Loestrin 24 Fe and depression

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.

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 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 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.

I HATE THIS PILL!!! Oh my goodness I sunk into a deep depression and had no idea why. I cried everyday, and felt horrible. I looked up the pill and sure enough, so many other women had the same reaction. I've been off this pill for over a month now. I quit the pill on a Saturday, and it threw me into my period the very next day. Now, over a month ago, I still haven't had a period. Is this normal, or could I be pregnant?

i have been on loestrin24 for about 2 months , its the worst thing in the world!! i was on yaz for 3 years and i started feeling sick about two years in i had anxiety, depression , my hair was falling out and i read blogs about the pill and decided to get off i called my doctor and she gave me loestrin24 , my sex drive is so so bad,my boyfriend noticed it right away! i have nausea,headaches, dizzy spells, blackouts, and worst of all im 27 years old and have never had acne until now!!!! im on my last active pill and i will not continue the pills ...... i would rather have a 5 day heavy period then take this i feel like im dragging all day long and all i wanna do is sleep this is so not worth it !

I'm 20. This is my first time on bc. I've been on this pill for a month now and my fiance pointed out a lot of changes in me. The ones i have noticed is my sex drive is completely gone! Which worried me deeply since i started to think that i was falling out of love with my fiance. I feel depressed for no reason. Breast tenderness; sore to the touch! And Nausea, to the point where i lose my appetite. My fiance has noticed: Massive mood swings. (i get angry or cry on the spot for no reason), Depression, and headaches.

I haven't gotten that break through bleeding everyone talks about. And my acne and weight is fine. I'm just not sure if my body is reacting this way because this is my first time on bc, or because of the pill itself. All I know is that i am miserable.

Last Night was my 8th day on the Loestrin, and this morning I put 2 and 2 together. I am 21 years old, I don't drink or smoke and have been on BC for the past 3 or so years. My first BC was Ortho and never had any problems with it at all it actually helped with my periods. Since I lost my insurance coverage from my parents, I told my doctor that I would like to continue BC usage at my last annual 2 weeks ago since it was 3 months of no BC and there was no period until that week, which I must say I have had cysts in the past and this was the worst painful period so far. He told me to go on Loestrin since It's the cheapest effective BC so I decided that was fine as long as effective was above the price! which he assured me. Well since I have taken Loestrin I have not had a decent night sleep! I lay there for hours and it will be 3-5am and then I will fall asleep with waking up every so often after that constantly until the alarm goes off. The lack of sleep, fatigue from, and I have noticed some extreme dips into depression with mood swings. I am afraid to continue based on just the lack of sleep. I don't need any other negative symptoms and I cant handle this much more longer. after the second night I told myself to take some sleeping pills because I cannot get into a bad habit and they did nothing! I did always take Ortho at night (no problems) SO I will try a week of taking them of a morning to see if there are any differences before I call it quits on this one, but if I don't see better sleep/or see different symptoms I wont like then this one is just not for me.

Hi Everyone! I was the most terrified to take this. Once I started, I felt that my life was upside down. I would my sister weeping at 3am, swearing that I couldn't take it anymore- the depression, the cramps, the aches. I was either sad or angry all the time. I couldn't trust myself! I felt like my body was turning on me. I started reading this board and decided that if my side effects lasted longer than a month and I stayed as miserable as they were for the first 2 weeks, then I would quit. Well, now I'm on the 3rd week of the 2nd pack and I'm ok! A few days ago, I did have some light- REALLY light-spotting. When I first saw it, I thought I was going to have my period for a whole month, like I did when I started. But its already gone! When I started the brown pills last time, (technically when my "real" period was supposed to start) I had some cramping and fatigue, but nothing like what I had been feeling before I started. Sometimes, I still question my mood. My dreams are strange and vivid too. And I have had a little weight gain, but can't tell if its just me or the pills yet. Next week is when my 2nd period on the Pill is supposed to start. I'm anticipating it lasting only 4 days, and not being too heavy or painful. But, these could be pipe dreams.
I guess my advice would be to try to stick it out for the whole 3 months. I think my body's not quite as angry with me anymore, and I'm not quite as angry with everyone else! So, hopefully, it will stay this way...I'll keep you posted!

