Ladies: Implanon and weight gain.

InnerFatGirl

Just wondering if anybody else has experiences with this? I thought it was just me slipping into bad habits again and being weak. It kept playing on my mind and I had a look at my little card.

I got the implant inserted in November. In that same month, I gained and gained, and have continued, to gain until I am where I am now - almost half of the weight I lost gained back.

Now, I'm not sitting here and claiming that it made my body absorb more calories or anything stupid like that, but my appetite has been out of control! I am constantly hungry, and feel like eating even when I have just eaten or am not hungry! From what I know/have researched about hormonal birth control, it can increase your appetite.

It's just too much of a coincidence, I lost almost 42lbs between March 2012 and November 2012 with no hormonal contraception at all, then as soon as I get it in (literally the same month), I gain and can't seem to control it?!

I'm fed up, I want these hormones OUT of me. I'm getting it removed on Friday.

Any other ladies with these experiences with hormonal BC? A quick Google search tells me it's pretty common, and weight gain is listed as a side effect for most drugs, especially BC.

Thanks and wish me luck!

InnerFatGirl

Bump.

ferrier2010

Yes I am exactly the same - I kept the implant in though simply because I would forget to take the pill etc.

It is due to come out in a couple of months and this time I will be going onto something different, but only because I want to give my body a break from that particular hormone as I have had the implant for the last 6 years (had it replaced after 3).

bernsgb

I wish u best of luck. I am not on BC so i can't imagine how u feel right now. Hope all works out for u. U can do this! u can lose that weight back..

Chassity1987

I had the same issue. I had it in for one year and gained lie crazy. I never thought it was that. I had to remove Implanon because it was causing ovarian cyst. I started loosing weight within 6 weeks of having it out. Now my tubes are tied thankfully I dont have to deal with thatl

dakotababy

Yup, I had the same issue...and then some...with depo. I got the copper IUD and LOVE IT! Hormone free - though it was incredibly painful to get put in.

ElyssaElizabeth

Oh, girl, I hear you.

In some ways, the Implanon has been a total lifesaver. I have PCOS and endometriosis, and so I used to be in near constant pain. I would also have periods that would last 3-4 weeks, so I was weak and anemic as well as in pain. Since I got the Implanon last year, the pain has been so much better. I don't have to take near as much pain medication, I don't have cysts rupturing every couple months, and I haven't had a period in seven months or so. The Pill gave me blood clots and the IUD punctured my uterus (I nearly hemorrhaged to death) so before I saw a doctor who recommended the Implanon, they were talking about doing a hysterectomy (I was only 25!). I am thrilled beyond words that the Implanon is working so I don't need surgery or heavy duty medications.

On the other hand...

Yes, I gained a LOT of weight after they put in the Implanon! And before all the weight gain, I had been told that it would be very difficult for me to gain weight, because of other health problems (short-gut syndrome). Still, I put on over 80 lbs in just a few months after getting the Implanon. I was hungry ALL THE TIME. Ravenously hungry. I would try and try to ignore it, but I would end up gorging in the evening because I was starving. And I wasn't limiting my calories, either! I was so depressed, and it was enough to make me want to get it removed. If I hadn't been in so much pain pre-Implanon, I probably would have.

However, in the last few months, I've made some changes that helped me work with the device. It was a lot of trial and error. Some of it was suggestions from my doctor, some was suggestions from Jillian Michaels, of all people (I hate "The Biggest Loser" with a passion, but I did like her "Master Your Metabolism" book and found it helpful). I'm not a doctor, so I'm not saying that this will definitely work for you, but these are the changes I made that helped me. I still have quite a bit of weight to lose, but I'm about half-way there, 40 lbs lost (give or take), and I'm moving the right direction, slowly. Anyway, here is what helped me:

I eat every 3-4 hours. Even if I'm not terribly hungry at the time. I try to eat my biggest meals earlier in the day, with progressively smaller meals and snacks as the day goes on. If I don't allow my blood sugar to peak and crash, I tend to not eat as much. If I starve myself during the day, I just end up binging at night (or the next day).

