PCOS'ers

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sarah829522
sarah829522 Posts: 139
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi PCOS'ers - I just started taking BC after not being on it for 10 years. This is my 2nd week on the pill. My appetite is out of control! Is this really a side effect or is it just in my mind?

Oh I also started taking spiro along with the BC because the doctor said you must ensure you will not get pregnant while on spiro as it will cause horrible birth defects.

The met I was on about a month before I started taking BC and spiro and it did nothing to my appetite.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Prior to this diagnosis a few months ago, I was only taking a multi-vitamin and fish oil caplets.

Replies

  • Ms_Blondie
    Ms_Blondie Posts: 26 Member
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    When i was diagnosed with pcos and was put on birth control, my appetite did change just a little bit. I think birth control can do that to any person whether they have pcos or not.
  • maygs
    maygs Posts: 63 Member
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    When I took BC I gained crazy weight. I tried BC several times in the past 10 years and every single time I gained at least 15 pounds. I know this isn't what you want to hear but that was my case. I get horrible side effects with BC and have decided along with my dr that my quality of life is way more important. So I am on met (which honestly haven't been taking it continually for a while)
  • katep2492
    katep2492 Posts: 81 Member
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    http://www.webmd.com/community/women-9/pill-weight-gain
    I was just doing some research on this because I was just diagnosed with Pcos and this is what I found
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
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    Ouch! Sorry to hear that you are going through this, Sarah. :frown:

    (I had the same problem when I went on the pill nearly 9 years ago just before I got married; I've tried every sort under the sun - same effect. It made my life miserable - and yes, I was *constantly* in a state of hunger, regardless of how much I ate. I blame the pill for a majority of my health problems over the years, and the worsening of my PCOS symptoms as well! I have been off it now for 5 years, thankfully! )

    You are not imagining the increased appetite or severe cravings! The birth control pill can increase insulin resistance. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but many women with PCOS already have problems with insulin resistance, so the pill added to the mix only intensifies the problem.

    This means your body isn't using the insulin your pancreas is secreting in an efficient way to lower your blood sugar; your pancreas keeps producing insulin, thus causing access insulin in your system. Access insulin means increased hunger... and more fat storage (especially around your mid-section).

    I'm sorry to hear that Metformin didn't help you. How long were you on it? What dose? For me it took a good couple of months before I felt the benefits, and I had to be on a high enough dose in order to feel the effects. My endocrinologist prescribed 2000mg/daily of the time-release Met, called Glumetza. (I was on Metformin before but half that dose, and it did *nothing* for me. It obviously wasn't a high enough dose for me.) It's been over a year, I'm still taking the Glumetza; it's been a wonderful tool for me. I have to say that it has really helped me get my life back -- my hunger is now in control, it's helped slightly lower my testosterone, and I was able to shed over 30lbs. by adding daily exercise and watching my caloric intake (prior to Met, I was not able to lose weight at all, despite a healthy lifestyle). Not advocating it, as everyone is different...but it really helped me.

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