the pill prior to Loestrin 24. Yes, it does give "shorter and lighter" periods...but often causes missed periods. I know that we all hate those days during the month where we feel like absolute crap and do not want to leave the house because of our periods...but (at least for me, a 22 year old student) I would much rather have that monthly reminder than to spend more money on pregnancy tests each month than I do on my birth control.

I've had this vaginal itch with dryness that we (my gynecologist and I) misdiagnosed for yeast infection. The itch lasted for 5 months and WILL not go away with treatments. We also thought I was allergic to something or maybe I'm exhibiting symptoms of early diabetes. As a blessing in disguise, my new insurance does not cover Loestrin 24 Fe so I had to switch to another type of contraceptive. 2 days into my new pill, the itch that drove me crazy for so long went away. Conclusion? It does not take a genius to figure this one out.

Last yr i was on yaz. after 4 months i started having bizarre and unlikely side effects because of an allergic reaction from yaz. I went off the pill for a few months and now im taking loestrin 24. I've been on it for 5months now. I have experienced spotting but that has decreased with time as i've been on it. I am now realizing that i might be gaining weight from this pill. I've been going to the gym almost everyday and have lost no weight, instead i've gained. last yr i never went to the gym and weighted less. This makes me think its the pill thats causing the weight gain but i'm not sure if this is true since i've been on it for 5 months and am just now noticing my weight.

I have been on Loestrin 24fe for the past three years. The first two years were great; no period since Dec 06, it's very rare that I have any spotting. Since June 2008, my health has gone down hill. I have had extreme weight gain (20 lbs), retaining fluid, fatigue,terrible migraines, memory has gotten poor, lack of concentration, depression has gotten worse, very very moody and will cry at the least little thing. I have also experience eye floaters and eye twitching. My dr. wants to change my BC to Yaz, but the horror stories are the same. At this point, I really don't know what to do. I have been on BC for 18 yrs total. When I first started taking Loestrin, it was wonderful.....up until last year. I am still taking it, not sure if I should switch to another type or totally go off of BC to give my body a rest.

I was on Loestrin 24 for 9 months and thought it was wonderful....until I was recently hospitalized for 2 weeks with blood clots in both lungs. The doctors determined that it was the Loestrin. If anyone knows of a class action lawsuit against them, please let me know.

I have been on this for about 5 months. Had breakthrough bleeding here and there and was told it would be okay. One month I had my period so heavy I was bleeding in clots. I was told put my feet up for the weekend. I take it every day at the same time and got my period last Sunday.....not supposed to happen until Wed. ....it is now a week plus one day and I STILL have it...I have the most horrific cramps....and I am middle aged..not some sixteen year old. I don't know what to do, but am thinking of calling again to get off it. I get the feeling the nurses at the dr. office think I'm crazy....and it will work itself out....well in the meantime I'm in agony!

I started taking this pill 3 months ago...I hate it. 1st and 2nd month I had a period, this month nothing. Am I the only person experiencing this? It has me paranoid like crazy. I am 32 years old, and the only time I have ever missed a period was when I was pregnant with my daughter who is now 7 years old.
If anyone else is experiencing this, please give me a little peace of mind and let me know!

OH BOY... ok so i have been on Loestrin 24fe for a little over a year. haha. for the first 6 months.. everything was fabulous!! no mood swings.. no bloating .. weight LOSS... no acne.. it was the happy pill! also.. i had absolutely NO periods at all!! no spotting.. bleeding.. cramps. nothing! it was great. then.. just recently.. in the past 4-5 months.. i have been tired all of the time! it seems like no amount of sleep will satisfy!! i could sleep all day and still be tired! sex drive has definitely taken a nose dive.. and the bad part about that is my bf and i have a long distance relationship.. we only see each other every few months!! so when i am w/ him.. what do you think i wanna do?! but the sex drive just isn't there! recently.. i have started to have random spotty periods even on the white pills. and that makes me crazy paranoid that i am pregnant or something else is wrong.. even though i have taken my pill by alarm daily! mood swings.. OH man.. depression up and down. one day i seem fine and motivated to live.. the next.. i hate my life.. i am confused and all i want to do is lay alone in bed and eat chocolate. it sucks. i was so weird out and thought i was all alone in this.. but in reading this website.. i am so glad that i am NOT the only one in HELL with this whole birth control pill crap!

