Loryna and Depression: What Users Say

• Bee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2021

For Birth Control "Switched to Loryna to help with acne and didn’t notice a change at first, but it gave me severe anxiety, and I felt hopeless and depressed every day, even to the point of having suicidal thoughts. I thought I was going crazy because of how fuzzy and out of it I felt. Didn’t feel like myself at all, had no appetite, GI issues, and heart palpitations. It is not worth it for a little less acne. I've only been off it a couple of weeks, and I feel SO much better."

• Bee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2021

For Birth Control "Switched to Loryna to help with acne and didn’t notice a change at first, but it gave me severe anxiety, and I felt hopeless and depressed every day, even to the point of having suicidal thoughts. I thought I was going crazy because of how fuzzy and out of it I felt. Didn’t feel like myself at all, had no appetite, GI issues, and heart palpitations. It is not worth it for a little less acne. I've only been off it a couple of weeks, and I feel SO much better."

• Ema...
• April 27, 2020

For Birth Control "I was on the pill Loryna for a year and finally got off of it. I was on it originally for acne and then for the birth control aspect. I have never felt so anxious or depressed in my life. I continued to blame my irrational emotions and physical appearance on circumstances in my life but had no idea that this was primarily due to this prescription. I gained weight, which was really weird for me because I was a college athlete, working out 2-3 times a day. I began to develop some pain in my left breast, eventually getting an ultrasound because my doctor was concerned by some lumps that she felt. The radiologist told me that I had an extreme amount of extra breast tissue due to this prescription. I had panic attacks on a daily basis and nightmares almost every night. I highly recommend not taking this. I wish someone would have warned me about everything I was about to go through."

• Abb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2021

For Birth Control "I started taking Loryna about 3 months ago, and I've never felt worse! I feel bloated all the time, get severe headaches (which I normally never get), have gained stomach issues, and to top it off, I have put on a few pounds. Plus, Loryna also makes me feel sad 24/7! And if I'm not sad, then I'm having outrageous mood swings. This oral contraceptive is definitely not the one for me. However, everyone is different, so take my experience as you please."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 15, 2019

For Acne "I have had the worst luck with side effects from birth control pills. I'm talking insomnia, severe cystic acne, becoming an emotional wreck with anxiety and depression; you name it, and it probably happened to me. Yaz (generic Loryna) was the best one I've taken. I'm sleeping (which is huge for me), I'm not biting everyone's heads off or crying hysterically, and my acne has cleared up, which was my main concern. I have tried 5 different birth control pills, and Yaz is working amazing for me. I gave it 9 stars because I do have some occasional chest pain when I take this pill. I'm not sure if it's caused by Yaz or what, but it seemed to start when I started this pill. I'll continue to update everyone on my progress!"

• JHa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 21, 2020

For Birth Control "I’m finishing my third pack of Loryna. I’ve really struggled with giving my body the adequate time to adjust to it, but I can’t take the side effects anymore. I switched because the last few pills I tried did not clear up my hormonal acne. Loryna has helped clear up my skin, and my period is much lighter, both of which are nice. However, I also take Vyvanse for ADHD and narcolepsy, and I swear Loryna is messing with the effectiveness. I’m incredibly fatigued and sleepy all of the time now. I’m also experiencing awful headaches. I’m so depressed and anxious to where I can hardly recognize myself. My boobs have gone up a cup size, I’ve gained 11 pounds, and yes, I’m starving all the time. I have done intermittent fasting for the last two years and dropped 25 pounds, but rapidly gaining 11 pounds in under three months and struggling with my intermittent fasting, along with other side effects, is ruining my self-image and happiness."

• Ama...
• January 16, 2019

For Birth Control "I’m 30 and have been on some form of birth control since I was 15. I started Yaz/Gianvi maybe 7 or 8 years ago and loved it! I was given Loryna 4/5 months ago. I must be an idiot because it took me up until yesterday to connect the dots. I’ve gotten my period every single month 10-3 days before finishing my active pills. I thought I was going absolutely crazy because I never missed any! I’ve had horrible cramps and bloating; my breasts have increased a full cup size and are extremely sore - the only time of the month I get any reprieve is when I stop the pill for my period, which is now 10 days long and super heavy and full of clots. I also have insomnia (fall asleep after 3 every night), cystic acne (this is new), depression, lack of energy, constant yeast infections/BV, and a feeling of constant PMS... Did I make myself clear that I am bloated and have cramps and breast tenderness EVERY DAY? DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL."

