The users guide
to prescription drugs
and supplements

Finding the right
medication is important
Let RateADrug help.

Evaluate your current medication
Compare conventional and alternative therapies
Get information without drug company bias

PreMed PREP FAQs About Us Contact Us

|Compare Treatments

|Evaluate Your Treatment

Search for a Treatment

Find Treatments by Condition

Browse by name:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Ba-Bd | Be-Bh | Bi-Bo | Bp-Br | Bs-Bz

Da-Dd | De | Df-Di |Dj-Do | Dp-Dz

Ea-El | Em-Ep | Eq-Es | Et | Eu-Ez

Ha-He | Hf-Hz

Ia-Il | Im-In | Io-Ip | Iq-Iz

La-Ld | Le| Lf-Ln| Lo | Lp-Lz

Na | Nb-Nh | Ni | Nj-Nz

Oa-Op | Oq-Ow | Ox-Oz

Ra-Rd | Re | Rf-Rz

Alesse

Ethinyl estradiol + Levonorgestrel

View / Add User Comments (3)

User Ratings

Out of 10

Satisfaction

6.2

7 Effectiveness

5.1 Side Effects

6.2 Holistic Benefits

RateADrug users have reported 7 Alesse side effects and 3 Alesse benefits.

Be better informed. Are you taking Alesse?

Yes |No

Get Help

Evaluate Your Treatment

Treatment Information

Description | Uses & Side Effects | Warnings

The generic name of this medication is levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol and brand names are Alesse and Levlen.

Alesse is manufactured by Wyeth Ayerst Pharmaceuticals.

The active ingredients of this medication are ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel.

It is primarily used in the prevention of pregnancy.

Common Uses:

This medication is used in the prevention of pregnancy.

Off Label Uses:

None noted currently.

Side Effects:
Acne;
Breast tenderness or enlargement;
Changes in appetite;
Changes in sexual interest;
Changes in weight;
Dizziness;
Hair loss;
Headache;
Nausea;
Stomach cramps or bloating;
Unusual spotting or bleeding;
Vomiting.

Cautions / Warnings:

Not recommended in people with:
Allergic reactions to this medication or any of its ingredients;
A history of blood clotting problems; severe blood clots (eg, in the lungs; legs; eyes); certain blood vessel problems (eg, bleeding in the brain; heart attack; stroke); breast cancer;
Chest pain caused by angina; certain types of headaches or migraines with aura; severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure; endometrial; cervical; or vaginal cancer;
Liver disease; liver tumors; cancer; history of yellowing of the eyes or skin caused by pregnancy or prior birth control medication use.

It is also not recommended in pregnant women; people who are planning on becoming pregnant; and nursing mothers.

Drug Interactions:
Atorvastatin; indinavir; or troleandomycin;
Aprepitant; azole antifungals (eg, itraconazole, ketoconazole), barbiturates (eg, phenobarbital); bosentan; carbamazepine; dexamethasone; felbamate; griseofulvin; HIV protease inhibitors (eg, ritonavir); hydantoins (eg, phenytoin); modafinil; nevirapine; oxcarbazepine; penicillins (eg, amoxicillin); phenylbutazone; primidone; rifabutin; rifampin; St. John's wort; tetracyclines (eg, doxycycline); topiramate; or troglitazone;
Beta-blockers (eg, propranolol); corticosteroids (eg, prednisolone); cyclosporine; or theophylline;
Clofibric acid; lamotrigine; morphine; salicylic acid; or temazepam.

View / Add User Comments (3)

Evaluate This Treatment

User Ratings

Comments(3)

More About This Treatment

How does your Treatment Compare?

Choose a Condition:

Show results for:

Brands	Effectiveness	Holistic Benefits	Side Effects	Number of Ratings
NuvaRing	7.9	6.29	3.85	86
Alesse	7	5.37	3.5	4
Yaz	6.6	5.83	4	159
Loestrin	6.58	5.61	4.14	99
Yasmin	6.51	5.46	3.87	63
Ortho Tri-Cyclen	6.13	5.59	4.2	165

View All	About these Scores
	Choose a condition to compare treatments based on user feedback. You can sort by Effectiveness, Holistic Benefits or Side Effects RateADrug user scores, or the number of Ratings. Scores gain significance with the number of ratings, so please share your experiences - rate your drug! Close

Effectiveness of Alesse by Condition

Click on a condition to view RateADrug.com users ratings

Birth Control

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Effectiveness on "Birth Control"

About these Results
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the distribution in percentages of how users rate the effectiveness of their medication. Click on the various conditions to see how the effectiveness ratings change. Close

Not at all

Mildly

Moderately

Very

Extremely

How effective is Alesse?