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

I have only ever taken microgynon and loestrin 20.
I had problems with acne on microgynon so I asked the doctor for dianette but he said no and gave me loestrin instead.
Three years on my acne is worse than ever and I have done my research and apparently loestrin is bad for acne. Ive just joined a good model agency so this is not great!
Ive been depressed on off, had anxiety, and have often stayed off school or uni because of this (thankfully I passed my exams) Constantly paranoid.
Last year I fell out with all of my friends because they were sick of my constant low mood, and this made me worse.
I have no libido and have been suffering from vaginismus for two and a half years (starting when I was 16, not good!)
I either have no period or two per month. Every now and then I will suffer from headaches for weeks.
I also have contact lens intolerance, which has caused episcleritis on off for 5 months. (ive only worn them twice in this time)

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

I started taking Loestrin because I was having very heavy and long periods. However, once I started taking it, I bled for a month straight. Then, I noticed that I had an increase in acne and hair growth. I was unsure if this was a side effect of the BC, but after doing some research I found that Loestrin has a very high amount of androgens, which cause acne and hair growth. I stopped it after 3 months and my hair growth and acne have definitely improved within the past month that I haven't been on Loestrin.

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

I was taking Orthotricyc and then told my doctor I wanted to get rid of the cycle all together so she told me to continue taking the pills and don't stop them. So that is what I did for 3 months and the cycle didn't stop. I went back to the doctors and she suggested that I take Loestrigene24. I did this until Memorial day weekend and the cycle was still here (so you are talking about 5 months now of bleeding straight). So I called my doctor again and she suggested this time taking two Loestrigene24 at one time for one week and then call her back with the results. Well one week went by and still bleeding. So I decided to go to my OBGYN doctor and ask what to I do. He told me to stop taking pills all together so your system can flush out. Well in June I noticed a rash on my arms, I thought it was sun poison. These next few days the rash spreading to my legs then all over by body. I went to the doctors and they told me that it looked like pserious. I really don't think so. The gave me a steriod pill for 10 days I took that and the rash was going away. Well then it came back so the doctor then put me on a steriod cream and I am still putting it on at night time. I am so tired of this. I was wondering if anyone has had the rash? or if you know what to do about it.

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

I have been taking Loestrin 24 for about 8 months and I did not have a period for almost 5 months. Now I have had two this month. I have experienced anxiety and depression and I am normally a level individual. I do not want to go without Birth control but I feel I can't take this one anymore, I just want a clear mind back.

im 17, and i started on loestrin 24 fe about 5 months ago. at first everything was completely fine and normal. then about 2 months ago everything flipped. i started getting the biggest mood swings of my life. i would start to scream and yell and throw the biggest temper tantrums about the smallest things ever. i flip out and start fights with my boyfriend everyday about the smallest most stupidest things ever. my lifes been a complete living hell for the past 2-3 months. at first i thought it was just me but after reading all these comments from you ladies i feel completely relieved. i just got off the phone with my uncle who owns an auto body shop after making an appt with him to get my boyfriends car fixed due to one of my temper tantrums when i broke his window and rear-view mirror and after finding out that will cost me about 400 bucks i hungup and called my gyno and made an appt to have my birth control switched. good luck to everyone

OMG, i feel so relieved that i am not the only one going through this and i know that something isn't wrong with me lol... but Loestrin 24 has put me through hell and back, i have been debating on whether or not i should just take a break off of it for awhile. I have been on it for 5 months now and the 1st few months my period was very lite then it got back to normal. One month i had my period and a week later i was spotting, i was so confused. It makes me sooooooooooooooooooooooo moody, i yell at my boyfriend sometimes for the dumbest things ever, and i feel so bad... i apologize bcuz i know he doesn't really do anything, i could watch a movie and just by someone being sad or making a sad face, i'd just cry!!!! IM SO EMOTIONAL ON THIS PILL! horrible headaches for like 3-4 days straight, cramping, breasts got bigger (that's a plus), so many cravings, not much energy,i feel i gained about 10 pounds, i feel so pregnant though i took 2 pregnancy tests and they both were negative! i got to get off this pill ASAP!

