Loestrin 24 Fe and yasmin

I was on Loestrin 24 Fe for a year (after a year of Yasmin) and I just wanted to post this to be helpful to other women considering Loestrin because this medication obviously does not work well with everyone. But, I loved it. I did not have any side effects at all (clear skin, tiny amounts of cramping around PMS time, no mood swings, light periods, very predictable periods, no headaches, no pregnancy, one month of break-through bleeding). I am trying an IUD instead at the moment because I could not always remember to take the pill every day at the same time, but if the IUD does not work, I am going back to Loestrin (however I am going to ask for the generic because it is less expensive!).

Hey everyone. I had been on Loestrin 24 for an entire year before I realized that It was in fact the pill that was giving me terrible migraines, so emotional over the littlest things, and I was getting immediate headaches after any type of alcoholic beverage which had never happened to me before. My periods with Loestrin would last about 3 days. I recently asked my doctor if I could change my pill bc it was altering my normal life. She switched me to the generic of Yaz called Ocella. I took my last pill of Loestrin on Wed 9/17, my period usually comes a couple days following but this time it never came, not even any spotting. I started my new pill that Sunday 9/20/08 so it was awful timing bc now Im worrying about being pregnant but also my body taking to a new pill. I always take my pills on time and haven't missed any. I took a pregnancy test on Sunday 9/20 and it was negative and I took another this morning 9/25 which was also negative. Im worried bc I have never missed a period while being on Loestrin and trying to figure out if after being on Loestrin for so long if my periods were just going to stop coming and if this is all a big coincidence.

First off, your OBGYN is a moron if they told you it only takes a month to adjust to the pill. It is more common for the body to regulate to the pill at a minimum of 2 months and 3 months is not uncommon. So it can easily take 3 months for your body to adjust to your pill. And sometimes longer if you were on another pill and switched to another OC.

Amenorrhea(no Period) can happen on Loestrin 24. Notice the first for letters of amenorrea are AMEN. Is that a bad thing? To put this in the most basic lay terms....Birth Control tricks your body into thinking its pregnant. Thats it!!! Do pregnant women have periods? ..Of course not.

Regarding your lack of sex drive comment...that is ridiculous. The progestin in Loestrin 24 is norethindrone acetate. That is androgenic...it is one of the few pills that increases your sex drive.

I suggest if you want a pill that lowers your sex drive try yaz or Yasmin. It is anti-androgenic and lowers sex drive. It also is the ONLY pill that has extra warnings by the FDA for hyperkalimia. ...basically extra dangers if you take it my Advil, Tylenol or ANY NSAID. REMEMBER THIS PILL HAS only been around for 10 years and has been tied to several deaths in Europe. Google search yaz or Yasmin +death.

Loestrin has been around for 45 years. tried and true.

ALSO if anyone is a smoker and takes birth control you are guaranteed to have Bleeding and spotting.

I'm 23 and have been on Loestrin 24 for about a year and a half now. For the 1st month I was on it I was feeling really sick as if I was pregnant having morning sickness so I called my doctor and she said its takes about a month to get in your system so I should continue taking them, well after that month went by everything was great I got my periods on time every month they were longer than normal but I was fine with that, the pill even made my hair grow but about 2 months ago my period came but I was spotting for a day or two then last month I didn't have a period at all and I took a pregnancy test and of course it was negative but now i'm starting to get scared because since I started my period at the age 12 it has been normal and now all of a sudden it's gone and I know i'm to young to not have one at all, can anyone let me know if there going thru the same thing and what I should do. Oh yea I'm also experiencing the lack of sex drive my fiance thought I was cheating on him and was more interested in the other person (That doesn't even exists) LOL

When I was on this pill, I was just hungry all of the time! All I wanted to was eat. I've pretty much been on every pill there is to be on. I've suffered from dysmenorrhea (painful periods) and menorrhagia since I began menstruating at 11. I was stick skinny back then, 5'6 weighing at 106 pounds and I was athletic, but after taking the pill to shorten my periods, I started gaining weight. That was 15 years ago. I have been on Yaz, Yasmin, Loestrin, Depo (this is the worst!) and some others that I cannot even remember

