Aurovela Fe 1/20 and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• War...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 18, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on Junel Fe 1/20 and was prescribed this as a substitute when it wasn’t available. This drug made me feel more anxious, depressed, and disgusting than anything else that I have ever taken. I have gained 20 lbs on this pill and can’t seem to stop eating when I take it. I can’t seem to get off it either since every time I call Walgreens, they tell me that they can’t get my original medication. If your pharmacy tries to give you this prescription as a replacement for your prescription, please ask for something else."

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on Junel for two years before my pharmacy switched to Aurovela. Never in my life have I been so depressed for no reason whatsoever. I’ve been experiencing rage issues, which is very unlike me-overly emotional-and then to complete apathy at the flip of a switch. I’m always nauseated and gaining weight despite working out 6 days a week. I’ve never had issues about being down on myself, but here I am absolutely disgusted with every aspect of my body and mind. I feel like I am losing my sanity and will not be starting the new pack."

• Cai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 25, 2021

For Birth Control "This is the worst birth control ever. I’ve been on Junel and Lo Estrin for 10 years and never experienced any side effects. Walgreens gave me this birth control instead of Junel in Jan, and I finally called my Dr. to switch me back to Junel. Horrible, horrible acne, breast tenderness, weight gain (I’ve been the same exact weight for 7 years), terrible anxiety and sleeping issues, as well as low energy. Within three days of switching back to Junel, my entire face cleared up, and I’ve been able to sleep again. Hopefully, breast tenderness will go away with time, as well as back to my normal weight. Do not take this birth control as an alternative to Junel. If you use Walgreens, find a new pharmacy that will give you Junel."

• Anonymous
• January 3, 2022

For Birth Control "I was scared to start this birth control from the reviews I have read, but I have had zero issues with it. I have been on Lo Loestrin Fe for 4 years and needed to switch because of insurance issues. I did not gain any weight, break out, or have any unwanted side effects. My boobs felt a little swollen for the first week or so, but that quickly faded. I got my period when expected, and it was so light for 3 days. I have had no issues, and I am pleasantly surprised with how easily I transitioned to this pill."

• Mic...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 5, 2022

For Birth Control "The absolute worst thing I’ve ever put into my body. I’ve always been a happy, upbeat person. On this pill, I struggled with extreme anxiety, depression, weight gain, acne, uncontrollable anger, insomnia, and mood swings since being on this pill. I was great on Junel. Never once had a suicidal ideation until a few months being on Aurovela. It took me a while to connect the dots. I thought my anxiety and depression were outside factors until I took a few months off from taking the pill and felt like my normal happy self again. Then going back onto it, I felt the anxiety, depression, and anger kick in and take over my life. I’m an actual lunatic on the pill. I highly recommend staying as far away from Aurovela as possible."

• nev...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 23, 2021

For Birth Control "I've been on Aurovela Fe 1/20 for about 5 months now, and never have I felt the worst in my life. I have severe insomnia, 24/7 anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, and constant UTIs. I just spoke to my doctor to prescribe me back to Junel. I'm not myself, and it's time I do something about it. Life is short, and I'll do whatever it takes to make the most of it, including stopping any medication that can alter my body. I didn't realize until I read reviews on Aurovela that I also am experiencing weight gain and enlarged breasts (similar to when I was pregnant). It's time to stop taking this medication cold turkey."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 7, 2022

For Birth Control "I thought I didn’t have symptoms, but I got Bell’s palsy last year out of the blue. I wasn’t stressed over anything, and all of a sudden, it happened to me, which is weird because I am a very healthy person. I don’t do drugs or alcohol. I don’t eat junk food and exercise. Another thing was that I gained a ton of weight. Although I understand it could’ve been partly because of me. It’s outrageous how much weight I put on. I started at 140 lbs, and I’m 180 lbs right now. I box and weight train, no drinking, no outside food often, and don’t drink sugary stuff. I keep trying to lose weight and tried everything. I used to be able to lose weight with diet and exercise. Something else major that has been going on is migraines. I will get horrible migraines to the point I am throwing up uncontrollably and faint. I’ve never had migraines like this and so often. It did decrease my libido, and I’m someone who enjoys sex. So I’m switching to the mini pill."

• DO...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 9, 2022

For Birth Control "DO NOT TAKE THIS. I have never experienced such depression and suicidal thoughts. It made me gain about 12 pounds, and I never felt like myself, it made me crazy. I’ve always struggled with anxiety, but not like this. I got off of it, and within the first 3 days, I lost 10 pounds, and my friends even noticed a difference in my behavior. I realized how sad I was on a regular basis. This pill has ruined my view on any birth control, and I will never try any form of it again."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 11, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on Aurovela Fe 1/20 for a year, and it definitely made my period a lot lighter, and I never had issues with cramps or anything. The downside is that I used to stay around the same weight for years, but after being on it, I gained 10 pounds. I also used to never really have issues with acne until I started Aurovela. I've now been off of it for a month, and my skin has already gotten so much better!"

