Birth Control

DarkFlutter
DarkFlutter Posts: 336 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I know when I began birth control 5 years ago, I immediately gained 20 lbs.
Great side effect huh?

Just went off of it this week...we decided to let nature runs it's course :happy:




Just wondering for others that have done this...does the weight come off easily as it went on with the medication?

Replies

  • mehaffeymk
    mehaffeymk Posts: 154 Member
    bump!

    i take birth control continuously to avoid that pesky period because mine was super painful and heavy, but im not really aware if i gained weight specifically from the pill because it was in college when my weight was fluctuating anyways.
  • leilaphoenix
    leilaphoenix Posts: 839 Member
    i take birth control continuously to avoid that pesky period because mine was super painful and heavy

    Uuummm. Is this not quite dangerous? and unnatural? I hope you are doing this on a Doctor's advice.
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
    i take birth control continuously to avoid that pesky period because mine was super painful and heavy

    Uuummm. Is this not quite dangerous? and unnatural? I hope you are doing this on a Doctor's advice.

    Doctor's hand out BC all the time for women with heavy periods.... it's completely safe. They also hand it out for other things such as acne...
  • KLovesTy
    KLovesTy Posts: 37
    I have never experienced this, but I avoid the typical "gainer" birth controls. I have taken yasmin on/off between kids for over 7 years and had no issues with weight gain or weight loss.
  • pittskaa
    pittskaa Posts: 319 Member
    i wish i could take birth control!!!! i have a blood disorder where if i take birth control, i could have a stroke.
  • Angie__1MR
    Angie__1MR Posts: 388 Member
    I was on BCP for over 10 years, with breaks for two pregnancies. I have been off permanently for a year and a half and have never noticed any difference with weight gain or loss.
  • leilaphoenix
    leilaphoenix Posts: 839 Member
    I mean to take it continuously to stop your periods altogether?
  • AsellusReborn
    AsellusReborn Posts: 1,112 Member
    i take birth control continuously to avoid that pesky period because mine was super painful and heavy

    Uuummm. Is this not quite dangerous? and unnatural? I hope you are doing this on a Doctor's advice.


    ...since BC is prescribed by an MD, how could she not be? :o
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
    I mean to take it continuously to stop your periods altogether?

    There are certain BC's that stop periods all together. Others just lighten it up.

    I don't know that she meant "I take them every hour" when she said continuously. I think she just meant on a regular basis in order to help out her heavy periods.
  • CHN_
    CHN_ Posts: 94 Member
    bump!

    i take birth control continuously to avoid that pesky period because mine was super painful and heavy, but im not really aware if i gained weight specifically from the pill because it was in college when my weight was fluctuating anyways.

    Using BC to skip a period can be done, but should not be done continuously. I've skipped a period more than once, usually because it was not convenient (vacations etc) but never more than once in a row. I had the heavy flows and the pain, but as long as I am on the BC my flow is not heavy anymore (usually barely two-three days of light bleeding) and the pain is manageable with regular over the counter painmeds during the night.
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    I always thought that going off birth control would help me lose weight. WRONG!!! Most women don't lose more than like 5 lbs (if that), and when I go off birth control, I get pregnant. I would much rather have a 5 lb (or even a 20 lb) weight gain than a 60-70 lb weight gain, which is what happens when I get pregnant. :tongue:
  • ilikepandasyay
    ilikepandasyay Posts: 96 Member
    i take birth control continuously to avoid that pesky period because mine was super painful and heavy

    Uuummm. Is this not quite dangerous? and unnatural? I hope you are doing this on a Doctor's advice.

    No, in healthy menstruating individuals/people with some menstruation issues (PCOS, etc)/ almost every person who would normally menstruateit is not at all dangerous. Your body doesn't build up the lining, so it doesn't shed it. That's natural too, happens to you when you're pregnant. You don't build up lining, you don't shed it.

    I have an IUD and I didn't have a period at all for 2 years. Now I get a few days of super light spotting once every month or two. Everything is fine in Vaginaland for me and my multitude of friends who also skip periods.
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    I didn't gain any weight when I went on BC.

