User Reviews for Ortho Tri-Cyclen (21) oral

I as put on this bc at age 14, I am 28 now and only recently tried something new in the last 3 months because I had no libido left in me what-so- ever and I am a smoker. I want to say that other than the sex drive problem, I NEVER had a complaint about this pill. Now that they have tried me on something called ortho micronor and I've never had acne this bad in my life, and not just acne but cystic acne. My boobs grew which was great, and i havent had a period, but I'd rather have a clear face!! Help!! What should I try next? I still want another child after graduate school, so until I can get tubes tied, what should I try next.Read More Read Less

two weeks into taking this pill my mom and best friend were ready to have me committed. i would be crying then angry and never could tell anyone, including myself, WHY. i was crying hysterically at christmas carols and ready to beat the crap out of the guy in front of me at the atm, within moments. mood swings, weight gain, and ACNE. and i thought having a long heavy period was too much trouble. boy, i was wrong about that.

well i would like to start off by stating that birth control really doesnt cause the excessive weight gain, but it does cause me to want to eat more and have theser cravings the first month i took this pill. over al my period came as soon as i stopped taking it and went away when i strated my next pack. i started taking this because out of nowhere my period had kept coming every other week(this has never happened to me before). i am 22 yrs old and married. so been with same person for years now. we are trying to conceive so i am hoping in two months we can stop taking the pill and start trying again ! over all satisfied with the pill. no cramps, no headaches. keep in mind every lady is different!Read More Read Less

WORST PILL I HAVE EVER BEEN ON! I wish I never switched to it!!! If it was possible to give it ZERO stars I would! I was doing completely fine on my previous pills, but after my friend, roommate, and doctor all told me Ortho Tri-Cyclen is good for clearing up acne, I decided to give it a shot. Why not? I've never had BAD acne, just a breakout hear or there, but I figured since it was $3 at my campus' health center, why not try it out. WRONG. I literally had my period for over 2 months STRAIGHT. Not spotting, not random bleeding-- I had my full-blown, not to mention HEAVIEST period of my life, for over 2 months. It was horrific. I was constantly tired, run down, and felt like crap (from losing blood?) I assume this happened because my previous pill was monophasic, and Ortho Tri-Cyclen is triphasic so my body was adjusting to a week or 2 of lower estrogen, etc. So my doctor switched me to Ortho Cyclen (monophasic). This just prolonged my never-ending period and made no difference, so I was officially fed up and kicked both these brands out of my life.Read More Read Less

After excessively bleeding for 3 months I was put on Ortho-Tri-cyclen. During the first two weeks I had headaches and upset stomach, which these symptoms did get better, but it got wose after 2 weeks. Frustration, emotional, depressed, anxiety, loss of sex drive, not wanting to be around people, overwhelmed, unhappy, nobody could do nothing right, no motivation and no patience for myself or others was the next horrible side-effects I had, which was never my character off this drug..I am getting Mirena in 4 days to stop bleeding, which Ortho has not stopped and I am scared to death reading the reviews..doesn't sound much better than Ortho, but I am trying to turn every stone before a hysterectomy...sorry to report that Ortho is not working for me...good luckRead More Read Less

I started taking this pill to regulate my periods, and to help with my skin. It did nothing for my skin, and I felt myself very irritable and had absolutely no sex drive. Granted, pills work differently depending on the person.

When it was time for my IUD to be removed I decided to try a pill. I stopped taking this after 1 wk; it is not ok to feel THAT horrible. The 1st 5 days were ok, then the cramping and abnormal clotting began. The clots were so huge that initially I thought I was misscarrying an unkown pregnancy; but, they didn't stop and the amount of blood loss didnt' ease up. The cramps were horrible and constant. It made me weak, dizzy and nauseaous. It affected my work and home life. I took it as my body WARNING me that it did NOT like what I was taking. I think I'll wait a few months and go back to Mirena which worked wonderfully! Read More Read Less

I've been taking this pill for more than 15 yrs... I was put on it to control long, heavy painful periods. for this it has worked very well though I am now finding that I am getting migraines and numbness in my fingers which is scary. considering going off this pill because of these effects and my age (34). however, it has worked very effectively up until the last couple years.

