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
December 9, 2011
Cons:
-Anxiety
-Horrible irritability
-When I decided to stop taking it is when my acne started
-Unbalanced my hormones
I wasn't on the medication to help acne. But once I went off of it. I messed my face up. I'm still trying to get it back to normal and it's been over a year
November 23, 2011
Pros:
Only $10 with health insurance
Cons:
Unbearable nausea
Headaches
Stomach cramping
Constipation
No noticeable change in acne
I got on this in the hopes that it would help my acne. I have hardly ever had acne except for the occasional breakout and then suddenly got a major flair up back in June (I am 19). Please note that when they mention that the pills may cause "pregnancy symptoms", they mean it. I had the absolute worst morning/afternoon sickness accompanied with occasional headaches, stomach cramping, and constipation. To top it all off, my acne didn't budge. My doctor said that the sickness and other symptoms were due to the fact that this pill distributes different levels of hormones every day, kind of going up and down like a sea saw. This tends to make some women sick, apparently. It didn't work for me, but it might work for you. For me, it was hell. I would rather my worst period than this stuff.
November 3, 2011
Pros:
Pregnancy Prevention
Cons:
Break outs!
Pimples!
Break outs!
& More Pimples!!
So I've been on this pill for only 2 weeks, the first week was amazing, my skin cleared up. I had light acne to begin with. About 3 days ago I started noticing all these little bumps all over my face. I mean like alllll ovvvveerrr. I thought it might of been an allergic reaction to something I ate, but now it's just getting worse! I have never had so much acne in my life until now! I'm not even exaggerating its really bad my whole face is covered in acne. & there are days when all I want to do is lay in bed. Someone please tell me is this going to get better? Should I stay on it for a while longer? Does anyone else have the same problem? Help ;/
October 28, 2011
Pros:
No babies
Cons:
Unspeakable mood swings
Acne breakouts
Tired
I have never had a problem with any birth control prior to taking Tri Sprintec. I have been on Yaz, Ortho Tri Cyclen, and Seasonique with zero side effects or problems. I started taking Tri Sprintec because I lost my insurance coverage and needed something cheaper than Seasonique. My doctor prescribed Tri Sprintec because of it's price. To put it simply.... it sucks. From day one my acne increased. I have light acne, with flare ups around my period but this stuff made new pimples appear DAILY for the entire two months I was on it. Maybe I should have given it longer to work itself out, but after two months of breakouts I couldn't take it anymore. I've been off of it for nearly a month and my face is just now recovering. This stuff was terrible.
October 7, 2011
Pros:
Shorter Periods
Less Cramps
Cons:
Didn't clear my skin
Expensive
Caused yeast infection
At first my doctor (not a dermatologist) prescribed me with Ortho Tri-Cyclen LOW for my acne. I was on it for 6 to 7 months and it did not improve my acne at all. When I went back he gave me a higher dosage which was the regular Ortho Try-Cyclen. Again not much of an improvement in my skin, around my period time I'd still break out. Not as much as before but still very noticeable acne. After a while I started noticing itching after sex and a lot of clear orderless discharge. I panicked and went back to my doctor, apparently the pill had caused me to get a minor yeast infection which was not good at all. I stopped taking the pill right after and the yeast infection went away almost immediately. I also tried the generic brand which is a lot cheaper its called TriNessa as well did not work. For acne I absolutely do not recommend it especially the regular Ortho Tri-Cyclen since it cause an infection. But the Ortho Tri-Cyclen Low I recommend if you want shorter lighter periods without any cramps but again not for acne.
September 29, 2011
Pros:
Pregnancy prevention
Larger breasts
Predictable periods
Affordable/ Inexpensive
Cons:
No sex drive
Tender/ sore breasts
Extreme nausea
Severe Headaches
Depression/ crazy mood swings
Bloated stomach
No change to acne
I have been on these pills for exactly 1 month now and it has been absolutely terrible for me AND my spouse. Planned Parenthood first put me on Seasonique (which was amazing compared to this.) But, my sister suggested Ortho Tri-Cyclen since I wasn't comfortable with Seasonique only allowing me to have my period once every 4 months.. OTC has just been the worst decision ever. Within 1-2 hours of taking it.. CONSTANT Nausea, headaches, etc. Not to mention a couple days after taking it I began feeling very depressed... and let me tell you, my husband makes me a happy woman but dang.. these pills are ridiculous. My sex drive has completely diminished.. it just doesn't exist anymore. Everyone is different, I would suggest at least trying it, but if at ANY point you begin to feel severe symptoms such as myself, please stop taking them and switch brands. The main reason I chose this brand was because of my acne.. which hasn't changed a bit.
