Switching From Loestrin 24 Fe To Lomedia (Top voted first)

I am one of the customers unhappy with the discontinuation of Loestrin 24 Fe. I saw so many negative reviews with those who switched to Minastrin that I refused to take it despite what my nurse was trying to say. I researched and knew a generic was coming. I have waited since October of last year for Lomedia and picked up my prescription and pills 3 weeks ago. I still haven't taken them because I'd like to know about the experience on these pills. Has anyone taken Lomedia? Please share your experience so we can all be informed.

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On my last week of lomedia, I've been MISERABLE all month. I've gained 5 pounds and have never stopped bleeding for more than a day at a time. Can't sleep. I took loestrin for years, this is not the same product. I did NOT have these issues on loestrin. Someone PLEASE tell me if the side effects and bleeding will go away soon...

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I am one week into my second pack, i am edgy, moody, suffering break-outs, bloating. Just misery, I spent hours last night researching alternatives, i wish they would bring back lo-estrin 24fe, was on it for 7 years and had no problems.

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I went from Loestrin to Minastrin to Microgestin. I didn't have a problem with Minastrin but Microgestin leaves me so lethargic that I can hardly get through the day. If all these pills have the same active ingredients, I thought the inactive ingredients might be affecting me (and so many of you). So I made a list of the inactive "binding" ingredients for the 3 I mentioned above as well as LoMedia (which I haven't tried yet). I was hoping that LoMedia would have the same inactive ingredients as Loestrin but it doesn't. It does, however, have 4 of the same inactive ingred. as Microgestin, the pill I'm currently taking and unhappy with. I think it's worth looking at the inactive ingred. in each to see what is different. I don't know what all these things are or do but Loestrin had these inactives: acacia, lactose magnesium stearate, starch, sugar and talc. The other 3 pills have more inactives with chemical names I can't pronounce and my iPhone autocorrect would go crazy with. Long story short, I don't think LoMedia is going to be the new Loestrin we all hoped for. :(

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I switched from aloe strain to Gildess in November'13....I'd never had any issues with birth control. I was on Gildess from November through May. I stopped taking it in early June. I had been having health issues and one day in mid May I had an episode where I was at work and suddenly got weak, dizzy, felt like i was going to throw up, started shaking and having cold sweats, and feeling like I was going to pass out while standing and sitting. I had to lay down to feel any better. I felt an incredible pressure in my chest and had been feeling issues with what everyone told me was anxiety. I wouldn't know because I never had problems with anxiety before. I made the appointment w my doctor because I thought it was a heart issue. I hadn't been sleeping and when I did sleep I would wake up every two or three hours with my heart racing. I was tired all the time, on weekends I never wanted to do anything. While waiting to see my doctor, I looked through my woman log app and also noticed that I had been consistently gaining weight since November. I had assumed it was the holidays, but I hadn't changed my workout routine at all and even the last 3 months or so of really consistent efforts, I couldn't drop the weight. The doctor ran diagnostics and gave me a follow up appt 3 weeks later. So I decided to quit taking the pill. And I remembered what it was like to feel normal. I slept, I had energy, the anxiety, the racing heart rate, the tired feeling....all gone. I felt great AND my weight started dropping. My diagnostic results all came back healthy and my doctor said I was having a reaction. So after reading up on alternatives, I asked for lomedia 24. Big mistake. I expected since it's basically another form of Gildess, some side effects but geez, this is the worst pill I've ever taken. My moods were insane. I'm not a big crier....I was sitting at a light and a song came on nd I'd start crying. For no reason. I could cry just talking about crying. I hated everyone. ANd I mean HATED. I would walk in and people would say good morning and I would bite my tongue on pure nastiness. I've never felt like such a psycho. The racing heart came back and the inability to sleep through the night. Last week I had a borderline panic attack at work and decided to quit this pill too. I was on it for a month. I know they say wait 3 months to stick it out, but I can't. The moodiness, the anger or depression because though were my only two moods, the tiredness....I know what it feels like to be normal and I'm glad I saw the signs quicker this time. There were nights I'd wake up w pain in my arm or calf, I'm not gonna risk my health just because they think it'll settle down eventually. My friend told me about generes and I've called that in but I'm gonna let my body get back to normal for a bit. It did not work for me and I only hope to help someone else if they are going through the same thing. It's not just you.

