Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and Acne: What Users Say

• AGB...
• June 5, 2014

For Birth Control "Long story short, I had been on Necon for 8 years with no problems (clear skin, regular period, no mood swings). Recently, there was some big shortage on Necon, so my pharmacy replaced it with Nortrel, which gave me really bad chin acne. I went to my Dr., and she recommended Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and said it was good for clearing skin. The first 2 pill packs, my face went NUTS. I had acne all over the place. I was so upset and wanted to go off it immediately. But I read reviews online, and people said to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. My skin is now better than it's ever been after 4 months. I rarely ever get cramps and do not have PMS at all. All I can say is give your body time to get adjusted if you are starting off on this pill and not liking it."

• AGB...
• June 5, 2014

For Birth Control "Long story short, I had been on Necon for 8 years with no problems (clear skin, regular period, no mood swings). Recently, there was some big shortage on Necon, so my pharmacy replaced it with Nortrel, which gave me really bad chin acne. I went to my Dr., and she recommended Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and said it was good for clearing skin. The first 2 pill packs, my face went NUTS. I had acne all over the place. I was so upset and wanted to go off it immediately. But I read reviews online, and people said to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. My skin is now better than it's ever been after 4 months. I rarely ever get cramps and do not have PMS at all. All I can say is give your body time to get adjusted if you are starting off on this pill and not liking it."

• Anonymous
• September 3, 2009

For Birth Control "I have been using Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for 6 years now, and I have always absolutely loved it! I never experienced weight gain, acne, mood swings, and my period is every fourth Wednesday. I have no complaints. It is the perfect birth control for me."

• Lov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 2, 2013

For Birth Control "I must admit that some of the things that people experience from this pill are scary. One thing to know is just because they have this experience doesn't mean you will. Always try it yourself. Different bodies have different reactions. I have been on this birth control for about 4 months now, and I love it. I don't have mood swings at all, I am very calm at all times. I did not used to be. I don't have vaginal dryness, yeast infections, UTIs, or anything else that people are saying besides breast tenderness. It only seems to be tender at night. I have not gained any weight. I think my breasts are getting bigger, which is a plus to me. I don't have acne like I used to. My periods are very light now."

• Sie...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2013

For Birth Control "I'm 5'6" and 114 lbs. Very good pill to take if you're tiny and new to hormones. I recommend starting it the night of your new cycle to help your body get used to the hormones. Take it at night with a snack to fend off the nausea. STAY HYDRATED. You're going to confuse thirst with hunger on this pill. Drinking more water will combat bloating, weight gain, and fatigue. It takes longer to recover after workouts. My mood has improved drastically, as well as sex drive and wetness. My acne got worse, but I'll give it a few more months to straighten out. Love it so far."

• Arm...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 9, 2013

For Birth Control "I began taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo when I was 13. I am now 22. I was not sexually active at the time, but my periods were extremely irregular. This specific oral contraceptive helped to regulate my period, and it has been perfect for the past 9 years. When reading these reviews, ladies must keep in mind that everyone is different. Genetics plays a huge role in whether you get/have bad acne, cramping, low sex drive, etc. It may not be because of the pill, necessarily. In my 9-year experience with this particular product, I have never had a scare when I took the pill as directed. You will have a few of those symptoms, it's just life."

• LAP...
• December 14, 2014

For Birth Control "I started taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo when I was 16 because I had horrible, horrible cramps and heavy bleeding. I've been on it for 13 years now, and I absolutely love it! I'm 5'5" and weigh 115-120, my weight sometimes fluctuates 5 pounds or so, but I never had any major weight gain taking this medicine. I went off of it a year ago for a few months... my skin got soooo mad at me!! I had awful acne on my jawline - my doctor told me it was hormonally related. Once I went back on it, my skin cleared up, my cramps were gone, and my period was light and lasted about 3-4 days. It's been a wonderful solution for issues encountered during my period."

• Lan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 18, 2019

For Birth Control "This BC is great! I had previously taken Alesse and only took it for two months, as I got crazy anxiety from it. A few years later, I decided to try Tricira Lo (generic of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo). I had pretty bad acne before starting it, and this pill cleared it up almost completely! I love it, and for this reason, I'm planning to stay on it for a looooooooong time. The only side effects were that my boobs grew a little bit, and I gained about 5-10 pounds the first three months, but after 5-6 months, both stabilized. I've been on it for about two years now, and my acne hasn't returned. If you want a low-dose BC and have moderate/severe acne, this pill is worth a try!"

