Feedback on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, page 9

About Ortho Tri-cyclen®

If you’ve used Ortho Tri-cyclen®, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history. You can use the form below to add your comments, feedback or Ortho Tri-cyclen review.

Subj: Can seasonale cause acne?
Date: 8/25/2004
I started using Seasonale 4.5 months ago after being on Ortho-Tri Cyclen for 10+ years. I liked the idea of having only 4 periods a month. The first 3 months were great, no weight gain, although my breasts were larger, which I enjoyed being a small person, and I had no breakthrough bleeding. Then about a month ago, I developed a “rash” on my chin/jaw area only to find out it is acne. I never had acne in my teens…I am 33 now. I started taking an antibiotic to clear up the acne, only to start experiencing breakthrough bleeding. It varies from very light and annoying, to slightly less than a normal period and very annoying! Could the seasonale be the reason for the acne in the first place? And will the bleeding stop once the antibiotics are done? It has been over 4 weeks of spotting and I am getting concerned.

Michelle

Subj: Nothing but trouble
Date: 8/25/2004
I’ve been having nothing but trouble with Ortho Tri-Cyclin. I have headaches often, I’m breaking out, and the side effects are so bad that I thought I was pregnant. I’ve had to take it at night so I can sleep through the discomfort. If it’s possible, DO NOT take this.

Laura

Subj: Moody, upset and depressed
Date: 9/6/2004
I have been taking Ortho for about 3 months now and have noticed that I have been very moody. I easily get upset and depressed? I was considering getting on an anti-depressant b/c I have been so miserable, but then I started to wonder if it was my birth control?

Kelly

AskDocWeb: Many women have reported these symptoms when taking birth control drugs.

Subj: Chances of being pregnant
Date: 9/7/2004
I’ve been on Ortho for about 6 years, I recently went off of it for 1 month and immediately started up again. It’s been only 1 week and I have had unprotected sex. What are the chances that I may be pregnant?

AV

AskDocWeb: We would guess you have about a one percent chance of being pregnant.

Subj: Anyone have a light period on ortho lo?
Date: 9/8/2004
Was wondering if anyone has experinced having a very light period on ortho try lo. The last 2 months I have skipped my reminder pills and have had hardly any bleeding….don’t even have to use any pantyliners. Is this normal?

Cindy

Subj: Is she pregnant?
Date: 9/15/2004
Me and my girlfriend had sexual intercourse after 5 days her period began, I ejaculated inside her, the thing is that she has been taking ortho-tryclen lo for the past 4 months on an accurate daily basis with no delays (except one day that she took the pill about four hours later than her habitual time, she took it at 12:00Am instead of 8:00Am).

Is it possible that she is pregnant?, it’s been about ten days since we had that sexual intercourse and she has been complaining about little abdominal pain, is it a symptom of her being pregnant even though she has been perfectly accurate in her pill intakes?. Thank you very much,

Osman

AskDocWeb: There are many other causes of abdominal pain besides pregnancy. In your case, her taking the pill 4 hours later than usual is not likely to make a difference. She is probably not pregnant.

Subj: Late period
Date: 9/16/2004
Is it normal for your period to come a few days late after stopping the pill? I was on Ortho-tricyclen for 3 years, and I stopped taking it about a month ago. I read somewhere that it may take up to three months for your body to adjust to not being on the pill. I have used backup methods like spermicides, but I was just curious is this was normal due to hormonal changes?

Chris

AskDocWeb: Yes, this is normal. One of the benefits to using the pill is that it makes your periods predictable. Without it, you are subject to normal variations.

Subj: Help with acne?
Date: 9/16/2004
The first birth control I used was ortho tricyclen, I was satisfied with it and it helped with my acne. I was off birth control for almost a year and am now back on but using ortho tricyclen lo, I’m wondering if it will also help with acne?

Jenny

AskDocWeb: We have heard from four women about their experience with Ortho tricyclen lo and acne. One said it helped clear up her skin but the other three said it made their acne condition worse.

Subj: Getting pimples
Date: 9/16/2004
I’ve been on ortho-tri-cyclen for about 8yrs and I just went off it do to weight gain, depression, moodiness, low sex drive etc. I’m hoping that I might lose weight easier and feel better. I’m wondering if you’re more accessible in getting pimples? Even if you really never had them much before going on the pill.

A

AskDocWeb: Mood swings, depression and irritabilityIt is possible that over the last 8 years you became prone to pimples but this was held in check by the ortho tri-cyclen. Now that the ortho tri-cyclen is no longer in your system, that restraint is gone.

Subj:
Date: 9/18/2004
I’ve been on OrthoLo for nearly two months, after a miscarriage. Prior to this, I had not been on the pill for 12 years, and I don’t even remember if there were any side effects. Since beginning to take the pill this time, I’ve experienced frequent mood swings, mild depression, irritability and other PMS-like symptoms. I’ve been searching for any information with regard to OrthoLo contributing to or causing these side effects. Have there been any studies in the area? Has anyone else felt that OrthoLo might be responsible for emotional changes? I know in part it is due to my miscarriage, and I’m not uneducated about the adjustments that come with being “post partum”, but if there’s any correlation between the pill and mood swings or irritability, I’d like to know so I can consider alternatives.

Charity

AskDocWeb: If you read all the feedback here, you will notice that three times as many women experience depression and mood swings on Ortho lo as those on Ortho Tri-cyclen.