    I am pretty happy with Alesse. My skin is always clear & acne free, no menstrual cramps and TOM lasts only 2days.
  • nayers86
    nayers86 Posts: 60
    When I stopped taking birth control the weight came off, but not immediately. It still takes work to lose the weight. Also, if you ever wanted to take birth control without the risk of weight gain, Nuva Ring is wonderful. I've been consistently losing weight even while being on it for 6+ months.
  • ilikepandasyay
    ilikepandasyay Posts: 96 Member
    i wish i could take birth control!!!! i have a blood disorder where if i take birth control, i could have a stroke.

    Have you looked in to IUD's? Some have 0 hormones.
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
    Unfortunately it usually is harder to lose than it was to gain. Super unfair :/
  • thatsnumberwang
    thatsnumberwang Posts: 398 Member
    I mean to take it continuously to stop your periods altogether?

    Yup, perfectly healthy. The idea that we "need" a period is a complete myth -- "periods" on birth control are actually just withdrawal symptoms.
  • ilikepandasyay
    ilikepandasyay Posts: 96 Member
    bump!

    i take birth control continuously to avoid that pesky period because mine was super painful and heavy, but im not really aware if i gained weight specifically from the pill because it was in college when my weight was fluctuating anyways.

    Using BC to skip a period can be done, but should not be done continuously. I've skipped a period more than once, usually because it was not convenient (vacations etc) but never more than once in a row. I had the heavy flows and the pain, but as long as I am on the BC my flow is not heavy anymore (usually barely two-three days of light bleeding) and the pain is manageable with regular over the counter painmeds during the night.

    Medical consensus is that in most people it's fine to skip periods continuously. (each person is different and if your md says you shouldn't then there is a reason)
  • UsaJewels05
    UsaJewels05 Posts: 229 Member
    Everytime that I have started birth control I have gained 30 lbs. All I would do was eat because I was always hungry. I stopped my Birth control around March and I can tell a huge difference in my carvings and hunger levels! I do not eat nearly has much. You still have to work at watching what you eat and exercise to get the weight off, but it is not nearly as hard as it was when I had all the cravings!
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
    When I first started about 15 years ago they put me on the highest level estrogen and the same thing happened and my moods went crazy. I just didn't need that much. Nuvaring did the same thing. I've been on Loestrin for the last 5+ years at least and been fine. Not every BC works for everybody.
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    I mean to take it continuously to stop your periods altogether?

    No, it's perfectly safe, and is becoming very normal for most women. I've had my doctor outright ask me if I wanted her to prescribe my extra refills for the year so that I wouldn't have periods. (I declined, but that's in large part b/c I like a monthly confirmation that my BC is still effective :wink: )
  • amystyran
    amystyran Posts: 84 Member
    stopping taking the pill will probably make you gain at first then suddenly lose it :) but it takes a few months for the pill to be completely out of your system!

    i've been on pretty much every pill they have and the implant, sometimes combined, and it's a ***** to lose weight on it! the doctors are trying to make me go back on the pill with the implant still in but last time i did that i gained like 8lbs 0.0 i'd just say expect to put weight on, but with exercise, you should lose it fast :)


    good luck!
  • auria17
    auria17 Posts: 94 Member
    Hi,

    I was on birth control for most of my teens and early twenties, in Canada it seems almost manditory for Dr. to put us on it as soon as they find out we are sexually active. In a way I realise how important that was, but I know that it changed my body for the worst both inside and out, at such a crucial time in my development as a woman, my mood swings were terrible! maybe they should do a large scale study on tenage girls moods and pill use.

    I was 27 when I got off it for good, went through major changes with my skin as well, re-regulating of hormones. A major side effect for me, that was a hugh bonus was that it makes me a cup size bigger...losing that was a bit hard for me...lol But other than that my body made some amazing adjustments in weight loss without me even counting calories or exercising more.

