Oral birth control and hunger/cravings

oat_bran

So I'm starting to suspect that the periods of extreme hunger/cravings that I've been struggling with for several years might have something to do with my BC after all. I've been on Jaz (a combo pill with 24 active and 4 inactive pills) for about 5 years. I know that Jaz is one of those pills that is prescribed to treat/weaken PMS symptoms. I didn't start taking it because of PMS and I don't remember if I had cycle-related cravings before I started taking it. I have a history of ED so my eating habits were too chaotic to notice any patterns related to my cycle.

Nowadays I also have a hard time noticing any patterns in terms of particular days of the cycle, but a couple of weeks for example, I had withdrawal bleeding all of a sudden (while taking active pills) and this is when a 3 day period of intense hunger and cravings started. I was thinking maybe something interfered with the absorption of the pill which lead to a drop in hormones hence the hunger? And this morning I took the pills 4 hours later than I usually take it and bam, I've been having feeling super hungry all day. I know that studies disprove the idea that BC makes you gain weight. But from what I understand PMS-related cravings are related to a drop in estrogen, so I was thinking maybe taking a pill later than usually, for example, can cause a similar drop?

Has anyone experienced anything similar? (can you please specify the name or at least the type of the pill you are referring to in your reply, if possible)

ISweat4This

I've used various forms of bc (depo, nuvaring, pills) for years and did not experience any cravings. I've been on Yaz for a year now, no side effects.

jefamer2017

BC doesn't cause weight gain exactly, intense hunger from the hormones causes excessive eating. Depo makes me so hungry.

indiacaitlin

I was on Microgynon for a while which I think might be a similar pill, and it made me feel horrendous and also SO hungry. I literally did not stop eating on that thing. I know I was in control of what went in my mouth but I was craving food so intensely. I've tried many different birth control pills and just over a year ago stopped taking any all together as I don't get on with them.

FitGamerSmoak

I have no issues with mine I’m on Lo Estrin FE. If it causes you to be hungry take it at night before bed.

oat_bran

indiacaitlin wrote: »

I was on Microgynon for a while which I think might be a similar pill, and it made me feel horrendous and also SO hungry. I literally did not stop eating on that thing. I know I was in control of what went in my mouth but I was craving food so intensely. I've tried many different birth control pills and just over a year ago stopped taking any all together as I don't get on with them.

What you describe about craving food intensely sounds a lot lie the periods of overpowering cravings that I was talking about. Honestly, for me they are sometimes so intense that I almost feel like I have no control. It's almost all I think about all day long. Then when it passes I feel fine and no longer struggle with staying under my deficit.

I looked up Microgynon and it has a bigger dose of progesterone in relation to that of estrogen. In a normal cycle it the rise in progesterone and drop in estrogen that causes PMS-related cravings. So this could explain why this pill made you hungry. Not sure about other pills that you've tried. Jaz on the other hand has a high dose of estrogen and a low dose of progesterone. So technically it is supposed to keep hormone related cravings at bay all month. And like I said for me these are just 3-4 day periods every few weeks where I get these cravings, so I'm not sure that the pill in itself causes it but rather the incorrect use of the pill? I'm not sure.

JaxxieKat

I used hormonal birth control for one cycle (Nuvaring). My eating went totally off the rails and I gained 8lbs. Granted, about half of that was water weight and I shed that quickly, but the other 4lbs I've been working hard the past 2 months to lose.

I found that the birth control didn't so much increase my cravings, but it made me extremely nauseated if I didn't have some food in my belly, so I was eating all the time.

My doctor ended up taking me off of it, because I have the strain of HPV that can cause cervical cancer, and certain hormonal contraceptives make it difficult for the body to fight the virus off. She said if next year's PAP comes back clear I could go back on it, but Iikely won't. I was only using it to slow down my periods.

oat_bran

Bump

oat_bran

I don't want to start a new topic, but would love to hear from more people.

There are days where I am really considering going off the pill just to see if this could be causing me to have an increased appetite but I am also really afraid of rebound acne and the rerun of super painful periods. So I would like to weigh the chances before I do so.

pinuplove

oat_bran wrote: »

I don't want to start a new topic, but would love to hear from more people.

There are days where I am really considering going off the pill just to see if this could be causing me to have an increased appetite but I am also really afraid of rebound acne and the rerun of super painful periods. So I would like to weigh the chances before I do so.

