User Reviews for Vienva oral
| Fact-Checked
Vienva Birth Control Review: The Best BC Pill?
Taylor Graber MD Taylor Graber is a Medical Doctor (MD) and a practicing anaesthesiologist. He’s also an entrepreneur who runs a health and wellness startup. See full bio. , Co-author, Calloway Cook Calloway Cook is the President of Illuminate Labs and has reviewed over 1,000 clinical trials. See full bio. , Co-author | DJ Mazzoni MS, RD DJ Mazzoni is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He received his Master’s of Science in Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services. See full bio. , Medical Reviewer
Last updated: Nov 27, 2022
Taylor Graber MD Taylor Graber is a Medical Doctor (MD) and a practicing anaesthesiologist. He’s also an entrepreneur who runs a health and wellness startup. See full bio. , Co-author
Calloway Cook Calloway Cook is the President of Illuminate Labs and has reviewed over 1,000 clinical trials. See full bio. , Co-author
DJ Mazzoni MS, RD DJ Mazzoni is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He received his Master’s of Science in Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services. See full bio. , Medical Reviewer
Last updated: Nov 27, 2022
Medically Cited
Just under half – 49% – of Americans get their health insurance through their employer, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Another 19% of Americans are insured under Medicaid, 14% under Medicare, seven% under non-group plans and two% under other public insurers, while nine% of U.S. citizens remain uninsured.
We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.
| Fact-Checked
Illuminate Labs has a team of medical experts including doctors and Registered Dietitians who are assigned to review the accuracy of health claims and medical research summaries based on the relevancy of their expertise to the article topic.
| Unbiased
Illuminate Labs doesn’t accept compensation for reviews. We choose products and topics to review based on consumer interest, and recommend products based on formulation only.
Medically Cited
We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.
| Fact-Checked
Illuminate Labs has a team of medical experts including doctors and Registered Dietitians who are assigned to review the accuracy of health claims and medical research summaries based on the relevancy of their expertise to the article topic.
| Unbiased
Illuminate Labs doesn’t accept compensation for reviews. We choose products and topics to review based on consumer interest, and recommend products based on formulation only.
Medically Cited
We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.
Fact-Checked
Illuminate Labs has a team of medical experts including doctors and Registered Dietitians who are assigned to review the accuracy of health claims and medical research summaries based on the relevancy of their expertise to the article topic.
Unbiased
Illuminate Labs doesn’t accept compensation for reviews. We choose products and topics to review based on consumer interest, and recommend products based on formulation only.
Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to birth control and family planning.
V ienva is a prescription birth control medication for women. It’s a combination contraceptive which means it’s comprised of two separate drugs: levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol.
Is Vienva proven to be effective in clinical studies as a contraceptive? What percentage of women use the drug and still become pregnant? How does Vienva compare to other birth control methods like IUDs? And how do real users rate Vienva?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review clinical studies on Vienva to determine how effective the drug is at reducing pregnancy, document side effects of the drug, compare its efficacy to other birth control methods and share real, unsponsored user reviews of Vienva.
How Effective is Vienva at Reducing Pregnancy?
Vienva has been studied in many clinical trials documenting how much the drug can reduce pregnancy rates.
A medical review on the efficacy of Vienva, published in the Drugs journal, found that the medication was effective for preventing pregnancy. The study authors noted that in a trial with over 26,000 patient cycles, only 18 women became pregnant, and 6 of these pregnancies were due to non-adherence (such as forgetting to take the pill). This is a 0.07% failure rate per cycle including pregnancies due to user error.
The researchers noted that the medication was especially effective in women at or over the age of 35, with only one pregnancy in nearly 4,000 evaluable cycles.
A more recent clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of Vienva taken on a continuous basis versus Vienva taken on a cyclical basis. Unsurprisingly, the medication was more effective when taken continuously. 323 women were enrolled in the trial and not a single one became pregnant when the drug was used continuously. The study authors concluded that Vienva was a “safe and effective oral contraceptive.”
A third research review mirrored the results from the other trials cited in this section. Vienva was found to be effective at preventing pregnancy, with a statistically significant reduction in pregnancies over the course of the trial.
We will conclude from the available research that Vienva is effective at significantly reducing pregnancy rates, and appears especially effective when used continuously without any lapses.
Vienva Side Effects
The drug label for Vienva has a boxed warning, shown above, indicating a risk of severe side effects from smoking cigarettes and using the drug. It’s important that women who are unable to quit smoking entirely while using Vienva speak with their doctor about alternative birth control medications that may not have such a negative interaction with smoking.
A medical review published in the Contraception journal evaluated the side effects of Vienva. The dosage used was around 50% higher than Vienva so the frequency and intensity of the reported side effects are likely to be more severe than those experienced by Vienva patients.
The most common reported side effects were vertigo and headache, experienced by 58% of patients. Painful menstruation was experienced by 44.8% of patients, and gastrointestinal complaints like bloating and pain were experienced by 43.4% of patients.
The previously-cited Drugs research review of Vienva reported a significantly lower incidence of side effects. 14% of women reported headache, 8% of women reported uterine bleeding, 7% of women reported painful menstruation and 7% of women reported nausea.
Since the Drugs study used the exact dosage of active ingredients as in Vienva, we would consider these results more likely to be accurate and indicative of the risk of side effects.
Real, Unsponsored User Review of Vienva
One of the most popular YouTube reviews of Vienva is published by a creator named Nallely Rodriguez. The video is under four minutes long, and she explains her experience taking Vienva and the side effects that caused her to stop taking the medication:
Vienva Vs. Other Birth Control Methods
Vienva is likely to have similar efficacy to other oral contraceptives, as hormonal contraceptives act on similar biological processes in the body.
A medical review on the comparative efficacy of oral contraceptives found that Vienva has similar efficacy to other oral birth control pills, and that its failure rate was 0.3% with perfect use and 8% with typical use. “Perfect use” refers to the practice of using the medication exactly as described on the label. A patient who used the medication daily without skipping a day would be using this drug “perfectly” and significantly reducing their chance of pregnancy.
“Typical use” is a medical classification that allows for human error. Many patients forget to take the drug some days, and this increases the chance of drug failure and pregnancy.
The huge gap between perfect use and typical use is why long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods are so much more effective on average than oral contraceptives. As we discussed at length in our Nexplanon reviews article, LARC devices are simply more effective because the average person will forget to take their oral contraceptive some of the time, and these devices prevent this type of human error because they’re implanted into the body.
LARC devices like intrauterine devices (IUDs) are proven in medical research to be around 20x more effective than oral contraceptives.
Medical Experts Discuss Vienva
One of the most popular YouTube videos on Vienva comes from a channel called “Pandia Health” and features an MD discussing Vienva and answering patient questions. The video appears unsponsored and is an informative resource for patients considering this medication:
Vienva Dosage
The dosage of Vienva appears to be 0.1 milligrams (mg) levonorgestrel and 0.02 mg ethinyl estradiol according to a large medical distributor. However the dosage of this medication is hard to conclusively determine because we cannot locate a manufacturer website, which is an issue we’ve never encountered with pharmaceutical medication.
We would recommend that patients considering Vienva speak with their doctor about appropriate dosage, because a doctor may have access to information from the drug manufacturer that regular consumers do not.
Most of the medical research examined thus far in this article has used the doses referenced above, but there are also some studies using a 50% higher dose (0.15 mg levonorgestrel and 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol). It’s unclear if this higher dose is available to be prescribed, so we would recommend that patients ask their doctor about this dose if they feel as though Vienva isn’t working for them at a lower dose.
Vienva User Reviews
Vienva has been reviewed over 250 times on Drugs.com, which is a website that allows patients to publish personal reviews and rate prescription drugs they’re taking. The drug has an average rating of only 4.5 out of 10 which is one of the lowest ratings for any prescription medication we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health.
The top positive review is from a user called “ABvienva” who gave the drug a 10 star rating and claims the drug has been effective for them without any side effects:
“So now I’ve been on it for over a month and have literally felt no changes to my body or mental health. No side affects and just a light, short 1st period. I know everyone is different but I‘ve had a positive experience.”