I have been on Loestrin for almost 2 weeks now. i am 23 and have two young children. This is the first bcp I've tried and so far it's been terrible!! I had a 10 day full blown period that just stopped yesterday with intense cramps. Today I'm feeling like I have the flu woth severe body aches/weakness and I am so light-headed that every time I stand up I almost black out. I have also had severe nausea, headaches, depression, thoughts of suicide, mood swings, insomnia and anxiety. I don't know if I'm going to be able to stick this out to see if it gets better.. I can hardly take care of my children! I'm starting to wonder if maybe I'm having some sort of allergic reaction. I'd think at this point I'd rather have my extremely painful 2 week periods back!!!

I just started loestrin 24 fe this week and I have never had so much anxiety in my life. I'm 18 and this is my first experience with birth control. I was put on it to get rid of the depression I get with my PMS. I'm pretty sure I just had my very first panic attack. My breathing got heavy, I thought I was going to throw up but never did. I felt impending doom and I didn't know what to do to stop feeling that way. My mind has been racing constantly for the past 5 days about things that normally don't bother me. I'm worried about everything. This has been the worst week of my life. 4 day periods are not worth this.

I've been using Loestrin for 3 years and my doctor is switching me to Yaz because I've been having problems with depression a week before my period and during my period. I'm not sure if it is stress with school or my job but my sex drive also decreased majorly since I've been on the pill. I feel tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get, and it seems like I don't feel like doing much anymore. I start taking Yaz next week so I'm hoping Yaz will help with my side effects but Loestrin just wasn't working for me.

Seems like we're all in the same boat. I'm 43 and the Loestrin makes me breakout horribly, I scar very easily so now I get to deal with that. It happens in the first week of every month so I tried over the counter acne products, it helps keep it ay bay but the scars from it are just bad, now more money to spend to fix that. Mood swings?! Look out, I can't be around anything or anyone, I live in a neighborhood with a lot of kids and barking dogs and just want to duct tape their mouths shut, that's how aggravated I get, which starts at the mid to end of week 2 of the pills. My periods are pretty much non-existent but I've always had light periods so that doesn't bother me at all, yeah the loss of sex drive is bad too, plus being all bloated and huge now-AAHH!!!
I gained weight, could eat a house and not be satisfied, depression, etc. I'm trying Alesse, or the generic of that next, whatever is covered by the insurance, I told my doc I can't take it anymore, the loestrin she could give me a lot of sample packs for because my insurance won't cover that specific brand and $60 a month for them being unemployed now is really out of the question. I can only hope for the best on the Alesse.
Only advice I can give to anyone with the depression factor, try to work out, go for a long walk, it really helps too.
Good luck everyone and hang in there!!!

I am 21 and am in the second week of the second pack of pills. I have to attend a low-income based women care and either these docs don't really care or are out of their minds. i have been having problems with cysts on ONE ovary (left) about a year and a half ago the cyst got 2 inches in diameter. It supposedly went away on its own. I ended up in the ER again a few months ago and found out there is another cyst on my left ovary (which i have reason to believe its the same damn cyst, just flaring up and down)
Anyway I have had horrible side effects on just about EVERY BC i've been on. depo and numerous diff pills. I even had a 2 month period while on the depo. but with Loestrin I have had countless side effects that incl:
hot flashes, anxiety, depression and mood swings, cold sweats, restlessness, sore and swollen breasts, constipation, heart burn, almost constant back pain and ovarian pain and worst pain when on my period. I had 2 periods my first month, missed ONE pill in the beginning of my second month and had a second period within 2 weeks with the most horrible pain. The only good side effects are an increased sex drive and a change in appetite.
I really don't know what to do. try a different bc pill or just stop altogether considering all the problems i've had.
i've thought about ortho-novum, girls my age seem to have less complaints about it....
this is so frustrating!!!

Okay, I'm 17 and have been taking Loestrin 24 Fe since early February.. This is my first birth control, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.. but so far I can't recall any serious mood swings or crazy depression.. however, I am on my 4th pack or so and for the first time, I have yet to get my period and I am on the 3rd day of my 'reminder' pill.. My boyfriend and I use protection and I have heard that this missed period is a common side effect, but in the mean-time, I'm still going nuts! I'm just a nervous wreck and don't know if I should be.. Is it normal to miss my period this early since I've only been using Loestrin for 4 months??

