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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September 21, 2010

Pros:

Kept my skin relatively clear.

Cons:

Lots of side effects.

Be careful when taking birth control! If you are only using it to clear acne, I would strongly recommend a different route. I was only 27 when I was diagnosed as suffering from a CVST (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis) stroke, brought on by the hormones in my birth control. Venous MRIs found 5 blood clots in my head. I followed the instructions, did not smoke, and took a pill the same time everyday. I knew that stroke was a possibility, but since I didn't smoke and lived a healthy lifestyle I was told not to worry overmuch. Should not have listened to that! Now I'm on blood thinners for the foreseeable future, another poison in my body but better than the alternative.
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September 20, 2010

Pros:

No acne?

Cons:

Nausea first day or two of taking sweaty, dizzy, vomiting ect , weight gain (5-10lbs) and no it is NOT laziness, I am very phyically active and eat well. Being on bcp's does cause weight gain.

Just ok, I've tried several brands all I seem to get the same symptoms each time, some take a few months to kick in, like this one. I'm going to try another kind.
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September 19, 2010

Pros:

birth control, sorted out moodiness from my previous pills, weight loss (i think), decreased massive appetite & heartburn from previous pills, cleared up not being able to drink alcohol (sounds weird but i couldn't on Alesse, I got violently ill)

Cons:

a couple painful pimples so far, severe breast & nipple tenderness & huge amount of breast growth (went from B to D in 3 weeks... really rough)

I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen from Alesse 3 weeks ago, and i think so far it may be improving my issues I had with Alesse. I have some acne now, but it could still be from Alesse which gave me SEVERE extremely painful acne. The worst thing i have noticed is the effects on my breasts, I went up 2 full cup sizes in 3 weeks.. which unfortunately resulted in some stretch marks. I also am very sore from under my armpit around to my nipples, it actually hurts a bit to even move my arms, hopefully it goes away..
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September 14, 2010

Pros:

Shorter periods
Predictable periods
No nausea
Very small pills
Not pregnant lol

Cons:

Moderate sore breasts
Slight headaches

It's a great form of birth control. It's available st planned parenthood. Most bcps make me nauseous and moody but this one doesn't. I love it!
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September 9, 2010

Pros:

No pregnancy
No weight gain

Cons:

Bad breakout so far...on my 3rd week! :(
Slightly moody in 3rd week but not that bad

So far no weight gain whatsoever! I personally don't think the pill makes you gain visible weight, people just like to blame the pill for their laziness. I was terrified to start the pill because I thought I'd gain weight or go insane because that's what the reviews say, but that's so far from the truth...I think there's a bigger issue than the pill if you want to kill everyone in site. So far I've been on almost a month and would so far recommend to anyone. Can't wait for face to clear up though..
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September 8, 2010

Pros:

Hi, I've been using this as a form of hormone and acne control for the past three months now which is the recommended time you take it before you'll see results. I absolutely loved it. In the first month my skin started looking healthier, and I stopped getting huge amounts of pimples everyday. Right now I only get maybe one or two reasonably sized ones around my period which is amazingly better compared to what I had to deal with. I also lost all of my moodiness and don't feel tired.

Cons:

My period is pretty average only 3 days, but there is some spotting ahead of that so when I start take the sugar pills near the end of the pack I just wear protection pads.

It's an amazing product and I highly recommend it.
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August 24, 2010

Pros:

(Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo)
Less oily hair and skin
Hair more manageable
Cleared mild acne on back
No crazy mood swings
Made periods light and short

Cons:

Did not clear up much of the acne on my face.
Might have made me a little more emotional but hard to tell if the pill or just being depressed over acne.

