Heather and Depression: What Users Say

• Not...
• January 14, 2021

For Birth Control "Read reviews, but thought... hey, everyone is different, so it may help. YEAH RIGHT. I’m on month 3, and my periods are horrible. I was put on Heather to regulate them, but it’s made my days longer. I was originally 6-7 days a month, now I’m 11-15 days. I’m already anemic and was hoping this would be the answer. Not to mention acne. It’s awful. I’ve never had acne. Tender breasts for 2 months, mood swings & depression. Crying for no reason. I’m discontinuing this."

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2022

For Birth Control "I have struggled with depression and anxiety for years. When I decided to get back on birth control at age 43, my Dr. prescribed Heather because pills with estrogen had a high risk of adverse reaction with an antidepressant I'm taking. After 3 months of extreme fatigue, super irritability, increased depression/constant crying, hair loss, acne, insane bleeding with large clots, bloating, cramps, headache, and back pain, all my Dr. (who I used to love) said was, 'I'm sorry you're having trouble adjusting to the hormones.' I feel like I've been set back several months on the progress I'd been making with my emotional issues. I stopped taking it today and can't wait to get back to 'normal.' Beware!"

• Kor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2020

For Birth Control "I've been on this birth control, Heather, for 2 months. I'm pretty sure the mechanism of action for this drug is actually just abstinence because bleeding and cramping for 3.5 weeks each month is not conducive to having sex. The depression (which I have no prior history of) doesn't help. My medical professional never warned me about any side effects and has since told me to 'stick it out', so I'll give it a full three months. I had been on estrogen-based birth control for over 20 years and loved it, but hypertension :( At this point, though, I'd almost rather have the hypertension. And can I just take a moment to rant that in all my many trips to the gyno over the years for birth control, no one has EVER brought up vasectomy, when uterine ablation (literally burning out the inside of the uterus) has been suggested though. Come on!! Vasectomy was the first thing my partner suggested (bless him), so we may end up going that route."

• Ali...
• November 6, 2020

For Birth Control "I don't normally leave reviews, but I definitely felt obligated to share my experience with the Heather birth control pill. This is a mini pill, so of course, I was taking it after I had my son, so I could continue to breastfeed him. Not only did it make me gain all 30 lbs back that I initially lost after I had him, but it completely wrecked my normally clear skin. Aside from physical issues, the reason I really wanted to leave this review is because of the mental side effects it gave me. I am regularly a very happy person, however, this BC made me extremely depressed, which is definitely not good for a woman who just had a baby! I don't believe it should be prescribed for women, period, but most definitely not for new mothers. It did its job of allowing me to not get pregnant and still breastfeed, so I gave it a couple of stars, however, other than that, I would recommend something else."

• tde...
• April 10, 2017

For Birth Control "I've had trouble finding a birth control that wouldn't make me gain weight, give me UTIs, or make me depressed. I have finally found the one! This birth control has given me no issues at all. At first, my period was a little irregular when adjusting to this pill, but now it comes regularly and I have no negative side effects. You do have to be a little more exact with the time you take this BC, but I have my phone alarm set every day to the same time, so it's usually not a problem. The only time it is, is when my schedule is a little out of whack. Other than that, this is the best birth control I've taken and will continue to take."

• Sta...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 15, 2022

For Birth Control "I was put on Heather as a 42-year-old with pretty easy, light, regular periods. My boyfriend is not “fixed,” and we do not want more children. Now Heather. No periods? Sign me up! Well…my periods have been SO irregular. I never know when I might have one. My anxiety/depression has gotten so much worse to the point where I’ve felt like a lab rat trying all these meds to help my mood. Let’s not forget about the weight gain. I literally do not sit down. I’m on the move constantly, I don’t eat junk, and I drink my water. I have gained…are you ready? 45 POUNDS. 45 pounds?! Seriously. I am so upset. I can NOT get rid of the weight. I feel like a slob. I really don't like how I look. I was always tiny, but this stuff made me blow up like a blimp in less than a year’s time. My muscles in my legs ache constantly, and those headaches it was supposed to help? Yeah…no. It didn’t touch the headaches. This BC is a joke. Stay FAR away from it. I just stopped taking it. Fingers crossed."

