Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious side effects from oral contraceptives, including heart attacks, blood clots, and strokes. This risk is higher for women over 35 years old and heavy smokers (15 or more cigarettes per day). If you take oral contraceptives, you should not smoke.

How to use Alesse

Alesse can be taken with food or immediately after a meal to prevent stomach upset.

Try to take alesse at the same time each day, this will get you into a routine for taking the pill.

Use a supplemental form of birth control during the first week of taking alesse since it takes a while to be effective.

Follow your doctors directions exactly if alesse is being taken as a morning after pill.

Side effects

Alesse may cause dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, stomach upset, bloating, or nausea. If these side effects persist or worsen, contact your doctor. Notify your doctor if you experience: severe depression, groin or calf pain, sudden severe headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, lumps in the breast, weakness or tingling in the arms or legs, yellowing of the eyes or skin. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Precautions

Before taking alesse, tell your doctor your entire medical history, including family medical history, especially: asthma, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver heart disease, stroke, history of jaundice (yellowing skin/eyes) or high blood pressure during pregnancy, excessive weight gain or fluid retention during menstrual cycle, blood clots, heart attack, seizures, migraine headaches, breast cancer, high blood level of cholesterol or lipids (fats), diabetes, depression.

Depending on strength, alesse may cause a patchy, darkening of the skin on the face (melasma). Higher strengths are more likely to cause melasma. Sunlight may intensify this darkening and you may need to avoid prolonged sun exposure and sunlamps. Consult your doctor regarding use of sunscreens and protective clothing.

It may take a long time for you to become pregnant after you stop taking birth control pills.

Do not smoke cigarettes. Birth-control pills slightly increase your risk of strokes, blood clots, high blood pressure, heart attacks, gallbladder disease, vision problems, and liver tumors. Cigarette smoking (especially 15 or more cigarettes daily) and age (women older than 35/smokers or 40/nonsmokers years of age) further increase the risk of stroke, blood clots, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Consult your doctor for any questions, including possible use in nonsmokers over 40 years of age.

If you are near-sighted or wear contact lenses, you may develop vision problems while taking alesse. Also, your tolerance of contact lenses may decrease. Contact your eye doctor if these problems occur.

Before having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor that you take birth control pills.

Alesse must not be used during pregnancy. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, inform your doctor immediately. Alesse passes into breast milk. This may affect milk production and may have harmful effects on a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Drug Interactions

Tell your doctor what prescription and nonprescription drugs you are taking. Drugs that may decrease the effectiveness of the pill include: griseofulvin, many antibiotics (e.g., penicillins, macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfas, cephalosporins), chloramphenicol, many seizure medications (e.g., phenytoin, barbiturates, primidone, carbamazepine), dapsone, rifamycins (e.g., rifampin), modafinil, nevirapine, nelfinavir, ritonavir, St John s wort, troglitazone.
Ask your doctor if you should use additional birth control methods while taking any of the drugs mentioned above while taking birth control pills. Also tell your doctor if you use: thyroid hormone drugs, certain benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam, chlordiazepoxide), prednisone-like drugs, certain antidepressants (e.g., tricyclics), beta-blockers (e.g., metoprolol), blood thinners (anticoagulants such as warfarin), insulin. This product can affect the results of certain lab tests (e.g., thyroid). Inform all laboratory personnel that you use this drug. Birth control pills may significantly intensify the effects of alcohol. Consult your doctor or pharmacist about this. Do not start or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval.

Overdose

If an alesse overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. Symptoms of an alesse overdose may include nausea and vomiting. Females may experience vaginal bleeding.

Missed Dose

Refer to the product package information that is supplied with alesse for advice on missed doses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Alesse Storage

Alesse should be stored at room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (between 15 and 30 degrees C) away from moisture and sunlight. Do not store in the bathroom.

Keep alesse out of reach of children.

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