Birth control and losing weight?!

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  • court_alacarte
    court_alacarte Posts: 219 Member
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    i've been on generic seasonique for approximately 7 years. when i'm determined to lose weight, it comes off. just tell your doctor the problems you've had in the past and they should be able to suggest something for you. the only real horror stories i've heard about contraception was pertaining to the depo shot.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    The pill itself won't make you gain weight (save maybe some water weight) but can change your hormones to increase/decrease your appetite. Just watch what you're eating and you'll be fine.
  • Jkj95
    Jkj95 Posts: 64 Member
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    In my experience it only makes a difference if you're not tracking. It can increase your appetite and make you eat more without realizing if you're not paying attention, but it shouldn't make you gain weight while eating the same amount of calories as before.
  • YoshiCow
    YoshiCow Posts: 77 Member
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    I've been on 4 different BC.

    1. Combined pill - only a month, but gained 6lbs think that was mostly down to the food I was eating at my boyfriends place.
    2. Patch - I loved this as it was convenient and felt like I had no side effects. Managed to put on around 30lbs in the two years I was on it. Again, could be down to the food I was eating.
    3. Progestogen only pill - put on 2lbs in the 6 months I was on it, but towards the end (last month or so) I managed to lose 8lbs.
    4. Recently (4 days ago) I've gone onto Nexplanon implant. I can feel my appetite has increased, but I think thats down to carrying on with the pill so technically getting a double dose of progestogen. This time instead of snacking on crisps, I'll grab some nuts, seeds. and I'll stay within my calorie goal.

    My friend has been on depo, but a bit of weight on, but again she says its most probably down to being around her ex boyfriend.
  • LiftAndBalance
    LiftAndBalance Posts: 960 Member
    edited December 2014
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    maryjanexo wrote: »
    aribeiro659 wrote: »
    Is it a Gynecologist or a general practice doctor who wants to put you on birth control? My suggestion is get a referral to an Endocrinologists (which is a doctor who specializes in over or under production of hormones as well as other hormonal imbalances. At a minimum you should have a hormone panel done just to find out where your levels are before starting to mess with them. Years ago I ended up in medication induced menopause because a doctor thought putting me on hormones was a good idea (I was only 27 at the time and it took years for me to get back to "normal")

    It was a gyno although he did not take a blood test to test my hormone levels.. he simply went by what my symptoms were and he did an ultrasound to check if nothing was wrong in those parts.

    Hormonal contraceptives make my thyroid go completely crazy so I guess I'm somewhat biased but please get an appointment with a good endocrinologist. Gyns really aren't the right doctor to see about that kind of hormonal issues and it's not part of their training. If your hormones are out of whack, you need to see an endocrinologist before just shutting down everything with artificial hormones. Chances are that the pill won't solve anything—in the best case, it'll cover up whatever issues you might have and once you stop taking it, they'll be back in full force. In the worst case, it can mess up everything.
    kangaroux92 wrote: »
    dont do the depo shot my friend gained like 20-30 pounds i turned it down for that reason.

    i have secondary amenorrhea since i was 14. if i dont take birth control i dont get my period. i struggle because i hate taking the pill i always forget to take it and lets face it having your period sucks.

    so i go on and off with it, the longest ill go without my period is 6 months then ill go on the pill for a couple months, then stop. its unhealthy but god when you never had a period growing up its like you won the lottery why mess with it. but i recently learned it affects your bones not having it.

    i didnt know, no doctor every told me why its important to have your period. i think im going on 3 months now without it now :(

    Have you also seen an endocrinologist about this to figure out the reason for your amenorrhoea and see if it can be fixed? You realise that the pill doesn't really make you get your period, right?
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    edited December 2014
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    The first 60lbs I lost were when I was taking estrogen BCP, it did not affect me / my ability to lose weight in the least.
  • Arkwoman1990
    Arkwoman1990 Posts: 7 Member
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    misskittyninja wrote: »
    Arkwoman1990 wrote: »
    @misskittyninja, even the people who ate healthy and exercised still gained weight while on BC so your GP was wrong. Birth control can make you gain weight no matter what. Some people are just lucky though. I weighed 134 all my high school yrs, ate what i wanted and didn't gain a pound after i graduated i got on the Depo and gained like 20 lbs

    Luck...has nothing to do with it.

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    There is no science in what you just said. If they didn't weigh the foods they ate "eating healthy and exercising" isn't going to stop weight gain if they still eat more calories.

    Eating healthy foods doesn't = weight loss... If you ate 8000 calories worth of "Healthy food" You're going to gain weight. You need a calorie deficit.

    As for " I weighed 134 all my high school yrs, ate what i wanted and didn't gain a pound after i graduated i got on the Depo and gained like 20 lb" Then that might be because you started eating more if your appetite was increased by the BC.." I'd imagine you didn't weigh your foods or count the calories.

    Do some research on increased appetite with the use of hormonal BC. No magic or luck here. Depending on the type of BC and the individual, they might have increased appetite, raise insulin levels or even fluid retention. If you are gaining weight on ANY medication, you should see your GP.

    Moment I started counting my calories, weighing all my foods.. The weight came off. I gained a good 100lbs over a few years with BC and mixed medications.

    My appetite actually didn't increase...at all. Everyones bodies are different and react differently to the depo.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Arkwoman1990 wrote: »

    My appetite actually didn't increase...at all. Everyones bodies are different and react differently to the depo.

    The doctors do not know why but you are correct. On the combo that I was reading about the odds are about 50/50 if one will lose/gain weight. Again the WHY is not known yet other than like you said everyone's body is different.

  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I did not even read a single post on here, because its too many and I don't have time, BUT MY experience with the pill was nothing but negative!! I felt like crap, I had 14 of 30 days bleeding, cravings...NO weight loss. This was also true when I was YOUNG, like 18-20! I gained 40# in like 6 months for cravings and excessive hunger. My OBGYN was a man and didn't believe me!! I threw the pills in the garbage and I LOST! Mind you I was a busy college student with a full time waitressing job and I ran for fun and swam for college gym! I was not lazy!
  • dexlyn813
    dexlyn813 Posts: 84 Member
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    Been on depo three years. Losing weight just fine. I believe it just might just give an increase appetite which makes you eat more which in turn gain weight.
  • Arkwoman1990
    Arkwoman1990 Posts: 7 Member
    edited December 2014
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    dexlyn813 wrote: »
    Been on depo three years. Losing weight just fine. I believe it just might just give an increase appetite which makes you eat more which in turn gain weight.

    Everyones bodies are different and react differently. Some gain, some don't and some lose. It has nothing to do with an increase in appetite because when i was on it my appetite stayed the same but i still gained.

    Why most people say its appetite increase when a person gains weight from the depo is beyond me. Everyone is DIFFERENT.

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