Alesse-28 and Depression: What Users Say

• Etn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2018

For Birth Control "I've been off birth control for almost 6 years, I couldn't find one that suited me and didn't make me a bloated, crazy person. I had tried Yaz, Yasmin, Tricicyclen Lo, and so many others. The only one I had not tried was the mini pills or Alesse. Very hesitant because last time, I bled for weeks, I was depressed, anxious, vomiting a lot, dizzy, and felt like garbage. It took almost a year to get used to Yasmin, and even then, I felt awful. I'm on the generic version Alesyna, and I've had ZERO side effects. I was worried about my sex drive declining and gaining weight, as well as depression being on it, but none of that has happened. If anything, my sex drive is higher than usual, my periods are lighter and shorter, I overall feel extremely happy all the time. No mood swings. I was terrified by all the bad reviews, but like my doc said, every body is different, and you just have to keep trying 'til you find one that works for you."

• PIL...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 26, 2023

For Birth Control "When I started taking this pill, my life went downhill. I was on it for 2 months and bled for 2 months straight. Within the first week of taking it, I was so bloated and gained so much weight to the point where I couldn’t fit into any of my pants. It caused numerous mental health issues, and I thought I was going crazy. I couldn’t control my emotions, and I was extremely irritable. All of these problems went away as soon as I stopped taking this pill. Do not take it or have your children on it."

• Ema...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 22, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking this birth control Alesse-28 for over 3 years now. I was fine for the first year, but then after that, I was so moody and irritable, always sad and depressed, and very emotional. I have no energy at all, and I’m always tired. Another thing is that for some reason I get really bad leg cramps and am always constipated. Something else that I have experienced is weight gain, ovaries always hurt, and painful intercourse. Another awful side effect is that I have ZERO sex drive and vaginal dryness! One good thing about this birth control is that it cleared up all my acne, but other than that, it’s definitely not worth the side effects."

• Ema...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 22, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking this birth control Alesse-28 for over 3 years now. I was fine for the first year, but then after that, I was so moody and irritable, always sad and depressed, and very emotional. I have no energy at all, and I’m always tired. Another thing is that for some reason I get really bad leg cramps and am always constipated. Something else that I have experienced is weight gain, ovaries always hurt, and painful intercourse. Another awful side effect is that I have ZERO sex drive and vaginal dryness! One good thing about this birth control is that it cleared up all my acne, but other than that, it’s definitely not worth the side effects."

• Van...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 17, 2020

For Birth Control "I have been on Alysena (100 µg of levonorgestrel and 20 µg of ethinyl estradiol) for almost 3 months now, and I have really noticed a significant change in my mood. I used to be really happy and have lots of energy, and lately, I've been feeling depressed and get anxiety at least 1-2 times every week. I easily get annoyed and irritated, and I just don't feel like myself. Everyone will react differently to this birth control, but it's just not a great experience for me."

• Ban...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 4, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve been taking this birth control, Alesse-28, for about 4 years now. At first, it was great. I did notice weight gain, every three months, I found my period would go from heavy to light, and then my boobs would become extremely sore on the third month. Extreme mood swings, depressed. Since May of this year, my periods have been almost nonexistent, sometimes I’ll have some spotting. I’m not pregnant. My stress has increased. I am a university student, but I had major life changes, so I’m not sure if the increased stress is what is causing the missed periods. Last month, my period did last for about three days. I’ve had to go onto an antidepressant recently as well. I’m currently trying to switch pills, as I cannot stand the missed periods and worrying every single month if I’m pregnant. As much as I like light periods, I would like to have at least something so I don’t have a heart attack."

• aya...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been taking Alesse 28 for 4 months. Except for the fact that it prevents pregnancy at a high rate, I don't like it at all. I have horrible mood swings since I've been taking it. This conclusion is not even biased because I didn't read any reviews before having these symptoms. I got it as a recommendation from the doctor. Once on it, I feel constantly nervous, anxious, sad, and mad for no reason, and when I'm happy, I'm really happy. I don't take any other medication, so I can only blame it on this pill. I think I will stop it ASAP. Just need to find an alternative."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 5, 2018

For Birth Control "I took Alesse 28 for three months, and it worked. I never got pregnant, and Alesse cleared up my mild acne. But the side effects legit made me feel like I was crazy. The mood swings made me question my sanity. I would always lash out at my boyfriend randomly and be angry at him even though he did nothing wrong. I hated him so much for no reason. I lost my sex drive, my vagina was always dry, and so it would cause my vagina to bleed and hurt after sex, and I became really depressed. I stopped taking Alesse for a month now, and my boyfriend told me that my attitude and mood are normal and back to the way I was before taking Alesse."

