Ladies! I need some opinions!

dangerline

I have a doctors appointment this afternoon to get birth control. Did it make you gain weight? If so, how much? Any suggestions on which kind you recommend? Pill or shot? Any input is greatly appreciated! :] I'm really hoping it won't set me back in getting fit.

felicityjanexo

To be honest, I would get the shot. I tried the pill, and found myself occasionally forgetting it. I have a couple of friends and my sister use the shot and it' much more convenient because you only have to get it every three months! Good luck with whatever form of birth control you choose & also with the pill, I gained about 10 pounds.

McLifterPants

I'm on the ring, I like it because you only have to think about it twice monthly. It didn't make me gain weight.

HamsterNut

I have an implant and love it. No periods in a year so far!

SaundraU

I was on the shot and gained about 20lbs. Dropped the shot and went for a tubal ligation.

saamantha

I took a low-dose BC for 5 years (Alesse), but did not take it for actual BC purposes.
In those 5 years I did not gain weight, however, the pills did make me mighty nauseous. I've stayed away from BC pills/shots/implants etc. for the last 3 years, so I couldn't help with the second part of the Q!

Jennloella

everything I've tried I gained weight with! The shot made me bleed 24/7, and not a drip but a drool. It was miserable. I gave up and had my husband get a vasectomy

Angie_1MR

I was on bcp for 12 years, and went off about a year ago, I have not noticed any difference.

arenkel

Okay... let me share what I think is correct.

The side effects of any particular drug are gathered from a test study-- so, they give birth control drug X to a bunch of women. They may also do a control group. Anyway, they record any and all "unusual" symptoms, and the common and/or dangerous ones make it onto the warning label. So, maybe some the women report weight gain while on drug X. This gain may or may not be related to the drug, but because enough women reported it, it makes it onto the label.

Every OBGYN you talk to will tell you that bc drugs do NOT make you gain weight. Any weight gain from taking them is all because of personal behaviors, not the drug.

There MAY, however, be a small number of women out there whose bodies simply cannot handle the hormones, for whatever reason. If you go with a hormonal form, make sure you talk to your doc if you notice anything weird. (For example, I can't have hormones because they may have caused a stroke or migraine w/ aphasia -- scary stuff, and we're not sure what it was or if my bc was the trigger)


I'm NOT a doctor. ALWAYS talk to medical professionals before making any medical decisions. This is just my two cents, and I hope it helps.

AJ_Pete

To be honest, I would get the shot. I tried the pill, and found myself occasionally forgetting it. I have a couple of friends and my sister use the shot and it' much more convenient because you only have to get it every three months! Good luck with whatever form of birth control you choose & also with the pill, I gained about 10 pounds.

See, I gained weight on the shot. I think an IUD would be best.

tistal

BC made me sick to my stomach all the time. I just got a tubal.

met42485

I personally put on about 20 lbs with the pill within just a few months of going on it [I tried a few different ones over the course of 2 years] and quite honestly the hormones made me crazy. My doctor didn't recommend the shot. Then I went to an IUD and everything got 1000 times better. That's just my experience tho.

marieautumn

you will gain a lot more weight with pregnancy vs birth control. IJS.

avasano

I tried the pills, and gave me awful mood swings, crying and weight gain. I got my husband snipped. Best choice ever.

SassyCalyGirl

I am on Depo-no weight gain. Best form of BC ever!

apriltrainer

I have paraguard. The Non hormonal IUD. I did notice bloating after it was put in...but apart from that no big weight issues. But I do have my period a lot LONGER than before.

evansproudmama

I LOVE the shot!! I’ve been on it for about three years now since my son was 6weeks old, I got pregnant while on the pill so I’m bias anyway initially I gained about 5lbs but if your honest with yourself you’ll see that most likely any weight gain is from lack of eating right and exercising, it is manageable and I've been losing weight with hard work and eating right while on it.. I haven’t had a period in three years and I don’t get cramps or bloating, in fact I don’t often see any PMS symptoms unless I’m late getting my refill shot.. Good luck with whatever you chose oh I need to add you need to make sure to be taking calcium supplements while on the Depo shot hugz.. :flowerforyou:

erin023

I've never had much trouble with anything I've been on and I've used multiple pills as well as the shot.
Currently I'm on Yaz, and it's great. It's also a diuretic so minimal bloating

EnergyYesPlease

Everyone experiences different side effects with all kinds of BC, for instance; I had Mirena (my body HATED it), then most of my friends ended up gaining quite a bit of weight on the Depo shot (so I decided against it), and then I got back on the pill, LOVED IT! I am currently BC free though now, I wanted my body to regulate on its own so now its condom central and I'm ok with that.

