Alesse for Birth Control User Reviews (Page 4)

• Lei...
• October 6, 2018

"I am a first-time user of birth control, my doctor prescribed me Alesse. I’ve now been on it for two months. It has given me acne, which I have never suffered with before. Two months ago, my skin was flawless. Now I have pimples on my chin and a couple on my forehead that bleed. It gave me horrible nausea for the first two weeks to the point where I couldn’t eat. This pill sucks. Would not recommend to anyone. Two months in, and I’m not waiting the full three."

• Kat...
• January 30, 2016

"I have been on Alesse for 8 years. This birth control is great for preventing pregnancy and regulating my menstrual cycle. It also helped my menstrual cycle be lighter. Unfortunately, this birth control does lower your sex drive. I went off it, and my sex drive came back full force and plan to go off it permanently."

• Cat...
• November 1, 2016

"I've been on this pill for a year, and I think I'm gonna stop taking it. Honestly, not really happy with this pill! For someone who had relatively clear skin, I got the worst acne from using it! Like little bumps all over my forehead and painful zits on my jawline and cheeks. Tried every possible skin care line and couldn't understand how I went from clear skin to a face full of acne... and now some acne scars too. Finally pinpointed it to Alesse being the cause. Also pretty sure I gained some weight while on it. Definitely don't recommend it!"

• Bdo...
• December 17, 2015

"I've been on Alesse for 2 months, and my experience with it has been absolutely horrible. Cramps every day, breakthrough bleeding, acne, sore breasts, frequent urination, back pain, nausea, bloating, anxiety, and depression. Probably the worst birth control someone could possibly go on!!"

• Ano...
• March 7, 2016

"I've been on this birth control for about 2-3 years, I would say. It is great for preventing pregnancy, but it has made my period weird. It stopped my period for 5 months and stressed the hell out of me. I do feel incredibly tired taking this pill, and my sex drive isn't as high as it used to be before this pill. I'm deciding I'll probably be going off this pill."

• Anonymous
• December 1, 2013

"I have been on Alesse 21 for three years. When I started taking it, I realized I snapped way easier than usual. But my period is now super predictable and much more mild. I went off it briefly and lost about ten pounds and had a ton more energy, so I believe it causes me to be a little lazy. Even with that, I find it fairly reliable."

• Gab...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 8, 2018

"I’ve been on this birth control for just over a year, and while it is a good birth control, the symptoms are not letting up for me. Before starting the pill, I had zero acne, but after starting and to this day, I have cystic acne all over my face, and it left scarring on my skin. I have waited for over a year for this to calm down, but it shows no signs of stopping. I’m getting really fed up. It makes my periods regular and pain-free, which is wonderful, but the acne is really making me insecure. Other than the acne and mood swings, I have no other complaints."

• Aly...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2016

"NOT WORTH THE SIDE EFFECTS!! Seriously. My GP gave me Alesse because she had some packets that were sent to her for free. I thought, 'Hey, why not' and took them. Well, the second month was the worst. Gained probably 10 lbs because I was constantly hungry. Became lethargic, and it made me more depressed. That went away in the third month. Then the acne started. As someone who was on Accutane and had relatively pimple-less skin, this pill brought up old wounds. Turns out this pill, which is often prescribed to treat acne, is one of the worst BC that causes acne. My skin is now 10x more oily, and I have painful zits on my cheeks, chin, and lips. Also, my boobs have gotten bigger, which I hate. The pill also causes me really bad cramps, and my period was off."

• Ell...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 22, 2012

"I started taking Alesse about 3 years ago. It has no effect on my mood, I never gained weight on it, and I basically feel pretty normal when I take it. Of course, I don't think anyone is a fan of actually getting a period every month, and mine usually lasts 7 days, sometimes even longer. So, my doctor just prescribed me Seasonique, and I start that next month. It will be interesting to see if it really only makes you have a period every 3 months. As for Alesse, it is great if you don't mind having a period every month."

• Why...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 7, 2018

"Okay, so this is the first time I have read these reviews because I was wondering why my sex drive has been unbelievably low, and I just figured it's this birth control. I have been taking it for months. I had extreme nausea anytime I thought about food, and I sincerely didn't think it was this birth control, but since other women are having the same problem, I think I've come to my conclusion. Do not take this birth control. Their website doesn't even have any information on the pill they sell."

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

"Feel like vomiting every day, nausea, worsening period cramps, weight gain, vaginal dryness, decreased sex drive. I’m 18 and have been taking it for 3 months. The side effects are only getting worse and worse the longer I take it."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 4, 2018

"Took Alesse for 2 years because I never bothered to get a new pill, and I’d always hope the side effects would stop. Became an emotional wreck, gained a lot of weight, however, the little acne I have cleared up. Had insane nausea, vomiting at work, home, school... gave me a lot of anxiety, etc. I’m sure that there are better options out there. Do not take this birth control."

• Sar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 14, 2018

"Took Alesse for about 9 months. The only good thing is that it made my period less painful, but besides that, it gave me bad headaches, completely lost my sex drive, and made me irritable (mood swings). Most recently, it caused me to have depression, which I had never experienced until now. So I stopped taking it and felt like my normal self again within 2 days of stopping it."

• JoT...
• November 8, 2017

"I was on this pill for probably around 4 years when I got a pulmonary embolism. I am 18 years old. The doctors have no idea what the cause was other than me being on birth control. I could have died. Pulmonary embolisms are very serious, and I would tell all girls to rethink if they really want to risk their life for BC pills."

