ToM question for those on BC

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yallllah
yallllah Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For anyone on low dosage BC, how does the week that you're off it/taking placebos effect your weight, energy levels, and general feeling of wellness?

I've put on five pounds in the past two months with no other lifestyle changes, and last month the 'period' that was induced by my BC was AWFUL -- one of the worst I've ever had. Night sweats, upset stomach, no energy, etc. My second one has just started today and I can already feel the creeping sense of.....crap. Worse than my natural cycle ever was. So, I guess I'm kind of looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. I will be tracking my food and exercise closely to see if I lose weight/gain muscle as I'm hoping, and take the BC at least one more month, since three months is supposedly the sweet spot. But anyone have any words of wisdom/advice/experience for me??

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  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    I take Junel (lowest amount of estrogen which means the least amount of side effects. I didn't gain any weight on it).

    I am due to get my period on Wednesday. A couple of days before I am due, I become VERY nauseous, I have zero energy, cramps, loose stools, etc.

    Right now I am feeling terrible. I am super nauseous and am worried I'm going to get sick. I've been popping Zofran like there's no tomorrow.

    My weight doesn't fluctuate during my periods, surprisingly.

    Definitely keep Advil, a heating pad, Pepto bismol, peppermint/ginger tea handy during TOM. A nice hot shower helps me too. Try to avoid caffeine/alcohol and fatty/greasy foods- they can exacerbate overall feeling of crumminess.

    By the way, what birth control are you taking? If this BC is making your cycles worse than they were before you began taking the BC, I would tell your doctor and ask for a new BC. My GYN told me to give a full 6 months to allow the BC to truly start working. I've been taking the same one for over 5 years now and for the first couple months, not much changed in my period. But now that I have been on it so long, I barely bleed during my cycles. I still get PMS symptoms and terrible cramps because I have endometriosis.
  • GhoulMango
    GhoulMango Posts: 10 Member
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    Once I'm on the placebo pills and my body is doing it's own thing, I usually hold onto extra water weight and am a bit more bloated than usual. Which makes sense, so I don't even think twice about it. I usually get pretty fatigued the day before and day of my period. Sometimes I can workout and push past it, but if I don't have the energy then I usually spend the day resting and feel much better by the next morning. I'm still usually pretty tired during the first two or three days though, so I start my workouts slow and gradually increase the intensity just so I don't wear myself out :)

    But yes, usually three months is how long it takes your body to properly adjust to birth control! Your body will be doing a lot of weird things and your weight might do some weird things too :) Unless you're eating beyond your needs, the weight is most likely just water retention. But with those side effects, you might want to look into another birth control unless your doctor says that's typical for whatever BC you're on. Usually your period should be much less intense once you're on birth control so if that doesn't change you might want to speak with a doctor.
  • yallllah
    yallllah Posts: 35 Member
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    Thank you for your answers! I'm on a generic brand that's the second-lowest you can go (Junel had no generic when I got my prescription). Unfortunately I now live in Japan, where hormonal BC simply isn't that popular. There are very few options, especially where I live in rural Japan. However, I'll be back in a country where I'll be able to experiment in a few months.

    Guess I'll tough it out!

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