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I've posted many times, last post back in august, and I will tell you that if you can hold on for a good solid six months it'll be like you're back on loestrin. That is a long time for someone who hasn't even started the pills to experience the side effects, but for those of you that have already stuck out a few months dont give up! Only issue is not knowing when I might randomly have a light period (spotting), bUT is always right after I start the placebo pills and for no more than two days when it does happen. Other than that they're now working great for me :)

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Hi, my name is Kait. I am 25 years old, with slightly fair skin (I still get a bit tan). I don't usually write on these message boards, but they've been so helpful for me that I've decided to return the favor. Below is a record of my first 3 weeks with Lomedia and the results 7 months later (because I totally forgot about it). I was on Microgestin before I made the switch over to Lomedia. I had bad melasma with microgestin (melasma is a skin disorder that is found on your face and consists of patchy brown spots. It is caused by sun damage and a change in hormones. This could be from pregnancy or oral contraceptives). In my case, melasma is from the birth control because when I stop taking the pills the melasma begins to fade, so if you have this problem you are not alone! I asked my gyno to switch me because of this reason and she told me to just stay out of the sun...uhhh, thanks doc but stick to what you know. Luckily, she made the switch for me and these are the results!

This is my record:

Week 1: started with acne before I got on the pill, by the end of the week it has lessened. Bloating but I've been eating like crap, not enough water or exercise. Super vivid dreams every night and with naps too.

Week two: skin has cleared. Vivid dreams have slowed down a little. Very bloated, but haven't been drinking enough water. Are my boobs bigger?

Week three: boobs are definitely bigger. Very emotional.

7 months later: I like this pill a lot... I do have melasma (not nearly as bad as Microgestin) as a con but the pros definitely outweigh the one con. I'm using a brightening cream that seems to help with this (Nadinola). This pill keeps my hormonal acne at bay, and doesn't seem to influence my emotions nearly as much as the first month. A great pro is my boobs got significantly bigger, went from a size 34C to a 34D! I'll take those 3 extra pounds! I did stop having my periods for the last 4 months or so. I know that sounds like a blessing, but I still have the symptoms every month (no its not possibly for me to be pregnant right now) and I actually like having my period because it lets me know everything is okay. Hope this helps! Feel free to message me for more details about anything!

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I started Lomedia about a month ago. I'm almost done with the pack (currently taking the placebo pills). The first two weeks were kind of difficult. I broke out, suffered some mood swings, had an extra period, ate constantly, etc. After that, I think my body adjusted and I barely noticed any side effects. My skin cleared up. Occasionally, I will feel anxious, but I don't know if that's because of the medicine. I feel slightly less motivated, but no mood swings at least. My breasts have been a touch sore. I got my period about a day ago, and it is fairly light, almost no cramping (I usually have to take Advil, but not this time).

This is my second time trying the hormonal birth control pill, and compared to the other one I tried (ortho tricyclen-lo), this is much, much better.

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I'm on the last week of my first pack with lomedia 24 fe. I haven't experienced much changes from the loestrin...however, I still wish they'd bring loestrin 24 back. If anything, I've noticed a little bit of a break out (could be a result of stress) and a little bit of a change in my appetite. Since loestrin 24 has been discontinued, I've tried Minastrin and Junel - BOTH were TERRIBLE!!!! I can safely say that lomedia 24 is nothing like the 2 previous birth controls I've taken and it is definitely the best out of the 3. I haven't had my cycle yet, so I'm hoping it doesn't change much - with loestrin 24, I'm used to an extremely light, 3 day period. With Minastrin and Junel, I cramped and bled for a full week. No thanks! Lomedia is worth a try if you love Loestrin 24.

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I went from loestrin 24 fe straight to lomedia 24 fe. I was just starting my 4 th month when I had a fainting spell or seizure in Walgreens and was sent to the ER. I've had horrible headaches for months on lomedia but no period. I never had one the 4 years I was on loestrin either. As of now I'm off of lomedia or any pill til they figure out if it was a seizure And what caused it.

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Has anyone had a seizure or fainted since switching to lomedua 24 FE?

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I think the person talking about the "inactive ingredients" might be on to something... I too was a long-time user of Loestrin 24 Fe and loved it. And I have not had the same results with Minestrin or Lomedia (I'm currently taking Lomedia). It is confusing because the pharmacist all insist all these drugs have the exact same ingredients, so we must be going crazy right?! No, if many women are experiencing different side effects then something in the pills must be different. I just went through and looked up the inactive ingredients for all of these options. And I discovered that Lomedia does indeed contain different components than our beloved Loestrin. I also discovered that a pill my doctor recently recommended, Microgestin 1/20 Fe, contains the EXACT SAME inactive ingredients as Loestrin. The only different is that there are 21 days of active pills (vs 24 with Loestrin). But, I'm going to switch over and give it a shot. Hoping this will be answer... will report back after a few months :)

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I have an update sicne my original pack. I finally started Lomedia and am on my second pack. The good: My acne cleared up considerably because my hormones were going crazy without the birth control. In fact, my period was starting early, with a very light barely noticeable spotting days before the actual 5 day period. That ended too. The questionable: Week 1 I felt fine. Week 2 I wasn't sure but I think I started getting bloated. In the middle of this week I was spotting. I continued to spot and feel miserably bloated through the middle of Week 3. I was ready to quit and then Week 4 I had a second short period that ended at the end of that week. So I was trying to figure out where was this bloating coming from, my clothes were extremely tight, and then I started the next pack. And my body felt normal again Week 1. Now I'm in Week 2 and started feeling this weird bloating again. A friend says that it takes about 3 months for your body to adjust so I may be able to work through it. As for mood swings, I only noticed it when I started Week 2. I'll keep everyone posted. I haven't completely bought into it, but I haven't decided to throw in the towel just yet.

