contraception pill

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beachbodyproject
beachbodyproject Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi to all the ladies,

I think I can perfectly correlate my weight gain with me taking a contraception pill. At the age of 20 I started taking the pill and I had out of no where gained 20 pounds, which I had lost in just a few weeks when I stopped taking it at the age of 24. At 26 I started taking again and in the past 2 years I gained 30 pounds!!!!!!!!!

Does anyone have any stories to share or tell me how you deal with that.

Does my body think it's pregnant and just stores the fat for a rainy day?

I am stuck at 150lbs for the past years and I just can't lose the weight.

Last year I even tried extreme diets such as eat 500 cals / for 2 weeks and at the end of it I lost less than 2 pounds. grrr

I ran 5 km twice a week and once a week I go cycling for 50 km, the other days I focus on weight training and still nothing NOTHING nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Please enlighten me!!!!!

Replies

  • bms34b
    bms34b Posts: 401 Member
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    This is a question for your doctor.

    That being said, I have been on various pills for years and have not had any weight gain/loss. There are so many different balances of hormones that compose these prescriptions, and your doctor would be the one to ask about trying a different combination. Additionally, there are other hormone therapies (for birth control or otherwise) that aren't pill form. They generally have the same hormones and many of the same side effects, but again, ask your doctor.

    There are so many options out there! If what you're taking has too many side effects, you never know if other ones will have the same effects on you. They may list the same effects, but different pills affect different bodies differently.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    I've been on birth control pills since I was 15 and I've never experienced any weight gain because of it. I'm on the pill now and have had no problem at all losing.
  • marieamethyst
    marieamethyst Posts: 869 Member
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    I've been on birth control pills since I was 15 and I've never experienced any weight gain because of it. I'm on the pill now and have had no problem at all losing.

    Same, and several different versions of the pill until I found one that didn't make me nauseous. The pill didn't have an effect on my weight, consuming more calories than I burned did.

    Have you been to a doctor to see if there is an underlying medical condition affecting your weight?
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,952 Member
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    I don't gain weight on them (I've tried 4 different brands and am now out of options for low dose pills. High dose are not worth the health risks). I'm going off them starting next month. I have had my period nearly every day for 8 months. Doctor wouldn't listen to me and I give up.

    ETA: I talked to my doctor about potential weight gain on the pill. It does make a difference which one you're on. Some are higher dose than others and tend to have a higher trend of weight gain. Most pharmacists say about 10 lbs is ok but 20 lbs should not happen and if it does to talk to your doctor again. You should also check those numbers though, I might remember them wrong. But I'm pretty sure 20 lbs would be considered excessive even with higher dose pills.
  • MsBetteDavis
    MsBetteDavis Posts: 118 Member
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    I never experienced any weight gain from going on the pill either. That being said, it's definitely not uncommon for some women to. I'm not completely sure why.

    Obviously WebMD isn't always the best source, but here's what I've found for you:

    "For a few women, the pill may cause some weight gain, often due to fluid retention. But not significant amounts, and not for most women. Indeed, a review of 44 studies showed no evidence that birth control pills caused weight gain in most users. And, as with other possible side effects of the pill, the minimal weight gain is generally temporary, going away within two to three months.

    While weight gain is an uncommon and temporary side effect to the pill, if you happen to be one of those few women who put on pounds, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may suggest a different type of birth control pill. Why? Because all pills are not the same.

    There are two types of birth control pill: combination pills, which contain estrogen and progestin, and progestin-only pills. While most birth control pills use the same type of estrogen in various doses, the progestin formulation in each can differ. This means that each brand of pill may offer a slightly different type of the hormone, at different doses. The result? Potentially different side effects.

    Whichever pill you try, remember to give it at least three months for any side effects to pass."
  • MsBetteDavis
    MsBetteDavis Posts: 118 Member
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    I don't gain weight on them. But I'm going off them starting next month. I have had my period nearly every day for 8 months. Doctor wouldn't listen to me.

    Just to warn you, I went off the pill back in April and while my period never missed a month (I've been regular since I first got it at age 12) I did suffer from nausea off and on for almost two months. I was told by my doctor (afterwards, of course they didn't mention this to me before) that a lot of women go through weeks of feeling just blegh after they stop taking the pill, and that it isn't worrisome.

