Tri-Previfem and Cramps: What Users Say

• Hol...
• April 8, 2014

For Birth Control "I've completed six months with this and have had zero problems with it. 4-day periods, sex drive is normal, minimal cramping, and no other side effects at all. Birth control pills work differently for everyone. Your body may react differently than mine, but I've had no problems with Tri-Previfem."

• Nyc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 24, 2014

For Acne "I am starting my third month of this birth control, and I have to say it's pretty good. My acne has decreased dramatically. I used to have a lot of cystic acne spread throughout my face, and now it is decreasing. Also, my period is very light, and it lasts about 3 to 4 days. I actually experienced cramps the last time I had my period on the first day, but once I took two Advils, I was fine. As for weight, I have maintained the same weight, however, my breasts do increase right before my period, and I do feel bloated on the first day. I would recommend this if you're looking to treat your acne."

• bru...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 3, 2014

For Birth Control "I have been taking this medicine for a few years now. And it works great for me. I have a four-day period. My periods are light. I get little cramping, but it's not that bad. Compared to what I used to have, a 7-day period, heavy flow, and a lot, and I mean a lot of cramping, it's ten times better. My mood has gotten a lot better also."

• Anonymous
• September 19, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking Tri-Previfem for a month now. On the second day of being on the pill, I experienced constant nausea and stomach pain. When I got my period, the cramping became severe, almost unbearable, and my period lasted for 2 weeks. This pill is not for me."

• kmo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2015

For Birth Control "Took it for a month and experienced horrible side effects. Constant cramping out of nowhere, painful sex, zero sex drive, swollen, extremely tender breasts, mood swings, anger and aggression particularly, some depression, constant fatigue, bloating, and an irregular period after years of it being regular. Had to stop taking it to get my sanity back."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2016

For Birth Control "I was switched from Sprintec to Previfem by the company who ships my birth control (my insurance required them to be mailed). I have been on Sprintec for 5 years with no problems. I was on vacation with my fiancé when I started the first week of my new pills. All was good until the second week of taking these pills. I started to have horrible cramps, nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, sore breasts, acne, and a very bad anxiety problem. I would compare it to pregnancy symptoms on steroids. I called the mailing company and asked why they suddenly switched when my prescription was specifically for Sprintec, and they couldn't answer me. Needless to say, I was in a panic until I found that other women had experienced the same thing."

• Kat...
• September 13, 2015

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "This has been my first month taking this birth control pill, and the reason I decided to take it was to help regulate my period. Well, now I have been bleeding longer than usual. I have really, really bad cramps. I cry for no reason, I get mad at my husband and my daughter for no reason, and I'm constantly depressed. I can't take it anymore."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 3, 2016

For Birth Control "Well, I see a lot of people saying they get nauseous in the first few days of starting birth control. That's normal. But every time I start a pack or miss by a few hours, I'm awful nauseous. I've not gotten pregnant, so that's good. Ever since I started this pill, I've had ovary/vagina pains. But I'm not sure if it is an ovarian cyst or if it's something different or if it just happened not related to the pill. I've got bad anxiety now and cry a lot. I was never like this before, but now I am. This isn't a bad pill, though. Works differently for everyone. The plus side is I used to have cramps to where I would cry. It would hurt so bad. Now I have about none, and my period is lighter."

• eb1...
• December 7, 2015

For Birth Control "I've had a great experience with this pill! I've been taking this for 7 months now and have seen little to no side effects like others are claiming. My periods are regular, only 4-5 days a month, and I know exactly when they're coming! Also, I haven't gotten pregnant, which is a plus. Helped with my acne a lot, and although my severe cramps are not completely diminished, Advil does the trick - definitely made a difference!"

• Via...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 4, 2016

For Acne "I was on this birth control for at least 6 months, and my acne has gotten worse. It's now evolved to big cystic pimples before and after my period, and they stick around for at least two weeks at a time. Majority on my chin, but I have had a couple on my forehead in between my eyebrows, which I still have the scar. It's gotten to the point where I still have pimples from the previous breakout, and new ones formed right next to them. Also, this medication has made my cramps worse. I have switched from the brand."