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So I've never took Loestrin 24 Fe, I was previously on Reclipsen-which was hell.

I just finished my third pack and started my fourth pack today. The first three months my period was crazy and all over the place, I would get it during the second week of the pack. I haven't experienced any crazy mood swings or bloating or feet swelling like I did when I was on Reclipsen. I was on reclipsen for a good year and a half.

So far I've been on Lomedia for 3 months and I love it. No extra weight gain, no crazy mood swings, or feet swelling and my period is light and for 4 days and I like how the placebo pills are 4 iron pills instead of ethinyl estradiol.

I'm not an OB-GYN, but from what my OB told me if your body has a high
Estrogen level (which some females have) it's better to be on a low estrogen birth control.

And I really like Lomedia for me

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Thanks Melissa! When doing more research I did notice Minastrin and Loestrin said you would have lighter to no periods after cycle 6. Since I'm on my 4th pack I think I'll keep at it to see what happens. I'll repost to update

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I want to update...I've posted several times here. My pharmacist told me that Lomedia 24 FE was discontinued. You folks make me think she's wrong, but oh well. I'm on something so generic that it doesn't even have a name, just the name of the chemicals. Norethindrone Acetate and Ethinyl Estradiol 1mg/.02mg with ferrous tablets. It looks just like the Loestrin I used to take. I was worried that because it was made in India it would be some sort of knock off and not work as well.

But, I'm back to no periods (maybe a little spotting), no mood swings, and I'm not pregnant, so it seems to be working on that end, to boot! Loving it!

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Hi all, I just wanted to share the results from my little predicament last week, and in the process give my experience with Lomedia in hopes other women will find it useful. Before I started birth control, my periods we're extremely heavy, and I would get the most excruciating cramps that would stop me from doing everyday activities. I just recently got my first period being on the pill, and can I say it's been the best one so far! I've had minimal cramps for the first day, and it went from light spotting to a light flow of a regular period. I only had to wear a regular tampon, whereas before I had to switch a super plus at least once every hour. This pill has left me with no side effects AT ALL!! I still feel like myself, and I am hoping that the pill continues to work its magic like this. I would highly reccomend this pill for any first time users. Every woman is different, but personally for me, this pill is the one.

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Hello, Kimmie! How are you?

From what I can find, there is no difference better the Lomedia and LoEstrin FE, the active ingredients and the dosages are the same. The FDA has approved it as a generic equivalent, so you shouldn't have any problems with it.

Has anyone actually tried it, yet?

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Ive never put that together, but I started having anxiety attacks as well a few months ago which I've never had as an adult, now I'm wondering if it's the pills for me as well. I've posted previously about the same sleep issue, as have others. I will say, I've finished my fifth pack and the periods (although still over a week) are much lighter, the mood swings aren't nearly as bad, and I just in the last two weeks started sleeping normally again. Hopefully that change is not temporary. Im still looking for alternatives before I switch pills and would not recommend this to anyone as an alternative to loestrin, but the side effects and symptoms have improved from horrendous to ALMOST bearable.

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Hello, I have a history with birth control giving me various problems. I was on Yaz and ended up in and out of the hospital with UTI's and kidney problems for months. Then I got put into Loestrin 24 Fe and had ZERO issues. Then they put me on Minastrin 24 Fe and I was constantly on my period and suicidal. So, I got switched to Lomedia 24 Fe and reading some of the reviews; I have noticed I am staying up a little later than usual and my mood swings have always been an issue for me.. But I'm not sure if this is messing with them or not. My anxiety isn't any better but my skin is doing well. I am on the last placebo of this month and haven't had my period yet. I'm not sure what to think, I am frustrated with going to and from the doctor always trying new birth control pills and end up not feeling myself. I wish the Loestrin 24 Fe didn't stop being manufactured. It's a real shame.

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My first month on Lomedia was fine my second month however by the second week I had breast lumps and they hurt sooo bad. I went to the doctor and they were benign; just a side effect of the birth control. Also, I tried to get a new pack and they had to get a new shipment to come in first so I was off of it for like two days before the shipment came in. I took my last placebo iron pill yesterday and I haven't had a period this month. So great.

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