Have anyone used ALESSE bc pill?

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2006
Have anyone used ALESSE bc pill?
10
Mon, 06-18-2007 - 12:42pm

My doctor gave me ALESSE birth control pills for birth control purpose.

I am 31 years old and still have acne and white heads. I have been on it for about a week now and I don't see an improvement yet.

I was wondering if anyone has used this bc pill and what they thought of it?

Any comments is appreciated.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 06-18-2007 - 6:10pm

Hi.

I was on Alesse for over four years and loved it. It didn't affect my sex drive, cause mood swings, I didn't have breakthrough bleeding, or anything. It also didn't do a darn thing for my acne but I went on Accutane for that. That was 5 years ago ... but then again, I had cystic acne, not just papules and whiteheads, so maybe Alesse will help yours when it didn't help mine.

Keep in mind that your body is unique and will react differently to every Pill than anyone else's body will ... I'm just reviewing my experience.

Not sure if I'm allowed to post this here, but www.acne.org is a great resource for those of us who deal with acne on a daily basis.

Caitlin

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2006
Tue, 06-19-2007 - 8:41am

Hi Caitlin,

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I am currently going on ALesse for birth control purposes. I am glad to know that it did not affect your sex drive.

I have been on it for a week now so maybe I should give it more time. 2 packets of Alesse was given as a sample to me by my doctor.

He said the best one for control of acne would be Diane 35. Years ago, another doctor also precscribed Diane 35 as the best for acne. Hope this info helps.

I am 31 years old, I don't understand why I still get acne. I was on medication prior to taking the pill. Just venting.

Lynn.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 06-19-2007 - 5:18pm

Hi Lynn,

I am not a doctor, but I do have a TON of experience, both with hormonal BC and with acne remedies. Please feel free to vent!!

Your doctor is WRONG WRONG WRONG when he says Diane-35 is "best" for acne. What is "best" for one person's acne is not "best" for another ... if Diane-35 worked for everyone, every woman in the world would try it. Guess what, though? I fell for that too ... I was told Ortho-Tri-Cyclen would cure my moderate acne, and instead it GAVE me cystic acne, cystic acne that we attempted to cure using Alesse, Ovcon-35, and Yasmin, but was ultimately cured only by the Accutane.

What are you on for your acne currently? I tried topical erythromycin, clindamycin, benzaclin, then oral antibiotics (minocycline, doxycycline, tetracycline), Differin, Retin-A, Tazorac, and finally Accutane. So basically, I've tried it all. For the record, the only thing that had ANY effect whatsoever was the Differin, and the Tazorac made my face itch and burn so much that I cried. That timespan covers the ages 17-20 approximately.

It has been 4+ years since Accutane, and I no longer have cystic acne, but I do get many blackheads, whiteheads, and pustules. Currently I take Fish Oil and use Alpha-hydroxy and Beta-hydroxy acids topically ... my skin is far from perfect, but I don't cringe when I look in the mirror anymore. You are not alone in your acne battle!!!

You are right, 2 weeks is far too soon to tell. Your doctor gave you the samples for a reason, unless you have some DRASTIC side effects, stick it out. You never know, Alesse could be the "it" Pill for you. And if it doesn't cure your acne, but has no other side effects, please know there are many options, acne-wise, for you to try before switching Pills.

Hope all that helps!

Caitlin

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2006
Wed, 06-20-2007 - 8:43am

Hi Caitlin,

I was on oral antibiotics, Minocycline. When I went on the pill a week ago, I stopped taking the Minocycline because I was afraid it would decrease the effect of the pill.
I took the pill for birth control purposes. Then the acne flared up again.

Yesterday I took Minocycline pills again.

Caitlin, you mentined that Accutane helped cleared up your acne. what is Accutane? Is it a conceptive pill?

So far Alesse did not give me any side effects so I think I will stick with it for awhile and see.

I saw an acne specialist a while ago and he recommended that I wash my face with Dove soap because it is mild.

what do you do with the white and black heads though? I squeezed because it looks gross on the face.

Once again, thanks for sharing your wealth experiences.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 06-20-2007 - 1:28pm

I advise that Minocycline, for all intents and purposes, *will* decrease the effectiveness of the Pill. I don't believe it's been studied itself, but this board tends to treat all oral antibiotics as if they will interfere with the oral contraceptives. Please take care and use a back-up method if getting pregnant would be a catastrophe right now! I know that I, for one, use a back-up if I've taken antibiotics within my past cycle.

