"i&#039;m 30 and non-smoking. i took loestrin for about 6 months, primarily for birth control. i didn&#039;t notice anything unusual for the first two months on this pill. the third month i began having violent mood swings and emotional breakdowns that were not triggered from outside issues. my period was almost non-existent; i would bleed when expected for about 2 days. before loestrin i had horrible cramps and while on loestrin i had mild cramps. i regularly worked out and lost a lot of weight but i would bloat right around the week before my period and my weight would go up about 5 lbs. i lost my insurance, so along with financial issues as well as the mood swings, i stopped taking it. breakouts were also an issue on my face and back."