"i have been on ortho tricyclen lo for approximately 15 years, i&#039;m not sure exactly when i started since its been that long. the first 5 or so years were great, i had regular periods, light-moderate bleeding, less acne and cramps but after that i&#039;ve had less sex drive, regular adult acne, steady weight gain with the inability to lose easily (even tried weight-watchers with no effect), mood swings and slight depression. other factors may have come into play with school, work and relationships but i&#039;m now married and the side-effects are more noticeable since the other factors have leveled out. i&#039;m trying something else mainly due to weight gain, mood swings and cost - i&#039;m in arizona - otcl is now $88 a month."