Birth Control Pills: BE CAREFUL.

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  • Daytonsmommy
    Daytonsmommy Posts: 162 Member
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    I was on NuvaRing for a couple of years and never gained any weight from it but it did cause me to have sharp pains on the left side of my chest which was pretty scary. I stopped using it and the pain has gone away. I don't use any form of hormonal BC anymore.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    Which I know lots of women use, but it did not like me! I gained 9 lbs the first month. Nothing in my lifestyle had changed.

    incorrect.

    you don't magically gain weight. hormones might make you more lethargic- more hungry- more moody. But they don't magically make you gain weight- in order to gain weight- you have to eat more. Period.

    If you gain weight on the pill- it's because you are eating more. Not trying to be nasty- but the pill causes all sorts of side effects- magical weight gain from no extra food isn't one of them. Moody? hormonal? hungry? depressed? sure lots of those things that drive us to eat- but it can't make you magically gain weight if you were eating at maintenance before you started.

    Mulfunctioning hormones can do funny things. I think I will stick to my Dr's advise on this one ;)

    I agree with the no magical weight gain. Ive had Mirena for about 2 months and I've still been losing like before. I am a hungry monster though. The hormones have made me feel blah and it doesn't matter how much I eat, sometimes it makes me have a tinge of hunger, even after a great, filling meal. If I weren't religiously counting calories and weighing portions, I would definitely be gaining weight.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    Which I know lots of women use, but it did not like me! I gained 9 lbs the first month. Nothing in my lifestyle had changed.

    incorrect.

    you don't magically gain weight. hormones might make you more lethargic- more hungry- more moody. But they don't magically make you gain weight- in order to gain weight- you have to eat more. Period.

    If you gain weight on the pill- it's because you are eating more. Not trying to be nasty- but the pill causes all sorts of side effects- magical weight gain from no extra food isn't one of them. Moody? hormonal? hungry? depressed? sure lots of those things that drive us to eat- but it can't make you magically gain weight if you were eating at maintenance before you started.

    Beat me to it. Pills don't make you gain weight. Hormones may well do.

    I hear so many people use the 'I gained weight because of the pill' excuse.

    I started gaining weight when I went on the pill too, because I discovered I really liked cake.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    I had issues when I tried the pill several years before having children; I was an emotional wreck, I got petechiae, my schedule was messed up (breakthrough bleeding all the time), I felt like crap. It wasn't worth it.

    Since having children, I've gone on Junel, also known as Loestrin, with no withdrawal week. Love it. No side effects.

    One thing...you do not need the withdrawal week. It's a marketing ploy - when the pill was first developed, women didn't trust not having their period. So the pharmaceutical companies put in the withdrawal week to quell their fears. There is no medical reason that you need to have a period every month. Well, perhaps if you have Hemochromatosis, such that you need to remove iron from your body.

    Secondly, while the "average" cycle is 28 days, the standard deviation among women is 7 days. Using the pill on a 28 day cycle (21 days on, 7 days off) really messes things up.
  • san0322
    san0322 Posts: 58 Member
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    I have been on Nuva Ring for about 7 years now and it's been the best BC for me. One of the previous posters was correct in stating that you should set calendar reminders when to change it, because it is not part of your daily routine. It is the easiest bc I've ever been on and you often forget it's even there.

    Before that, I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo which I gained weight on. I was also on Seasonale and Seasonique. Both of them gave me really bad mood swings and suicidal thoughts and depression. I seriously thought something was wrong with me until one day, while waiting before one of my grad classes, a few of my female classmates began a discussion about bc. One of them mentioned that one of her friends had the same symptoms as myself with Seasonale and had to go off of it. I made an appt with my doc and changed to Nuva Ring. I haven't had those same problems since.
  • GothyFaery
    GothyFaery Posts: 762 Member
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    I have had my fair share a birth control problems. I get debilitating cramps and menstrual migraines when I'm not taking anything. My doctor told me it has something to do with the drop in estrogen that happens just before my period. So I need a birth control that is high in estrogen but not so high that my body goes into withdrawal during my off week. Yasmin has been the only thing that works for me. When Yaz and Yasmin were getting a bad rap for potentially causing blood clots in the lungs, my husband pushed me to try something new. I went through 3 different pills over the course of a year and none of them worked for me. My cramps were so bad I missed work. I got migraines that lasted from 2 days into the off week until I was back on. I'm back on Yasmin now and I don't have nearly as many problems. I never had weight gain or loss from any of the pills. You just have to find what works with you and stick to it. If what works for you is known to cause problems, try to limit your risks. With Yasmin, it puts me at a higher risk of blood clots (which all birth control pills do) and that risk is elevated even higher if you are or have been a smoker so I never have and never will smoke.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    Which I know lots of women use, but it did not like me! I gained 9 lbs the first month. Nothing in my lifestyle had changed.

    incorrect.

    you don't magically gain weight. hormones might make you more lethargic- more hungry- more moody. But they don't magically make you gain weight- in order to gain weight- you have to eat more. Period.

