Ladies..scared of BIRTH CONTROL!
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The pill doesn't make you gain weight. A calorie surplus does.
This! Taking a pill cannot magically create fat on your body. The BC does not cause fat gain itself.
Does it cause water retention due to hormones? Yes. That will show up on the scale. Is it fat weight, no.
Does it mess with your hormones causing you to feel hungrier than normal? It sure can.
Does it mess with your hormones and sometimes make it where you dont have the energy to workout? I'm sure it can.
Ultimately, taking a pill will not cause you to gain fat.
I've been on Aleese for a while (with my old Pharmacy they gave me Avaine). It has not made any difference in my weight loss... at least no difference that wasn't caused by me.
^^^ this..i also find that most people don't give it long enough for the side effects to wear off. the first 4 months after starting any new BC is going to be rough. your body will soon adjust tho. that said...different strokes for different folks. I like having a shorter regular period, clearer skin, and no babies.0 -
tCondoms are great and no hormones!
Condoms are shown to be 99.7% effective (if worn/used correctly)
That means that assuming NO human error (good luck after that 6th margarita), for every 1000 times you have sex, you run the risk of pregnancy 3 times.
Even considering the probability of conception is around 20% each month when no contraception is used (barring any medical/fertility issues) those are still not odds I want to take on.
P.S. We used condoms. My son is 8 months old and cute as can be.0 -
A lot of my patients are on various forms of birth control. Anecdotally, I'd have to say that very few gain weight with the pill, many do gain with the Depo shot, and perhaps with the implanted form (not as commonly used in this area). I don't know of any who gained with the Mirena (hormone IUD). Basically, it seems to be mostly due to progesterone-only forms of BC. Unfortunately, the women who seem to gain are the ones who have struggled with being overweight for years. The skinny-toothpick girls who need (and often WANT) to gain some weight so they'll have curves almost never do. I have to think there is something going on metabolically in a woman's body that predisposes them to weight gain, and the additional hormone manipulation feeds into that. Just a hunch...
At any rate, you will just have to try it and see how it goes. You might consider a Paragard IUD (copper, no hormones). It's actually more effective at preventing pregnancy, and is very safe.0 -
Thirding the recommendation for Ortho-cyclen. I'm on a cousin, "Ortho-novum", have been for 9+ years. I didn't gain weight when I went on the pill, either.0
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I went on the pill about 6 months ago and was scared to death of weight gain. I am on Lo Loestrin Fe and have had ZERO weight gain and since eating better and working out dropped 6 lbs.0
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I switched to a diaphragm because I became noticeably more bloated on many of the different pills over a 10-year period. And yes, you can stick to your calorie count, but being wildly "hungry" all the time makes one miserable.0
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This is TOTALLY not a popular option, I know, but I feel obliged to throw it out there.
Natural Family Planning - you can get the book. It requires some effort and diligence on your part to track, and it will take some time before you can rely on it as you need to establish your body's patterns BUT it is 100% hormone free - doesn't require any barrier (mood squashing) protection and it really gets you in tune with your body in general!
They say it has the same effectiveness as the pill IF used properly - but that's the same disclaimer as the pill!0 -
Have you thought of switching to something other than the pill?
My youngest daughter (19) and I both have the Mirena IUD. However, it seems to be one of those things that women experience's are either absolutely amazing or complete disasters. Both of us love ours and no weird side effects from them other than no periods which we consider a good thing not a side effect. In fact, that is the only reason I have one, since I had my tubes done right after the birth of my youngest. My ob/gyn decided I should try it as a last resort before doing a hysterectomy to treat very very heavy periods due to a bleeding disorder that I have (ITP).
My eldest daughter (23), uses the Nuvaring. She absolutely loves that because she only has to deal with it once a week and can skip her period if she chooses by continuously using the ring (skipping the week off).
Both are options that keep the hormones "locally", so tend to have less side effects.0 -
I have been on Yaz for a few years and have definitely noticed a weight gain. I am not hungrier and I work out regularly, but I have only gained weight since I've been using it, never losing. So...there's that.0
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never had any weight gain because of them0
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Condoms are great and no hormones!
They can be a great. They should be worn even if you are on BC depending on who you are with.. but I won't get into that.