I was prescribed Loestrin for mood swings and depression during perimenopause. After reading these messages, I decided NOT to try it. I was intrigued by the mention of B12. I've had 2 people suggest I eat more protein. So I put 2 and 2 together, knowing that red meat has lots of B12.......
I started eating red meat and feel 100% better!!!!!!!!!
I had not eaten red meat in years.
Try it!
Try more protein and try B12/red meat.

I have gained weight being on Loestrin for 3 weeks... and been SEVERELY BLOATED non stop for 3 FULL WEEKS. It's like I'm pregnant or hiding a water balloon in my pants! The pressure is so horrible especially after I eat. Not to mention the breakthrough bleeding and depression! I was on BC pills for 11yrs straight - went off for a yr and went back on and have tried Yasmin. No difficulties what so ever, thought I switch to Loestrin to save money and all I did was week havoc on my system. I will NEVER AGAIN TOUCH THIS PILL. I am starting to take Yasmin again and can't wait to be normal. I can't fit into any of my summer pants...

I am 20 years old and I was on Loestrin 2 years ago. It was my first time being on birth control and I was loving it. Shorter, lighter periods and no cramps. Then I hit the 3 month mark and I started becoming overly emotional at the slightest mis-hap. I became depressed and it got so bad that I was borderline suicidal and my parents considered taking me to the emergency room. I stopped taking the pill and after starting Zoloft I was finally back to feeling myself. It was such an awful experience that I haven't tried birth control pills ever since, even though I would like to. Anyone who has had a similar experience with Loestrin and depression find a new pill that worked out??

I am 20 years old i was on Loestrin 2 years ago. I was loving the shorter, lighter periods and my cramps were gone. When I got to the 3 month mark I started becoming over-emotional and crying uncontrollably at the slightest mis-hap. My extreme moods caused my boyfriend and I to break up and my depression got to the point where I was borderline suicidal and my parents almost took me to the hospital. I stopped taking the pill and had to start taking zoloft for anxiety/depression. It was an awful experience. Anyone who had a similar experience find a new pill that worked out? I am hesitant to try a new one because I am afraid the same thing will happen again.

Hello! I am 19 years old...been on birth control since I was 14 to regulate my periods. I just started Loestrin about a week and a half ago. I started on a Thursday and by the following Tuesday I was crying for no reason!! My hormones are so out of whack! I broke up with my boyfriend because of it (we are back together) because I thought it was him even though he hasn't done anything wrong. I stopped taking them yesterday. Today I still cried. I think it will take a few days before the depression goes away. But I am never taking Loestrin again! I have a friend that was on it and she was depressed for a while!! I cry for no reason, I have been SO nauseated and I have had headaches! This is ridiculous!! I have taken plenty of birth control pills and NONE OF THEM have made me feel this way! My suggestion... NEVER TAKE THE PILLS. I missed taking the pills by an hour ONE day and the next day I was spotting. How ridiculous is that?!?! So.. I would suggest not to take them.

I'm trying to determine some sort of pattern based on each woman's experience with different brands (estrogen/progestin levels) of birth control... Recently my gyn prescribed Loestrin 24, I have yet to begin a cycle but am trying to gauge possible side effects.
Generic Ortho-tricyclen: AWFUL!!! Reeked havoc on my emotional stability. Bitchy, moody, impatient, weepy (constantly), and weight gain. I did not notice any sexual side effects though.
Yaz: Better than Ortho... Random periods (heavy one month, non existent the next). Emotionally and sexually I feel fine, but hard to measure after taking Ortho and Cymbalta.

Please share thoughts and experiences

I have a question. I'm 27 years old an just switched to Lestrin from Yaz. Had no problem with weight on Yaz. Been on Loestrin for about 2 weeks and have gained about 10 pounds. Anyone else have this issue?

I have been on loestrin 24 for over 3 years now and haven’t had a period since I started taking it. No period at all, my doctor said this is normal. About a month ago my husband and I decided we should have kids soon since we are close to 30, so I stopped my BC. However, I still haven’t had a period I thought for sure I would see something in a month. I’m not pregnant; if I were, I wouldn’t be posting this message. Does anyone know how long it takes to get this out of my system. I read though all the post and I see a lot of women have the same issues as I do after being on this pill for so long, migraines, slow hair growth or hair loss, gum issues. All these side effects just started about a year ago and I didn’t relate it to the pill until I read the postings because they didn’t start right away. Any how if you experienced the same problem, not having a period and know when I could expect to see one it would be nice to know a month to me seems like an eternity.

