Can we talk birth control ladies ?

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Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I tried various hormonal BC, including Mirena. All were hell for me. Ultimately, we went with condoms/foam, cervical cap, diaphragm, at various times. One advantage to menopause: soon, I won't have to worry about that part!
  • lisalewis7588
    lisalewis7588 Posts: 76 Member
    I was on the birth control pill for years and never had a problem with weight gain. I switched to Mirena IUD about a year ago and it has caused essentially a year-long period with breaks here and there... meaning I am feeling PMSy about 90% of the time. And with PMS comes comfort food cravings & chocolate cravings. So I've gained about 10 pounds in the last year, because I have been eating too much.

    The IUD did not cause the weight gain, but it affected my appetite, so I ate more, so I gained. If I had the willpower to say no to PMS cravings, I could lose the weight, but I'm not sure my husband would want to live with me :expressionless: . I am going to have the IUD removed because of the year-long PMS thing. They said to give it a year, but it's only gotten worse for me. So I'm going back on the pill for now, it seemed to be a better match for my body.
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
    I had the Mirena IUD for a whole 2 weeks. It caused me so much pain I had to have it removed. I managed to gain 3 pounds in that 2 weeks because I was basically constantly eating ice cream and yummy things in hopes of taking my mind off the pain. Didn't work.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I've used the pill, Mirena and depo over the last 30 years.

    Only time I gained weight was when I put too much food in my mouth.

    All BC have a side effect of "weight gain/increased appetite" but if you read how drug tests are done you would understand that any "odd" thing the people experience must be reported and none of them were on a calorie controlled diet atm in a lab esp.

    Does BC cause weight gain? probably but is it real weight or water weight?

    I don't believe that a pill can cause fat to materialize out of nothing...so chances are if you have gained a few pounds it's water weight....if more than 10...you are eating too much.

    I can hardly wait till I get my tubal so done with BC....for no other reason than it's a pain.
  • lesleyloo7879
    lesleyloo7879 Posts: 439 Member
    My better half is fixed.... he has an empty coin purse so I do not worry about it anymore.... the only time I gained weight on bC is when I over ate ....which was quite often
  • xnearlytherebx
    xnearlytherebx Posts: 50 Member
    I think most issues with weight gain on birth control are because the different hormones cause hunger cravings. If you resist them, they should die down!
  • RWayne48
    RWayne48 Posts: 68 Member
    one side effect I had on the pill was increased blood pressure - after going off the pill my bp dropped about 15/7 pts!!
  • cate320
    cate320 Posts: 130 Member
    I am on Levlen, and have been for years. Never had any weight gain, or loss from it. No increases or decreases to appetite either.

    Everyone reacts to hormonal BC differently though, which is why you are getting such conflicting results. Basically, you won't know until you try. But if it's making you gain weight or having any other unpleasant side effects, let your doctor know and they will switch you to a different combination of hormones, or even try non hormonal BC.
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    I lose weight easier on birth control.
  • erzadel
    erzadel Posts: 5 Member
    I was on depo provera and the reason why I started dieting was to avoid weight gain (and to shed those extra pounds of course). I've heard HORROR stories about women gaining up to 100 lbs while on depo. So I've been (slowly) losing weight. Sometimes those cravings get the best of me...
  • koslowkj
    koslowkj Posts: 188 Member
    mita271 wrote: »
    some say : doesn't matter even if you eat in moderation you will GAIN WEIGHT WHILE ON BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

    I'm on birth control. Have been for years. I've lost weight.

    There's nothing absolute about messing with hormone levels. If you feel like birth control is affecting your weight loss, talk to your doctor or whoever prescribed it. There are a lot of different options, and your body will react a little differently to each of them.
  • kristieshannon
    kristieshannon Posts: 160 Member
    I'm on my 2nd Mirena IUD and it is the BEST THING EVER!!! No emotional ups & downs like with the pill, no need to remember to take a pill, NO periods with all the associated cramping and such. My libido is great, and I'm losing weight. I've had zero problems with it, have lots of friends with it who love it too. I'd recommend it to anyone.
  • BeYouTiful94
    BeYouTiful94 Posts: 289 Member
    I'm on an extended cycle pill for cramps and I've noticed my appetite increases, especially in the hour or two after I take it. That's why I moved it to the night. I've lost 16.6 pounds since Jan

    It's an appetite thing. If you can control your eating even with the increased appetite, you won't gain. The only form of birth control scientifically proven to actually cause weight gain is the shot.
  • Hauntinglyfit
    Hauntinglyfit Posts: 5,537 Member
    Alesse 28 had no impact on my weight whatsoever. The only side effects I experienced were headaches, cramps, nausea and bloating which all went away after the first month. The nausea was actually bad enough that first month to make me think that i might have been already pregnant at the time i started the pills.
  • Hell_Flower
    Hell_Flower Posts: 348 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Words cannot express how delighted I am that birth control is no longer an issue as my fiance has had a vasectomy.

    Holla!

    I dont know why vasectomy is not touted as a reliable form of birth control when you're in a stable relationship.

