Alesse and birth control

Hi there, I'm reading everyone's comments and nodding my head the entire time. I have only been on Alesse for 2 weeks and have been experiencing some extreme anxiety. I tried a different birth control when I was in my early 20s with very little problems. Now in my early 30s, Alesse seemed like the lesser of evils as it was recommended by my doctor. I have been experiencing many sleepless nights, noticed a rash on my leg and had a 3 day headache/migraine. Very unusual for me. The worst part is the anxiety that I have been feeling lately, IT'S UNBEARABLE!! I feel like I'm going insane!!! I hope no one else is feeling like this right now but I hope that others read these comments as it has been really a relief to hear from people experiencing the same thing. I'm throwing mine away right now. I'm done.

I have been taking the generic form of Alesse for just 5 days and I am ready to stop it. I have been experiencing Severe insomnia. I was up until after 5 a.m. yesterday and it is 3:30 a.m. as I am writing this, and I have to work tomorrow! Also, I've been experiencing mood swings and depression. I even told my doctor that my primary reason for going on the pill was to control my PMS better...this isn't doing the trick. I'd like to think that if I stayed on this a little longer things might get better, but this is not worth it. I have been on birth control in the past and never had problems like this. I don't think it's worth any woman putting herself through these and other symptoms just to take the Pill. Condoms suck, but it's better than putting yourself through emotional hell.

This is my 2nd pack of Alesse, and I think i'm going to stop after i am done with this pack. I am experiencing breakthrough bleeding all the time, im irritable, i get lightheaded all the time, and i cant keep away from sweets! With the breakthrough bleeding, I feel like i'm getting my period and i get the cramps and back pain along with it. I know it's due to this pill because I have 2 kids and I am very into healthy eating and working out and i have a lot of will power when it comes to sweet food and chocolate. Also, by 5pm or 6pm, I am soooo fatigued that I can't even drive, I just want to sleep! People say to be patient and give it a few months, i totally disagree, I am not going to mess up my body. i think I am just going to stop birth control overall and try a different method of birth control.

well i am am African American and over 40 yrs of age my obgyn at the time in 2008 prescribed Alesse (aviane) for me due to awful pains with endometriosis (returning) so for a while just like most of these reviews i am reading i like other people suffered headaches, weight gain, full feeling and a little bit of other things that soon went away after 3-6 months, but you know just recently (past 4 to 6 mos) or so i have had really bad dreams, abnormal dreams to night mares....i have come through a whole lot of adversity with my health (fibromyalgia sufferer and osteo arthritis etc) NEVER HAD I EVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THIS BEFORE...I HOPE SOMEONE OUT THERE CAN TELL ME HAVE THEY WENT THROUGH THIS...I hope not....but in my opinion I am aiming to ask the good ole doctor to move me to something else...in short i blame the birth control Alesse(Aviane) Thank you

I think everyone has different reactions to different forms of birth control. I was on Alesse for 2 years with zero problems. Then one day my pharmacist offered me the generic form Aviane and told me it was the same. I decided to get it since its cheaper, but now I wish I hadn't. I had some of the same symptoms listed here on Aviane, like yeast infections, low sex drive and thinning hair. So I'm going back to Alesse which was always great for me. Everyone needs to listen to their bodies and make the best decision for themselves. Good luck!!!!!

I've been taking Alesse for up to a month now and all I've been wanting to do is sleep. I sleep through classes all the time and have been falling behind in school. I've fallen asleep before during school which is why I thought it wasn't caused by anything except maybe stress over marks but then I've started getting hot and cold flashes, my face has been breaking out a lot more, and I've been a bit more emotional. Also my family has had a history of breast cancer and I read online that it might affect it. But anyways what I was wandering is how long before it gets better and if anyone has dealt with it affecting the whole breast cancer thing? I asked my doctor but all he said was awhile and I don't know if I can fall behind in school anymore. Any suggestions? Tips? Maybe recommend a new light birth control? Would be very much appreciated please and thank you.

