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

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June 29, 2008
had no period 1st mo.
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June 21, 2008

Pros:

shorter, lighter and predictable periods, clearer skin

Cons:

bloating and increased appetite

It works great for skin and periods are predictable and lighter. I would recommend it for anyone who isnt prone to weight-gain because although i haven't gained weight I definetly feel more bloated than usual.
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June 20, 2008

Pros:

no cramps

Cons:

MY FACE IS BREAKING OUT LIKE CRAZZZZYY! I have never had a problem with acne until now!

terrible acne, moooood swings...makes me wanna eat allll the time!
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June 19, 2008

Pros:

regular period

Cons:

I took the Tri-Cyclen pills for 3 months and end up with DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS. My left leg has been swollen for 2 months and also has the catheter procedure done however the problem is not going away

I would like to share my experience of this pill. First I got a stiff neck for a month. Then it moved to my shoulder and side, after a week I got DVT . My leg was swollen and hard so I rushed to the emergency and got local procedure done to remove the blood clot in my left leg. There is about 5 veins affected and my leg is still swollen and cant walk around. I hope no one will get this side effects-DVT. I am scare to try other pills. Ask your doctor about the side effects of the pills and ensure your blood INR is not too thick. Good Luck
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June 16, 2008

Pros:

not pregnant, cheap, cleared up mild acne, bigger boobs

Cons:

horrible headaches, VERY tender breasts, fatigued, extreme hunger

This pill is okay. I take the generic - tri sprintec. I've been taking it for a month. I have EXTREMELY tender breast..so sore that i can barely roll over in my sleep!..but on the flip side I went up a cup! I get horrible pounding headaches to the point where I have to lay down and pop tylenol. I always feel tired and lazy. I get extremely hungry even after I've eaten a large meal. On the brighter side, my mild acne has cleared up and I have a much brighter and smoother complexion. No mood swings, no cramps, no bloatedness.
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June 13, 2008

Pros:

The first week i lost some weight.

Cons:

tired, sometimes dont care about anything, and then others i was very emotional,bloating, right before i started the blue pills i started getting acne on my neck and jawline and cheeks.

I got to day 17 on my first pack and itmade me crazy but i think from lack of sleep. cause i started breaking out like crazy and i was taking it to help acne. at first it was clearing my acne up and then POOF i started to break out. and from seeing all these reviews i decided not to wait it out to see if it gets better. this sh*t sucks.
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June 13, 2008

Pros:

Didn't get pregnant,less acne,lighter/shorter periods

Cons:

I've been on Ortho for nearly a year now and I'm just beginning to realize, this is the reason for my constant sadness/indifference to everyone/everything. I feel like I don't know what I want or who I like one day, hate the next.

Bottom line...I haven't gotten pregnant, my skin is slightly better, but the toll my relationships have taken..is not worth it.
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June 10, 2008

Pros:

didnt get pregnant thats it.

Cons:

constantly bloated, tender breasts, constant break through bleeding, gained weight, moody, didnt really help my skin

i was on this for 2 years and constantly had side effects, i just went off of it for 6 months because i didnt know what to do! I gained about 10 lbs and always had the worst hunger pains even if i had eaten! This was my first pill i'd ever been on so i had nothing to compare it with, i didnt think the side effects were that bad until i went off of it. Im now on yasmin and am absolutely loving it!! so glad i made the switch
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June 10, 2008

Pros:

I didn't get pregnant.
My boobs grew.

Cons:

WEIGHT GAIN, Weepy-ness, Heightened appetite, Lethargy, Depression-(I thought I was clinically depressed) irritability,
EXTREME mood swings

Ruined my life, in short. I just figured out it was from the pill three weeks ago and only now are things starting fall back into place.
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June 10, 2008

Pros:

none

Cons:

loads

this stuff is crap. i've been off it for about two months now and i am SOO happy. when i was on low i was angry ALL THE TIME. for nothing. just angry. i was so close to being dumped just cause i was so mad all the time. he knew it was cause of my pills but i was just that hard to handle. im normally really happy and hyper. honestly, this has been simply THE worse year of my life. and it did squat for my period and nothing for my face. and weird as it is, it made my legs feel like there were bugs in my pants. WEIRD?! drove me nuts. and after barely a year of being off it i started having two periods a month. both about a week. so bottom line: dont even bother.
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