Alesse and Depression: What Users Say

• Lor...
• September 29, 2014

For Birth Control "When I first began birth control years ago, they put me on one that made me so moody, depressed, killed my libido, and changed my personality, it felt. I went back to my doctor and tried several different pills, and eventually, I tried Alesse since it was low dose and I didn't have any negative side effects! I was always regular, but I have always had bad cramps. This cut them back and made my periods short. I didn't get any unusual acne or weight gain. If anything, I lost weight. And it not only increased my libido, but it made my orgasms very strong and last longer. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but I just loved it! I got off it after my divorce, but I will never use any other pill again. I've tried too many, and this one is for me."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 13, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse twice, this time for 2 months so far. I've had no problems at all. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, and it's fixed my period so far. My complexion is getting better, I've had no unusual depression or anxiety, and I haven't gained additional weight."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2016

For Birth Control "Just quit Alesse after 4 months. I tried to tough it out, but it just wasn't working. I was always hungry, then I would eat and feel constantly nauseous and bloated. I had no energy and felt tired, always wanting to eat sweet stuff. Didn't really gain much weight, just water weight around my hips and boobs (those were constantly sore as well), such bad mood swings and depressed and anxious often. Got lots of headaches, acne got worse (cystic acne on my chin, back, and chest), and lower sex drive. This is my first day without birth control (period will start in a few days), and I can honestly say that I feel so much better, which is weird because Alesse is 'ultra low dose hormones.'"

• 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."

• Cle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2020

For Birth Control "When I started taking Alesse, the only side effects were feeling a bit nauseous for the first few days. I’ve now been on it for a month and a half, and I’ve noticed increased mood swings, sadness, and irritability that I never experienced before taking Alesse. I’m also starting to experience a bit of depression (not sure if it’s related to birth control). I’ve gained a bit of weight and feel bloated, appetite has increased majorly. At times, I also feel like my sex drive is lower. I’m going to continue until the 3rd pack, if I see no improvement, I consider switching to a non-hormonal birth control."

• Cle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2020

For Birth Control "When I started taking Alesse, the only side effects were feeling a bit nauseous for the first few days. I’ve now been on it for a month and a half, and I’ve noticed increased mood swings, sadness, and irritability that I never experienced before taking Alesse. I’m also starting to experience a bit of depression (not sure if it’s related to birth control). I’ve gained a bit of weight and feel bloated, appetite has increased majorly. At times, I also feel like my sex drive is lower. I’m going to continue until the 3rd pack, if I see no improvement, I consider switching to a non-hormonal birth control."

• Joy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2013

For Birth Control "My doctor switched me from YAZ to Alesse to help with the weight gain that YAZ gave me (20 pounds in 1 year), and I hate this birth control. From the first month of using it, I was an angry beast, it was way too much. Second month, I noticed that I lost a little bit of the weight, but I noticed I would start crying for no reason often and become depressed. My doctor told me to stick it out for 3 months. Third month, I am still an angry beast, as well as extremely irritable for extended periods of time. Mind you that YAZ also caused some of these symptoms as well, but on Alesse it was tripled."

• Col...
• February 5, 2019

For Birth Control "I started this BC about a year ago. The start was okay. Soon after starting it, I experienced no sex drive. Now I experience in-between period bleeding that can last what seems like forever. Like I have been mildly bleeding for 12 days and counting... all because I took it two hours after the scheduled time. Mood swings. Mild depression. Getting off this ASAP!!!"

• Kay...
• April 13, 2014

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse for about 3 years, including the time I decided to have Mirena put in (then promptly removed a month later) and tried the patch for about a month. Neither Mirena nor the Evra patch, despite how easy they are to use, compared to Alesse. I also tried Tricyclen Lo for about 6 months, but my doctor switched me to Alesse after I complained of stomach cramps and constant bloating, which Alesse seemed to fix. THE PROS: no weight gain, no facial acne, no weird side effects like unwanted hair growth, no pregnancies, and a period that is fairly short, light, and always on time. THE CONS: acne on my back, mood swings and depression, low sex drive, and quite painful menstrual cramps. Overall, I like it and would recommend."

• wit...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 15, 2022

For Birth Control "I began taking this medication after being on Diane35 for about 9 years, originally being put on it for acne. Diane was a perfect birth control pill for me, however, due to the higher risk of blood clots, my doctor and I decided I should try a new pill. I didn't experience spotting, and my period was light on this medication, which was a plus. However, it wreaked absolute havoc on my body. I haven't had acne for about 2-3 years now, and going on Alesse caused me to break out horrifically all over my face, on my shoulders, and on my chest. The acne would start to go away only when I was on my week of sugar pills and then come back a few days after starting the next pack. It also caused the worst mental health and mood issues I have ever experienced. I have never struggled with depression and only have mild anxiety. After going on this pill, my anxiety has become unmanageable, and any inconvenience makes me want to cry and sink into a hole. I am almost in a state of being nonfunctional now."

