Ladies, a BCP question...

I'd wait it out a month or two, but if you are still noticing the side effect, go back to your Dr. and see if you can try another pill with less side effects. It took me a while to find the right one for me, but I am so glad I didn't stick with the first Rx I got - they made me a rage-aholic! Now I am using my normal Rx, which does not affect my mood.

Hope this helps!

I know different brands of pills have different effects. Some can cause you to gain, lose, have irregular periods, increase in appetite. I have had to switch my brand 3 times until I found one that didn't have any side effects on me. I've been on mine for a few years now. I'm sure the side effects of pills vary for each person. I would definitely talk to your doctor if it continues.

Hello ladies! I get this question a lot from women (I am a pharmacist) and I am by no means an expert, but there really isn't any conclusive evidence out there for this subject. I will tell you what I know.

Women may experience a slight "water weight" gain shortly after starting the pill because birth control pills can alter your water metabolism. This is usually a cyclic effect that often begins in the first month as a result of an increase in sodium. Reducing your salt intake moderately can help control this type of water retention. The estrogen in the pill can also cause weight gain due to increased breast, hip, or thigh tissue, usually after several months on the pill. This causes swollen ankles, breast tenderness, discomfort with contact lenses, or a weight gain of up to five pounds.

The mechanism of action is probably direct stimulation by the estrogen in pills of kidney substances called renin-angiotensin that cause water retention. The water retention then causes sodium (salt) retention. A lower estrogen level pill, e.g., 20 mcg, will help reduce weight gain due to fluid retention. This was confirmed in a more recent study with 30 mcg pills in which there was essentially no difference in weight gain or weight loss between the placebo group and the oral contraceptive group. Again, however, 30% of these women had a weight gain of more than 1 lb but the net result was the same in the control group. Those who did have weight gain had increased fat but no difference in fluid retention amounts indicating that fluid weight gain may be less of a problem with the newer, lower estrogen pills.

There have been reports through the years, in higher dose estrogen pills, of adverse effects on insulin resistance. Even recent studies seem to indicate that current pills can raise insulin levels. Insulin resistance is a condition in which insulin levels rise in response to carbohydrates and drive all energy into the fat cells and essentially prevent weight loss even with dieting.

Not all women are susceptible to insulin resistance and thus not all women gain weight using oral contraceptives. Those that have a tendency to abnormal glucose metabolism may be the ones who gain weight. If a woman gains weight upon starting oral contraceptives and there are not other explanations, she should be checked out for possible insulin resistance. (If you gain more than 5% of your total weight when starting BCP, you should get checked by a doctor.)

What can you do if you have weight gain on the pills?
Using the lowest possible estrogen containing birth control pill should minimize weight gain and swelling from water retention. Current 20 mcg pills which are the lowest estrogen doses available are:
Alesse
Levlite
Loestrin-Fe
Mircette
Or of course you could continue with the Progesterone only pills (Micronor, Ovrette, Nor-QD)

Hope this helps