i went on this pill about 10 months ago... i loved it... no periods nothing. then id say about 4 or 5 months after it i started having random anxiety but i didn't really think anything of it since i have been anxious before... then summer started and i came home from school and i have suffered terrible anxiety, depression and really uncontrollable irrational thoughts. the last 3 weeks have been absolutely horrible ... really really bad depression and anxiety... i felt like i was going psychotic i wanted to go into a mental hospital or something... and i am not a depressed person, i am quite the antithesis. my parents were really freaked out and worried about me....well i went to the gynecologist to see if it could be from the pill and he said absolutely... he took me off it and even after only 6 days i feel so much better... im sure a lot of it is because i know im not going psychotic and it could be from the pill. i have also started taking st. john's wort and b complex vitamins among a few other vitamins. NOBODY should have to go through what ive been through the last months... its horrible and im convinced that it was because of the pill.

I am so thankful for this website. I have been on Loestrin for about 5 months now. Two months ago I started experiencing many of the symptoms the rest of you have been describing. I started having head aches, insomnia, hot flashes, and then terrible anxiety attacks. I've also been having horrible chest pain that extends out my left arm. At first I thought I was having heart problems, but, like many of you, EKG's and chest x-rays came back normal. The anxiety attacks have gotten so bad that I thought I was going to have to go to the emergency room the other night. When I talked to my doctor about it, we decided its stress and depression, and she prescribed me an anti-depressant. I was supposed to start it today, but I got a wild hair to do some research on Loestrin since its the only other med I take. And lo and behold... Thank goodness I found this before I started the anti-depressants. I plan on calling and getting my BC switched first thing Monday morning. You couldn't shove another Loestrin down my throat. I'm so frustrated, as I'm sure many of you are, that NO ONE told me about this. My doctor did not discuss these extra possible side effects because its a low dose pill. And my general practitioner completely overlooked the fact that it might be the BC pill causing all this. Not that I blame her. I overlooked it too, and it is true, we are our own best advocates. Thank you to all the women who posted on here. Just like many of you, I've been feeling like I'm absolutely crazy lately. With the mood swings and uncontrollable crying, no one understands. I think its ok to say this website might have just saved me several years of being on anti-depressants. Granted, I haven't had any bleeding problems like some women, and I love the three day periods. But I would take a 7 day period over how I feel right now any day. Does anyone have any suggestions of what BC to switch to? And can anyone tell me how long it took for them to get back to normal emotionally? Thank you so much...

Hi I just got prescribed Loestrin 24 Fe and well I have not had any luck with birth control pills. I had mood swings (the pen would fall on the floor and I would start crying like there is no tomorrow), I gained weight, had shakes, and I had diarrhea for the 3 months that I took the pill. I stopped taking it after 3 months and it took me about 4 to 5 months to get back to normal. Hopefully Loestrin 24 Fe will not give me such side effects. Any advice on what time I should be taking these pills?

Hi all. I've been on Loestrin 24 for 5 months. I had some initial spotting - about two weeks into the first pack, but since then my periods have been regular and very short. I haven't experienced the mood swings, emotional stuff, nausea, etc. that many of you have described. I have gained some weight though. As in, 8 pounds. I haven't really changed my diet and my exercise level has decreased minimally. Anyone else experienced this? My md is actually writing a prescription for a generic version since my idiot insurance won't cover Loestrin. For those of you with negative side effects, hope you get to feeling better.

This pill sucks!! I have been on Loestrin 24 Fe for about 5 months now. I am miserable.... I already have big boobs, so this pill didn't help me when I increased a cup size, my sex drive is down, I am having frequent headaches, I have gained so much weight and no matter how much I exercise it won't come off, and worst of all I am feeling depressed with no reason to be! Its not only driving my life crazy but my husbands too. My periods are short (around 4 days) and light, but I almost rather have the heavy and long periods then go through all this. Can anyone give me suggestions on other birth controls they have taking in the past that they were happy with? THANK YOU!!!