    Once you have made the full transition back to a regular cycle, try one of the period apps on most of the smart phones. They are free and help you track when you are fertile, so at that time you can be more careful by abstaining or using a barier method, obviously not as nearly as effective as the pill, but seeing how much my body loves to be synthetic hormone free and not thinking it is constantly two months pregnant has felt amazing, and I refuse to go back!
  • kayleec2
    kayleec2 Posts: 14
    Took yaz for 2 years and then another brand for a year, that plus sedentary lifestyle= gained 40 lbs in 3 years. I had no weight problems before starting BC. I've been off since March 2010 and still hard time taking of pounds and have lots of issues with irregular cycles (although they were mildy irregular before starting) even though the doc says my hormones are "regular." Anyway, moral of the story, everybody's bodies are different so I wish you good luck!
  • ilikepandasyay
    ilikepandasyay Posts: 96 Member
    Hi,

    I was on birth control for most of my teens and early twenties, in Canada it seems almost manditory for Dr. to put us on it as soon as they find out we are sexually active. In a way I realise how important that was, but I know that it changed my body for the worst both inside and out, at such a crucial time in my development as a woman, my mood swings were terrible! maybe they should do a large scale study on tenage girls moods and pill use.

    I was 27 when I got off it for good, went through major changes with my skin as well, re-regulating of hormones. A major side effect for me, that was a hugh bonus was that it makes me a cup size bigger...losing that was a bit hard for me...lol But other than that my body made some amazing adjustments in weight loss without me even counting calories or exercising more.

    Once you have made the full transition back to a regular cycle, try one of the period apps on most of the smart phones. They are free and help you track when you are fertile, so at that time you can be more careful by abstaining or using a barier method, obviously not as nearly as effective as the pill, but seeing how much my body loves to be synthetic hormone free and not thinking it is constantly two months pregnant has felt amazing, and I refuse to go back!

    If OP is looking for hormone free, they can also look in to getting a copper IUD which is totally hormone free, is good for 8-10 years, and doesn't require you doing anything at all during the time it is in.
  • macnotes
    macnotes Posts: 210 Member
    I've been off birth control for about 1.5 years and I didn't notice any immediate changes, except maybe emotional and spikes in my hormones. But things evened out for me.

    I would suggest learning about the Fertility Awareness Method, which is a fantastic way to figure out your body and if you've ovulated yet etc. I wish I had known about it much earlier so that I knew about my cycles and could sort them out easier.

    Fertility Friend is also a great app and on-line program for tracking things.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    I mean to take it continuously to stop your periods altogether?

    It's perfectly safe -- I've done it for several years. BC is sold with a "withdrawal week" for marketing purposes: women historically were monitoring their periods to monitor their health. When oral contraceptives were originally developed, women were skeptical of not having their periods. Data since then shows no negative impact of continuous birth control, hence the approvals of Depo-Provera (same drug, injected, disseminates slowly), Mirena (drug on an IUD), Implanon or Norplant (matchstick sized rods, implanted in arm, drug elutes over time).
  • jccst9
    jccst9 Posts: 58 Member
    I've been on 3 types of birth control. The regular old orthotricyclen (sp.?) and the low-estrogen version cause maybe a 3-5 lb. gain immediately but I was able tp drop that. I'm currently on a progestin-only pill that is absolutely AWFUL! In the first 5 weeks of use, I gained 22 LBS! In addition to this unwelcome addition, I get this lovely thing called "breakthrough bleeding" which is heavier than spotting but not quite a full-on period. So what should be 3-5 days is 3-5 consecutive days plus at least 6 random days throughout the month. Fantastic.

    I'm not sure if this is even relevant to your topic anymore. I just know that progestin-only pills are not the way to go if you were looking to switch to put a stop to weight gain associated with birth control.
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
    It is perfectly safe to take continuously as long as you are being monitored by your doctor. Many women have found relief from endometriosis by doing so as well, not to mention that it really isn't that unnatural. Women were designed to have more children more frequently, thus would have fewer menses than the modern day woman does.

    As for the original question, as much as the birth control marketing companies say that it doesn't cause weight gain, I think certain ones will in certain women. Hormone levels are being changed and it's hard to find the right birth control that will work without any side effects. Hopefully your doctor has done hormone testing on you to make sure you are on the best BC that might be workable for your body :)
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