    My husband, at 24, had to go to FOUR different doctors (two in Aus, two in the UK) to refer him on for the snip, as they thought he was too young and would change his mind!...WHAT.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    edited April 2016
    I'm an old lady (47) and no longer on birth control because I have my tubes tied, but back in my 20s when I was on them I didn't have any issues with keeping the weight off. I just simply didn't eat much anyway. My life was more fast paced back then. It's all about keeping your calories in check no matter what medications you are on. If you find that it messes with your weight then maybe you could check with your doctor about using something else. :)
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    Urg that hormonal birth control was a nightmare for me.

    First pill caused by blood pressure to collapse. Fainted in the middle of a match during a fencing competition right when my opponent had scored a point. Poor thing nearly had a heart attack and fencing teacher bared me from access to the training until I could prove I was healthy. Needless to say I quit that one real quick.

    Second pill caused me to have mood swings like crazy. Happy one moment. Depressed the next. eating chocolate to cope. Thankfully I was working out A LOT so no weight gain. Quit it real quick as well.

    Last one I tried made me hungry. Ravenously hungry. Together with an accident that left me unable to do sports for quite a while, I ended up 10kg heavier than before I started. Quit the birth control but kept eating like I was still working out for 2 hours 6 times a week.

    Long story short. I have 40kg to lose. A sliver of that I blame on hormones, the rest on my own stupidity.

  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
    shabaity wrote: »
    I lose weight easier on birth control.

    This is me! I lost weight on depo provera after my first kid, gained it back when off BC even before I was pregnant with #2, lost it on depo again, tried for a 3rd kid and gained it all back (no 3rd kid came along just gained 60 pounds in 2 years). The emotional hormonal waves were too much for me so my doctor gave me the Mirena IUD and I am no longer that hormonal, emotional wreck following the moon's cycle with a variety of snacks. Lol! I don't credit BC with ability to lose weight completely, but keeping my emotions level definitely helps.
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
    I've had my 3rd mirena 6 months only as I hemoraghed so bad it caused me to get sepsis at 5 months pregnant & I lost my baby then continued to hemoraghed this was caused by mirena coil removal after 2== 9 years it's quiet common I needed 11 blood transfusions in 3 months
    So I dont recommend the mirena it slows down my weightloss I retain so much more fluid now this has been verified by my doctor but I'd prob be dead or had a hysterectomy if I didn't have another mirena.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    size102b wrote: »
    I've had my 3rd mirena 6 months only as I hemoraghed so bad it caused me to get sepsis at 5 months pregnant & I lost my baby then continued to hemoraghed this was caused by mirena coil removal after 2== 9 years it's quiet common I needed 11 blood transfusions in 3 months
    So I dont recommend the mirena it slows down my weightloss I retain so much more fluid now this has been verified by my doctor but I'd prob be dead or had a hysterectomy if I didn't have another mirena.

    This makes no sense.

    you had 3 mirena and the 3rd one lasted 6 months because you were pregnant and hemorrhaged

    first off no responsible doctor would insert an IUD in a pregnant woman.
    2nd if you got pregnant while using Mirena you are a rare case and it's very atypical. which you should know if it's your 3rd.

    It doesn't slow down weight loss at all that is not one of the listed side effects either....I had 2 lost most of my weight while using it.
  • shaybee377
    shaybee377 Posts: 42 Member
    I was on the Depo for two years and I loved it. I had no problem losing weight on it; in fact, when I switched doctors a while back and went to get the injection, she said, "I wish I could show you to people who think the Depo causes you to gain weight because you are proof that it doesn't!" :D lol. I also had no horrible side effects that so many people seem to have- my advice is take all the stories with a grain of salt. There are far less people that make an effort to share good/normal results than there are people who want to tell you horror stories.
  • Amerane
    Amerane Posts: 136 Member
    I've been on Depo for just shy of a year now, and it's been a mixed but mostly positive experience. I have had no troubles losing weight on the shot, HOWEVER, I have definitely noticed increased food cravings, especially that week before my period. The cravings slowed down my weight loss (because I was eating closer to maintenance), but now that I've stopped getting my period(WOOHOO) everything seems to be much more stable. I'm not getting food cravings as often/intense, and any mood swings are also now negligible.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    I've been on Loestrin and never had any weight gain problems (that weren't attributed to bad eating choices). But we're all like snowflakes, and the human body is a varied and complex thing.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    The fewer pills I take, the happier my body and I will be. No more pills for me!

    I've reached the point in my life where I'm not dating men who may want children. Grandchildren, maybe, but not children. I no longer take responsibility. If they haven't had the big V, they must buy and use the birth control. Luckily, the one guy I was serious about had already had the big V, so it was cool. :)

    I am sorry but forcing a guy to do this just to have intercourse with them, seems wrong to me on so many levels.

    If women are expected to provide their own birth control (pill, IUD, what have you) it's completely reasonable to expect men to bring condoms if they haven't had a vasectomy. You have the equipment, you bring the protection. It's very simple.

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