• Ros...
• June 24, 2016

For Birth Control "I had many different side effects that I know are not normal. I just started this medication, and the side effects were horrible. Week 1, day 1 and 2, I started off abnormally tired and fatigued. Day 3, 4, 5, I was dizzy and had spells of hunger and being nauseous, randomly cried (at separate times) on top of being drowsy and overly tired. Day 6, 7, I got even more nauseous with cramping. Next week, day 1, I had to urinate/pee all the time! Day 2 randomly cried, couldn't control pee, plus had to pee all the time and hurt when I urinated. Day 3, all of those, plus vagina was itchy. Day 4 had to pee all the time, stung when I peed, vagina was itchy/burned. Day 5 I was super tired again and no burning/itching. NOT WORTH IT! Going to change meds."

• cla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2014

For Birth Control "Previfem kept me from getting pregnant, so that's great, but it gave me awful, painful, 2+ week-long withdrawal bleeds. I would start bleeding right in the middle of my active pills, almost two full weeks before my placebo pills started. The bleeding didn't really let up until the placebo pills were gone. It wasn't minor bleeding, either; it was heavy and accompanied by cramps/backaches. I would get migraines here and there, too, ranging in severity. I thought these symptoms would let up eventually, but I took it for three months with no luck. Personally, I just couldn't deal with the excessively long withdrawal bleeds. I switched over to Microgestin Fe 1/20 after three cycles and have had a much better experience so far."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been using this birth control for a little over 2 months now, and even though it has worked so far for preventing pregnancy, the side effects are terrible. I thought at first that I was just sick, but I would only feel sick an hour after the pill. I take it at night before bed, the nausea is so bad it affects my sleep. And the first thing that happens when I wake up is very painful cramps and even more nausea. I get very long and painful headaches, and my emotions are all over the place-from angry and annoyed to anxious, then sad and crying for no reason. Along with all that, my breasts are sore. Just putting on a bra makes me cringe. The best way to describe the symptoms of this pill is pregnancy symptoms on steroids. Not recommended!!!"

• Lin...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 30, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control for the last 7 years. I love it. I always know exactly when I'm going to get my period, and they only last 4-5 days. I do get moody right before, and breast soreness/cramping the day of, but it's not anything crazy. No weight gain, and my skin still breaks out around my period. I've never been pregnant, so that's definitely a plus too!"

• chy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2016

For Acne "I have been on birth control for about 15 years (I don't want kids and can't get permanent birth control because I have never had kids). Anyways, my pills I have been taking for years got switched to Tri-Previfem two months ago, and I was told by the pharmacist it was exactly the same as my old pills. The first month, my breasts swelled so much and hurt so bad, that lasted a few days. I also got really bad cramps, like nothing I have felt before (remind you, I have been on birth control for about 15 years). This month, I noticed acne on my chin and cheek. I am 34 years old and have never had more than one occasional pimple at a time on my face in my life. I will not be taking this pill any longer. Hope this helps anyone looking to try it."

• Tay...
• July 20, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control for almost three years. No pregnancy scares, no side effects, regulated my period, and I had intense cramps for the four years I was on my period before I started taking this. Sick the entire week, couldn't walk and puking every day. And since I've taken this birth control, I have had cramps probably twice."

• Lys...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 16, 2015

For Birth Control "I started taking this pill when I was 16. I am now 20. The pill started out fine, and I loved it for the past 3 years, but this last year is different. Starting the pill, it cleared my acne up very well. I only gained maybe 10 lbs at most, but that's as well as growing up and fitting into my body. The pill has worked great for birth control. It has made me have a regular, light 3-4 day period every month. Rarely any cramps, too. But this past year, I have been noticing a few different side effects. My cramping is getting worse with each period, I started spotting more monthly, and during my period, I get severe migraines. Stopping the pill for a month to see if my headaches get better."

