Norethindrone for Endometriosis User Reviews (Page 3)

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2018

"So far, so good! Switched to this from Microgestin 1/20 due to high blood pressure. My BP went back to normal after only the second day of being on norethindrone. I’ve been on it for two months now, and I’m loving it so far! Still no period (continuous use), which is awesome. Only complaint is that my nips hurt pretty darn bad. However, I’d rather my nips be tender than have monstrous periods. Only knocking the score down a point because my nips feel like they got ran over."

• Eno...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2019

"I have stage 4 endometriosis. My doctor prescribed norethindrone because of awful mood swings from the combo pill. I was highly skeptical and resistant to birth control pills, I felt that any manipulation of my hormones would cause me mood swings. I only took this because I was desperate to get rid of period pain. I took this for six months and only got a light period with minimal pain in the first month. I’ve been physically pain-free the entire time. I’m stopping now because, like all hormonal birth control, the anxiety and mood swings are getting out of hand. As a lot of the reviewers have said, my thoughts have become very dark, so it’s time to get off."

• Sea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 16, 2017

"I started this at age 47 for severely painful periods (suspected endometriosis) that had been escalating for about two years. I love this medication so far, no period for 75 days, no pain, wonderful. I did notice some gastrointestinal symptoms/constipation, weight gain, and night sweats, all never really had before. The constipation was actually good for me as I think my hormones were actually causing diarrhea issues. The weight gain is due to appetite increase, but I am back on the bandwagon and exercising. Bottom line, I feel great, and my outlook is happy, so not experiencing the blues others have mentioned. Highly recommend for abdominal pain associated with menstrual problems."

• Ano...
• May 6, 2016

Camila (norethindrone) "My Dr prescribed it for me for endometriosis. I took the first one today but after reading reviews from this site and others I will not take it anymore I would rather be in pain than have all the side effects."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2020

"I was prescribed Norlutate in December 2019 for stage 4 colorectal endometriosis. For the first couple of weeks, I experienced depression, crying, emotional instability, painful periods, and difficulty sleeping. My partner was able to convince me to give the medication time to work. I am very happy to say that by giving it time, the depression has subsided, I don't cry without reason, I am still moody but can feel it coming before I react to a situation unreasonably. I started meditating and stretching before bed, which helps me be in a better state for sleeping. As for my diagnosis, it's working - I no longer have bleeding rectally during menstruation, and the constipation is gone. I am no longer in constant pain - but manageable pain. It kind of sucks having a bit of acne at age 31, and a small amount of weight gain, but it's a small price to pay in order to have the quality of life back you desire."

• gre...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 29, 2016

Errin (norethindrone) "Due to blood clot and diagnosis of autoimmune clotting disorder (anti-phospholipid syndrome), I had to be put on a non-estrogen birth control to help with my endometriosis. The pill has caused me to spot just about every single day, and I have been on it for over 6 months. It has not been able to control the cramps, and I have to have 800 mg ibuprofen on hand at all times. It has cut down on my 7-10 day very heavy period, but since I spot every day, not sure if it's really helped with the blood loss and anemia. When I started, I had just about every symptom of pregnancy, but I was not pregnant. This went away after about 1 month of use. Unfortunately, this is my only option at the moment, so I'm kind of stuck with this."

• Rit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2020

"I was given norethindrone to help with my endometriosis, and I’m anemic. I have very painful cramping, very heavy periods, bad headaches, and some other symptoms that have been getting worse over the years. This is my last option before getting a hysterectomy. Started taking this medicine at the beginning of September at 5 mg once a day. I had light bleeding for the first 3 weeks. My OB raised my dosage to 10 mg to help stop the bleeding. Upping the dosage made my bleeding worse, along with very bad cramping. I called my OB and was told to stop taking it, and that was Monday. I have been heavy bleeding ever since. I’m hoping it will only last for a week while the medicine is leaving my body."

• ano...
• June 12, 2019

Jencycla (norethindrone) "I absolutely hate this birth control. I started taking it maybe 9 months ago and, although I am not pregnant, the side effects are awful and unbearable. I take birth control due to my endometriosis. I used to be extremely sick in high school, I've passed out from pain, and have vomited countless times. I am 21, 4'11", 105 lbs and my flow was super, I also had the most irregular periods. I suffer from migraines and my old birth control was exacerbating them, so my OBGYN put me on progesterone-only birth control. When I take this medicine, I do get a period. It is still irregular, my flow is not enough to fill a regular tampon, so I use a diva cup. The reason why this pill does not work for me is that my flow is irregular, my cramps are awful, and I am getting horrendous acne (which never happened before). Even as I write this now, it is 3 a.m. and I cannot sleep due to my cramps. Earlier today, I got a heat flash and vomited because of my period."