I just got off Alesse and now I seem to be breaking out. I've never had this problem before it looks more like a rash on my cheeks and small pimples here and there.
I decided to no longer go on birth control anymore so I'm not really looking to start another.
Did anyone else have this acne? How long does does it take to clear up?

I was having problems with my birth control pill Marvelon, I just felt like I was PMSing all the time. One minute I was furious at nothing, and then I would just want to cry but about absolutely nothing at all and it was through the entire month not just before my period. I felt like I was going nuts. I had my doctor switch me and she put me on Alesse. But 6 months in my PMS like symptoms are still here but reduced, but now my skin looks terrible. My neck has completely broken out in what is almost a rash except it's all zits. This is what used to happen to me for years while on Tricyclen but the doctors would never believe me! They just kept saying it's meant to cure your acne (which I didn't even have before birth control) when I finally got off tricylin it all cleared right up and never came back after a full year of turtle necks and cover up makeup and that was 10 years ago. So I just had my doctor move me again, she's now prescribing Yasmin, which I hope will be much much better. One thing I do know is when they say it will get worse and then better, they don't know what they are talking about!! if you are still reacting to the pill after the first three months, then try a new one, there are so many options out there and living life with acne that will supposedly 'miraculously' eventually heal is just not worth losing a year of your life with no confidence because a doctor has a hunch it will all fix itself when it never really does. If you don't break out then stay on it and enjoy, but if you do then don't be patient and wait it out, don't be scared to tell your doctor you want to just try something else.

I'm not 100% certain that Alesse has been causing my major health issues recently, but after going through all other tests, my doctor has suggested I stop taking it. I pray that it is the answer.
I have been on Alesse for two years, (this past Aug 2007) but it was last March that I really noticed some of the typical impacts. Moodiness, lack of a sex drive (which I missed) and then the dreaded splotches. I had these dark type of circles appear on the top of my cheeks, which appeared overnight. I soon found out that any type of birth control can cause these to appear. Great. Just great. Then I had spotting between periods, which wouldn't be so bad except they came along with those tiny tummy cramps. This didn't add much fun to my current IBS issues.
I'm diabetic (but have been for 30+ years) so it never impacted me regarding blood sugars etc.
Then along came May. I had a bad bought with IBS one morning then I had the panic attack hit at the very same time. I've never hypervenatlated before so I had no idea what was going on other than I felt like I was dying, at home, and alone. For the first time ever, I called 911 and took an ambulance trip to Emerg. After being there for a few hours, they didn't find anything and I had calmed down. Since then, I've been experiencing on different levels from '1 - 10':
- small tremors through my neck and should areas (they can worsen to the point that others can see me shake)
- burning sensation in the same area
- numbness in my jaw / face area
- fullness in my right ear
- lightheaded but not *dizzy* as if I'm going to faint
- overall not feeling right as if my head is detached
- weakness in lower body and legs
- numbness in right leg and foot (not all the time, it comes and goes)
- panic attacks when my digestive system kicks in
- lack of an appetite
- nausea (sometimes)
- a few other items which I am too tired to think of....

When I try to sleep, as soon as I feel like I'm about to doze off, I have the symptoms flood over me big time and I'm 'shaken' awake. I can also been in a deep sleep, having a pleasant dream, when if feels like someone has grabbed the back of my neck/shoulders and has shaken me violently awake. I have to sit right up and bring my knees up to my chest and try to relax myself. Sometimes I stay awake all night.

I have every test you can imagine since May, as this is ongoing with no relief. I have had a head MRI (made my tremor and head detachment feeling worse), Spine MRI, Chest CT Scan (bad reaction to the dye), colonoscopy (I'm convinced my IBS triggers the symptoms to be worse), heart monitor, blood test for thyroid (one of the first things since I'm diabetic), along with many other blood test. I have two in for Mercury and Lead poisoning, but the results aren't back yet. More and more I'm starting to believe that it's all attached to the birthcontrol, although I've been on it in the past without issues, and this time around it was just over a year and a half when these symptoms all kicked in.
If this is all caused by the bc, I will be very relieved as this has been causing me a lot of grief. Thankfully I am able to work from home on my laptop, otherwise I would be out of a job. Getting up, showered and out the door is impossible. I had one good day last weekend where I was able to go out with my very supportive and adoring boyfriend, and we fed a few squirrels in a park. It's taken away my summer so far.
I'll come back to post an update if I find that stopping Alesse has helped any.
I wish everyone well!!!!
Stacey

