Kariva for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 4)

• Nikki
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 9, 2019

"When I first took the pill I lost 10-15 pounds which was great. It made me extremely nauseous the first week to the point where I didn’t want to even eat. The nausea went away and I was eating again but feeling more full so I wasn’t eating as much. My acne got a little better but since I suffer for PCOS I still get acne so it didn’t totally help in that department. Period cramps are a little better. BUT I NOTICED over the past couple months I received bad head aches and really tired and craving sweets like crazy. Would I recommend it in the beginning ? Yes would I recommend it now ? No. My OBGYN switched me to Yaz so we will see where that takes me."

• Kariv...
• October 23, 2018

"Started on the Depo Shot when I was 14. Although not having periods were nice, I still had every symptom of periods but without bleeding (headaches, cramping, mood swings, increased appetite, etc.). So 6 months later I got switched to Kariva, costing me approximately $50 a month, w/o insurance. I can’t say I’ve had any “major experiences” with Kariva. I started birth control with the intention of lighter periods which have gone from heavier 2 week long periods to a medium flow 3-4 days. I still have a few symptoms but I can’t 100% say it’s due to Kariva since I’ve been on it so long, such as moderate cramping, weight gain (due to large appetite) and occasional moodiness, but definitely nothing that I would say is ‘out of the ordinary’. As of the pregnancy preventative aspect, I’ve had sex occasionally throughout my time on Kariva but haven’t gotten pregnant even due to occasionally forgetting 2-3 pills a month. Overall, I would recommend Kariva."

• eieie...
• March 20, 2015

"I've been on this birth control for about 6 months. At first I had rapid weight loss. But in the past few months I've retained several pounds of water weight. No issues with mood changes, or loss of sex drive. My period comes every Thursday of the week of the blue pills. It lasts till usually Saturday night. I've yet to get pregnant so besides these small side effects I would deffintly recommend this birth control. My skin has never been better, it's no longer oily, and I only break out the week of my period."

• HanaB...
• June 29, 2017

"At the beginning, Kariva seemed to be working well, my skin started to clear up, lighter periods, and emotional stabilization. However, once I started my second pack, my emotional state felt off. I didn't realize that it could be the pill I was taking, so I continued to use it. I felt very depressed, and sad, and on the verge of crying most times. Once I told my doctor, I changed to Blisovi 24 Fe and my emotional state began to change in a positive way!"

• Anonymous
• April 2, 2010

"At half-way through my third pack, I have been bleeding heavily for a week (compared to the first day of a regular period, but ongoing and with cramping). This is on top of having spotted nearly continuously since I started these pills two and a half months ago. I was going to hang in there to see if these reactions subsided after the third pack, but I am thinking now that I need to get off of them. I have also noticed mild weight gain as well. "

• Brit
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2015

"I LOVE THIS PILL!!! I was having a continuous period for 3 weeks from taking Loestrin after deciding I would start birth control because of my irregular periods. Went back to my GYN told her that Loestrin wasn't working for me and that I was still bleeding. She then prescribed me Kariva cuz she said I needed a higher dose of estrogen. Kariva stopped my heavy period in 1 day. I will say that u will definitely notice a change within yourself when taking this pill, not in a bad way but u will feel the changes your body is making & a change in mood while your body starts to adjust. That was my only side effect."

• Happy...
• March 22, 2010

"I've been on Kariva for about 2 months now, and just started my third pack a couple of days ago. I'm very happy with this BCP, though it's the first one i've ever tried. Usually I get pretty bad cramps, especially on the second day of my period. However, I've noticed that for the past couple months I only got mild cramps on the first day, and none on the second. Looks like I won't have to buy painkillers anymore! My periods have been lasting 3-4 days and before it used to be definitely 4+. I haven't experienced any noticeable weight gain. I do get the occasional moodswings but other factors contribute to them as well."