I stop eating by 5-6pm. This keeps me from binging at night, my dangerous time, and it also helps me sleep better. It's totally an arbitrary time...I go to bed fairly early, so if you go to bed a lot later, you can move the time up. I've just found that stopping eating 3-4 hours before bed is a good idea.

I eat foods that are high in fiber and protein. I'm a vegan, for ethical reasons, so it's easier for me to have a high-fiber diet, but it's worth trying. Plant-based foods are a lot less calories, usually, than animal products, so you can eat a much greater volume for the same amount of calories, or less. Eating more plant-based foods allows you to fill up without taking in tons of calories.

I don't eat a lot of empty carbs and sugar. This makes your blood sugar peak and crash, which can make cravings and hunger worse. It's not that I NEVER eat processed foods or sweet treats...I find that if you totally forbid something, you'll probably end up craving and craving and then giving in and binging and eating WAY more than if you just had a little every once in a while.

I stopped drinking diet pepsi. I was a total diet pepsi addict, at least 36oz a day. Now, it might just be psudoscience, I'm not sure if it's true or just confirmation bias, but a lot of people say that artificial sweeteners can make your cravings worse and your hunger signals go nuts. Plus, it's just not that good for you. So take this with a grain of salt, I don't know if it actually worked or if it's all in my head, but I knocked off the soda entirely.

I have little snacks with me constantly. I try to keep them healthy and low calorie. But if I get a hunger craving, I've found that it's a lot better to have something small right away than to try and ignore it for hours until I think it's "time" to eat. Putting off eating when my body is screaming for food, again, leads to binging later on and eating way more than I otherwise would have. Along the same lines, I few little candies around (usually those Werther's Originals). If I get a sugar craving, I find it's better to satisfy it immediately with a small, little piece of candy than try and ignore it or put it off until I find myself in front of the freezer at 1am scooping out soy ice cream straight from the carton.


Like I said, I can't say for sure that these will work. You have to experiment and see what your body needs. And it may be that, for you, it's better to have the Implanon removed. But, no, you aren't crazy or weak, the Implanon DOES cause weight gain, so I hope that makes you feel a little better. Good luck!

jemimasmum

Not me. Implanon due for replacement in 3 months time, I'll be 30 pounds lighter.

JoRumbles

I had one put in 3 week ago and have lost 6lb since then.

I had one put in after by baby and I did put weight on....when I started binge eating in the evenings...ooops

NatzC123

not for me, this is my third year on implanon and have lost 39 lbs in the last year. i do find i get alot of cravings but you just have to fight it! my doctor told me the average gain on implanon for most women is only 2 - 5 lbs a year with many women not gaining at all, i guess everyone is different!!

neacail

I've gained weight on two types of hormonal birth control: the pill (Ortho 777, which I took in my late teens) and the shot (depo-provera).

InnerFatGirl

Thank you everyone for the replies!

I got it taken out yesterday and, it might be psychosomatic, but I already feel like my cravings are reduced. I feel so much better with the artificial hormones out of my blood stream!

Expect a thread from me in the next couple months, hoping to be at least 5lbs lighter by the end of this month!

KatieHall77

I didn't have Implanon, but I did have Mirena. Similarly, I suspect it made me gain weight and also really tweaked up my hormones. For some people it doesn't effect them in the same way, but for me and a lot of women the hormones are just not a good match. Several people have stated that it didn't bother them. I am now on Aviene and that bothers other people, but its fine for me. Birth control is very tricky. Unfortunately it's a lot of trial and error as each different body will respond in its own way.

tink36

I'm on my 4th year of Implanon and prior to this I was on Depo-Provera shots for Endo. Depo caused me to gain a bunch of weight. I think I have pretty much maintained since being on Implanon, but it is way tougher to loose weight for sure. And I'm on an anti-depressant too which doesn't make things any easier. But I'm going to try to be better about what I eat but still eat some carbs so I don't have the bad mood swings I have had when trying to go without carbs completely. I know for sure I'm not getting rid of my Implanon because the endo pain is way worse than the weight gain and this seems to be the only thing that works for me.

dellaquilaa

@Tink36 - I know this is about a month after you posted that, but uh...Implanon is only good for 3 years =\ Or did you have a new one put in immediately?