Ortho Cyclen User Reviews & Ratings

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 21, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on Ortho Cyclen for a few months, and my periods have finally regulated. The only difference in my body image is that I have gained a cup size, and my butt has gotten bigger, but my weight is the same, so I have no problem with that!"

• Kyl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 7, 2014

For Birth Control "Took this all throughout high school, and I never experienced acne because of it. This pill sure does a great job at keeping breakouts away. I'd get an occasional blemish or two, but that's better than what I have now. I got off Ortho Cyclen 6 months ago. Worst decision of my life, I'm cursed with acne that's covered my face, neck, shoulders, and back. This is because of a hormonal imbalance, which I think acne sufferers should look into. I think it's time to get back on this magnificent pill. Side note, it does a great job at preventing cramps, and my periods were so light and nonexistent, I would sometimes forget I'm even on it."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2015

For Birth Control "This medicine has been working really well for me. I'm on my third pack, taking it at exactly the same time every day. I had 0 side effects. My breasts did get a little bigger, which was nice, but I didn't gain weight anywhere else. My periods used to be irregular and painful, with heavy mood swings, but now my periods are very regular, and I can't feel them almost at all. Really happy with the results!"

• Nic...
• November 12, 2014

For Birth Control "Works as far as preventing pregnancy, shorter, on-schedule periods, REALLY good for preventing acne, but HORRIBLE for weight gain. I literally gained almost 20 pounds when I started taking this. And a lot of people say it's because it makes you feel hungry more often so you eat more, but I've had zero change in my diet so it must be something in the hormones. I've only been off this birth control for a week and a half, and I've dropped 9 pounds."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 6, 2012

For Birth Control "Been taking for over 9 years, no side effects, no pregnancies! When I found out my insurance didn't cover it, I decided not to switch since I don't have to worry about side effects, and the price is totally worth it for me."

• Flo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 8, 2016

For Birth Control "I am 21 years old and was on Cyclen for 3 months when I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lungs (pulmonary embolism). I have since been informed that this birth control put me at a greater risk due to its higher levels of estrogen. Luckily, they were caught in time, and I am currently being treated for them. My symptoms started out as an aching/stabbing pain in my mid/upper back that was worse when I ate. Then, a few days later, my breathing started to feel rather heavy. I was also coughing and burping a bit. I also had a bunch of other side effects during the course of taking this pill, including breast pain, headaches, nausea, and major mood swings! I don't normally write reviews, but I would feel horrible if this happened to anyone else!"

• Chr...
• July 28, 2016

For Birth Control "First off, let me say that this birth control was effective in preventing pregnancy for me, despite many negative side effects I experienced taking this pill. I was prescribed Ortho Cyclen to lessen period cramps, abnormal bleeding, and to prevent pregnancy. I can say the mood swings involved with this pill were miserable to deal with. I felt depressed or angry 99% of the time on this pill, but I wanted to give it a long enough time to see if my hormones would regulate. Not only was I sad, irritable, and experienced low libido, but I felt restless and nauseated from the hormones. I would not recommend this pill to anyone, and that is my humble and honest opinion."

• Ver...
• July 23, 2013

For Birth Control "I had been taking Ortho Cyclen for two years when my doctor accidentally gave me Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo instead of my normal pill, and I decided to give it a try. It was a terrible idea! The first month I was nauseous and dizzy, my thoughts started feeling fuzzy, and I could feel myself turning into an angry person. After three months, I was still constantly angry and couldn't think clearly. Not to mention the weight gain! I look five months pregnant! So today, I got my prescription of Ortho Cyclen, and I can't wait to start taking it again. I've tried many types of birth control, and if you're a woman who has troubles with hormonal birth control affecting your mood and brain chemistry, I would definitely go with Ortho Cyclen! Love it!"

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2017

For Birth Control "I just started my 5th pack of Ortho Cyclen. I have never taken any other birth control pills prior to this one, so I don't really have anything to compare it to, but this one has worked well for me. My boyfriend and I are sexually active and do not want any children, so I decided to take the pill. My first couple of months on it, I did feel a little different - kind of anxious and more mood swings, but that went away as I continued to take the pill and my body adjusted. The positive aspects I have noticed are it protects against pregnancy, is easy to swallow, makes your skin very healthy looking (my skin is glowing after a few months of taking), and makes my periods much, much lighter than they were before starting on birth control."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2012

For Birth Control "This is the first birth control pill I've ever been on, and I have no major complaints. I'm a healthy height/weight and exercise regularly. I just finished my third pack. During the first month, I had breakthrough bleeding (as expected with most pills) off and on, but that was it. My breasts are a little more tender, but it's nothing bothersome. The pill definitely hasn't bothered my sex drive either. I'm glad I stuck it out the first month because this pill has been great for me so far!"

• Anonymous
• July 23, 2011

For Birth Control "I am 24 and have been on Ortho Cyclen for almost 5 years and love it! When I was on the patch, I felt nauseous and weak, and it would never stay on my skin for the entire week, so I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen. Every week I would feel horrible because my body could never get used to the fluctuating hormones. So, my doctor started me on Ortho Cyclen for the constant, even stream of hormones, and voila! I found the best pill for me. Recently, I have been considering switching to an IUD, as I am tired of having to be chained to my pills even on vacation. But as far as a pill goes, this one is top-notch."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 24, 2015

For Birth Control "Ortho-Cyclen has worked incredibly well for me. It was the first pill I tried, and I took it for about a year. When my prescription ran out, I went to Planned Parenthood and was recommended Aubra, which did not work out for me. I had constant spotting, it significantly decreased my libido, and made me gain about 10 lbs. I have since switched back to Ortho-Cyclen and have had no noticeable side effects other than my breasts growing by about a cup size."