September 28, 2011
Pros:
None
Cons:
Uncontrollable appetite
Anxious and depressed feeling
Breast soreness
Bleeding
Cramps
Overall, I've felt like I've had bad PMS every day since starting this pill. My emotions are all over the place - one minute I'm fine, the next I'm crying and barely want to leave the house. My skin hasn't cleared at all, and in fact, might even be worse than before. My breasts are painful and I had a few days of intense cramps. I think the worst has been my appetite, though - hunger and bad cravings even after eating a meal.
September 27, 2011
Pros:
Larger Boobs
Less facial hair
Helped with thinning hair
Cons:
Worsened Acne (cystic acne)
Lower sex drive
Depression/Anxiety
I went on BC solely to see if it would help my cystic acne. This is my 4th week on this BC and so far I've felt like I've been PMSing all month. Since the first week my face broke out like never before. I had about 4 huge cysts on my face, without a head, so I've just been dealing with it trying really hard not to pick at them. I also started breaking out on my jawline and cheeks, places where I usually don't break out. I really hope this is just an "initial breakout" and that my body is adjusting to this BC (this is my first time taking BC). This past Sunday I started the white sugar pill and I don't feel depressed or anxious. Also, this is the first week where a new cyst hasn't popped up. I guess that's good news. We'll see and I'll keep you all updated.
September 25, 2011
Pros:
Not Pregnant
Cons:
Worst acne breakouts of my life
Constantly Nauseous
Very Emotional
Depressed
No sex drive
I gave this pill a 4 month run and the end result is that this pill is horrible! I've gone from the happiest, most outgoing person, to really sad and depressed. I finished a pack yesterday and will NEVER go on this pill again. I constantly felt sick, and the thought of alcohol was intolerable. My face went from a pimple every now and then to severely broken out and my sex drive was non-existent. DO NOT take this pill!!
September 8, 2011
Pros:
No decrease in sex drive :)
Cons:
-Stomach aches
-Horrible nausea lasting the entire day
-Got new pimples every single day I've been on it
-Water retention
-Crazy food cravings
-Extreme fatigue
-Breast soreness
-Worse cramps than before
-Heavier period
As you can see by my list of cons, this pill definitely didn't work for me lol. First of all, I went on accutane over two years ago and ever since my skin has been great. A couple pimples here and there, or once in a while I'd experience clogged pores on my forehead and around my nose, but my skin care routine takes care of it within a week at most. My forehead and nose area are my "problem areas" if you could even call them that, but OTC just bombed my face with under-the-skin, painful pimples around my chin and my mouth like no other. I broke out in areas of my face where I never had before, even previously to my accutane treatment.
And don't even get me started on the sickness this pill caused me. It was beyond your typical morning sickness. It lasted the entire day if I did not take pills for nausea and an upset stomach. And even when I did, I still felt uneasy for the remainder of the day, especially for the first two weeks.
I felt bloated all the time, no matter what I ate or do. My diet hasnt changed, and I know full well of the types of foods which cause my stomach to be bloated all day long.
My cramps are also worse than they were before, and I even had cramps while I was spotting! Now, my period is even heavier than it used to be, and it's also longer.
Bottom line is, I know some people have been benefiting from OTC as it works with their bodies in a way it does not with mine. Although it has definitely not worked for me, perhaps it will work for you. Although I know sticking with a medication for three months is recommended, the amount of cons definitely outweighs any reason I have to stay on OTC for another two months. I hope it works for others though! Good luck =)
Pros:
-Didn't get pregnant.
-My skin was beautiful while I was on it
-I actually lost weight