Ortho Tri-Cyclen (Birth control) Reviews

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Prescription summary (871 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.
Heather, Morrilton, AR
Oct 17th, 2005
How well it works
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Hey everyone! I have been taking "the pill" for a little over a month, and I have noticed a huge difference in my mood and my complexion. I was on the shot (depo) before I started taking the pill and OMG...I was a BITCH, my face was broke out, and I was gaining weight (it made me tired all the time). Now that I am taking Ortho, I can be a good mother and girlfriend..I LOVE it!

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Vicky, Alberta
Oct 17th, 2005
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):):)
Affordability
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I'm currently on my 5th packages of otc and I have noticed a marked improvement in my complexion. I felt a tiny bit nauseous in the mornings and late at night during my first pack, but nothing too disrupting and that went away pretty quickly and the pill is working well with my body. (I even think my breasts have grown a bit because of it!) Now, I can not definitely say the improvement in my acne is because of otc, as acne can sometimes improve on its own, and also i have been using Stievamycin gel (mild) for about 6 weeks now, but i've been unfaithful with that as i have to wait half an hour after i wash my face in the night time to apply it and usually when i go out i come home, wash, and fall straight into bed. half an hours wait to put on some stinky gel isn't worth it to me if i'm sleepy. but i'm willing to make a pretty good guess that it is the otc, since i've never responded to any other topical treatement before.. I've gone from A) Forehead: bumpy clogged pores all over, 2-3 small red zits Cheeks: approx ~5 active painful/post-flaky/discolouring pimples (thats not counting the ones that are in the healing process)which take forever to heal Between Nose/Upper Lip Area: 2 or 3 stingy pus fill zits to B) Forehead: relatively smooth (though skin tone is still kind of blotchy) one zit and a couple of disappearing bumps Nose/U.Lip: maybe 1 of those little zits every 2 or 3 weeks. Cheeks: as of now, no active angry-painful-flakies, 3 bumps from previous ones though, 2 which aren't visible other than the discolouration and 1 is small and on its way to healed and plenty of little brown marks where the angry's used to be, but they are sloooowwwllyy fading, and smooth to the touch. Hey, my acnes not gone, but its a huge improvement in my eyes and i feel better about myself in public. I'm actually at the point where my discolouration/marks/general complexion is my main concern right now rather than my active pimples. Oh and even if all this improvement isn't because of the Ortho-Tricyclen, most imporantly I'm sexually active and haven't gotten pregnant. *thumbs up* And with my health plan it cost me about 3-4 dollars per pack.

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Cora, Alaska, USA
Oct 15th, 2005
How well it works
:)
Agreeability
:)
Affordability
:)

I am on Trinessa..... Like most people, I was prescribed Ortho Tri Cyclen, and was given the generic brand. I am almost finished with month two, and have not had good side effects. I have no sex drive at all, and I am always tired. One of the worst is the break through bleeding. I have been bleeding for almost three weeks straight, and it sucks. I am thinking about just going off of it. I used to be on Desogen for almost three years with no problems whatsoever, but I just wanted to put in my two cents. :)

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Marcie, Pennsylvania
Oct 14th, 2005
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I've been on ortho try cyclen lo for about 3 years. My gyno put me on it because my ovaries are messed up and my menstral cycle was all out of wack. Now I'm all fixed up, and i don't have any acne. I think it works really well.

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Mokona, MI
Oct 13th, 2005
How well it works
:)
Agreeability
:)
Affordability
:):):)

I was put on the "regular" system of Ortho but I guess I was too sensitive to that strong dose of hormones. I threw up constantly from even thinking of food, and it only got worse when I moved on to the next set (dr said to keep going until your body adjusts & gets used to the new level). I couldn't even eat and was constantly nauseous. I ended up quitting as soon as I got to the placebo ones and it took me almost month to get back to normal. My skin did start to clear up once I was into the stronger section but I was so sick all the time...needless to say I didn't get the weight gain problem.

I'm not sure how well the new low one works, but you might want to start there first if your dr is recommending Ortho to you!

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nicole, pittsburgh
Oct 13th, 2005
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
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I had been on ortho tri-cyclen for a couple of years after my gyne took me off of ortho 777. It worked well for my skin and it handled the even bigger picture, I didn't get pregnant. My gyne recently switched me to ortho-lo and oh my gosh... I am a mess! I have horrible acne, (which I never had in my life), and my period is starting a week before my period should start, and going for 2 weeks! I know that all bodies are different but I am a huge orth tri-cyclen fan. The "lo dose" is not for me.

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Mari, Texas
Oct 11th, 2005
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):)
Affordability
:):):):)

Have been taking Ortho Tri Lo for 3 weeks now and everything seems to be okay. I have suffered from mild acne since age 15 and after 3 weeks my skin seems that same. I am hoping that this pill will make my skin appear better, but I guess I would have to wait alittle longer before making any assumptions. But so far, no problems.

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1 of 2 visitors found the following comment helpful.
SOFIA, SPAIN.ISLAS CANARIAS
Oct 8th, 2005
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
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Affordability
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if the reason you have a acne is hormonal this is the perfect pill for you,if not DONT WASTE YOUR TIME!
my doctor made me get a blood test to check my hormones and he said i have more male hormones than normal,like an imbalance of hormones and this pills helps balance hormones because the estradiol is an ANTI-ANDROGENO (im from Spain) i dont know how you say that...other women might have acne for other reasons NOT hormonal,if thats the case DONT take this pill,if you have acne ask your doctor about the blood test to check male hormones..
i was taking diane 35,that was not approved in USA because its too strong but i dont really care because its effective,its another birth control pill..and i dont care abouit the depression because i find way more depressin havin to see horrible pimples in my face everyday,so im actually happy i found this,now i swithc to ortho try cyclen lo cause its not as strong and im healed already but this pills will keep my skin fine,because im fine now and i dont need something too strong and at the same i cant stop taking something for acne because it will come back..ESTRADIOL is what fights HORMONAL IMBALANCE ACNE,if your reason is just bacteria you should take antibiotics..

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Unknown, New Zealand
Oct 7th, 2005
How well it works
:):):):)
Agreeability
:):)
Affordability
:):):):):)

The pill made me have nice skin, however, i found the other symptoms to be less tolerable, like no sex drive, bloating not to mention the mood swings were unbearable. i hope you all have better luck than me if you choose the pill.

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Anonymous
Oct 7th, 2005
How well it works
:):):):):)
Agreeability
:):):):):)
Affordability
:)

I have been taking otc low for over 3 months and it has ben wonderful, my face doesnt break out so much anymore i see my face is looking alot better and my period became VERY light and it lessened it about 4 days, but it costs 40 dollars a month so i had to get something cheaper which my doctor chose Trinessa, i hope it works just as well, but otc low was definetly great for me.

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