Birth control making me gain weight? Anyone else?

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24

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  • Tee_geee
    Tee_geee Posts: 47 Member
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    my implanon not only makes it hard for me to lose weight....but I want have a cycle for 4 months...then have a 30 day cycle. it sucks!
  • wjstoj
    wjstoj Posts: 884 Member
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    I'm pretty sure my condom adds a gram or so :P
  • katro111
    katro111 Posts: 632 Member
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    I'm pretty sure my condom adds a gram or so :P

    Just have to say wjstoj, I love your avatar! I'm always mesmerized by his hair!
  • smelius22
    smelius22 Posts: 334 Member
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    I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen for 8 years, never made me gain.

    Now I am on the generic brand of it, Tri-Sprintec ($9 at Walmart, prescription or not!), and I haven't noticed any gain from it either.
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
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    I gained 40 pounds in 3-4 months on Depo after maintaining an 80 pound weight loss for 3 years >> So. Don't do that.

    I'm on Nuvaring now and I haven't had any problems.
    I'm thinking of getting the copper IUD after I have my sleeve done, just because I can't risk pregnancy after that and I'm scared of forgetting to put the ring in or take a pill and then really doing damage to my body.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    I turn in to a raving b*tch on birth control within 6 months so I never had time to worry about whether they were affecting my weight gain before I had to quit them. My husband and I have managed to avoid unwanted pregnancy for 16 years now and I haven't been using BC for at least the last 10 so I doubt I'll ever bother with it again, even if they do make other things simpler. I would consider the copper implant but my understanding was those were only viable if you had already had a pregnancy or am I behind the times on that? I haven't even looked in to this topic for a while now :laugh: .
  • lasarabande
    lasarabande Posts: 22 Member
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    I've been on nexplanon since 12/2/2013 and I had this same question too. I started the HMR diet program on 11/16/2013. I've noticed an increase in my appetite around the time I had it inserted, and gained about 1 lb. I used to have a normal cycle too before this and I had nonstop spotting/bleeding for about 2 months following this.

    However fast forward to now I have lost around 20+ lbs since then (and I'm still losing). I'm still on the HMR diet though consuming ~1200 cal/day and exercising roughly 5000 cal / week.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    BC itself does not cause weight gain calories in>calories out causes weight gain.

    BC can cause an increase in appetite but if you count calories weight your food and log accuratly you wont gain.

    I have been on depo and Mirena for 15 years...before that various pills and those pills since I am older were a lot heavier in hormones than they are now...

    the only time I gained weight was when I ate too much and didn't move enough.

    The BC pill can very effectively lower the metabolic rate in many women through several different mechanisms. It is the "calories-out" part of the equation that gets messed up.

    lower it to the point that their bmr is sub 1200 I highly doubt it...

    the pill/depo/mirena/implants/rings/patches all use hormones...and increased appetite is a side effect...

    If it lowers BMR by 200-250 calories a day (and that is likely in many women who acquire thyroid problems while on it) then, in three years, they could gain 75 pounds, if they changed nothing about a diet that was a maintenance diet before the pill.
  • tabbyblack13
    tabbyblack13 Posts: 299 Member
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    I have a friend with a copper IUD and she never had any kids. She's happy with it.

    Since I just started my weight loss I can say that this is for certain with my implant but if I lose around 2 lbs I start to cycle again. It's weird but since it's light it doesn't bother me.
  • McKenzieLeigh
    McKenzieLeigh Posts: 113 Member
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    I have the implanon thing now too. This is my 2nd time. I do feel like I am much more susceptible to down's and negative behavior, but I have been able to lose weight without any issue by counting calories alone. I do not have a cycle at all.
  • fitkatb
    fitkatb Posts: 14 Member
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    I took various different BC pills over the years and just kept getting heavier. I had Mirena for 1-1/2 years but it was always just uncomfortable to me and caused unpredictable periods and spontaneous spotting for no reason. My weight fluctated on that. Then I switched to depo. I had several friends warn me not to use Depo because they gained SOOOOO much weight on it. So I'm not sure if it was the pill or not that made me gain, but I've been on Depo for 2 years and lost 70 lbs. Everybody's different.
  • beachylove
    beachylove Posts: 137 Member
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    i tried a ton of different BC pills and finally went for the Mirena IUD. I have had no issue losing weight and I love it....while on the pill I tended to retain a lot of water weight for some reason.
  • maz504
    maz504 Posts: 450
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    I'm on the pill (Seasonique) and I am wondering if it is playing a part in my struggle to lose the last few pounds.

    If it helps, I'm on the generic seasonique and I haven't had any problems. But I've also been on yaz and loestrin and didn't have problems with those either, so it's possible they just don't effect me that way. Good luck!
  • susie3g
    susie3g Posts: 267
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    I recently had essure done due to the fact that hormonal birth control was no longer an option for me. I put on 35 pounds in two years with water retention fluctuating around 10 pounds. Blood pressure was so elevated that it caused a heart murmur. I dropped ten pounds immediately and 3 & 1/2 inches the first week and have since lost 5 more inches.

    I had the essure procedure done, too. Unfortunately, it didn't block my tubes like it was supposed to. Grr! Had to have the copper IUD placement to ensure I don't get pregnant. :/

    I was actually wanting the IUD just to avoid the need for anesthesia and the healing process but I had a very hard time finding anyone who would place one. I kept getting told that they "opted not to use the copper IUD due to heavier periods." I kept thinking really? Hormonal birth control can reek havoc on a woman's body but you stop using the copper IUD because of heavier bleeding... I have another two months before finding out if mine took correctly.

    Keeping my fingers crossed for you that yours takes!
  • courtjade84
    courtjade84 Posts: 12 Member
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    The only birth control I gained on was Depo. I gained 45 lbs in 7 months!! That was 12 years ago. After having my second daughter, I went on Nuvaring, I loved it at first, but I started having severe chest pain in October 2012, I had a Pulmonary Embolism caused by this birth control at 28 y/o and otherwise perfectly healthy (blood work canceled out anything else)due to that I have to stay away from anything with hormones now.
  • sadiebea25
    sadiebea25 Posts: 72
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    I tried depo in college, gained 40 lbs in a year and was a bi*ch, it was horrible. Copper IUD = best birth control ever, I wish I would have done it years ago!!
  • lemur933
    lemur933 Posts: 20 Member
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    I started the pill 3 years ago and was around 180 then...when I started MFP I was 230. Not all of that gain was from the pill, but I know about 20 of it was.
  • hatsumi141
    hatsumi141 Posts: 62 Member
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    I'm on Orsythia (pills) it hasn't seemed to affect me.
  • mgpearce4
    mgpearce4 Posts: 71
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    I've gained 35 pounds since starting a new birth control and it took me until TODAY to figure that out. I like taking the pill, anyone have suggestions? I am currently on a mini-pill that has both estrogen and progesterone. Seeing a gynecologist this Friday but suggestions are certainly welcome and appreciated!

    -Mallory (mgpearce4)
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I've gained 35 pounds since starting a new birth control and it took me until TODAY to figure that out. I like taking the pill, anyone have suggestions? I am currently on a mini-pill that has both estrogen and progesterone. Seeing a gynecologist this Friday but suggestions are certainly welcome and appreciated!

    -Mallory (mgpearce4)


    Is it natural ("bio-identical") progesterone (and I'm not aware of any b.c. pill that does not contain SYNTHETIC "progesterone"). Synthetic "progestins" will not counteract the effects of the estrogen you are adding to your system. Have you thought of using mechanical birth control? Condoms, if used properly, are very effective--their proper use approximates the protection afforded by the pill.

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