My doctor started me on Loestrin about six months ago after I moved in with my boyfriend. I knew that my body would go through some changes because of the hormones in the pills, but I had no idea how drastic they would be. I've gained at least ten pounds and my stomach is always bloated. I've always been a size 6 and now I can barely get my jeans past my thighs. I also wasn't prepared for the anxiety, depression and drastic mood swings I continuously experience. I notice I have a lot less patience and a much shorter fuse than I use to, and I hate it. It sucks because I feel fat and dumpy all the time, but I don't know of any other pill where I wouldn't have side effects.

i hope you can help me. my daughter is almost 17 and started on yaz for severe cramps, heavy bleeding, and pmdd. within 2 weeks, the boyfriend that she hated to be apart from, annoyed her. he was all she thought about before.
about a week later, she said that everyone was bothering her and she needed a break from everyone. she stayed in her room in the evenings-not like her. she even broke up with her boyfriend. she said she wasn't upset with him, just not interested. she got back with him 2 days later. her gyn switched her to loestrin. after 2 days, she seemed to be doing better, but only for 3 days. i don't know if it's the hormones or if she's going through something. she is normally an upbeat, optimistic person. i don't know what to do. she was very serious and happy with this boy 3 weeks ago. i don't know if she could be depressed because she doesn't feel the same about him or she doesn't feel the same about him because of the pills. any opinions or suggestions?

I went on Loestrin 24 about 3 weeks ago and have kept telling myself to wait it out. From the first day I started to feel depressed but I stayed with it. Ive started to fight with my boyfriend of 2 yrs now and questioning our relationship more than ever. I have NO sex drive what so ever, Im constantly depressed, I have anxiety and my mind is constantly all over the place with weird thoughts that I have NEVER had before. Ive already started to gain an uncomfortable weight. I am 5'4 and 115 pounds, very active, and I eat very well so the weight gain does not make sense to me. The only plus is that my boobs are getting bigger...but feeling like total crap and hating everyday of my life isn't worth it. Im debating going off of this pill but keep telling myself to ride it out. I was on the shot for about 5 yrs and went off of that about 2 yrs ago. I started back on this pill because I get really bad PMS...the shot made me gain about 20 pounds. So I dont want to go back on that. After reading all of these horror stories - Im beginning to think that my 3-5 days of serious PMS are totally worth it vs. 3 weeks of serious depression

I am so happy to have found these message boards...I thought that I was going crazy until I found out that other people have had similar experiences.

My doctor recently prescribed Loestrin 24fe after I noticed some depression and moodiness symptoms I experienced while taking Yaz.

Two weeks after starting, I experienced this sudden anxiety feeling that would not go away.I have never had any anxiety problems. Knowing that the moodiness was connected to the Yaz last time, I read the info that came with the Loestrin...Sure enough nervousness is listed as a possible side effect of birth control pills.

10 days into the new pack, I decided I just could not take them anymore so I stopped. I just wasn't myself and it was quite frightening. I completely lost my appetite and could barely eat a thing. I lost over 5 pounds in a week, which is totally not like me. I was constantly jittery and had this nervous feeling in my stomach. I was nervous about everything, with no reason to be.

It's been about 5 days and I am finally feeling like myself again. This has been the worst experience, as many other people experienced doctors' offices with nurses who try to tell you must have a problem, it's probably not the pill, and you should go see a therapist, which only makes you feel 10X worse and crazier. The moodiness and depression I felt while on Yaz was bad, but this was so much worse.

In addition to the anxiety, I also experienced terrible headaches on both Loestrin and Yaz.

I know that each pill affects each person differently, but if you are feeling any unusual anxiety, nervousness, or depression, stop taking this pill immediately.

I am so happy to have found these message boards...I thought that I was going crazy until I found out that other people have had similar experiences.

My doctor recently prescribed Loestrin 24fe after I noticed some depression and moodiness symptoms I experienced while taking Yaz.

Two weeks after starting, I experienced this sudden anxiety feeling that would not go away.I have never had any anxiety problems. Knowing that the moodiness was connected to the Yaz last time, I read the info that came with the Loestrin...Sure enough nervousness is listed as a possible side effect of birth control pills.

