Girl question...

princessorchid
princessorchid Posts: 198 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I have a question for the females on this site – if any blokes have found themselves here by accident let me warn you now, talk of periods and contraception is impending, so you have been warned!

I lost a lot of weight a few years ago, and managed to keep it off reasonably easily (I think I gained 5-10lbs, but nothing shocking) after I started being a little less vigilant with my eating. I’d just started seeing my boyfriend back then, and I have to admit there were a few nights when we ate out and had a few glasses of wine – but I let them slide because I wasn’t gaining a lot of weight.

Then I went on the Pill. I’d been on the Pill years ago as a teenager because I spent a summer travelling in some of the more remote parts of Central and South America, and my mum was a bit concerned about the sanitary conditions over there…so it made sense to forgo the periods for 3 months. I was only taking it for about 6 months in total, and I was also 18 and EXTREMELY active, working on farms etc. So I didn’t gain any weight (ah, to be 18 again!), and on top of that it was likely to be a different kind of Pill as I was living in North America at the time.

Well this time, I went on the Pill last summer – I’d been with my partner for coming on half a year. I gained about 14 lbs in a month, and this was with still doing “some” exercise, not eating or drinking more than I had been before. I stayed on the Pill for about 3 months in total, at which point I’d gained about 20 lbs. My doc then suggested I go the female health clinic across town to ask about other options for contraception.

The nurse there was lovely and suggested a hormonal IUD, as there would be less chance of weight gain with this than on the Pill. She also said it would be likely that my periods would not last as long, be lighter, and might stop altogether. HOWEVER, since I’ve had it, my periods have gone from 4 days to 6 or even 7, and I’ve had REALLY bad cramps the few days before, which I’ve never had before.

I spoke to my doc about this and she said she wasn’t sure what the cause was, but it might be because I’d gained quite a bit of weight recently that is causing the cramps and the longer periods.

I’m also finding it very hard to lose the weight. I’ve always ate quite a bit but I’ve never gained weight so fast!

Has anyone else had any experience with the Pill or IUDs and weight gain?

Replies

  • skygoddess86
    skygoddess86 Posts: 487 Member
    Yes. The pill always added 15 pounds to me. The Depo shot made my *kitten* gigantic. And the IUD made me bleed all the time. Good news is at all reversed after discontinuing. I just use condoms now. Sometimes it sucks to be a girl.
  • gjulie
    gjulie Posts: 391
    Hi I found when I went on the pill first I did gain a bit of weight but nothing like you have said.To be honest this doesn't sound right at all,I think you might be wise to go back to your doctor and ask for some bloods and maybe hormone tests to be done,thyroid imbalance can cause weight fluctuation.I'm no expert or anything but I definitely think this should be investigated further and don't just assume you are eating too much!
  • SquidInTraining
    SquidInTraining Posts: 196
    Yes. The pill always added 15 pounds to me. The Depo shot made my *kitten* gigantic. And the IUD made me bleed all the time. Good news is at all reversed after discontinuing. I just use condoms now. Sometimes it sucks to be a girl.

    YEP! Gained some weight with the pill, gained a LOT of weight on the shot, not to mention the havoc wreaked on my hormones by both of those things. My doctors cycled me (no pun intended :laugh: ) through several types of BC, including those that are supposed to be 'low hormone' with the same result. Hubs and I use condoms these days.
  • MOMXFOUR
    MOMXFOUR Posts: 2 Member
    The pill caused me to gain a lot of weight. I got off the pill and had 2 kids (which also caused me to gain a lot of weight...lol). After my third child I got an IUD which actually help me so much with my mood, my weight and eliminated my periods. Had that removed and had child number 4. I had the same kind of IUD put back in this last December. Since then I gained weight, I'm having irregular periods and feeling a bit off. I think anytime we take hormones we are subject to all of these things. I thought my body would respond the same each time but that was not the case. I also have PCOS which doesn't help with the weight. I have the most success with eating a low carb, low calorie diet and working out regularly. It has helped me lose some weight but more importantly my periods have gotten better (pretty much gone) and I think the hormones are leveling out which leaves me feeling better. You might just have to try different things until you find what works for you. Unfortunately doctors have no idea. They use the trial and error also. I think it's because everyone reacts so differently with the pill/IUD etc... Good luck!
  • chocolateandvodka
    chocolateandvodka Posts: 1,850 Member
    Due to issues with my insurance, i wasn't able to see the doc as often as i needed to and wound up staying on the pill for about a year. guess who gained 72lbs in 12 months even though i was actually eating healthier and was MORE active then?
    i'm on Yaz now, losing weight is difficult but not impossible. thinking about switching to an IUD at the advice of my OB/GYN because since i've LOST weight my periods have gone from 5-7 days up to 10-22 days long (no lie) and gotten much much heavier.
  • tlitzner
    tlitzner Posts: 124
    The pill kept 20 pounds on me as well. Within two months of going off it I lost the 20 pounds without doing anything different. I did the Hormone IUD for over 2 years. I bled constantly with severe cramping for months and then had no period for a year and a half. I got it out over a year ago and my periods still aren't regular. Everyone is different. But, it sounds like I had the same problems as you. I had a full blood panel and everything came back normal. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't have one done also. I have come to believe that maybe I just shouldn't mess with nature. I am going to go without from now on. Good luck!
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    When I went on the IUD, I hated it. I bled all the time (the first 6 months and then it just stopped. No period at all). I always had cramps, boobs hurt, always felt pregnant. Hated it. I took it out after one year and haven't been on hormonal birth control since.
  • princessorchid
    princessorchid Posts: 198 Member
    Yeah I know!