The top negative review is from a user named “Rachel” who gave the drug a 1 star rating who claims the medication has significantly worsened their mood:
“this is not worth it. By the time I got to the peach pills my emotions have been through the roof. I cry over the smallest things and have the worst mood swings on it.”
How Does Vienva Work?
Vienva is effective because it inhibits ovulation, which is the process of an egg being released from the ovaries. Ovulation is crucial to conception, so by inhibiting this biological process it’s possible to significantly reduce the chance of pregnancy.
As noted in one of the research reviews cited previously, Vienva has a secondary biological effect which further reduces risk of pregnancy: the medication causes “a thickening of cervical mucus (making sperm entry into the uterus more difficult).”
Ovarian activity also appears to be suppressed by oral intake of Vienva. The size of ovarian follicles (which contain eggs) are reduced, and progesterone levels (a hormone which prepares the uterus for pregnancy) are also reduced.
Clearly Vienva causes a multitude of changes in the body which reduce the chances of pregnancy, making it a prime candidate for an oral contraceptive.
Stay up-to-date on our research reviews
Conclusion
Vienva appears to be a safe and effective birth control method. Based on the available research, it seems to be similarly effective to other oral, hormonal contraceptives.
We recommend that patients considering birth control speak with their doctor about LARC methods like Nexplanon, as these methods are significantly more effective than oral contraceptives because they remove the factor of human error. There is no risk of forgetting to take the pill when the contraceptive is an internal device.
Vienva has relatively negative user reviews on Drugs.com.
User Reviews for Vienva oral
Comments & ratings on the side effects, benefits, and effectiveness of Vienva oral .
- Full Drug Information
- Reviews (104)
Show ratings & reviews for
- Birth Control (74 reviews)
- Painful Periods (9 reviews)
- Abnormally Long or Heavy Periods (6 reviews)
- Other (5 reviews)
- Endometriosis (3 reviews)
- Abnormal Bleeding from the Uterus (2 reviews)
- Disease of Ovaries with Cysts (2 reviews)
- Acne (1 reviews)
- Postcoital Contraception (1 reviews)
- Absence of Menstrual Periods (1 reviews)
2.9 Overall Rating
Effectiveness
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Most voted positive review
I wanted to write a review on this after I had finished 3 packs and so I could maybe help someone. And I am glad to say I am very satisfied. Vienva was not my first birth control. I first started on Syeda and that was the worst experience of my life. I didn’t even get through 2 weeks and it ended up destroying all my relationships. I stopped taking birth control completely after that and then trie.
Most voted negative review
My insurance company switched me from Orsythia to Vienva without notifying me, so I took it for the first week thinking they had the same ingredients. Within the first week my boobs shrank, I was nauseous all the time, I was eating like crazy, and I got cystic acne all over my face (again). Orsythia has been the only bc in 6 years that has worked for me since I went from LoEstrin(discontinued). I .
Shared reviews and ratings
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1-20 of 104
alleigh | 13-18 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
Condition: Painful Periods
Overall rating 4.7
Effectiveness
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i’ve been on vienva for about 8 months and i love it. when i first started this medication, i got the suicidal thoughts, mood swings and that’s about it. these thoughts didn’t last and neither did the mood swings. i haven’t gotten acne on this but i will say that i do have a rather pale and clear complexion to begin with. i also haven’t gotten pregnant and my periods are regular which is a huge plus. knowing when my period will come and have it come on the same day each month, is amazing and wor th trying this. my cramps have also been significantly less than they have been before i started taking vienva. this is also the only birth control i’ve been on. don’t let the horror stories scare you, as everyone is different and every medication is different and you eventually will find the one for you. Read More Read Less
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Richelle | 13-18 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
Condition: Endometriosis
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I started Vienva 5 months ago and I like it. I got emotional, I retained water, and my face broke out. But my body went back to normal after about 2 months. I feel great, I do still break out, but not horribly and it’s only the first week of every pack. I haven’t got pregnant and really helped with the pain of periods, they’re now shorter and regular
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swhitsan | 19-24 | Female | Patient
Condition: Birth Control
Overall rating 1.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
this is the worst medication ive ever been prescribed and it has made the last 6 months of my life a living hell, it made me suicidal and the anxiety swings have been awful. do NOT take this if you care about yourself.
