Loestrin 24 Fe and pills

I have been on Loestrin24 Fe for 1 month. I hate it! I had spotting the second week of my active pills. I have been having bad headaches, abdominal cramps, frequent urination. I have finished the pack and I haven't started my period. I had a light spotting for 1 day on my placebo pills. On tomorrow I will be a week late. I have taken a pregnancy test that came out negative. Is there anyway I could still be pregnant.

I just started my first pack of Loestrin today, so we'll see what happens... But it can't be worse than my previous 2 BC's - Yaz and Desogen. The desogen gor worse and worse over a period of 8 years or so... I began having mood swings, depression issues, severe anxiety... it was starting to affect my relationship... Not ok. So i talked to my doc and she switched me to Yaz.... the first 2 months were ok.... the next 3.... NIGHTMARES. I was exhausted all the time, sad all the time, depressed 3 weeks out of the month, bloated, gaining weight, breaking out with acne on my chin and jaw... I never even had acne as a teenager. It was awful. I'd cry over nothing. I felt like I was losing my mind... So the Loestrin was the next option. Time will tell... but it can't be any worse than it was on Yaz!

Honestly... Don't be afraid to try a new pill because of reading one of these sites. If you read up on any of the major BC's: Yaz, Loestrin, Ortho Tri Cyclin Lo, Yasmin, etc. They all the say the same thing for the most part, and everyone is experiencing all the side effects from this site on those as well.. Everyone reacts differently to the pill, so don't let it deter you from making a decision to try something new.

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'm 30 yrs old and recently had an abortion and after the procedure I was given a sample of Loestrin24 and a prescription. I was skeptical at first because I've always taken Orthotricyclen-lo but the thought of $24 a month got me. I've been on the pills for about 2 1/2 weeks now and no real side effects. I pee a lot but I also drink a lot of water, my breasts are tender but they've always been like that, I think it has to do with aging, but the main thing is that my acne has been improving. That's great news for me since being pregnant caused massive ance upon me. I don't know what to think of all this since all I read are nothing but negative statements. I'm hoping things don't start to get worse for me because everything seems to be going well so far. I'm dying to see whether or not I'll be having my period. But then again, I've never really had side effects with any BC I've tried. The only reason I kept going back to orthotricyclen-lo is because it's what I started with. I wish you all well and I'll give an update of any changes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I 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 went and got a 3 month supply of Loestrin 24 Fe from my doctor about a year ago and have attempted to take it twice before, but i would quit taking it before it had even been a month the first 2 times because i would get my period a couple weeks early and it would be super heavy and i would get horrible cramps, and my period is usually light and i NEVER get cramps and i just didn't want to deal with it! So I finally sucked it up and took it for the third time. i just completed the pack and today i took my first sugar pill, but no period yet... i'm a little worried, but i'm going to the gyno next week to ask her about it. but yeah, lots and LOTS of nausea for me. also my breasts got bigger. i wear a DD cup as it is, and even that's getting small on me now, and i don't know what to do about it = / but the main thing that has been affecting me is i have been just really lethargic since i have been taking it. i've just been really lazy and i've definitely gained weight. but that may be just from not going to the gym and opting to stay at home and eat instead. i'm not really sure? but yes, two biggest things have been nausea, and a slight depression/laziness. i'm hoping it will go away by 3 months, or maybe i will switch to something else before then. any suggestions of what to take would be great. and also does anyone know if you can have sex while on the brown pills, even if you don't get your period?

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 am a sixteen year old girl and I've been on Loestrin 24 for the past three months. I've really noticed that I am always hungry and go pee around 8-10 times a day. My boyfriend's mom, a teen mom, was very concerned I am pregnant. Because I not only gained two cup sizes but started getting taller and I probably have gained 5lbs. since I started and it definitely gave me acne, which I never used to get. I have HORRIBLE lower back pains but usually goes away after a quick massage but still. All of these symptoms seriously made me worried about being pregnant, even though I used a condom every time. I am worried still though cause I went directly into my second and third months of pills without having my period.
Overall, it helps with what it's supposed to do, but can easily make you believe you're pregnant. Beware! (:

