Do Generic and Name Brand BC Pills Have A Difference?

[hollandlop]

Hi. I used to take Alesse last year for about 8 months. While I was on it, my periods were light and only lasted 5 days at most, compared to my heavy 9 day periods before I took Alesse.

Anyways, Planned Parenthood doesn't have Alesse anymore, so now they switched me to Levora, which is supposed to be equivalent to Alesse. I've been on Levora for 2 months now, and my periods are getting a lot heavier than when I was on Alesse.

My question is, aren't they supposed to be the same? But how come my period was light on Alesse and heavy on this brand of pill?

[KDD 26]

AmberCPHT is 100% correct. Alesse and Levora do have the same progestrin, but different doses. I actually learned this yesturday when I was at work (I work in a pharmacy). I noticed that the Ortho Tri-Cycle Lo (that I take) and the Ortho-Tri Cycle both had the same information regarding what is in the pill on the box. I asked my boss and he said that yes they do have the same "ingredients", but the levels of them are different. He showed me on the box where they showed how much is in each and he was right, they were different.

I can tell you that Levora is not the generic if Alesse. Do not let them get away with telling you that it is.

KDD

[katharine81]

Planned Parenthood only has stuff they can get for cheap so they dont have that many different types of pills. They also dont always know what they are talking about there. I have health insurance but my plan doesn't cover any bc pills so I tried to get pills there but decided Id rather just pay full price for YaZ. Sometimes the pills websites have coupons on them. The woman at PPH was trying to give me info about Yaz that I know was completely wrong because my GYNO had told me different. Im not saying PPH is bad but they just don't always know what they are talking about for some reason.

[hollandlop]

Originally Posted by AmberCPHT

I started the Alesse birth control because after a long chat with my OB, she said it sounded like all I needed was an "ultra low-dose" pill. That has taken care of the mood swings, werid acne, and aggression. I only pay 10 dollars for it. I hope you can get some good insurance that will cover what you need!!!

Hi. You'r OB told you that Alesse was ultra low-dose?

That's so weird. I was at Planned Parenthood 2 weeks ago for my annual pap exam and the doctor told me that Alesse is considered high dose because it is an old pill and contains high doses of hormones.

I don't know what to believe now...... so confusing.......

[sillysillysilly]

I tried my first generic brand of bc last month and it was a very bad experience. I've been on ortho-tri, ortho-tri low, and loestrin-24 at different times in the last 6 years and have never had any upsets, not even a change in my period..but oh boy when my doctor put me on trisprintec for a month my body went absolutely haywire, I though I was going to die on Easter, one week after I stopped taking it! I felt fine after the first week of pills, but suddenly had violent nausea. I never have nausea, I am actually an extremely healthy person but once that nausea started it was all down hill, extreme moodiness..cry spells..irritability (related to the 3 levels of hormones in 'tri' sprintec I suppose) dull pains in my hips/lower back, a migraine that lasted for 12 hours and the nausea has yet to stop (5 weeks after that first week on the trisprintec) Needless to say once I was informed that my sickness was due to the pill change (which I never would have suspected considering I have changed many times) I quit them one week shy of the placebo pills. I can't wait to get back on my ortho so my body can regulate itself, I though I'd never feel normal again! May have been an allergic reaction, but be forwarned!!