Hey! I just read your log and I was wondering how your skin has been doing? I was on the name brand OTC for two years and my skin did really well on it. When I switched gynos, she put my nuva ring and then loestrin. Both completely ruined my skin! I have been getting large cysts on my cheeks, chin, and jawline so my acne is obviously hormonal. I asked her today to switch me to OTC and she gave me tri-sprintec. I know that they are supposed to be the same but I have heard other people say there is a difference.

I am wondering if you have noticed any difference between the two pills?

 

haha generics = THE DEVIL! By the way, I wonder where the heck Betsy went. I miss her ='( Betsy come back!

Anyways back to my update girls, it's been a few weeks since my last post.

2nd Pack Brand Name OTC

drum roll.......................I'm LOVING the name brand OTC so far. I just took my first pill of the 2nd pack.

Few things I noticed that are different from the generic vs. the name brand.

1) My period is lighter. WAY lighter. On Tri Sprintec, I was bleeding tremendously like I wasn't on hormones or anything. I was leaking through my clothes and I've never done that since puberty.

2) No more huge cysts!!! Only been getting small papules!!! AMAZING. This is only the 1st month after the switch.

3) REDUCED OIL. My skin is back to normal as it was on Ortho Novum high dose BCP and Yasmin. I only have to wash my hair once a week and it still looks amazing. My skin, I don't need to blot every half hour!

4) (might not apply to all of you) My eczema is getting better. Almost back to normal.

that's it for my update, will update again in a few weeks. Good luck to everyone!

 

ahhh im so happy for you... dude girl im still contemplating on whether to take it or not... i went to planned parenthood at my college to see if they would recommend another brand instead of ortho tri cyclen. (the reason i got ortho tri cyclen was cuz my cousin works at a pharmacy and was able to get it for me) but planned parenthood recommended that i go on Sronyx (similar to alesse). i than looked up the reviews with alesse/sronyx and its said that its high in progestin which raises androgen levels and i already know that i since im so effn oily. (i have to blot like every 30 mins just like you lol) that sronyx would probably make my acne and oil worse.

I just cant afford an initial breakout and im scared since i have so many pitted scars already. but than again i won't know what works for me until i try it.... im so in between and torn. it effn sucks...you give me such hope though... i know all our bodies are so different but it sounds like were in similar situations.

since i just ended my period and missed the sunday that i should have started since i was hella putting it off, im going to have to wait til the end of the month or beginning of september (god its already sept!)

are you noticing any other side effects? like nausea? tender bigger boobs? weight gain? headaches?

thanks so much for updating btw. its really beneficial for the members of acne.org to see other girl's progress.

Oh no! Now I am super nervous to start tri-sprintec in two days. I think I am going to try it out for three months and see how it goes. I really want it to work out because I only paid $10 for three packs. If it doesn't work out I will definitely switch to the brand name. Who would've thought that it would make such a difference for you considering they should have the same hormones and dosage. Thanks for all of your posts and advice. And good luck Daria on finding a good birth control.

Hey! I just read your log and I was wondering how your skin has been doing? I was on the name brand OTC for two years and my skin did really well on it. When I switched gynos, she put my nuva ring and then loestrin. Both completely ruined my skin! I have been getting large cysts on my cheeks, chin, and jawline so my acne is obviously hormonal. I asked her today to switch me to OTC and she gave me tri-sprintec. I know that they are supposed to be the same but I have heard other people say there is a difference.

I am wondering if you have noticed any difference between the two pills?

 

haha generics = THE DEVIL! By the way, I wonder where the heck Betsy went. I miss her ='( Betsy come back!

Anyways back to my update girls, it's been a few weeks since my last post.

2nd Pack Brand Name OTC

drum roll.......................I'm LOVING the name brand OTC so far. I just took my first pill of the 2nd pack.

Few things I noticed that are different from the generic vs. the name brand.

1) My period is lighter. WAY lighter. On Tri Sprintec, I was bleeding tremendously like I wasn't on hormones or anything. I was leaking through my clothes and I've never done that since puberty.

2) No more huge cysts!!! Only been getting small papules!!! AMAZING. This is only the 1st month after the switch.

3) REDUCED OIL. My skin is back to normal as it was on Ortho Novum high dose BCP and Yasmin. I only have to wash my hair once a week and it still looks amazing. My skin, I don't need to blot every half hour!

4) (might not apply to all of you) My eczema is getting better. Almost back to normal.

that's it for my update, will update again in a few weeks. Good luck to everyone!

 

ahhh im so happy for you... dude girl im still contemplating on whether to take it or not... i went to planned parenthood at my college to see if they would recommend another brand instead of ortho tri cyclen. (the reason i got ortho tri cyclen was cuz my cousin works at a pharmacy and was able to get it for me) but planned parenthood recommended that i go on Sronyx (similar to alesse). i than looked up the reviews with alesse/sronyx and its said that its high in progestin which raises androgen levels and i already know that i since im so effn oily. (i have to blot like every 30 mins just like you lol) that sronyx would probably make my acne and oil worse.

