Alesse and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• NWa...
• September 15, 2016

For Birth Control "The first day I took Alesse, I felt perfectly normal. The next day, I instantly felt nauseous and tired. The third day and three days after, I had severe migraines that never seemed to go away, even after taking two 400 mg Advils. The migraines went away for a week but came back this week for another dreadful four days. Couldn't handle it anymore and went to my doctor, who advised me to stop taking the pills and wait a week to see if the migraines continue without the use of Alesse. Hopefully, I just need to change brands of birth control to better suit me! I'm sure it's a great birth control, just wasn't for me!"

• mad...
• October 13, 2016

For Birth Control "20 yr old female here. I was put on Alesse for acne & contraceptive purposes. Acne runs in my family. My mom had it really badly until she was about 21. I was on Tri-Cyclen Lo, but it made me feel sick in the mornings. So Alesse was pretty bad. I was on it for just under a year. I didn't get pregnant even though I never used a condom with my boyfriend. It helped my acne somewhat, except I got cystic flare-ups on my chin & small dots on my forehead during my period. I gained about 10 lbs. Period cramps were still bad and lasted for days sometimes. MADE ME AN EMOTIONAL WRECK. I'd cry so easily and felt unusually depressed/anxious. I believe I have too much testosterone in my blood, so Alesse might not have been strong enough."

• uah...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 27, 2017

For Birth Control "I was taking this as a contraceptive and to prevent ovarian cysts, which I am prone to. This pill worked great for those two things, and I had no problems with this BCP for the first year of taking it. However, after around a year and a half on it, I developed extreme anxiety, panic attacks, severe moodiness and change of temperament, as well as nausea every single day. I am about to go off of it, hopefully, I can find a BCP without these side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 10, 2018

For Ovarian Cysts "Nonstop bleeding for 3 months after having a regular period for 30+ years. Anxiety, depression. Headache, nausea. Increased facial hair, breast size, and retained water. Would NEVER recommend. 3 days after I stopped taking it, my mental health immediately stabilized, but the 'breakthrough bleeding' continues. Glad I survived this preposterous experiment. Should be a class action suit!"

• Gir...
• September 16, 2017

For Birth Control "I've been taking Alesse for 3 months now, and my experience was very poor. There's a number of problems I had with this birth control pill. Number one is the nausea. Every day for the last couple of months, I would feel slight nausea to the point where I thought maybe I was pregnant. I took pregnancy tests a number of times because I was worried if maybe I was really pregnant. I did some research that the pills give you nausea, so I waited and continued taking it with food before taking it, and still, nothing worked. On top of that, I've gotten severe acne. I don't usually get acne, my skin is clear, but once I started taking the pill, my acne grew worse. It's really bad now. Lastly, the mood swings and period cramps, which were terrible."

• tor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 29, 2018

For Birth Control "I started taking Alesse 2 months ago when my other brand ran out. It has been horrible. I gained 15 pounds (the most I've ever gained in a short time span). I am horribly moody, and I get extremely nauseous about 3 hours after taking the pill. The nausea lasts for hours too. Even if I take the pill before bed, I feel sick the next morning. I have absolutely no sex drive since starting, and I'm constantly bloated. I do not recommend using!"

• Jan...
• February 4, 2021

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking Alesse close to a year now. I noticed that my acne was starting to get really bad... the worst it had been in years. I’m 27, and it reminded me of being in high school again. I’ve had a major appetite lately, and I’m not sure if that’s related to the birth control or not. I was getting a lot of breakthrough bleeding between my periods as well. Struggling with exhaustion and occasional nausea... but on the plus side, my mood had significantly improved and leveled out. I was way less emotional. I tried to stick this out and see if my body would balance out, but my acne just keeps getting worse. The other day I saw my mom, and she looked at my skin and said, “What happened? I haven’t seen that in a long time.” Between that and the breakthrough bleeding, I knew I needed to give something else a try."

