Kariva and Mood Swings: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 3, 2021

For Birth Control "So I was on this Kariva pill for years. Like 6 or 7 years. I never realized what this pill did to my mental health until I got off of it. I was always tired, always had brain fog, and was always crying. I had ridiculous mood swings. I just hated how I was. I always felt awful. My sex drive was way low too. Coming off of this pill was the best decision I’ve ever made. Believe the negative reviews."

• Sar...
• August 23, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on Kariva for about five months. It is my first experience with the birth control pill as I am getting married in September and wanted to be regulated by the wedding. The first couple of months, I experienced mood swings, headaches, and weird appetite. However, my side effects have leveled out. I no longer have any side effects. In fact, it has cleared my acne up some. My periods have never been bad, but they are now only about 1-2 days long. I would say my cramps may be a little worse, but since the period is shorter, it evens out. I have not gained weight from this pill. In fact, along with diet and exercise, I have been able to lose weight while taking this pill. I would recommend Kariva."

• Bew...
• June 9, 2015

For Birth Control "Beware this drug! I experienced the most horrendous mood swings and extreme anxiety while on this drug. The side effects took a while to develop, but once they did, it was truly unbearable. I had no idea why my personality was changing so drastically. It was truly terrifying. I wasn't making the connection between this drug and my highly elevated emotions. I told my doctor on a whim about my terrible anxiety/mood swings, and he immediately took me off of Kariva. Within a week, I was feeling back to my normal self. It has now been 4 months off of Kariva, and I have not had one mood swing or case of anxiety. I would never recommend this drug to anyone. As far as I'm concerned, it should be taken off the market permanently."

• hdp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I took Kariva for about 9 months. The positives include that my period was extremely predictable, and it didn't last too long. It didn't affect my weight, and my acne cleared up. But the negatives outweighed the positives by far. I had experienced the worst mood swings I've ever had, I became anxious, and cried multiple times a week (yet before Kariva, I was not an avid crier and was able to keep my emotions in check). I was more sad and emotionally unstable than I had ever been, and I had absolutely no motivation to work or to push myself to be happy. I noticed a small change in my mental state within the first 2 months of taking it, but thought it would level out. I kept taking it because it kept my period more regular than other pills. I switched birth controls 2 weeks ago, and since I've stopped taking Kariva, even after 2 weeks, I have been the happiest and calmest I have been in months, and am only realizing now just how emotionally and mentally unwell I was."

• hdp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I took Kariva for about 9 months. The positives include that my period was extremely predictable, and it didn't last too long. It didn't affect my weight, and my acne cleared up. But the negatives outweighed the positives by far. I had experienced the worst mood swings I've ever had, I became anxious, and cried multiple times a week (yet before Kariva, I was not an avid crier and was able to keep my emotions in check). I was more sad and emotionally unstable than I had ever been, and I had absolutely no motivation to work or to push myself to be happy. I noticed a small change in my mental state within the first 2 months of taking it, but thought it would level out. I kept taking it because it kept my period more regular than other pills. I switched birth controls 2 weeks ago, and since I've stopped taking Kariva, even after 2 weeks, I have been the happiest and calmest I have been in months, and am only realizing now just how emotionally and mentally unwell I was."

• Anonymous
• January 6, 2010

For Birth Control "I have been using Kariva for five months now, and it's been pretty good. I had some itching, mood swings, spotting, and lowered sex drive in the first two months. After the first three months, all the side effects were gone, and I've been feeling great with the pill ever since. I had no weight loss or gain and overall good health. Just wanted to share."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Kariva for a month now after switching from Loestrin (which gave me insane mood swings and heavy discharge). My skin is good, periods are light, cramping is limited, and mood is normal. But my boobs have gotten bigger, and I do notice that I have gained some weight in my upper thighs and hips."

• Anonymous
• October 21, 2012

For Birth Control "I have been on this medication for about 5 to 6 months. And it works great for birth control. Even if you miss a pill or two by a little bit, you're still protected, and it doesn't affect your period. But ever since I got on the pill, I'm not myself. I'm constantly depressed and get bad mood swings. And I have literally no sex drive whatsoever."