• Anonymous
• January 15, 2020

For Acne "Was on Nikki, which was great, but getting my prescription through Nurx, which seems to send any extra inventory of whatever birth control they happen to have on hand. Have been on Loryna (the generic Nikki) for 3 weeks and have had cystic, horrible acne all over my chin for the last 2 weeks, and it is also on my chest to the point where I can't wear any shirt that shows an ounce of chest skin. Luckily, it's winter. I've had breakthrough bleeding but started my full-blown super tampon period yesterday. Mid pill pack? Have also been depressed, moody, and angry. I've had bad skin the majority of my life and been through the whole rigmarole, including over-the-counter meds, every prescription topical, all the antibiotics, being on antibiotics for years at a time, birth control, spironolactone, Accutane, laser treatments, red and blue light therapy, no dairy, no sugar, no food at all, etc., etc., etc. Accutane is the only thing that calmed my skin some. But now on Loryna, I feel like my skin has reverted back to being like before I did all my acne treatments."

• meo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 11, 2023

For Birth Control "I started using Loryna my senior year of high school, and since then, it has only helped me. I had painful cystic acne that elevated when stressed, but being on Loryna slowly made it go away. I never had cramps, only really bad back pain before Loryna, which went away after I started taking it. It eventually made my period go from moderate-heavy to spotting-light. I experienced no weight gain, but I am quite active (sports or gym 3x a week and lots of walking), and I eat very balanced. I never realized until I started taking Loryna that I had PMDD. Before, I was extremely suicidal, depressed, and manic before and during my period. It completely made it go away. I always tell people that birth control saved my life because in some ways, it actually did. I had no idea what was wrong with me, but once it went away, I finally realized that I could never go back to the pre-Loryna days. As far as birth control goes, I have never had a pregnancy scare."

• Ano...
• November 27, 2016

For Menstrual Disorders "This birth control made my life a living hell. First, my emotions went out of control. I was always moody, terribly anxious, and started to become depressed. Following this came the real reason why I am writing this review. I went on this birth control to help with my irregular and heavy periods. When the day came, I never experienced cramps so painful in my life. The only thing that I can compare it to is when I had to have an emergency appendectomy because it was about to explode. With this, my period was the heaviest it has ever been and has been going on for 2 weeks now. This pill did much more harm than good for me and I would never suggest it to someone."

• Nat...
• September 20, 2017

For Menstrual Disorders "I switched from Lo Loestrin Fe because it made me stop having periods and made me nervous that I was pregnant because I didn't get my period. I switched to Loryna, and my periods came back and weren't irregular anymore, fairly light, and less cramps. I have barely any acne besides some occasional acne on my backside. I've been having mood swings, low and high periods that last a week or so. It started affecting my relationship in a negative way, and I've had more anxiety attacks than I did without it. Didn't make me gain weight at all, although it did make my depression a bit worse. I recommend this birth control but advise being careful, and if you notice it taking a toll on your mental health, then switch. I haven't switched yet."

• sha...
• October 9, 2019

For Birth Control "With this birth control, Loryna, I had only taken it for two weeks. If that doesn’t tell you anything, I don’t know what does. I’m diagnosed with endometriosis, which means I’m always at a high risk for cramping, blood clots, and all that jazz. I was on Sprintec for a year, and it just wasn’t right for me. My doctor had prescribed me Loryna, and I’ve never felt more like a crazy person in my life!! As soon as I started taking it, I realized a change in my moods and how I acted. I had horrible anxiety and depression for as long as I was on it!! This pill I do not recommend whatsoever!"

