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Alesse-28 User Reviews & Ratings

Alesse-28 has an average rating of 4.5 out of 10 from a total of 60 reviews on Drugs.com. 28% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 50% reported a negative experience.

Condition Avg. Rating Reviews Compare
Birth Control  
4.9
53 reviews for Birth Control 347 medications
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding  Off-label
2.8
4 reviews for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding 85 medications
Endometriosis  Off-label
1.0
1 reviews for Endometriosis 88 medications
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome  Off-label
1.0
2 reviews for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 38 medications
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Reviews for Alesse-28

  • PILS
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 26, 2023

For Birth Control "When I started taking this pill my life went downhill. I was on it for 2 months and bled for 2 months straight. Within the first week of taking it, I was so bloated and gained so much weight to the point where I couldn’t fit into any of my pants. It caused numerous mental health issues and I thought I was going crazy. I couldn’t control my emotions and I was extremely irritable. All of these problems went away as soon as I stopped taking this pill. Do not take it or have your children on it."

1 / 10
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12 Report
  • Etna
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • August 23, 2018

For Birth Control "I've been off birth control for almost 6 years, I couldn't find one that suited me and didn't make me a bloated crazy person. I had tried yaz, yasmin, triciclyn lo and so many others. The only one I had not tried were the mini pills or alesse. Very hesitant because last time, I bled for weeks, I was depressed, anxious, vomiting a lot, dizzy, and felt like garbage. It took almost a year to get used to Yasmin and even then felt awful. I'm on the generic version Alesyna, and I've had ZERO side effects. I was worried about my sex drive declining and gaining weight as well as depression being on it, but none of that has happened. If anything, my sex drive is higher than usual, my periods are lighter and shorter, I overall feel extremely happy all the time. No mood swings. I was terrified by all the bad reviews, but like my doc said, every body is different and you just have to keep trying til you find one that works for you."

10 / 10
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33 Report
  • Emano
  • 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 soo 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."

2 / 10
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15 Report
  • Jay
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 28, 2020

For Birth Control "I went on Alesse a week ago and the day after I started I was terribly nauseous, which I thought was normal cause my body was adjusting. The next day I had a terrible anxiety attack and felt like there was literally a grey cloud over my head for the next several days. I cried every 10 minutes, I barely had an appetite, and I overall just felt so on edge at all times. I didn’t want to live like that and just wanted some peace. Once I realized that the happy girl in me was gone the second I started taking birth control, I stopped right away. I will be seeing my gynaecologist and hopefully there’s something out there for me but I strongly advise you to stay away from this pill."

1 / 10
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13 Report
  • Vano
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 17, 2020

For Birth Control "I have been on Alysena (100 µg of levonorgestrel and 20 µg of ethinyl estradiol) for almost 3 months now and I have really noticed a significant change in my mood. I used to be really happy and have lots of energy and lately Ive been feeling depressed and get anxiety at least 1-2 every week. I easily get annoyed and irritated and I just don't feel like myself. Everyone will react different from this birth control but its just not a great experience for me."

2 / 10
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13 Report

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  • Bano
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • December 4, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking this birth control Alesse-28 for about 4 years now. At first it was great. I did notice weight gain, every three months I found my period would go from heavy to light and then my boobs would become extremely sore on the third month. Extreme mood swings, depressed. Since May of this year my periods have been almost non existent sometimes I’ll have some spotting. I’m not pregnant. My stress has increased. I am a university student but had major life changes so not sure if the increase stress is what is causing the missed periods. Last month my period did last for about three days. I’ve had to go onto an antidepressant recently as well. I’m currently trying to switch pills as I cannot stand the missed periods and worrying every single month if I’m pregnant. As much as I like light periods I would like to have at least something so I don’t have a heart attack."

2 / 10
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12 Report
  • Aano
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 3, 2020

For Birth Control "Can honestly say this has ruined my life and I wish I never took it. I was only on it for 4 months and I'm still affected by it almost 4 years later: headaches, lightheadedness, irritation, weight gain, and most dramatically: inability to orgasm. This has made my life an emotional roller coaster I have so little hope of ever being taken seriously or recovering from."