First off, i think its important to remember that all bcp have these side-effects. its not that one pill is better or worse than another, its that everyone's body reacts differently and sometimes you will experience these side effects and sometimes you wont. all these horrible things women are listing about Loestrin, other women have said about other pills.

for example, when i first started taking a bcp, i was on ortho-lo. this one seemed fine at first (outside the three month adjustment time) then one breast started to swell and ache while the other was fine. it was just my body reacting to the combination of hormones in that particular pill. i know other women who have taken ortho-lo for years and have been fine with it. But i wasn't.

eventually i decided to try a new pill and a friend recommended i research Yasmin. i found many sights just like this one with women going on and on about how evil it was. for every good review, i read ten bad. but my doctor decided to try me on it anyway thinking i needed i higher level of hormones and the five months i was on it were horrible. severe weight gain, cramps (i never had them before), spotting, migraines, NO sex drive, etc. i went back to my doctor and she was surprised because both Yasmin and ortho-lo are supposed to be good drugs. bottom line is, they weren't good for me. she decided to switch me again, this time to a lower level of hormones, but with more active pills, trying to find the right balance for me.

now i read everyone saying horrible things about Loestrin but I have to tell you, i've been on it for a few months now and have never felt better. i didn't even have the months of 'adjusting' to a new pill. i think i may have finally found a combo pill that works for me.

all bcp pills have side effects and you can read horror stories everywhere about ALL kinds of pills. it DOESN'T mean the pill is horrible, or awful, or evil or the worst kind ever. it just means, that for whatever reason, its not right for you.

so if you are out there, reading comments like this on all these pills, please don't take all these comments to heart. read them, take heed, but don't dismiss a pill because it gets bad reviews. i've done my research and they ALL have bad reviews. You have to know that all pills have some side effects BUT each woman's body is different and just because some women experienced bad things on this pill, doesn't mean you will. we are all different after all. you can judge how you will react to something based on someone else's experience.

if you're looking to start taking bcp or looking to switch, be sure you know your own body, communicate with your doctor and know that somewhere you may be able to find a bcp that works for you. i'm lucky i found one in Loestrin.

Much Luck.

I just started taking Loestrin, and so far it's made me sick to my stomach, cramp and generally feel like I'm on my period.
I started taking it right after a normal period and so far it's been ok except for the symptoms mentioned above. Surprise surprise, I started what seems to be like my normal period when it's the last two days (mostly brown rust color). I know that it might take a while for the hormones to regulate in my body, but I feel that this shouldn't be happening... Any suggestions? I'm planning to call my doctor tomorrow.

I am 17 and i was prescribed loestrin 24 as my first birth control pill. I've been on it for less than a week and i can't stand it and neither can my boyfriend! I have had a period from hell with has been 5 days in counting, I bleed so much i get dizzy when i stand up and my legs feel like 1000 lbs i can barely move them. Also i had diminished sex drive and raging hormones (bad acne, emotional hell) so i have decided to stop taking it. I called my gynec. and she recommended the opposite, and told me to get a blood test to check my iron levels and to see if i was pregnant! I'm almost positive i am not but not shes got me worried and i go for the blood test today. Loestrin ruined the second half of my summer but after reading all these other ladies tales i am very glad i decided to quit now. Thank you for opening my eyes, i realized it probably won't just go away in a week. I stopped it yesterday and i feel better already.

I was put on Loestrin three weeks ago, and after being on it for 2 and half I've taken myself off of it. I've been on the pill for 7 years and was on Yasmin before I switched because I was having break through bleeding. With Loestrin I have been an emotional wreck, I can't go anywhere. I cry almost over anything and sometimes for no reason at all, and not a couple of little tears, sobbing hysterically. I had to stay home from an entire day of classes because I literally could not get out of bed the cramps and headaches were so bad (on the verge of a migraine which I never get). I've gained 7 pounds in these two and half weeks, I eat all the time. I am on adderall and usually have to make myself eat because I have no appetite, now it's all I do. It made me horribly anxious and depressed, and I didn't want to be social at all (not like I could because I would probably cry). This pill is awful. I also had spotting within the first week and bad spotting. I've been breaking out on my face more then I ever did before I was on the pill. I do not recommend this pill to anyone I much rather not have the positive side effects of birth control then take this.