I read a message above "by APAINTEDSMILE and I agree with Alesse being one of the least negative side affects...all birthcontrols are going to have a side affect.However Alesse Is one of the weaker Birthcontrol pills out there.
-I had lesser day periods(3-4)
- my period always came on thursday
-no cramps/acne due to pms
-didnt get pregnant while on the pill
My guess for anyone feeling they were going crazy on the pill is due to youre own hormone levels ..and its called PMS

However as much for Alesse as I am I went off for a week and became pregnant right away , aswell as my younger sister,she also took Alesse and is pregnant after being off for only a couple weeks b/c it is a weaker birthcontrol pill going off the pill for even a week there is a high chance of getting pregnant.But as long as you take it properly Its a great form of Birth control With very little side effects...

The person who would rather have highblood pressure then a change in youre cycle, thats crazy..THATS A BIG SIDE EFFECT.that affects youre health.once you start Alesse and you get youre period, you shouldnt get it 2 weeks later it'll just change the cycle to 21 days on the pill and 7 days or less off for youre period. give it a couple months atleast for youre body to get used to the new B.C

Its funny because I always thought all my symptoms were just 'me'. But now I am highly doubting this. I was on some heavy birth control quite a few years back and it led to severe panic attacks. So I was switched to yasmin, which seemed to help, and I had the most clear skin I've ever had and no break through bleeding, but I was quite emotional on it. After reading everything on these message boards a few months ago, it really got me worried that Yasmin was contributing to my side effects (oh and 0 sex drive by the way too), so I was switched to lessina/alesse. I am in my second pack, second week, and I am feeling like I am losing my mind. I have half my sex drive back, more acne, and more panic. I am worried I will never find a good balance with any pill. Anyone actually have a good experience with a pill, any recommendations? I wouldn't recommend these two, but everyone reacts differently. Please, any recommendations at all??

This was my second day on Alesse and my second day ever on brith control. I was fine the first day, but later on today after taking the pill I started to get a horrible headache that hurt my whole head all the way around. Then I started to really sick and hot and flushed like I was going to pass out. I turned comepletely white. I got it all out of my system and took a nap and felt better and I never get headaches so it had to be the pill. I have a weak stomache but does this happen with all of birth control???

this is the second time ive been on alesse. ive just recently had a beautiful boy but now going back to birth control ive found that alesse is making me break out so horribly than ever in my life before!!! also mentioning that ive been very irritable and have had dryness you know where. Has anyone experienced that acne on alesse gets worse before it gets better????

I started taking Alesse over a year ago. The first month I was extremely dizzy. I felt sick all the time, but I attributed that to my low tolerance for perscription meds anyway.

I thought everything was fine, until I joined a community on livejournal called "birthcontrol". After hearing stories from the other girls I decided to research my birth control on the web.

I always knew that after I had started taking Alesse that I seemed extremely irritable, depressed, bipolar, and my sex life was not fun at all.

My mom said it probably had to do with college, a boyfriend, and 2 jobs. But I knew deep down that the way I felt wasn't normal.

After a year of lack of wetness, lack of WANTING sex and difficulty achieving oragasm, depression, swinging at people when i was mad, crying all the time, TRYING to kill myself(something I had NEVER even thought about doing before) I decided to stop taking it.

I've been off it since september and I have been the happiest I have ever been! I want sex, I'm happy, I'm dont get violent when I'm mad. I'm great and I will probably not go back on this birth control.

Even with all the negatives there were some positives.

-Lighter periods that lasted shorter time.

-No cramps, and acne associated with PMS.

-My periods came on thursday and always on thursday.

-I didn't get pregnant.

I say give it a whirl. But if you find yourself depressed or sad or mad, get off it right away. It's really not worth the emotional pain I went through.