Hi ladies!
I'm 19, and I've been on loestrin 24 for about 5 months now.
In the first two months I started to notice that I was losing hair! But I didn't think it was the pill, I really thought it was me-maybe I was washing too much or blow drying to much, but I really didn't think it was the pill. Then around March I started to get little rashes, and they have been off and on since then. Thank god I haven't experienced mood swings, yet, lol, but I just called my doctor and told her I needed off this pill. This pill really does scare me =/

I am glad sites like this one exist because it makes it easier to become educated on all the different side effects women have. Of course, its a completely different experience for each and every one of us, based on our biological clock, hormone levels, etc...I've been taking Loestrin for about 9 days now. The first three days I was extremely irritable and moody. Everyone noticed it and pointed it out because its so unlike my character to be that way for no reason. I was snapping at people and I felt very sensitive. I've felt light-headed and weak but many of my back pain medications make me feel this way so I am unsure as to whether I should attribute the sensations to Loestrin. After the fourth day, I've felt normal. The only thing that concerns me now is that I started bleeding this morning. My doctor said I have what's called breakthrough bleeding and I hope it doesn't last longer than a day or two. I've never taken any oral contraceptives in my life and hope this regulates my excessively long periods (think 5-7 days).

I am almost finished with my 3rd pack of this pill. The first two months I didn't get a period. No cramping, but a little bloating and felt like I was going to get it. I got scared, thought I was pregnant, and took a PG test. Negative, of course. Second month, same thing. This time I called the gyno, who said it was normal as your body adjusted to it.

Now I am at the third month, and got my period in the middle of the pack, about a week and a half ago. It was very light and lasted only two or three days, tops.

I got it again a week later, and this time it is exceptionally heavy, with full-blown cramps, bloating, fatigue, back pain, etc.

This sucks. On a good note, my breasts are definitely swelling, haha. I know that it can take a long time to get used to this, and I don't want to give up. I am definitely going to keep up with it until I'm at least 5 months in and see what happens.

I don't notice any mood side effects. I'm a little sensitive and easily frustrated, but I am also on Accutane, which has mood altering side effects.

Good luck to all taking LoEstrin!

I have been on Loestrin 24 Fe for about 7 months now. I used to have severe cramping, heavy bleeding and migraines. Now, i have heaving bleeding, severe cramping, migraines, severe depression,weigh gain, you name it. Since I've been on this pill I have gained almost 40 lbs, even though I dont eat or exercise any differently. My bra size has gone from a small B to a D,which has been extremely painful and now my back is feeling the consequences. I am a petite girl so its awkward having such large breasts. I'm planning on calling my doctor ASAP after seeing everyone who has all of these similar problems.

I am 34 and started taking loestrin 24 at the advice of my doctor cause I have really heavy periods and a lot of breakthrough bleeding mostly due to fibroids which has made me quite anemic. I was hoping this would help. I started Loestrin 24 about 16 days ago. On the ninth day I started breakthrough bleeding and it hasn't stopped! I feel like it's become a full fledged period! I just hope the bleeding stops soon. I have pretty bad cramps and backaches. I've been popping many advil. Also, my breasts are tender and they're definitely bigger (I liked my boobs the way they were!). As far as mood, the first week was fine, but I was pretty lethargic and depressed the second week. Starting the third week yesterday, my mood has been much better. It sounds like people have had success after the 3 month waiting. Me, I'm willing to duke it out for another month for the almost-nothing periods. But 2 more months of this I don't think I can handle. I'll let you know what happens

