User Reviews for Ortho Evra transdermal

I have been on birth control for 20 years....I have been using the patch for almost a year. IT is easy to use and remember, but I have a problem with the edges sticking to clothing, and it coming off in the pool or the shower. I have severe mood swings and anxiety from it....ridiculous mood swings! I am going to try something else. It may work for you but it wasn't worth it for me. I was very satisfied with Nuva Ring in the past. I stopped Nuva Ring because it injured my boyfriend during sex. My periods have been heavier on the patch than on the pill or on nuva ring and I have had worse cramps. I think I will have to go back to the pill again although it's inconvenient. I wanted to try the Depo shot but after reading/hearing horror stories I will pass.Read More Read Less

I had to take the patch off after 4 days, I was extremely nauseous and after I spent a half hour puking I was done.

i was on ortho evra several years ago. i was on it just less than a year. it worked great. my sex drive was unaffected and my skin cleared up. i didn't have any pms. every once in a while it would stick to my clothes a bit, but it was never a big issue. i wish i could have stuck with it, but i was having skin reactions to the adhesive. but i would definitely recommend this to anyone.

This was easy for me to use and I had minimal side effects. First, it will stick to your clothes at the edges a little, and I found that the top part of the patch would loosen under the water flow from my shower head. I solved this last issue easily by wearing a 4 inch by 4 inch bandage over it, but NOT adhering to the patch when showering. I never had a problem with the stickiness after I figured that out, and I spent about $3 on bandages each month. My cycle was regular, 5 days, and exactly the same as without the patch. My skin was clear, but it was mostly clear with only 2 or 3 zits before my period without the patch. I had some other side effects: moderate breast tenderness, increased breast size by 1 cup :), about 5 lbs of weight gain over 5 years even with increased exercise and diet changes, and menstrual bloating that was much worse than before. This did increase the severity of my migraine with aura headaches, but it did not increase the severity of my non-migraine headaches. Migraines are terrible anyway, but I had the worst one of my life while on the patch. It did not affect the frequency of my headaches. My blood pressure remained normal also. Eventually, the medical community changed the eligibility requirements for combined hormone birth control, thus banning this drug from people who have migraine with aura like me. My migaines are infrequent, and to be honest the increased severity was acceptable to me. Overall, the patch was easy to use once I stopped letting the shower wash it off, the side effects that were constant were manageable if not an improvement (yay extra cup size!), but my migraines were worse. I could have dealt with it, but sadly it is no longer an option due to my migraines with aura.Read More Read Less

This was my first birth control method. I loved the effectiveness of OE, but I hated the stickiness aroud the patch. sometimes the tip would get attached to my jeans. It detached form my skin several times during the 9 months of usage. No side effect for me! My sex drive ramained the same, no weight gain, decreased my acne, periods slightly lighter and for the same amount of days as my regular period, my cramps dissapeared, and didn't experience mood swings. I stopped using it because it burned my skin! To this day, I still have the mark it left on my skin. Now I am searching for another BC method. I would love to use it again but I am afraid it will burn my skin again.Read More Read Less

I loved and hated it. I felt extremely sick to my stomach for probably the first year I was on it, but only the first day after I started a new patch (so once a month). I was pretty emotional the first few months as well. After time I stopped feeling sick and my emotions went back to normal. I never had issues with it falling off or gaining weight. Worked great overall, but the queasiness was tough to take.

I've been on ortho evra since 2001 and never had a problem with the patch other than the occasional "get stuck to my clothes" incidents.