1 / 10
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12 Report
  • Lano
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 2, 2021

For Birth Control "I'm currently on my third pack of the generic version Alysena 28 and there are basically no side effects for me anymore. I did have spotting like everyday for the whole first pack when I started it but that went away. Also I think it increased my anxiety a bit for the first few months but that also went away. The only things I still notice are headaches on the placebo pills and sore boobs but other than that its good, just takes some time getting used to. Also this was just my experience and it affects everyone differently!"

8 / 10
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10 Report
  • Miss...
  • July 11, 2014

For Birth Control "I am on Alesse 28 for 3 months now (I usually skip the sugar pills), I don't have any problems with it. No spotting, just a little nausea for the first 2 days but that's it. I didn't gain any weight nor did Iose any. My breasts did go up one cup size. I was sexually active during my 2nd month and I continued to menstrate as indicated in my pamphlet I had received with my prescription. It works, and I'm happy. It gives me peace of mind."

9 / 10
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19 Report
  • ayano
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 29, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been taking Alesse 28 for 4 months. Except for the fact that it prevents at a high rate pregnancy I don't like it at all. I have horrible mood swings since I've been taking it. This conclusion is not even biased because I didn't read any reviews before having these symptoms. I got it as a recommendation from the doctor. Once on it I feel constantly nervous, anxious, sad, mad for no reason, and when I'm happy I'm really happy. I don't take any other medication so I can only blame it on this pill. I think I will stop it asap. Just need to find an alternative"

7 / 10
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11 Report
  • --Ano...
  • September 5, 2015

For Birth Control "Have been on alesse for over 12 years now. Started the pill because I had very painful and irregular periods. Since being on the pill I have been like clock work and have very light and much less painful periods. No mood swings to report or any other side effects. Although everyone is different, I have nothing but good things to say about this birth control."

10 / 10
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17 Report
  • Anony...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • March 5, 2018

For Birth Control "I took Alesse 28 for three months and it worked. I never got pregnant and Alesse cleared up my mild acne. But the side effects legit made me feel like I was crazy. The mood swings made me question my sanity. I would always lash out on my boyfriend randomly and be angry at him even though he did nothing wrong. I hated him so much for no reason. I lost my sex drive, my vagina was always dry and so it would cause my vagina to bleed and hurt after sex, and I became really depressed. I stopped taking Alesse for a month now and my boyfriend told me that my attitude and mood is normal and back to the way I was before taking Alesse."

1 / 10
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10 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • August 21, 2017

For Birth Control "This pill changed who I am. It ruined our my relationship with my family and my boyfriend of 3 years. Before this birth control, I was outgoing, could talk to anybody and liked by all sorts of people, but after I years of taking this pill, I just got ticked off by everything and everyone. Anyways, I get upset a lot, get upset at the dumbest things, took things way too personal and it ruined my jobs as well! I just couldn't deal with people and would walk out of jobs. I mean, I did my job well, I was able to speak with the customers, but I didn't even want to build rapport with them. I just had zero care about people. I didn't even wanna put energy into it, but I coupon and that has been therapeutic with me. Marijuana calms me down too."

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10 Report
  • Meg
  • February 8, 2019

For Birth Control "I started getting migraines behind my right eye, almost everyday. My anxiety was off the charts, which is something I haven't struggled with in years. Then I became really sluggish and tired, but still anxious all the time. I went to see my Dr. because I thought something was seriously wrong with me. She reviewed my medications and the first thing she said was get off the birth control. I called my Gyno and she said the same thing - go off it for a month and let me know if you feel differently. Two weeks off of it and I feel great. I haven't had a headache in a week. I'm not exhausted and I have zero anxiety. It was crazy. I thought I was losing my mind. If you start to have any of these symptoms, you are not crazy, consider taking a break from this birth control. It's marketed as low dose so it will have less side effects, this means nothing. Listen to your body."

1 / 10
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8 Report
  • Maddie
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • August 18, 2019

For Birth Control "I’ve been on Alysena-28 for almost 3 years & as far as using it as birth control, it has worked perfect! I did gain some weight & 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 & last about 6 days long, now they last about 4-5 days, they’ve gotten pretty light & I only cramp on the first day or so. I also use an app to track my period & 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 good for me!"