• 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."

• Snj...
• May 8, 2017

For Birth Control "Alesse was the first type of birth control I've ever taken, and I experienced many negative side effects. When I first started it, I had severe back pain, headaches, and mood swings. After a week or two, these symptoms subsided, but I began to feel depressed-this feeling went on for about a month and worsened whenever I drank alcohol. In total, I was on this pill for two cycles before I decided to switch. That being said, everyone is different! If Alesse doesn't work for you, there are probably others that will."

• Ala...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 21, 2019

For Birth Control "I was on it for three years. It’s hard making sure to take the pill every day at the same time. At first, the pill was great, and I had no problems with it. However, I started to feel down all the time, cried without reason in front of people, and had no drive. I realized it must be because of the pill, and as soon as I got off the pill, I felt amazing! Would never want to experience this pill again."

• Anonymous
• October 7, 2009

For Birth Control "I've been on this for a month, and after the first two days, I had spotting occur, and it hasn't stopped since. I never had this problem when I was off birth control and when I was on Seasonique, unfortunately, it's quite costly. I've also been extremely tired and experienced depression while on this pill. I'm switching as soon as this month ends."

• 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."

• Eri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 26, 2020

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "I was prescribed Alesse for PCOS and developed severe depression, crying almost every day for several months, to the point that I could hardly function. I also developed melasma (hyper-pigmentation/brown splotches) on my face. My doctor did not warn me about either of these possibilities, and I did not connect them to the pill at first. I was about to go on antidepressants and use bleaching cream on my face when a friend who had been through something similar suggested I try going off the pill first. I did, and the depression vanished within about a week and has not returned. The melasma took a few years to go away but eventually did. (I have also found much better ways to manage the PCOS through herbs, diet & exercise.)"

• Lou...
• October 8, 2019

For Birth Control "I think I've been on Alesse now for 3 or 4 years... can't really remember now. Prior to that, I was on a couple of other higher dose hormone pills since I was 19; 31 years old now! I started this pill because of the lower dose of hormones. I was struggling with depression and anxiety at that point and thought the pill may be affecting that. I still have periods of depression and anxiety, but I can control it better. My skin has changed though... I have super sensitive skin with painful cystic acne. It's not a lot of spots, but they are painful and stay for a really long time. I've had weight gain, but I don't know if that's more me or the pill. I've decided to come off the pill, which I'm kind of nervous to do! It's more about the fact that I've been on it for almost 13 years and I want to see what I'm like off of it. Right now, I would say that I would go back on it, because I don't find the side effects that bad, but we'll see in the future after I've been off it for a while."

• Kat...
• April 10, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse now for about 5 years, and I'm going to switch pills. It's never helped with my acne nor my period pain, and it's made me EXTREMELY irritable and very, very moody and depressed. I went off it for a year, and I was instantly happier, and my skin wasn't as bad, and I had regular period pain. As far as being a contraceptive, it's worked so far *knock* *knock*. I would not recommend this if you are sensitive to medication."

• Ano...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 4, 2021

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse for 6 years, and I had no negative side effects at first (aside from gaining weight), but then I became severely depressed, and my face broke out in cystic acne. I feel completely numb on this pill. My self-confidence is terrible, and I'm never happy even though I have so many things to be happy about. I just feel dull, and I feel like I have no personality anymore. I took a break from this pill last year and felt like a completely different person. I had my confidence back and overall had a sense of mental clarity and happiness, but went back on for the sole purpose of preventing pregnancy. The positives are that I've never had any pregnancy scares, and my periods are very light and regular, but the impact it has on my mental and physical health isn't worth it anymore. If you're looking to start this pill, I would just say be careful and pay attention to the way you feel. It took a while for me to realize that this birth control was the problem."

• Jen...
• March 27, 2015

For Birth Control "I used Alesse for a few months and had a lot of trouble with it. I was extremely moody, depressed, and felt like a completely different person. Even my mother noticed a huge change. I was crying all the time and overwhelmed. When I told my doctor, he took me off Alesse and started me on Tri-Cyclen Lo. I noticed a change immediately, and I am still using Tri-Cyclen. It's easy to blame mood swings and being upset on other parts of your life, but for me, it was ongoing, and I knew it wasn't normal for me. Glad I got off of it when I did!"

• 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."

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

For Birth Control "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."

• 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."

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

For Birth Control "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!!"