I've been in Ortho 7/7/7 for 15 years now. It's helped a great deal with my cramps and mood swings. I haven't had a problem with weight gain from taking birth control. I have seen a family member gain a lot of gain with the depo shot years ago. The greatest benefit is the decrease in my periods. This is the reason I started taking the pill in the first place. I had extreme 7-10 day periods with cramps that would completely knock me out. With taken Ortho I've dropped down to 1-2 days with no cramps to speak of. It really has benefitted me. Just don't forget to take them at the same time everyday.