10 days into the new pack, I decided I just could not take them anymore so I stopped. I just wasn't myself and it was quite frightening. I completely lost my appetite and could barely eat a thing. I lost over 5 pounds in a week, which is totally not like me. I was constantly jittery and had this nervous feeling in my stomach. I was nervous about everything, with no reason to be.

It's been about 5 days and I am finally feeling like myself again. This has been the worst experience, as many other people experienced doctors' offices with nurses who try to tell you must have a problem, it's probably not the pill, and you should go see a therapist, which only makes you feel 10X worse and crazier. The moodiness and depression I felt while on Yaz was bad, but this was so much worse.

In addition to the anxiety, I also experienced terrible headaches on both Loestrin and Yaz.

I know that each pill affects each person differently, but if you are feeling any unusual anxiety, nervousness, or depression, stop taking this pill immediately.

I just started my first pill of loestrin24fe and am very scared from some of the comments i read on this site like worse acne, no sex drive, hair loss, weight gain, etc. My gyno put me on this pill because of my endometriosis. But I have hormonal acne and I really don't want it to get worse.

hi ladies, im 18 years old, and i started taking loestrin 24 almost a month ago. The first 2-3 weeks i felt no different as i usually would. No depression, No headaches, but i did experience strong emotions, like i wanted to cry more often over practically nothing.. for a few days, but that went away. Randomly i started spotting between the 2nd-3rd week, but it wasn't just light spotting. I bled for about 6 days. Having sex felt a little different. Once the bleeding was gone, now ive been spotting here and there for the past few days. My mom says that it might not be strong enough hormones for me, so if any of you are having this problem, ask your doctor because it may not be working as a contraceptive. I guess we will see how it goes!

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.

Hi, I have been taking birth control for almost four years now. It has been a journey like many woman have experience. I started with Diane which made me gain a lot of water weight! More than 10 pounds in a month!!! Then I switched to Yasmin, which was grate for a few months and started to have mood swings and severe depression, I went psycho with this pill, doctors prescribed me and antidepressant which in turn made me loose the little libido I had left… so I switched to Nortrel which was ok, but I still gained weight, so finally I started Loestrin24Fe about four months ago. The first two months were fine, a little spotting between weeks two and three, but I considered normal since is a side effect, after that, no more breakthrough bleeding but lately I find it extremely difficult to wake up every morning, my head feels so heavy!!! It feels inhumane to wake up!! ( I have never ever had that problem before) and also I feel that my libido is slowly disappearing… so, so far that’s the story…. Have any of you experience anything like this with Loestrin24Fe, and if you have, how did you solve this problem?? I found a website that suggests taking multivitamins, but don’t know if its going to work.
Anyhow… please help!

I never thought that my depression could be linked with my BCP until someone recently suggested it to me. I am simply amazed at the frequency that others have posted symptoms similar to mine. After a traumatic event in 2002, I dealt with depression and took an anti-depressant for about two years, but gradually came off of it. In the spring of 2005 I began taking BC to regulate my menstrual cycle. That summer I was back on anti-depressants. I have coped just fine until recently. I got married 11 months ago and I did not know that some anti-depressants have sexual side effects. (we waited until we were married) My psychiatrist decided to switch me to Wellbutrin. I may as well be taking nothing. Horrible depression. I plan on switching back to my original anti-depressant, but I would like to know if anyone else has had a similar experience. I can't pinpoint if my depression is being caused by the Loestrin 24 Fe or an ineffective anti-depressant. Maybe it is both. Any ideas would be appreciated.
C

Im 25 and i started taking the Loestrin after my surgery for Endometriosis in Oct. At first, didn't have too many problems, but it seems when I got closer to the bottom of the pack, I got sick and moody. Just though since I was about to start, adn after the surgery could be the after affects. Well, after reading everyones great information, I know now its from the pills. I never took any until all of this (endo). I took lybrel (which don't take that either, i bleed for two weeks) my husband and I live apart right now due to me finishing school, and you would think when I got to see him, I would be all over him... WRONG. now i know why. And lately, ive gained weight, (even though i started working back out) im crazy tired, i mean falling asleep at work and cant control it, and it doesn't seem to help if I get an energy drink. I get plenty of sleep. More then what I would be getting if I was up all night doing homework and was fine then. Just called my doctor and waiting for a call back. I talked to my husband, and since I have never really taken birth control now bec of the endo, we are going to ask if I can get off of it. Just havent had any good luck with birth control. Not worth the craziness. I really havent had the depression side of it, but again like others said, everyone is different, and Ive only been on it for 2 months. Ive tried the ring (horrible, kept falling out) and i have done the patch (which i loved until the news went around saying people were dieing from it, so i got off of it in 06, and haven't been on anything until now) so ill keep yall updated, good luck everyone on finding the right one, i think im going back to the old days, and say screw birth control....