You asked about Accutane ... Accutane is not an oral contraceptive, it is a very strong retinoid. Its drug name is isotretinoin. If you've ever used Retin-A, you'll notice that Retin-A is actually tretinoin ... is is a milder, topical form of Accutane, both of which are derived from Vitamin A. Many dermatologists will only prescribe it for cystic acne, because it is such a strong drug, however it has recently gained favor for milder forms of acne. As a woman, you are required to sign a pledge (online) that you will NOT get pregnant while on Accutane because it causes severe birth defects. You would have to have monthly blood tests to check your liver enzyme levels. Common side effects include severely dry skin and depression. I am not saying this to scare you, because Accutane was a miracle for me ... but just to let you know what you would be getting into.

I know you didn't ask for my advice, but I'm going to give it anyway (haha) ... I would say, screw the antibiotics. I know very few people (ok, actually NO ONE) for whom oral antibiotics have cured their acne, and if you need hormonal BC, then they contraindict each other anyway. In fact, in most cases, P. Acnes bacteria becomes resistant to the antibiotic, and so even if it helps at first, eventually it will stop working (hence I tried the entire course of -cyclines). Try, if you haven't already, some of the topical retinoids like Differin (mildest), Retin-A (moderate), or Tazorac (strong). These are prescription only. Or, if you don't want to go back to the doctor, try over-the-counter 2.5 or 5% benzoyl peroxide... don't use the 10% stuff, it's no more effective than the lower percentages and only irritates your skin more.

Don't squeeze your acne! It can cause scarring - I KNOW how hard it is and I still slip, but trust me, take it from someone with 100 scars on her chest from acne, it's better off not to squeeze. If you absolutely have to, use q-tips to prevent bacteria from your fingers entering your pores.

The acne specialist you saw was right, mild soap and no scrubbing is the best ... but Dove might not work for you. Try a few things, Cetaphil or Noxzema maybe, but NOTHING MEDICATED! Most medicated cleansers only dry out your skin, which causes your skin to produce more sebum, which in turn clogs pores and - guess what? - causes more acne. Be gentle to your skin. Touch it as little as possible. Change your pillowcases regularly. This might all sound silly, but trust me, these little things can add up and make a difference.

If you tell me what kind of acne you have (severity-wise? is it inflamed or just clogged pores? how many?) i can make more recommendations. As you can see, I can go on forever about this stuff, just remember, I'm not a doctor! Just someone who's BTDT!!

And hey, you never know, the Alesse might do the trick for you, especially if your acne is hormonal!

Caitlin

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2005
Wed, 06-20-2007 - 3:46pm

Not to get off topic....but I was on Accutane about 6 years ago, and I loved it. I didn't have severe acne but it was like every time I got rid of one zit, I got another one- and

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Wed, 06-20-2007 - 4:31pm

Hi Erica


      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 06-20-2007 - 9:11pm

Thanks for that link, Jill.

I agree with both sides here, on one hand, I think Accutane has gotten a bad rap too, especially considering there are many other drugs with scary side effects out there. Something also doesn't sit right for me in terms of gender equality with Accutane. I understand the birth defect risk is horrible (there are people out there who think 'Tane should be banned for what it can do), but the iPledge program freaks me out on principle, they don't generally accept abstinence as a form of BC (when I started taking 'Tane, I was not sexually active and had never been, but they wanted me on the Pill anyway or else they wouldn't give it to me, and that bugged me), plus the way they do it now can make it difficult for women without internet access to use Accutane, with bothers me on some level.

But it *IS* a VERY serious drug, and while I loved what it did for me, I would not do it again now, for personal reasons.

And, Erica, just so you know, EVERY drug you take is processed through your liver ... so any side effect, be it mental or physical, has nothing to do with the whole "liver" process.

Just my $0.02. Sorry to be so off-topic!

Caitlin

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2005
Thu, 06-21-2007 - 11:51am

And, Erica, just so you know, EVERY drug you take is processed through your liver ... so any side effect, be it mental or physical, has nothing to do with the whole "liver" process.


I understand that. My point in saying that was

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 06-21-2007 - 5:19pm

I apologize if my message offended you somehow, I merely meant that the "liver" analysis was inaccurate, although you are correct, there have not been any studies showing a firm definitive relationship between Accutane and depression. However, I would imagine a big part of the reason that the FDA warns that Accutane may cause depression is because it is commonly used in teenagers, whose developing brains and bodies might be more prone to react to such powerful drugs that way. Also, those of us who have suffered from severe acne for years might be more prone to depressive thinking anyway. That is just my postulation, however.

I did not suffer from depression while on Accutane; however, 5 years later I am now clinically depressed. I do not consider there to be a correlation; however I would not wish depression on anyone, it is the worst feeling I've ever felt in the world. That's the only reason I bring it up.

Caitlin