Kariva User Reviews & Ratings (Page 4)

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2009

For Birth Control "I've been on Kariva for 5 months now and am looking to switch. I get my period the third week of pills for several days, and then again the fourth week as a full period. Both sets of periods I get come with cramps, bloating (and several pounds of weight gain, which disappears once my period is over), and moodiness. When I asked my doctor to switch initially, she suggested I wait several months, as sometimes these effects subside, but mine have not."

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

For Birth Control "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 from 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 of months, I received bad headaches, and I was 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."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 4, 2015

For Birth Control "Took brand Mircette for 2 months. Great for skin & body adjusted quickly to brand only. Had no immediate side effects, but the manufacturer never made enough. Was forced to generic. Estrogen placebos did nothing to help menstrual migraine/estrogen withdrawals, debilitating headaches. It was actually worse on this pill. Many trips to the ER. On brand, I didn't have the daily headaches. Sex was ridiculously painful on both, and the 3rd month on brand was unbearably dry in my vagina. Took Kariva & had the most debilitating migraine/daily headaches ever. All doctors denied the correlation. Had breakthrough bleeding/spotting, tampon amounts for 3 months & then anemic. Demanded to be removed off this! Get rid of your gyno if she doesn't believe you."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 25, 2019

For Birth Control "I switched to Kariva about 1.5 years ago to help with breakthrough bleeding that I was experiencing with the prior birth control. For a few months, my period was light and only 3 days long and was expected during the inactive week. I would say I did notice that this medication made me more depressed before my period was coming, and I did gain around 8 lbs. After taking this medication for a longer time, I experienced breakthrough bleeding earlier and earlier, to the point where I ended up having a heavy two-week period as well as longer bouts of moodiness and cramping. I do experience a lot of bloating and gassiness. I have decided that I need to try another type of medication. This was great for the months that it worked properly for getting my period on time, but I could not imagine continuing this."

• eie...
• March 20, 2015

For Birth Control "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 until usually Saturday night. I've yet to get pregnant, so besides these small side effects, I would definitely 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."

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2018

For Birth Control "I was on Kimidess for 2 years, and it was great. When I moved and got new insurance, for whatever reason, I kept getting Kariva and not Kimidess from my pharmacy. It has been awful for me. After little to no sex drive, hormonal acne, and perioral dermatitis appearing, I stopped taking the pill and am now hoping to go back to Kimidess. While all BCPs work differently for different bodies, this one certainly did not work for me. Super disappointed I was even given this when my doctor never prescribed it! Ladies, be careful about generic BCPs. I personally do NOT trust them now."

• Anonymous
• January 7, 2012

For Birth Control "I started this pill back in August after being on Loestrin FE. I was happy with that pill, but it turned out I was having a bunch of the side effects listed to call your doctor about! Anyways, every month for the past 6 months that I have been on Kariva, I have gotten my period a week early, and it has lasted through the whole 2 weeks. When I was on Loestrin, I got my period on the 4th Monday of the month and was finished that Friday. My period has been heavier, and I am getting cramps again. The good part of this pill is I am not getting shooting pain in my breasts before my period now, the downside is getting my period for 2 weeks in a row every month. I am going to call my doc on Monday to try a new pill."

• Anonymous
• April 29, 2009

For Birth Control "I started this a few months ago, and since then, it has fixed my cycle to be every three to four weeks instead of a week and a half, and for that, I am incredibly thankful. But I have had terrible migraines with blurred vision, and it has not lightened or shortened my period, which is why I was prescribed this. Like all medications, things work differently for everyone, but this has been my experience, so I thought I would share."

• Kar...
• October 23, 2018

For Birth Control "Started on the Depo shot when I was 14. Although not having periods was 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, without 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 of 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 for 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 3, 2015

For Birth Control "It's kept me to where I cannot have kids, which is a good thing. Sex drive is still as usual. The weird part is I don't get periods anymore, which has caused me to fear I was pregnant, but otherwise it's fine. I have symptoms of menopause, but I am an 18-year-old girl, so I can't have it just yet. My guess is the side effects?"

• Bob...
• August 6, 2015

For Birth Control "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

For Birth Control "Do not recommend... Kariva made my face break out bad, and 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

For Birth Control "I had been on Kariva for 4 years. I had noticed that if I missed more than one pill in a given week, I would 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."

• cta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2019

For Birth Control "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."

• Yua...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2019

For Birth Control "I was switched to this from Azurette by CVS without any options, as they are supposed to be generics of each other. I gave it a shot, and the first 3 months seemed okay, but then on month 4, I got massive migraines. In month 5, I got about 20 cysts in my breasts and had one so huge that in month 6, I had to get 3 of them drained for the first time in my 35 years on this planet. That was the last straw, so I completely stopped taking it and threw away all my future dosages. After being off it for almost a week, I feel like I get better sleep, and my breast pain has gotten better - though still not 100%. Don't even get me started about sex drive, I forgot what that even feels like anymore."

• Han...
• June 29, 2017

For Birth Control "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, 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!"

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2015

For Birth Control "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 'cause she said I needed a higher dose of estrogen. Kariva stopped my heavy period in 1 day. I will say that you will definitely notice a change within yourself when taking this pill, not in a bad way, but you will feel the changes your body is making and a change in mood while your body starts to adjust. That was my only side effect."

• Ayk...
• November 12, 2018

For Birth Control "I have been on Kariva for a year now. I have a heart arrhythmia that is aggravated by 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 whack, 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 birth control. It also kills your sex drive. I will be asking for an alternative when I see my doctor next month. I have taken other birth controls in the past with no issues."

• Anonymous
• April 2, 2010

For Birth Control "At halfway 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."

• Hap...
• March 22, 2010

For Birth Control "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 of 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 mood swings, but other factors contribute to them as well."

• dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2020

For Birth Control "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 to 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!"

• Emi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2022

For Birth Control "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 can't seem to shake the soreness in my breasts 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 breasts, I did."

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

For Birth Control "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 you're 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."

• Anonymous
• August 13, 2020

"I went on the pill for my skin 5 years ago. I struggled with very dry skin and acne. I never noticed a change in my behavior, I do get a little moody during my period, but I feel like that’s normal. Before going on Kariva, my periods were long, painful, and heavy. I noticed once I went on the pill, I had short, light, and manageable periods. I could always expect what week/day I’d be getting my period. I’m not sure if I gained weight because I was only 14 when I started. I do always wonder if I got off Kariva if I would lose weight (although I’m already slim). I wouldn’t say this pill affects my sex drive, but again I was on the pill before I was sexually active, so I’m not sure. Overall, I would recommend this birth control for people who have dry, flaky skin. Everyone’s body acts differently, but this pill has never made me anxious and/or depressed. I would definitely recommend this to people who are starting out or people who have preexisting problems with their skin."

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

For Birth Control "I switched from Orsythia 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 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 Orsythia!"