• des...
• May 3, 2015

Jolivette (norethindrone) "I was on this medicine for about 7 weeks, and I gained a lot of weight, and on the start of my 3rd pack, I got extreme migraines when I crouched down. I was in crazy pain, so I stopped the birth control. After about 3 weeks, my migraines stopped. I got MRIs, and the doctor didn't see anything wrong with my brain."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2018

Camila (norethindrone) "I originally took this pill to ease the pain of my endometriosis. I didn’t make it to the 3-month mark. My periods have gone from 4 days to 10. It dries me out and makes inserting tampons very painful. Instead of having one day of excruciating pain, I ended up having 10 days of moderate pain with very bad nausea. My skin has become so oily and painful that it’s affecting my well-being. Although I did not give this pill a fair chance, I simply could not wait it out to see if things got better."

• Ano...
• August 26, 2017

"This pill is great. I've been on it for over a month, and no really weird side effects. My boobs have gotten bigger, and I put on a few pounds, but probably from eating badly. I'm in no pain from my endometriosis, and it doesn't interact with my antidepressants, Zoloft and trazodone. I love this so much more than my old Skyla that almost perforated my uterus. I recommend this pill to those in endometriosis pain and those who can't handle estrogen/combo pills due to other medications and illness."

• Anonymous
• September 19, 2019

"This pill is the absolute worst. I only took it for 3 weeks. It broke my skin out so bad. My cycle stayed in for 9 days or more, had heavy clotting, and spotted several days. I wouldn’t recommend taking this pill, find other alternatives for heavy cycles. For some reason, doctors say it takes a while to work, but it didn’t take long for it to have a negative effect on my body."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 18, 2019

"This pill has done great for my endometriosis - a tubal pregnancy I had 20 years ago caused endometrial cells to escape and reproduce outside of my uterus, so I was getting internal bleeding during my periods. My periods were pretty horrible after a copper IUD removal - the time in between periods was about 14 days and would last up to 10 days. Menstrual hemorrhaging was making my commute horrible. I have been taking norethindrone for about 1.5 years and gained a bit of weight, ~10 lbs. My periods are completely gone with no spotting and no cramps whatsoever, which took about 3 months. However, I think I have developed hives from the generic norethindrone, so I am attempting the name brand Aygestin. Good luck to all!"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 24, 2017

"I had the Skyla IUD for a year with no problems. I've actually recommended it to a lot of people. Unfortunately, after one year, my Skyla fell out of place and ended up somewhere it shouldn't have been. I almost needed surgery to get it removed. I've now been taking this pill for a few weeks, and I feel no different than how I felt with my Skyla. So far, I like this pill. I was put on this pill due to endometriosis, and I suffer from depression, so I need no estrogen."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2021

"I started taking this because my usual 7-day-long, heavy, painful period suddenly made it to day 10. It didn't seem like it was ever going to stop. After 2 days of taking 5 mg of norethindrone twice a day, my period finally stopped on day 12. I was so relieved, but then the nausea started kicking in. It lasts from the morning until bedtime. Eating is a struggle, and yet I managed to put weight on somehow. I was put on a lower dose, but the nausea still persists. I'm glad that this medicine made me quit bleeding, but the nausea feels like when I was pregnant and had severe morning sickness."

• And...
• September 29, 2015

"I was prescribed this medication a month ago after finding strange cysts. It was supposed to stop my period. I had finally gotten my period down to 4 or 5 days, once a month, after my second surgery last year. But now I'm bleeding pretty much every day. I need to wear a pantyliner at all times, which is no fun. I still have endo pain. I've gained 6 lbs in one month. I keep snapping at people. When I'm not easily irritated, I'm extremely depressed. I've also been quite forgetful, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with this medication since I haven't seen anyone else write about it. I tend to have breakouts, so I don't think that has changed. I hope that I won't be on this much longer."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 8, 2019

"I was prescribed norethindrone as a form of birth control that would prevent my endometriosis from worsening. I’m on a separate medication for that. This has caused me to be more hungry between meals. However, increased snacking has not caused weight gain. I did have all-day headaches in the first month that were fairly intense, but those have subsided. I have far more acne now than before, and my breasts have gotten a bit smaller. However, I have not had a period or spotting since I began, which is what my OB intended. I actually increased my dose from 5 to 10 to alleviate negative symptoms caused by my endometriosis medication, and while the hunger has worsened, everything seems to be going quite well. Compared to the half dozen I had to try in the last two years for Endo management, this is great!"

• Mad...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 12, 2020

Errin (norethindrone) "I had god-awful endometriosis. When I get my period, I have cramps so bad I cannot function, diarrhea, and nausea. I started Errin to help fix this issue. The first month I didn’t bleed but had god-awful cramps (per expected). After the first month, my periods came twice a month and lasted about 7 days. My cramps weren’t as bad as when not using birth control. 8 months later and it’s still the same. I’m actually getting off Errin because my active lifestyle isn’t really fitting with having my period half the month. With Errin, my acne skyrocketed too. My chin and cheeks have never been so broken out in my life. I used to never wear makeup, and now I can’t bring myself to be in public without it. I’m glad I have to wear a mask in public because of how bad my acne is. Altogether, I didn’t get pregnant, my cramps got slightly better, and my acne is uncontrollable. Wouldn’t really recommend."