i started taking Loestrin FE just under a month ago. i havnt gotten to the brown pills yet for my 1st period on it.
since i started taking it ive noticed that ive been pee'n 2 times as much as i normally do..
my gums bleed slightly when i brush my teeth and in the afternoons i get nauseas and light headed..i get really week and after a few minutes it goes away.
ive taken a pregnancy test and its came back negative (i took it today)
but idk

what do you guys think?
plz let me know

I've been on this thing for about 3 days. I've been feeling nautious since the first day, but at first it would be mild & would go away within a few minutes. Tonight I'm lying in bed, dying with stomach pains, not cramps, intense stomach pains. Nausea...... stomach pains again. Nausea..... pain again. I ran to the bathroom like 5 or 6 times to puke and eventually gave up. I look like a freaking whale, too. I'm a little 110lb girl but I've gained easily a few pounds in the past few days and it shows. My dad slapped me on the stomach today & asked me if it was "a new addition to the family." My lower stomach area is all bloated. Just sitting here I can feel my stomach churning. Anyone else feeling my stomach pains? I mean really.

I have been on Loestrin for about 7 months. I have had similar symptoms as everyone else has posted, but my main concern is the irregular period. I get it twice sometimes like in the middle of the pack and then when on the blank pills. Sometimes they're painful too. There was a two month span where I didn't get it at all, I took home pregnancy tests religiously for 2 weeks to ensure I wasn't preg. I'm getting nervous, I was on ortho tricyclen before but it made me so emotional and I gained a whole lot of weight. I haven't had any massive moodiness, I gained some weight but I also quit smoking, Has anyone had anything similar to this, how long is it going to take to get my periods normal? Should i switch brands?

i am 100 lbs and i have a moderate appetite and cant gain weight im just really petite. I have been on YAZ ,Yasmin, and also Ortho Tri Cyclin lo, i have no sex drive on that so i have to stop it. i have never really gained weight on any of them but Yaz made me moody and have bad periods.. i am switching to Loestrin24 but After reading all these posts im so scared to start this pill! does anyone have similar body type or reactions that could help me out before taking this pill on Sunday?!?

I have been on Yasmin for 4 months,but had to switch to Loestrin. While on Yasmin my periods were very regular and timely directly down to the day. This month i took loestrin each day on time, and used back up methods. There was only one "slip up" and even it would make it almost impossible for me to be pregnant. i've taken 4 pregnancy test and each reads negative CLEARLY .However im almost a week late for my period according to the loestrin pill pack , and i'm beginning to get nervous because i'm still waiting on my period! Can switching brands of bc cause you to miss a period, anyone experienced this?

I switched from Yaz to Loestrin 2 weeks ago, On day 11 I experienced spotting, now its full on breakthrough bleeding like a normal period. It is now day 15/ At night it tends to get light and then mid day its very heavy w/ lots of cramping. In the morning I don't want to get up cause the cramps hurt. I never experienced problems on Yaz. No weight gain, I only would get cramps and do to the increased level of potassium yaz causes my doctor didn't like me taking too much midol,etc on Yaz. So I switch to Loestrin. I was coming on here to see how long the breakthrough bleeding generally lasted....looks like it ranges. Hopefully I'll luck out and it will stop soon!!!! But some positives...I was experiencing some nausea daily before the switch to this pill, that has now stopped, and I haven't experienced any weight gain or moodiness as others have described.

This is my 3rd going 4th mo on Loestrin24Fe. The 1st month- it was great!! No PMS symptoms, got my period when I was suppose to and ended when it was suppose to. Onto the 2nd month, after being on it for a little over a week, I started to get PMS and all the other telltale signs that I was getting my period. And I did, it then lasted the entire month, ranging from very light to very heavy. At the end of the 2nd packet onto the 3rd the same thing happened only this time my "period" only lasted about 2 days and was very light. On Friday, I was suppose to start my "real" period and its Sunday morning and nothing. I had all the symptoms of getting it but nothing. I also feel like I am getting it. I am off to the drugstore to buy a pregnancy test, just to make sure!!! I took the pill on time everyday except for Thursday - the day before my period was to start. Has this happened to anyone else???

