Jolessa for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• October 14, 2010

"Just started the second month of the three month pack. I've had no spotting at all. I am breaking out and I feel like I am always hungry even after I eat and have gained a few pounds. The acne is big red bumps which sucks. I have been on other four periods a year birth controls and had no problems at all, but insurance changes led to this."

• saman...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 26, 2014

"I started this birth control because my body had a negative reaction to the Depo Provera shot. I enjoy getting my period every three months, and it's always pretty light. The only bad side effect I have experienced is skin sensitivity. I more easily get acne and whenever I scratch myself the marks show. The most prominent example of skin sensitivity comes from my bra. It just hurts so bad at the end of the day that I have to take it off. Otherwise this has been a great birth control, considering this is fourth one I've tried."

• hwade
• June 9, 2011

"Taking Jolessa started out good, no bleeding the first month but then the second month started spotting which lasted a pretty long while maybe 3 weeks. I just now got to my actual period and wow the cramps are unbelievable. I used to never have cramps but now my cramps have been so terrible that I can't sleep, but maybe since this is my first period while on the pill. After my body gets used to it maybe I wont have such severe cramps."

• LaraDoc
• January 10, 2017

"I'm going on month 3 on Jolessa and the bleeding hasn't stopped since the month prior. As a BC, its great cause I'm not pregnant but the bleeding sucks. I haven't gained any weight which is great but I've become super irritable. I had this same reaction to the depo shot. I'm waiting on a doctors apt to change my BC."

• Just...
• March 20, 2017

"So I'm this person that hates birth control as in hate them to the core but since we have one child and wanted to wait to have another and the Latex on the condom was getting me sick all the time I decided to look into bc my doc suggested jolesa because I have painful cramps. The pill was great no spotting no periods at all I mean I nothin and it never killed my sex drive like the depo, I had some bad side effects nuasea, lil headache but the worst of all was the weight gain 20lbs in 3 months I mean I workout 5 times a week eat healthy like I'm told but the scale keeps going up I can't do this anymore I'm going to try another one been told jazamin helps with weight loss so I may give that I shot but I can't stand the way I look."

• Jano
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 29, 2018

"I wanted a BC that stopped my periods and this did it for me so I'm happy about that. The downside is weight gain. I gained about 10 pounds over the past year. I exercise daily (personal trainer) and I eat healthy. No matter what kind of diet 'cut' I do... nothing changes. Also, my hormonal acne is insane. My skin consultant offered a routine to help me minimize my break outs but even still they happen. So while I no longer have a cycle and cycle pain I have an extra 10 lbs and hormone acne. Guess you get to pick your poison."

• MrsMexy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 24, 2023

"This medication is horrible. I've had really bad anxiety and panic attacks constantly. I've never had this bad anxiety before and I am definitely not going to take it anymore. I've also had headaches and a lack of appetite. I was restless and couldn't fall asleep. I wish I never would have taken this at all. I also was bleeding constantly. I have read that your body has to get used to the medicine but with all the other side effects, I just couldn't take it anymore. I also have had a very low sex drive because of it and have mood swings. Hopefully, I can get back to normal soon because I am miserable. Please don't take this medicine I hate it."

• Kaitlin
• March 28, 2012

"I just started my second month of Jolessa. A month ago I weighed 105-115 depending on the week I guess. Now I weigh 140 pounds! I also am getting acne on my shoulders and sometimes my face, but I wash it multiple times a day because it is so oily! My skin has also been extremely irritated, I have never used lotion my skin has never needed it, and now it is extremely dry and itchy, and recently I started getting bumps on my arms like underneath the skin. Cramps are horrible around the time I am supposed to have my period. I haven't had my period or spotting since I started, however if you miss a day you will get it! I have been extremely up and down with my moods. "

• Angela
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 26, 2018

"I have been taking Jolessa since October 2016. I have only had a few months this whole time that I did not spot or bleed heavily. I have bad cramps during my period and clotting while on this pill. I noticed that my sex drive is much less and I am more dry during sex. I was not like this before I started taking this. It does prevent pregnancy. I am not sure if it is worth taking anymore. I recently found out I have a corn intolerance and Micro-crystalline cellulose is in this pill. My skin is super dry and I did gain weight. Some of these symptoms could be peri-menopause since I am 45. I did read that it is supposed to help prevent those symptoms but it has not for me."