Just wanted to point out... my sister in law and brother in law used condoms and used them as they should of. They already had two kids but didn't want to go with any permanent solutions at the time. They are now the parents to a baby girl. While the baby is an amazing addition to the family and they wouldn't change a thing... she is proof that condoms are not totally effective. However on the same note, a friend of mine used condoms and the pill... she still got pregnant.
Condoms still are one of the best options for non-hormonal birth control.0 -
There are non-hormonal forms of birth control around. The Fertility Awareness Method is one such form of birth control. It is similar to Natural Family Planning, however during a woman's fertile time you use a barrier method of birth control (such as a condom) instead of abstaining from sex (like in Natural Family Planning). Of course, this is not a method that will work for everyone, but it is an effective form of birth control (and no, it's not the old school "Rhythm Method.") Check out the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" for a more detailed description of this method.0
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Condoms are great and no hormones!
They can be a great. They should be worn even if you are on BC depending on who you are with.. but I won't get into that.
Just wanted to point out... my sister in law and brother in law used condoms and used them as they should of. They already had two kids but didn't want to go with any permanent solutions at the time. They are now the parents to a baby girl. While the baby is an amazing addition to the family and they wouldn't change a thing... she is proof that condoms are not totally effective. However on the same note, a friend of mine used condoms and the pill... she still got pregnant.
Condoms still are one of the best options for non-hormonal birth control.
All methods of birth control can fail when they aren't used properly, including The Pill.0 -
Condoms are great and no hormones!
They can be a great. They should be worn even if you are on BC depending on who you are with.. but I won't get into that.
Just wanted to point out... my sister in law and brother in law used condoms and used them as they should of. They already had two kids but didn't want to go with any permanent solutions at the time. They are now the parents to a baby girl. While the baby is an amazing addition to the family and they wouldn't change a thing... she is proof that condoms are not totally effective. However on the same note, a friend of mine used condoms and the pill... she still got pregnant.
Condoms still are one of the best options for non-hormonal birth control.
All methods of birth control can fail when they aren't used properly, including The Pill.
Correct... which is where the part about the friend, being on the pill, and a kid came into the story.0 -
Yeah I believe you can gain weight at the start but I dont blame it all on the pill. You are eating at a surplus. Just your body reacting to the meds. It should adjust somewhat after a couple of weeks. No excuses for overeating then hehe0
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I haven't noticed any weight gain related to my pills, but I'm switching to an IUD soon.
If you have had issues, you might want to look into a copper IUD or Mirena. They are more expensive (though there are programs that can help you get it free or cheap; depending on your state, income, insurance, etc). Copper IUDs have no hormones, but can lead to nastier and longer periods. Mirena has hormones in it but they are localized to the relevant areas, and from what I understand Mirena has the added benefit of making you extra fertile for a month or two after you have it removed when you're ready for kids because, as the lady at Planned Parenthood told me it "saves your good eggs".
Of course, any medical decision you make should be guided by a doctor, not by some potentially crazy stranger on the internet, but it's worth looking into I think. : )0 -
I've had the Mirena ever since my daughter was 2 months old (Jan '10). I've never had any problems with it as far as weight goes, but I would still like to get off of it and replace it with a non-hormonal contraceptive.
One particular BC that I've been reading up on is the ParaGard. It's like the Mirena in the sense that it's an IUD, but it does not release any hormones and contains copper, which some studies show helps to improve pregnancy prevention.0 -
Have you thought about non-hormonal alternatives? Personally, I'm using copper IUD. Have it for 5 years now. No issues, easier to use, and more effective than the pill. Also if you really want to go to the "birth control pill" route, why don't you experiment on using other brand or type than the one you used before. Other posters are right. The pill doesn't make you gain weight. It makes you more hungry which causes you to gain weight. So theoretically, if you just keep eating like you do now despite the "hunger pangs" you would not gain weight. Although in reality that's easier said than done. Plus, why would anyone want to be hungry all the time if they have another option. I will definitely consult your physician for advice on other options or other brands.0
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If you notice "negative" side effects, like weight gain, then talk to your doctor about switching to another pill. You do not have to gain weight.
I'd recommend Ortho. I had a different pill than that and I had NO libido and no weight gain. What do you want to have?0 -
Condoms are great and no hormones!
