For the Girls: Birth Control and Weight Loss: HELP!

RunnerFive

I have been thinking about this A LOT and I need some opinions on this before my HEAD EXPLODES! Before I was put on birth control about 3 months ago, I hadn't had my period in more than a year. I was put on Tri-Cyclen, which made my periods come regularly at the end of the month. BUT... I have gained weight (I was about 164, now I'm 177) and I now find it IMPOSSIBLE to loose!

I have switch up my workout routine, and my food is not an issue, and nothing has helped; the scale barely budges. 3 months ago, it did. I'm loosing confidence and I NEED that to loose.

I have four days left on my last pill pack and need to see my doctor again to check my progress. But my question is this: should I stop taking this birth control, hold off till I loose some weight, and then start it again? I'm hoping that when I start loosing, my lady parts will smarten up and work properly.

Has this happened to anyone? HELP!

Razzlebari

I was really stressed about gaining weight with birth control (I just went on it last year), and my doctor totally understood my concerns. She put me on Nuvaring, first, which concentrates the hormones just where you need them (ie: not throughout your body - potentially allowing for weight gain - like the pill). I wasn't a fan of the ring, though, so she put me on a really low dose pill. I haven't gained any weight since I've been on it (and it's been since August), so I'm thinking it's a pretty good option!

Ilovedrinkingtea

I am on the pill, I'm convinced that losing would be easier if I wasn't on it. I need to discuss this with my doctor or something. Grr xx

Lose_It_Leo

It could just be your form of birth control. I gained on the pill, but when I had the implant (Implanon) put in I lost 5kg withut doing anything.

PuggleLover

I have bad problems and have to be on BC all the time. Bad thing is, I build up a tolerance to them in about 2 years so I have to switch up. This means I have been on about 7 different kinds - and there are some that make me gain weight... it has varied from 10 pounds to 40 pounds. After the 40 pound gain, I told him I will not take a pill that makes me gain weight like that. He said that was fine and I could switch, just to let him know. You have to find what works right with your body and if it is making you gain weight, then other things are off too... so I would say talk to your doc about changing pills.

ball858

I gained weight on the Depo injection so I went onto the implant, much better and easier to lose weight on.

rrrainiii

I would say talk to your doctor. There are so many pills with different combinations and levels of hormones. Many women find that they have to screw around with a few different types to find what works best for them. It can take awhile - but I'd bet there is something that would work better for you. If you're taking the pill as a contraceptive and not just a method to get your period, there are also non-hormone ways you could use as birth control. They're probably more costly, but some kinds of IUDs/implants don't have hormones at all. They can make your period go away, though. Talk to your doctor...you're definitely not alone. Good luck!

swisspea

Hi! I tried 4 different birth controls until I found the one that worked for me (I'm on Diane-35, which is a very high dose of hormones and isn't for everyone, but I've been on it for 3 years now, and I love it). I didn't gain any weight while on birth control (although I did go on BC at the same time that I became a vegetarian). I went on birth control for opposite reasons than you: my periods lasted 9 days and were incredibly painful, and I lived with breast tenderness for 2 weeks out of every month, and I also had mild-moderate acne. Even though it was clear that I would benefit from a stronger pill, my doctor started me on a very low-dose birth control, and built up from there to see what fit me best. I tried every pill for 3-6 months before deciding to move on, and my doctor always had the "next step" in mind. My suggestion is that your doctor should have started you on tri-cyclen low or another lower-dose pill before moving you up to tri-cyclen norma (tri-cyclen was the last one I tried before Diane-35).

Birth control is really important to me, and at this stage in my life, I can't see myself living without it, but that's my situation, not yours. I suggest you talk with your doctor, who will probably recommend a different hormone combination, or perhaps one that doesn't have as high of a dose as the last week of tri-cyclen. Try a different one for 3 months and see what happens. You will be able to loose the weight, don't worry (your body thinks you're pregnant after all!).

kateguy1981

Hi from the sounds of it you are on a oestrogen based pill ie 21 day pill which allows you to have a period at the end on the month. There are 28 day pills which you don't have a period on which are progesterone based and less likely to make you gain weight. Not sure which country you are from I'm from the UK where the main ones are cerezette and Jasmin (not sure of the spelling of that one) also there is a coil that you can have which hasnt got any hormones at all with it so that may be a good option. The progesterone based pills are very good because you are less likely to have any adverse effects also ie deep vein thrombosis x

rugbyphreak

i started the birth control pill at 190, two months later, i was at 215... i stayed on the same pill and worked my *kitten* off just to get down to 180. it took months! i hated it! i switched to a different birth control and gained another 10 pounds, but after a lot LOT of work, i got down to 166.

so you CAN lose the weight, but it's going to be super hard. Switching to a different pill, different dose may help. Going off of the pill will make your hormones go whack, but the weight will come off easier.

Tell your doctor exactly what's going on and i'm sure they'll have some suggestions.

