Alesse-28 and Cramps: What Users Say

• Ema...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 22, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking this birth control Alesse-28 for over 3 years now. I was fine for the first year, but then after that, I was so moody and irritable, always sad and depressed, and very emotional. I have no energy at all, and I’m always tired. Another thing is that for some reason I get really bad leg cramps and am always constipated. Something else that I have experienced is weight gain, ovaries always hurt, and painful intercourse. Another awful side effect is that I have ZERO sex drive and vaginal dryness! One good thing about this birth control is that it cleared up all my acne, but other than that, it’s definitely not worth the side effects."

• Ema...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 22, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking this birth control Alesse-28 for over 3 years now. I was fine for the first year, but then after that, I was so moody and irritable, always sad and depressed, and very emotional. I have no energy at all, and I’m always tired. Another thing is that for some reason I get really bad leg cramps and am always constipated. Something else that I have experienced is weight gain, ovaries always hurt, and painful intercourse. Another awful side effect is that I have ZERO sex drive and vaginal dryness! One good thing about this birth control is that it cleared up all my acne, but other than that, it’s definitely not worth the side effects."

• Mad...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 18, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Alesse-28 for almost 3 years, and as far as using it as birth control, it has worked perfectly! I did gain some weight and become a little more emotional after starting this pill, which hasn’t been great, but I had no other significant side effects like nausea. I never really had acne, so my skin hasn’t changed much, maybe more pimples around the time of my period, but that’s about it. My periods used to be pretty heavy and last about 6 days long, now they last about 4-5 days, they’ve gotten pretty light, and I only cramp on the first day or so. I also use an app to track my period, and after being on the pill, my periods have been very regular! There have been a couple of times where I had out-of-the-ordinary spotting, which made me worry that perhaps I was pregnant, but my period had always come a few days afterwards. Overall, it works well for me!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2018

For Birth Control "Within the first month, my skin became horrible. I’ve never had an acne or pimple problem, just the occasional pimple here and there, but after I started taking Alesse, the acne came out. Currently, my chin is covered in cystic-like acne, which never occurred before, and I have various pimples on my cheeks and forehead. I also ended up having my period for a full 2 weeks, and I’m pretty sure it’s still kind of going on. Not sure if that’s normal, but it has never happened before. Then came the mood swings. I've never been a really angry person, but since starting on this, I’m constantly either extremely happy or extremely upset, and it’s awful. I’ve experienced really bad cramps too. Thought the pill was supposed to help with that too. Going to talk to my doctor about switching pills to see if my side effects clear up."

• rug...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 11, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been taking Alesse 28 for just over a year, and it's dramatically changed my period for the better. My flow used to be heavy and 7-10 days with extreme cramps! I am now down to 2-3 days with a light flow and manageable cramps. My cycle has always been on schedule, so it didn't change that aspect much. I should add I'm 19, and this is the first and only birth control I've tried, and I think it works great."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 6, 2020

For Birth Control "I've been taking this pill for about 8 months now. My periods have been noticeably different. They almost always come on time, they are heavy for 1-2 days and then are extremely light for the rest of the week. My cramps are not painful anymore, and my acne on my back cleared up nicely (I didn't have much acne anywhere else in the first place). However, I have been having abnormal discharge that I've associated with the pill. I'm not 100% sure, but the timing adds up. Otherwise, it's been a good experience."

• rac...
• January 8, 2018

For Birth Control "I have been on Alesse for 1.5 years now and can say that I got a lot of side effects that birth control is usually supposed to help against. Before birth control, my periods were 5-7 days and heavy, no pain or cramps at all and no acne. After Alesse, my skin is really bad, and I get the worst cramping and back pain right before and for the first 3 days of my period. The only reason I have stayed on this is because it is effective at coming on the same day, and I have no problems with irregular periods. No problem with weight gain or being emotional (thank goodness), but I just went to my doctor and recently told her about my problems and have just been switched to a brand with a higher concentration. Here is hoping for better results."

• Awf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 31, 2022

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Wow, I’m kind of shocked by how dramatically this pill has affected my mental well-being. Almost immediately, I was extremely irritable, and I actually had a meltdown for the first time in years. Now, after 3 months of taking it, I’m stopping because I’m very depressed, angry, and incredibly irritable. I do have a history of depression, but I was very mentally stable before I started, my psychologist even commented on how well I was doing. My left breast grew like a cup size, and even though I’ve been skipping the break, I’m spotting, cramping (though not nearly as bad as before), and feeling nauseous for a more drawn-out, lighter version of my usual period. So for me, there were no benefits, only a huge strain on my relationship."

• jam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 28, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "I've been on Alesse-28 for 5 years now. The first 3 periods had me feeling extra PMS symptoms like cramps (not THAT bad though, but I normally hardly ever get them) and general moodiness, I think, but for the majority of the time I've been on it, I hadn't had any bad side effects with the exception of the loss of my sex drive. I think it was a fine price to pay for the relief of 2-3 week-long bleeds (and god-awful anemia), but I'm kind of over it now, lol."

• CJa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 1, 2020

For Birth Control "I have mixed opinions on this birth control pill Alesse-28. The first few months I was on it, there were no issues, and it has worked as birth control, but my doctor assured me it would lighten my flow. It has, in fact, increased it, and I still get cramps every month. I bleed through super tampons in an hour. I've had pregnancy scares as my periods have been late multiple times despite me taking it perfectly. Lately, I've been getting extremely overemotional on this pill, and it has worsened my mental condition. I will be asking to be taken off this pill."

• So ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 28, 2019

For Birth Control "Basically, every time I took the pink pill an hour late, I would get my period until I finished the white. So, I would sometimes have my period for 15 days, which was absolutely awful. It fixed my acne a bit and reduced my cramps slightly, but I’m so sick of having my period for half the month."

• ool...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 31, 2020

For Birth Control "I was on the pill for over a year until it started giving me terrible migraines. My cramps got worse on this pill, but periods were regular."