Nortrel 1/35 and Acne: What Users Say

• Nin...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 28, 2018

For Birth Control "I was terrified to take this after reading reviews on here, but I actually have had a good experience with this birth control. I didn't really get any side effects, except I've gained 5 pounds, which could definitely be due to my eating habits. My skin has cleared up and my periods aren't as painful or long as before. It has also prevented pregnancy very well, basically, it does everything it should. I previously took Trinessa and Yaz, and my body hated them both (cystic acne, bloating, nausea), so Nortrel has been a breath of fresh air."

• Mus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2020

For Birth Control "I really didn't like this Nortrel 1/35 pill. I was on Pirmella 1/35 for about three years but had to switch to a different pill due to the virus (I now get my pills from Nurx). This was 'the closest thing they had to Pirmella.' Bad, lingering headaches, weight gain, longer and heavier periods, and horrible acne. I never had any of these on my original pill. I also get numbness and tingling in my fingers and hands on this pill. I haven't gotten pregnant yet, so that's the only positive thing."

• Sue...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2019

For Birth Control "I took Necon in my 20s-30s. I am 40 now and have been on Nortrel (generic of Nortrel) for 3 months. My pros: regular, 3-4 day periods, light flow, no to little acne, intense sex drive in week 3 (no dryness here), no depression/anxiety, or lack of sleep (I take clonazepam), rare headaches, rare spotting. My cons: extreme bloating (Midol helps), weight gain/increased appetite, mood swings, irritability, fatigue, cramps, nausea (I take ondansetron), gas, backaches (I take 800 mg Ibuprofen). Besides weight gain, there are 2 cons that can be age vs the pill. I see cellulite on my legs and my hair is thinning. I noticed most reviews are from girls younger than me, so I can’t compare. I love the light, short, regular periods. I am able to live with the majority of my cons. I am looking at ways to diet & become more active. Take at your own risk, but note your symptoms. See what you can live with, medicate (if you are okay with it-it helps). For me, this is not the best, but it's not the worst either."

• Coo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 11, 2019

For Birth Control "DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION. I started Nortrel 1/35 in Dec 2017. I became extremely anxious, depressed, extremely moody and would go from happy to sad or mad in a matter of seconds. I stopped taking this in January 2019, and all of the side effects subsided. Not realizing it was from the birth control, I started back up on it two weeks ago, and I have been breaking out so bad, my moods are all over the place, my anxiety is worse than ever. I decided to look up reviews because starting this pill again was the only recent change in my life, and now it all makes sense. I’ve also gained 5 lbs in the two weeks I’ve been back on it and started my period yesterday when I’m not supposed to have my period for another full week. This pill is awful!"

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 24, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking Nortrel for about 2 years now. At first, my period cramps were horrible for about a week, and also I was on a period for almost two weeks due to this being my first time on birth control. I was 17 when I first started taking the pill, and the only reason why my doctor recommended I take Nortrel was due to my horrible acne (which was bad). After 1 year, my acne finally cleared up of bruises and scars, and my period became regular. I think because I’m young, I really balanced my hormones along with my acne."

• Acn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2017

For Acne "The doctor prescribed me this, and I wish I never took it. Have to finish the pack so my period will get back on track. But honestly, this sucks. Made me go from mild acne to severe cystic acne on my forehead and chin, with reoccurring whiteheads on my nose and T-zone. Hate it."

• Acn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2017

For Acne "The doctor prescribed me this, and I wish I never took it. Have to finish the pack so my period will get back on track. But honestly, this sucks. Made me go from mild acne to severe cystic acne on my forehead and chin, with reoccurring whiteheads on my nose and T-zone. Hate it."

• Tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2019

For Birth Control "I started the Nortrel 1/35 birth control a week ago and have been nauseous ever since! I have no appetite, everything makes me nauseous. I have horrible mood swings and am starting to get cystic acne. I was on the depo shot in 2017 but got off after reading many horror stories. I decided on the pill because it was the safest form to me. Despite all the horror stories, I can say my experience on depo wasn’t nearly as bad as being on the pills and am definitely thinking about switching back!"

• Blu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2017

"They switched me from Necon to Nortrel, saying it was the 'same.' Within the first week, I knew it was bad for my body. My acne got worse and hurt, and my doctor said it should be helping my acne get better. Since I started 6 months ago with Nortrel, I have had dry eyes, and now I have a hard time seeing far away, which my eye doctor said is due to dry eyes since I have 20/20 vision. I was on Necon for 4 years and was so upset they switched me. I'm stopping the pill completely now, and I'm worried about side effects of going off, but it's not worth the dry eyes and other bad side effects. Very disappointed."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2018

For Birth Control "This birth control was awful. While it did its job in ensuring pregnancy prevention, I experienced the worst headaches and cystic acne of my life. Horrible mood swings and painful cramping. Do not take this medication if you have other options."

• wor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 1, 2022

For Birth Control "I am a 32-year-old female and had a hysterectomy, so I only have my ovaries. Fast forward a couple of years, and I’m moody and having acne on my chin so bad. I was on this birth control as a teen, and it worked great. So I asked my gyno if I could go back on this. I’m on my second month, and my acne has cleared up, and my moods have never been better. Even sleeping better. The only downside I am having is my boobs hurt, and they went from an A cup to almost a C. If they did not hurt, it would be great. I know everyone is different, but this is my experience with Nortrel 1/35. I am going to stay back on this as long as I can. My gyno and I agreed that since I don’t have periods anymore (from my hysterectomy), I only take the yellow hormonal pill. I don’t take the placebo, so every three weeks I start a new pack. I hope this review helps."

• Swe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 17, 2018

For Birth Control "Do not take this!!! I have never had acne in my life, just started taking this. The first day I took this, I was nauseous. Then week two, I started developing cystic acne all over my face. It has also caused insomnia. I’m going to finish the pack and try something else. Ladies, stay away from this pill!!!"

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2017

For Birth Control "I have been on Modicon in the past with no side effects except for a little spotting. Went off birth control pills for 6 years. Just started Nortrel, and they said it's generic for Modicon. I only lasted a week and a half on it. I had severe nausea and got acne from it. I stopped taking it for 2 days now, and I got a full-on fake period. Just wanted to let people know about the nausea if they are sensitive to that type of thing."

• Liv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2018

For Birth Control "It was an awful experience, mood swings, weight gain, and I had cystic acne, which developed within the first month of taking it. It ended up ruining the skin on my face. I have huge scars, the dermatologist is helping me remove them, but it scared me for life. Do not take."

• Kei...
• March 29, 2022

For Birth Control "I am 18 years old and recently started taking this birth control. My doctor told me I would see results in two weeks, and I’m now on week 3, and nothing has changed. My acne actually got worse, and the main reason my mom had me start this pill was to clear up my acne she’s been complaining about. I know it’s early, but I’m getting really frustrated that things are getting worse, and these reviews aren’t helping. I’m open to hearing someone’s thoughts about this."

• CCa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2019

For Birth Control "I'm very emotional and depressed. I feel low. All I want to do is lay down and eat. I've been sleeping longer. I have no energy. It's making my endo cramps worse. Just horrible. I haven't been on it long, but I'm feeling worse day by day. I switched to this birth control as the last birth control I was on gave me severe acne. And when I stopped, it started to clear up."

• Ass...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 27, 2017

For Acne "My acne was very mild. The first month my acne increased, and now has increased even more."