I was put on birth control (YAZ) because I suffer from PMDD and also have extremely PAINFUL periods. Well my hours at work got cut and i could no longer afford YAZ so my doctor switched me to this one. About 2 weeks after switching i started having severe strokelike symptoms. I later found out that these were actually symptoms of Basilar Artery Migraines. Well within less than 2 months after switching I decided that I would rather deal with the PMDD and cramps than go through another migraine like that. My cousin was also taking this birth control and ended up in the hospital with blood clots fighting for her life. She now has to take blood thinners for the rest of her life. The crazy thing is we're in our early 20's and used to be very healthy.Read More Read Less

Im just starting out on this pill and it has been a terrible experience. Im always sick with an upset stomach and my mood swings are unbelievable. I've had bad experiences with regular birth control since I was 14 but this has by far been the worst. I feel terrible constantly and overall ... it's just not working for me.

The hardest thing about this is actually remembering to take it! I set my cell phone alarm every day to help me remember! Overall, however, it has been extremely effective. I've been on this drug for years and actually lost weight on it (while many people I know gain weight on birth control). I also suffer from PSO (poly-systic overies) and this drug helps alleviate irregular periods. As a patient who suffers from other psychiatric illness, this has been the best option for me (I experienced extreme anxiety on Yaz). In other words, don't discount this more traditional pill... I've been on it for years without incidence!Read More Read Less

I have been one this pill for two years on and off. I have noticed that when I DON'T take the pill, I have a sex drive, I'm not irritable, I don't have migraines, Let's just say I'm a normal person. I think I'll just get my tubes tied.

I started taking this Dec 2, 2009. I have been bleeding heavily non stop since Dec. 18, 2009. Non stop. It's irritating and expensive (all the tampons and whatnot). I have also gained 7 pounds. My doctor says give it a few months but I'm ready to give up. Perhaps the "pill" is not the way for me to go. I've always had heavy periods and this is just one long one. As far as the birth control aspect... I'm not getting pregnant being celibate...

I was on this to help with my migraines. If I knew then what I knew now, I never would have taken it. I ended up in the hospital with numerous blood clots in my lungs. As a result, I'll have to be on warfarin the rest of my life or risk developing more clots, even though I haven't taken it since August 2009. I had an unknown clotting disorder that was triggered by the pill. I had been on Depo Prevara for years with no problems and within 2 years of being on the pill I wound up with more blood clots than any of the ER and hospital doctors had ever seen. I kid you not, I probably saw every premed student in the Los Angeles area. If you plan on starting it - ask for a complete blood check before so you can make sure you'll be ok taking it. Read More Read Less

this medication works very well. my mom put me on birth control after she found out i was pregnant. . . they work very well i only had nausea only for about 1 week and light headaches for about 1 week

less blood flow less cramps

I have taken ortho cyclen for 36 days. The first 2 weeks I had nausea and headaches. The last 22 days I have been experiencing very heavy bleeding and severe cramps in abdomen, back and even legs. Not to mention the mean and nasty personalty I've adopted. The doctor wants me to give it three months. This might be the best birth control I've taken, I haven't had sex in weeks.

I started taking Ortho Tricyclen Lo at the age of 15 to control a heavy cycle and terrible PMS symptoms. When I joined the army at the age of 18 they switched me to Ortho Tricyclen because the army did not carry Lo. I took it for 3 years and got progressively worse. Although my cramps were minimal, skin improved and my periods were regular, I gained 10-15 lbs (at about 5ft tall, thats a lot on me and started to notice I would get incredibly moody during the blue pills, I had such terrible mood swings and became incredibly unreasonable. My sex drive was non-existant. I was so miserable on that pill and my friend suggested yaz because she had the same problem on Ortho. I've been on Yaz for 6 months now and it's been amazing. I lost 10 lbs (didn't change any habbits), I'm not moody, I'm regular and all of that. A lot of people have had problems with Yaz, but I suggest if OT isn't good for you, try a pill that gives a consistant dosage of hormonesRead More Read Less

I set an alarm on my cell to help remember to take it at the same time each day, which is the hardest part. I've been taking this medication for four years and i haven't had a single complaint. I love it, however, everyone's body is different and you should find the birth control that works best with your body. I would certainly recommend trying this one though. I feel very safe on it and have never had a pregnancy scare.