I just cant afford an initial breakout and im scared since i have so many pitted scars already. but than again i won't know what works for me until i try it.... im so in between and torn. it effn sucks...you give me such hope though... i know all our bodies are so different but it sounds like were in similar situations.

since i just ended my period and missed the sunday that i should have started since i was hella putting it off, im going to have to wait til the end of the month or beginning of september (god its already sept!)

are you noticing any other side effects? like nausea? tender bigger boobs? weight gain? headaches?

thanks so much for updating btw. its really beneficial for the members of acne.org to see other girl's progress.

 

Hi Daria,

No weight gain, no headaches more than usual (lol), just the bigger boobs around 2 to 3 weeks in when the hormones kick in, but they return to normal at period week.

Keep in mind, I've been on the pill since I was 17, so I'm used to these side effects. First timers could be different.

I will update you all in a few weeks again. I have only been on the name brand for 1 month, so it's still too soon to tell.

Oh no! Now I am super nervous to start tri-sprintec in two days. I think I am going to try it out for three months and see how it goes. I really want it to work out because I only paid $10 for three packs. If it doesn't work out I will definitely switch to the brand name. Who would've thought that it would make such a difference for you considering they should have the same hormones and dosage. Thanks for all of your posts and advice. And good luck Daria on finding a good birth control.

 

I got 3 packs of Ortho Tri brand name for $10 as well. When I was paying for Trisprintec it was like $12 a pack...

Try what you must, just pay very close attention to changes in your acne/body. I stuck to Tri sprintec for half a year, and it got me nowhere. After the first month on it, you will be able to tell if it's doing more harm than help, as you can see from Betsy, me and others in the earlier part of this thread.

Hey! I just read your log and I was wondering how your skin has been doing? I was on the name brand OTC for two years and my skin did really well on it. When I switched gynos, she put my nuva ring and then loestrin. Both completely ruined my skin! I have been getting large cysts on my cheeks, chin, and jawline so my acne is obviously hormonal. I asked her today to switch me to OTC and she gave me tri-sprintec. I know that they are supposed to be the same but I have heard other people say there is a difference.

I am wondering if you have noticed any difference between the two pills?

 

haha generics = THE DEVIL! By the way, I wonder where the heck Betsy went. I miss her ='( Betsy come back!

Anyways back to my update girls, it's been a few weeks since my last post.

2nd Pack Brand Name OTC

drum roll.......................I'm LOVING the name brand OTC so far. I just took my first pill of the 2nd pack.

Few things I noticed that are different from the generic vs. the name brand.

1) My period is lighter. WAY lighter. On Tri Sprintec, I was bleeding tremendously like I wasn't on hormones or anything. I was leaking through my clothes and I've never done that since puberty.

2) No more huge cysts!!! Only been getting small papules!!! AMAZING. This is only the 1st month after the switch.

3) REDUCED OIL. My skin is back to normal as it was on Ortho Novum high dose BCP and Yasmin. I only have to wash my hair once a week and it still looks amazing. My skin, I don't need to blot every half hour!

4) (might not apply to all of you) My eczema is getting better. Almost back to normal.

that's it for my update, will update again in a few weeks. Good luck to everyone!

 

ahhh im so happy for you... dude girl im still contemplating on whether to take it or not... i went to planned parenthood at my college to see if they would recommend another brand instead of ortho tri cyclen. (the reason i got ortho tri cyclen was cuz my cousin works at a pharmacy and was able to get it for me) but planned parenthood recommended that i go on Sronyx (similar to alesse). i than looked up the reviews with alesse/sronyx and its said that its high in progestin which raises androgen levels and i already know that i since im so effn oily. (i have to blot like every 30 mins just like you lol) that sronyx would probably make my acne and oil worse.

I just cant afford an initial breakout and im scared since i have so many pitted scars already. but than again i won't know what works for me until i try it.... im so in between and torn. it effn sucks...you give me such hope though... i know all our bodies are so different but it sounds like were in similar situations.

since i just ended my period and missed the sunday that i should have started since i was hella putting it off, im going to have to wait til the end of the month or beginning of september (god its already sept!)

are you noticing any other side effects? like nausea? tender bigger boobs? weight gain? headaches?

thanks so much for updating btw. its really beneficial for the members of acne.org to see other girl's progress.

 

Hi Daria,

No weight gain, no headaches more than usual (lol), just the bigger boobs around 2 to 3 weeks in when the hormones kick in, but they return to normal at period week.

Keep in mind, I've been on the pill since I was 17, so I'm used to these side effects. First timers could be different.

I will update you all in a few weeks again. I have only been on the name brand for 1 month, so it's still too soon to tell.

Oh no! Now I am super nervous to start tri-sprintec in two days. I think I am going to try it out for three months and see how it goes. I really want it to work out because I only paid $10 for three packs. If it doesn't work out I will definitely switch to the brand name. Who would've thought that it would make such a difference for you considering they should have the same hormones and dosage. Thanks for all of your posts and advice. And good luck Daria on finding a good birth control.

