Tri Lo Sprintec side effects - anxiety?

I am so sorry for all of the changes that you brave ladies are going through, but thank you so much for posting your experiences with Tri-Lo Sprintec. My doctor tried to switch me to this under the guise of saving me money despite my telling him that I don't trust generics and my body does not adjust well to change. I tried Depo and bleed for three weeks out of four. I am demanding my Ortho-Tri Lo refill. I think that pharmacists have to tell us the drugs are the same, which is a shame because they REALLY are not!

lizz wrote:

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Actually, you are wrong. The generics are not the same. This week I finally caved in and went to the doctor, I thought I was going mad. Turns out my doctor said it isn't the same, similar but not the same. The generic doesn't have to have the same inactive ingredients, absorbtion method, or the same amount of active ingredients. Infact they can't have the same amount of active ingredients. Anyway my doctor told me all of this so...ya. I agree that people should generally give the generics a chance. They do act differently for different people but I had a problem, many people have had a problem so be wary of this generic.

Thank you Lizz... it amazes me that people can think that generics are the same... simple amazes me...

Krystal wrote:

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Try the Sprintec. And dont think about all these nasty comments you've seen on here. Different women react differently. If you think youre entire body is going to spontaneously combust because of what you've read, chances are things are going to go bad. Because youre letting yourself believe it. I just started my first pack of Sprintec after 2 months of being on ortho tri cyclen lo. I may not have had time to get side effects yet, but as of right now im fine. And until something goes wrong with me, im going to keep taking them because all generic brands are the exact same medication as the name brand. The name brand companies are usually the ones that make the generic ones too believe it or not. So give it a try and see how YOU react to them. You'll be saving money in the process. But don't let this dollar stretcher risk your health. If you have terrible side effects, then in my opinion paying more is worth it.

please don't offer advise if you don't know what you are talking about. the generic was made in Israel and they are in the midst of a court battle with the makers of Ortho Tri Lo... so don't speak of what you don't know.
yes, i'm so sure that the odds are with you. i mean if 200 women are experiencing this THAT WE KNOW OF thanks to this forum, then sure- go ahead try your luck... WITH YOUR BODY.
genius...

Liz wrote:

My pharmacist prescribed me Tri-Lo Sprintec in August and I thought it was so nice to only pay $10 a month for it, although I was completely unaware of the side effects. The first side effect I noticed was a rash on my face(where the two skin folds run from each side of the nose to the corners of my mouth), which I didn't think was a big deal at the time, then one morning a few weeks into the pack I woke up with terrible anxiety,irrational thoughts and went through depression (all of which I still am experiencing). I finished the pack then switched right back to Ortho Lo. Now I'm about to begin my 4th pack of Ortho Lo and I am still experiencing these symptoms, although they are not as terrible as they used to be. I am debating whether or not I should continue using Ortho Lo or just completely get off of it. Since my symptoms are slowly going away (but the rash is still there with, does anyone know if i should continue using the pills or not? My doctor thinks I should see a counselor (which is completely ridiculous considering that I KNOW the pills basically ruined the past 4 months of my life), so I don't think I'll see her again. She also mentioned that the only difference between Tri-Lo and Ortho-Lo is 10mg more of hormones in the Tri-Lo, so I'm sure those 10mg really effected me. Please help..I only have 4 days to decide whether I should stay on it or get off it. Thank you so much girls.

well, thanks to that extra hormone dosage, i now have a lump in my breast. never an issue with the ortho. they really shouldn't be messing with the delicate balance of hormones. just sayin'...

Ambrienne wrote:

Talked to a nurse at my GYNs office today...she's looking for samples of OTC Lo so I can just take the remaining pills in that pack. She said I COULD stop taking the generic altogether but she wouldn't recommend that option b/c it would start my cycle. So I'm waiting on hearing back from her with hope that she finds samples before I make any decision. She did however say that they were going to make a call in to the pharmacy and let them know I need the name brand, not generic.

the day i realized i had a lump in my breast i stopped taking the sprintec. i was six days into the pack. about a week later i got my period. it was heavy and lasted a week, but that was it. no other problems, and it came the next month right on schedule based on that last bleed. it really isn't as bad as they make it out. there was no way i was going to continue putting that poison sprintec in my body. so a week after stopping, by body took care of itself and i got my period. one month, later got it again. my next step is to go see a hormone therapist and find out if i'm out of balance hormonally (most of us are and don't know it) and then get my levels back to normal.