• bec...
• January 14, 2015

For Birth Control "Overall, as a birth control, it did its job. My husband and I never used a backup birth control, and in the year and a half I was on it, I didn't get pregnant. The reason I'm only giving it an 8 is that around the time I was getting my period, I would go insane. Crying a lot... yelling, getting really angry for no reason. I had a low sex drive while I was taking it, but other than that, it got rid of my terrible cramps, and my acne cleared up a lot also. I just switched to Apri, so we will see how that goes."

• Nat...
• October 28, 2016

For Birth Control "I was so scared to go on this pill or any pill for that matter! Read terrible reviews. Did so much research, and they all seemed like a bad choice. Decided this seemed like the best bet. Been on it 17 days, and I love it. No weight gain, no acne, no hormonal mood swings. My only complaint is I am on day 8 of my period (when I wasn't on the pill, my period was 8 days long too). I thought this would make it shorter. I am hoping today is the last day, if it continues for longer, I will update my review. But so far, so good! I actually lost some weight taking this pill! Happy girl here."

• Lau...
• August 5, 2013

For Birth Control "This pill did not go well with me. I took it for a week and felt bloated, got acne, headaches every day, nausea! I would take the pill at 7 pm so my stomach wouldn't be empty, but I would wake up around 3 am wanting to vomit. I started it on a Day 1 start, and my period was so long and heavy, it didn't stop until I stopped taking the pill that week. But I tried taking it again since I've read that symptoms will usually go away after a few months. The second time around, I felt bloated and got a headache again the first day. The first night I woke up at 2 am to throw up with a cold sweat, I felt I would pass out. I'm going to look into something else. I can't function with this nausea and moodiness."

• hoo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 22, 2015

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I began taking this b/c 2 years ago because I was having a 10-day-long period every other week. The pill worked perfectly for regulating my hormones so that I would have a normal (4-5 day long) period once a month. I didn't have headaches, mood swings, weight gain, or any odd side effects. The only downside is my insurance began charging $50 a month for it, so I had to stop using it and now have to switch. And now that I have stopped taking it, my acne on my face, back, and chest has returned."

• Bir...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 20, 2018

For Birth Control "3-4 months ago, the packaging changed on my Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. Instead of the dial pack, I was given a Veridate dispenser pack. I was told by my pharmacist that it was only the package that changed, so I continued to take the pill. A month into it, I experienced skin that was oilier than usual. I developed anxiety. I developed severe acne. I called my pharmacy to ask if the Janssen had changed formula. I had every single side effect with brand name Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo (in the new packaging) that I had with generic. I was called back by the pharmacist to be told that it was on back order and weren't sure when I could get it again. I called Janssen Pharmaceuticals myself to report my experience. I am currently a week into taking a new birth control. The anxiety is starting to subside, but the acne is not going away. I went from clear skin to acne within a month of receiving the Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo in the new packaging. Something was clearly different."

• Mc2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 8, 2015

For Birth Control "A few friends recommended this brand and said it did not give them any side effects. I was sold on that alone. A couple of weeks in, I started to get horrible cystic acne on my chin. I am prone to breakouts and have heard Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo helps clear up skin...so I was confused about this side effect. Once the first cyst was gone, another one shortly came up. It was never-ending. Started my second pack. The same thing happened again with the cystic acne. I almost wanted to get off the pill because of it. But I loved that I did not have any other side effects. No weight gain, no moodiness, and my sex drive actually increased. Finally, halfway through my third pack, the cysts were gone. All in all, it's a great pill besides the cysts I got."

• Meg...
• May 7, 2019

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I’ve only been on this birth control for 3 months. I’m constantly nauseated, my boobs are so sore, my mood swings are crazy, acne is awful (I’ve always had super clear skin). My period stopped April 26th, I had been bleeding for 10 days straight. Today is May 7th, and it’s back again... something is just not right with this pill! I do not recommend it to anyone."

• don...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 6, 2019

For Birth Control "OTCL messed me up. Before starting it, I was breaking out a lot. I was suggested OTCL, not only as BC, but also good for acne. I took this pill for a month and had to stop. I see reviews saying the first few months are brutal, but once you’re past it, it’s fine. But honestly, I couldn’t even handle all the side effects anymore. My acne seemed to get worse. I started a full-on period after week one - heaviest flow I have ever had in my life, 9 days long, horrible cramps (I normally don’t get cramps). The mood swings - they were terrible. I would randomly just burst into tears over literally nothing. I felt anxious all the time, and whenever I was alone, I felt very depressed. This is totally out of character for me! So I tried to tough it out, and it only got worse. I finally decided to stop taking it, and wow. The difference is insane. Since the day I stopped, I haven’t had any of those symptoms. I truly do not recommend this birth control. It was insanely brutal on my body."