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!

This is my first month on these pills. So far I think they are great. My cramps before were so bad I had a prescription for vicodin, now they have disappeared. I haven't had any break outs, and I use to be able to tell when my period would start because I would break out. My moods have been better than ever!! No swings or depression. I started these pills from microgestin to control my fibroid. I'll right back in 2 months, but this pill works for me.

I started the pill about 2 months ago..and wow do i regret it..when i first started it i had migraines that lasted for hours..i mean before i used to get them but it was when i was stressed out or something but they would go away..i barely ever got acne on my face and now i have huge red pimples that last for days on random places on my face..i have gotten my period like 3 times already and it sticks around for so long..lately i been feeling like everything in my life is wrong like no matter what i do it just gets worse..i don't even go out on the weekends anymore because im so tired..i sleep about 12 hours a night and im still tired..i go to the doctor and they tell me im fine that my immune system is fine and theirs nothing wrong with me..so i came to my conclusion that its the pill..its caused for me to be so moody that my relationship with my boyfriend has hit the worst..and now to top it off i started getting some weird rash type of marks on my body that tend to look like hickeys fading away..i got the last 4 pills to go and im done with them...i took them for 2 months and thats it im going to to try a different method..depression and anxiety and fatigue are not worth it..
so for most girls reading this blog think twice about it before taking this pill and if right off the bat you start struggling with these type of symptoms i recommend you stop taking them.

I have been on loestrin for two months and this is my last pack and I'm going back to ortho cyclen. This pill gave me headaches, acne, and depression. I went on it to lighten my period and it gave me my period every week and a half. It also lowered my sex drive and since I've been on the pill sex is sometimes painful. So ortho cyclen here I come

I just want to thank all of you on this blog and other blogs. I was going to start this pill for pms and pmdd. I feel like I have the flu when I have my period. I am so exhausted. Bleeding is not so bad, cramps could kill me but thank god for alive and Advil. I started to get headaches about 2 years ago during my period or a few days before and sometimes the aleve and Advil don't help it even though they help my cramps. I am a group fitness instructor and don't want to feel sick or be unable to teach my classes. But after reading the side affects that could happen forget it. About 20 years ago( i was 18 then) I was on pills and had severe panic attacks and was hospitalized for a week. They couldn't directly pin it on the pill but trying it a year later and having it happen again I never took them again. I was assured by my gyn that pills have changed and that I would be fine on loestrin24 but I just can't chance it. I would say to the people who have severe bleeding and prolonged bleeding, fibroids or other problems, find a pill that can maybe help you. But for those of you who just need it for birth control and are having these problems, find another method. It is not worth it if you loose you sex drive, have mood swings and depression or any other of the horrible things I read can happen. And if you are predisposed to panic and depression, I wouldn't take it after reading all these complaints. The bad is outweighing the good on all the blogs I have read. Thanks again and good luck ladies!!

Wow and I thought i was the only one having issues. I've been on loestrin now 4 months. 1st month regular period, 2nd month had it twice in the same month not heavy very light spotty. Am not accustomed to not having a period my periods consist of heavy 10-14 days flow I would go thru a pack of overnights in about 3-4 days. Now this is month 4 and I was due to have my period 2 days ago and no sign. I've had leg cramps and spasm in my back the last couple of night didn't know where that came from. Mood swings my husband is having trouble with doesn't know if it's post parturm depression or from the pill. Am gonna give it 2 more months if it doesn't regulate itself I think it's not for me. Oh and I had hair loss the first 3 months. It started growing back recently. No migraines thank god. And my sex drive is like a yoyo one moment I want to rip my cloths off the next I don't want my husband anywhere near me??