I have experienced many of the same issues with Loestrin, bloating, random spotting, weight gain, moodiness, and loss of sex drive. However the side effect that I haven't heard but one person mention is what happens when you drink alcohol while on this pill. I have a low tolerance to begin with, yet now that I am on this pill I will get a hangover after 1 or 2 glasses of wine. It really has varied but at one point I only had two drinks and the following morning proceeded to throw up three times. I am changing to Yasmin because of insurance reasons but am happy to try something new as this pill has only greatly complicated my life.

Good to know. I started on Loestrin fe 2 months before my wedding. When the wedding day arrived my dress was a little snug. I had noticed that my breasts were getting larger, but nothing that seemed too out of control. I snipped out the cups the seamstress had sewn in to "fill me out" and away we went. However, I am now finishing up my 3rd pack and I have now put on 20 lbs in the 3 weeks since the wedding. At first I was thinking my eating might have gotten a little out of control (we stayed at an all inclusive for the honeymoon) but since returning my eating habits have returned to normal. Now, none of my clothes fit. I had to buy new bras because I have gone up two cup sizes. I am now a 36 DD, was a 36 C. The weight gain is particularly troublesome to me because I lost about 80 lbs 3 years ago and don't want any of it back!!! I am also experiencing fine bumps on my forehead and I haven't experienced acne since I was a teenager. I have also had difficulty with spotting...and it is so annoying. I will spot for several days, stop and then repeat the cycle over again. I was bleeding so much on my wedding day that I had to use a tampon, and I was on week 2 of the pack! I have not had a proper "period" yet. Luckily I have an appointment with my GYN in 3 weeks.
The last birth control pill I was taking, over a year ago, was Yasmin. But I noticed after about 2 months on that I was starting to experience symptoms of depression. I had just started a new job and didn't like it, and thought that that was the issue. After crying on the way to work everyday for 3 weeks for no reason it occurred to me that it might be the pill. I stopped taking it and nearly immediately noticed the tearfulness disappeared. Perhaps I am just one of those who can't tolerate the pill.

wow after reading your posts i feel much better!!! i thought i was losing my mind...i have terrible periods, full seven days terrible painful cramps, just periods from hell come to find out i have endometriosis and an ovary thats stuck to the vaginal wall my doctor put me on loestrin 24 and its been the pill from hell im constantly bleeding on and off, my right leg goes numb, i had healthy clear skin and now its really dry with fine bumps, my mood swings are crazy im happy then i want to cry, depressed most definitely, constant headaches and nausea after taking it and this is only my first month taking it, i also noticed that im always cold!!! i would rather put up with my painful period then this crap

Hey everyone... I was on Yasmin and I loved it! I had to switch to Loestrin 24 because of insurance. Like most people I have had a really irregular period on Loestrin24, or I guess lack of one. The first pack I had HEAVY breakthrough bleeding after the first week. Since then, with the second pack I had no period, I took a pregnancy test, it was negative. Then this month the third, I am about to finish the brown pills and still no period. Since I started the pill I had had horrible stomach aches, and my left breast has been in so much pain. I went to the doctor, told her about my worries, she said to wait 3 months and see what happens. I hate this pill but I am in a bind because my insurance will not cover any birth controls for a reasonable price (under $65-$90) except for the generics. It is just frustrating because of course I am worried that I am pregnant but there's no way I could be (we are always double protected). I want to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to get an inexpensive form of birth control...

Hi, I know this section is for posting side effects but I was wondering if someone could please help me and provide me with some information. I am very athletic and active so any type of spotting/bleeding is NOT FOR ME. I am trying to eliminate my monthly period. I was on Depo Provera for several years and loved it. No periods everything fine except for a low sex drive. Then I ran into some problems and had to stop that. Plus my doctor said it causes osteoporosis.
Then I tried Seasonique which was awful as I had instant weight gain and breast tenderness like crazy. Was only on that for a few weeks!!!
Then I heard about Lybrel which is supposed to stop your periods after some time so I started that at the end of December last year (2007). I had spotting and some bleeding EVERY DAY and a few days ago had a lot of bleeding but I also played with the dosage per doctor's request. So I saw my doctor today and I said enough is enough what else can I try? So she gave me the Loestrin 24 Fe and I will start that Sunday. She said many people stop having periods after a few months of use. HOWEVER, after reading these posts, I am thinking NO BC is right for me now. If anyone can help me on my goal of eliminating the curse or convince me that this pill is OKAY after 3 months I would appreciate it. Please email me at escarle1@hotmail.com. Thank and I hope to hear back soon!