    If you gain weight on the pill- it's because you are eating more. Not trying to be nasty- but the pill causes all sorts of side effects- magical weight gain from no extra food isn't one of them. Moody? hormonal? hungry? depressed? sure lots of those things that drive us to eat- but it can't make you magically gain weight if you were eating at maintenance before you started.

    Beat me to it. Pills don't make you gain weight. Hormones may well do.

    I hear so many people use the 'I gained weight because of the pill' excuse.

    I started gaining weight when I went on the pill too, because I discovered I really liked cake.

    I think what people mean is that the pill created conditions that led to their weight gain. "The pill made me gain weight" is probably just simpler to say or type.
  • runshellersrun
    runshellersrun Posts: 21
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    I didn't have trouble with weight gain on the pill or nuva ring, but I was always a crazy $!#@& because of the hormones. I love, love, love my paragard! Had some back aches for about a week after getting it, and that's my only complaint.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    Also anyone on IUD or NuvaRing or anything else, do you think that is better than a pill? I really only used the pill for a regular schedule.....not for birth control.

    My best friend had Mirena (IUD with hormones), and within 2 years, it had worked its way most of the way through the wall of her uterus. It required abdominal surgery to remove it, and the recovery was pretty miserable. I would never use our recommend an IUD knowing that.

    It is a known risk, but it's also rare (doesn't make it less scary if it happens to you or someone you know). I've had Mirena for the better part of 4 years, now, and haven't had any issues with it.

    Personally, I'd prefer that slight risk over the issues I've had on others. Ortho Evra (the patch) turned a mild depression nearly suicidal. Depo Provera screwed with my hormones and contributed to a nearly 100lb weight gain in a year.
    Which I know lots of women use, but it did not like me! I gained 9 lbs the first month. Nothing in my lifestyle had changed.

    incorrect.

    you don't magically gain weight. hormones might make you more lethargic- more hungry- more moody. But they don't magically make you gain weight- in order to gain weight- you have to eat more. Period.

    If you gain weight on the pill- it's because you are eating more. Not trying to be nasty- but the pill causes all sorts of side effects- magical weight gain from no extra food isn't one of them. Moody? hormonal? hungry? depressed? sure lots of those things that drive us to eat- but it can't make you magically gain weight if you were eating at maintenance before you started.

    Beat me to it. Pills don't make you gain weight. Hormones may well do.

    I hear so many people use the 'I gained weight because of the pill' excuse.

    I started gaining weight when I went on the pill too, because I discovered I really liked cake.

    These statements aren't entirely true, either.

    Birth control pills, patches, shots, and Mirena are hormonal birth control options. They specifically change your Estrogen to Progesterone ratios by increasing one or the other. This disrupts the cycle and is why women's periods often change (or go away completely) while on them.

    The thing is, Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone are key hormones in managing weight in women, and where that weight is stored. Too much Testosterone or Estrogen, and you get a lot more of the fat stored in your abdominal area, for example. They also play a role in regulating thyroid function and insulin levels. Throw them out of whack, and you can end up with a lower metabolism (from decreased thyroid function), and increased fasting insulin levels (hyperinsulinemia) and increased insulin resistance, which can, in turn, screw with how the body stores and releases fat. If fasting insulin is too high, the "traffic cop" hormone that is insulin may be stuck in "storage/food burning" mode, keeping the existing body fat "locked up" and unavailable for use.

    This is a large part in why women with PCOS (an endocrine issue of currently unknown cause that causes hormonal imbalances and is often effectively treated using techniques similar to treating Diabetes), particularly with hyperinsulinemia, generally have better results in not only weight loss, but overall hormonal balance, on an equal-calorie low carb/high fat diet (which causes less of an insulin response than the typical high carb/low fat diets), and why Metformin can cause weight loss without dietary or exercise changes and improve the effects of existing weight loss efforts (because it suppresses glucose secretion from the liver, and help use insulin more efficiently).

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20484445
    http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/35
    http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6740
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    Which I know lots of women use, but it did not like me! I gained 9 lbs the first month. Nothing in my lifestyle had changed.

    incorrect.

    you don't magically gain weight. hormones might make you more lethargic- more hungry- more moody. But they don't magically make you gain weight- in order to gain weight- you have to eat more. Period.