 

I got 3 packs of Ortho Tri brand name for $10 as well. When I was paying for Trisprintec it was like $12 a pack...

Try what you must, just pay very close attention to changes in your acne/body. I stuck to Tri sprintec for half a year, and it got me nowhere. After the first month on it, you will be able to tell if it's doing more harm than help, as you can see from Betsy, me and others in the earlier part of this thread.

 

Any updates? How is your skin?

Any updates? How is your skin?

 

Hiya, thanks for keeping up with this and reminding me to post an update!

To keep whoever is following this up to date, I am currently on my 3rd Pack of Name Brand Ortho Tri Cyclen after I made the switch from generic OTC. I am somewhere near the 3rd week of it, so I'll sum up my progress on it thus far.

My skin is doing AMAZINGLY better. But I'll put it to all of you straight, this user who posted in my thread somewhere near the beginning of this entire whirlwind of a journey

I've been on ortho-tricyclen for about 10 months now. After the switch, It took about another 3 months for the hormonal acne and cysts to completely stop.

 

Was completely right. After my switch from generic OTC to name brand, it took 3 months for my face to clear up.

So whoever is on generic right now and your skin has never looked worse, and you want to switch to name brand birth control pill, don't expect the clear up to happen over night. That's why I urge all of you to reconsider generics and stick with name brand to avoid any hassle.

Back to my skin, Yes, month 1 and month 2 after the switch, I was still breaking out in cysts. This is the 3rd month, and my skin has been clearer than ever. A small (non bothersome) pimple every now and then, but generally clear. No humongous cysts as before.

Any updates? How is your skin?

 

Hiya, thanks for keeping up with this and reminding me to post an update!

To keep whoever is following this up to date, I am currently on my 3rd Pack of Name Brand Ortho Tri Cyclen after I made the switch from generic OTC. I am somewhere near the 3rd week of it, so I'll sum up my progress on it thus far.

My skin is doing AMAZINGLY better. But I'll put it to all of you straight, this user who posted in my thread somewhere near the beginning of this entire whirlwind of a journey

I've been on ortho-tricyclen for about 10 months now. After the switch, It took about another 3 months for the hormonal acne and cysts to completely stop.

 

So how has your skin been this month?My daughter is on ortho tri cyclen regular also. I asked for the name brand from the start. I didn't want to chance it. I read in Glamour magazine in the spring that generic birth control pills can legally be off by 20% hormone wise. For some people that may cause problems.

Was completely right. After my switch from generic OTC to name brand, it took 3 months for my face to clear up.

So whoever is on generic right now and your skin has never looked worse, and you want to switch to name brand birth control pill, don't expect the clear up to happen over night. That's why I urge all of you to reconsider generics and stick with name brand to avoid any hassle.

Back to my skin, Yes, month 1 and month 2 after the switch, I was still breaking out in cysts. This is the 3rd month, and my skin has been clearer than ever. A small (non bothersome) pimple every now and then, but generally clear. No humongous cysts as before.

 

Tell me it hasn't been over 3 months since I posted an update!!! Job sure takes a beating out of me.

I wanted to do a little 'final' update for all of you who are watching out for me and others in this thread, and offer my 'final' suggestions. (FYI for those too lazy to read entire thread, I have been on Brand Name OTC since July 2011 = 7+ months, in sum, it takes 3 to 4 months to get clear on this one).

+Do not take generic OTC.

+If you are only on the birth control pill for acne reasons and you tend to get lazy or forget taking your pill at the same time every day, this is a huge NO NO. Think of it like this, if you were sexually active and forgot to take it, you would be in huge trouble. Always take it at the same time (within an hour) every day. Do not push it off till 1 day. Do not take breaks in between packs. Not a three day break. Not a 4 day break. Not a week. You will throw your cycle off and not be clear for another few months.

This has a HUGE effect. I cannot stress how important this is. I'll admit, I'm the lazy chick and that's why it took me a little longer to get clear. If you forget the pill for more than a few days, you can consider yourself starting all over again. Initial breakout and all.

My skin looks good at the moment. I am really abiding by the take your pill consistently at the same time regimen (I take it at dinner when it's right in reach).

You will know when you've reached the clearing (at about 3+ months with Brand Name), not only your skin and body will look better, but your hair will look better as well.

So I'm sticking to it for now. I still have horrible reminisces about 1 year ago when I was in dire PAIN on generic OTC with 10 cysts on my chin where I couldn't even open my jaw...lol.....

That is it.

Casablancaa

I have seriously read all of your blog posts since the very beginning and honestly am switching to the brand name ortho pill!! I have been on it for only half a month of the first pack of the generic brand and honestly it hasn't done nothing!! I don't believe that initial breakout shit! SO i'm switching to brand name thanks to you! Its a long shot but maybe you can update us on how your skin has been??