I am on day 5 of Loestrin 24, I do not read the "pamplets" that come with medicine simply because if I read it I will get it, power of suggestion is what my doc calls it. My boyfriend noticed almost immediately my mood swings, I thought I had the flu, I cry all the time and last night, after 4 days of no sleep I planned out my own suicide in my mind, even what I would write in the letter to my parents and my new niece. I layed beside my boyfriend and convinced myself he was cheating on me, he was seeing someone else and I got up, woke him up and started throwing his clothes in the backyard. I have full blown anxiety attacks and cry all the time. I am sick on my stomach but starving at the same time, my head is splitting wide open and I am waiting on a call rom my doctor right now. I called in to work "crazy" today, thank God my boss is very understanding and I will never take this pill again in my life. This is scary and as I sit here now I'm still not sure how long this feeling will last

I am 17 years old, about to be 18, my fiance is my first and only sexual partner, and I am beginning to HATE loestrin. I have been on the pills for approximately a month and a week. When I first started them I would get extremely hungry and the more I ate, the hungrier I got. It was like a bad case of the munchies, not that I've ever smoked pot. But I was seriously eating anything and everything, even foods I didn't like. My stomach felt a little weird for the first couple days, but nothing too bad. Then I started taking the brown pills, and all hell broke loose. There were the cramps. Horrible, HORRIBLE, cramps, which I am still having 3 days after going back on the active pills. Cramps all through my lower abdomen and stomach, and the feeling that at any given moment my right ovary might drop out (which might actually provide some relief) I actually doubled over crying with the pain in the shower yesterday, and would have fallen and surely hurt myself if my fiance had not been in the shower with me and caught me before I hit the ground. Intense hunger. Followed by bought of nausea, that make me want to puke, but I can't. I am very, very, sensitive to smells. Perfumes, food, cologne, things that I formally found the smell appealing, now disgust me. My lower back, is KILLING me! I get dizzy spells, and lightheadedness frequently, and feel like I may black out. Most of the time I can get myself to a spot where I can sit down and let my body sort things out before I actually black out, but I'm waiting for the day I can't. I have been getting terrible, awful headaches that stay with me through most of the day. Sleeplessness. I had my "period" 3-4 days early, if you can call it a period. It was nothing more than a day and a half of light pink spotting and brown discharge that only showed up when I wiped, I didn't even need a pad. Now, we did start having unprotected sex (with the exception of the bc) at 5 or 6 days instead of 7, and I forgot to take my pills until 9-12 hours after I was supposed to a couple of times. Couple that with the lack of a normal period and all the side effects that could also be the side effects of early pregnancy, and I'm pretty worried. I would love to be a parent, as would my fiance, but I would have liked to have graduated high school first. If these symptoms turn out to be just the pill *** with my body, I would rather just take my chances either with a condom or no protection at all. Sometime in the next week or two I will probably be taking a pregnancy test as I am afraid to wait for my next period and continue the pills because if I am pregnant I know that it can cause damage to the fetus. If anyone has wound up pregnant while on loestrin fe please email me and let me know how you found out, and how things turned out. My email address is ****** Thank you so much for any help you can give a scared teen.

I'm 32 years old, never taken bc or been pregnant in my life. My gyn recommended loestrin24 for my CONSTANT pelvic pain and very heavy, crampy, painful 7-8 days periods. I started taking it, i had some spotting during the first set of pills and some heavier bleeding on the last four pills of my pack. When i started the second set of pills my pelvic pain grown and i had an ultrasound showing a 2cm cyst and also a mildly fibroid uterus.The gyn said just stick to the pill and once it starts kicking in, i will feel a lot better. Well i'm not. I started and extremely heavy bleeding on the 16th day of my second set of pills, 4 days went by and still bleeding, crampy. I started reading this board cause i'm on the edge to finish taking this pill.