• Sar...
• June 23, 2016

For Birth Control "I started with Sprintec, and it seemed fine. Then they switched to Previfem. I have horrible vaginal discharge almost every day, I have cramps sometimes almost as bad as before I went on the pill. My period lasts just as long as before, 5 days, and is still super heavy. I do have unprotected sex with my boyfriend and haven't gotten pregnant yet, so that's a plus. More cons: more emotional, sometimes chest pain, nausea. I'm ready to quit. Only pro: can predict when the period is coming and not being pregnant."

• Loo...
• March 8, 2016

For Birth Control "I took this for 4 months. I had just gotten off of Orsythia, and that gave me terrible depression and anxiety throughout my menstrual cycle. This pill, however, did the same, BUT only for the 1st week. I thought for a bit that it was a fair trade-off for not getting pregnant. So I'll shorten this and make some pros and cons. Pros: Extremely regular period (I was before I took BC, however), only 4 days long (used to be 7-9), libido stayed the same, NO ACNE (a little breakout nearing period). Cons: Very bad memory problems (I'd forget what I was saying mid-sentence, and I usually keep track of things extremely well), I still had cramps, anxiety, self-image issues, worse vision, gained a bit of weight, very manic (very very happy or very very sad)."

• Mrs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2016

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Do not try this. I had read the reviews before I started this and felt real uneasy about taking it, but one review said it worked for the cramps, so I decided to take it and see what happens. By day 4, my hormones were so out of whack. I went from happy and loving my life to suicidal. I was crying about everything, and I just wanted to die. I never knew something as simple as birth control could screw me up so bad in a matter of days. I also had started cramps like I had started, and I just got off my cycle, threw away my pills the next day, and am doing much better the same day I came off of it."

• mad...
• November 5, 2015

For Acne "I started taking the BC 2 weeks ago, and I was very scared to start the pill. I started taking it because I was having the most irregular and painful periods ever, but this pill in no way has helped. My breasts are so sore I have to take medication, my face is breaking out so badly one of my relatives said the pill was 'destroying my complexion.' And worse of all, I'm experiencing cramps that are worse than I had before. Horrible headaches are keeping me from going to gymnastics practices, and it's causing my anxiety to get worse (I already had pretty bad anxiety). So, acne, headaches, cramps, painful breasts... wasn't this supposed to help me?"

• gia...
• April 29, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on this BC for about 3 months now. This is the 3rd prescribed type of pill I've been on. Weight gain was an issue when I first started with Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, but my weight has been pretty constant now. My acne has cleared up significantly, which is nice! My sex drive is still the same, unless I'm in the water pill week. My periods have been pretty brief compared to my original 7-day cycles, then becoming 2 weeks (yes, weeks!) on the 2nd BC I was on for months. They are very predictable, and my calendar is always accurate, so I am well prepared, but I still get SEVERE cramps the first 2 days, which has always been a constant problem for me on and off ALL the BCs I've been on. I am still a virgin, only 17, and not sure why this is??"

• Cup...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2017

For Birth Control "At first, I didn't have any problems with this. No nausea, no weight gain, there wasn't really a change in the amount of acne I had. I was told it would help reduce cramps and the amount of blood during my period, but it actually did the exact opposite. Cramps were horrible, my stomach was quite swollen, and the length of my period was increased and the blood flow was horribly heavy. I was told it could happen on occasion, but it was rare, so it's a bit unfortunate I had that reaction to it. At least it prevented pregnancy."

• Adr...
• January 7, 2015

For Birth Control "I didn't like this birth control, and I know it affects everyone differently, but this was my first time on the pill, and within the first 3 months, I gained 20 lbs! I also had a lot of breast tenderness. Then I got switched to Syeda, and the 2nd month I was on it, I had headaches daily that would not go away with ibuprofen or Excedrin. Then by the 3rd month, I had headaches every other day. Not to mention, on a daily basis, I had breast tenderness and cramps every week except the first week of the start of my pills. And now I'm going to start the Depo Provera shot in two weeks, and I'm hearing mixed reviews with that."