Im 20 years old, have a 5 month old baby girl, and have been on Loestrin for about 3 months now. Before i got pregnant, i was taking Loestrin and i was having HORRIBLE back pain, headaches and my husband thought i was CRAZY b/c of all the mood swings and crying. Needless to say, i quit taking the pill. About 4 months later, i was pregnant. After i had my baby, i decided to get back on BC b/c i do not want another baby right now. I started taking Loestin again, hoping it wasnt the pill that was makin me crazy. The first 2 months were ok. I started my period fine, i wasnt acting "crazy" and my back pain was normal(i have scoliosis). Now im on the 2nd week on my 3rd pack. I have been bleeding for about 8 days now, for no reason. I had my normal period and after the first week of the pack i just started bleeding out of no where. I also have noticed that i am very irritable and moody(like before) but much worse this time. I find myself getting aggrivated at my 5 month old and SHE CANT EVEN DO ANYTHING TO MAKE ME MAD!! SHE'S ONLY 5 MONTHS OLD. I cant take this anymore. I am not going to take Loestrin anymore. I agree with some people that side effects vary from person to person, but there are to many people taking Loestrin with the same side effects. I wouldnt recoment this for anyone!!

This was my first time taking birth control pills. In the beginning everything was fine. I have been on the pill for about 5mths now. Just recently I started bleeding for no reason at all. (not to mention it is 8 days before my wedding) I am nowhere near the time I am supposed to start. Plus I am gaining weight, I am bloated, and I am eating like a pig. I’ve had to have alterations 2x in the last 4 months. I have been emotional, sensitive, depressed, and impatient and everyone was saying it’s because of the wedding but I knew something was wrong when I started having trouble breathing. I didn’t know any better because this was my first time on birth control pills. I went to my long term doctor today and she suggested that I keep taking the pill even though I now have what appears to be a goiter. Hypothyroidism (An enlarged thyroid (goiter) I have an ultrasound scheduled but I’ve learned today that Estrogen increases the body's production of a blood protein that binds thyroid hormone to it, making it inactive. This may have lead to weight gain and my irregular cycle. I am stressed and I do not know what to do. The only good thing is that I do not bleed heavy but there is slot of cramping now and stomach pains like you wouldn’t believe. I now have high blood pressure, shortness of breath from my thyroid, back and stomach pains from the cramps, bloating, and I’ve been bleeding for 5days. It starts then stops, then starts, and then stops. Sadly my doctor will not give me any medicine and I don’t know when it’s going to end. Those little devil pills have really put me in a terrible situation for my wedding and honeymoon. I’m now seeking a new physician and I don’t know if I will ever take birth control pills again. For all of this, I could have just continue to purchase a few extra pads a month.:(

I am 17 years old and just started my third week of Loestrin. I needed to go on the pill because I play sports and I wanted to have a shorter period. The first week i took the pill absolutely nothing in my body changed. Yet, after the second week i am also getting this brown discharge. It's annoying. I'm afraid to do anything sexually because of it. The past two days i have also had to worst cramps ever. I don't ever weigh myself so i don't see any significant weight gain but my emotions are all out of whack. I go in a huge fight with my boyfriend last weekend and i could not cry. I have been just laying here so depressed and I'm convinced it's because of the pill.. i just want the "spot bleeding brown stuff" to stop ...

i am on the first week of my second pack, after switching from orthotricyclinLo (which i loved, but my gyn suggested i switch so that she could give me samples while i was abroad). a few days before my first "period" (if you can really call it that...it was ridiculously light as far as periods go)at the end of my first pack i started getting bad stomach cramps. i attributed it to my body getting adjusted to foreign food, but the cramps, while less painful, are still rather persistent and range from my stomach to lower-left side. i have also been experiencing weird hunger, in which i have the desire to eat but everything seems unappetizing or makes me nauseous.

i started freaking out, thinking i had some strange std symptom, but i have no other symptoms and have been in a monogamous relationship for the past 9 months. and while i have yet to take a pregnancy test, i have been on birth control for the past 4 years (so my uterus is something of a barren wasteland) and i use condoms with my boyfriend. i was freaking out a bit with these side cramps, wondering whether or not i should make a doctor's appointment. when taking orthotricyclinLo i had little to no side effects, and i have never gotten menstrual cramps before, so i hadn't thought that this discomfort could be from my pills. i was thinking of making a doctor's appointment, but after reading this blog am reconsidering, and might just wait out another month or so.

has anyone else had a similar cramping/discomfort experience, and did it ever subside?

thanks!