First let me say that I am glad that this just isn't in my mind! I thought that I was going crazy!!
My doctor put me on Loestrin 24 at the end of last month after I had a miscarriage. Since I have been on this pill, I have noticed my mood swings and I am more emotional. I noticed the vaginal dryness and my lack of interest in sex. I was on Yasmin for about a year prior to this...missed a few days and got pregnant. But I never experienced any of this side effects before. I don't see my doctor again until May, but I am definitely going to ask about changing my pills. He told me to take this pill two months straight without a break in between. I am now having my period and it is slightly brown. I am afraid of infection or something....this is really starting to freak me out...

Im 22 and started Loestrin 24 Fe a month and a half ago after not using birth control pills for about 2 years. I don't remember my body ever responding so severely to birth control. I have never had skin problems at all, I don't think I've had a single breakout since I was like 15. Then last week I noticed my entire forehead had completely broken out, I wanted to cry. I thought it was maybe from using a bad sunscreen but this morning I realized my chest and back are broken out too.

The second problem is weight gain and bloating. I'm 5'2 and normally weight around 120 and am very active. I'd say I've gained at least 5-7 pounds. I've also been far more emotional than I usually am.

I made a Dr. appointment for tomorrow because there's no way I'm sticking with this. After doing research it seems like Yasmin and the Otho-Evra patch might be other option. I'm mostly worried about weight gain when it comes to birth control, does anybody have any suggestions? I'd appreciate it.

Hi everybody, I just wanted to say that I am on the patch and it is the only birth control I've tried that gives me NO emotional side effects (mood swings, depression, anger, etc). I have tried Ortho TriCyclen, Yasmin, and the NuvaRing...all were terrible for me. I experience some breast tenderness and bloating around my period while on the patch, but the period is normal and always comes at the same time. If you have tried several pills and you find that you always end up turning into an emotional mess...I would try the patch out. It's a little annoying because it can get itchy, depending on where you put it...but it's still convenient. I would also only recommend it to women who are under 35, weigh under 198 lbs, and have low blood pressure. Hope this helps some people out. Again, it's worth a shot if you can't seem to find a pill that you like.

Hi all, I'll be finishing up my first week on Loestrin this Sunday. My OBGYN put me on this due to overlong periods and bad cramping. This is my first experience with a BC, so I'm a little bit nervous about it. For the past several days, I have been getting really nauseous. It's not a constant thing, one minute I'm fine and the next I feel like I need to dart in to the bathroom. I'm not too worried about any weight gain because that is something that I could probably use, but the nausea is concerning me a bit. I have to go back to the gyno sometime next week, so I can probably ask about it there, but reading the comments on this page has got me a little bit nervous. Should I try to wait it out and see if things get better, so should I quit while I'm ahead?

Wow - so many of you with the same symptoms and side-effects I'm experiencing. I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen years ago with minimal side effects beyond slight weight gain during the first few months. With this pill, I feel like I've become a monster. I'm bloated and I've been bleeding for 9 days now (I started the pills the day my period ended, on the advice of my doctor. I began bleeding a week later and have not stopped.). I'm normally a very happy person, but in the 2.5 weeks I've been on this medication, my moods change faster than the weather - I go from happy to despondent over the smallest, most insignificant things and cannot be cheered up. I have constant anxiety. I've cried more in the last 2 weeks than I have in the last year. I get angry over nothing, and I feel lazy all the time. My normally above-average libido is in the toilet. Fortunately, my boyfriend is incredibly understanding and knows that the changes I'm experiencing are due to this new medication changing my body chemistry.

I don't want to be like this, though. I don't want to be angry, sad, anxious, lazy, or uninterested in sex. I don't want a month-long period for 3 months while my body adjusts. I'm not in the physical condition to be able to shrug off an extra 10 pound due to bloating, and I'm tired of popping Advil to deal with my cramps. Before I found this site, I thought maybe the symptoms would go away in the next week or so, but I've now decided I'm not waiting this one out - I'm calling my doctor and finding a different alternative. This is simply unacceptable.

