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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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 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 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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May 31, 2008

Pros:

Nothing really.

Cons:

Made my skin breakout in huge cysts and nodules and made it extremely oily like holy crap. I used mineral make-up and never put moisturizer on and I could feel the oil sliding down my face all day.

Not worth it at all. I hated it so I switched to another birth control. FDA approved to treat acne, but I just don't see how ):
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May 19, 2008

Pros:

lost weight, regular periods

Cons:

ACNE!! anxiety, moodines, yeast infections, low sex drive

I was on the Ortho LO for five months for problems with ovarian cysts. Until the pill, my acne was under control. However, on the pill, my skin broke out uncontrollably! nothing I put on my face made a difference! Also, I was an emotional mess!!!! crying, moody, anxious...I definitely would not recommend this pill to anyone. It made my life hell...and it took me awhile to figure out what was the cause of everything. I feel so much better off of this damn pill.
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April 21, 2008

Cons:

bad acne,no change in period,mood swings

I've been on it for 3 months and have worse acne than I did before I started this. I get zits on my legs, which I have never experienced before. My periods are still heavy and last just as long.I get emotional (cry, yell) very easily since I've started this.
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September 4, 2007

Pros:

Lighter periods, less cramps

Cons:

Decreased sex drive, water retention, depression, slight break through bleeding, yeast infections, no improvement in acne

I had been taking OTC-Lo for 2 years and did not see very much improvement for acne. It made my skin appear "thinner" and caused my mucous membranes to dry out. I stopped taking bc all together and found that my skin slightly improved.
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August 19, 2007

Pros:

You know when you're going to get your period, every-single-time.

Cons:

Makes you fat, bitchy, irritable, worse cramps in my life and did nothing for my face.

Too bad I wasted seven months of my life on this sh*t. I gained about 16 pounds while on it which gave me horrible stretch marks all over my body, and I was only 15 years old. Don't go on this for acne, go on it for preventing pregnancy. I didn't mind knowing when I was going to get my period except I bled quite a bit and I got incredibly terrible cramps which cause me to be home for school at least once a month due to period problems.
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April 9, 2007

Pros:

cleared my skin while i was using it

Cons:

no sex drive, depression, and HORRIBLE AFTERMAT

THE AFTERMATH OF YASMIN 28 IS MAKING ME SEVERLY DEPRESSED I NEVER USED TO BREAK OUT UNTIL I STOPPED TAKING BIRTH CONTROL. NOW I CANT GET MY SKIN TO CLEAR UP I HATE THE THOUGHT OF HAVING SOMETHING UNNATTURAL IN MY BODY.
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February 27, 2007

Pros:

lighter period

Cons:

bad acne, expensive, and stomach pain

I have had moderate acne for years. I started taking otc for my acne and by month three my face was covered in pimples some people swears it clears them up. But it was the worst my acne has been ever!!!
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