Hopefully some of this helps, but I would discuss all your options with your doctor before just choosing one, they can better talk about side effects. Good luck hun! )

nikinyx6

I've been on the injection for 6 years...stayed within 10 lbs, up or down, of my starting weight...bad news is, it's linked to osteoporosis... so make sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D

kristinacottle

I wouldn't get the shot. It's just months of birth control pill hormones thrown into one big shot- my mother had horrible mood swings and weight gain. It sucked living with her when she was on the shot. From personal experience, no, the bc pills didn't make me gain weight or make me any hungrier. I would talk to the dr. you're going to see about the side affects because really, with birth control, it's trial and error. Works differently for everybody.

Runs4CupCakes

its all about your self really, me personlally couldnt remeber to take the pill, the shot i gained 22 pounds in 3 months , the ring came out every time "i got down" with the hubby, so i have a IUD so its just really about your slef and knowing whats gonna work best for you every one is difrenet and talk to your doc to let them help you diecide

arenkel

Okay, I found an article. I was wrong. Turns out, a FEW women will gain weight on bcp, but it's pretty rare.

http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-pills-weight-gain


My apologies if I sounded bigoted/opinionated. I'm just trying to help

bridgett28

I use NuvaRing - you put it in and leave it for 3 weeks, take it out for 1 week and repeat. I haven't found the cravings that I would get when i was on the pill. I have heard that a lot of people gain weight with the shot. I gained weight on the pill but haven't had any weight gain with NuvaRing.

scarlettesong

I've been on birth control for years. First the patch, then the ring, then varying forms of the pill. I'm still on the pill, and I'll say what I tell other people. I can't talk about the early part because I never tracked my weight that closely. But I have been my lightest weight and my heaviest weight while on the pills. It has nothing to do with the pills at all and everything with my diet and exercise.

lobbyart

It depends which pill- I stay far, far away from tri-cyclens... they made me hypo-manic depressive and gain tons of weight.

bethmakesmusic

I have the mirena IUD. I've had it for almost 3 years not and it's been great! No weight gain and no periods! Plus i'm not nauseous like i was when I was on the pill. Just my 2 cents. Good luck!

Cindy873

I gained almost 20 pounds on the shot. Made my hubby get a vasectomy after our last child. )

maroonmango211

I agree that all the research I have done about different BC has led to the same conclusion that it indeed is not responsible on its own for weight gain. Some of the hormones in some can trick the body to feel pregnant or pre-menstrual and for us women this is usually the times where we crave foods and our willpower lacks. I was on the pill for 6 years and had no weight side effects ( I switched between 3 kinds and no weight issues for any) but I did find that sometimes I was more hungry than other times and back then I didn't control my eating like I do now. I was on depo (the shot) for 2 years and recently stopped after knowing how bad it is for my body (still reeling from it, schedules out of wach UGH its horrible). It made me extremely hungry and hormonal for 2 weeks before I was supposed to get my next shot, but again no weight gain and by this time I was trying to control my intake of food.

Anything you put in your body has effects, but the effect of the BC hormones does not make you gain weight, it possibly makes you want to eat more.

JennaM222

Mty dr said anything over a 5 lb weight gain is your own fault, not the pills. And I believe her.

KaydeForce

I'm on the pill and when I started about 10yrs ago it made me gain about 15lbs.
How to prevent it? Just be VERY aware that the hormones (no matter in which form... hormones are hormones... just the amount matters) make you hungry and crave food. If you're aware of it and just be extra careful in your diet I don't think it will be a problem.