Sprintec and Cramps: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I took Sprintec for 7 months, and after seeing these reviews after a MONTH of bleeding (brown blood for the most part), I am quitting this pill - my gyn tells me to keep taking it, but I refuse when this could risk my health. It hurts my vision, gives me cramps, induces nausea, and I'm hoping quitting will calm down my bleeding and reset my normal menstrual cycle. This will probably be the last birth control I ever take. For all the ladies wondering when the madness ends after quitting - I'll keep in touch and refresh this review when it stops and let you guys in on my quitting journey."

• Anonymous
• April 18, 2010

For Birth Control "I have been taking Sprintec for 3 years now. It has worked really well for me. Before this, I would get very moody, get menstrual migraines, have really bad cramps, and when I was 18, I started getting nauseous/sick every other month within the first couple of days of my period. Since taking Sprintec, I feel my mood has greatly improved. I no longer get sick/nauseous, my cramps have become more than tolerable, and I noticed no increased acne or weight gain. I haven't experienced any yeast infection/urinary tract problems with this. However, every girl will react differently to different birth controls. If it doesn't work for you, don't worry; just call your doctor and discuss some new options. Eventually, you will find something that works for you."

• Anonymous
• October 19, 2011

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was put on this pill to regulate my period, but I was on my period when the doctor gave it to me. I have not stopped bleeding for 3 weeks straight. I started the pill a week ago, and I find it gets worse - the cramps, the bleeding, and blood clots. I'm emotionally drained, tired all the time, and feel sick. I've been on birth control to stop bleeding before, and it worked within 2 to 3 days. I don't know when I'm going to stop bleeding, hopefully soon. I'm getting so tired of it. I just want to feel normal again."

• lol...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 5, 2021

For Birth Control "Ok, I love this pill. I know a lot of birth controls warn about gaining weight, but it was the opposite for me. I actually lost weight, and my skin has never been clearer since I started. My periods are more regular and not super heavy. I still get my cramps, but they aren’t terrible, that’s the only real con, but everything else is great."

• vma...
• August 4, 2014

For Birth Control "Sprintec is great for me. I have taken it for a year and a half (19 years old). Never had any problems, but I guess that shows it works different for everyone. My breasts got bigger. I didn't gain any weight, periods became shorter, lighter periods, and I rarely have cramps, and if I do, they aren't bad. Before I got on Sprintec, I had really heavy periods, all 7 days long, and horrible cramps to the point where I would miss school and work. It's affordable, and I would recommend Sprintec to anyone."

• Cat...
• June 8, 2020

For Birth Control "I've taken Sprintec for about 4 years now. I studied abroad in France, and the pharmacy didn't carry Sprintec, so I was switched to a variation of a French brand, Tri-Sprintec, which I enjoyed. So, when I came back to the U.S., I tried Tri-Sprintec and did not like it. I gained weight, lost hair, and switched to Tri-lo-Sprintec. This one made my periods heavier, made me cramp a lot, and also I gained even more weight. After about 6 months, I decided to just go back to Sprintec, which I had taken for 3 years already with no issues... (I'm not sure why I didn't just do this immediately instead of trying other pills). I've never had any issue with Sprintec. I did notice bloating, but I've been taking some supplements that help me with this. I've had no issue with losing weight and have successfully lost the weight I had gained on the other pills by just eating healthier and exercising. Sprintec also helped my hair grow back and cleared my skin. I think Sprintec is a fail-proof BC pill."

• tli...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 7, 2013

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "My doc prescribed Sprintec and said to use with the 'skip method,' where I skip inactive pills for a few months and only get 4 periods a year. Sprintec gave me horrible mood swings and anxiety attacks during the first few months. I was a nervous wreck, and my husband hated me. I hated myself. After that, it was good for a while. But now I've been spotting on and off for 3 weeks, with cramping and times of heavier bleeding. My sex life also is non-existent."