This summer I was VERY excited to try the patch, and through a bunch of hoops, leaps and bounds, I finally got the prescription (My OBGYN had left her practice, I had to find a new one, lots of waiting, then pharmacies I went to were all out of the patch, etc...) Anyways, after my long awaited arrival, I started the patch. My first week I placed my patch on my buttox, and the second week, on my shoulder. The reason my rating is so low, is that I had very severe reactions to the patch, which makes me sad because I really do like this birth control. I had severe nausea, and stomach pains that were bad enough that my doctor sent me to the ER (thinking it was appendicitis, or ovarian cysts). I was on the patch for 2 weeks, and even prescribed nausea medication would not kick my reactions to the curb. It was only after a process of elimination this past weekend that I decided to see if it was indeed the patch causing symptoms (I've never had a negative reaction to medicine before, so it was not a thought that crossed my mind initially). Since I have taken the patch off (3 days), I have recovered 100% and my symptoms are gone. Please do not let this scare you away from trying the patch; I really do think that this is a great form of birth control, it just did not agree with my body. So I do HIGHLY recommend trying the patch, I was just unable to rate it higher due to my crazy symptoms. On a side note- after some deep research, I found that Ortho Evra could also reduce your tolerance to carbohydrates. I am currently on a strict all-carb diet due to digestive issue (which is why at first I thought I had the stomach flu with my symptoms, but 2 weeks is a little too long for the stomach flu, especially after being to the doctors and the ER with blood drawn and IV's). To sum it up, Ortho Evra is worth a shot, and I hope it works for those of you that try it. I was sad that my body was unable to respond well. Maybe the increased estrogen played a role? Read More Read Less

I used Ortho Evra for about 5 years and loved it! No additional side effects and it was so easy to use. I'm currently not using them because my doctor had me switch to a estrogen-free alternative because of my migraines. :( Bummer. I was very happy with them!

First attempt at cycle manipulation so vacation later this year would not be interrupted by cramps, *etc*; was soooo hoping it would work, gave it a good 4 months... still wound up with two periods a month, or early periods :( and I never missed a patch in all that time-frame. When I did finally take the patch off for good, period was strong as before so my body was simply ignoring the meds. I'm also well below the weight limit and applied the patch on a very lean spot... I truly did my best to make this relationship work! Have switched to Sprintec in a last-ditch effort to save my impending vacation... wish me luck. :)Read More Read Less

I decided to go off the patch after using it for about 8 years, the last year of which i had spotting for a week before my period. I was told it could take up to 3 months for my body to readjust from going on. it has now been 12 months, i'm still not pregnant, and i am still spotting for a week before my period!! I think the estrogen levels from this drug have long term effects!

I loved the patch, it was perfect for me, only had to remember once a week and it was really effective only downside was a pale spot where my patch went but that was a small price to pay :)

As far as I can tell, the Ortho Evra patch works. But there are too many other "cons" for me, so I will not be using it much longer. The adhesive is extremely irritant... Ive itched so hard I bleed! It doesnt stick very well either. The edges are always peeling back from "gunk" off my clothes. I tried putting medical tape over the edges, but the tape's adhesive only made the skin irritation worse. Another minor downfall is the cost. Even with prescription insurance, I still pay almost $50 a month for the patch. That is more than I care to pay for something that is such a hassle to use.Read More Read Less

I've been on it one week. I got 23 zits under the patch. My dermatologist has given me mega-antibiotics. My gynecologist says it's the best thing for Endometriosis; but he's not the one with the headaches, loss of appetite, and itcy patch stuck to him. If you have acne; check under the patch after a few days... you don't want to end up with the mess I did.

I have been on this for a total of 4 years and LOVE IT!!! used it for 1 year and a half then stopped to have a baby and got back on after.

I am 16 years old and this is the fourth method of BC the doctors have tried. The other three attempts were oral pills and they always made me sick and I developed ovarian cysts. The patch was prescribed to me to help my period, and to stop ovulation to rid of the cysts. I have only been on the patch for four days. I have ripped it off because I am very upset with it. I am sick yet again. My breasts are sore and swollen, my hormones are crazy (I cry so much!) I have no appetite and I have tried to eat and it doesn't cooperate. I am sick to my stomach all the time. I have had a migrane since the first 24 hours I applied it. The patch left gooey substance all around where it was, like a band-aid that was left on for too long. I have found that perhaps the patch is usually more for adult women, considering most of the women who have reviewed are older. My mother was on the patch for years and had no problem, but that was when she was in her 20s. I do not recommend the patch to teenage girls, only because I have noticed that we don't respond to it well. I do not recommend the patch to women who have had trouble with birth control side effects in the past. I hope this is helpful, yet I have yet to find relief from the nausea and headache. Read More Read Less

i am 25 years old and have been on this for over four years the only thing i have noticed has a down side while taking this,is the dirty sticky effect it forms round the edges(the same effect left on your skin when having a plaster left their for too long)oher than this, thi has been fantastic for me.but i do wounder, i have stopped using this has i am trying for a baby, does anyone know how long it can take to get pregnant after using this patch???