Ladies - any weight gain after birth control?

nespinosa3
nespinosa3 Posts: 116
in Health and Weight Loss
I am thinking of getting off my birth control pill. Not because I want to get pregnant, but I seriously dislike the whole hormone change and everything they do, so I'll use other methods. But I am super worried of whether I'll gain a bunch of weight. The pill hasn't had an effect on my weight (and if it has, it's been minimal then), so I would hope nothing would happen. Has anyone had an effect on their weight after stopping them?

Replies

  • Mgsilve
    Mgsilve Posts: 24
    I'm here because of birth control weight gain. I gained 50 pounds from depo, and then 30 more from emotional eating due to weight gain. The pill isn't that bad, but there might be some weight gain, nothing as excessive as depo but weight gain does happen. The patch is pretty great, and I started losing weight after I got on it. :)
  • princessnuriko
    princessnuriko Posts: 50 Member
    I think you need to find the right one. I've been on ortho-tricyclen, demulen, tri-leven, tri-vora. Those weren't so bad. I had also used the Meridia IUD, also Ocella. Both BAD for me. I recently started ortho-tricyclen-lo starting last august 2013. that was after I quit being on bring control for a few months to regulate and flush out my system. I've lost 25 pound since using ortho-tricyclen-lo. and I'm still losing.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Only when I got pregnant...
  • drinking_watermelon
    drinking_watermelon Posts: 3
    It really depends. I had the same issues with various kinds of birth control and anti-depressants. I gained 15 lbs with every new medication I tried (about 60lb over two years), so when I was able to stop taking anti-depressants (which the guidance of my doctor), I stopped taking the pill. And then my hormones went crazy. My period is very irregular, my left ovary began to swell up and actually pinched my large intestine enough to stop me up and all sorts of stuff. My weight didn't change at all after I stopped taking bc.
    Long story short, all bodies are different and react differently and it's possible that staying on a hormonal birth control could be better than just stopping it.
  • nespinosa3
    nespinosa3 Posts: 116
    Long story short, all bodies are different and react differently and it's possible that staying on a hormonal birth control could be better than just stopping it.

    But that's the problem, I can't continue this for the rest of my life. At some point, I have to stop, whether it's to have a baby or like now, I just don't want the hormonal changes any more. It hasn't had terrible side effects, but the ones that I do have, I want them to stop. And I know the risk of pregnancy will be much higher, but I just don't like messing with my body anymore. So I'm just wondering, if I stop taking this pill at the end of this packet, should I expect any weight gain? Or just a fluctuation that would be there for a couple of days and then back to normal?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Birth control itself does not cause weight gain..it can however cause an increase in appetite...

    So going off BC should not cause weight gain....

    ETA: a surplus of calories is what causes the weight gain...if you stay in your deficet you should be fine.
  • tanyam82
    tanyam82 Posts: 3
    I lose when I come off of hormonal birth control (my 'set point' is about ten pounds lower off of HBC, but i'm in a healthy range either way). I did lose over 50 lbs of fast-food-overworked-overstressed grad school weight while i was on the pill about seven years ago but it's so much easier for me to lose and put on muscle mass (all other things equal) when i'm not on it. I got off (Implanon) this time to prep my body for another kiddo shortly down the road, and I read "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" about charting your cycles and knowing when you need a barrier method to keep from getting pregnant off of HBC. It'll help you avoid pregnancy while off of HBC (just pointing it out because you noted "And I know the risk of pregnancy will be much higher" but really, if you know your cycle and the 7-10 day fertile window and use barrier methods/abstain as needed, you'll be fine. It's not the rythym method - it actually uses physical indicators to read your own signals). I thought I knew about my bod and cycle, but I realize I had just scratched the surface. Our bodies are pretty amazing. Good luck!
  • lavendy17
    lavendy17 Posts: 309 Member
    I think you need to find the right one. I've been on ortho-tricyclen, demulen, tri-leven, tri-vora. Those weren't so bad. I had also used the Meridia IUD, also Ocella. Both BAD for me. I recently started ortho-tricyclen-lo starting last august 2013. that was after I quit being on bring control for a few months to regulate and flush out my system. I've lost 25 pound since using ortho-tricyclen-lo. and I'm still losing.

    Ocella was horrible for me. Not only was I very very moody and feeling angry and negative all the time, I also had the worst migraines. I would stay away.
    Yasmin was fine for me (excpet before period I would be hungry and nothing would fill me up), and now I am on a generic replacement Junel or something and I am not happy.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    I gained weight on BC (levora), but the weight gain coincided with: birth control, going to college, beginning to drink, and eating in a buffet-style dining hall.

    Correlation does not = causation.
  • Marinewife3412
    Marinewife3412 Posts: 1
    not much help, but i gained 15lbs within two months after getting off the pill. thats with exercising and eating well. But my hormones are also crazy so that didn't help.
  • GretaGirl8
    GretaGirl8 Posts: 274 Member
    honestly, i have never heard about people gaining weight when going off the pill...unless going off the pill leads to pregnancy! however, if you went on the pill to control horrible periods or some other medical condition--perhaps that would be more cause for concern. i relate to not wanting to be on hormones. i have been on the pill for twenty years now (except for about 11 months when i was trying to conceive, fell pregnant and breast fed). then, i got right back on the pill. i take ortho-tricyclen-lo. i am happy with it, but there is no generic available and it is pricey!

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