• Unhappy...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 9, 2018

"Reason for medication also includes irregular menstrual cycle, Bilateral breast pain (ongoing), menstrual migraines. Years ago; I was on the brandname Seasonelle and had minimal issues. When my insurance changed at 23, I tried Jolessa due to the brand name being $235 (circa 2012). I remember having terrible mood swings, weight gain, acne, so I stopped taking it. Fast forward to 2018, I asked my doctor to try BC again due to irregularity and breast pain. Since the name brand drug now costs $435, I was forced to try Jolessa again. I have bled for 26 days straight and have stopped taking the pill. There has been no “trade off” as far as my symptoms being reduced.. I have had cramping, breast pain, and headaches and the excessive bleeding. I do not recommend this generic medication."

• jenma...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 25, 2014

"Since getting a tubal ligation 10 years ago, I have had heavy periods, over the years it has gotten heavier & more painful, I got anemia, and so fatigue at least 2 weeks before period and then my cycle would last at least 9-10 days. So basically a week out of the month I was semi-normal. The beginning of this year I barely found out you can take birth control to stop your period, obviously I jumped on that, got a prescription for Jolessa. Started it & my period still came as usual but wasn't that heavy, and then for the next 2 months I had spotting everyday.....but then the 3rd month maybe 1 or 2 days of breakthrough bleeding because I forgot to take a pill. Now 10 months of taking Jolessa I don't have a period at all."

• Anonymous
• October 1, 2010

"I absolutely love this birth control. I have always had really terrible periods that lasted for several days and I'm only 16. My doctor told me the best thing to do was use birth control and I picked this one. I am so glad I did, no spotting, no cramps, some weight gain but it comes off, and my breasts have grown a little. I'm starting the second pack soon and I hope the next pack will be as good as the first!"

• Tee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 16, 2018

"The first month went smoothly. The second month is when the side effects started. I had a DARK brown (not the usually dark post period blood) but brown brown discharge and terrible headaches. After two weeks of this madness, I stopped taking them! I read on other sites that this has happen to numerous other females. It was gross— I’m never taking this again! I still have the headaches two days off the pill."

• Meds
• April 4, 2012

"I've been on Jolessa for 2 months now. I've been spotting going on a month straight. My doctor put me on Motrin 600 3 times a day for 5 days and that was supposed to help stop the spotting. It did make it lighter but after the 5th day, I had really bad cramping and spotting went to a heavier flow. I'm going to try and hang in there because the pills did increase my breast size which is great for someone that's 31 and wearing 34A. Hoping the spotting would stop soon since I start my 3 month in a couple days."

• Do...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 18, 2016

"I have always been 110-112 lbs, and then after starting Jolessa, almost immediate weight gain of 7-8 lbs even though I am still just as active and eat very healthy. My sex drive is non-existent now since these awful pills. The only reason I went on them in the first place is to get my period every 3 months. Well it took me at least 7 months for that to happen bc the first few months I still got my period every single month and the spotting lasted for weeks at a time. I also have no patience anymore and can easily snap when this would have been totally out of character for me. I am switching back to my previous birth control this month finally."

• Anonymous
• October 14, 2009

"I've been on Jolessa for about 45 days now. My insurance wouldn't approve the original brand, which my RN mother-in-law says is better, but I've read about other women spotting on Seasonique too so its probably more personal experience. Light spotting at least every few days and I still got a period even after my first month which lasted about 10 days as opposed to my short, but very painful ones. On the plus side, I didn't even know the period was coming like I usually do: no severe cramps, mood swings, PMS, etc... On the down side, I have zero sex drive. But overall, I feel very "calm" with less anxiety. Not sure about weight gain, perhaps a few pounds but I'm making an extra effort to eat better and exercise."