• Ale...
• March 28, 2016

For Ovarian Cysts "I was on Alesse for two full months. I had breakthrough bleeding for the entire first month. Throughout the two months, I was nauseous, had stomach cramps, and had terrible headaches two to three times a week. I have never had a problem with headaches before, and these were unbearable. I had night sweats, and worst of all, my depression and anxiety became the worst that I have ever seen them. Whenever I went on the 7 days of sugar pills, my mood would improve. It worked wonders as a contraceptive, and it got rid of my hormonal acne, which is the reason I went on it. However, I'll deal with the acne because it's better than me wanting to die. This won't happen to everyone because I do have other mental health issues."

• Ech...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 31, 2020

For Polycystic Ovary Syndrome "This medication has been amazing for me. Before taking Alesse, my cycles were so agonizing, I was constantly exhausted. I used to feel very unwell around ovulation and the week before my period. So far, taking Alesse, I’ve had no side effects other than a very mild amount of nausea during the first week. This has done wonders to regulate my cycles and mood. To my surprise, it has also helped my sleep."

• Amy...
• January 28, 2016

For Birth Control "Alesse has been working really well for me. In the last month, I've gained 3 lbs in what I believe to be water weight, as I feel quite bloated. Either way, I can easily work 3 lbs off. I have been a bit nauseous on it, as I take Alesse in the morning, but nothing unmanageable. I haven't had any spotting. I've had a bit of breast tenderness, but nothing that bothers me. I have been a bit tired, so I just have a little extra coffee in the morning. Overall, I've had a good experience so far with Alesse."

• kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2016

For Birth Control "It is only my fifth day on this medication, and I have only had a tiny bit of nausea. No headaches or anything like that. But I have a long list of mental health problems, and I don't know if I am just having an episode or if this medication is causing the depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts to be so strong. I am stuck. Prior to this medication, I was taking seasonal, and it was my favorite birth control. You only got your period every three months (which I would even skip sometimes), but I ended up constantly having breakthrough bleeding after being on it for over a year. I've tried others. But now I'm trying Alesse. And so far, it's not going well even the slightest bit. I can't handle the intensity of this emotional breakdown, lol."

• S M...
• June 16, 2017

For Birth Control "I originally started taking this BC (having never before taken any others) as an attempt to regulate my acne. It did help the acne on my back and chest a bit, but I did not notice it help clear up my face. So it was disappointing in that regard. HOWEVER, I love how it regulates my period nicely with very few--if any--side effects. No nausea, no cramps, etc. BUT to be fair, I never experienced those during my normal periods. I guess if you're just looking for a birth control pill that regulates irregular/heavy periods (mine went from 7 down to 4 days), this could be a pill for you to consider."

• Sid...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 4, 2016

For Birth Control "I've been on Alesse for over a year and a half. Side effects hit me hard. (I'm 21 years old.) I had perfect skin my entire life (even through puberty), and after I commenced the pill, the acne hit me like a ton of bricks. All forms of acne are on my face, and I've been using dermatologist products and services, and they said it's a hormonal issue as to why the acne has gotten so horrible. The high androgen actually causes skin to get worse. So when people say birth control doesn't cause acne, they are WRONG, because this birth control DOES CAUSE ACNE. Not only did I get acne, I gained 15 pounds, breasts got larger (only plus side), severe nausea the week before my period, and began suffering depression. It's time to switch to another birth control."

• Lys...
• March 31, 2016

For Birth Control "Was on Alesse for 4 months, but by the middle of the 4th month, the breakthrough bleeding I would experience after the first week of the pills had not stopped. I would have my period for two weeks. In the first two months, I experienced weight gain and a bit of nausea and swelling of my breasts. However, after about a week, the nausea was gone, and in the third month, no other side effects except bleeding were felt. I scored it so low because of all the breakthrough bleeding. No other side effects, though, once it was more regular to my body. I'm 18, btw :)"

• Lex...
• September 28, 2015

For Endometriosis "My doctor prescribed me this birth control to help with the pain of endometriosis as mine was getting to be very painful. The first couple of months were rough: nausea, vomiting, terrible mood swings to the point of crying at commercials! I stuck with it though and eventually leveled out. It really helped with my periods and the pain to the point that I went from calling off work for periods to barely noticing them! They lasted 4 days and were not heavy or terribly crampy. BUTTTT... I have been on it for about 2 years and now I am getting side effects again in the form of terrible headaches every day, zero sex drive, and terrible cramps during and in between periods. Also, my periods have gotten heavy again so I am going off it."