I started this pill about a week and a half ago and i HATE it. I just had my normal period with my old pills, and then i started this new pill cuz i was told i was a bitch when i was on my period. Well I just started ANOTHER period when I wasn't supposed to. And it sucks cuz it turned my blood black. Now thats not normal. I was told this was a good pill but after reading more about this pill I would never have taken it. And I'll never tell any of my friends or family to take this pill. I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow and ask her to call my old pill in so I can stop taking Loestrin24Fe. Then maybe everything will go back to normal.

I have been on this pill for 1 and a half months now. Shortly after I started taking the pill, I started my period! I'm not talking spotting, I'm talking full-blown period--severe cramping, cravings, mood swings, and all. The whole month (last month) I was on my period. Again, I WAS ON MY PERIOD FOR A WHOLE MONTH! I just got off of my period after I stopped taking the first month's placebo pills. Normally, when I'm not taking any birth control at all, I have VERY regular periods. The extreme side effects of the first month were incredibly shocking to me. I'm still having crazy mood swings; I really hope this gets better with time.

I started this pill on Aug 17, I got a period one week later on Aug 24, I still have a period as I type this on Sep 4th. I was put on this pill to control irregular periods. I have called my doctor and she tells me to stick it out. I am SICK of having a period. I also suffered dizzy spells the first two weeks. I was in a bad mood, emotional, irritable and annoyed with life in general. I have acne, which I never suffer from. To say I HATE this pill would be an understatement.

Well in just a few days i will be just now be on the brown pills for the first time being on loestrin, but to this day the entire time i have been on this pill i have been spotting on and off the entire month! its so annoying, well i went to my doctor, she said that its normal because i'm changing bc's and to just stick with it, that this is one of the best bc's to be on. I stopped my last bc "microgestin" because i started to get migraines and it made my period last for 2 weeks. I'm going to still with loestrin for a couple more months but this spotting crap has got to stop!

B.

I got two sample packs of Loestrin from my OBGYN, so I thought I would give it a try. I have used Ortho Tri Cyclen for years, so I thought I would try something different.

I started the pills on a Wed., after my last period. After finishing my first pack I started my period like a normally would. It was really light and lasted well into the first week of active pills of my second pack.

After finishing the samples (two months) I have quit taking in and am awaiting a visit from "Aunt Flo." Nearly a week later I feel crampy, nauseated and have a headache but nothing has happened. I don't think I will be using the BC any longer. Waiting and feeling horrible is certainly not worth the "shortened" periods.

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!

after reading all of these posts it has made me feel ten times better. I have also had almost every symptom listed. I started taking this pill four months ago for the first time and for almost the entire first month I had spotting then when it was time for me to get my period it never came at all, although I did have cramping throughout. I have never been a very emotional person and since being on this pill I have cried almost every day and has had almost no patience for anything. Recently I have started having terrible nausea if I drink any alcohol at all. I have also had bloating and upper abdominal pain. My boyfriend has noticed a complete change in my personality since I have been on this pill. Although he is completely supportive and knows that it is just all the hormones I have realized that it is not worth feeling like this and I am going to have to change pills. I am constantly paranoid that I am pregnant because I never get my period and if I do it is so light I forget I even have it. If anyone has switched and has any recommendations for a better method please let me know.

I am 39 and started taking Loestrin because of a heavy period which I thought was a miscarriage. I have been taking it for 1 month now and woke up yesterday morning with severe back pain and cramps going down my thighs. I was unable to move all day and took more Ibuprofen than I should have. I have had cramps and bloating the whole month and have been taking the brown pills for 4 days now and just started bleeding today. I am unable to function normally with the back pain and my boyfriend wants to take me to the emergency room. Has anyone else had severe back pain? I have had 2 kids and it actually felt like I was having back labor pains. It was that bad. Please let me know.