• Hol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 16, 2015

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "This pill has been a godsend for me. I am 42 and have a six-year-old and a 3-year-old and have had hormonal issues since having them both: extremely heavy periods, horrible cramps, menstrual migraines, severe bloating and breast tenderness, heavy mid-cycle spotting, and cyclical insomnia. After one pack of these pills, I am sold. Lighter period, no cramps. No nausea, spotting, moodiness, and I am finally sleeping better. These have been the best pills I have taken during my reproductive years so far. I hope this helps some patients, as many of these reviews can be negative."

• Ken...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 6, 2020

For Birth Control "I normally try to avoid sharing my experience with birth control as we all know every woman is different, but this pill is awful. The first month of taking this pill, I experienced severe depression and suicidal thoughts. After the second month, the thoughts went away, but I was extremely sad. I also spotted for 3 months while taking this pill and experienced cramping at least once a week. I am now using Tri-Estarylla, and it works very well."

• Diz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2014

For Birth Control "At least for my body, this pill was horrible. I read so many great reviews on having light cramps and moods are fine and no swelling, but this pill has done the complete opposite for me. My hands have shown signs of swelling lately, my moods are beyond horrible and scary, and my cramps have been bad. Looking to switch pills here soon."

• Anonymous
• September 1, 2010

For Birth Control "I have been on Sprintec for a month now and have not had a problem with weight gain, but for the first 2-3 weeks, my skin was terrible! It cleared up after that, however. I don't feel hungry as often because I almost constantly feel nauseous and have headaches. The most notable side effect is the cramps. Even though I'm not on my period, I have terrible cramps that make it feel like I am! Got to my first week of white pills and no period."

• Bri...
• November 17, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking Sprintec for about 10 months. On the plus side, my face is very clear and my sex drive is normal; I also have very predictable, light, and short periods. On the negative side, I experience PMS-like symptoms in the last two weeks of active pills... bloating, cramps, swelling of breasts, etc. My appetite has increased considerably, but I've had no major weight gain. Overall, I'm happy with Sprintec and would definitely recommend!"

• gag...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on and off this BC for a total of 4 months, and in those 4 months, I broke out on my right jawline and cheek area and had huge acne cysts; I also cramped quite a bit throughout the month. When I told my doctor, she dismissed everything and said to give it time, but I just felt this was too strong of hormones for my body, so I stopped on my own. Within a month, my acne altogether stopped, but the cramping still goes on; I'm on month 2 of hoping my body will reset from this awful drug. Ladies, if your body is off with this, please listen to it; doctors will always downplay side effect symptoms, and I'm so tired of that."

• Spr...
• August 22, 2011

For Birth Control "I'm on my third week of Sprintec 28 and haven't had a single negative side effect. I started using it on the first day of my period, which also happened to be a Sunday (lucky me). I love it! As long as there are no side effects and nothing changes, then I'm staying on this pill forever. The only thing I noticed is that there was still light bleeding even after my period ended, but nothing big. No headaches, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, cramps, stomach pain, breast tenderness/pain, or anything! It depends on the person, you can't just judge it based on the reviews because I was scared to try it. I read so many horrible reviews, but I gave it a shot, and I am pain-free."

• Pat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 28, 2021

For Birth Control "I have never been on birth control before, so this is my first time. I’ve been on Sprintec for about 2 months now, got it prescribed. My partner and I have a lot of unprotected sex, so we decided to get on birth control. The only side effects that I have experienced so far are frequent nausea and spotting. I’ve also noticed how clear my skin got. I can’t really say much about my sex drive because I have been so busy with school stuff and work, so has my boyfriend. Other than that, everything seems to be okay for now. My only issue is that I have skipped my period, and now I am experiencing breakthrough bleeding along with mild cramps. I don’t know if this is a good thing or not, but the bleeding only lasts for a couple of hours, then it stops. However, it’s been about 5 days now! My doctor said it would improve as I keep taking the pill, so I’ll be updating you guys on how it’s going so far."

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

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Sprintec, this is the worst birth control ever. At first, I really liked it because this was my first experience with birth control. Until month two hit. Oh boy, I was bleeding for a month straight. Horrible. I wasn't even on my placebo week, and I bled everywhere with huge blood clots. Not to mention, when I wasn’t bleeding, I was still experiencing the worst cramps ever. After 8 hours of taking it, I would be so unbelievably nauseous. Don’t get me wrong, it worked for one of my friends, but not for me."