• Mon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2015

For Ovarian Cysts "This medicine has worked pretty well for me. After having constant health problems such as weight gain, bad acne, and not having a period but once a year for 3 years and being told that it was 'okay', I finally went to the OB/GYN for another opinion. I found out that I had PCOS and was placed on Ortho Cyclen. This medicine started to clear my acne after 3 weeks of taking it, and I started losing weight while on it. I lost a total of 6 pounds the first month and 8 the second month. The only drawback was that my period lasted for an entire 31 days the first month but was told beforehand that it could last that long because of the time I went without a period."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2017

For Endometriosis "My doctor put me on Ortho Cyclen to help with pain outside of my period caused by undiagnosed endometriosis. It has helped so much! I haven't been in the hospital for three months, and the pain is pretty much gone. My cramps are still there but not nearly as bad as they were before. Since being on it, I have noticed weight loss rather than weight gain."

• LLa...
• March 7, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Ortho Cyclen for 17 years for oral contraceptive reasons, and it is working wonderfully! No side effects. Although I tried to take the generic to offset some cost, I had terrible breakthrough bleeding. I quickly switched back to the name brand and was cured! So I'm still on the brand name Ortho Cyclen with no problems at all. Quite happy!"

• Zaa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 30, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on Ortho Cyclen for over two years now, and it has been great for me. It controls the hormonal acne I used to get on my jaw and makes my periods light and much less painful than without it (I still get cramps the first day). Before Ortho Cyclen, I had tried a couple of other brands of birth control (even Ortho Tri-Cyclen), but I had negative side effects on them. Please don't give up if you are looking for a birth control. Ortho Cyclen might not work for you, but maybe it will. It's worth a shot, in my opinion."

• Nad...
• October 5, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on Ortho Cyclen for a little over 2 months, and I'm already getting off of it. My husband and I are newlyweds, so I started taking the pill beforehand so that it would be effective by the time we were married. I was terribly nauseous for the first week or two. Like, unbelievably nauseous. I felt like I couldn't even stand up through some of it. Eventually, the nauseousness passed, and if it did happen, it wasn't as horrible or frequent. I did notice immediate acne as well (I almost never break out, and I had big cystic-looking acne on my chin, which was lame with my upcoming wedding). I had NO weight gain, but I did lose my sex drive. When I say that, I mean I really didn't feel the same at all."

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2013

For Birth Control "I have very bad hormonal acne and have been on Spironolactone for that issue. When I started this birth control, everything seemed fine, but when I started the 2nd pack, everything went downhill. I broke out very badly every single day and night. I bled every time my boyfriend and I became intimate. I got very, very depressed. Luckily, my boyfriend is understanding. He couldn't believe how different I was. I couldn't take it anymore and quit halfway through the 3rd pack. It was good at preventing pregnancy."

• Anonymous
• February 27, 2012

For Birth Control "I just started taking this pill. I've been on it for a week and take the brand name. I take it at night, and I noticed the morning after taking my first pill, I had a little spotting and some nausea, but the nausea went away after about an hour. So far, I like this pill a lot, and it hasn't given me any really bad side effects."

• Anonymous
• September 19, 2011

For Birth Control "I just got through my first pack of Ortho Cyclen and have noticed a few side effects: increased sensitivity, vaginal dryness, spotting, and acne. I had really clear skin and never had any acne problems before starting this pill (except the occasional pimple around that time of the month), but now it seems as though my face breaks out every few days. As for the vaginal dryness, I never had any problems with that before either. Now, sex is really painful unless I make sure to use lube. Hopefully, these side effects go away once my body adjusts."

• Liz...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 17, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on this for about 4 years. I decided to finally get off because my mood swings were getting worse. This pill caused me to become severely depressed and developed extreme social anxiety. It was effective as a birth control, but the side effects aren't worth it. I've been off it for a few months and feel so much better! Not depressed anymore, and anxiety is finally getting better. Be mindful of your moods if you do decide to try this."

• K T...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 3, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on Ortho Cyclen for about 5 or so years now after trialing Alesse and Tri-Cyclen. With Alesse, I would spot almost every month for a year before I switched over, particularly if I took the pill any later/earlier than 30 minutes different from the scheduled time. Tri-Cyclen was fine, but it did not allow me to 'stack' or control my periods if I had an event. The Ortho Cyclen was a good fit for me. Initially, I did gain a little weight (though less than Alesse) and suffered nausea. To date, I would still argue I have worsened PMS and depressed-like mood swings. Negatively, my blood pressure has also increased. Ortho Cyclen has made my skin clearer, enlarged my breasts only slightly, diminished my cramping to almost nil, reduced my spontaneous sharp stabbing pains in my uterine area, and has regulated my periods. I do find I spot if I stack, but I try to avoid that unless necessary. I've had little to no problems over time taking this pill."

• Anonymous
• August 31, 2016

For Birth Control "Cyclen has recently changed their non-medicinal ingredients in the past year. I now experience insomnia, anxiety, and lethargy. Never had any problems before. Watch out for any new symptoms with these new chemicals in the ingredient list."

• Ama...
• November 8, 2011

For Birth Control "I started using Ortho Cyclen about 8 months ago. In the beginning, I was very nauseous, but after a month or two, I felt great. I have had no side effects. I love this pill. It works great. I have experienced once or twice vaginal dryness, but it has cleared up. It has made my periods lighter but has not extended the days. I like it. I really recommend it."

• Anonymous
• March 24, 2010

"I haven't been on the pill in a very long time. I recently went on Ortho Cyclen, and it has worked wonderfully. I'm not moody, I haven't had acne breakouts, it's regulating my period, which is always a plus. I used to have severe cramps during my period, and I haven't been experiencing that as well. I am very happy with it."