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Megan | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
Condition: Other
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I got pregnant using this birth control!! I told my ob after trying to conceive for 4 1/2 years let’s try birth control. well it worked I wasn’t expecting to get pregnant on the pill itself. My plan was to take it for about 6 months to get everything on track and back to normal so I planned to remove myself to get pregnant well after missing a period with the pill I took a test and I was pregnant. So ladies that don’t want children please be careful this is a blessing to me but might not be to you. Read More Read Less
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Katty | 19-24 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months | Patient
Condition: Birth Control
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
It was effective for me while I used it – as a birth control, it works. I used it for roughly 6 months and I feel that it turned me into a shell of a person, however. My emotions went off the rails, I began to cry easily, my mood swings would be extreme, and I even became tired of this myself. I tried to wait it out however these emotional issues were really affecting my productivity and motivation to work or do anything at all. I couldn’t afford to sacrifice any more. I will say it didn’t affec t my acne, however I suspect that it caused me to lose some weight as I am at my lowest weight ever. My appetite has decreased. It helped regulate my periods really well and reduced cramping a lot. My periods are much lighter now. If it weren’t for the crazy mood swings this would have been a great long-term birth control for me. Different things work well for different people. Read More Read Less
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Sam | 25-34 | Female | On medication for 6 months to less than 1 year | Patient
Condition: Painful Periods
Overall rating 4.0
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
First BC I’ve been put on because my periods have gotten terrible & I get excruciating cramps to the point I throw up. Was nervous to try it because of side effects but I’ve been on it 6 months now and it’s okay. While my periods have shortened from 7 days to 3-4 days, I still have horrible cramping. Pros is a shorter period and my skin is clear. Cons is terrible cramps still, I’m hungry all the time & I barely have any sex drive. Spoke with my dr about skipping the placebo pills in the last we ek so I won’t get one at all so giving that a try and hope it works! Definitely try it out for yourself and if it’s not for you switch. Read More Read Less
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BPhill6 | 25-34 | Female | On medication for 1 to 6 months |
Condition: Disease of Ovaries with Cysts
Overall rating 3.7
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
At first I loved this pill. I didn’t really experience mental side effects, my skin was glowy and I didn’t bloat. But the longer I was on it I would get nausea because I would get SO hungry even though my eating habits hadn’t changed since I started the pill. Thankfully I haven’t gained weight, maybe it just makes my metabolism faster. But I am definitely losing hair. CLUMPS fall out in the shower. I’ve also noticed increased irritability and got cystic acne for the first time. Needless to say I ‘ll probably be switching off of this soon. Read More Read Less
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Rishi | 13-18 | Female | Patient
Condition: Other
Overall rating 4.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I was really scared to take any kind of bc pills because I’ve heard all of the scary side affects. I have endometriosis, really bad painful periods, and am “active” every now and then. I wasn’t prescribed these pills, my boyfriends aunt gave me hers because she’s getting a hysterectomy. She told me just to try them and see. What I did notice is I do get a little more acne the first week, but it calms down as I go through the pack. Ive always been a little emotional, so it does have a little impa ct on it, but its not to anything extreme, maybe just a little more tears lol but it’s just for like a short period, it got better over time. My periods are shorter, not as painful, I haven’t gained weight. But I’ve been trying to lose weight since before I started anyways. I’m 16, 5’2, 125 pounds. I recommend drinking lots of water to avoid water retention, it hasn’t happened to me but that’s what I was told. And to take extra vitamins like B vitamins, zinc, VC, magnesium, multivitamins, etc. Things like that. I am now prescribed to them, I haven’t gotten pregnant so that’s a plus. Everyone is different and reacts differently, but my advice is to simply try it first for at least 2-3 months, and if it’s not for you then change it. 🙂 Read More Read Less
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Nez B | 19-24 | Female | On medication for 1 to less than 2 years | Patient
Condition: Disease of Ovaries with Cysts
Overall rating 2.3
Effectiveness
Ease of Use
Satisfaction
I been on vienva for a year and I’ve never felt any of there symptoms before ,depression got bad ,I’m always crying for the smallest reason
