Alesse
Levonorgestrel · Ethinylestradiol
Alesse is a combined birth-control pill containing levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, sold in two tablet strengths and in packs of 21 up to 252 tablets.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.15/0.03mg | 21 tablets | $35.91 | $1.71 |
| 0.15/0.03mg | 63 tablets | $89.46 | $1.42 |
| 0.15/0.03mg | 84 tablets | $110.04 | $1.31 |
| 0.15/0.03mg | 126 tablets | $146.16 | $1.16 |
| 0.15/0.03mg | 189 tablets | $187.11 | $0.99 |
| 0.15/0.03mg | 252 tablets | $229.32 | $0.91 |
| 0.25/0.05mg | 21 tablets | $43.26 | $2.06 |
| 0.25/0.05mg | 63 tablets | $100.17 | $1.59 |
| 0.25/0.05mg | 84 tablets | $120.96 | $1.44 |
| 0.25/0.05mg | 126 tablets | $152.46 | $1.21 |
| 0.25/0.05mg | 189 tablets | $179.55 | $0.95 |
| 0.25/0.05mg | 252 tablets | $209.16 | $0.83 |
- Category
- Women's Health
- Active ingredient
- Levonorgestrel · Ethinylestradiol
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 0.15/0.03/0.25/0.05mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Birth control
- Therapeutic Class
- Oral contraceptive
- Pharmacological Class
- Estrogen/Progestin
- Minor Side Effects
- Headache, Spotting
- Moderate Side Effects
- Nausea, Weight gain
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Pfizer
- Onset Time
- Immediate effect
- Duration
- 24 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature.
- Drug Interactions
- St. John's wort, Various antibiotics
What you will receive
Alesse is the originator brand name, made by Pfizer. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Alesse.
- The same active ingredient (Levonorgestrel / Ethinylestradiol) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
Which Alesse strengths and pack sizes can I order?
Alesse tablets come in 0.15/0.03mg and 0.25/0.05mg, in packs of 21, 63, 84, 126, 189 or 252. This is generic levonorgestrel + ethinyl estradiol, not the original Alesse. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How discreet is Alesse delivery to Hong Kong?
Alesse orders to Hong Kong ship in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing outside about the contents. Pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express on a secure, encrypted payment page, or with Bitcoin or Ethereum. Card details never reach the shop's servers.
What is another name for levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol?
Alesse and Levlen are brand names of levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol, which are also sold as Levest, Microgynon 30 and Rigevidon. Here, levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol can be bought online as generic Alesse, and also as generic Levlen. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does Alesse take to start working?
Protection starts straight away if you take the first tablet on day one of your period. If you start on the first Sunday after bleeding begins instead, use condoms for the first seven days of the pack.
Can I drink alcohol with Alesse?
Alcohol does not stop Alesse working. A heavy night that leaves you vomiting the next morning is a different matter: a tablet that comes back up within a few hours may not be absorbed, and the same goes for a bout of diarrhoea.
Can I take antibiotics with Alesse?
Rifampicin, the tuberculosis antibiotic, is the one to watch: it speeds up how fast the body breaks down the hormones, so use condoms as well while you are on it. Ordinary antibiotic courses for chest, throat or urine infections do not lower the pill's protection, though sickness or diarrhoea during an infection can.
Does Alesse protect against STIs?
No. The pill stops pregnancy and does nothing against HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhoea or any other infection passed on through sex. Condoms are what lower that risk.
Will my periods change on Alesse?
Expect some change. Bleeds often become lighter and shorter, and a little bleeding between periods is common in the first few months before the pattern settles.
About Alesse
A daily pill with two hormones
Alesse is a combined oral contraceptive: levonorgestrel, a progestin, paired with ethinyl estradiol, an oestrogen. Taken every day, the two hormones stop the ovaries releasing an egg, and they thicken the mucus at the cervix so sperm struggle to get through. Combined pills are also used to make heavy or irregular periods easier to manage, and for endometriosis, where tissue like the womb lining grows outside the uterus. Alesse is listed in two tablet strengths, with packs of 21 tablets or a multiple of that, up to 252 for a longer supply.
How to take it
One tablet a day with water, at the same time each day — the pill only works while it is taken regularly. It does not matter whether you take it with food or between meals. Most people start on the first day of a period, or the first Sunday after bleeding begins, and use condoms for the first seven days. Follow the pack in order. Missing a tablet is the commonest reason a pill fails. If you vomit soon after a dose, or have diarrhoea for a day or more, the hormones may not be absorbed properly and the pill can be less reliable that cycle; condoms cover the gap. Keep the blister pack in its box somewhere dry and out of the sun, out of reach of children.
Side effects in the first months
Spotting or light bleeding between periods is common early on, along with nausea, headaches and tender breasts. These tend to settle as your body adjusts. Clots are the serious risk with any combined pill: leg pain or swelling, sudden breathlessness or chest pain, a sudden severe headache, a change in vision, or weakness and numbness on one side need urgent treatment. Smokers and women over 35 carry a higher clot risk.
What can make it less effective
Rifampicin, efavirenz, the epilepsy medicines carbamazepine and phenytoin, and St John's wort all speed up the liver's handling of these hormones, so levels fall and protection can slip. Vomiting and diarrhoea do the same.
Alesse and Levlen
Levlen is the other levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol pill listed here. It is sold under a different brand name and comes in a single strength, where Alesse is listed in two.
Sources
- Levonorgestrel: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Ethinyl Estradiol and Norethindrone (Oral Contraceptives): MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus