Women Only...BC Help!

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  • psych0kitty
    psych0kitty Posts: 313
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    I hated the Mirena. Haaaaate. I constantly felt pregnant, I gained lots of weight on it, my moods were awful, and I had zero sex drive. The only positive was that my periods disappeared.

    I was on loestrin, and it sucked too. I am one of those that just can't handle the hormones, I guess :/ I hope you find something that works for you!

    I never thought part of my weight gain could have been from the Mirena... huh. It's about time to get it removed anyway and I've been wondering what to use instead. It's nice to hear positive reviews of NuvaRing.

    On the topic of BC pills, they wrecked me completely. Mood, weight, everything. It was horrible. Some women can handle them and some can't. It's your call which kind of woman you are.
  • bethkrusac
    bethkrusac Posts: 45 Member
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    Hi!

    I'm on Sprintec pills as well. I'm not on it for BC reasons, but for other medical concerns, so I don't really want to switch it up. If you're uncomfortable, talk to your doctor about switching things around.

    However, when I first started taking it, I did gain weight. However, I've started to lose it again now with diet and exercise. I think you'll get used to it (I know I did) with time, but if you're not wanting to wait and it's really bothersome, talk to your doctor.
  • Tash128
    Tash128 Posts: 66 Member
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    If your that worried you could always just use protection and not the pill, As we know not even the pill is 100% effective . As everyone else said it will take your body to adjust but everyone is different my friends body never really adjusted she gained 10 pounds and it took her forever to lose it even thou she was tracking her calories and everything, it just depends on your body and how it reacts to the different pills.
  • toodloo
    toodloo Posts: 58 Member
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    Any BC can take awhile to adjust to, but it sounds like you know your body well enough to know that this ISN'T working! Everyone's body reacts differently, so despite your doc saying something is weight neutral, well.. your hormones are specific to you :) I honestly think the key to BC is just to keep trying different things until you find something that clicks for you.

    That being said, I've tried Nuvaring and Mirena and hated both. Nuvaring gave me constant headaches and killed my sex drive to a point where I didn't think I'd ever want to do it again - that may not be a big deal for you, but it was for me since I was in a relationship at the time. I got a Mirena and at first it seemed fine, but I eventually developed horrible cystic acne. It left awful scars which I still have after almost a year. Apparently it's a pretty common side effect of Mirena (based on my googling). For me, the negative side effects didn't crop up until about a year after I started each medication.

    I decided to stop using birth control since I'm not in a relationship, but I guess my advice would be to be open and direct with your doctor. I've had doctors react with skepticism when I told them I was certain I didn't like a particular BC and wanted to switch, but you know your body and what feels right. You have every right to insist! Ortho Tricyclen Lo worked fairly well for me, but I have heard that it can cause weight gain.

    Good luck!
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Usually it takes about 3 months to figure out if your side effects will subside.

    They say that pills don't make you heavy, but they certainly made me hungry and tired. I feel a lot better off of them. I have the Paraguard IUD, and I love it.

    However, you've only been on these pills for 2 weeks and gained two pounds. My weight has always fluctuated about 5lbs or so during the month, regardless of whether or not I was on pills. I think that's normal for humans in general, and especially for women.

    I wouldn't worry so much about the scale, but if you feel like crap, you should say something to your doctor.
  • The1iceQueen
    The1iceQueen Posts: 119
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    Maybe try the rhythm method with spermicide on the days you're ovulating. That's what I did for years because I didn't want to take birth control, I had too many side effects from them.
  • 141by2016
    141by2016 Posts: 179
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    There is a lot of mixed information on birth control. Personally I am on Depo, and I love it. I have been on it for three years and have lost over 50lbs. It does cary risk for developing osteoporosis, and the normal blood clot risk if you are over 35 and/or a smoker, but it has lower risk of strokes for some populations.

    I get migraines with a visual component and am therefore unable to take mixed hormone birth controls (stroke risk). To combat bone loss I take calcium regularly and lift heavy things.