RunnerFive

Thanks everyone! I guess I'll talk to my doctor about it. The implant sounds scary! I will ask about another form of birth control.

kaydensmom12

I have the implanon implant and it only takes 1 minute to put in at your doctors office, and only feels like a bruise for a couple of days. It is good for 3 years and is progesterone only. I did the bcp, but love the implanon. Progesterone is an appetite stimulant, which would be the only reason to cause weight gain; although I personally did not have a problem with it. I love it and it has not hindered my weight loss at all. You can't even tell that it is there:)

Meaganandcheese

Weight gain can be a side effect of any pill, but not every pill will do it to you. I have been on several different BCs over the years but only one made me retain water badly (showing as an 8lb gain!). I switched to a different version of the same pull and it went away. Every pill will affect you differently so it sounds like its just time to try something different. Don't stop and start - that can mess with your cycles/hormones really badly, causing more bloat and issues.

Bentley2718

You might try talking to your doctor about trying a different pill, or a different form of contraception--they should be willing and able to work with you on this. I'd also add that a 13 pound weight gain is still better than an unplanned pregnancy in most cases.

grassette

It seems to me that you are taking the pill for reasons that have nothing to do with birth control: i.e. the complete loss of your periods and ovulation cycle. So if the pill is to re-start your ovulation, the prescription has to be specific to that purpose, and not all pills are inter-changeable. Discuss your weight gain with your doctor. If the treatment is short term, it may be worth it to suffer the weight gain to get back on track. Once this goal is reached, I would recommend Natural Family Planning. Science has advanced NFP so that tracking your cycle for fertile and infertile periods is quite exact. Many couples resort to NFP when they want to increase their chances of conceiving. However, many of us are not that fertile. If that is your situation, you don't need to load your body with hormones that increase your risk for all kinds of nasty health complications.

A great book is this one: Taking Charge of your Fertility. Description at the link, but Amazon carries the book too: http://www.ecosex.ca/eco-contraception/taking-charge-of-your-fertility-book.html

"As the book explains, by using simple fertility signs including peaks in morning body temperature and changes in cervical position and cervical mucus, it's possible to determine when ovulation is taking place. Fertility awareness is therefore useful for not only couples who are trying to conceive, but for those who are aiming to avoid pregnancy without the use of chemical contraceptives. It will be of special interest to those women who have suffered from infertility. It also features thorough, easy-to-understand explanations of hormones, the menstrual cycle, and menopause, along with fertility tests and treatments and their long- and short-term side effects, plus a topnotch resource section. Recommended for any woman who wants to better understand her body.

"What makes it ecosexy?
• No synthetic hormones or other chemicals
• Inspires body literacy and empowers women to manage their own reproductive health
• Books are great for sharing!"

Sharonks

Most def talk to your dr. My step daughter just had a mirena iud put in because of massive weight gain from depo. Hopefully it will help her lose the 100 lbs she gained since she started the shot (I believe some of it is lifestyle but a lot is hormones).

If you are taking the pill due to other problems besides BC then you might just have to live with it for a while but still bring it up to the dr. because maybe there is a different pill you can try.

autumnk921

I am on the shot every 3 mths...The Depo & most people gain on it but luckily I don't...Thank goodness but I spoke with my doctor about the reason for people gaining weight on it is b/c of the cravings that you have on it for whatever reason...You just have to fight the cravings...Like salt, chocolate...Mine is chocolate but I try not to keep it around too much but it's hard with a 3 yr old who loves chocolate milk like his mommy..lol

I would think something like a low dose pill b/c it would put less estrogen in your body which I have heard makes it easier to gain...HTH.

ishax24

I gained weight on the Depo injection so I went onto the implant, much better and easier to lose weight on.

THIS!!

I gained massively when I had the injection!! I went back to the doctor, told her I wasn't have anything implanted in me so she gave me the cerazette pill (which is the pill equivalent to the implant).. I'm able to lose the weight I gained much easier on this x

PulchritudinousLady

I tried the Nuvaring & the patch -- both were awful for their respective reasons but I didn't gain weight.

In 2009 I started Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo and immediately started gaining weight. All told, I gained about 15lbs in just 3 or 4 months and NOTHING had changed regarding my diet & exercise. Back in 2010 I used myfooddiary.com and joined a gym but I just continued to GAIN weight. Then I discovered my health, in general, was taking a nose-dive so exercise is difficult. Very depressing.

I quit the bc a few months ago, started MFP, bought an elliptical and am amazed by how quickly I'm shedding the weight. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what the issue was...

storyluv

I have a much different experience. I lost weight being on the pill (albeit I was dieting and exercising). I needed it to regulate my periods and my horrible mood swings. With it, I am much more easy going, less stressed, acne is going away and I don't PMS for 2 weeks and menstruate for two weeks. I'm so much happier on the pill. I use a very low dose. My doctor says my situation is very rare and most woman gain weight and lose all desire. My hormones must be all out of wack! I hope you find the right one for you. If your doctor doesn't give you what you need, try a new doctor. . .

roachhaley

I've heard horror stories about the Depo.

I've always been on some sort of generic birth control pill and did gain weight at the beginning, but I'm almost certain that was because of lifestyle changes and not the pill. I wish I would have been keeping a journal then so I would have a clearer image of what went wrong and caused me to gain 15 pounds.

shbretired

This happened to me in the 70's, discuss it with your doctor, he can easily change your pill to a lower dosage.

shaelataylor

i wouldnt just quit taking it. id talk to your doctor and see if a different pill might work better for you. i have no problems losing on loestrin so maybe its the just specific one you are taking.

Tzippy7

tell your OB what is wrong and ask to try a different pill. There are literally hundreds of hormonal options that can help regulate your periods.