Questions for women on birth control pills

stepgonz

Okay here is a question for all the women who are on birth control. I was on the depo for almost 12 years, never had any problem with gaining weight. In fact I lost weight. I switched to the pill this because I have been wanting to get off the depo because I have heard it is very bad for you. Well anyways I feel horrible on the pill. Im so bloated and have gained 5 pounds in just a week. Nothing seems to be helping with the bloating. How in the world am I supposed to keep motivated and is it even possible to lose weight while on the pill. I was on the pill for a couple of months years ago I remember gaining weight but I cant remember how bad it was since it was so long ago. HELP

katoriyukai

First, you should know that your experiences now might not be representative of what it will be. For the first two to three months, your body will be adjusting to the new hormones you are putting in it. You'll notice a lot of weird things like weight changes, skin changes, even sometimes vision changes such as inability to wear contacts and light sensitivity. The majority of the time, these symptoms will either go away or level out to a manageable level. If after three months you are still having weight gain or other symptoms you can't accept, go back to your doctor. There are many other birth control options even while staying on a pill.
Second, it is possible to lose weight on any medication that makes you gain it. The majority of the time, medications don't actually cause you to gain weight, hold on to fat, or anything like that. They usually either increase your appetite or make you want foods that aren't as good for you. If you control those habits and exercise, you will be able to lose weight.
Third, I JUST had this conversation with my doctor. Breast cancer and ovarian cancer run really heavily in my family. I asked my doctor what I should do about that as getting off birth control isn't really an option, and whether a certain type of birth control is less dangerous than the others. She said that they all have pretty much the same risks, which are low risk factors. Birth control may slightly contribute to the risks, but she said that if you're going to get it, you will, if you aren't, you won't and birth control isn't likely to change it that much. There are VERY slight decreases in risk with certain birth controls, for instance one with the minimum amount of hormones, but even that change doesn't really matter in the scheme of things. If you're happy with the depo, I'd say to stick with it. After you talk with your doctor, of course, and verify what she/he thinks. Your case may be different than mine. I wish you luck in what ever you decide.

stepgonz

yea i guess im just going to have to wait it out and see what happens. I just get discouraged when all progress I have been making stops.

katoriyukai

That's really understandable. It sucks, but at least you know since you've done it before that you can do it again.

med2017

what type of birth control are you on now? beyaz and yaz are pills which have drospirenone instead of the regular progesterone based pill, they have a diuretic which allows for the water weight to be excreted in urine, instead of bulking up the body, so if your worried it would be better to do on something like that. any type of synthetic drug has its pros and cons, if you are worried about your health talk to your health care provider to maybe switch you to a pill that has a lower amounts of hormones
if possible it would be better to get of the hormones and go for an copper IUD, much more healthier and effective. bc is a funny little pill, it works but the side effects and complications can be really bad.

at least thats what i will be doing this summer, i was on the pill for quite a while.

kpcardwell

I went off Yasmin in November, and it has been a nightmare. I went on the pill 5 years ago without knowing it had a diuretic built into it. Now, I have gone off of it, and my whole body has been a water-retention nightmare because it does not know how to get rid of water on its own anymore.

Yes, birth controls like Yasmin help with water weight (I found out later), but the consequences when you go off are twofold. I also would suggest an IUD as an alternative method.

BflSaberfan

Birth Control does not make you gain weight. The hormones in birth control can increase your appetite - you consume more calories - you gain weight. Its not the pill itself.

I lost 50lbs while on the pill. Drink tons of water to help with the bloating. Give it a while for your body to adjust, if it is still a problem talk to your doctor about it.

med2017

birth control causes water retention, not fat build up, so yes it can increase the weight dramatically. each person has a different body the same birth control wont make someone bloated, while the other person will be. you cannot compare yourself to someone else, because everyone has a different effect on it.

also it does not increase appetite nor does it cause you to want junk food, that is a common misconception, it has nothing to do with the stimulation of satiety center in the brain.

stepgonz

I quit taking the pills. Im sticking with depo and as soon as I did not take the pill I felt 100% better. My body cannot handle the pill. My bloating disappeared within a day. YAYYY Looks like Ill be staying with the depo. I guess it is true that everybody is different and everybody will respond differently to different types of birth control. BYE BYE pills never again.

dixiewhiskey

Everyone is different.. I never gained with BC pills.. I would suggest to anyone to let their OB/GYN or family doctor know ahead of time that you are trying to become more healthy and would like to know bc options that won't make you gain weight. There are some out there that don't