• SHa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I just started my third month of Kariva. I switched from Junel Fe 1/20. Before, I would get insane mood swings and depression. On Kariva, my mood is balanced as long as I take it at exactly the same time every day. I haven’t noticed any weight gain or change in my sex drive. I had a horrible migraine the first day I took it; after that, it’s only happened one other time. My periods last 3-4 days and are light. The only side effect I can’t stand is that I can’t sleep. I have trouble falling asleep and, once I do, I wake up throughout the night. I’ve been dealing with that for two months, and I’m trying to hold out and see if it gets better because it is a great pill otherwise."

• Ick...
• January 23, 2019

For Birth Control "DO NOT TAKE. The hormonal rage, hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, night sweats, insomnia, THAT'S JUST TO NAME A FEW side effects. We won’t even address the hemorrhoids, breast pain, vision problems. I’d rather be pregnant."

• CGa...
• April 3, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking Kariva for 6 years now for painful periods. I only take ibuprofen for 1-2 days now during my period as opposed to 5. My bleeding went from heavy to moderate and my period went from 8 days to 4-5, but that’s about the only benefit. Over time, my side effects have gotten much worse to the point I’m considering stopping usage. My sex drive is nonexistent, and sex has become very painful over the years due to dryness. I keep up with my annual gyno exams, and we’ve concluded that the pill is to blame. I never had a single yeast infection or BV in my life until taking this medication, and now they’re a yearly occurrence. I also have noticed more mood swings, and I’m much more emotional than I used to be. At this point, Kariva is very negatively affecting my relationship, and I wish I would’ve tried other alternatives to fix my painful periods before jumping on birth control. There’s an underlying reason behind painful periods, and taking birth control is just masking the problem."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 19, 2014

For Birth Control "Been on Kariva for 2 months, and it has its good and bad. BAD: I have never experienced such bad mood swings in my life. I have little patience, I get extremely mad and aggravated very easily. I can be happy one minute, then CRAZY another minute. So be aware of the horrible mood swings. Didn't do anything for my 7-day period. I break out a week before my period. GOOD: it does prevent you from getting pregnant, even in the first month."

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2011

For Birth Control "My doctor suggested Kariva to me because I was previously on Ortho Tri-Cyclen (which made me extremely moody/emotional) and more recently Lo-Estrin (which gave me no sex drive whatsoever and made me completely emotionless). I was anxious to find a happy medium after going from one extreme to the other. I've been on Kariva for three months now. I've never been one to have any type of headaches of any kind, and after being on Kariva I experience headaches multiple times a day. I'm extremely tired all the time and I've gained weight in my breasts (I'm naturally a D and I've gone up to a large DD). No sex drive, extreme mood swings, acne, and increased appetite. I can't wait to get off this pill. Look for other options before taking Kariva."

• No ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 8, 2021

For Birth Control "After having a terrible experience with NuvaRing (panic attacks which started and ended with it), I took Kariva. Despite having sore boobs 24/7 and 365 and mood swings, I didn’t think it would cause any medical problems until last fall when I got searing stomach pain and abnormally high lipase (pancreas) numbers to the point where I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. I was in so much pain for months. No doctor believed it was because of birth control when I mentioned that was the only medication I was on, and they ran a bunch of unrelated tests and gave me Nexium. I finally decided to take it upon myself and went off birth control. Immediately, my pancreas numbers plummeted back to within range and have been normal since. My stomach began to heal, nearly completely now. Only in retrospect did doctors acknowledge the correlation. It might work for some people, what I got is probably rare, but I’m still seriously disappointed in how lightly the medical community takes hormonal drugs. Lesson learned."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 30, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on this for about 3 years and experience very little cramping and other period side effects, which is great. Also, I haven't gotten pregnant, so I guess it does the job. But I experience drastic mood swings, no sex drive whatsoever, and my hooha is like a desert. I stayed on it because I'm too lazy to make a new appointment with my gyno, but it's starting to drive a wedge in my relationship as the side effects are getting increasingly worse, so I plan to change soon."

• Jjs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2018

For Birth Control "I’m 23 years old. I’ve switched from Viorele to Kariva because my pharmacy decided to switch it, and I just ended up taking it. I definitely do feel a bit more emotional than usual, but I don’t know if it’s casually linked to the Kariva. I realized a small rash of white pimples next to my mouth- which I’m hoping is not a side effect and is nothing serious. I’ve only been on this new pack for a week now, but I don’t really have any complaints. I liked my previous BC, Viorele, and they have the same exact active ingredients... so far I’m okay with the switch."