Sorry, I'm not much help but I'll try to keep your topic bumped Hormonal BCP gave me migraines and is associated with a higher risk of blood clots, especially for someone like me with a strong family history so I stopped taking them in my mid-20s (enter baby #2 )

Maybe talk to your healthcare provider about trying a different type? You seem well-versed in the various options. If it's any consolation, my hormonal acne cleared itself up by my late 20s and I've been fairly regular since then after crazy cycles in my teens and early 20s while not on BCP. I never had a lot of pain associated with my cycles, though (just the normal discomfort). Good luck!

apullum

I was on the pill for many years until I switched to an IUD. I did not experience what you describe. However, I'm confused as to why you're so interested in having other people on the internet validate your experience. Your experience is valid for you, regardless of whether anyone else had the same experience or not. What happens when you go off that pill will probably not be the same as what happened to other people when they went off that pill or other pills. If you aren't happy with the way your birth control makes you feel, then talk to your doctor and switch to something else. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of options--not just countless pills, but other hormonal and non-hormonal methods too. You don't have to stick with something you don't like.

fitoverfortymom

I couldn't ever take BCP with great success--too many headaches. I do have an IUD that gives me hella cravings one week a month. I've contemplated having it removed to see if they go away, but also I LOVE not having a period.

Crafty_camper123

@oat_bran It could be as simple as changing the brands and types of artificial estrogen/progesterone.

My (kind of TMI) personal expirience:

The patch turned me into a cry baby. Seriously. If a customer yelled at me, or I got a minor correction at work, my husband got a tiny bit cross with me, I was bawling. It was worse on week 3 right before my "off" or "period" week. At that point I thought I was just sensitive. I had been experiencing this for so long I thought it was just who I was. The girl who cried all the time. But, since It was affecting my sex drive, I began googling and doing research into different types of hormonal BC pills. I found that the patch is one with the HIGHEST levels of estrogen out there & that could be affecting my sex drive. I looked into pills with lower estrogen levels and ones that were more androgynous. Basically ones that allowed my natural testosterone levels to break through, thus bringing my drive to where I felt it should be. I got on a generic version of Junel Fe. After a couple of months of being on the new pill I realized I wasn't crying at the drop of the hat anymore. If I was frustrated, annoyed or upset.. I was that without all the waterworks and blubbering. I had no idea the patch was making me feel so crazy. Until it wasn't. Now I'm on Lo LoEstrin Fe (24) , which is the lowest hormone one on the market. It's basically a mini combination pill. And I get a steady stream of hormone all but 2 days of the month. Which for me means no crazy hormonal fluctuations. So no random mood swings, no PMS, and also no periods.. I do break out more though, But, since I am a sane, rational person that doesn't cry because her boss told her she did something minor wrong, I'm taking my pimples and running! Also I don't get crazy carb cravings like I did on the patch. Actually switching to the one I'm one now where I take pills for 26 out of 28 days, I don't get any hormonal fluctuations like I did even on the same hormone but for 21 days with 7 day break. Since it's so even, any food cravings I get I can be pretty certain are mental for me and not hormone related. I also have not had to tell a single person "Sorry if I snap at you, I'm really irritable today for some reason". for 3 years now...

TL/DR: Google different types of hormonal BC if you are afraid of getting off the pill entirely. Even though they are all based on Estrogen/Progesterone combinations, they are all made a bit differently. They either have different chemicals making the synthetic hormones, or they have different dosages. They will all effect everyone differently. And since hormones most certainly affect cravings, it would be worth looking into.

Sabine_Stroehm

The pill (and Mirena) always increased my hunger and cravings. If I understand the mechanism of them, I guess it makes sense.

Sabine_Stroehm

Crafty_camper123 wrote: »

@oat_bran It could be as simple as changing the brands and types of artificial estrogen/progesterone.


TL/DR: Google different types of hormonal BC if you are afraid of getting off the pill entirely. Even though they are all based on Estrogen/Progesterone combinations, they are all made a bit differently. They either have different chemicals making the synthetic hormones, or they have different dosages. They will all effect everyone differently. And since hormones most certainly affect cravings, it would be worth looking into.

Even the brand versus generic. I've been on bio-identical HRT for a while now, but a few months ago started having significant side effects. So much so I considered stopping. I did some research, and realized that my side effects corresponded to when my insurance company/pharmacy changed from one generic brand of prometrium to another. They *should* have been basically identical, but not in my body. In working with the pharmacist, we found another generic and I'm back to normal!