    In the end the choice is yours, just don't let anyone set the priorities and agenda for your health FOR YOU. You are in charge.
  • mabupi
    mabupi Posts: 15
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    This is one of the many reasons I love MFP. Thank you, thank you to all you ladies! A couple of things, I'm not in a relationship and not really sexually active on a regular basis, which is why it's taken me so long to try birth control in the first place. It's much less about pregnancy prevention and more about my heavy, long (as in 8 days, with 8-10 days pms'ing beforehand) periods with bad cramps. But I'd rather pms for 10 days a month than 30...I'm mostly concerned with the fatigue, constant state of irritation and food cravings. (But DEFINITELY want to avoid significant weight gain and loss of sex drive as well).

    It sounds like I should wait a few more weeks at least to see if my body adjusts, although I may ask my doctor for a pill with a lower dose of estrogen (which I'm interested in anyway, since I haven't had children yet and I'm not sure what the long term effects of hormonal BC may be, which is why I've waited so long in the first place to try it.)

    Thank you again for sharing your experiences and knowledge, and even more for the encouragement to just keep trucking along. I hope you ALL have a beautiful rest of your week!
  • courtniesolis
    courtniesolis Posts: 19 Member
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    I have the Mirena IUD and I DO NOT recommend it. Everyone is different, but for me it is HORRIBLE. Migraines, lower back pain, weight gain, anxiety, mood swings, inability to lose weight, fatigue, bad cramping, cysts, and just recently 2 full weeks of heavy bleeding (and I barely bleed). My doctor says "it's normal", but I am getting it taken out ASAP. I have a few friends with the same problems, Again, I know everyone is different, but I wouldn't suggest this to my worst enemy. I don't know if this helps, but I hope everything works out for you :-) Birth control is tricky. lol
  • Lulzaroonie
    Lulzaroonie Posts: 222 Member
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    After extensive research previously, I found that most weight gain while on the pill is caused by salt, and water retention. Reduce salt as much as you can, if possible, make all your own meals so you can control what condiments and seasoning goes into it, and keep up your fluid intake.
  • littlebudgie
    littlebudgie Posts: 279 Member
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    There is quite a range of hormonal BC out there, and they all seem to effect everyone differently. I love my depo shot, other people hate it. The pill massively messed up one of my friends' moods, whereas it basically fixed my PMDD (until I switched to depo for convenience). The one experience all of my friends shared was lighter and less painful periods, so hopefully the same will be true for you.

    2 lb is small enough to just be water weight, especially if you're on a tricyclic pill where the level of hormones varies from week to week. The change in mood is not something I experienced, but it was something I was warned about, and told that it often goes away. I'd stick it out for a bit longer, personally, but if it keeps up there are lower-estrogen or progesterone-only options available.

    Good luck finding something that works for you!
  • shano25
    shano25 Posts: 233 Member
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    Like lots have said everyone is different. My roommate and I were both on Depo at the same time, I had no side effects and no weight gain, she gained a lot of weight and other physical side effects.

    I was on Depo for 2.5 years in my early 20's with no issues. I then went on it again in my late 20's after having two kids and had serious side effects of depression and anxiety. In fact, after having the kids I've been unable to use any hormonal birth control, my body changed that so much. So even one person can have different experiences with the same birth control.
  • nelsonhrae
    nelsonhrae Posts: 37
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    I have been on Levora for 2.5 years and I love it. I have noticed no bad side effects as well as a huge increase in how tolerable my periods are and clearer skin. I talked to my OB before starting and voiced my weight gain concerns. She told me that despite the old wives tales about weight gain, there is no clinical significance. The average weight gain/lost for four pounds, which is not considerable. Cut down on the salt and let your body settle. It might just be you need a different brand or dose. BC is not one size fits all.
  • mabupi
    mabupi Posts: 15
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    Thank you again everyone! I REALLY appreciate all the input!

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