weight gain and birth control

stephalvarez5

Hello everyone!

I just recently started getting depo-provera (the depo shot) as a form of contraception. I've read many different conflicting studies on its effects on weight loss/gain. Something they all state is that it effects fluid retention, which could explain the weight gain. I was wondering what I could do to prevent this from happening. I know the best way to get rid of water retention is to... drink more water so that your body releases more water, is there any other way or any medications out there to help with this situation? I also read, that it "regulates" the way your body stores fat for energy, which can explain some other effects but it didn't go into detail about that fact. Does anyone know any further information about this?

It seemed that most the hormonal birth control methods offered all had a side effect of weight gain/loss, and I'm very forgetful when it comes to taking the pill everyday, the patch is another horror story, and i'm not exactly comfortable with IUD's or the ring etc. so I decided to try something new which is why I got depo-provera. Abstinence is not really an option with me, especially if you work out as much as i do, it really kicks you into physical gear. *wink wink*

Anyway, I asked my dr. about "why it is women gain weight when taking hormonal birth control" and she simply said, "it's the horomones"... maybe i should switch dr.'s. Anyway, I just wanted to know your experiences with weight gain/loss with Depo-provera and any other forms of hormonal birth control.

Much appreciated.
.Stephanie. Alvarez.

Iceprincessk25

I've taken ALL KINDS of pills.

ortho tricyc Lo - somewhat ok
Seasonale - LOTS OF WEIGHT GAIN
Triphasil - Loved it
YAZ - pretty good.

I'm on the Yaz now and it prevents bloating so that's nice.

I've heard horror stories of weightgain on depo so I stear clear. I have no problem taking the pill every night right before I go to bed so that's not an issue.

stephalvarez5

interesting... thank you for your reply.

i don't exactly lead a formulated lifestyle so it's hard for me to remember to take the pill at a certain time a day. my sleep is real skrewy so i never know if i'm going to be awake or not during the "designated hour for medication". I wish I had a lifestyle like that though, its just not possible for me right now.

anyway, again thank you for your input, i now feel worse about my decision. hahahaha. i'm being sarcastic.

.s.

BrendaLee

I've taken ALL KINDS of pills.

ortho tricyc Lo - somewhat ok
Seasonale - LOTS OF WEIGHT GAIN
Triphasil - Loved it
YAZ - pretty good.

I'm on the Yaz now and it prevents bloating so that's nice.

I've heard horror stories of weightgain on depo so I stear clear. I have no problem taking the pill every night right before I go to bed so that's not an issue.

I wanted to try Yaz because it has the added benefit of keeping your skin clear, but I heard so many horror stories about blood clots that I was afraid to try it.

twilight1542

I've been on Depo about 8 years now & was also warned about "weight gain" However I have no reason to believe that my weight is a product of anything other than food & drink choices...For the first couple years on it I had the same lifestyle I had had for a couple years & my weight stayed the same. It was only when my career became more sedentary that I gained more weight! Also, it's nice to not have to worry about that TOM interferring with me being able to workout daily since I used to have pretty bad cramps. But that's just me & everyone's bodies are different

stephalvarez5

I would like to research this subject more. I'm sure a number of people happened to gain/lose weight during the time they were on the pill or the shot because what woman's weight doesn't fluctuate?, but what I would like to know is how these women ate and how much they exercised and if that had any affect.

Researchers and studies show a certain statistic on this topic, but like mentioned before, everyones bodies are different. I wonder what the difference in weight gain/loss is between a sedentary lifestyle woman who doesn't eat very well than a woman who eats and lives in a healthy manner. They say regular exercise and diet can help with this issue, i guess I'll have to give it time and see where i end up. I worked so darn hard to get at my target weight too...*guh*

.stephanie.