• Beo...
• January 7, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Everything seemed fine in the first few weeks of taking the pill, and then right before starting my second pack, I started bleeding heavily and having the most awful cramps. It was like I was 13 years old all over again (keep in mind, I’m 25). So now I’m almost finished with my second pack, and I’ve been bleeding heavily for like 2 1/2 weeks now. This birth control sucks. I do not recommend. I’m switching to another one as soon as I can."

• Kim...
• August 11, 2014

For Birth Control "I started taking this medication to help control bleeding. It worked great for stopping that, but I traded in the bleeding for severe cramping. I cramp off and on throughout the day. The cramps feel like I am going through a really bad period. The pain will stop me in my tracks, and I have to hold myself or bend over to help ease the pain."

• Kim...
• August 11, 2014

For Birth Control "I started taking this medication to help control bleeding. It worked great for stopping that, but I traded in the bleeding for severe cramping. I cramp off and on throughout the day. The cramps feel like I am going through a really bad period. The pain will stop me in my tracks, and I have to hold myself or bend over to help ease the pain."

• Gra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 24, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control, Sprintec, for 4 years due to my PCOS. This pill definitely has helped regulate my period and helped get my acne under control. Also, the pill definitely does its job in preventing pregnancy very well, but I also never miss a pill and take it at the same time every day. My only complaints are that it takes me a few days (2-3 days) after taking my last pill to begin my period, and I do get cramps pretty bad."

• Dev...
• April 14, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I was on this for 2 years, stopped it because I had been broken up with (didn't want babies). I no longer had a need for it. After stopping this, I ended up bleeding for 2 weeks at a time. Once a month, I had 1 week where I wasn't on my period, and I would soak an overnight pad in less than an hour. I had extreme cramps, skipped uni because I would have to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes to change my tampon and pad. I had fainting spells, sleeping in school because I couldn't stay awake. I came home from school at 4, slept until the next morning every day (due to the amount of blood loss). This birth control permanently ruined my natural mental cycle. I NEVER had this problem. I could not include the rest of my experience because only 1000 characters are allowed. I ended up in the hospital for 4 days, 2 blood transfusions, and heart failure. There was also cystic hormonal acne, suicidal thoughts, and depression. I can't stop it now, or else I would end up risking my life again because it permanently messed up my reproductive organs."

• Fdo...
• December 1, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been using this birth control for over a year, and it has proven to be perfect. The first 3 weeks I was taking it, I had pretty bad mood swings, but this is expected, and they quit happening around the time I started my second cycle of pills. I had irregular periods and bad cramping; both of those problems were fixed once again by the second month of pills. My flow was much lighter for a shorter amount of days (and you still have a period every month, which allows your body to still clean itself out). As a contraceptive, it is my only method of birth control, and I'm not pregnant yet, so it's doing its job there. Never had acne, but I break out less often. Basically, this is a great pill."

• lal...
• September 12, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 3 weeks. At first, everything was okay. But now I have the worst cramps ever. I guess different people, different effects. I have been so moody. Motrin doesn't help either."

• Daa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 5, 2016

For Birth Control "I have used this birth control for months now, and I honestly like it. The first week I used it, it gave me really bad suicidal thoughts and made me deeply depressed. I cried mostly every night and at work. But after that week, I was totally fine except I started having really bad headaches. But every birth control comes with symptoms that only last a week or two, and you're totally fine for the rest of the months, depending on if your body accepts it or not. I don't really have acne, I haven't gained weight, my boobs look fuller, and I haven't gotten pregnant yet. Also, my period was heavy in the first month, but through the second and third month, it gets lighter and lighter, as well as the cramps. I love it. Just have a good diet, vitamins, and exercise."

• Sam...
• December 20, 2013

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control for about 3 or 4 years and love it! It is my only form of birth control, and I haven't gotten pregnant yet. I was on a different pill for three months, and it gave me horrible cramps and headaches, and once I switched back to Sprintec, they went away."