Reported Changes in Health and Well-Being

Since taking Alesse, RateADrug survey participants noticed these changes in their health:

Effect on:	Much Worse	Worse	No Change	Better	Much Better
Appetite	0%	0%	80%	20%	0%
Balance/Equilibrium	0%	0%	100%	0%	0%
Blood Pressure	0%	0%	100%	0%	0%
Breathing	20%	0%	80%	0%	0%
Confidence	0%	0%	75%	25%	0%
Coordination/Motor Skills	0%	20%	80%	0%	0%
Digestion	0%	0%	100%	0%	0%
Emotional Well-being	20%	0%	80%	0%	0%
Energy	0%	20%	80%	0%	0%
Eyesight	0%	0%	100%	0%	0%
Memory	0%	25%	75%	0%	0%
Mental Clarity	0%	40%	60%	0%	0%
Pain	0%	0%	50%	0%	50%
Patience	0%	40%	60%	0%	0%
Sexual Health	0%	20%	40%	40%	0%
Skin Complexion	0%	20%	40%	40%	0%
Sleep	0%	0%	75%	25%	0%
Stress Level	0%	20%	60%	20%	0%

About these Scores
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the distribution in percentages of negative or positive changes in health and well-being experienced by users for all of the categories listed. Close

Commonly Reported Alesse Side Effects

RateADrug survey participants experienced these commonly reported side effects:

Effect on:	None	Mild	Moderate	Strong	Severe
Breast Tenderness	80%	0%	0%	0%	20%
Change in Sex Drive	75%	0%	0%	25%	0%
Depression	60%	0%	40%	0%	0%
Dizziness	75%	25%	0%	0%	0%
Fatigue	60%	20%	20%	0%	0%
Headache	75%	25%	0%	0%	0%
Irregular Bleeding	66.7%	33.3%	0%	0%	0%
Mood Swings	40%	40%	0%	20%	0%
Nausea	80%	0%	0%	20%	0%
Yeast Infection	75%	25%	0%	0%	0%

About these Scores
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the distribution in percentages of the severity of side effects experienced by users. Scores gain significance with the number of ratings, so please share your experiences - rate your drug! Close

Less Commonly Reported Alesse Side Effects

RateADrug survey participants experienced less commonly reported side effects:

Effect on:	None	Mild	Moderate	Strong	Severe
Abdominal Pain	60%	20%	20%	0%	0%
Anxiety	80%	0%	20%	0%	0%
Blurred Vision	75%	25%	0%	0%	0%
Change in Weight	60%	0%	20%	0%	20%
Irregular Bleeding	50%	0%	0%	0%	50%

About these Scores
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the distribution in percentages of the severity of side effects experienced by users. Scores gain significance with the number of ratings, so please share your experiences - rate your drug! Close

Online Health Care Dispute Resolution

Need help resolving complaints against a doctor, insurance company or other health care provider

User Comments about Alesse

03 Mar 2018	Okay yes alesse helped me wth absolutely everything, like it was perfectly, the only thing is i gained like an insane amount of weight and its impossible to lose.... im chaning bc's because of this reason —Posted by Dominique Respond Display Name: Email: (Required) Notify me of new comments Email me monthly survey results Sending... I agree to the Terms of Use
10 Jul 2010	It's a good drug, it gives me less depression symptoms than other drugs, and since I laready suffer and get treated for depression, most birth controls make me have a few days of hell. this one is much better than the other two I have tried. —Posted by Anonymous Respond Display Name: Email: (Required) Notify me of new comments Email me monthly survey results Sending... I agree to the Terms of Use
08 Jul 2009	I have taken many different types of birth control pills for 19 years in search of the right type of pills. Alesse I have found, has the lowest level of estrogen, thus minimal mood swings. —Posted by Anonymous Respond Display Name: Email: (Required) Notify me of new comments Email me monthly survey results Sending... I agree to the Terms of Use