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 27, 2021

For Acne "Loryna gives me horrible side effects. Super depressed, anxious all the time. It makes me cry every single day throughout the entire day for the whole first week. The second week got slightly better, cried less, but I can't feel happy at all! Nothing makes me happy for the entire time that I was taking the pill! It never happened in my life before. I was feeling miserable for nonsense reasons. I was aware that my thoughts and my actions were being ridiculous. However, my mood, my thoughts, and everything about myself were out of control. It also caused me to have a super difficult time falling asleep and staying asleep. It gives me super strong headaches throughout the entire time. My body gets easily numb when I stay in a pose for only a few seconds. I was restless, having headaches, strengthless, sad mood throughout the whole time that I was taking it. It started causing me heart pain in the last week even!"

• ale...
• July 11, 2021

For Birth Control "I've gained 20 pounds in the 5 months I've been on this. I cry and am depressed and find myself working extra hard to do activities that I normally love. I have never had recurring yeast infections and have to treat them once a month now. I also lost my sex drive, and I suddenly have really bad melasma. I am stopping immediately and hopefully notice some improvement soon. The plus side to this was short and light periods, but after the first 2 months, I had random spotting every month."

• SJa...
• March 8, 2019

"I'm 48 and have been on BCP for 6 years for medical management, first Beyaz, then Yaz, then Vestura, then, I guess, over the last year or so, Loryna. It has 100% helped my symptoms and made my life manageable. I skip placebos and take 3 to 4 packs in a row. My period lasts one to two days. This has saved me from a hysterectomy. Of note, last fall, a benign cyst was found on a breast ultrasound. It was my first ultrasound, so I have no idea how long it's been there. Of note, over the past year or so, I've had unresolved edema in both legs. Of note, when I'm off the pills for my period, the leg swelling is extremely significant, also fatigue and depression, crying. Those mood swings were way worse and much longer lasting before BCP. Of note, since last year, my blood pressure has been a tiny bit high, which it is usually on the low side. I continue to monitor my overall health symptoms to make sure this medication is not otherwise harmful to me. I can't say enough how it has helped my pain."

• K97...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 17, 2018

For Birth Control "I have used this for about 6 months now. It definitely helped with making my periods lighter and a lot less painful. They went from being irregular and lasting 7 or more days to only lasting about 4 days with barely any cramps. The only downside of this is that it definitely affected my mood, and I’ve felt more anxious and depressed since being on this, so I will be switching to a different brand."

• ImA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2016

For Birth Control "So I started bc yesterday... no joke, I'm hormonal as heck! Even typing this makes me want to cry. I mean, I'm a small woman, 21, 4'11, and I kind of expected to be like this. My doctor said it tricks my brain into thinking it's pregnant so that certain parts of my body stop working. Like, in this case, the inflammation that causes my deadly cramps. Now I'm new to this whole birth control, but I think it's normal to feel sad and gain weight and all that because of what women go through during pregnancy. So though it makes me feel super tired, it's kind of a good thing because, get this: I'm an insomniac, haha. These mood swings are laughable - when I catch myself crying because I didn't share my sandwich with my two dogs. Long story short, I'm hoping this works."

• bad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2022

For Birth Control "I will start this off by saying everyone's body is different, and I am thrilled for the people this drug worked for! However, that was not the case for me. Switched from Blisovi to Yaz and finally to Loryna due to insurance issues, and have never felt worse than I have while on Loryna. While taking this drug, I experienced depression, hypomanic episodes, crying spells throughout the day, decreased sex drive, and really just not liking the world. I know it takes a while to adjust, but after only 1 week on this pill, I have thrown my entire supply in the trash can. Take this review with a grain of salt and don't be scared to try it, but if you start experiencing PMS symptoms all day, every day, just throw them away, not worth it when there are so many other options out there. Good luck, guys."

• Sad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2022

For Birth Control "I’ve been on BC before but had issues with depression. I tried Loryna and am 2 months in and can’t take it anymore! I have had headaches, probably gained weight, increased hunger, depression worse than I’ve ever experienced-crying over absolutely nothing off and on the first month, then it stopped for a few weeks and it’s back worse than ever with intense mood swings! I have had brain fog, fatigue, and the mood swings/irritability that happened in the 2nd month have affected my life and relationships! I feel unable to control my emotions and I’m sure I seem crazy to the guy I recently started seeing! I hope this pill hasn’t ruined my relationship, but I know it’s made me a crying, irritated, bloated lunatic! I’ve worked hard to be an easygoing, emotionally stable adult, but this pill makes me feel like I’m 2 sheets to the wind ugly crying and angry like I’m on a whisky bender. I don’t even drink anymore. I do not recommend!"

