Alesse and Cramps: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• January 15, 2010

For Birth Control "I have been on Alesse for 4 years and am very pleased. Before I was on Alesse, I was naturally very moody, and my periods were heavy, long, and painful. When I started this pill, my mood swings evened out, and my period not only got less painful but shortened to only 3 days. I was a little concerned about how quickly I would get pregnant when my husband and I decided it was time, but no worries there. I came off the pill New Year's 2009 and was pregnant by Valentine's. It is now January 2010, and I'm holding a beautiful baby girl. I plan on going back on Alesse as soon as possible."

• Lor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 7, 2020

For Birth Control "I am in love with this birth control Alesse! It is the first one I have ever taken, and I went on it because I would get such bad acne all over my cheeks, especially around my period. There was never a time when my skin was clear, and when it was better, it would still have a bunch of scars until it would get horrible again. In the first week, my skin got a little better, there was a little bit of cramping and mood swings, but not too bad. In the second week, it was breaking out (but not nearly as bad as the worst it's been), and then in the 3rd week, almost perfect, just scars to heal up. I'm on just over a month, and my skin is literally perfect, just a couple of scars left to heal, and now they can actually heal because my face isn't going to have another huge breakout the next day anymore!"

• Cic...
• February 1, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been taking Alesse for 6 years. It's the only birth control I have ever used, and I love it. I've never had problems with it before. My periods are predictable, very light and regular. I don't experience mood swings or any major cramping on the pill either. It controlled my acne as well. I would suggest Alesse to every girl."

• Ano...
• January 7, 2014

For Birth Control "Started taking this birth control at 16 and have taken it for a year now. The first three months were horrible, I had mood swings where I would start crying randomly, most of the time because I would take it at 7 pm and around 9 pm would begin feeling sharp cramps in my stomach that were unbearable. It was so hard to continue taking them at work knowing I would be in pain from them. However, after three months, I stopped having pain. Before the pill, I had terrible cramps on my period, but since Alesse, my cramps are much milder. My mood swings have calmed down, and I am not affected at all! A good thing to keep in mind is Alesse is a mild birth control (less hormones than others), so you can still take other medications. I love it, good choice!"

• Eri...
• August 10, 2013

For Birth Control "My doctor prescribed Alesse for me after convincing me to get off of Diane 35, as it had a much lower hormone dose. Almost immediately, I began suffering from abdominal cramps, spotting unpredictably, and increased acne on my back, shoulders, and jawline. I expected much of this from reading about coming off of Diane, and my doctor assured me it would only last a few months. It's been nearly a year later, and although the spotting and cramping have subsided, the acne is still there (I can't even wear a top without a hood, let alone a tank top or bathing suit!), and I'm displaying a huge lack of interest in life. I have some good days, but spend a lot of time feeling unmotivated, tired, uninterested, etc. I want my life back."

• Amy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2012

For Birth Control "I just finished my first month on Alesse, and I am SO pleased! I used to avoid hormonal birth control because of recurrent yeast infections and weight gain, but with Alesse, I have no problems! I feel like myself again! It's hard for me to review the contraceptive effect on me since I was told to wait a whole month before having 'unprotected' sex. But so far, so good. No weight gain, no infections, no nausea, but sometimes my breasts hurt a little. They didn't get any bigger though. I sometimes feel crampy in the last few days of the month, but nothing severe. I take it with no stop in between because my PMS and period were too intense. I'm in love with Alesse!"

• 7...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 7, 2020

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Alesse was the first birth control I ever took. I was 18 and had been having horrible periods. Constant, painful cramps and heavy flow. My gynecologist suggested Alesse to make my period lighter. I bled for over a month! Not spotting. Full-on heavy bleeding with horrible cramps. I eventually stopped and decided to deal with my period. At least I knew when it would end."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 10, 2019

For Birth Control "Avoid this birth control if you can. This was my first time going on birth control, and my doctor prescribed it because it apparently was a good 'starter birth control.' But the side effects were terrible. I had the common ones, headaches, nausea, etc. But the worst of all was that it gave me TERRIBLE anxiety, on top of depression. I got into a really dark place and was getting around 1-3 anxiety attacks per week. I also experienced terrible leg cramping, to the extent that I paid the hospital a visit because it was so bad, and there was the fear that it may be a blood clot. There are so many better birth control options out there."