Not Good!!! I had nausea, depression, leg cramps all the way down to my calfs, gastro problems and bleeding for the first three weeks! Bleeding everyday and tired with bouts of depression. I felt like I was ready to start my
period everyday!! My concern was the leg cramps because I was worried about a blood clot forming as one of the side effects of the Birth Control Pill.
My right leg feels like pins and needles and somewhat numb. They scheduled me for a Ultra Sound and found no blood clot. I just finished my pack and im not sure if I want to continue. My Doctor says it takes 3 months to fully get into your system...she wants me to continue? I have used Camella & NuvaRing and those too gave me problems! This pill seems to be the worst of the three!!! I am 42 and never had a problem with BC in my twenties and thirties? Hmmm? I may have to go off totally! It's not a good pill for me and I feel that a lot of you have the same feelings...

L. Clearwater, FL

Oh my - I'm so glad, for once, that I googled something. I have just taken my 17th Loestrin pill and it will be my last. I could NOT understand why I felt the way I did. It started with nausea, progressed to acne and dry patches (in the same place!), then extreme fatigue, then I just couldn't do anything but sleep or mope around. Gradually I had an increasing feeling of extreme anxiety. I dreaded the future but I couldn't understand why. Then the depression kicked in on day 11 and I felt as though I was grieving very deeply... but for what? Nothing had happened! I began to think of my husband leaving me and how it would be for the best. And I felt like walking out on my children and climbing a mountain and just sitting there. I was like a zombie and passed over many social events because I just couldn't bear to talk to anyone. I began to look half dead and stopped taking care of myself. Eventually I had thoughts of quitting my job and was very close to making a phone call and saying some very final things to my bosses! Thank GOD I didn't - I stopped the pills first. THen I googled the brand name. Then I saw all these comments and may more on another site and it was such a huge relief. Now I just feel angry that my damn stooped bloody GP had no idea about how wildly varied people's experiences on this pill are - and therefore didn't warn me.

First of all, some people are right.... some birth control pills are different for everyone.. and i have to totally agree with TOWN...right on the button!
I had some nausea in the beginning, but hell..I have been on every birth control pill, Iud, depo fat shot, and they all still made me bleed heavy and cramp.....My family are heavy bleeders big time...My insurance finally approved Loestrin for me and this is a blessing in disguise! I have no periods! I may have occasional lil, I mean lil, spotting every now an then, but it is worth it. Sex drive? You can't get horny? Think of something... And every birth control pill there are chances of depression in every one, read. I have a tubaligation so I am only on this pill for period purpose only, but I am staying on it.

I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS PILL! This pill is the reason why I will never use birth control again! It altered my life completely, and changed ME for the worse. I had the WORSE ACNE on this pill! It is supposed to clear up minimal acne (which I barely ever had pimples) but it gave me so many! My face is still recovering from the acne, months of being off the pill! I suffered depression, migranes, cramps, bloating, feeling more hungry, and I was always MOODY. I could be in the best mood then start crying because of the stupidest, most little thing. My boyfriend could not tolerate me on this pill, it jepordized our relationship! I was so depressed and upset on this pill that I cried all the time! I'm normally a happy person 100% of the time, but this pill caused me to be a complete bitch! I only took two packs of this pill and it changed my life drastically. Never take this pill!!

I took loestrin for 3 weeks and of all the pills i have ever been on this one is the worst. I have had acne, weight gain, headaches, cramps, no sex drive, anxiety, rapid heart rate, my breast were extremely sore, and depression. I didn't even finish the pack because I was severely paranoid that I was going to have a heart attack. Once I stopped I got my period within 2 days and all of those side effects went away. My only issue now is I haven't had my period since that time. It has only been a month and a pregnancy test came out negative adding to the fact that I don't feel like I did when I was pregnant. It is still frightening though.

I have been on Loesterin 24 since Dec 2007 so far it has given me slight discoloration spots two under the breast, two on the shoulder blade and two on my arm, Mild to extreme moods swing, depression, nausea, headache, acne and speratic periods, ranging from a week before the period is suppose to start to two days after the period stops just to start all over again. Night mares and restless sleep patterns have been a usual.
I really do not recommend this birth control to any one but can’t stop taking it for fear of getting pregnant again.

I started Loestrin 6 weeks after giving birth and the first week or so i was fine and now i have no feeling at all during sex. This is so aggravating and its stressing me out, i constantly cry and go into depression modes...Any advice?