User Reviews for Kariva (28) oral

I've tried many birth control pills over the years, this one is THE WORST. some have made me crazy, this one makes me an emotionless robot. I feel like I'm not myself, like I am going through the motions. It makes me SICK, like morning sickness, nausea every day sick. It also makes me dizzy and queasy. Since taking it I've gained 10 pounds, but you'd think more bc of how constantly bloated I am. I originally switched from my old bc due to yeast infections, but now I have one worse. Not to mention (but this does go along with me being a robot) I have NO SEX DRIVE WHATSOEVER. I can't even force myself to try to have one, it's ruining my relationship. OVERALL, I'm switching back. Read More Read Less

Started using because of painful periods with increased bouts of nausea and migraines during my periods. (at 13.) I'm 23 now and my nausea and migraines have stopped during my cycles. Started having sex 4 years ago, and never had a scare or slip up (knock on wood) I only say that you have to take it correctly, at the same time each day and be aware when you have missed a pill and if you are on antibiotics or other medications be aware and see if your physician says it might interfere. Just have to be responsible and compliant with the medication's requirements. Read More Read Less

Every month my period would come 7-10 days later but last 3-4 days which is normal for me. It decreased my sex drive completely. I got the dizziness, loss of balance, weight gain, bloating, headaches, mood swings, muscle spasms/cramps, fatigue, shortness of breath, blurred vision, basically everything that can make simple chores extremely difficult.

I have been taking Kariva for about 4 months. My acne has cleared up significantly and I have had regular periods with light cramping. I have gained about 7 pounds with this one and cannot manage to get these pounds off. This BC has not left me moody or nausea's like others have. Have noticed a loss in libido like others have mentioned. Not the worst, not the best

I have been on Kariva for 7 years and had no problem with gaining weight. CVS no longer carried Kariva and told Viorele is an alternative to Kariva. After taking it, I noticed differences like being bloated and weight gain. I am so going back to Kariva and changing my pharmacy if I have to.

I've been taking Kariva for the past 6-7 years. At first, I loved it because I had little to no side effects. My skin has always been pretty clear, and it seemed to be even clearer on Kariva. My periods are light and last 3 days on average. My cramps improved dramatically, which was great since that was why I got on Kariva. I had little weight gain, and no issues with depression or mood. The issues I'm seeing now have appeared within the last year or so. I have gained some weight (about 15 lb), but the majority has gone to increasing my cup size from a B to a D. The problem is that the rest of the weight has settled on my hips and waist, and I can't seem to get rid of it despite a healthy diet and exercise. I've also noticed a recent decrease in sex drive, which is not fun when you are about to get married and go on your honeymoon. Overall, the benefits outweigh the negatives, but I am considering a switch in pills to see if I can lose this weight and make the honeymoon more exciting.Read More Read Less

I've had a pretty good experience with Kariva. I had breakthrough bleeding so I had two periods the first three months but I'm on the 4th month now and just got one this time so I'm happy about that. I was originally taking it around noon but I was getting headaches every day so my doctor suggested taking it later at night and I've had no problems since! I got cramps and really bad acne this month though and hadn't the last three, I thought my body should be used to it by now so I'm not really sure what's happening. Overall though, it's been good to me. No weight gain, no loss of sex drive, it's been a decent fit for me. Read More Read Less

I started taking Kariva in October to regulate my period because I've never had a normal menstrual cycle and also for regular birth control use since I am in a relationship. It has proven to work well for those two uses, I haven't gotten pregnant and now have a normal period every month that lasts about 5-7 days with very light spotting on the last two days. However since taking Kariva I have gained 15 pounds and have depression symptoms I've never experienced before. I'm unhappy around my friends, family and boyfriend and also have the frequent urge to randomly break down and cry for no reason. I've never experienced mood changes like these ever before. Also within the past two or three months I've been unable to wear my contact lenses comfortably for more than 4 or 5 hours, since intolerance to contacts is also a side effect. I'm going to stop taking Kariva and ask my doctor for a new birth control pill because of these side effectsRead More Read Less

I was diagnosed with PCOS 5 years ago. My doctor placed me on YAZ and the mood swings and headaches were awful. It also made my period last for over 21 days. Kariva has been a God-send. Periods shortened to 3-4 days, mood stabilized, reduction in facial hair and other androgen related side-effects.

I've been on Kariva for 3 years now. I'm married, and very satisfied with the very light periods, low to no weight gain, and mild mood swings. HOWEVER, I have noticed an extreme amount of hair loss due to Kariva. I'm a hair stylist, and I have done everything imaginable to cope with my thinning hair. Vitamins and treatments do not help. The only thing causing it must be Kariva, since I noticed hair thinning after use. Very disappointed about how much hair I have left! Other than that, it worked for me. Hate to give it a bad review...Read More Read Less

I am writing this review because before going on Kariva, I almost asked my doctor to switch me based on the reviews I read on this website and others. Well let me say, five months in and I am VERY happy with Kariva! I had some headaches, appetite changes, and mood swings the first couple of months. Since then, my acne has cleared up, I have not gained weight, my periods are shorter. My pharmacy filled my most recent refill with a different generic, and instead of using it, I went to another pharmacy and paid out of pocket to get Kariva for this month. Ultimately, every birth control is different for every woman, but if you have been prescribed Kariva, don't be afraid to give it a shot. Give it a few months and see how your symptoms level out. After reading some horror stories on various websites, I am happy to say that Kariva has worked very well for me. Read More Read Less

So I started on Mircette when I was about 18, I tried a couple other pills but the moodswings were god awful. I went back but it was Kariva. So i've been on that since hmm about 21ish. I'm 29 and lately I've noticed how maybe half way through the year, my cycle lasts 3 days. I can't complain but lately its decreasing to maybe 2 days. Also my libido, has absolutely dropped. I've often wondered if it was the pill.

I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and almost immediately after starting Kariva my periods became regulated and I started feel much better. Sexually it's been effective, I'm not pregnant. It's easy to use just like any other daily pill, though sometimes I do forget, but it does just fine to follow the instructions to fix it. Overall the pill worked great. I have a bit of tiredness, slight headaches, and I recently had to get glass, whether that was the pill or my eyes I don't know but I think overall it did it's job. Read More Read Less

I was prescribed this drug to help with the hormonal migraines I was having as I got older (I am 41 years old - never had children - non-smoker.) I was only on this Pill for 6 weeks and suffered what appear to be two TIAs and a full blown stroke. I am lucky to have survived with little side effects.

Well, as a birth control it worked. I didn't get pregnant. But I had terrible side effects. I took Kariva for one year and throughout that time experienced: Terrible vaginal tearing, with and without intercourse. Doctors couldn't figure it out! Frequent bad headaches or migraines. Excessive hair loss. I used to have two thick braids. Now it's difficult to actually braid my hair, it's long, but there isn't enough of it! Some internal pain with intercourse. Irregular period. It was never super heavy, but it was unpredictable. When I finally went off the drug, it took a while to clear my system. For about a month I experienced a libido of ZERO. That was terrible. Mild to powerful times of depression, consistent low energy. Rapid weight loss (25 pounds just gone during month 3 of use.) After careful dieting, I regained this weight over about 2.5 months. Overall, this birth control was catastrophic for my body, I didn't get pregnant, but I was so unhappy and sick all the time. Awful.Read More Read Less

I switched from Safyral to Kariva in early September with thoughts this medicine would help with mood swings, cramps, fatigue, etc., but... the exact's happened to me :( I 1) didn't now ariva shouldn't be taken by patients with thyroid disorders 2) would have a period every 4 days with worse cramps, and my eyes have been hazy.3)My hair has been halling out from itchy scalp, and I've had HIVES for almost 2 wees/supposed to start placebo blue/green ones in 1 day but am throwing them away. Basically, I have some ind of endometriosis going on, but I'm not taking Kariva ever again due to allergies, hives, mood changes and sharp pains. Everyone handles birth control differently, but from my mistake, I didn't read entire precautions list. Kariva or Vilora gives me hives (on zyrtec until the bc gets out of my system.) I hope others have better experiences with this birth control and am nervous about switching back to Safyral.Read More Read Less

I love kariva and have taken it for years with very little side effects compared to its generic version viorele which had terrible weight gain, mood swings and needed more sleep. No matter what your doctor or pharmasist says they are not the same drug and have very different results!!!

In even the first few days of taking this BC, I experienced drastic mood swings, weight gain, and extremely decreased libido. I hated it- I know the first month is supposed to be bad, but noticing these side effects in the first couple days is not a good sign. I would NOT recommend this birth control!

I have been on and off of Mircette/Kariva since I was 20 (now 29); most recently I took it for about 5 years without stopping). I found that it cleared up my skin and that it made it pretty easy for me to maintain a healthy weight. Periods were 3-4 days and usually light. In the past 3-5 years I have struggled more and more with anxiety and irritability, and somewhat low sex drive; this may have more to do with being in a PhD program among other stressors than anything else, but I've also wondered whether some of it had to do with the pill given that my levels of anxiety and irritability vary throughout the month. My NP suggested that I try a different pill for a couple of months, and so now I'm giving Lessina a try. Read More Read Less

Kariva has been working great for me so far. When I first started I had a few headaches and had an upset stomach every once in a while, but that was only for the first week and it honestly wasn't that bad. My eating habits are pretty crazy, some days I will have no appetite at all while other days I feel like I need to eat everything in sight. I'm a High School athlete so maybe that has something to do with my crazy eating habits, I don't know. As for my weight I have stayed the same as I was before I started the pill. This pill has worked great for me so far, hopefully it will stay that way!Read More Read Less