• HH2...
• January 29, 2013

For Birth Control "I struggled with symptoms of PMDD for a while, and finally my doctor put me on Aviane to regulate my hormone levels and, thus, mood. Aviane made my breasts larger but increased my acne and oily skin like crazy and made me more depressed and emotional! I normally have clear skin, so the acne was horrible for me. I asked to switch to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. Since I've taken OTC-Lo (for 6 months), I've noticed my skin cleared up (although I still have minor acne compared to when I was off the pill), and it helped with my mood swings tremendously. Although a bit more pricey ($15 copay), I am very happy with the improvement in mood that OTC-Lo has given me, which is a much better gain compared to the minor acne I am still experiencing."

• Lin...
• September 20, 2017

For Birth Control "I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for about 3 years. I had to switch off this pill because my insurance didn't cover it anymore, and there was no way I'd be paying $109 per pack. I didn't have any bad side effects on this pill. I noticed I gained about 10 lbs over the years on this pill, but I wouldn't 100% blame that on the pill, I'd say it's more to do with me not working out and stuffing my face. My boobs grew 3 cup sizes. I was a 36C before, then worked my way up to a 32DDD. My acne cleared up completely, and if I ever did get pimples, it was always around the same time in the same spot. My periods were 3-5 days, and they were very light with little to no cramps. No condoms with my boyfriend and never had a pregnancy scare. I would recommend Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo."

• Jad...
• March 14, 2014

For Birth Control "I've only been on it for a month, but I'm really liking it so far. I haven't experienced any noticeable side effects. I have trouble with irregular and painful periods, acne, depression, mood swings, insomnia, etc. So far, I've noticed that I haven't broken out since I started this birth control. I also have felt less depressed. I've had one period while on this birth control, and it was just as painful as usual, but the bleeding was much slower and much lighter. (I go through two tampons every eight hours as opposed to two every one hour.) I haven't noticed any mood swings, and my insomnia has definitely improved. Overall, I really like this birth control. The only thing that could make it better is if it made my periods completely pain-free."

• Anonymous
• March 10, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking this birth control for three months now, and I've gained 15 lbs. I haven't changed my diet, and I work out regularly, my acne has gotten worse, and I'm depressed all the time. Even my friends agree it's really affected my mood. I'm going to stop taking it now that I'm single. The only good thing was that it's very reliable for not getting pregnant or even pregnancy scares."

• Dev...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2017

For Birth Control "I am on the generic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. I've only been on it for one month, but so far I love it. I'm coming off of 5+ years of Depo shots, so I know my body hasn't fully gotten rid of the Depo yet. For this reason, I still haven't gotten a period on Ortho yet. But my mood hasn't changed, I haven't gained weight, and I don't have acne or nausea. I am slightly worried about getting pregnant because of prior reviews where this has happened on Ortho, but my husband pulls out as well, so I'm hoping we'll be fine. My boobs have gotten bigger, which I love! They are rounder and fuller. They are slightly more tender than usual but not to the point where it hurts. Anyway, I haven't been on it long, but I wanted to leave a positive review!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 14, 2018

For Birth Control "I’ve been on 3 different types of birth control, and this one is the best. My acne went away, barely noticeable PMS symptoms, and it made my boobs grow a size or 2. I went on it to help my migraines, and it's definitely helping!! I would recommend this one."

• Kar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 5, 2016

For Birth Control "GREAT! I have been on this pill since I was 17. I am now almost 22 and no complaints. I originally got on it to regulate my period, which it did, and shortened and lightened it too! Less acne. No weight gain. No pregnancies. With my insurance, it is free too!"

• Nik...
• August 5, 2015

For Birth Control "This is my first experience with birth control, and I've only been on it about two months, but I hate it. The pills make me crazy emotional; I've been crying over absolutely nothing, and I get paranoid about every little thing. Don't get me wrong, I love not having to worry about pregnancy as much, but I just feel depressed and not like myself at all. The good sides to this pill are that it makes my period very light with hardly any cramps, and it also has cleared up my acne a bit, but not completely."

• SEa...
• February 25, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for a little over a year now. I had a positive experience with it when I was a teen, so I wanted to try this again. At first, I loved it. Now I have acne, which I've NEVER had a big problem with, crazy mood swings, and a low libido (not to mention vaginal dryness...) Hoping maybe a few more months will get me over this bad spell. I would love to continue taking it because this birth control has never let me down."