• Col...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 7, 2021

For Birth Control "Been taking this for 6 months. I switched to the pill from the patch for irregular periods and breakthrough bleeding. My periods were nonexistent until this last month (month 6). I was spotting and passing clots for about a week with severe cramps. I’ve also gained 15-20 pounds depending on what scale I use. I’ve been at the same weight previously for 3+ years, and having that change has drastically made my depression worse. I have anxiety attacks without this pill, and after starting it, the frequency has gone up tremendously. I have a condition called POTS, and my symptoms of tachycardia and hypertension have gotten worse since starting this medication. Upside, I’m not pregnant! Overall, would NOT recommend this drug at ALL."

• Lei...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2021

For Birth Control "This is the worst birth control I have ever been on. I have gained 7 lbs, had uncontrollable crying, very irregular periods (early and 2 weeks long), awful acne, and lots of cramping/diarrhea. I really do not recommend this birth control. I've been on it about 5 months now."

• Hey...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 4, 2022

For Birth Control "This was my first birth control I’ve ever taken, and my experience was just plain awful. I’ve dealt with cystic acne my whole life, and this pill has simply worsened it. A week before my period, I would get huge, I mean the biggest painful nodules I’ve ever dealt with. I gained about 8ish pounds, which is normal for most pills, but I would also have so many pregnancy symptoms, which led me to take countless tests. Not to mention it would wake me up in the middle of the night with nausea at least once every week. I know everybody's different, but personally, I had an awful experience, and I would recommend another pill far different from this one. (I was on this for about 4 months)"

• Str...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2020

For Birth Control "The only good thing about this Aurovela Fe 1/20 pill is that I haven't experienced any bloating or weight gain, but it has been giving me bad breakouts and very dry skin, and my Junel had never let my skin feel tight at all."

• bro...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2021

For Birth Control "If I can stop one person from taking this, it'll be great. One of the worst medications I have ever been on. My gyno has prescribed it due to being diagnosed with PCOS, etc. I have never in my life ever cried more and had complete mental breakdowns in my life. It made me super depressed, I had gained over 20 pounds easily. Etc. It extended my period for over 2 months straight. Please don’t take this."

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 17, 2021

For Birth Control "I've been taking this for 9 months now. I had severe pain with my periods along with hemorrhagic cysts that would burst about 4 times a year. I was so afraid to take birth control because of the horror stories, but after seeing a really good doctor who explained everything well and listened to me well (she is amazing), I finally gave this a try. This is the first birth control I've taken, and my periods have never been easier in my life. I don't even have cramps anymore! It has been a world of difference. Everything is a trade-off, of course. I've gained about 10 pounds, I get occasional headaches, 1 or 2 bad ones a month, and I feel a little out of it. But really, it is worth it for me. It beats having to deal with extreme pain every month, ER trips, and fear of something really bad happening with a cyst. Overall, the side effects have been minimal. People usually only give reviews if they have bad experiences, but I wanted to put this out there as my overall good experience with this medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 6, 2022

For Birth Control "This is my first time using birth control. When talking to my doctor, I requested something with a low dosage so that I still may receive my menstrual cycle. The doctor suggested Microgestin, but the pharmacist gave me the generic brand, which is this pill. I have had the worst experience when it came to mood swings and weight gain. I do not like this birth control. My mood swings are horrible, I have had the worst attitude you can think of. It makes me very aggravated, irritability out of control, always getting into an argument. When you get to a certain section of pills, it makes you eat, eat, eat, and eat like you can never get full. The hunger feels ridiculous. After I had my baby, I lost my weight going back to normal size, but starting those pills added my weight back. THIS IS NOT THE PILL FOR ME. I will try one more pill before I give up on birth control, everything is meant to be natural."

• MSa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2020

For Birth Control "I was wary of taking Aurovela Fe 1/20 at first as I normally take Junel 1/2 FE until my pharmacy had to give me this one due to shortage. During the first month, I hadn't had any problems with bloating, weight gain, or sudden mood swings, but at nearly the third week, I did experience some bad chin acne till the end of my days."

• Amo...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 18, 2025

For Birth Control "I have been taking it for years and should have stopped years ago. I have moments where I have horrible anxiety and depression. I have gained so much weight. It’s also raised my cholesterol levels. The only good thing is my cramps aren’t as painful and don’t cost me anything. I need to find another option."

• Anonymous
• February 2, 2022

For Birth Control "I have been on Aurovela for about 3 years now. It’s not bad. I don’t have bad side effects, only I did gain a little bit of weight, but with diet and exercise, I have been able to lose it."