• SJa...
• September 3, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on birth control for just under 10 years and am still taking Alesse. The first 3-5 years were TriCyclen Lo, but then I got my period for over a month straight, and my doctor recommended switching to Alesse. The first day I took it, I felt incredibly nauseous. This went away after a day or two. During my time on this medication, I rarely experienced spotting, my periods were very light (about 2-3 days long, never required more than a regular-sized tampon), and while I didn't have bad acne in high school, I did get fewer zits while on both TriCyclen Lo and Alesse than I did in high school. I am about to try getting a copper IUD, though, because I've been experiencing some depression, anxiety, and low libido, and think they could be caused by birth control. I may also have gained some weight, but not sure what that's attributable to."

• Lpe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2018

For Endometriosis "I've been taking this BC pill for about 4 months now (on my 4th month pack, day 5), and I can tell you that the side effects are horrible and have yet to get any better. I've been having nasty headaches, insomnia, REALLY BAD depression (never been this badly depressed before), major mood swings (never had mood swings before), and days where I'm nauseated 24/7. I can hardly function. The only thing it has helped was lessen my period pain. I feel like this pill is ruining my life more than the pain I was experiencing during my period that put me in bed for 2-3 days. I'm looking to get off of it ASAP, and will be scheduling an appointment with my doctor very soon."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 24, 2015

For Birth Control "I spent almost 2 years on Alesse 28. My first couple of months were okay. I experienced severe nausea and gained 10 pounds but lost them shortly after. I took Alesse routinely at 10 pm. My first month on it I woke up with sweats, seeing 'stars' and started vomiting. I assumed it was a bug until it happened the following week again. My doctor told me to give it 3 months, so I did. This continued about once every 1-2 months at the same time during the night. I began living with Gravol in my back pocket until I had enough. I came off Alesse and have not had any midnight 'episodes' and feel so much better. It was effective in preventing pregnancy although I always use backup methods anyway. My periods were short and light and minor cramps."

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 3, 2019

"Unfortunately, this pill is not working out for me. I have been having heavy bleeding for 3 weeks straight now, am an emotional wreck, have no energy, nausea, unending appetite, edema, and acne. I’m trying to score an engineering co-op right now and do not have time to “wait it out” because the side effects (mood swings especially) are affecting my ability to be a functional human being. I don’t want to find out how that translates into the interview process. Because of my limited time on this, you should take my review with a grain of salt. However, even if I didn’t have co-op interviews coming up, I would probably discontinue this before the recommended 3-month period anyway. These side effects are pretty disturbing for something I don’t need to be on."

• Kel...
• October 27, 2016

For Birth Control "I have been using Alesse for about a week now, and in that short amount of time, it has been absolute hell! This is my first time on birth control, so I thought everything was going to be fine, but boy was I wrong. The first and second day were fine, but on the third day, I had a family event to go to, and on the way there, I began to feel disgustingly nauseous. I've only felt that nauseous when I had mono and after I got my tonsils out. It made me feel so incredibly sick that I ended up passing out on the couch at the family get-together. I've also been having really intense migraines, they've been so debilitating that I've almost burst into tears. The only reason I didn't was because it would have hurt far too bad. Do not use this pill!!"

• Hel...
• August 5, 2016

For Birth Control "I've only been on this pill for two days. That's why I gave it 5 stars, and I know it's a bit rushed, but oh boy. I've had an insane headache all day. I also feel very nauseous, like I could throw up any minute. My heart is also pounding pretty fast and hard. Not sure what that's about, but if it doesn't fix within a month, I'll definitely be discontinuing this brand."