Also, I know it has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the medication, but their website disgusts me. "Cammie's Story"? If they spent half that advertising budget on research to eliminate the horrible side effects of their product, perhaps the pill would sell itself.

I JUST started Loestrin 24 Fe (day one) and have been reading many articles and websites (anything from the literature in the research journals to the Mayo Clinic posts). I have just read through this entire site and took in all the feedback from the women who have shared the side effects. I have NEVER taken BC until now. I am trying it to keep monthly bleeding and mood swings to a minimum. BUT, I see some serious side effects (depression, acne, weight gain) - these seem worse than just dealing with the monthly symptoms and taking some pain relievers.

Should I STOP? Any advice from veteran birth control users?
Michele

Oh yea and the other thing is that when I was Yasmin, I only got my period for three days and only one of those days was "kinda" heavy. Now I have my period for 7 full days, even longer if you count the spotting before... I haven't had 7 day periods since I was 17 and that's why I went ont he pill to begin with then! I am sad that I had to get off of Yasmin, but I am certainly not going to stay on this one!

I am just finishing my 2nd month of this pill. I have been on numerous BC’s since the age 17. I have had some good ones and some bad ones but usually the side effects that caused me to go off the pills was cramping and/or spotting. Recently I had been on Yasmin (not Yaz) for about 4 years. In the past year I had gotten over 10 yeast infections due to the Yasmin. Prior to this past year though, Yasmin was great. Anyway, my GYN switched me to this and I am on my second month. The first month it was like I had my period everyday for the month. I truly don’t know when I actually had my period. My poor husband, I kept telling him “I think I have my period again.” Then when I thought it was gone b/c nothing for a few days, it would come back. But I decided to stick it out. I called my GYN and the nurse said “try to stick it out for three months, it usually gets better.” So I am. And this month, its starting again. I am suppose to get my period in a week but 3 days ago I started bleeding again. But I also have been feeling very lethargic, depressed and I have gained weight. I actually did not even think it was because of the change in the pill until I came across this website today. But I truly have many of the same symptoms you all are talking about. Mostly, the tiredness, weight gain and depressed feeling. But I have others. I have NEVER been over 135lbs in my life now I am at 140 and I haven’t changed a thing. I certainly could exercise more, but that hasn’t changed. In fact, I have been trying to eat LESS to lose this weight but I keep going up. Now I am thinking it may be due to this pill. I am glad I came across this website. I am going to go to my GYN before the next month and say I want off. The one good thing is… I haven’t had a yeast infection since being on this pill! I was getting two a month at times! I am truly glad I came across this website or else I would have never known. Thank you all for sharing your comments about your experiences (both positive and negative).

I'm into my 8th pack of Loestrin 24 Fe and I'm ready to get off of them. Major issue is no sex drive and spotting right before period is supposed to start. So its like I have a really long period anyways. I've been on these pills for more than half of a year and there has been no change in my periods (no shorter periods or lighter periods) :-( And the website says "shorter periods less than 3 days by cycle 6". So its like I'm paying $50 for a "regular pill"anyways. Oh and my boobs hurt like all the time!!! I'm thru with it!!! Does anyone have a recommendation of a pill I can ask my doctor about next month??

i have been on this pill now for about 4 months, and i finally know why i am gaining so much weight. It seems to be getting worse everyday! also, i have been having extreme mood swings. everyone notices and it is even interfearing with my boyfriend of over a year. i dont reccoment this birth control to anyone. (unless you are trying to gain some weight!) :D

I have been on this pill for 5 months and it has been a nightmare. I started to get acne again. My weight jumps high/low. My mood swings changes happy to depressed and i don't even know why. I have never had a problem with vaginal dryness which caused me to have painful intercourse, urinary track infection, vaginal infections, tender/swollen breast, spotting (1st three months) very bad cramps, dry skin, can't sleep. I even had sex the other day and he hit a spot and it hurt for like a min. but after that min thats when i began to cry. I couldnt stop. He felt so bad and said whats wrong and i told him i dont know b/c i didnt know. I felt like an idiot. And i always think that i am preganent from all these problems.

I never had these problems when i was on yazmin. Im switching back to yasmin next week. I never has theses problems and i have been on yazmin for 2 years. I only switched b/c i wanted shorter periods. I would never refer this pill to anyone!