I took regular Ortho Tri-Cyclen from age 18-24 and it cleared my skin up completely but gave me wild mood swings. This time around I thought I'd try the lo version and although I don't get the crazy mood swings like the regular kind, the lo version has not helped significantly with clearing up my skin. I am about to complete my 3rd pack and switch back to the Nuvaring. I read a few reviews that said it helps but takes a long time. So far it isn't showing any signs of getting any better after 3 months. The benefits I did see (less oil, etc) were immediate). I would recommend the lo version to those with mild acne. No sense in taking the regular version if you have mild acne but if you have more severe acne I think you need something stronger than the low dose.
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August 24, 2010

Pros:

- cleared moderate acne on arms and back
- balanced hormones
- eased cramps and period flow
- no loss in sex drive
- not pregnant! (best pro)
- no weight gain, nausea or headaches

Cons:

thankfully, no bad side effects I can detect so far
slight moodiness/sensitivity during first month when i started the 3rd week (with the highest dose of hormones)
some spotting during first 2 months

i've been taking OTC for about 6 months now and i'm so happy with it! my friend had a really REALLY bad experience with a different kind of pill before so i was anxious. i was also worried about breaking out or gaining weight but there were no issues. my acne on my arms and upper back went from moderate to very light. i noticed my appetite was a little less during the first month but that went back to normal. during the first couple months, my period came a week early and lasted several days but since then, it starts during the fourth week like it should. my period is a lot lighter than it used to be and shorter, 4 days instead of 7-8. my boobs didn't get larger noticably (i'm a d-cup already so i'm glad!). my sex drive is the same, i'm still jumping my boyfriend's bones every chance i get! i'm really happy with OTC and hopefully all continues well.
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August 23, 2010

Pros:

-Reduced acne significantly
-Did not get pregnant
-Breast increased by half a cup
- Reduce severity of cramps during periods
-Shorter periods

Cons:

-Mood swings
-Anxiety (when going from green pills to white pills)
-Fatigue
-Nausea

The pills made me feel uneasy when I was first started taking them. I was anxious, fatigued, and nauseated. It wasn't until the second pack that my body became used to the pills. It really does take a couple months for your body to adjust to the hormones. As for my acne, nothing else has helped my acne as much as the birth control has. I have tried numerous products to help with my acne with no great results, so I turned to birth control. This is probably the best decision I have made since I get so many compliments about my clear skin now. Although I still get one or two pimples during the time of the month. My old acne has disappeared and the irritation and redness that i once had on my cheeks have significantly subsided. Anyone suffering from acne should definitely give this a try! It's also free at planned parenthood.
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August 20, 2010

Pros:

--Completely fixed my skin
--Regulated my unpredictable period
--Made cramps less severe*
--Made period lighter
--Helped with mood swings and PMS

Cons:

--Bad initial breakout
--Initial side-effects for the first two weeks
--Forgetting the pill, even for a few hours, gives me a headache
--Although my cramps (which were horrendous for the first day or two) are greatly reduced -- a few ibuprofen almost knocks them out -- I tend to have this milder cramping for several days. It's almost like the bad day of cramps got spread out over three or four days.
--Food craving for the first month
--It takes several months to adjust

This review is for ORTHO-CYCLEN, which is a steady dose of hormones, unlike ortho tri-cyclen, which changes the hormone levels each week. I don't know if that makes a big difference or not... I had stubborn hormonal acne, which is why I eventually turned to birth control (along with other negative effects from hormonal imbalances). I would break out when I ovulated (about 2 weeks before my period) and then again a day or two before my period. Other than that, my skin was in good shape. I think this is the ONLY reason why my skin is so great now -- because hormones were my number one problem and now, with bcp, it's all under control. You may have a compound cause of acne, like monthly hormones plus stress, so your results will vary. Let me also say that I'm 25, and my reasons for taking birth control were not solely about my skin issues. I think, especially for young girls, you need to make sure that you're choosing to artificially alter your hormones for the right reasons -- that you understand that bcp have serious side effects and your health needs to be considered. I know the idea of nicer skin sometimes seems to trump everything else, but just make sure you've thought it al through and done your research :) As an aside, I take the generic brand, which only costs $9 a month without insurance. Don't believe a lot of the hype that generic isn't as effective -- by law, the meds in a generic pill is chemically identical to the brand name. It works just as effectively, only the fillers tend to be a bit different (if that). There's no reason to spend $30-60 a month (with insurance) if there's a cheaper generic available, unless you have an allergic reaction or sensitivity to certain fillers (like celiac disease or something).
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