Ortho Tri-Cyclen (Birth control) Reviews

honestly, when my face started seriously breaking out 7 months ago i didn't even consider that it could be because i had switched to ortho tri lo, I take it for contraceptive reasons and didn't consider that birth control could effect my skin so so much! i started getting little bumps all over my chin and awful redness and whiteheads...before taking the lo i was on ortho tri and my face and complexion were perfect, it was lovely but was expensive w/o insurance so i had to switch - when i started taking lo i also moved to another state and thought it was more an issue of weather/sun, stress, or a reaction to the soap and medication I normally use for acne - which it very well could be - still, I considered my bad acne to be from anything BUT the switch to Ortho Tri Lo; however, after hearing all these bad acne reaction stories to ortho tri lo im definitely going to switch back to ortho tri and see if that was a significant reason my skin became such a problem, even if it IS more expensive... I wish I had stumbled upon this website sooner!!! i've been everywhere and tried two different dermatologists and they never said anything about ortho tri lo being a factor in my bad skin, they just prescribed more chemicals to put on my face...at least this leads me in another direction...there's still hope...

I HAVE BEEN ON OTC FOR ABOUT 6 YRS. MY MENSTRAL IS ALOT LIGHTER AND I DON'T CRAMP AS MUCH,BUT I HAVE BLOOD CLOTTING SOMETIMES DURING MY MENSTRAL.THEY DO WORK, I HAVENT HAD ANY BABIES YET(I'M 21 YRS OLD).OVERALL I LIKE THEM, EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAVE TO SET MY ALARM TO MAKE ME REMEMBER TO TAKE THEM ATFTER ALL THESE YEARS!!!!!!!

I've been on OTC-Lo for 2 years and it has made my face a wreck!! I have disgusting acne all over my face, which I had very little of before I started the pill. My acne actually got worse in the 2 years I've been on it. I feel miserable and ugly all the time, and I only go out wearing tons of foundation make-up. But after seeing everyone's comments, I'm going to try the regular OTC and see how that works. I hear it's worth the money, ($51) to be exact for me.

I've been on BC for 7 years: OTC, OC, depo, and now OTC-lo. I've had cystic acne the entire time. (But it's worth it because I don't have cramps anymore, or babies for that matter!)

I have been on OTC-lo for 5 months. It seemed to do okay (not great) for about 3 months and over the last month it has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. I now have bad cystic acne that I haven't had since being a teenager (I'm 25) I can deal with my acne because I've lived with it so long. But for the first time in a long time I am too embarrassed to go out in public. I think it's time to switch, but to what?

Awsome!! Takes a few monthes to kick in though

I started using bcp's for moderate acne. Started with Diane-35 and stopped because of the blood clot stories I heard and read. Used OTC for about 2 years and it totally cleared up my acne and I had no other side effects that I was aware of. I decided to stop taking it because I didn't feel like "polluting" my body with pills and BOY did the acne come back with a vengence!like NEVER before!It's concentrated on the forehead mostly and thankfully I can cover it with bangs. I've endlessly tried topical treatments to no avail.even antibiotics and acuzine.Do I go back on OTC?But even if it helps,eventually when I get off of it again one day the acne will come back. i'm just really sick of these painful,swollen pustules! :(

I have to say regular ortho tri cyclen is still the best out there, you don't realize until you switch to something else.. i was on ortho a few years ago, and recently decided to try ortho lo, thinking it would be better because lower dose of hormones..ortho lo wreaked havoc on my sensitive skin, leaving me with tiny bumps and cystic acne that didn't go away until I finally stopped taking the pills have way through my pack. It also gave me extreme nausea that got worse at night and when I ate some foods.It sucked because you get your period right after you stop taking them if you interrupt the 28 day cycle, but I waited until my next period after that and got on tri-sprintec (generic for ortho) and it took about a week to get over mild nausea and because I did break out again (i've been told that generic contains extra ingredients that may cause skin irritation)..i went to the pharmacist and demanded regular ortho again (i had a much higher copay) but it's good to be going back on the pill i know i can trust.

i'd say only try it if you start breaking out more around ur period.cos them pills are all about homones and if ur hormones r stable it won't work. if they aren't then birth control can help to stabilize them.

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I've been on Alesse for almost 2 years, although I never used it intending to specifically clear up acne - I simply used it for birth control. My acne got really bad while on this pill but I figured it's ok because as a form of birth control I was happy. My sister has been on OTC for about 2 years and her skin has cleared up dramatically!! She used to have extreme acne. The last time I went to my doctor she suggested I try OTC because as per usual my face had mild breakouts. I look forward to seeing how this pill works for me, and I will update and let everyone know how my skin is.