Can birth control KEEP you from LOSING weight?

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  • vienna_h
    vienna_h Posts: 428 Member
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    I don't think there is any evidence that the pill itself can make you gain or not be able to lose weight, but that doesn't mean the pill and weight gain aren't linked. They can be linked because the pill changes your appetite, and that in turn influences your weight. Obviously, the pharmaceutical companies don't want weight gain to be a side effect of the pill because women would stop buying it.

    But many women report gaining weight while on the pill. Is it because of the hormones, because of increased appetite, just a coincidence, etc? Who knows. And it seems everyone reacts differently to different pills. One personmight get depression on one pill while someone feels normal, one pill may cause acne in one person and reduce it in another... it's trial and error unfortunately.

    I started taking Loestrin after my surgery last year and gained 15 lbs. Was it the Loestrin? Maybe. But my cortisol levels spiked up for months, so that is likely the culprit. Now my cortisol is coming back down to normal, but I'm on both Loestrin and Minera (I'll eventually stop taking the Loestrin) and despite my best efforts I've yet to lose the weight I gained. So maybe it is the birth control. But Loestrin hasn't affected my appetite at all. Then again, I don't take "off days" I take it continuously and don't get my period. And I've taken other BC pills in the past (Alesse, Yazmine, Diane-35, Nuvaring) as well as a copper IUD. None of those affected my weight, They affected my mood and boobs, but not my weight or appetite.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
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    Well I gained 20 lbs after being on the pills for a year. But I realized it's not the pill itself putting the weight on me, but my caloric intake has increased dramatically due to the increase in appetite.
  • sc9576
    sc9576 Posts: 47 Member
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    I read the leaflet on side effects that I was given with my depo injection and it says that studies have proven it can cause weight gain but I think it just means I need to do more exercise to fight it
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
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    It's possible.

    It screws up your hormones horrifically so gaining weight and/or becoming stagnant with your weight doesn't surprise me.
  • spfldpam
    spfldpam Posts: 738 Member
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    I asked my ob/gyn about this since I'm on the depo shot and had read & heard weight gain is an issue with it. The shot itself won't make you gain weight but its what you eat that will. So if you watch what you eat and honestly log daily it won't be an issue.
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
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    I was on depo for 9 months and lost about 30 pounds... I was also on the pill before having my son and I lost about 45 pounds on it...
    I was consciously dieting both those times so I'm not sure if having increased appetite was me eating less than maintainence or caused by the hormones.
  • jennacorey1296
    jennacorey1296 Posts: 1
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    I have been on the depo shot for almost a year and a half and have gained between 20 and 30 pounds :'(
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    I gained weight on BC and lost boyfriends (because it made me crazy). That said, unless you are %100 sure you don't want kids ever and can find a doctor that will tie or cut your tubes, it's the only game in town.

    Sorry bout that.

    I got fixed as quick as I could get insurance to cover it and lied to the doctor who performed the surgery about my engagement status (I wasn't!).
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
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    5 pound in 5 weeks is great! It's a definitely perfect result, and seeing as you aren't big and you're only trying to lose 15 pounds, you can't expect for more. You don't put on 15 lbs in 5 weeks, you can't expect to lose them in 5 weeks.

    Anyhow, the pill doesn't actively make anyone fat or anything of the sort. It might, however, give you cravings, which make you eat, which makes you gain weight.
  • AmyWininger
    AmyWininger Posts: 150 Member
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    I've been on Mononessa since March and it made me really bloated. It increased my appetite and of course I gained, and started college, so more gaining. I do believe it causes difficulty in me to actually lose the weight though. I'm strictly watching my food intake now and tracking my macros, and no weight loss. Mononessa has greatly increased my anxiety as well, to the point where I get the strangest anxiety attacks and can't sleep at night. I scheduled an appointment with a doctor to switch me to something else, only problem is I have no idea what to switch over to. I was thinking a lower estrogen pill, or an IUD. :/
  • Ajaxlost
    Ajaxlost Posts: 46 Member
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    In my experience, birth control affects different people in different ways. My identical twin sister and I went on the same type of birth control. Her body handled it well (only small amount of bloat) while I had an absolutely horrible experience. Lost my hair, gained so much belly bloat that I looked pregnant, and more.
  • Ajaxlost
    Ajaxlost Posts: 46 Member
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    Irish_eyes75 wrote: »
    I had the Mirena IUD a few years back and it made me incredibly bloated. So bloated it looked like I swallowed a basketball whole. I was taking 3 spin classes a week, kickboxing once a week and walking every day. I was also logging my food in the daily plate. So what was being put in my mouth was definitely not the cause! My doctor looked me in the face and said it couldn't possibly be from the Mirena without even taking the time to talk to me and really listen. Take my advice and research the birth control you're on. I found a forum of women who weren't crazy, weren't all fat a$$es and had the same exact experience I had. I was so upset I almost tore the IUD out myself. I printed out pages and pages of other women's experiences and brought it to my doctor then asked her for my records, and never saw her again. I was back to normal a few days after the IUD was taken out.

    So all the research, studies and papers written are all well and good but real women with real experiences are just as relevant.
    If you've ruled out everything else, you're honest with yourself about what you're eating and how much you're exercising, then re-evaluating your bc is definitely something you should do.

    I had the same experience with the Mirena but also had severe hair loss and mood swings. The nurses and Doc just looked at me like I was crazy but took it out anyways. I felt almost immediate relief. My sister had zero issues from it so she didn't even believe me.
  • bethouiseevans
    bethouiseevans Posts: 41 Member
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    Oh jesus I am getting a Mirena fitted tomorrow because I react badly to pills 0_o now I am worried.
  • mallory_2014
    mallory_2014 Posts: 173 Member
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    Birth control does not make you gain fat. Until your body gets used to it you can hold onto a bit of extra water weight. Far too often people use birth control as an excuse about why they are gaining or why they aren't losing. A pill cannot make you gain fat. Due to the hormones in the pill it can make you feel hungrier or make you feel more tired leading to less moving and possibly more eating. The pill itself does not make you gain.

    Do not compare your losses to anyone else. You won't lose the same as someone else. I can guarantee you and your friend are not the exact same weight, same muscle mass, exact same eating, and exact same daily activity. You are getting some good losses.
  • UnicornAmanda
    UnicornAmanda Posts: 294 Member
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    Weight gain is a side effect for many of the pills. Talk to your dr.

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