Oral Contraceptive
Efficacy
63%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Improvement significantly increases after 24 weeks.
Oral Contraceptive
Acne.org’s Real World Take
All oral contraceptives appear to clear the skin about the same amount. Some people report cessation of acne symptoms and others see partial relief. However, messing with hormones is messing with hormones and it’s best to proceed with caution. But if you’re looking to take the birth control pill anyway, one of the benefits is clearer skin.
Oral Contraceptive
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Norgestimate (Ortho Tri-Cyclen®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
January 15, 2009
Cons:
Not much of a change in acne severity and persistance, mild mood swings, breast tenderness.
It didn't help my acne as much as I hoped it would, but there are few negative side effects. Yes, it may cause mood swings and breast tenderness, but for me it was less severe than my natural cycle. I take it primarily for use as a contraceptive, but I was hoping less acne would be an added bonus. Every body is different, but it seems that some of the major side effects reported on this review board have been wrongly attributed to this pill.
January 14, 2009
Pros:
Not pregnant
Cons:
Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO-Freaking expensive. No generic brand
Cost way to much....no problems. no weight gain or craziness or acne.
January 4, 2009
Pros:
Clears up skin
Cons:
Nausea, anxiety, panic attacks
I took Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo when I was 14 for the sole purpose of clearing up my skin. Throughout that year I experienced severe panic attacks. I had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder before and my parents attributed my new trouble to starting high school.
I recently got back on the same pill and after two pills I am having severe anxiety again for the first time since I was 14 (I am now 18). I am crying a lot, I can't sleep, and if I do finally fall asleep I am awakened by nausea.
December 28, 2008
Pros:
No pregnancy, Boobs got bigger.
Cons:
Possible weight gain from the pill, made me crave bad foods, made period heavier and more cramps. feel nausea for first few weeks. ( has gone down, after first few months)
It almost seems like theres more pros then cons. I have been on the patch, and the shot. And i must say the shot wasnt bad. And the patch was a long time ago. But with the shot, i never got a period and that seems very unnatural. I have heard horror stories about how you gain tons of weight and cant lose it. well I had the shot for one time and it lasts for 3 months. I am scared that i may be biased because of what people told me. Also, it may have been other variables such as working out less, or eating worse. Its just just a matter of closely paying attention to all things. I payed close attention, and ive noticed the pill kind of makes me lazy, and eat worse. The shot, for the first month made me tired, then fine after that. But no pain thats forsure. The patch seemed like it worked the best but it was a long time ago. I am considering all three very closely.
December 24, 2008
Pros:
my skin is really clearing up & was considerably cheap
Cons:
major mood swings, but considering the skin it gave me, its priceless
it depends what your body is like to see if your acne is going to clear up, i had mild to moderate acne and it worked terrifically, but it is always different from person to person. Its worth a shot though. :]
December 3, 2008
Pros:
No mood swings, light periods
Cons:
Heart pulpitations
My heart races once in a while and this is the only pill I am taking. Did anyone have problems like I do?
December 3, 2008
Pros:
cured my PMS for about a year, no cramps at all, very light period, and they went from 5 days down to sometimes only 2, cleared my acne almost completely and i lost weight on it, and it helped with my depression greatly
Cons:
DESTROYED SEX DRIVE, body began to become immune to the pill and after about 15 months i had horrible cramps and heavy flow period again, plus my depression came back and overall i just felt very.. "blah"
if your looking for birth control give it a try, i've used the depo shot, another pill (dont remember the name, came in a green pill box) and ortho and this was my favorite.. completely cleared my skin, lost some weight, regulated my period for the first time in my life which was fantastic to know exactly which day i'd start my cycle, got rid of my back pain and cramps which were so bad i'd be stuck in a bath all day.. but after about a year and a half my body adjusted and i got back all my problems, not to mention NO SEX DRIVE AT ALL, literally made me cringe to think of being touched, not just sex related, hugs from friends or anything.. but everyone's body is different, and this is good stuff, i dont take it anymore though ONLY because of the sex drive, if i had that while on it i'd still be on it.. so try it, i had two years of a good experience
November 24, 2008
Pros:
prevents pregnancy obviously :)
Cons:
doesn't do anything for my acne, and made me gain weight...
Its a birth control pill. It prevents pregnancy...that's the bottom line.
This is not a 'miracle' pill.
It will not magically erase your acne or make it better...I found I got really sensitive skin while on the pill and I gained at least 20 pounds in the first month...ugh
November 23, 2008
Pros:
Clear skin
Cons:
frequent headaches, severe moodiness, decreased sex drive.
I really liked this pill the first 2 months but after that I experienced daily headaches and when I reached the last week of the pack I would experience migraines and felt severly moody. Ive been off this pill for two months now and my headaches and moodiness have dissappeared but now my skin has become very oily. I miss my clear unshiny skin but not having headaches is worth it.
November 12, 2008
Pros:
the obvious, not getting pregnant, no nausea, slightly lighter period, no bloating or weight gain, stayed the same.
Cons:
possibility of some acne, possible cause of moodswings, a little more PMS
I don't quite know how to feel about this pill. I'm 21, I have been on it for two months now. I started oral contreceptives two years ago with Yasmin the first year, which gave me very clear skin but severe moodiness. My gyno switched me to reg. ortho tri cyclen a year after that and I felt pretty normal on that pill and had moderately clear skin, but then my periods suddenly got a little heavier over time. A little over a year later I am now on Ortho Low, and right before I switched over i had started getting acne randomly around my chin and jaw. It cleared up a little, and now its back...worse than Ive ever had. I dont know if its from the pill, I hope not. I hate switching things I'm putting into my body around so much. It has been almost two and a half months. Is this normal? I read that it can do that but is supposed to clear up after the first month. But now Im going on two and a half months. Also I feel like i cry over stupid things more. Don't know how I feel about this pill.
Pros:
Prevents pregnancy, regular periods, breast growth, free at a sexual health clinic such as Planned Parenthood.