Jessica wrote:

I am so sorry for all of the changes that you brave ladies are going through, but thank you so much for posting your experiences with Tri-Lo Sprintec. My doctor tried to switch me to this under the guise of saving me money despite my telling him that I don't trust generics and my body does not adjust well to change. I tried Depo and bleed for three weeks out of four. I am demanding my Ortho-Tri Lo refill. I think that pharmacists have to tell us the drugs are the same, which is a shame because they REALLY are not!

Amen sister. Good for you! You have to advocate for yourself and your own health. do not let doctors bully you, make you think your crazy or tell you you're wrong. YOU KNOW YOUR BODY AND YOURSELF. way to stand up for yourself!

Wow its nice to hear that im not the only one. I wish I would have read this a month a go! I had been taking ortho tri lo for 6 years and when I went to the pharmacy they gave me the generic, so I asked if it was the same and they told me yes it is. Well a week after taking it I felt very sick to my stomach and just felt like I had to throw- up. The next week I got dizzy spells off and on with the stomach pains occuring also. Then I started to notice that my contacts where getting harder to see out of and I wouls see spots from time to time. The week of my period was the worst week of my life.. I had very bad stomach pains to the point i was almost hospitalized and bloating was very very bad. Plus I didn't start my period on time. Like many of you I thought I was pregnant. So I waited two more days and I started and now I can't seem to stop. I am very upset and disappointed in this birth control. Here I thought I was going crazy when it was the birth control the whole time. I never had any problems with ortho just want back on it.

after my best friend kept raving about ortho tri cyclin lo I decided to go on it too. when I realized I had generic and she didn't I didn't think anything of it. until suddenly everyday I felt anxious, crazy, and couldn't stop crying. constantly getting upset for no reason. driving my boyfriend crazy. and feeling on edge all the time. after 7 years of being on regular ortho tri cyclin. I figured it was because of the change even though my friend when she changed never felt like this. then today I decided to google and this came up. obviously I am not alone. I am demanding the real pills and not this generic crap.

how is it the same with all these crazy side effects? I rather pay more money for the real pills then feel crazy all the time and nonstop crying with generic. I feel really bad cramps too out of nowhere at random times. I did a total turn around the second I got on this pill. it has driven everyone else crazy too not only my boyfriend and everyone has noticed.

does anyone know when the anxiety will go away after stopping the pill? I have only been on it for a month and that was one long month. I have never been depressed before or even anxious. I went from a mellow calm person to freaking out all the time for no reason. crying for no reason. there is absolutely nothing in my life that can even be causing this either. besides these pills.

Bella wrote:

does anyone know when the anxiety will go away after stopping the pill? I have only been on it for a month and that was one long month. I have never been depressed before or even anxious. I went from a mellow calm person to freaking out all the time for no reason. crying for no reason. there is absolutely nothing in my life that can even be causing this either. besides these pills.

I am still going through the same thing. I've been on Ortho Lo for 2 1/2 years and my doctor prescribed me Tri Lo and I took the whole pack in August and experienced the worst anxiety and depression ever, and I went back on Ortho Lo the following month and have been back on it. I just went to my doctor and she prescribed me Lexapro and I've been on it for 5 days now and I am feeling a lot better. Try to wait it out for another month and maybe if your symptoms don't get better see your doctor.

Bella wrote:

after my best friend kept raving about ortho tri cyclin lo I decided to go on it too. when I realized I had generic and she didn't I didn't think anything of it. until suddenly everyday I felt anxious, crazy, and couldn't stop crying. constantly getting upset for no reason. driving my boyfriend crazy. and feeling on edge all the time. after 7 years of being on regular ortho tri cyclin. I figured it was because of the change even though my friend when she changed never felt like this. then today I decided to google and this came up. obviously I am not alone. I am demanding the real pills and not this generic crap.
how is it the same with all these crazy side effects? I rather pay more money for the real pills then feel crazy all the time and nonstop crying with generic. I feel really bad cramps too out of nowhere at random times. I did a total turn around the second I got on this pill. it has driven everyone else crazy too not only my boyfriend and everyone has noticed.

i had awful random cramps too... they came out of no where and would last anywhere from a few hours to a couple days. ive switched back to the brand name now and feeling sooo much better. my cramps are completely gone.