• Bobbi...
• August 6, 2015

"I have been on Kariva for 3 months and liked it pretty well. It definitely does its job with preventing pregnancy and also made my periods super light and short (4 days) which was nice. But I gained about 10 pounds on it which was awful! It did make my breasts fuller but the weight gain is terrible. No change in sex drive but it did cause some serious dryness for me in that I just wouldn't get wet down there which was frustrating for me and my bf! But overall not a bad price for a pill that does its job."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2020

"Do Not Recommend... Kariva made my face breakout bad & I never previously had problems with acne. It also made me feel like The Incredible Hulk (imagine severe PMS that lasts all month long). I had to stop taking it. My moods were so severe that I wasn’t even able to finish 1 month on it."

• Anonymous
• June 22, 2010

"I had been on Kariva for 4 years. I had noticed that if I miss more than one pill in a given week I will have some spotting. One time I missed one pill but remembered the next day and had continued to take them as normal but had a week of not normal bleeding. Also very bad migraines. Did keep my periods quite light and regular though."

• ctano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2019

"I’ve been on this birth control for about 2 or 3 months now and it is honestly the worst birth control I’ve ever taken! I had to switch to it because my period became irregular on my other one and with Kariva I’ve been having serious mood swings and been more emotional than normal before and during my period week. Not to mention the fact that I have been retaining water weight and have definitely had a weight gain which was never a problem on my other BCP. Overall I do NOT recommend taking it"

• Aykay
• November 12, 2018

"I have been on Kariva for a year now. I have a heart arrythmia that is aggravated my fluctuating hormones. It has always been more of an issue right before my period due to hormone changes, and is a PMS symptom for me. I see a cardiologist that has me on medication to control my arrhythmia on a daily basis. If my hormones are out of wack, my heart medicine can’t completely control the heart palpitations. I was having hormone related issues so my gyno put me on Kariva to help with everything. However throughout the month, I have breakthrough bleeding, bloating, mild cramps...right before this my heart arrhythmia goes crazy. I don’t feel like the Kariva is regulating my hormones properly. I do take the Kariva at the same time every day and never miss a dose. I have also developed extreme anxiety which only started after taking this BC. It also kills your sex drive. I will be asking for an alternative when I see my doctor next month. I have taken other BCs in the past with no issues."

• Leah
• March 15, 2016

"I've had a pretty good experience with this birth control. I didn't experience any mood swings or weight gain. I actually lost a bit of weight the two times I switched to Kariva from a different birth control. Overall I felt better on this birth control than any other that I have taken. The big issue that I had is that after taking it for a couple of months I would get breakthrough bleeding in the middle of the month. The bleeding would last so long that it pretty much a second period. It was a bit frustrating being on your period for half of the month. It might have decreased my sex-drive a bit too."

• Anonymous
• April 12, 2010

"I tried this for several months and loved everything about it except the migraine headaches that I would experience about 2-3 times a month and nothing would help them go away. So not sure if it's the fillers that bothered me but I am contacting my doctor to get something different. I didn't gain weight, I didn't have mood swings and everything was fine except the headaches."

• dani
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2020

"I’ve been on Kariva for almost 3 months and I really like it. I spent a lot of time researching BC pills and with this I haven’t experienced any negative side effects, other than the bloating right before my period, which is too be expected. Before birth control, my periods were beginning to become irregular and Kariva has kept it on track. Although the first week of starting Kariva...I became nauseated, had a slight headache, and even threw up. I called my gynecologist and was told it would ease off. It did just that! I feel good and I’m happy with it!"

• Emily
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2022

"I took this starting my Junior year in high school back in 2014 was on it for about 6 years then got off it, recently started it again back in December 2021 it's been 3 months taking it, my acne is cleared sometimes. I cant seem to shake the soreness in my breast and I seem to spot a lot. I am not sure if it's because as I get older my body changes. But since I started again I've been a little moody, tired and when I wake up I feel super bloated and heavy and just discomfort in my stomach. My OBGYN said to stay on the pack and after 3 packs my body should get used to it, but I feel as if it's not changing. When I started it back in 2014 I never had any problems, but now I seem to have the side effects and I am not sure if I should stay on it in hopes they stop or try something else. I have not gained weight but in my boobs I did."