    And did you get a second opinion? I'd be a bit concerned that you've become anemic what with having your period every day for so long. You should make sure that you get your iron and ferritin levels tested, and possibly an ultrasound to see what's going on with your uterus.
  • fanceegirl75
    fanceegirl75 Posts: 620 Member
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    You know you've just helped me put together why I've gained 15-20 lbs since June. That's when I started on the pill again. Grrr!! :angry:
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
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    The pill didn't cause me to gain weight, but a few too many pints of haagen dazs, going out for drinks and general overindulgence did if I am completely honest with myself. If you truly are convinced that it must be your birth control--abd you have not been eating more than you should(and can back that up with evidence) and /or have been exercising sufficiently-- check with your gynecologist as to the many alternative options available. Also, track your food intake and exercise for a week or two, bring it to your physician and have them look at it(or ideally a dietician) so they may confirm that there is a reason other than your eating or exercise habits which is causing you to gain weight, and perhaps do some testing on you.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    I've been on Norethindrone, a progestin-only pill (the "mini-pill") for 2.5 years, and not only have I not gained weight , I LOST 40 lbs, and have the added bonus of having fewer than three periods a year. Win. You need to be strict about taking them every day at the same time, though, since they are a low-dose of hormones. Skipping a day can get you knocked up in short order.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,952 Member
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    I don't gain weight on them. But I'm going off them starting next month. I have had my period nearly every day for 8 months. Doctor wouldn't listen to me.

    Just to warn you, I went off the pill back in April and while my period never missed a month (I've been regular since I first got it at age 12) I did suffer from nausea off and on for almost two months. I was told by my doctor (afterwards, of course they didn't mention this to me before) that a lot of women go through weeks of feeling just blegh after they stop taking the pill, and that it isn't worrisome.

    And did you get a second opinion? I'd be a bit concerned that you've become anemic what with having your period every day for so long. You should make sure that you get your iron and ferritin levels tested, and possibly an ultrasound to see what's going on with your uterus.

    Thank you :) I have been getting tested and I've been taking supplements and eating red meat often. I've gone off them once before a few years ago and didn't experience much displeasure... funny thing is I only started taking them so that I would know when they were coming... and now... well.. I suppose I always know.

    I've also been looking for a new doctor (since mine wouldn't even agree to an ultrasound - she said come back when you don't have your period... so I never went back considering that's the problem) but you would not believe the shortage of good ones where I live. I had an awesome one once but I had to leave her when I graduated university :( And another weird thing is the pill that worked for me years ago no longer works despite my diligence.

    Maybe I can convince my bf that once we get married we should get preggo right away, so that I can make up for this haha.
  • enzosmama
    enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
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    With birth control, as with many other things, everyone's body is different. I get migraines on hormonal birth control of any sort. Have you thought about non-hormonal options? Talk with your Dr. I currently have a ParaGard (IUD) that I've had for about 2 1/2 years and I love it. My periods were pretty heavy at the outset when I had it inserted, but since have become much more normal. I get the peace of mind of birth control without the hormonal side effects. That's what works for me.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    I've gained weight on every birth control pill I've tried. At least 10 lbs, and it doesn't go away after a few months. I also get massively depressed and my sex drive goes in the toilet, so clearly the hormones and I don't like each other. I'm not sure if the weight gain is something to do with the pill itself or just that it shifts my hormones in such a way that my hunger signals increase and I ate more without realizing it - I didn't track food intake during that time in my life because I didn't have a need. So no hormonal methods anymore for me; at least condoms are cheap.
  • MsBetteDavis
    MsBetteDavis Posts: 118 Member
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    I've gained weight on every birth control pill I've tried. At least 10 lbs, and it doesn't go away after a few months. I also get massively depressed and my sex drive goes in the toilet, so clearly the hormones and I don't like each other. I'm not sure if the weight gain is something to do with the pill itself or just that it shifts my hormones in such a way that my hunger signals increase and I ate more without realizing it - I didn't track food intake during that time in my life because I didn't have a need. So no hormonal methods anymore for me; at least condoms are cheap.

    I've heard before (I did a lot of research and spoke to my doctor because for a while there I was having libido issues) that when you take birth control pills they can alter your hormones in such a way that it lowers your sex drive. It was something about lessening the amount of testosterone in your body (which is apparently what determines how often you get horny).
  • dispatcher939
    dispatcher939 Posts: 75 Member
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    I have been on several different birth control pills, patches and shots. I only gained weight with the shot, the rest of them I couldn't take because they gave me migraines. I am now using the IUD as birth control and I have had no problem with gaining or losing weight with it.
  • trishacord
    trishacord Posts: 3 Member
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    I have been on BCP for several years. Your body will react differently to different pills. I had one that I, like you, gained weight immediately. I talked to my doctor about it and he switched me to a different medicine... It may be trial and error but at least there are options to which BCP you take!
  • bjg2993
    bjg2993 Posts: 107
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    It depends which one you're on - I'm on the combined pill (Microgynon) and have been for around 7 years, it certainly filled me out in the hips and bust when I first went on it but other than that nothing abnormal. My weight has fluctuated a lot over those years but that is a result of lifestyle choices.
  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
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    ive been taking it for 8 years now and havent gained weight per se, but im starting to think that its the cause of my water retention and the inability to lose the last 6-7 lbs.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Take a low estrogen pill. The lowest on the market is Loestrin (Junel). I've been on it for 5+ years and didn't gain any weight from it.
  • beachbodyproject
    beachbodyproject Posts: 47 Member
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    thank you everyone!!!! it has been very helpful!

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