i have been miserable taking these pills..first week of 2nd pack..couldn't figure out why my boobs were killing me in the first pack and then the debilitating fatigue (i am going to lose my job if this keeps up--i come home at lunch and can't do anything but sleep for an hour! in addition, as soon as i get home at 5 i have to rest again,.so not me and so NOT able to continue this way)..i also have had 2 weeks of major headaches with the first 2 characterized as the worst i can ever remember. I am not a person who has issues like this...I am 41 and never been on BC. I started because the older i get the worse the periods and pms are and longer...heavier, more intense moodiness and pain. I am convinced as of tonight that i think i rather have all that back. I can't do this. I left a message for my doctor after reading 2 days worth of blogs now i know its not a flu, pregnancy or the 'weather'. I was also having hard time breathing (felt like i couldn't get a deep breath so i had to really inhale and i looked like i was having an attack..i thought it was the humidity here in the NE...now i know thats from these damn pills). I also did not get my period the first brown pills till the Sunday i started my new pack and it lasted only a day.
If i didn't read this site, i was convinced something major was going on like a brain tumor or something. i need to get off these pills.

Everyone needs to google "the early show". Today they stated that Loestrin24 was one of the safest ocs on the market... says a lot about the product. Just give the pill time to do its work, I did and I love it. With bc pills you have to be patient and work through minor set backs to get the end result...the 2 day period and less cramping. I've tried everything under the sun for bc and this is the one I choose to stay with, especially now that it's only 24 dollars!

Will I am 28 yrs old and was prescribed loestrin 24fe two months ago. I'm on my second pack as as we speak things are not good. Previously, I took orthotricyclen low for a few years with no problems. About a year ago I changed doctors and was them prescribed femcon; only took that for 2 months so. My doctor now decided to prescribe me loestrin 24 and every experience has been horrible. I've read the post as well as spoken with several friends that was taking the bcp but stopped because of the mood swings and spotting in between periods. During the first month I experience severe mood swings and was spotting after the second week of the pills; this has never happened with any other bcp in the past. My cycle actually lasted more than 3 days and was still on when I started the second pack. I'm currently on the second row and started spotting and clotting 3 days ago. I'm also experiencing bad cramping. I'm trying to wait it out and see if the third month would be better but I might just have to stop. My next visit with my doctor is in October and I'm going to ask for something else.

i just started taking LoE 24 Fe about 2 weeks ago. The first week was ok- i noticed i was pretty moody at times which is weird for me, but i'm also under a lot of stress planning my wedding at all. My boobs hurt really bad this week- they seemed swollen too so that wasn't fun... but that's gone away now for the most part. And i haven't had any breakthrough bleeding at all (yet). I'm pretty active, try to fit in about 4-5 hours of cardio/weight training a week, i might up it a little bit because i am so TERRIFIED of gaining weight- especially since my wedding is this November! Anyways, i feel pretty confident that i'm on the right pill. but after reading all these reviews and others on different sites, it's pretty obvious that everyone reacts differently to different pills. the end :)

I'm 23 years old and I have been on loestrin for a year and I liked it my period lasts 2-3 days the most but I noticed that I would get yeast infections and I had never had one prior to taking these pills so I did some research and found out that it can cause yeast infections and Im not sure if this has happened to anyone else. But my doctor would give me other reasons why I would get them. So needless to say I'm stopping it.

I just finished my first month on Loestrin 24 fe. I have to admit, after reading online I was scared to start taking these pills after seeing some side effects. However, you have to keep in mind everyone is different and will react differently. So I prepared myself for any kind of weird things and side effects I may have. However, I have LOVED this pill so far. The only side effect I have had is my boobs have grown (which isn't so bad- ha ha). I think I have actually felt better on this pill as far as moods has gone. I used to have TERRIBLE cramps along with vomiting and backache. I would spend at least a few days a month in bed. Not to mention the week of hell before my period with PMS. But this first month on the pill I experienced none of what I normally would. My period came on the second day of the brown pills and lasted three days--very light too! I had no cramps and no PMS! I LOVE IT!!!

hey am 19 years old i been on this pill 3 years at first it done good took my periods from heavy to light and down to 3 days now. for the last 7 months they have been heavy again and this month i been on my period 2 times the first period lasted 6 days and now am on it again and its already been six days and doesn't seem like it wants to stop any time soon . and oh i been having the worst cramps ever! worse then when i first got on them and ALSO.! MY period comes after the brown pills. it starts on the last brown pill and goes on the white pills has anyone ever had that ?