• Con...
• July 25, 2018

For Birth Control "I'm very concerned about this pill. My daughter has been experiencing severe leg cramps. Actually, she has a hard time walking, and it lasts for two days. Her hands swell, and her legs swell, becoming very, very heavy. She is in tears. Actually, she had blood work, and her inflammatory markers were elevated. Anyone taking this pill, BE CAREFUL. Listen to your body and seek medical attention when needed. Don't wait. Reviewing reports about this medication, I realize that all medications have side effects, but this one is SCARY. Ladies, do your research and let a friend know."

• Sus...
• November 26, 2016

For Birth Control "I'm 19, and this is the first birth control I've ever tried. I started taking it 3 months ago for contraceptive purposes. The first week was a nightmare. I had the absolute worst stomach pain, cramping, bloating, and nausea I've ever had in my life. I was crying my eyes out because I felt so awful, and I couldn't sleep at night. I kept taking it, and that side effect went away after a week. I had a little bit of spotting over the first month, but that's long gone now. I've always had extremely horrible periods. They were so heavy, I was anemic. I had to use both pads and tampons at the same time, and I had to change them every 30 minutes. They're so much lighter now, and my formerly debilitating cramps are almost non-existent."

• Ash...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 19, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on Alesse for 12 years, and it has been great. No pregnancy scares, no spotting, very minimal cramps, my skin was not affected. My period would only last 2-3 days and was not very heavy. I would recommend Alesse for sure."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 18, 2014

For Birth Control "Up until this past fall, I hadn't experienced any negative side effects while taking the pill. Then I started having anxiety attacks, feeling depressed about everything, rapid weight gain (25 lbs in 2 months despite living at the gym), extreme irritability, heavy bleeding (3-4 super tampons every 2 hours) halfway through a pack, intense cramping, new and powerful migraines, and horrible skin. I've been off of it for 2 months now, and I feel worlds better. I still have bad skin, and although my anxiety is manageable, it's still there, but at least I can get out of bed, and the headaches have slackened. I'm looking at other options now because abstinence is difficult."

• Sno...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2015

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "My periods have been getting very heavy as I've been getting older (just turned 40). I was told to start the pack on the Sunday I started my period, so I was on my 3rd day. Every day since then, I've been bleeding various amounts, and some days have had mild cramps. Hoping by the second trial pack this stops. One week of heavy periods is better than every day of the month bleeding. My libido is lower, but not sure if that's the medicine or the fact I'm bleeding daily :("

• Anonymous
• August 1, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse a month now, and it's been absolute hell. I'm not an emotional person by any means, and I eat like a full-grown man usually, but since starting this, I haven't been able to eat at all because of the nausea and have had random uncontrollable mood swings. I've lost 10 lbs, and every time I take one of these pills, I get an instant headache. My period was hell as well, I got bad cramps for a week before and all during. This is not normal for me. My period also went from 4 days to 7, which really ticked me off. It caused my acne to get far worse and scar like I've never had before. Not only this, but my anxiety levels went through the roof, and my depression did the same, causing me suicidal thoughts, and I had ABSOLUTELY no energy."

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 7, 2017

For Birth Control "I've started taking this type of birth control. It's my first birth control in general, and my first pack. I've been getting sharp cramps and am now bleeding (even after my period has stopped) and huge migraines on the right side only of my head (whether or not this is a side effect, I don't know, but it has occurred ever since I started taking Alesse). I don't know if I should be alarmed about the sharp cramps, as they are extremely painful, but do go away and come back within seconds. I want to play it safe, but I also want to make sure there is nothing wrong with myself down there. Anyone else having these issues?"