ive been on L24 for about 5 months now...my main reasons for starting were 1. Prevent Pregnancy 2. Be Less Moody
i too experienced the heavy brown discharge for about a solid month in the beginning, my 2nd period was pretty normal flow and lasted about 4 days. my 3rd period was more like the brown discharge. my 4th was maybe 1 1/2 days...and this month i had no period..AHHH...i really can't be pregnant!! fortunately i feel a little better after reading these posts. i have had increased appetite and seem much more depressed that i used to be..i stopped the pack i was on three days ago...i just cant go with out having a period at all..that is my reassurance each month..
but from what some of you have said...not all pills are like this...i guess i will have to talk with my doctor about switching.

I'm 28 and I've been on Loestrin for 5 months now. No real big issues with it. I may have gained a couple pounds but when I was on Ortho Novum 7/7/7 I gained a couple pounds on that too and I had no issues with those pills either. I changed to Loestrin cuz I just wanted my periods to be shorter and lighter. I was on Ortho Novum from 16-25 years old. So if anyone wants to switch to that I had no issues with that one. I think all pills depend on your body type and how your body reacts to the pill. That's why they have so many of them out there. So you can find the right one that fits you. The only issue I have with Loestrin is the fact that I thought I wasn't supposed to cramp anymore while on my period. I also get slight cramps in my back a couple days before my period comes on. But other than that. No issues.

My birth control problems have been an ongoing problem. . I am a 26 year old nurse. I had been on birth control since about age 16.I was on Ortho tricyclen up until about two and a half years ago. I was noticing that I got nauseated each day around 5 pm when supposedly my hormone level dropped. I would eat and then I would feel better. Now that I think of it, I may have been just a little hypoglycemic. I told my GYN about this and he had me switch to the NuvaRing. I was on that for about 5-6 months when I started to have problems with it. When I had to put it back in after the week out, I would vomit for about 12 hours until my hormone level evened out. After deciding that I was not getting food poisoning each month, and it truly was the ring, I went back to my GYN. He then said that it was too much estrogen for me and prescribed Loestrin 24. I was on that for about 5 months when I started to notice problems. I felt extremely tired all the time. My breasts hurt like hell, and my mood was changing significantly. I was watching TV one night when all of the sudden it felt like someone was just murdered in front of me. I had no idea what was wrong. My husband told me he thought I was having a panic attack. I have never had any problems with anxiety or depression. This happened twice in one week. I had never had any problems with acne, and I looked like I had chicken pox on my back. I was also getting abnormal hair growth. I would cry, and not know why. I then decided that I needed to stop my pills. I called the GYN, and of course they were of no help to me. I then spent about 4-5 months off of BCP's all together. I would still get anxiety the week before my period and then after I started it would get better. I then saw a new GYN who decided it would be good for me to go on Seasonique. I was on that for 5 weeks and all of my symptoms came back. I now have been put on Zoloft to help with my panic attacks. I fight them on a daily basis, and they are more constant than ever before. I truly feel like my hormones are so fucked right now. I have all of these strange thoughts and feel half crazy. I have been to every specialist possible and they all agree that my hormones are out of whack. I am small anyway and have lost about 10 pounds. I only weigh about 98, which is also alarming to me. Okay, well how the hell do you fix all of this without going on another damb pill? I was fitted for a diaphragm and am using that for the time being. I am a smart enough person to know that something is not right. I am seeing a homeopathic specialist this week to try a new approach. I have been to a therapist, and have been tested for everything under the sun. Most frightening was the fact that I was almost put on a beta-blocker. I had a 24 holter monitor for my heart. My median heart rate was in the high 90's. I also had a heart rate that went from 51 to 145 bpm in my sleep. My normal heart rate is in the hig 60's to low 70's. Overall, the Zoloft is starting to help, but I am so angry. I really do feel like we are screwing up our natural chemistry by putting all of these females on hormones. In 20 years or so, we will truly see the effects of what hormone therapy has done to women. It is very scary. I just hope I can get myself evened out. Does anyone have a similar story or any suggestions? Please reply or email me. Any support I can get from other women will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Nurse Billie