• Sam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 17, 2020

For Birth Control "I have factor V (an inherited disorder of blood clotting), so I couldn’t take a birth control with estrogen. This was my only choice for a pill form. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, I took it for just over a year and noticed a lot of changes with my mental health. I was constantly crying for no reason, having panic attacks, thinking irrational thoughts, and became extremely depressed. I know myself very well, and I know what I was like before I started this pill and could tell I needed to get off of it. I ended up using natural family planning temp monitoring because it’s a completely natural birth control option. I’ve been off of Heather for about 2 months now and starting to feel like myself more and more."

• Cam...
• September 4, 2018

For Birth Control "I started using Heather about a year ago, I am unable to use combination pills due to migraines. It started off okay but gradually worsened. About four months ago, I started becoming extremely irritable and sad. I would lose large clumps of hair in the shower. I got constant yeast infections, which made me extremely uninterested in sex. I have my period twice a month, which lasts about 8 days each time and is only a week apart, and my skin is terrible despite drinking water and exercising. I even have pain during intercourse, which has never been an issue for me. This birth control has caused so much tension in my relationship. I thought I was going crazy, but after seeing so many similar experiences, I’m going to discontinue this pill ASAP."

• Joj...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 5, 2022

For Birth Control "I switched to Heather after finding out I had factor IV. I would not recommend this pill. I recently stopped taking the pill because it completely changed me. After 7 months, I experienced hair loss at the front of my head, bad depression, bloating, bad digestion, and headaches. I had so little energy and motivation that I knew I had to get off this pill immediately. I am now using natural cycles and condoms, since the mini pill or progesterone was my only choice in birth control due to my condition. I decided to go the natural route. Feeling like myself now."

• kyl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2017

For Birth Control "The pill is effective in the sense of I'm not pregnant, but I got a lot of adverse effects. I got switched to the Heather pill after my pharmacy didn't carry the generic version. After 2 months of use, I started to get some adverse effects. It started with random spotting every day, and I couldn't lose weight. They were irritating, but I continued use. It wasn't until I started getting headaches, becoming confused, and couldn't concentrate where it became a problem. I broke out in a rash for a few days, and I have been emotionless. I would say use at your own risk."

• Moa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 3, 2021

For Birth Control "Initially, it seemed like a great option for me, a 30s black woman with 2 children, taking the pill to prevent future pregnancy. I did rate it a 4 because it did prevent pregnancy, which was the main reason I took it. I have high blood pressure, so I can’t do the combo pill, but I took it for about a month and a half. The first thing I didn’t realize right away was the mood swings, irritability, and extreme depression - I’m talking about extreme depression, my thoughts were crazy, suicidal, fatigue, or not having energy to do anything. Then there was spotting for days at a time (started after week 1). Once my cycle started (week 6), I discontinued the pill 3 days into my cycle once I saw how much heavier it was. I’m now on day 7 of a med-heavy cycle (my cycle is typically 3-4 days long and light to medium flow). My hair is also thinner than usual. Do your research, ladies."

• Mon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2021

For Birth Control "I had been on Depo for over 3 years and loved it, but had to stop due to being on it for so long. I tried a combo pill, and my acne and cramps were horrible. So my doctor switched me to a progesterone-only pill. I've been on it for a couple of months, and it seems to be working well. My body seems to only like progesterone. No acne, no depression, and sex drive is good. Usually only have cramps for 1 day, periods are heavier than I would like, but way better than not being on anything to control them."

• Lot...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 20, 2021

For Birth Control "I was switched suddenly to this because my pharmacist was all out of the one I had usually used, which was just plain norethindrone. This was a big mistake. A month after starting on this, I had crazy mood swings, bad depression, and horrible painful acne that I’ve never had in my life. I used to have clear skin, and this ruined my skin, now I have scars. In the first year, I had painful heavy bleeding during periods, which were irregular. I just thought it was my makeup I needed to change or needed better skincare products...nothing worked! I decided to stop taking it to see if everything would improve, and I went off it for a month. WOW! My skin started to clear, and I felt more sane. It also stopped my period for a while. But I would say this did no good for me, and I do not wish to be on this again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2022

For Birth Control "I didn’t do well on this birth control. I was on this certain brand because I just had my son and am currently breastfeeding. I have gained so much weight that I initially lost after delivery and the first couple of weeks of breastfeeding. I suffered severe depression and mood swings. I had periods longer than the normal 7 days. I honestly had more period days than break days throughout the month. So glad to be trying something else now. Just beware and talk to your doctor if you notice anything."