They can be a great. They should be worn even if you are on BC depending on who you are with.. but I won't get into that.
Just wanted to point out... my sister in law and brother in law used condoms and used them as they should of. They already had two kids but didn't want to go with any permanent solutions at the time. They are now the parents to a baby girl. While the baby is an amazing addition to the family and they wouldn't change a thing... she is proof that condoms are not totally effective. However on the same note, a friend of mine used condoms and the pill... she still got pregnant.
Condoms still are one of the best options for non-hormonal birth control.
All methods of birth control can fail when they aren't used properly, including The Pill.
All forms of birth control can fail EVEN if used PROPERLY. Although definitely less likely than if not used correctly0 -
In all honesty, of all the side effects that come from hormonal birth control, weight gain should be the least of your worries.0
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I agree with this, This is what we are doing now. I LOVE being off of the pill. But I'd recommend being married or in a relationship where you are really OK with having a baby-just in case. We have been successful at not getting pregnant.This is TOTALLY not a popular option, I know, but I feel obliged to throw it out there.
Natural Family Planning - you can get the book. It requires some effort and diligence on your part to track, and it will take some time before you can rely on it as you need to establish your body's patterns BUT it is 100% hormone free - doesn't require any barrier (mood squashing) protection and it really gets you in tune with your body in general!
They say it has the same effectiveness as the pill IF used properly - but that's the same disclaimer as the pill!0 -
When i went on birth control my eating habits were crazy outa control..... BC + depression = MFP....0
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What time of day do you take it?0
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I think a lot of folks "over medicate" when it comes to the pill. I was on YAZ for a couple years b/c my Doc was going on about how awesome it was with moods, pms, etc...the problem was I didn't need that strong (high hormone) BC. I lost my libido but didn't gain weight. I had the same problems with long term BC (Mirena, Depo) b/c the hormones were too high and irregular...I did gain weight on those.
I finally told the Doc I wanted the lowest possible BC out there and doing great! I might get a pimple or two during TOM, maybe a cramp...but I feel normal and still losing weight.0 -
I had a tubal ligation (OMG! BEST THING EVER!! lol), so I'm not currently using another method of birth control, but when I took hormonal birth control (pill, various types), I did not notice any weight gain. I was on the pill for about 10-12 years total. After that we used condoms, which worked for us during the 5 years between pregnancies.
ETA: I would not advise using natural family planning unless you are okay with a pregnancy. There are a lot of variables and you have to be quite consistent and be able to read all of the variables correctly. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but I think it is best used by couples in a committed relationship where a surprise pregnancy wouldn't be the end of the world.0 -
Different things work for different people. I have been on a pill that made me really hungry and moody and crampy and basically it was like I was pregnant. Other pills have been fine for me- Portia in particular worked well.
Now I have the Implanon and I'm having my periods rather frequently but other than that, no problems.
For years doctors have poo-pooed claims of significant weight gain while on birth control, then I remember finding a quote someone found from someone doing a study on it. That there was weight gain but it wasn't significant because it was only 5-10 lbs.
UM HELLO THAT IS SIGNIFICANT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
Anecdotally I know a lot of people that gained weight on while on depo. It probably isn't JUST the BCs fault, but if you think it's contributing then by all means try something else.
I'm not knocking NFP, my sister has used it with a lot of success both to prevent and to conceive. I personally do not have that kind of willpower and know my drive goes way up when I'm ovulating and I don't trust myself that much. Throw in a dash of the baby rabies and that's why I went with the implant.0 -
What is the opposition to the copper IUD?? Yes, some women have heavier periods, but isn't that better than the hormones?0
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IUD - ParaGuard.
No hormones = no weight gain, no mood swings, no remembering pills/condoms, last 10 years.
I have had mine since March 2012 and I love it.0 -
I got liver tumors from a contraceptive pill. It's a rare side effect with any artificial hormone. I now had a copper IUD. No hormones, first 3/4 mi the periods were heavier, but it's been fine since. I'd consider that if I were you. You also don't have to worry about contraception for 5/10 years. Of course there's risks with anything, but knowing what I know now. I'd rather not be pumped full of hormones.
Zara0
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