i have read a lot of these posts 7 its kinda freaked me out b/c im currently taking loestrin & i jus finished my 1st pack. i have light to heavy spotting everyday. i know most females wil began 2 spot 1st when they are taking a birth control that can decrease your period. i also feel moody & sort of depressed but i feel other things in my life are causing that. my cramps aren't as ad as when im not on bc. my breast are tender to but no acne, acne has never been a problem for me, thank god!lol. ut the only think that really bothers me is the constant spotting! i was on the shot, depo-provera for 2 yrs. straight. u get the shot once every 3 months. i spotted at first for like a month & then it began 2 decrease & my period stopped all together but still had increase breast size, extreme weight gain, cramps(not unbearable ones), & the worst migraines. these are jus typical side effects of birth control. i liked the depo shot cuz i didn't have a period or had 2 remember 2 take a pill everyday but the side effects are probably not worth that bargain. the any birth control especially the shot that stops your period & you take it for years straight can make you sterile i have a cousin who had a few miscarriages b/c of it b/c the shot might not ware of from a month to a year causing sterility. the shot also can cause bone density. im just so fed up w/ irth control b/c they all have a bad side effect. i hope they can invent something w/ way less side effects because the negative out ways the positives with most if not all birth controls but i guess im gonna try loestrin for a while before i give up on it.

I'm 18 years old and I have sex quit often with my boyfriend.
everyday. and the first two months on loestrin 24 i had CRAZY periods! Like 15 days long.
the first week of the month would be nothing,
then BAM! I got my period 9 days straight , stop two days, and then on the brown pills for 5.

But what's weird now, is that i'm on my third month and nothing.
i've got four more days on my white pill until i get to the brown pill and i've been so constantly worried that i'm pregnant because the first two months were so strange and then NOTHING on the third month?
I'm just hoping i'm not pregnant and that the pill is just acting differently.
whatever it is it's scaring the shit out of me.

I'm currently on my 3rd week with Loestrin 24 Fe and I'm experiencing many of the same symptoms that I have read most people feel. I'm constantly nauseated...usually after I eat, but I have an increased appetite which makes it worse! I never got acne before taking these pills, and now my face is breaking out! The worst thing about these pills is that I have the worst mood swings. I never used to be moody or angry. but one minute I'll be happy as a clam and then the next minute I hate the world! And today I started spotting, and I'm not suppose to start my period for another week! Not to mention, I've had terrible cramping. And I thought birth control was suppose to cure cramping! Like everyone else also, I have a decreased sex drive. Unfortunately I'm a very impatient person and I'm not willing to wait it out for the next few months. I'm getting off of these pills immediately. I would not recommend these to anyone!

i have read all of your posts here and i have to ask.. is Loestrin the best birth control pill out there at the moment? Can you ladies mention other low-hormone, high success rate, high quality pills out there?
my girlfriend has been on it now for five weeks and she feels very depressed, moody, cries for no reason, has no desire to do anything, hates everything around her, feels fat, ugly and of course she has no sex drive whatsoever. our lives are upside down at the moment. she was told she had to take these pills for 3 months. i don't know what to do. for one i'm going to make an appointment with a gynecologist and ask about Loestrin and what other choices there are but first i'd rather have first hand experiences with other products from some of you. thank you.

I know this is long, but I could really use your help, so I would appreciate you taking the time to read through to the end. (thanks :-) )

First, I want to thank everyone posting. I needed to read this stuff because I'm absolutely terrified of what's happening to me. I'm on the second week of my very first pack of Loestrin- my very first birth control pill EVER. I didn't want to start, but my OBGYN encouraged me to, once I told her I had 8 day long episodes of clots, cramping, vomiting and just sheer misery once a month. She said this would help if I'm sure to take it as recommended.

So I took the first one the Sunday after my period started, at 8:45am and have taken it religiously since. I have not changed my diet or routine. I exercise and eat fairly well. And there are no particularly stressful factors in my life. I am also quitting smoking- just down to 2-3 a day instead of 10 or 15.