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm 24, and this is my first ever contraceptive pill. Taking it for a month now. I don't have a problem aside from gaining weight, and I'm emotional, but not this much since I started this pill. I'm happy that my acne is slowly fading, my cramps are not as severe as the last one I had, and I don't have a problem at all. I've noticed that my breasts are gaining some extra fat too. Lol."

• Bdo...
• December 17, 2015

For Birth Control "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!!"

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

For Birth Control "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."

• Pup...
• September 4, 2019

For Birth Control "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."

• 22...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 26, 2014

For Birth Control "I was on Alesse for many years, and it worked fine, hardly had any symptoms. At first, it made me feel like I wanted to be more intimate with my significant other, but after a few years of taking it, I now have bad leg cramps, a very extremely low desire to have any kind of sexual engagement with my partner, and I gained about 20 pounds since I've been on it. I'm not blaming the birth control for the weight gain, but I'm looking forward to getting my libido back."

• m09...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 29, 2017

For Birth Control "I'm a 27 yo woman who has only used the pill as birth control. I started birth control at 24 yo. I was on Microgestin 1/20 FE that worked pretty well for me for a couple of years. No weight gain, no migraines, no anxiety or depression, decreased PMS. The only thing was that if I was a little off on my timing, I'd spot. So I switched. Thought maybe there's a better pill out there for me? I was on Alesse for 10 months. I went from 112 lbs to 122 lbs. Which I didn't mind, really. What I endured with this birth control was horrifying. I was constantly bloated. Pregnant belly bloated the entire month, had severe cramps that would immobilize me completely, I suffered from panic and anxiety attacks and slight depression. I had a foggy mind and would sob at least 2 times a week."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 19, 2015

For Birth Control "I started the birth control last summer in August and stopped it this April. For the first 6 months of taking the pill, I had no problems at all, I felt normal except I did get acne, which went away after about 1-3 months. It shortened my period to about 4-5 days instead of my normal week-long and a half periods. But after 6 months of taking the pill, I would sometimes get my period early by about 8 days, and then the next month it would be back to normal. Also, I would get bad cramps and back aches, which appeared after 6 months. This was bothersome to me, especially after the pill worked great for about 6 months. The early periods, cramps, and backaches were doable, but I decided to switch off it to Loestrin 1.5/30."

• Ang...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2019

For Birth Control "I tried the generic brand of Alesse called AlySensa 28 for 3 months, and I can safely say it's been the absolute worst 3 months of my life. I experienced almost all possible side effects: painful cramping, increased bleeding, headaches, body pain, mood swings, panic attacks, everything. I also never had this birth control actually regulate my period, my period came when it wanted and was just super heavy and incredibly painful, and I had some major mood swings, which is not even close to normal for me. Although, I didn't get pregnant, so there's that."

• Nic...
• December 29, 2018

For Birth Control "I used Alesse for about two years, and it was effective as far as birth control goes. I got this to help my acne and irregular periods plus cramps. For the acne, I didn’t notice any difference in my skin, and since it’s always been bad, I couldn’t tell if Alesse was making it better or worse. For the irregular periods, this helped tremendously! My periods were so light, only lasted 2-3 days with light spotting on the last day, and I was cramp-free for two years! I would’ve stayed on it, but I wanted to try something different for the acne, so I’m now on Cyred. I didn’t notice any other symptoms besides what I mentioned. When I got off Alesse for a few months, my period was its usual weird, heavy, painful period as soon as I got off it. Overall, I would recommend it if your main concerns are irregular periods and cramps."

• Joa...
• October 21, 2018

For Birth Control "I was taking this pill for the last 9 years. Didn’t really have any side effects for the first few years. In the last year, I would wake up with blurred vision that would last for a good hour. I am now off this pill, and my vision is much better. Also, I started to get major cramps a week after I started a new pack, plus spotting. I’m done with this pill and all BC pills."