Contraceptives

Alesse rains on the Sperm Parade

Alesse is a popular ‘ultra low dose’ birth control drug used by many women to prevent pregnancy (the creation of a little human inside you from the penetration of an almost invisible little part of ‘her’ (egg) by a very active but even tinier part of ‘him’ (sperm). Alesse is also prescribed for the control of acne in females over 14 years and to regulate the menstrual cycle or relieve painful periods. The exact chemical names of the active synthetic hormones in Alesse are 0.02 mg of ethinyl estradiol and 0.1 mg levonorgestrel which are combinations of synthetic estrogen and progesterone (hence the name ‘combined oral contraceptive’)

Alesse works in two ways:

Prevents ovulation (or stops that little egg escaping from your uterus in the first place)
Changes the lining of the uterus and also the cervical mucous (the slippery, slimey stuff at the entrance to your uterus) to make it really difficult for those competitive little swimmers (sperm) to even reach the uterus - a bit like trying to swim in mud! If by any chance, a little ‘iron man’ swimmer does succeed in fertilizing an egg, then the combination of female hormones in Alesse makes it difficult for the fertilized egg to attach itself to the uterus so no babygrow suits needed!

Alesse is marketed under other brand names including Aviane, Levlite, Levlen (see separate page), Levota, Tri-leven, Triphasil, Trivora and Triphasil-28.

Is Alesse easy to take?

Like all birth control pills, Alesse must be taken regularly and on time since one complete course of pills in each pack is designed around a woman’s normal menstrual cycle. That little unplanned ’surprise’ may occur if you miss taking a pill or if you don’t compensate by altering the intake of the pills.

While the contraceptive pill is a favourite with the majority of woman, it doesn’t suit everyone but take heart, it’s not the end of the world if you can’t take a birth control pill for one reason or another.
There are lots of other efficient methods of birth control which will feature on this site.

• No contraceptive pill will protect you against HIV/Aids or sexually transmitted diseases.

The Food and Drug Administration has declared Alesse to be a safe and effective oral contraceptives for emergency contraception. 1 dose is 5 pink pills.
Now for a warning that may dampen your parade but one that you need to be really responsible about.
If you are considering taking the Alesse birth control pill there a few IMPORTANT things to beware of:

Do not use Alesse (or any other contraceptive pill for that matter) if:

• you know you are pregnant
• you have recently had a baby
• you have heart problems of any kind, blood clots, high blood pressure
• you have circulation problems, specifically those caused by diabetes
• you have a history of breast cancer or uterine cancer
• you have abnormal menstrual bleeding
• you have liver problems
• you have migraines or focal neurologic symptoms (nerve problems in a specific location that affect a specific function such as speech or vision

Be smart and ultra safe- it’s not too much of an inconvenience (when you consider the risk) When you first start using Alesse, use ‘back up’- like condoms and spermicides.

The medical profession says that if you smoke or are over 35 you may have an increased chance of developing heart problems if you take Alesse, this goes for all birth control pills.

Are you on other medications?

Before taking any contraceptive pill ask your doctor if the medicines you are on (yes, including vitamins, minerals and over the counter medicines ) will reduce the effectiveness of the birth control pill as this could lead to a little unplanned ’surprise’ and I DO mean pregnancy here not diarrhea.
Do not get complacent about it either- if you suddenly change a medicine later on, let your doctor know and make sure it’s still OK to keep taking Alesse as well.

Will I have any side effects with Alesse?

Like any medication, all contraceptive pills effect people in different ways. Alesse is no different and no guarantee can be given that you will not have any side effects.

Some birth defects have been recorded and some woman complain that their production of breast milk has slowed down while on Alesse.

One fact is certain - babies can absorb drugs through breast milk, including those from the contraceptive pill (and YES, alcohol too!) so why risk this? Be sensible and responsible and avoid taking Alesse while you are breastfeeding. (The ONLY time my daughter had colic once as a baby was when I drank some wine while breastfeeding)
Give yourself a decent trial period, don’t expect to experience the same effects as other women but realise that some women have experienced the following:

Emily found that her skin darkened in parts
Kathryn experienced slight depression and some weight gain
Robyn experienced some numbness and swelling and Maureen had increased hair growth.
Mild nausea is often to do with when the pill is taken or if it is taken on an empty stomach but this usually settles down after the first few courses. Some women have trouble with contact lenses and dizziness and a few complain of losing interest in sex.
As this site is about helping you to become thoroughly informed about contraceptive products, it would be remiss of me not to mention some much less common risks of taking birth control pills such as:
Clotting in legs, lungs, heart or brain, stroke, heart attack and possibly cervical cancer ( but we all get regular Pap smears don’t we?)

Due to the ‘ uniqueness’ of every woman, the important thing to remember is that any side effect you experience after taking Alesse should be carefully monitored. There are other contraceptive pills featured on this site and one of them may suit your body chemistry better, you may even have to try more than two types (see the information on monophasic, biphasic and triphasic pills).

Even though Alesse is great at stopping those little swimmers from ‘achieving their life’s purpose’, as with any prescription medication, Alesse should be taken responsibly and you should see your doctor if side effects do not lessen or get worse. Everyone’s pill taking habits are different so try to be in tune with your body when you start your initial course of Alesse and be aware of any changes that take place- this way you will give yourself the fairest and best chance of discovering if this particular and very effective contraceptive pill is an agreeable form of birth control for you.

If you would like to purchase the generic brand of Alesse (which is called Loette) at a much cheaper price you will find it HERE

Just type Alesse into the search box when you get to the home page