I hate that most of us have had to go through this mess with Tri Lo Sprintec, I am definitely relieved to know I wasn't having a mental breakdown last night.

I was on Ortho Tri Cyclin Lo years ago and never had a problem. I have been off BC for some years and decided earlier this year to get back on. I experimented with Nuva Ring and Ortho Evra (AKA Ring of Death and Patch of Hell :))and needless to say, had terrible side effects. I figured it was a good idea to get back on something I knew my body wouldn't have a bad reaction to... little did I know I was getting this crap instead of Ortho Tri Cyclin Lo.

I'm only a week and a half into my first pack and all I can say is I'm glad I woke up this morning! Last night was absolutley theeeee worst! My mind was racing so fast on random, weird and scary things. I went from thinking I was hearing noises in my apt, to thinking I was going to go blind from my bathroom light to thinking I was going to die if I went to sleep because my throat was dry and it felt like it was getting tighter! Crazy isn't it?! I felt like a friggen looney tune the things I was thinking and how my body was feeling. My BF kept asking me if I was ok because he could tell something was wrong but, I was too scared to tell him what was going on because I thought I would really sound schitzo explaining it :( I tried breathing slow, deep breaths to calm myself down so I could get some rest, that didn't work because then I started to feel like I wasn't breathing or like I was forgetting HOW to breath! The nausea has also started to be quite annoying.

I know that everyone's body reacts differently and sometimes your body has to get adjusted but, I'm truly considering not even taking any more pills from this pack. I know its not good to just stop midway but, I dont think I want to put myself through that again because that aniety and paranoid feeling isn't worth it. I will definitely be calling my Dr and asking for a prescriptions with the specification that I absolutely can not have this generic drug... whatever is in this stuff needs to be illegal.

Best of luck to all you ladies going through this ordeal

Carrie wrote:

I have been taking Orto Tri Cyclen Lo for about two years now & have been pretty good on it with minimal side effects. I recently had to switch to the new generic form, Tri Lo Sprintec. The first month on it I was fine, but I'm a week and a half into the second pack and I'm experiencing terrible anxiety. I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience, and if you have switched to a different brand with better results? I was considering talking to my doctor about Yaz but would like to hear about some other options and experiences.
In the meantime, does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this anxiety? For no real reason I feel nervous and my heart pounds, my stomach hurts, I am having trouble concentrating on anything and feel totally irrational. I think the anxiety is also making me paranoid, thinking that I am pregnant or something (although I just got my period a week and a half ago). I have never experienced this in the last 2 years on tri cyclen lo and when I previously took regular ortho tri cyclen for a year.

I was on tri-sprintec lo for 5 months and it was the worst experience ever..I am 35 , and I was on ortho tri cyclen and my health insurance switched it without my consent. I became despressed, tired, so moody and so much anxiety I could barely function. It caused so much drama in my personal life & professional life I could not take it anymore and sought help..I have no history of depression or anxiety. After a few days of research and reading the online information I concluded it was my bc TRI-SPRINTEC -LO .I Went off that day and felt normal in 3 weeks and lost the 26 pounds i had gained!!.I have contacted the FDA because my issue with the side effects were so severe I hope no one ever goes as crazy as I felt..I now have a copper IUD no HORMONES!!! It has been 2 months no problems I feel great!

Ladies, I went to my OB/GYN... and talked things over with the Dr... they agreed with all of it... that the generic is NOT the same... that it could be causing all the problems I have been having (and from what I am seeing most of you too)... and I have gotten my RX to state NO SUBSTITUIONS... however, this WILL cost me more as insurance will not pay if there is a generic available... someone said in an earlier post that they don't understand this either... that if the lawsuit went through than technically a generic doesn't exist... so we should be getting our BRAND name OTC... but whatever... I am just glad to be back on something I trust and know isn't going to make me feel horrible... and YES, everyone's bodies will react differently to medicine of any type... but I cannot help but feel that there is something drastically WRONG with this generic Sprintec crap! It should NEVER have been marketed in the first place! The End!

Marcia wrote:

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I feel mostly better now, bu I've been having cramps on and off this whole first pack of Ortho lo after getting off the crap Sprintec. It would make sense that it takes time for my body to get used to things, but what would make even more sense is if none of us had to deal with this BS to begin with. Sigh.

