"alesse was the first type of birth control i&#039;ve ever taken and i experienced many negative side effects. when i first started it, i had severe back pain, headaches,  and mood swings. after a week or two these symptoms subsided but i began to feel depressed--this feeling went on for about a month and worsened whenever i drank alcohol. in total, i was on this pill for two cycles before i decided to switch. that being said, everyone is different! if alesse doesn&#039;t work for you, there are probably others that will."