Ortho Tri-Cyclen (Birth control) Reviews

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Prescription summary (862 votes)

How well it works

:):):)
3.5/5
Agreeability

:):):)
3.2/5
Affordability

:):):):)
3.8/5

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1 of 1 visitors found the following comment helpful.
sweets, Houston,TX
Feb 1st, 2007
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):):)
Pros:It can clear acne.
Cons:It can also cause stomach discomfort and mood swings.
Bottom Line:I had been searching for years for something that would clear my acne. When I came across ortho tri-cyclen and its claims I decided to give it a try. It cleared up my skin within a month.The doctor then switched me to the Ortho-Lo (for what reasons I don't know) and my skin brokeout ridiculously.Then I switched back to the regular strength and it cleared up my skin within a month.I was also using Proactiv which I believed helped with the overall clarity of my skin but when using it without the ortho didn't stop breakouts. Well after having my baby ten months ago I decided to get back on the pill and I did not see ANY results. In fact my skin was even more inflammed! And on top of that, I had extreme stomach discomfort. I have decided to stick with it and after my fourth pack my skin has finally stopped breaking out as much. The bottom line is that I believe if you stop taking it and start back you could experience different results for a while but just stick with it and it should work!
Recommended:Yes
Usage:sweets has used this item for an inconsistent period of time.
Price Paid:50.00
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stephanie, cali
Jan 30th, 2007
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):):)
Pros:comepletely cleared my face except for occasional breakout during period
Cons:didnt clear my mild chest and back acne but taking tretinoin for that
Bottom Line:well im taking trinessa which is the generic for ortho tri cyclen since my insurance wont cover the name brand. so far it has made my face clear and glowing. ive been taking it for about 3 months. i did start taking it even longer ago but i had stopped because i ran out of pills while out of town. but then i started again which f*ed me up for a while. im steadily gaining weight though, thats not a big issue with me since i need more meat on my bones anyway.its probably because its a generic. dont be fooled, there IS a difference. however it hasnt helped a whole lot on my body which i dont know why. but i just started taking tretinoin for that which is generic for retin a. my acne on my face was mild to moderate before taking this. it was that way thanks to oral antibiotics like tetracyclin and doxycyclen, which stopped working after a while and made it come back worse. remember u need a pill with less androgen and more estrogen.
Recommended:Yes
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Sarah, Indianapolis, IN
Jan 25th, 2007
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:So far is clearing up my skin, no nausea, lighter periods, much less cramping.
Cons:I get moody like a crazy person.
Bottom Line:I am thinking of switching to Ortho Lo to attempt to lessen the mood swings before my boyfriend kicks me to the curb. However, I am just starting my third month and am wondering if perhaps I should wait it out a little bit. Any suggestions? Does Ortho Lo work as well for acne?
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Sarah has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:19.00
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Anonymous, california
Jan 24th, 2007
How well it works
:):)
Agreeability
:)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:after a week, nausea stopped
Cons:acne breakouts where i usually do not break out, a little bit of weight gain
Bottom Line:i started ortho tri-cyclen to get rid of my acne, but after two weeks of using otc i have been getting pimples everyday! im not sure if it gets worse before it gets better, but my acne doesn't seem to be diminishing!
Usage:Reviewer has used this item for a few weeks.
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1 of 2 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Betty, Baltimore, Md
Jan 21st, 2007
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):):):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:I've only been taking it for 2 weeks (too soon to tell)
Cons:spotting, but that doesn't bother me (so none really). my ance appears to be getting worse
Bottom Line:SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME! I'm not sure if OTC is cauing worse ance. This is ,y 15th day on the pill and my ance seems to be getting worse. Is this normal and will it get better? (if so, how ong before it gets better?). Are there any other BC pills that help with your acne?
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Betty has used this item for a few weeks.
Price Paid:10.00
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1 of 1 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Brit, Missouri
Jan 20th, 2007
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):):):)
Pros:Helped clear skin up
Cons:In between bleeding
Having to take it everyday
Seems to make cramps a lot worst
Bottom Line:This is my 2nd time using this product the first time I didn't have much acne so don't remember if it really did anything. Now I have really bad acne and have noticed a difference in my skin.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Brit has used this item for about a year.
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Jody, CA
Jan 16th, 2007
How well it works
:):)
Agreeability
:):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:Minor cramps with period, no real serious mood swings, no depression
Cons:helped my skin a little, but still get acne now and then. The biggest con and why I'm getting of it is into the fourth month my sex drive just vanished.
Bottom Line:Ive heard birth control can zap your sex drive among causing other serious problems, but OTC Lo sounded like it might not since the hormone doses are low, but losing your sex drive is worse than having to use condoms.
Recommended:No
Usage:Jody has used this item for a few months.
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1 of 1 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Eva M., NJ
Jan 14th, 2007
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):):)
Affordability
:):):):)
Pros:made my periods shorter and less painful, almost no cramps, didn't give me any stomach problems, no nausea, cleared up my acne after 3 months of continued use :0)
Cons:expensive if you don't have insurance
Bottom Line:I take Ortho Lo. I really like it. The Ortho Lo isn't proven to clear up acne, but I think that it has helped my complexion a lot! I started Retin A Micro around the same time as this pill. I noticed that my face was getting really bad. I stopped Retin A Micro after 2 months of using it cuz my face was look'n like totally horrible (really irritated, and red). After 2 weeks of stopping retin A, and continuing to use the Ortho Lo pills my skin has cleared up. I now just apply benzoyl peroxide at night. In the morning I just wash my face and apply my moisturizer and then my makeup and I'm good. I think that Ortho Lo has helped to clear up my face (I have moderate acne, but it got a lot worse while using Retin A).I don't know if these pills will help everyone, but it's worth it to give it a shot.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Eva M. has used this item for a few months.
Price Paid:45.00
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Heather, Canda, ON
Jan 5th, 2007
How well it works
:):):)
Agreeability
:):):)
Affordability
:):):):):)
Pros:haven't been able to really tell
Bottom Line:I've been on both OTC and pro-active for months and my acne didn't seem to improve any more than it had at the beginning. I have tried everything else before starting this combination..including accutane, and many other prescribed topical treatments. I am now trying a new cleansing line from germany..Chris Ferral. It's both helped and made my acne worse. I've decided to commit to it, even though my acne has gotten worse, because they said it takes a few weeks to work. Get worse to get better. But its really made me feel ugly, and I've lost alot of self-esteem, and a boyfriend over it. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be more than happy to try them. Thanks.
Recommended:Yes
Usage:Heather has used this item for a few months.
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0 of 2 visitors found the following comment helpful.
Jaclyn, Boston, Ma
Jan 1st, 2007
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):):)
Pros:Takes away cramps during periods.
Cons:I feel as though I gained a few pounds, nothing serious.
Bottom Line:I have been using OTC for 2 years and I have been nothing but satisfied with it. I used to get unbearable pains during my period. So bad I would not be able to sleep at night. Once I started used OTC I feel absolutely no cramps. I feel as though I gained a few pounds, probably not noticeable to anyone but myself. However, that could be do to anything. My sex drive descreased a little, but it's still there!
Recommended:Yes
Price Paid:30.00
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