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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5
22.7%
4
34.3%
3
21.2%
2
13.1%
1
8.8%

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September 1, 2009

Pros:

well my breast are slight bigger after only about two weeks..

Cons:

terrible mood swings, me and my boyfriend have been fightning like cats and dogs ever since i been on it due to my moodiness, and i feel drained and absolutly depressed...

its alright... no weight gain yet,,i think...try not to eat alot!
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September 1, 2009

Pros:

none?

Cons:

i feel sick to my stomach

just wear a condom
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August 31, 2009

Pros:

skin is clearing up, made me feel happier in general

Cons:

increased appetite

I've been taking the pills for about 3 weeks now. I have had no new breakouts and my skin is noticeably clearing up. I didn't have any PMS symptoms at all, but my appetite has increased. I was nervous about taking this specific BC after reading reviews on here, but I would recommend them!
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August 29, 2009

Pros:

havent really seen any in the past 5 months of using it other than preventing pregnancy

Cons:

ocassional breakouts, mild weight gain, emotional changes, mood swings.

ive been taking this medication and am thinking about getting off of it, it isnt really doing anything for me and im looking to loose weight. being on the pill makes this a little harder.
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August 27, 2009

Pros:

none

Cons:

tiny bumps everywhere...Literally!! Acne at its worse

Didnt help my acne, just made it worse then before. There's not one clear spot on my face.. Time to go to a Derm rather then listening to a GYN doc for acne!!! Ortho cyclen which is same as orth tri no good for me
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August 26, 2009

Pros:

preventing pregnancy, less moody around menstration

Cons:

I have only been sick on this pill once and it was bad, my stomach is always growling like its hungry but the thought of most foods make me sick, and my acne seems to be getting worse!

I am still on my first pack and I plan of finishing it, but so far I haven't made much progress, especially when it come to clearing up my acne. But I figure I'll suffer a bit and ride it out because it is better than being pregnant!
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August 24, 2009

Pros:

No pregnancy...got it for free from Planned Parenthood.

Cons:

Makes me hungry, changed my mood

I have acne and this product never did anything to change that. It made me super hungry thus resulting in me gaining about 30 pounds in 3 months! My angry mood swings went away, and were replaced with a flood of emotional madness! I found myself being sensitive about the littlest things. I stopped taking it, I'm back to 125 pounds, and I'm not a blubbering mess anymore either.
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August 23, 2009

Pros:

Helps regulate my periods.

Cons:

SEVERE ACNE!! Soo depressing, super moody, bitchy, irritable.

I was taking OTC Lo(yellow pk), but switched to OTC regular(blue pk) and oh boy did it make me break out like I never have before. Huge hard pimples, they're like stress pimples, not pimples w/ whiteheads that come on if you don't wash your face. These stubborn breakouts are continuous and takes about 2wks for them to go away and the scar will stay for over a month or somewhat remain dark blemishes. These large acne did not flare up and were not large like this when I was taking OTC Lo. I was taking OTC Lo for over 2years, and have been taking OTC regular for 4 ½ months now, so I'm giving up on giving it another chance/another month. Gained weight and made me irritable.
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August 23, 2009

Pros:

Light periods, minimal cramps, helps with endometriosis, very very mild breakouts around time of period

Cons:

Slight mood swings at first, can be expensive without good insurance

I've used this product for four years it's amazing. My periods are always on time, light and only last four days. My acne was never too bad, but it keeps my face relatively clear, except for right around the time of my period I'll get a few pimples. I have tried the generic type and it was awful, horrible cramps, long irregular periods and severe breakouts.
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August 21, 2009

Pros:

No babies, slight growth in breast size, less cramps, no acne

Cons:

WEIGHT GAIN, more emotional, tired often

I've used OTC for over 3 years and decided to stop taking it due to weight gain. Even while eating light and exercising I have gained 30 pounds in 3 years. Weight seems to be dropping off now with ease. Periods always lasted 5 days. It was good knowing the exact day you were going to start though. I always seemed to be tired, but am now finding that I have more energy. I was also very emotional with mood swings during the week of my period, which was never that way before the pill.
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