• AN1...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 12, 2022

"I struggled for 17 years with my endometriosis. Went to a new gynecologist, and he recommended I try norethindrone. He said the first month might be awful, but to keep going. I’m so glad I did. The first month, I bled for about 2 weeks straight, my face broke out terribly, and I was so annoyed with everyone and everything. After about a month, my period completely stopped. No pain, no bleeding or spotting. I’ve been on this medication for over a year, and I can’t believe it took me this long to find it. I call it my miracle drug. Anyone who has endometriosis knows that you get pain throughout the month, not just on your period. My pain is 100% gone. It’s amazing to have my life back. I no longer have to schedule my life around my periods because I no longer have them, and it’s incredible!"

• LTa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2020

Ortho Micronor (norethindrone) "HORRIBLE. I'm open-minded to trying meds IF a logical & necessary reason. I was desperate for SOMETHING to manage my endo, acne, & act as birth control. I was told this was safest. I was 26 then. Within 2 days, my face broke out with crazy cystic acne. But I kept taking it cuz I was told it could take '8-10 weeks for my body to regulate'. Each day got worse. Swollen, scarred, I lost my youthful tone & had low self-esteem. No support from gyno. After 10 wks, I went off Micronor, yet my body couldn't reregulate & kept producing painful acne for 1 yr. In that time, I found hope in Exposed Skincare products & PRP microneedling. Doctors are qualified, but still HUMAN. Trust your gut if it doesn't feel right. Don't wait like I did just because they tell you '8-10 weeks'."

• Mad...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 14, 2019

Nora-Be (norethindrone) "I got on this Nora-Be pill maybe 3ish years ago. Thought it was helping my endometriosis. But my gynecologist and hormone doctor told me it wasn't great for helping endo. I'm taking progesterone as a hormone pill. Nora-Be has made my life change for the worse. Horrible acne, weight gain, and unwanted hair on my face. Also, my mood has changed since I've been on it. I stopped taking Nora-Be today, and I know once it gets out of my system, I'll be way better. In the near future, probably 2-3 months, I do want to get back on a better birth control that will help it better. I do not recommend this birth control to any women with endo. Does not help and makes things worse for you. I am 26 years old and without insurance right now. Without it, the pill for 3 months is over $130. Again, I do not recommend this birth control."

• Bel...
• May 8, 2017

"I was on this for endometriosis after three surgeries, went off last week to try for a baby. On the plus side, it worked for me-no pain at all (had pain every day, not just that time of the month before it), no bleeding or periods. On the negative side, I now have cystic acne and have spent $100 with my dermatologist trying to get rid of it, hopefully, it will clear now. I did gain about 30 lbs over five years, but I'm not 100% sure it was the pill. But not a big deal for me, I was underweight before it. Everyone is different, but it worked for me. Without it, I would have had a hysterectomy at 23."

• rac...
• January 2, 2021

Heather (norethindrone) "I have tried the combo pill twice before using Heather. I mainly started for horrible, heavy periods and intense cramps. The combo pill (both times) was absolutely horrible, and I’ve never felt worse in my life. Heather has been good for me, but has cons. I have irregular periods now, but they’re not very heavy, and I barely get cramps anymore, so the periods aren’t bad at all. The periods are also short (4-5 days) compared to my usual 8-10. Using Heather now has made me capable of doing my usual day-to-day activities while on my period. The downside is the hormonal acne. My skin is oily and acne-prone, but I’ve been getting painful cysts from this birth control. The irregular periods and acne are worth it for me personally because my endo made my periods a living nightmare before. When I first started it, I was on my period for a month, but after that, they’ve been pretty short aside from the one time that I missed a pill."

• MJC...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 11, 2017

"I really thought this was the perfect pill for me. I couldn't tolerate anything with estrogen because of migraines. Plus, I was getting really bad PMS and heavy periods. So last October, I started this pill. For months, it seemed pretty good. I only spotted a bit the first month, and my periods seemed better. I had unprotected sex a few times and did not get pregnant either. But exactly one year on since taking this pill, I gained 20 pounds-20!! This shocked me because most of my clothes still fit, and I only thought I gained a few pounds at most. So my body is basically carrying around a massive amount of water weight (!!), which has bad side effects too... I feel bloated and achy all the time, and sadly my PMS is still really bad! So I think I'm done!"

• Kot...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 21, 2022

Errin (norethindrone) "Been on for about 6 months due to having a blood clot possibly from estrogen BC; hence the progesterone. I started on a higher dose of norethindrone and ended up going here because the side effects were terrible; they are better on this pill but still present (currently on 0.35 mg). I've had breast leakage, breast pain/tenderness (all the time), clots on periods, somewhat irregular periods in terms of time. I will say my nausea hasn't been bad on this pill, and my pelvic endometriosis symptoms have lessened (not so much my bowel or upper abdominal), but I really don't like the breast pain. It's unbearable for me, but I'm hoping to last until March after my endo surgery to get off it."