Thread: Switching from Low-ogestrel to Levora??

I am 24 years old and I've been on birth control since I was 15. I started taking the pill because I was having heavy, irregular periods that were interfering with my daily life. I was put on Lo-Ovral to start, and later for whatever reason, when I started picking my pills up at the pharmacy, I was given a generic form of Lo-Ovral called Low-ogestrel (in a white case). According to the pharmacist they are the same thing, and I have had no problems with this pill other than very low sex drive, and some weight gain (but that could have been my own fault too). Anyways, about a year ago I switched pharmacies, and I was given the same drug, just a different generic, called Cryselle. It is supposedly the same thing. However, I most certainly DID notice a change when I was taking the Cryselle. I started getting break-outs more, menstrual migraines, and not only that, my periods were heavier. So I made a point to switch back to a pharmacy that provided the regular Low-Ogestrel I had taken previously. Anyways, here's the thing, I lost my job last year and have been unemployed for a year. I have been aggressively seeking a job, but have had no luck and can no longer afford my birth control, so I went to a Planned Parenthood in my area and qualified for free birth control for a year. Going in there, I was under the impression they could fill any type of birth control pill. I even asked them on the phone if I could stay on my current pill. They told me I could. However, just as I feared, they did not HAVE the low-ogestrel I was on. They gave me Levora instead. According to the doctor I spoke to, they are very similar hormones, and she said she didn't suspect I'd have any problems with them since I'm healthy and have tolerated my birth control well in the past. I am just a little concerned about side effects because for one, I have taken the same pill for 15 years. And not only that, I have had problems on the generic form of my same pill, Cryselle. I also noticed that the dosage is different with the Levora. Can anyone give me some insight as to how well tolerated Levora is? Or what the difference between Levora and Low-Ogestrel is, and why the dosage is different?

I realize this is an old post- did you try the levora?

I had a similar situation. i was on low-ogestrel for a few years and was pretty happy with it. Then my parents switched insurance and my new health care provider didn't have low-ogestrel. The doctor put me on levora and like yours, said that it is
basically the same thing. In the three or four months I was on it I noticed my weight increase. Its so frustrating because I did NOTHING to change my weight. My weight had been at a steady number for over 6 months and because I began to gain weight at the same time I started levora, I'm almost certain it is the cause.