Birth Control Hell

Sorry guys, there isn't a girls only thread. :ohwell:

I always avoid the scale while Aunt Flo is around, but recently I've come into some trouble. I stopped taking my birth control in hopes of switching to a new one, but I then found out that my Primary Care dropped me without any notification (don't worry, found a new one).

So now I'm detoxing from the pill while waiting to get an appointment and I'm having my second period this month (literally five days after my scheduled period). It's probably the most horrific period I've ever had.

I'm afraid to step on the scale because I have no idea what this might do to my weight fluctuations- I'm also worried that starting a new birth control will make it more difficult to shed pounds. My old birth control didn't cause me to gain weight, but I'm trying to find one with a lower dosage of hormones.

Has anybody's birth control given them trouble with weight loss goals?

Every woman reacts differently to every kind of birth control. Unfortunately, just because one woman did or did not gain weight on it, doesn't mean you will have the same experience. For example, a guy chimed in here and said his wife gained 100 pounds on depo. I was on Depo for almost 10 years and did not have ANY problems with it. No weight gain due to it and I lost 30 pounds rather easily over about 8 months while taking it.

If you are afraid your new pill will make you gain, you will want to be extra diligent about logging your food. LOG EVERY BITE!! Keep a very close eye on what you are eating and you'll be fine.

Oh, and I would recommend staying off the scale until a few days after Aunt Flo leaves. She will cause false higher numbers that will just upset you!

IUD's generally have a very good track record and are effective, usually side-effect free, long-lasting and care free contraception. Most women who have them are very happy with them. They were given a nasty rap in the 20th century due to some misogynistic designs, but the ones that are available in the US right now are generally problem free if placed by a competent provider. You can choose between one that is non-hormonal and one that is. The difference is that with the hormonal one you will definitely have less bleeding. But as with all hormonal contraceptives, your risk of blood clots is greater, but especially if you smoke. Whenever you decide you want to get pregnant, you just go and have the IUD removed. I think it's usually recommended that you wait one cycle to allow the endometrium (the stuff that comes out as your period) to regrow nice and lush so implantation is more favorable, so you would need to either abstain during your fertile period or use a barrier method.
My experience with the Nuvaring was that it would come out during intercourse. You have to make sure to look for it afterward, wash it and put it back, and remember to replace it on schedule.
As an OB nurse I always recommend the IUD. I say check it out. Just because you've heard of others who have had problems with them doesn't mean you will. And remember that as with anything like this, you're going to hear more about what goes wrong than what goes right. That means there are many more success stories that you're not hearing.
And thank you for using birth control and not getting pregnant when you don't want to.

There should be no "detoxing" from the pill. That sounds hokey to me.

Just a change in regulating your hormones since that is what the pill does.
This can affect some people more than others.

I have had no problems what so ever with the pill.

I agree that everyone is going to react differently, but to add to the anecdotes, I never had any problems on the pills, but Depo screwed with me in a horrible way. I have only been successful trying to lose this newly found weight when I quit the Depo. I have other medical problems too, so it probably isn't just that, but it made a huge difference for me.