• I...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2022

For Birth Control "First of all, this pill will make you think you are pregnant by giving you all the symptoms of pregnancy. I had breakthrough bleeding for over a week, and I just today stopped taking this birth control because of it. It made me depressed again. It made me uncontrollably mad for no reason, I just can’t control my anger. So, time to switch to a different one."

• Tan...
• July 28, 2021

For Birth Control "Pros: Very few: cheap and face was clear throughout using it. Cons: I noticed some changes in my body and mental health and wrote them down to talk to my doctor about at an upcoming appointment. I had been on Yaz for 14 years with none of these issues, but had to switch due to my insurance covering Yaz anymore and California not accepting the Bayer Savings Card. I didn't think my issues were from Loryna until I read these reviews. I had fuller breasts, was constantly bloated, gained weight with the weight specifically in my abdomen (despite no diet or exercise change), decreased aerobic fitness, decreased sex drive, and felt more 'down' and self-critical. I stopped taking it and within four days saw improvements: breast size decreased, feeling less bloated, more positive, and my sex drive increased. I ran this morning, and it was my fastest time in months. Again, I had none of these symptoms during my 14 years on Yaz. I'm so glad I stopped taking Loryna!"

• Bee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 30, 2016

For Acne "I was on this for 8-9 months, and it was fine until all of a sudden, I had HEAVY breakthrough bleeding for almost two months straight (excluding the 6-7 days AFTER my period - then it would come back out of nowhere). After enduring this for two months, I went to my OBGYN, and she prescribed me Tri-Estarylla, which doesn't have great reviews. I was fine on Loryna up until 8-9 months. Not sure what went wrong there. I will say I have been pretty depressed for several months, but as someone prone to depression, I didn't necessarily attribute that to the medication. I'll see if anything changes now that I've switched. Good luck."

• Kat...
• August 14, 2021

For Acne "So I took Gianvi because that was recommended by my doctor. I went to the pharmacy a few times and was given Nikki (I refused it and never took it). I started taking Loryna and didn’t have any severe issues at first, but months later down the road I had severe, and I mean severe, exhaustion. Daily activities such as going to work or even cooking dinner chronically exhausted me. Exercise, besides walking, couldn’t happen for me because I was so tired I felt like I was gonna pass out at the gym. I have never felt so emotionally depleted and frustrated in my life. I’m going to the doctor soon to get off this and try something else out. I struggle with hormonal acne, so the thought of trying something else that won’t treat acne will be frustrating. I can no longer take this medication because it became debilitating for me. I completely have lost my entire sex drive, I have very frustrating headaches. My body often hurts, and I feel deeply depressed because I have no energy to work out."

• Gan...
• March 4, 2019

"Loryna is the only BC I have been on, prescribed to manage PMDD. It's so drastic I think I may also be bipolar, lol. Personally, my body's adjustment to taking hormones every day has been the worst part of it all. I am extremely sensitive to what I put into my body, so when I started taking, my reaction was violent. For the first 3 months, I had more frequent/intense cramps, irrational emotional reactions to everything, boobs sore and swollen EVERY DAY, majorly heightened anxiety/more easily depressed. - Positive changes: actual period is so much lighter/predictable, bleeding lasts for only about 4 days, yay :) MUCH LESS ACNE - Negative lasting effects: constant pain in breasts, NO SEX DRIVE :/ constant cramping, feels like I’m always in pain. **Stopped taking Loryna because my mood swings were still SO intense I wanted to remove the factor of taking hormones every day to see if I could stabilize myself. But my period was too irregular and even more painful without BC, so I am back on it now.**"

• ATa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 17, 2018

For Birth Control "I have taken two other kinds of birth control that gave me negative side effects, so I decided to switch to Loryna, which is the worst decision of my life! The first week, I had terrible nausea and couldn’t eat anything, and I have also been dealing with depression, bad mood swings, low energy, headaches, and irritability. It did make me lose weight, but there’s no way I’m staying on it due to all of the other side effects. If you’ve had issues with other kinds, this is ten times worse."