Ladies -- BC and weight gain?

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ybba12490
ybba12490 Posts: 252
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm about to start birth control pills- Trinessa- and I was prescribed the higher dosage. I have never taken BC pills before so I don't know how it will affect my weight. I've heard some women say that taking BC makes them gain weight, around 10 lbs, so I was curious as to how it affected everyone else? Granted our bodies are all different, I was just wondering what to expect! Obviously I don't want to gain weight but it's better than a screaming baby IMO, haha, so I'm willing to take the "risk"

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  • jennapony
    jennapony Posts: 73 Member
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    There is some debate about whether the pill makes you gain weight. There have been studies that show most women gain weight the first four years they are on the pill, but that doesn't necesserily prove causation. Some doctors think the weight gain is a coincidence, as most women go on the pill at an age that women commonly put on a few pounds anyway.
    Sorry I couldn't clear things up more
  • jennapony
    jennapony Posts: 73 Member
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    And yeah, it is definetely worth the risk haha
  • ashahl
    ashahl Posts: 81
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    I was worried about that as well when I started the pill but it has only ever had positive effects for me. It didn't affect my weight at all but it did regulate my period ( I now know when I'm going to get it, never have to wonder!) and I almost never get zits anymore. I'm not sure how it will react for you but it's been great for me :)
  • cathymrichards
    cathymrichards Posts: 1
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    I think it depends on the type of birth control - the coil definitely makes you put on weight and can be up to 28 lbs! I think you should check the risks on the pack and ask your doctor. Hope this helps.
  • rharris86dc
    rharris86dc Posts: 635 Member
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    I have been on a few different pills over the years, and they have all affected me differently. I personally didn't notice any weight gain, but I was already big anyway, lol. For me, the side affects that altered my mood were the worst. You can always lose weight, but if the pill is making you a raging B (like I was, lol), there's not much you can do but try something else.

    Sorry this didn't really address the issue, but it seems like you're doing great with your weight loss as it is, and I'm sure you could adjust your workouts and whatnot if you do notice a significant gain.

    Good luck!
  • tinboy
    tinboy Posts: 121 Member
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    I didn't notice that I gained weight, other than being bloated when I was near and during my cycle. I did become irritable and cranky.:indifferent:
  • maryloo2011
    maryloo2011 Posts: 446
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    Never heard of Trinessa, but am curious to the responses.

    I was on Yasmin then Yaz (I think they got bought out or underwent a company change?) for a combined total of 10 years and it did not affect my weight directly. Also, i skipped the placebos every other month as per the recommendation of my gyno so I got my period every other month instead of every month.
  • LYNNPETTY93
    LYNNPETTY93 Posts: 61
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    If you are having a cycle every month, then you won't have any problems.
    My 16 year old is on BC doctor orders due to 2 weeks to 2-1/2 weeks toms to control her tom.
    She is on a 3 month supply, and has only a week now of a cycle and goes back to her 3 months and break for a week for a cycle again.

    She gets maybe 3 cycles maybe even 4 a year. It just depends, and her weight gain has leveled out. My child use to be OVERWEIGHT before going and lost weight because of the pills I think... But she does get bloated for about a week.

    For 4'9 and 104 pounds.. The doctors advice was for her to drink 8oz of water when she takes the pill and 64 oz of water a day to keep her from retaining water, and she walks brisk walk 2 to 3 days a week with me. So, if you stay active I think you won't have a problem gaining weight.

    On the other hand. I've heard bad weight gains stories coming from ladies who takes the shot..
    But my niece is on the shot and is 16 years old.. And she did gain 10lbs.. Brisk walking with my daughter has changed that.
    And when she gets her "TOM" she craves everything that is carb loaded.. So does my daughter.

    I would not worry. Just stay active while you are on the pill... Keep your body moving and drink water to flush your system..

    EDIT my daughter is on Jolessa..
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    I did gain a little back when I started, but I don't remember it being too much.

    Though, my company switched insurance providers this year and I just had to go through getting my BC prescription transferred over and it was a mess. I'm currenly having to take a totally new version of the BC I've been on for years due to thenew company messing stuff up with the transfer. And while I'd been on a steady loss trend (not a lot each week right now, but still a loss) I've noticed that my belly pooch that was going away finally is very prominently back and I did a mid-week check weigh today and I was up, by a couple of pounds. So I'll be happy when I get this pack finished and can get back to my regular prescription.
  • sbrake
    sbrake Posts: 25
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    no weight gain for me. I am on Levora. this is the second pill I've tried and this one is awesome for me. no mood swings either. the first one I tried gave me serious mood swings lol.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    Just checked what the interim pill pack is. It's Trinessa.

    Fair warning, the first three days I was taking this pill I had near uncontrollable munchies. I chewed a lot of gum between snacks and meals those days to stop me from eating the entire day. I've also been a bit mood swingy this last week or so (it's my second full week on the pack). But I don't know if that's from work issues messing with my mood or the pills.

    But the stomach pooch is definitely back. The pants are a bit tighter around that area and I even got the hubby to admit that the pooch was there. Counting down the days to when I'm back on my normal pills. Every person is different though. And these are your first pills, so you may have totally different reactions. If you do have a bad time with it, you can try Tri-Sprintec. It's a generic for the same brand so you should be able to swap over and I found that I had the fewest side-effects (none, if any) with those. I've had others make me seriously ill, super mood swingy and majorly tender lymph areas (and breasts). But the Tri-Sprintec never gave me any issues.
  • Limeinthecoconut
    Limeinthecoconut Posts: 234 Member
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    According to my doctor, it is a coincidence. I was on the Pill for 1.5 years, while I was in a relationship. I didn't seem to gain weight because of the pill, although I had horrible stomach pains for the first week of taking it. When I stopped, I didn't get my period back for 3 months. Boy, that was scary! I stopped taking it because I got sick of it and I'm no longer in a relationship. No noticeable weight loss until I started to actually put some effort into it (start of the year).

    In my humble opinion (and my doctor's) people who go on the pill and are in a stable relationship at the time gain weight because they are comfortable, and happy. When happy, we eat and don't exercise as much, mostly because we're too busy spending time with a certain someone. :)

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