• Anonymous
• July 27, 2009

"I have been on Alesse for a long time, and it never works as it should. My period was unpredictable in the sense that even if my pack said my period wasn't due for a week, it could come any time. Sometimes it would come a week early, sometimes a week late. I did not get pregnant on this (but we do use condoms)."

• ann...
• October 31, 2016

"This is my first birth control pill, and I have been using it for 1 year and 3 months. Some info: 5'4, 120 pounds, 22 years old. I started using Alesse 28 on the recommendation of my doctor because I have had irregular periods since I was 12. After several tests, I am confirmed to have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which basically gave me major cystic acne, a mild increase in body hair, and irregular periods (occurring 2-4 times a year). This pill has worked great for me: no pain, no depression/anxiety, no weight gain, light nausea a couple of times a month, no cystic acne (only occasional small pimples, but this is normal for me as I have very oily skin). I get a light period and light discharge sometimes seven days before I stop taking the pill."

• Pup...
• September 4, 2019

"I started Alesse 28 in December of 2018. I was put on it by my doctor to help regulate my excruciating periods (so bad I'm on prescription painkillers). The first 3 months, they were still just as bad as ever, causing me to miss classes, my acne, however, cleared up. Since then, they have caused me mood swings, depression, worsened anxiety, and countless baby scares. My periods are light and short, but still very, very painful. I would not recommend unless you enjoy scaring both yourself and your boyfriend every few months with random and confusing unwarranted pregnancy scares. Side effects also consist of sleepless nights, leg cramping, migraines, a non-existent sex drive, and nausea, which is great. I've been lucky not to have weight gain, but the bloating is absolutely terrible, it starts early and lasts all day. Definitely going to ask my doctor about switching pills or just going to tough it out, I would recommend painful heavy periods over this any day."

• tee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 12, 2019

"I started Alesse in December 2018 for a couple reasons: 1) to help with my cystic acne 2) prevent pregnancy. My first couple weeks, my cystic acne went away, but I got a bunch of surface-level pimples, which was discouraging. By month 2-3, my acne was super clear, but now (month 5-6) my acne is the worst I've ever had it. Not cystic, but it's out of control awful, and my skin is super inflamed. On top of all that, the pill has made me very emotional to the point I sometimes burst out crying for no reason. It has been fairly effective for preventing pregnancy, but I did have a pregnancy scare when it made me skip my period one month (but it just skipped for no reason). Overall, it was okay for starting out with, but I'm definitely switching."

• Syr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 15, 2017

"I have been on Alesse 28 for a year now as of this upcoming March. Big improvement over my other pill, Ministerin 24. Before I took Alesse, I had irregular periods with lots of blood on the 2nd day. After switching to Alesse, my periods are only 4 days, and I have no spotting compared to my other pill. I recommend this pill to any woman, but talk to your gynecologist first, as it is not for everyone. Also, I have no acne!"

• Ami...
• December 3, 2010

"If you're looking for a birth control that's easy on your body in the sense that you don't get mood swings, no weight gain, good sex drive, etc., you might like Alesse. If you're looking for all that as well as an acne treatment, BEWARE (especially if you have adult acne)! My doctor put me on Alesse because I was looking for a birth control and an acne treatment (I had moderate adult acne on my cheeks). The first three months, I thought I was in heaven. No mood swings, no weight gain, clear skin, etc. Then, approaching my period in the fourth month, I woke up with six acne cysts on my chin, jaw, and lower cheek. I had never had them before. Still getting pre-period cystic breakout, onto Diane 35 next month."

• Ell...
• March 22, 2015

"I have been on Alesse for almost 11 months. My first time using birth control. For the first 6 months, I was fairly happy with it and did not experience any side effects that I noticed at the time. Now, I am considering going off the pill because, for the last few months, I have had a very low sex drive and gained 30 pounds since starting Alesse. My job has been very stressful, and I have stopped working out regularly, so those things are a part of it, but I think going off the pill would be beneficial for me and could help with losing the weight."

• Jup...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 9, 2021

"Oh my. Yes, this pill definitely was not for me. When I started, I got really bad spotting, I also got incredibly bad migraines. I’ve taken it for three months, and it put me in such a bad depression. Everyone around me was noticing it, and it has caused a lot of problems between me and my boyfriend. I haven’t felt very motivated or excited, and it really got rid of my sex drive. This was not it for me. I honestly wouldn’t recommend it for people who already have depression or anxiety, for me personally, it just made things worse. I’ve stopped it now, and already I feel a difference. Don’t take it!!"

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2016

"I've been on Alesse for 2 months now, going on my third month. This pill is not so bad, no weight gain, acne, or mood swings. But I'm experiencing chronic fatigue on this pill, when I am on my period week, I feel so much better. Everything else is really great, but I'm not sure how much longer I will stay on this. I can't live my life with exhaustion, it makes me lose desire for things I normally love. Coffee fixes it a little, but it is still there. I would rather have the old me back, or maybe switching my birth control? But it's a good birth control other than that (you will find nothing perfect out there)."

• Sar...
• November 10, 2015

"No side effects for me, but everyone is different, so everybody's experience will be different, and not only depending on your weight or height! Try it for at least six months, and if it's not for you, just switch!!"

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 12, 2016

"This birth control was the worst experience of my life. It gave me horrible breakouts for an entire week during each month, and I gained a significant amount of weight. I stayed on it hoping it would get better, but it never did. I've finally switched brands and finally seen improvement in my skin."