I have taken ortho cyclen for 36 days. The first 2 weeks I had nausea and headaches. The last 22 days I have been experiencing very heavy bleeding and severe cramps in abdomen, back and even legs. Not to mention the mean and nasty personalty I've adopted. The doctor wants me to give it three months. This might be the best birth control I've taken, I haven't had sex in weeks.

I have been one this pill for two years on and off. I have noticed that when I DON'T take the pill, I have a sex drive, I'm not irritable, I don't have migraines, Let's just say I'm a normal person. I think I'll just get my tubes tied.

I set an alarm on my cell to help remember to take it at the same time each day, which is the hardest part. I've been taking this medication for four years and i haven't had a single complaint. I love it, however, everyone's body is different and you should find the birth control that works best with your body. I would certainly recommend trying this one though. I feel very safe on it and have never had a pregnancy scare.

I started taking this pill to regulate my periods, and to help with my skin. It did nothing for my skin, and I felt myself very irritable and had absolutely no sex drive. Granted, pills work differently depending on the person.

When it was time for my IUD to be removed I decided to try a pill. I stopped taking this after 1 wk; it is not ok to feel THAT horrible. The 1st 5 days were ok, then the cramping and abnormal clotting began. The clots were so huge that initially I thought I was misscarrying an unkown pregnancy; but, they didn't stop and the amount of blood loss didnt' ease up. The cramps were horrible and constant. It made me weak, dizzy and nauseaous. It affected my work and home life. I took it as my body WARNING me that it did NOT like what I was taking. I think I'll wait a few months and go back to Mirena which worked wonderfully!

I've been taking this pill for more than 15 yrs... I was put on it to control long, heavy painful periods. for this it has worked very well though I am now finding that I am getting migraines and numbness in my fingers which is scary. considering going off this pill because of these effects and my age (34). however, it has worked very effectively up until the last couple years.

I was put on birth control (YAZ) because I suffer from PMDD and also have extremely PAINFUL periods. Well my hours at work got cut and i could no longer afford YAZ so my doctor switched me to this one. About 2 weeks after switching i started having severe strokelike symptoms. I later found out that these were actually symptoms of Basilar Artery Migraines. Well within less than 2 months after switching I decided that I would rather deal with the PMDD and cramps than go through another migraine like that. My cousin was also taking this birth control and ended up in the hospital with blood clots fighting for her life. She now has to take blood thinners for the rest of her life. The crazy thing is we're in our early 20's and used to be very healthy.

Im just starting out on this pill and it has been a terrible experience. Im always sick with an upset stomach and my mood swings are unbelievable. I've had bad experiences with regular birth control since I was 14 but this has by far been the worst. I feel terrible constantly and overall ... it's just not working for me.

The hardest thing about this is actually remembering to take it! I set my cell phone alarm every day to help me remember! Overall, however, it has been extremely effective. I've been on this drug for years and actually lost weight on it (while many people I know gain weight on birth control). I also suffer from PSO (poly-systic overies) and this drug helps alleviate irregular periods. As a patient who suffers from other psychiatric illness, this has been the best option for me (I experienced extreme anxiety on Yaz). In other words, don't discount this more traditional pill... I've been on it for years without incidence!