• Jane...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2022

"Promised myself I would leave a review. I recently got on Kariva two weeks ago to help with acne after about a week I definitely saw improvement when it came to how many breakouts I was getting This is the longest my face has went with at least one pimple so if your interested in helping with that I do recommend. Other than that I have noticed I can get a little more emotional so beware of that but other than that no drastic side effects hope this helps someone"

• Do...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 14, 2016

"I was switched to Kariva because it was a generic version of the current birth control I was on. I do not recommend it. I would have my period normal one month and then I would get it again 2 weeks later. The second period would last for 2 weeks. It was great for controlling acne and I only gained 3 pounds being on it. It seemed to keep my mood swings down. The bad thing with it is I stopped taking it 2 months ago and I have not had a period since. I did a pregnancy test with my doctor and they verified that I was not pregnant. Down side of this is I went back to my regular birth control and I cannot start taking it until my period starts again."

• miala...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2016

"My doctor started me on Karvia after having a terrible experience with Chateal which gave me terrible acne. My skin started clearing up almost immediately. I do have times when I'm just in a mood due to the extra hormones but I have not experienced any nausea or pain with this medication. Overall, I have no true complaints about this."

• noodle
• July 19, 2021

"I’m still currently on Kariva and have been for 3 years now. It is extremely reliable and does prevent pregnancy. However, I never cramped until I started taking it and they are severe cramps. I used to cramp all throughout the month but that has gone back to normal and I only cramp while on my period. I will say, the reviews are true. I do experience depression and anxiety and I’m positive it’s a side affect from Kariva. However it does it’s job well and I always feel protected. So I would recommend it to anyone wanting to get on birth control. It’s also a combination pill instead of a progesterone only pill which I really love because I have some wiggle room if I accidentally miss a pill. It also got rid of my acne! I love my skin very much since taking it."

• Jilli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2017

"I switched from orsynthia to kariva due to painful sex. I was cautious to try it seeing all the bad reviews but I'm glad I read them considering I had many of the same problems. First of all, your period SHOULD come during the first two days of the placebo week, that didn't happen. I got my period at the very end of the week each time with bad cramps. Flow wasn't terrible still kind of heavy for birth control though. I also didn't like was how many headaches I would get; at least 3-4 a week. I would also feel very foggy and tired all the time. My appetite has definitely changed on this also, I would constantly want to eat all the junk food I could find. Didn't gain much weight but still. Boobs also got bigger. I'm changing back to orsynthia!"

• kk011...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2015

"I started taking Kariva in September after talking with my doctor about my family medical history. For the first month, it worked perfectly! My skin looked healthy and bright, however, a week after my period (which lasted a normal 4 days) I started my period again. I typically have a light flow with little cramps, but the flow has increased to the point where I have to change a tampon and pad almost every hour! I've been tracking my period progress for the month that I've been on it. My sex drive hasn't changed, but I am extremely dry and experienced discomfort during sex. I should be starting my third month on Kariva, but I have made the decision to contact my doctor and to search for an alternative."

• Anonymous
• November 3, 2021

"I’ve been on Kariva for almost 2 years and when I got off the pill I felt completely like a new person. This pill made me extremely emotional I was always crying and always tired. I had a lot of anxiety and had so much brain fog. The day I decided to stop taking it was the best day of my life I’m so much happier better off."

• Chria
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 1, 2021

"It did clear up my skin but I had constant break through bleeding and I was VERY emotional. You know when you are very agitated and emotional before your period? Well I was constantly like that while taking this. Negative outweighs the benefits and I was on it for almost a year."

• kaili...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2021

"I started taking Kariva to improve my skin and it only got worse. After only a week on this pill I started feeling horrible depression and anxiety plus my skin was breaking out worse than before. I went from having zero symptoms on my previous pill to having all the symptoms in the book. Break outs, weight gain, lower back pain, horrible periods, mood swings, etc. this was only after about 2 weeks on the pill. I just finished my sugar pills and couldn’t switch back to my old pill soon enough. Would not recommend this pill to anyone who has a history of depression and anxiety."