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Alesse is an oral contraceptive (birth control) medication that is a combination of two female sex hormones, levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol.
Alesse is primarily used to prevent pregnancy in people assigned as female at birth.
In some cases, Alesse is also used to treat moderate acne in people over the age of 14, who have been assigned female at birth.
For more resources, including a full list of the risks and benefits of Alesse, please review the product monograph.
As a contraceptive and as a treatment for acne, Alesse works through gonadotropin suppression.
As a contraceptive, this prevents eggs from being released during the menstrual cycle, which prevents pregnancy.
As a treatment for acne, it’s believed that androgenic action, including stimulation of sebaceous glands, is necessary for acne to form. Suppressing gonadotropin leads to decreased ovarian production of the androgens that are believed to cause acne.
What is Alesse® used to treat?
Alesse’s primary use is as a form of contraceptive (birth control) that’s taken orally.
In some cases, Alesse is also used in the treatment of moderate severity acne, in people that were assigned female at birth and are over the age of 14.
Alesse prescriptions are available as both 21-day (Alesse 21) and 28-day (Alesse 28) blister packs.
Each kind of Alesse includes 21 pink ‘active’ pills, but in Alesse 28, there are an additional 7 white ‘inactive’ pills.
Each type of Alesse follows a 28-day cycle, in which you take one pink pill per day for 21 consecutive days.
If you have the Alesse 28, you’ll then take one white pill per day for an additional 7 days to finish the cycle. With Alesse 21, you would take nothing during the 7 days between the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next.
When taking the Alesse pills, they should be taken at the same time of the day, each day. This will help maximize the effect of the medication.
How long does Alesse® last after you take it?
The most common side effects of taking Alesse include:
If you start to experience any of these side effects, be sure to talk to your healthcare practitioner from Felix. They may be able to suggest alternative medications that could work better for you
There are a number of people who shouldn’t use Alesse. Don’t take this medication if you have or have ever experienced:
- A history of heart attack, chest pain (angina), stroke
- Blood clots in the legs, lungs, eyes, or elsewhere
- Hereditary or acquired blood clotting disorders
- Known or suspected cancer of the breast, sex organs, liver, or certain estrogen-dependent cancers
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding
- Jaundice
- Migraine headaches with aura
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Partial or full loss of vision, or vision problems caused by vascular diseases
- Heart valve or heart rhythm disorders (associated with blood clots)
- Pancreatitis associated with severe hypertriglyceridemia
You also shouldn’t use Alesse if you’re:
- Over the age of 35 and smoke
- Pregnant or suspect they may be pregnant
- Using antiviral medications to treat Hepatitis C
- Hypersensitive to any of the ingredients in Alesse
- Diabetic
In addition to these people, there are other patients who should be extra cautious when using Alesse.
Be sure to talk to your healthcare practitioner at Felix before requesting an online Alesse prescription if you:>
- Have a history (or family history) of breast cancer
- Have breast disorders (i.e., pain, discharge from the nipples, thickenings, or lumps)
- Have diabetes
- Have high blood pressure
- Have abnormal levels of fats in your bloodstream (high cholesterol or triglycerides)
- Are a cigarette smoker
- Have heart or kidney disease
- Epilepsy or seizures
- Have a history of depression
- Have fibroid tumours of the uterus
- Have gallbladder or pancreatic disease
- >Have a history of liver disease or jaundice
- Have a family history of blood clots, heart attacks, or strokes
- May be pregnant or are breastfeeding
- Have systemic lupus erythmatosus
- Have inflammatory bowel disease (i.e., Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
- Have haemolytic uremic syndrome
- Have a sickle cell disease
- Have problems with the valves in your heart and/or have irregular heart rhythm
- Wear contact lenses
- Have Hepatitis C
Further reading