• Anonymous
• March 13, 2010

"I started Jolessa when I started my period, and now, SEVEN WEEKS later, I have not stopped my period. We're not talking spotting here, this is a constant thing. It's made me irritable, and my bra size has gone from 32DD to a 32I, and needless to say, this is not a good thing in my case. I'm stopping it today. It just isn't worth it."

• Anonymous
• February 25, 2010

"I love the fact that I only get my period a few times a year. I was on the name brand version of Jolessa, Seasonique, for 6 months and when I would get my period, I would have terrible cramps...even when I wouldn't get bad cramps before being on birth control. I would spot a month before i was supposed to get my period. My twin sister started taking Jolessa and told me to try it. I love it. I rarely spot, and if I do it's a few days before im scheduled to get my period. I highly reccomend it."

• verni...
• May 31, 2011

"I have been on birth control for over 16 years now. I started with pills at 18 then Depo shot for 5 years, and now back to pills. I was on Seasonique and was okay. I switched Gyno and to help with copay she recommended Jolessa. I tried it and have been on it for almost 6 months now. I have been PMS'ing since I started. Breasts are constantly sore, severe mood swings, headaches and not to mention 10 pounds weight gain. I have always exercised and eat right. I am definitely switching!"

• Herto...
• May 8, 2017

"This medicine is horrible! I only took it three months and decided to stop. I got pregnant immediately. Not even six weeks into it I was dying of blood clots. My lung damage. I was in so much pain from the clots that I was on morphine and the back pain was super severe! If I could go back, I would've never in my life have taken this medicine and it needs to be removed from the market!"

• NewFa...
• June 30, 2016

"My experience has been almost entirely negative. Pros: Fuller breasts, effective at preventing pregnancy Cons: Spotting and heavy bleeding, cramps, irritability, fatigue, cannot stop eating McDonald's... weight gain concentrated in the "mom-gut" region I began spotting during the first week. This lasted several weeks, some days barely there, other days heavy. It stopped for barely a week, and then started again. During the second month, I basically started a period, going from light spotting to a light period. During week 6 I started a full-blown heavy period. Week 7 - intense cramping started. I started week 9 this week... but I have just had it. There is no end in sight, it seems. Into the trash it goes."

• Anony...
• January 19, 2011

"I am halfway through my first pack, and so far I love it. No bleeding or nausea. No weight gain. My gynecologist suggested I take birth control because I'm a wreck when I get my period--terrible cramps that nothing helps, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue. Hopefully I'll have a lighter period (my period lasts 5-7 days) when I finish the pack and no cramps, fatigue, or headaches."

• Ks01901
• May 2, 2011

"I took Jolessa for a year. Everything was fine and I loved not having my period every month. After a while it did make me gain 5-10 lbs and I had acne towards the end of the year. I had to change to a different birth control. I hate that I had to leave Jolessa behind but I can't stand the acne or the weight, even if it was moderate. Just try it for yourself, 4 periods a year is very nice."

• aunt...
• July 10, 2011

"I started this birth control because I hate my period. I was on it for about a month and a half and I felt horrible. I had serious mood swings making me so mean and a totally different person. I also had terrible cramping and a loss of libido. I was taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen for acne and thought that this would keep my acne at bay. Um no I was wrong I broke out everywhere! So I decided to go back to my old birth control and I am back to normal again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 25, 2016

"I've been taking Jolessa for 8 months. My first 2 months went great after that everything went downhill. Acne on my face, itching in certain areas and I've been having abnormal cycles. My cycle would come on TWICE a month and lasted about 10 days. Cramps were horrible and it was heavy flow for EVERYDAY. It was some days I would just spot out of nowhere. This is one type of birth control pills I don't recommend."