Oral Contraceptives
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Oral contraceptives, otherwise known as birth control pills, are also approved to treat acne. They work by regulating male hormones in the female...

Oral contraceptives, otherwise known as birth control pills, are also approved to treat acne. They work by regulating male hormones in the female body. Less male hormones normally lead to less acne. 

Oral contraceptives contain an estrogen component (ethinyl estradiol) that is combined with progestin hormones, such as drospirenone (Yasmin® or Yaz®), norgestimate (Ortho Tri-Cyclen®) or norethindrone (Estrostep®). 

Oral contraceptives are taken once a day with a meal. Make sure to take the pill at the same time every day.

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Used Oral Contraceptives? Rate It:

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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.
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November 17, 2011

Pros:

Bigger breasts
Predictable periods
Way less acne

Cons:

Unbelievabley Painful cramps
Moodyness ALL month
Depression
Slowly dwindling sex drive

I've been on the pill for almost 2 years. AT first the nausea and acne breakouts were almost unbarable but I stayed with it. My acne has definitely Improved by 90%. In the last 3-6 months Ive noticed a very dramatic downhill slope in my mood. I didn't even realize why until recently. It's hard to notice so you have to pay attention. I caught myself yelling at my boyfriend when I realized something was way wrong. And I never had cramps before the pill and now I'm almost crippled the day I start and the whole week before is hell in everyway including migraines, cramps, grumpy, extreme fatigue and discomfort Down there. I guess everyone is different but I feel like this pill will either negatively affect you now or later.
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November 15, 2011

Pros:

Clears up acne, but it takes awhile for your body to adjust. I've been on this pill before, and then had to go off it, and now I'm back on it. I've been taking it for 6 weeks (the second time). In the past, I took it for 2 straight years. It works great until the second row of pills(0.215mg), which is when I break out like crazy. After 2-3 months of consistent use, it gets better and better but that row of pills always brings up at least one zit.
No pregnancy!
Shorter, VERY regular per

Cons:

Just the second row of pills for the first 2-3 months... Horrible breakouts (way worse than when I'm off the pill). But keep at it, it will pay off eventually.
Also, I get very moody for the first 2-3 months. But this also gets better once the body adjusts.

It's different for everyone, but if you're like me and break out at the beginning, stick with it. It will likely get better. If you're strong enough to handle some extra pimples (and hyperpigmentation for me) for a few weeks, you will see the results... clear skin and avoiding pregnancy!!
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November 13, 2011

Pros:

not pregnant
higher libido
bigger breasts

Cons:

weight gain
i cry all the time
dryness
bleeding after sex
higher appetite

you don't get pregnant. you do gain a lot of weight though. i've been on OTCL for about 5 months now and i've gained 10-15 lbs. none of my pants fit me and i haven't changed my eating habits. if anything i'm eating less and working more. i mostly always bleed after having sex (very lightly but still inconvenient). and you worry if it's because of other stuff... i want to eat all the time though! it's crazy, i have to force myself to not eat. oh and it smells funny down there... it turns off my boyfriend so i gotta make sure i shower regularly - preferably before sex. no acne. i do feel tired all the time! i take naps so often. i used to be okay with 6-7hrs of sleep but now i sleep 10 hrs on the weekends and still feel tired! i really want to switch, any recommendations?
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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 ;/
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November 2, 2011

Pros:

Ortho tri cyclen Lo.
Only thing that actually cured my acne.
Lighter periods

Cons:

Weight Gain

Give it a try! In my case, I have to choose between being oveweight or being acne-free. This is the only thing in 15 years that actually got rid of my acne. I am pissed because I wish I would have known this before taking accutane (Grrrr).
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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.
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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.
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October 5, 2011

Pros:

Pregnancy Prevention
Clear skin
No more cramping
Light, short periods (mine last 3-4 days)
Crazy sex drive
Super reliable
No weight gain
Predictable periods

Cons:

Taking it once a day (tend to forget) Although forgetting a pill has never failed me.

This birth control pill is perfect for me. I've been taking it for over a year now. I've tried other kinds that just don't cut it. Trinessa is the exact same if you have that. Never once failed me even if I forgot a day or two. Cleared my acne. Took away my tear inducing cramps. Made my periods lighter and shorter; about 3 days long. I have a crazy sex drive that I fulfill once a day, or maybe I'm just young and horny, who knows. :) Either way, it keeps my boyfriend happy. It may not work for you, just keep exploring your options. Everyone is different.
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October 3, 2011

Pros:

Less Acne
Crazy sex Drive
Slightly Bigger Breasts (naturally big so I can't really tell if they got bigger)

Cons:

Very Minor Headaches but I think that's because I'm just dehydrated.
Feel Nauseous sometimes but that is because I'm too much in a rush to eat food with the pill in the morning.
Possible slight weight gain but that's not a problem.

Remember to ALWAYS drink A LOT of water and eat food with the pill! Water is the answer for everything! If you are having really bad side effects, it's probably because the dosage is either too high therefore your body isn't used to it or because you are dehydrated. I'm almost 17 years old. I haven't really had any side effects. If i did gain weight its not much to worry about for me because it isn't much of a difference and i can maintain my weight pretty well. I love ortho-cyclen so far and been on it for half a month. I thought i would've had very bad side effects just because that is my usual luck with anything oral, especially oral acne medication like doxyclen and minocyclen with major headaches and minocyclen actually turned my gums gray! It looked like i had gum disease! I'm glad i researched it and found out that it's a pretty rare but possible side effect. Regardless any pill is usually an antibody and antibodies are meant to kill bad things but also kill essential good bacteria! Orthocyclen has made my boyfriend really happy and we couldn't have more of an amazing sex life! We are both glad we can know we can have sex anytime with me being safe. P.S. the only reason i rate this 4 out of 5 is because I just really hate taking pills and putting anything into my body. Anyways, it's really not that hard to remember taking it because if you love your pill, you love the idea of just being protected; so trust me - You'll remember every day!
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