Now that I've been doing this for 2 weeks, I think I would rather suffer what I had before. At least it was predictable! I have been bleeding for 5 days now. And this is NOT my time to be on my period. I'm sad and tired. I have back pain and on-and-off cramps. I have nearly no sex-drive. My boyfriend and I had sex at least 4 times a week and I masturbated on the nights we didn't. And although he is INCREDIBLY supportive, I can tell he feels lost and helpless around me. I don't want him to touch me, hold me, or even breathe on me! Normally, we are very affectionate and I am active and fun. Now, I just want to be left alone. I feel fat, unwanted, dirty, depressed...the list goes on.

I feel as though there is something seriously wrong with my body, because I shouldn't look or the feel the way I do or bleed like I am. I called the doctor and she said that I should give it till the end of the month. But 1 month is a long time to live with a depressed quality of life. 1 month is a long time to cry yourself to sleep with alcohol and Motrin.

I feel angry that the best the medical society can do is give us something that is trial and error, fully aware that it may hurt us, though temporarily, and make the lives of the people around us miserable. I am concerned the even my doc is in the pocket of some pharmaceutical company to give me a drug that she said would help and has only hurt.

Or maybe I'm just paranoid...

Anyone have any encouraging reasons why I should continue this? My sister, who was on Ortho for a while and DIDN'T like it, suggests that I stick out a little longer and I trust her opinion, but would like more. I'm open to suggestions or comments. (Especially if you know a way to stop my period so I spend less days of the month on it than I am on...)
Thanks :-)

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 started taking Loestrin 3 days ago and have had the worst side effects. My doctor put me on them to prevent endometriosis from growing back and at this rate, I'd rather have that than to take the pills any longer. I have been extremely nauseous to the point where I'm waking up in the middle of the night and need to throw up. I have also been having trouble falling asleep in the first place and have been waking up with severe night sweats. From what I've read, these symptoms are typical, but I will be calling the doctor today to see if they can switch me to a different form of medication for the endometriosis.

I'm glad I found this site. I started taking these pills last month (June 09). I began experiencing spotting the second week of taking this pill and it never went away. I've had several of the other issues including unusual abdominal and leg pains and a fast heartbeat. I thought I was going to have to quit taking them. Now I'm thinking I should hang on a little longer. I just started pack two and this is day four. My period seems to still be on or maybe it's the spotting again though it seems heavier than last month. I was prescribed these pills to control heavy bleeding but I'm sure I've bled more in this last month than before. I also had the worst cramps I've ever experienced when I had three white pills left in the first pack. The next day my period started and then stopped going back to the spotting. So far, my period has been on for six days--the second and third days were very heavy and the rest relatively light. I think I'm going to stick it out for a couple more months just to see if my everything levels out.These pills are definitely "off the chain".

I just started my second pack of pill yesterday and I don't know if I like these pills. I am taking zoloft also for anxiety and my side effects are horrilble. I have had a hard time falling asleep (I literally have to lay in bed with my eyes closed for hours before falling asleep), I have terrible nigh sweats and wake up drenched in sweat, I sleep all day long, I have horrific nightmares which I never had before, and massive headaches.
I am not sure if I want to stay on the pill, I know it is only my second month and it takes a couple months to regulate but the side effects are ruining my social life. I feel like a zombie.
About the third week in my first pack i started spotting (or what I thought was spotting). It lasted 8 days, and my normal period was only 6 days. I bled just as much as on my normal period and has severe cramps as well. The only reason I got my 'period' was because I was about an hour off on taking my pill the previous day. It is pathetic.
Has anyone else had these symptoms? Or have any suggestions on better birth control pills.?
Oh and I am 18 years old.

I'm 18 and almost to the brown pills of my first month of the pills.I'm ok with the pill,it has been better then the other BC i have taking, but i do have stomach pain,headaches more often,and i have stared my period last Thurs. and have not got off yet and i haven't even reached thee brown pills yet.One side effect that i have been having that has been bugging really bad is nightmares every night about the ppl i love,when i never use to dream at all.....
I don't know if i should stick with pill or not...?