Cryselle and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say

• bcb...
• January 14, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 3 months now, and I have to say it has been awful! I do not feel like myself, I'm really irritable, angry, depressed, and my sex drive is gone. I've been working out daily and eating right and still gaining weight. I've also got awful period acne breakouts on Cryselle. The only positive things are that the pill does its job and my periods are 4 days max (they're also light)."

• Sad...
• February 19, 2018

For Birth Control "At first, this pill was wonderful. I experienced, after a few months, that I was super depressed and sad over nothing. Mood swings constantly and stomach pains all the time on and off my cycle. I became so sad I started having horrible anxiety and then panic attacks on the regular. I cried one to two times weekly over nothing, and my relationship started to get sour because of the roller coaster moods. Severe headaches and nausea right after I stopped taking the pill for my cycle and cramps so horrible I couldn't stand. I was also so tired and had no sex drive. I was unable to enjoy an orgasm because it took so long for me to have one I would give up. I always had a high sex drive, this caused more sadness and anxiety for me. I went on the website and had every side effect at least once and decided it was time to get off the pill. This isn't how a young 24-year-old should feel. Please read the side effects asap and do not take this pill any longer if you start to have these same side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 15, 2016

For Birth Control "I was on Cryselle for about 6 years. I had severe fatigue and lack of energy, was physically exhausted and drained no matter how much sleep I got. My hair was falling out like crazy, I had water retention and headaches, I was irritable and moody, and I had an extremely low sex drive. I eat healthy, exercise regularly, and have had my thyroid and blood sugar checked, as well as blood tests for anemia, etc. All came back normal. The fatigue and lack of energy was what really bothered me, and after doing my own research, I discovered this can all be related to my BC. I'm now trying a new pill. Each person is different, so what may work for someone may not work for someone else. The positives were my periods were very light and I did not get pregnant."

• Anonymous
• September 21, 2016

For Birth Control "Breakthrough bleeding all month for almost two years, extreme irritability, to the point that I came here to read others' moods when on this drug. Also, the PMS symptoms last all month long. I am only level-headed when it's the week off. No sex drive, bloating, cramping, nausea, fatigue, and really greasy hair. I am going to ask for a new pill. I tried to stay on this pill, but it's bad in every way."

• Mag...
• May 8, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control for about 8 years, so I feel I can write a fair review. I started taking birth control in high school because my cycle was so painful and heavy. I had to miss school because of cramps. As soon as I started taking this (the generic version was called something else back then), my symptoms went away. I went from a 7-day heavy, painful period to a 3-4 day light period. I've always had acne, and I can't say this helped tremendously when I was in high school and college, now that I'm in my mid-20s, my acne is gone. I haven't noticed anything related to hormones on this pill. Yes, when my period is about to come, sometimes I'll get a little more emotional than I would during other parts of the month, but that would happen even if you weren't on the pill. The only thing I've noticed is that my libido is higher during the placebo week. I think birth control might kill libido a bit. Overall, if you have terrible period pains, I would recommend this pill. It really saves me every month."

• tgk...
• May 17, 2017

For Birth Control "I really love this birth control, but as someone else stated, I think it might be affecting my libido. I haven't noticed any weight gain at all since I've been using this. I have been on it for over two years and really have no true complaints. My skin is completely clear during my placebo week and relatively clear the rest of the time. But I still have some random nasty breakouts. This could just be my skin type though, and might not have anything to do with the birth control. I was on a high estrogen birth control before this, which negatively affected my mood, but I feel great on this one. I don't ever find myself feeling super moody, just my usual self. My period usually lasts 4 days, nothing bad at all. Overall, I recommend it."

• Mrs...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 4, 2018

For Birth Control "I would not recommend this pill. I've been on this pill for 5 years, and at the beginning, it was okay to use for my acne and to use for regular periods, but over time, my acne comes back horribly. I have severe anxiety and I hyperventilate. I absolutely have no sex drive. It's been making me beat myself up. My mind goes crazy all the time, overthinking. I have extreme anxiety and depression, and I have crazy mood swings. I realize that I've been changing the way that I am and being angry over small things, or I cry for super small things. I've also been having chest pains that I read are a side effect. I would not recommend this pill, and I'm deciding to go off as soon as my pack is up. I would not recommend it long term."

• Gli...
• March 9, 2017

For Birth Control "My doctor put me on Cryselle after 3 years on Microgestin. I've been on Cryselle for 2 years now. I switched pills because of headaches, very tender breasts, and the pill causing zero libido (I'm not exaggerating). Cryselle improved my headaches, although I still have them, they are not as bad. Breasts are also not as sore, although Cryselle caused them to grow huge. Libido is better, but only by like 10% (which is generous). Overall, my experience with Cryselle has been positive. Also, I haven't gotten pregnant, so it obviously gets the job done!"

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2017

For Birth Control "Cryselle changed my life. I went from super heavy periods with unbearable cramps that lasted 6-7 days to light, painless periods that last 3 days. My mood swings are gone, and I haven't had any side effects besides a decreased libido, which I honestly don't mind."