I hope you feel better soon Marcia... its taking a while for my body to adjust too! Hope it works out for all of the ladies on here... it really stinks that anyone has to go through this!:(

I have been off of this horrible pill for 2 months and am still experiencing some anxiety from time to time. Is anyone else feeling the anxiety, headaches for this long after coming off the pill? I just want to feel normal. Any tips on how to deal with the anxiety?

I have been back on the Ortho tri lo for a month and am just beginning to feel better - losing weight! It's worth every penny to feel myself again! Good luck everyone!

Carrie wrote:

I have been taking Orto Tri Cyclen Lo for about two years now & have been pretty good on it with minimal side effects. I recently had to switch to the new generic form, Tri Lo Sprintec. The first month on it I was fine, but I'm a week and a half into the second pack and I'm experiencing terrible anxiety. I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience, and if you have switched to a different brand with better results? I was considering talking to my doctor about Yaz but would like to hear about some other options and experiences.
In the meantime, does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this anxiety? For no real reason I feel nervous and my heart pounds, my stomach hurts, I am having trouble concentrating on anything and feel totally irrational. I think the anxiety is also making me paranoid, thinking that I am pregnant or something (although I just got my period a week and a half ago). I have never experienced this in the last 2 years on tri cyclen lo and when I previously took regular ortho tri cyclen for a year.

I just switched to tri lo sprintec from ortho tri cyclen lo and i am also about a week into my second pack. I'm worried I'm pregnant because my boobs hurt very bad and have hurt for about 4 or 5 days. I also have been crying alot and have had terrible anxiety. My apettite has increased and I'm gaining weight. I feel very tired and constantly anxious and moody. Now that I've read your post though I'm wondering if the switch is what has caused these symptoms for me as well! I'm going to the doctor in a few days so I'll keep you posted.

Melissa wrote:

I am having horrible side effects from the tri-lo-sprintec. I hate it that my Pharmacist said everything was the same, blah blah. Now my body is a mess. I was fine for years on the Ortho-tri-cyclen lo... I'm so mad that I let her talk me into changing.
My side effects are the following...
Extreme breast tenderness, like walking up and down stairs hurts. Extreme swelling, My poor boobs are overflowing out of my bra.
My sex drive is GONE. My husband and I had sex everyday and now I have no desire, plus I have no sensitivity when we are having sex. So I can't climax.
I've had headaches on and off. Strange headaches, like in the back of my head. I'm so bloated and just went and bought a pregnancy test last week since I was convinced I was pregnant... the side effects were all just like pregnancy. Plus, my emotions are ridiculous, and I'm being a snotty brat. My poor husband wants his old wife back and I'm never changing from Ortho-Tri-Cyclen again. No more generics for me.
If you are thinking of changing, don't. Even if your Dr./Pharmacist says they are the same... they aren't.

OMG!! My pharmacist said the same thing!! And I nearly started crying after reading this post - IT'S ME EXACTLY!! I could not figure out why I had no desire for sex, have not climaxed in a month. My husband thinks it's him but by all means it is not him, it's these generic birth control pills I have taken for the last month.

JeremiMar wrote:

Has any experience abnormal hair loss while on Tri-lo? I was switched a few months ago as well, and lately I have been noticing that I am losing a lot of hair after showering or while fixing my hair. At first I thought it was because I needed a hair cut, but after getting it cut, I am am still experiencing this. I can also see areas around my forehead and top of my head where it looks like it is thinner. I had my husband look and he said he didn't see a difference, but I can tell. It is really freaking me out, because I am only 28. I have also noticed that my forehead has broken out within the last several months which is also unusual. I haven't experienced any anxiety or headaches like some of you, but now that it was mentioned I do recall my heart hurting a little a few months back. That seems to have stopped. I want to switch back to Ortho asap. Hope I won't have any problems doing that. Please let me know if you have exerienced any weird hair loss. That is my biggest concern!!

Yes, I too am experiencing hair lost. Hair all over the sink, my clothes and the floor. Also after taking Tri cyclen for 15 years then Tri Lo for 4 years my skin was flawless...NO SIDE EFFECTS. Now after taking Sprintec for only 1 month, I have 4 spots that are going to take another month or so to clear up. I was having anxiety about my Thanksgiving trip and scratched and picked them to a perfect mess. Also I have gained about 5 pounds around my middle and I work out 5 days a week.