    If you gain weight on the pill- it's because you are eating more. Not trying to be nasty- but the pill causes all sorts of side effects- magical weight gain from no extra food isn't one of them. Moody? hormonal? hungry? depressed? sure lots of those things that drive us to eat- but it can't make you magically gain weight if you were eating at maintenance before you started.

    Beat me to it. Pills don't make you gain weight. Hormones may well do.

    I hear so many people use the 'I gained weight because of the pill' excuse.

    I started gaining weight when I went on the pill too, because I discovered I really liked cake.

    I think what people mean is that the pill created conditions that led to their weight gain. "The pill made me gain weight" is probably just simpler to say or type.

    I agree with much of this. but (and i am no expert) taking "the pill" adds hormones to your body that makes your body think you are pregnant, essentially, thus no ovulation. no actual period either--just a withdrawal bleed. So, while I don't believe the pill (meaning the hormones) creates a 30 pound weight gain; i think a modest weight gain initially is probably true for many.
  • mapenguinkeeper
    mapenguinkeeper Posts: 191
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    screaming migraines with every brand and lowest dose - hubby got fixed as he was so miserable from my misery.

    sister took every brand, every dose and got pregnant 7 times all on birth control. Only 3 survived.
  • EricaFaythe
    EricaFaythe Posts: 37 Member
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    I've been on Nuvaring for close to a decade with no problems at all. Just make sure to mark a calendar or set a phone reminder to put it in a take it out. I get my weeks mixed up and find myself looking at a calendar thinking has it been 2 weeks, 3 weeks or 4 weeks? It's easy to forget when it's not part of a daily routine like the pill. I tried Seasonique for about 4 months once thinking that 4 periods instead of 12 per year would be nice, but I spotted the entire time and switched back to Nuvaring. My sister and best friend both have IUD and have had no problems with them. My sister has Paraguard, she doesn't have kids, but had crazy emotions with hormone birth control crying and sadness all the time, so she got the IUD. My best friend has 2 kids and IUD was best for her because she wasn't good at remembering to take the birth control. Not sure which kind of IUD she got. Another friend has been getting the Depo shot for about a decade and does not ever have periods. She worries that it may affect her ability to get pregnant when she is ready to, but really has no idea if it will at this point because she hasn't tried yet.

    You could be me. Been on the ring for almost a decade, love it, and have to put the date I put it in in my phone or I will sit there wondering, lol.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    I tired nuvaring a few years after this.....and I found my weight didn't increase and my moods were fine...but I started to get intense pain inbehind my knees which scared the crap outta me, so I went off :/ I have no luck in birth control.

    IUD I am just unsure of, I never tried some doctors state its not a abortive birth control, but others have told me that it has more chance to do that. Meaning you can get pregnant but it makes the pregnancy not continue, and to me I have issues with that.

    I should also say when I went on Diane 35 the second month my period started and didn't end for over a month! Sorry for the TMI but there's no way to sugar coat my experience

    It's no more "abortive" than any other contraceptive, and any cases where it did cause a pregnancy to be terminated is more to do with the fact that there's a foreign body in the uterus, interfering with healthy development than anything else. There's nothing special about it that makes it actively cause an abortion.

    Most contraceptives (that aren't things like condoms or spermicidals) work by making the uterus unsuited to support a pregnancy. In that sense, they're all "abortive," because even if an egg does get fertilized, it won't implant. In the case of hormonal birth controls, even if it does implant, it probably won't last, because the hormone balance isn't right to support a pregnancy and it gets expelled when the uterine wall is shed. (Side note - all these things can also happen naturally, if the hormones aren't within the threshold to maintain a pregnancy. It's actually rather common, and evidence suggests that as much as 70% of fertilized eggs never reach full-term pregnancy, and nearly a third of pregnancies end in miscarriage when you also include chemical pregnancies - the ones where a miscarriage happens before the pregnancy is detected by the woman.)

    http://miscarriage.about.com/od/pregnancyafterloss/f/70percent.htm
    http://miscarriage.about.com/od/pregnancyafterloss/qt/miscarriage-rates.htm
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    I tired nuvaring a few years after this.....and I found my weight didn't increase and my moods were fine...but I started to get intense pain inbehind my knees which scared the crap outta me, so I went off :/ I have no luck in birth control.

    IUD I am just unsure of, I never tried some doctors state its not a abortive birth control, but others have told me that it has more chance to do that. Meaning you can get pregnant but it makes the pregnancy not continue, and to me I have issues with that.