    I stopped using condoms because I'm allergic to latex (didn't find out the hard way, thankfully!) I discovered in high school doing lab experiments that my hands developed a REALLY bad rash after wearing latex gloved for a couple hours a day...never thought I'd attempt this trick with condoms so always went the latex free route. I've always found them to be a bit rubbish and my friend complained of a few times the non-latex kind more prone to tearing than the regular kind.
  • summersk
    summersk Posts: 59
    I have never had any experience with an IUD, however when I was put on the pill at 21 I had some major reactions to it. Reactions that were so bad that I refuse to ever take another BC of any type again. I not only gained weight (was in the Navy and doing workouts everyday) but my body literally acted as thought I was pregnant and then at three months of taking them I started having the symptoms of a miscarriage and stopped taking them all together. The hormones in BC can really mess some people up and have hardly any effects on others. It may simply be the difference in age and hormones now as opposed to the first time you were on BC. Though I do agree with an earlier post, you should definitely request some blood work. I gained quite a bit of weight with my first child and when I found it difficult to lose I chalked it up to hormones and age, I had surgery in Jan. 10 to remove thyroid cancer which I had apparently had since right around my first child six years earlier. Unexplained weight gains of that amount can be something a little more serious. Not trying to scare you, but you should always have things like this checked out. I wish you the best of luck.
  • SquidInTraining
    SquidInTraining Posts: 196
    Have you tried using lambskin?
  • sweet4keeps22
    sweet4keeps22 Posts: 291 Member
    A few years back (six to be specific) I had a vaguely similar experience with the birth control shot Depo-Provera. When I started it, I was given the standard line about 5-10lbs, so I wasn't concerned because I had been on the shot before for about a year and only gained about that much. Then I started gaining. I didn't connect the weight gain with the shot until I had received my second of the three-month shots. I ended up gaining 60lbs in the 6 months I had the active hormones in my system (despite joining weight watchers almost immediately when I started gaining, and making fervent weight-loss efforts throughout that time period). I put on another 10 lbs in the next 6 months. Since then I have periodically tried pills, but nearly all of them make me ill tempered or have some other negative effect.

    As far as I can tell, some people's bodies are equipped to handle synthetic hormones and others are not. Most people have to find a pill that's right for their body, that's why they have low dose hormone pills now and various hormone combinations. My guess is that the hormones in the IUD are not playing well with your body, as opposed to the weight gain hypothesis proposed by the doctor. (I'd venture to say plenty of people on this board have gained weight and did not experience a subsequent increase in cramps or in length of menstruation.) If the problem persists I would definitely recommend getting a second opinion. Sadly, as with many things in life, finding a pill (or other contraceptive method) that's right for you can be a game of trial and error. Good Luck! :flowerforyou:
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
    I had a really bad reaction to Yaz. Depression, anxiety, mood swings, fatigue, and horrible water retention. I was on it maybe 6 weeks and put on about 25 pounds - combination of water weight and increased appetite. One week after I stopped taking the stuff I dropped 15 pounds. It was somewhat frightening actually...

    The others I've tried have not produced such drastic weight gain effects - maybe 5-10 lbs at max, mostly water retention (and this horrible gurgly feeling in my stomach to go along with them). They have, however, made it ROUGH to maintain a healthy weight on account of the increased water retention.

    I don't take them anymore.
  • thebamboophoenix
    thebamboophoenix Posts: 58 Member
    Hello

    Yes, I can totally sympathise. I tried the pill, implant and depo injections - the latter lead to a 3 stone 'hormonal' weight gain!
    My last synthetic contraception was the pill and I ended up coming off as I was gaining weight and the emotional swings were just unacceptable. I have now come to the conclusion that hormonal contraception does not agree with me.
    Cramps can be common with IUD. I had thought that it's a method that tends to be more suited to women who have had children. I don't know if you have.
    I'm not in a relationship at present, but I use condoms when I have sex. I have thought about what I'd do if I was to start another relationship.... I would probably stick with condoms and perhaps consider a diaphragm. I know their not the most spontaneous of things, but I'd rather have sex that I feel good about, than sex where I feel like a big pile of hormonal mould.

    Bottom line, do what feels right for you (and for your partner to a certain extent) but it's your body so your needs take priority.
  • stfuandrun
    stfuandrun Posts: 106 Member
    I hated the hormonal IUD (Mirena). I immediately started gaining weight, become very moody and depressed, completely lost my sex drive (*sob*), and broke out like crazy. I lasted 9 months with it. I guess the longest I can have something in my uterus is 9 months. LOL Once I took it out, the depression, mood swings, and acne all went away in a month or so. The weight is starting to come off again. It was very frustrating.

    I have had pretty good luck with the patch. Why I ever decided to stop using the patch and get the IUD, I don't know.
  • JenniferH81
    JenniferH81 Posts: 285 Member
    you dont HAVE to use the mirena IUD, I have the copper-T one that lasts 10 years, no hormones. Sure my TOM is a little heavier, but no big deal.
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    When I first got on bcp I gained a lot of weight and also really struggled with depression. I can't say that was just due to the pills (because I'd just gotten married and had some other differences in eating/exercise/life in general going on at the time).... but I have heard many say they have gained a huge amount of weight when on birth control pills. I stopped taking them a few years after that... but unfortunately never lost the weight I gained at first!
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    Were you using Yaz? I didn't gain a bunch of weight using Yaz. It came on slowly, from me over eating. It made it harder though, to lose weight at all. My periods were all messed up and would go for two weeks at a time, and the last two months, 3 weeks! I got off it and the DH uses comdoms as well.
    My sisters use Yaz and love it and never had issues with it.
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