7 / 10
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7 Report
  • Bonnie
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 7, 2021

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "My daughter went to the doctor on April 30th, 2020 and complained of cramps and discomfort during her months cycle which was why she was there to see the doctor. No further investigation done by the doctor example, scan, x-ray or referral to a gynecologist instead she was given a birth control pill Alesse 28 . on May 21st 2020 two and a half weeks later she had pulmonary embolism at work and died. The Coroner said it was the medication that caused her death It turned out that she had a benign tumor of the uterus which could have been easily treated. She was a healthy 47 year old woman - not another thing wrong with her. Please rethink birth control!"

1 / 10
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4 Report
  • Becca
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 7, 2020

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I had taken this birth control last year and decided to get off of it for almost a year. I didn't experienced any side effects and my periods were coming regularly. I've been put back on it and it's been about 2 weeks now. However, I'm experiencing side effects that seem rather detrimental to my health. Every time I take my pill for the day, I experience chest pain and arm warmness. I was also experiencing horrible back pain on my left side for the first few days. I'm gonna discontinue taking it"

1 / 10
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5 Report
  • AMano
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • September 15, 2018

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I went on this birth control to regulate my period because I have PCOS so it is what my doctor recommended. I never had any side effects and it worked well for the first year. Last month, I started noticing very weird feelings and was literally questioning my sanity. I had days where I was my normal self and then others where I was totally not. I felt loopy and out of it, like I was high. I have never had anxiety or any mental health issues, so this was terrifying. I told myself it was NOT worth it and got off them right away after reading similar experiences and reviews on this birth control. Will never go back on them!"

1 / 10
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7 Report
  • Ina
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 18, 2020

For Birth Control "Its been a week I have been using the Alesse -28 pill I have no bad side effects. My breasts got bigger I started getting a few bumps on my face not sure it’s because of the pill hopefully not...hope this month goes well"

9 / 10
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5 Report
  • Dano
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • March 25, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve only been on Alesse-28 for a month now and I’ve already decided to stop. Literally it has been the worst month of my LIFE. Extreme moodiness, acne, borderline depression and a non-existent sex drive are just the tip of the iceberg! I understand that everyone’s body is different and pills won’t have the same effects for everyone but honestly save yourself the trouble and DON’T use Alesse."

2 / 10
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5 Report
  • Anony...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • August 24, 2018

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Took this pill to have control over when my period would start. Into the second pack and I have started feeling very anxious, nervous and panicky. I’ve started crying for little reasons. Just threw the pack away. I would much rather have my period come at the wrong time than control it and feel like this,"

1 / 10
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6 Report
  • ALYYY
  • February 27, 2014

For Birth Control "Alesse-28 was the first oral contraceptive I've taken. I usually have a very heavy flow and my period would be a full week and would never come at the same time every month, but since I started to take Alesse-28, my period has become VERY regulated and my flow is light and lasts usually around 3-4 days only. The best thing I would say is that I don't get cramps anymore. Before taking the pill, I'd be pretty much bedridden. I get only a very slight pain now, but it's barely noticeable! It also helped with my acne! I had a lack of appetite when I started the pill and I lost 7lbs in one month. The worst parts were the nausea, major mood swings, slight depression (cried every night), anxiety, and the lack of motivation in everything."

7 / 10
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9 Report
  • Donna
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • March 31, 2021

For Birth Control "I found that Alesse-28 worked really well for me. Before taking Alesse I could tell when my period was due because of my temperament - I would feel angry/frustrated/moody and I also had such a strong appetite. Also on my period, I would feel, tired, weak, nauseous and sad. Alesse-28 really helped neutralize my pre and during-period moods and nausea. It also really helped to clear up my skin which was a nice bonus. It worked really well for me and I will continue to take it."

10 / 10
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3 Report
  • Anony...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 21, 2022

For Birth Control "This birth control was AWFUL. It’s day 16 of my period this month and it’s heavier than ever. My period has never been this bad and usually my periods are extremely bad due to endometriosis. I gained SO MUCH weight in less than a month and gained some acne which I never get. I’ve also heard that many people get pregnant while on this birth control and there’s a law suit against it. Look for another birth control."

1 / 10
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2 Report
  • Cathryn
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • June 28, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 7 months and I have noticed many side effects lately. Constant bloating in abdomen and face, depression, sever anxiety and wait gain. My worst symptom is the break through bleeding each month! I do not recommend this pill."

3 / 10
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4 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.