    I should also say when I went on Diane 35 the second month my period started and didn't end for over a month! Sorry for the TMI but there's no way to sugar coat my experience

    It's no more "abortive" than any other contraceptive, and any cases where it did cause a pregnancy to be terminated is more to do with the fact that there's a foreign body in the uterus, interfering with healthy development than anything else. There's nothing special about it that makes it actively cause an abortion.

    Most contraceptives (that aren't things like condoms or spermicidals) work by making the uterus unsuited to support a pregnancy. In that sense, they're all "abortive," because even if an egg does get fertilized, it won't implant. In the case of hormonal birth controls, even if it does implant, it probably won't last, because the hormone balance isn't right to support a pregnancy and it gets expelled when the uterine wall is shed. (Side note - all these things can also happen naturally, if the hormones aren't within the threshold to maintain a pregnancy. It's actually rather common, and evidence suggests that as much as 70% of fertilized eggs never reach full-term pregnancy, and nearly a third of pregnancies end in miscarriage when you also include chemical pregnancies - the ones where a miscarriage happens before the pregnancy is detected by the woman.)

    http://miscarriage.about.com/od/pregnancyafterloss/f/70percent.htm
    http://miscarriage.about.com/od/pregnancyafterloss/qt/miscarriage-rates.htm

    good points. one role of nearly all birth control pills is to make the uterus unsuitable for implantation. meaning, if conception took place, implantation would likely not. typically, the pill prevents ovulation so no conception can take place.

    Note: been on the pill my whole life it seems. never gotten pregnant...but when i did go off twice...with in six weeks i was pregnant.
  • bumblebreezy91
    bumblebreezy91 Posts: 520 Member
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    Which I know lots of women use, but it did not like me! I gained 9 lbs the first month. Nothing in my lifestyle had changed.

    incorrect.

    you don't magically gain weight. hormones might make you more lethargic- more hungry- more moody. But they don't magically make you gain weight- in order to gain weight- you have to eat more. Period.

    If you gain weight on the pill- it's because you are eating more. Not trying to be nasty- but the pill causes all sorts of side effects- magical weight gain from no extra food isn't one of them. Moody? hormonal? hungry? depressed? sure lots of those things that drive us to eat- but it can't make you magically gain weight if you were eating at maintenance before you started.

    ^^this.
  • zombieyoshi
    zombieyoshi Posts: 58
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    Not all generic pills are bad, it could just be the dosage you were switched to. I was on estrostep for six years, and I loved it. Then my insurance stopped covering it and it changed from $5 a month, to $25 a month to $45 a month, which I could not afford. I'm on nor-qd right now, it's a mini pill, and I don't love it- but it's okay.

    However, if you are having problems like that you need to see a doctor immediately to try a different type, birth control should not make you feel like that!
  • Shayley20
    Shayley20 Posts: 31 Member
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    I use Nuvaring. Super easy. At fist I had the worst mood swings, and some cramping. But I think that was just my body adjusting. The only thing now is heavy periods for a day then it tapers off (but I think you can leave the ring in to skip your period) and super bad cramping the day before TOM.
    Other than that I love it.
  • vvvalentines
    vvvalentines Posts: 151
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    Also anyone on IUD or NuvaRing or anything else, do you think that is better than a pill? I really only used the pill for a regular schedule.....not for birth control.

    I don't have an IUD (yet, working on getting one soon) but my best friend does, and has for a little over a year. She's 21. It works great, just barely increases her cramping. That's the only side effect she has with ParaGuard (which is the non-hormone IUD) and it can last for up to 12 years. I want an IUD because it's one of the only non-hormone, easily-reversible birth control methods I wouldn't have to remember to use every time (or rely on someone else to remember.)
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
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    I have had a copper IUD since Feb 2005. No problems other then some cramping when I never used to cramp at all. I have also had 3 kids and knew I didnt want any more. My period has never been late and have had no real issues. No weight gain or mood issues. I also can not use hormonal BC as I also have severe mood issues, and other physical symptoms, so it was either this or sterilization I didn't have the resources for sterilization. So it was the best option for me. When this one gets taken out in Feb 2015 I plan on getting another one for 10 years. After that I should not need BC any more. I would go and talk to your DR about all the options available to you. Discuss all your concerns.
  • KatAdele
    KatAdele Posts: 290 Member
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    I've had a Mirena IUD for about 12 years now (on my third one) and I love it. I have no periods anymore and not too many hormone swings. I've tried NuvaRing, the pill, and the shot at other times and for me this works the best with the fewest side effects. It's really a personal choice though.

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