• but...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2019

For Birth Control "I think it is important to note that birth control is different for everyone, but I was on Kariva for 5 days, and it was awful! I would wake up between 3-4 times in a night, have night sweats (which is not normal for me), my breasts were so tender, I was insanely bloated, and the worst part... I think a blood clot was forming in my calf. I did not think this was possible since I was only on it a few days, but then I read that clots normally form when first starting birth control. I was also very emotional/anxious/depressed. I will be switching birth controls."

• Nau...
• December 16, 2009

For Birth Control "I've been on Kariva for 1 month and have had several side effects. My moods swing more so than usual, going from happy and giggly to angry and screaming the next. My abdomen is bloated, I am gassy to the point of severe pain, and I have had bouts of diarrhea and nausea. The first day of my period, I felt so awful! The pain was less than when I was not on birth control pills, but I had horrible gas pains, diarrhea, and I threw up. I will give Kariva another 2 months to see if I adjust to it over time. If I don't, I'm definitely asking my gynecologist to switch me."

• Gra...
• September 5, 2016

For Birth Control "I can't give this medication a 10 without being on it for a long time, but what I can say is that this medication was recommended to me by 2 different doctors who also take it themselves. Also, I can say that my side effects from my previous birth control are going away after taking Kariva. I had the worst mood swings and anxiety from Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I was always either angry and upset or hysterically crying for no good reason. From the first time I took Kariva, my mood dramatically improved. I actually feel friendly towards others for the first time in months."

• Anonymous
• August 3, 2009

For Birth Control "I switched to this from Ortho Tri Lo almost a year ago. I have had crazy mood swings. Seriously, I can be the happiest person in the world one minute, the next, I can be super angry or super depressed. My flow is really light, but breakthrough bleeding in between periods has happened more often."

• Anonymous
• April 12, 2011

For Birth Control "I was prescribed this for birth control because I didn't like the weight I gained on Yaz, but it was a mistake. For weeks, I had horrible headaches to the point where I couldn't think, and then I had terrible mood swings. Effective as a contraceptive because I didn't get pregnant, but I was confused as to why I didn't feel like myself at all. After I figured out that it was probably Kariva, I stopped immediately. I had no clue birth control pills could make me that crazy! After a month, I felt much better. Not taking this ever again."

• Kan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 11, 2019

For Birth Control "I started taking Kariva for irregular periods after being on another pill. At first, it was fine because my periods were lighter, but after a few weeks, I started getting terrible cramps, bloating, and my acne got awful. It also completely changed my mood, and my sex drive is absolutely non-existent. Will definitely be switching."

• Jul...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 12, 2019

For Birth Control "This Kariva birth control has completely ruined my mental state! I have not gotten pregnant or had any scares, but that is not worth what it has done to me emotionally. I am always on the verge of crying, I wake up mornings feeling depressed, and I have even developed anxiety and have anxiety attacks once a month when I have NEVER had anxiety in the past. It has put a strain on my relationship with my boyfriend because he is constantly having to tend to me emotionally as I am always susceptible to mood swings and upset. My period has not even improved other than the fact it is consistent, it is still five days and not even much lighter. Also, my cramps have not improved at all, they may have even gotten worse."

• Cof...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 24, 2018

For Birth Control "I was on Kariva for about 2 years. Up until the last 3 months, everything was great. It made my period lighter and regular, only had slight cramps on the first day, skin clearer, boobs even grew from a small B to a small C. I decided to change to a different pill recently because I was experiencing emotional side effects. I have always struggled with anxiety, but I was very stressed out due to life circumstances but noticed heavy mood swings. I wanted to try switching my pill before I tried a psychiatric medicine. I would still recommend trying Kariva to everyone, it’s worth a shot, and I liked it for a long time!"

• sol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2023

For Birth Control "I never leave reviews, but let me tell you, this birth control affected me severely. I had horrible mood swings, depression, and anxiety. I cried almost every day, experienced diarrhea, and lost more than 20 lbs in 2 months, going from 140 lbs to 120 lbs."