• Geo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 30, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on Cryselle for a year and one month. I had noticed some random anxiety here and there (never have had anxiety), but it always went away quickly, and I didn’t think anything of it. However, my parents noted how I was more apathetic, withdrawn, and disinterested as time passed. I was put on an equivalent (generic) of this drug at my annual, and things quickly went off a cliff. Weight gain, acne, irrational anxiety and depression, no sex drive at all with my fiancé, and mental fog all the time. I would say that it all depends on individual body chemistry, but this pill was awful for me, maybe due to being higher in estrogen than my previous pill. I am now off this and doing so much better. Do not recommend."

• Tiy...
• February 17, 2021

For Birth Control "I started 3 weeks ago, and now I have huge mood swings, it's horrible. My boyfriend said he loves me, and I cried. This is TMI, but the pill made me a little more horny than usual. I eat way more. I ate 3 boxes of chocolate while crying, and after that, I ate chili and McDonald’s. Not joking, I've been eating like crazy for the last 2 weeks. It works good, but be ready for depression."

• Acc...
• December 28, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill since February, and I'm not a huge fan. My mood swings have been terrible when I PMS, and when I'm not PMSing, I feel blah. My sex drive has decreased, and that is my main concern because not only am I more dry, but I started crying after sex because I felt horrible. My boyfriend isn't happy with it either. I'm switching to Loryna because it has a lower dosage of progestin that should make me happier, but I'm still nervous."

• Moe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 20, 2015

For Birth Control "I've been on Cryselle for a year and a half. I haven't had any side effects till recently. I take 4 packs, then have my period. I have extremely bad cramps, but I always have. No birth control has ever made them better. I noticed just last week when I was off the pill and on my period, I was happier. I do have mood swings that are sometimes crazy. I also don't have a sex drive. I will be trying a new form of birth control to see if my mood changes along with my sex drive, but I'm scared to try new things while my body adjusts. If nothing works, I will get back on Cryselle."

• Kba...
• January 22, 2016

For Birth Control "I started taking this birth control almost 2 years ago. I was very nauseous for the first few weeks, but it subsided and seemed to be going great! A few months ago, I missed one pill and took 2 within a few hours of each other and ended up throwing up (my own fault). Lately, I have been struggling with horrible anxiety (18 years old, about to leave for college) and I have had awful nausea and low sex drive with my boyfriend. I am not sure if these are symptoms of my birth control or just anxiety. Around the time my period tracker says I'm ovulating, my discharge seems to be very thick and mucus-like. I'm not sure this is normal. Otherwise, absolutely affordable and seems to be reliable!"

• Vic...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 23, 2023

For Birth Control "I went on Cryselle when I was 18. I noticed that it completely changed my personality pretty immediately. I became very emotional and would cry at the drop of a hat. It also made me gain weight, +60 lbs. However, with diet and exercise, I kept the majority of the weight off. I stuck with this medication for years. After turning 25, I’m not sure if there was a shift in my natural hormones (people's hormones change in their mid-twenties) or my body was tired of the Cryselle as (it's high in progesterone/androgens) things started to change. I suddenly developed horrible acne, hair thinning of my head/eyebrows, facial hair growth, and would have hot flashes at night during my withdrawal bleeding. In addition, a decrease in sex drive and vaginal dryness during sex. I also now have stubborn weight that won’t come off even with diet/exercise. I have switched to Syeda, I have been on it for 4 months. So far, my sex drive is back, less dryness, way less acne, and no hot flashes. Hoping my hair grows back."

• E72...
• January 27, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control for nearly 6 months. In the beginning, I got that it wasn't awful, I did experience mood swings at first and breakthrough bleeding. The longer I have been on it, the more consistent it's almost as if I have my period 3 weeks on and one week off. It has made me severely irritable, to put it nicely, and because I have been bleeding so much, my sex drive has also suffered. I would not recommend this birth control to anybody. In my opinion, it's awful."

• DJB...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 25, 2022

For Birth Control "Did its job, no pregnancy, so I gotta give it credit where it's due. It also lightened my periods a decent amount. It did give me extreme depression, mood swings, irritability, and a HUGE drop in libido, though. The first few months caused me to vomit every few days when taking it. I also found overall energy levels dropped, and I had far less physical energy to do daily tasks. It does the job of prevention but has a lot of crummy side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 12, 2021

For Birth Control "I've been taking this birth control for about 5 years. It’s the only BC I’ve ever taken. Thankfully, the first one I tried worked pretty well for me, so I just never switched because I was too scared. Overall, Cryselle hasn’t had too many side effects on me: no weight gain, normal acne, lighter periods, and less cramping. However, my libido is very, very low, and it wasn’t always like this, so I’m 99% sure it’s from the pill, which is sad. That’s the only negative effect it has had on me that I’m aware of, but everyone is different. Some say it has made their sex life better, so."