• ALY...
• February 27, 2014

For Birth Control "Alesse-28 was the first oral contraceptive I've taken. I usually have a very heavy flow, and my period would be a full week and would never come at the same time every month, but since I started to take Alesse-28, my period has become VERY regulated, and my flow is light and lasts usually around 3-4 days only. The best thing I would say is that I don't get cramps anymore. Before taking the pill, I'd be pretty much bedridden. I get only a very slight pain now, but it's barely noticeable! It also helped with my acne! I had a lack of appetite when I started the pill, and I lost 7 lbs in one month. The worst parts were the nausea, major mood swings, slight depression (cried every night), anxiety, and the lack of motivation in everything."

• ALY...
• February 27, 2014

For Birth Control "Alesse-28 was the first oral contraceptive I've taken. I usually have a very heavy flow, and my period would be a full week and would never come at the same time every month, but since I started to take Alesse-28, my period has become VERY regulated, and my flow is light and lasts usually around 3-4 days only. The best thing I would say is that I don't get cramps anymore. Before taking the pill, I'd be pretty much bedridden. I get only a very slight pain now, but it's barely noticeable! It also helped with my acne! I had a lack of appetite when I started the pill, and I lost 7 lbs in one month. The worst parts were the nausea, major mood swings, slight depression (cried every night), anxiety, and the lack of motivation in everything."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2020

For Birth Control "I’ve only been on Alesse-28 for a month now, and I’ve already decided to stop. Literally, it has been the worst month of my life. Extreme moodiness, acne, borderline depression, and a non-existent sex drive are just the tip of the iceberg! I understand that everyone’s body is different, and pills won’t have the same effects for everyone, but honestly, save yourself the trouble and don’t use Alesse."

• Cat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 28, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on this pill for 7 months, and I have noticed many side effects lately. Constant bloating in abdomen and face, depression, severe anxiety, and weight gain. My worst symptom is the breakthrough bleeding each month! I do not recommend this pill."

• Don...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 31, 2021

For Birth Control "I found that Alesse-28 worked really well for me. Before taking Alesse, I could tell when my period was due because of my temperament - I would feel angry, frustrated, moody, and I also had such a strong appetite. Also, on my period, I would feel tired, weak, nauseous, and sad. Alesse-28 really helped neutralize my pre- and during-period moods and nausea. It also really helped to clear up my skin, which was a nice bonus. It worked really well for me, and I will continue to take it."

• Tan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2022

For Birth Control "I have tried taking this medication three times already. Every time, I got very depressed, and my mood was all over the place. I started again ten days ago, and yesterday I had a terrible anxiety attack, and I find myself crying about anything. This is very unusual in me since I am usually a non-depressed, very happy person. I never read any reviews until now, and I realize lots of people have gone through the same as me. I will stop the pill today and touch it again."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 7, 2019

For Birth Control "The first couple of months of taking this pill, I had no side effects or abnormal bleeding. I’ve been taking the pill for nine months now, my acne has completely cleared and my period is very light. As far as side effects go, this pill has definitely caused me to feel more depressed but has helped with my anxiety. It's done its job for preventing pregnancy, although I’ve always used condoms to be safe. I don’t recommend skipping the placebo pills to skip your period, as I did that, and I had abnormal bleeding a couple of weeks later, which gave me a pretty big pregnancy scare. Overall, I would recommend to anyone to try going on this pill because everyone’s response to it will be different, and it’s worth a try."

• Awf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 31, 2022

For Abnormal Uterine Bleeding "Wow, I’m kind of shocked by how dramatically this pill has affected my mental well-being. Almost immediately, I was extremely irritable, and I actually had a meltdown for the first time in years. Now, after 3 months of taking it, I’m stopping because I’m very depressed, angry, and incredibly irritable. I do have a history of depression, but I was very mentally stable before I started, my psychologist even commented on how well I was doing. My left breast grew like a cup size, and even though I’ve been skipping the break, I’m spotting, cramping (though not nearly as bad as before), and feeling nauseous for a more drawn-out, lighter version of my usual period. So for me, there were no benefits, only a huge strain on my relationship."

• Emm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 4, 2023

For Birth Control "It did what it was supposed to, in the way of not allowing pregnancy, however, it caused horrible side effects. Coming onto it, I had acne for months, which went away but returned for months when I came off. I would have random mental breakdowns, weight gain, depression, and anxiety."

• Emm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 4, 2023

For Birth Control "It did what it was supposed to, in the way of not allowing pregnancy, however, it caused horrible side effects. Coming onto it, I had acne for months, which went away but returned for months when I came off. I would have random mental breakdowns, weight gain, depression, and anxiety."