gain weight after going off birth control/yasmin?

stephaniepaigegreenwood

Hi there!

I'm a 20 year old female and I've been on yasmin for about 6 years (I used to have debilitating cramps and nothing else would help). Recently I've heard that yasmin is really bad for you and I've only now realized that my moodiness/anxiety/lack of sex drive could be caused by it. I've also developed heart palpitations that my doctor for some reason insists has nothing to do with the pill. So because of all this I'd like to go off the pill but after almost a year of hard work to lose 10-15 pounds that I gained first year of university I'm really worried that I'll gain it all back like crazy after going off because I've read that this happens!!

Please tell me your experience with going off of birth control while trying to lose weight. I know it's probably best for me to get off but as silly as it sounds the idea of gaing weight, losing hair and getting awful acne/my cramps back is really holding me back.

Please help!!

voyagerintrepid

I had the same problem and was on Yasmin for the same reason. I was also having the same symptoms, anxiety/moodiness/lack of sex drive. (I totally understand your decision to stop taking it.) I really didn't have a problem with gaining any extra weight when I stopped taking it. I found my acne didn't get too much worse either (though I'm about 8 years older). Just a few pimples here and there around my period. The cramps aren't as bad as I remember them being. I still get them but the severity doesn't seem to be as bad.

Do what feels best for you. The most fantastic part was having a sex drive again (my husband was happy). You may want to talk to your doctor about switching to a different birth control option especially if your cramps are still that bad but I didn't have any problems when I stopped taking it. I've been off yasmin for about a year now. Hope that helps!

oh P.S. the other thing I noticed when I stopped taking it was that I wasn't as hungry all the time as I had been before.

stephaniepaigegreenwood

I'm so glad to hear that you didn't have too bad of an experience getting off of it - especially because you started taking it for the same reason. I've been freaking myself out reading all the horror stories online. Did you wean yourself off or just stop going off of it all at once? And how long were you on it? Thanks!

I_Will_End_You

I wouldn't worry about it. It's often the opposite...you gain when you start taking BC pills, and it can become easier to lose when you come off them. Just keep your appetite in check (you may feel a little crazy when you stop taking them...hormones going all nuts) and you should be fine.

aliciaje

I am in the EXACT same boat as you. Went off after 6 years due to horror stories about young healthy women dropping dead from blood clots, also I suspected it was making me borderline manic-depressive.

I went off of it the middle of June. I can tell you the following:

-Skin stayed the same
-I am much more calm and laid-back
-I GAINED 6lbs out of NOWHERE. I haven't increased in size however. I have lost 2 out of the 6lbs now but it makes me really frusturated that it took me so long to lose those 6lbs only to gain them all back in 2weeks. Wondering if it has something to do with hormones/water retention/the universe hating me.

voyagerintrepid

I finished the pack I was on then didn't start the next one. I had been on it since I was 20 so about 7yrs. Honestly I had been on vacation and didn't take any pads or anything with me so I just stuck it out so my period wouldn't ruin my vacation!

chandanista

The majority of my weight came from time off birth control.

Of course, most of it is pregnancy weight. :P

Really though, you shouldn't have an issue after a cycle or so of your body adjusting to its own hormones.

rockinchick221976

When I started taking birth control my doctor siad it would make me GAIN weight, and it did, I gained almost 40lbs. I wasn't on Yaz though I was on Ortho Tricyclin, now they switched me to a progestin only pill, but I'd like to get off them completely to see if it helps with my weight loss, which I'm pretty sure it will. BC pills throw your hormones out of whack, which is what makes you not get pregnant, but it's also what causes the weight gain.

bubblygoldfish

I started taking a non-estrogen pill (progesterin?) about 4 years ago.... it made me gain about 10 pounds that are very difficult to get rid of.

LoreleiEvil

I did. Mostly because I didn't want to throw up constantly anymore so I actually kept food down.