Subj: 6 months after stopping
Date: 9/20/2004
It’s been almost a month now since I have stopped taking the Ortho TriCyclen. I know I am not pregnant, but boy, you should see my belly! It is so bloated, that’s not even funny. Plus the pain at my lower abdominals! I can just scream. Did any of you have a similar experience? Is it normal?
While I was on it, I experienced huge mood swings, and over all I was always depressed. Even my husband would say that I am “always miserable.” I didn’t know it could have been the Pill, but after reading these feedbacks, I finally stopped blaming myself. The other unusual side effect I had was that every now and then I would get these huge pimples that would last for days. Before the pill I never had any skin problems whatsoever. I thought the Ortho was supposed to clear your skin. So, I got just the opposite. Other than that, it was great, no significant weight gain ( 6 pounds in 6 years), regular and much lighter periods.

Jolie

Subj: Weight gain with Ortho tri-cyclen lo
Date: 9/20/2004
I would like to know if there is alot of weight gain on ortho tri-cyclenlo. Can anyone tell me from experience?

Jessica

Subj: Skipping a period
Date: 9/21/2004
Is is ok to skip a period using Ortho Tri-Cyclen? Thanks

Sam

AskDocWeb: Other women have reported skipping their periods by skipping the placebo pills but, if you really want to reduce the number of periods you have, many gynecologists are recommending a new birth control pill called Seasonale. Ask your gynecologist about it.

Subj: First 2 weeks on lo
Date: 10/9/2004
I have been on Ortho Tri-cyclen lo for about 2 weeks now. I have been really nauseous everyday…and sometimes even vomit…the first 3 days were the worst…the only other affect from this are that my breasts are really sensitive and sore.

Cindy

Subj: Switching back
Date: 10/11/2004
I was on ortho tri-cyclen for years. I was doing fine on the pills then my doctor suggested I switch to tri-cyclen lo. It was the worst mistake of my life. I gained 12 pounds in 7 months. Also, my hair started to shed really bad. I have always had thick hair but now it is very thin. I am switching back to the old tri-cylen. I started a new pack Sunday. Personally, I really don’t like the lo brand something is very different about it.

Dorthy

Subj: Stopped taking the pill
Date: 10/12/2004
I was on Ortho Tricyclen for 7 years. I stopped taking it July 31st of this year and did not start my period until September 28th. I have lost 15 pounds since July, with little change to my diet/exercise regime. I am much more irritable and have had more acne in the past 2 months than in all of my 28 years of life. My doctor and several medical websites indicate it is quite normal to see physical attributes of hormone levels attempting to regulate after being on the pill for so long. I’m not worried about these annoyances right now and expect them to diminish within a couple of months.

Ex-ortho user

Subj: Not recommended
Date: 10/13/2004
I have been on birth control for a total of 8 years. The first 6 1/2 months were ortho, the last year and 1/2 was the lo version. I have a lot of breakthrough bleeding (when you start bleeding when it is not time for your period), which is usually dark brown. I have been suffering from NOOOO sex drive and multiple yeast infections, and I seem a little more emotionally vapid!!! I don’t recommend these pills for girls who are more prone to yeast infections and moodiness, or those who like sex!!! I’m getting off of them this month.

Sarah

Subj: 2 week into the pill
Date: 10/13/2004
I just started taking the pill 2 weeks ago. Today was the fist day I took it late, but I have been pretty good so far. I’m not hungry anymore and people have said I have been losing weight. I work out 4 times a week for 2 hours. My face has broken out and my doc prescription for acne hasn’t worked as well as it has before. I have been craping more now. I feel sad a lot and get mad often. That’s about it.

Britt

Subj: Vaginal Dryness
Date: 10/15/2004
I have been on Ortho Tri Cyclen for a year now. And I found it gives me Vaginal Dryness. I never had this problem until I went on this pill. Should I change pills?

Kara

AskDocWeb: The older you get the more likely you are to experience viginal dryness, so it may not be from the pill. You might try experimenting with a viginal lubricant like KY Jelly, Astroglide, or Vigorelle.

Subj: Angry, defensive, and depressed
Date: 10/17/2004
I, too, have been taking ortho-lo for the past year. I’m a college student and the past few months have been extremely stressful, with working two jobs at 60+hrs a week and a full course load. My boyfriend of two years and I have been arguing the past month, and he claims I’m always angry at him, defensive, and depressed. Not to mention I’m unmotivated. I thought it was just stress from school, but the summer time I was still harboring these same feelings. I thought it may be my birth control, because this has been going on since around the time I started taking it, so I stopped. Sure enough, now I know that it was causing severe depression for me. I have 4 packs taunting me in the face in my bathroom as we speak, but there’s no way I’ll go back. And now I’m scared of other pills causing the same reaction.

Leigh

Subj: Feeling really grawgy
Date: 10/18/2004
I just started taking Orhto Tri-Cyclen Lo a week ago. So far I’ve been experiencing really bad headaches, breast tenderness, and mood swings. Does this go away after a while, or do I just need to get used to feeling like this. I also feel really grawgy, and am experiencing sore throats. I want to know if I should switch to regular Ortho Tri-cyclen, are the side effects easier to cope with?

Carrie

AskDocWeb: That is something you should talk with your doctor about. The impression we get from the feedback is that there are fewer problems with regular Ortho Tri-cyclen.

Subj: Gaining weight
Date: 10/18/2004
I have been on Ortho-Tri-cyclen for about two years and I went from 122 to 145 or so. I am a very active person, I play soccer three times a week and take walks on the off days, why am I gaining this weight?

Emily

AskDocWeb: Sounds like you get plenty of exercise so an explanation would likely be found in what you eat and how much. It might help to start counting calories. Then again, it might not. We have heard from several women that say they gain weight while on birth control pills no matter what they do. Read more feedback


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