Attn: WOMAN what birth controls are effective without rapid weight gain?
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Replies
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Wanted to add that Planned Parenthood has a really good compare/contrast section on their website: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/birth-control0
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IUD all the way! I tried the depo and gained over 60 pounds in less than 6 months. The pills I tried all made me crazy depressed, nauseous, and gain weight. I've now had both the paraguard and the mirena and they've been awesome. I liked the no-hormone aspect of the paraguard but I have really heavy periods and the paraguard made that even worse. With the mirena I had spotting off and on for about 6 months but after than I didn't have a single period until I had it removed. I had no trouble losing weight when I used an IUD.0
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kazaargrandcru wrote: »Condoms
this. zero side effects.
Other than constant UTIs for some women.0 -
kamakazeekim wrote: »kazaargrandcru wrote: »Condoms
this. zero side effects.
Other than constant UTIs for some women.
True
I haven't run into that, luckily. There are some that are supposed to cause fewer local reactions.
Also (unrelated to UTIs), there are some condoms that are extremely thin and barely noticeable.0 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
While I agree, almost all birth controls list unexplained weight gain in the side effects. All I'm wondering is how accurate that is.
Some have the potential to increase your appetite, but if you monitor your intake, and do it accurately, you should not have issues just because of birth control.
Except for the issue of living with unnecessary and distracting hunger...
Not really. It's not actual "hunger," it's more of a peckish feeling that can be easily overcome with another distraction (like exercise). Kind of like the cravings that one may get with that TOM. If you eat mindlessly, you can gain weight. If you monitor your intake and understand that you're not really hungry, you can easily stick to your deficit.
If you're really that much more hungry on birth control pills, then up your activity level and eat at a more modest deficit. It's not that hard to do, honestly.
Ok, then the physician monographs that describe weight gain as a thing that very often happens as a result of people taking BCP (whether it's because of increased "peckish feelings", lol are you kidding, or because of some alteration of metabolism) are just a fairy tale. Thanks for clearing things up!
I don't have this issue because I don't take that crap.
It was stated earlier in the thread that studies have shown that ~5 lbs can actually be attributed to hormonal birth control. The metabolic effect is not significant enough to cause massive weight gain, and no I'm not kidding. "Craving" =/= "hunger."
Also, hormonal birth control is not "crap." It has played a huge role in the sexual health and freedom of women for decades. Dismissing something like hormonal birth control as "crap" is offensive to the women who take it (for both gynecological health reasons and for pregnancy prevention).
*Edit: too many words
Yes, BC has played a role in women's sexual freedom, props to that. Yes, it is often recommended for reproductive issues, some people have to take it.
Does it involve risk of blood clot/stroke, psychological side effects, weight gain, bloating, etc etc, yes. I think it's crap, you can call it what you want.
You are moving the goal posts, big time.
There are side effects with any medication, and context has a lot to do with the risk of birth control, which is why going with your doctor's recommendations is the best idea for OP. Chances are, if you're over 45, a smoker, overweight with a genetic predisposition for blood clots, then hormonal BC may not be for you. There are ways to alleviate risks, and taking it under a doctor's supervision should not be an issue for most women.
Even the most benign medications have side effects/risks associated with them. Singling out something as beneficial (for many, many women) as hormonal birth control and calling it crap because it has *some* risk is ridiculous.
Can you explain why women are running in droves to BC options that involve much lower doses of hormones than BCPs, like the IUDs people are suggesting? It's because the BCP mostly sucks for most women.
Just because different hormones affect women differently does not mean the the pill in general "sucks for most women."
Also, convenience has a lot to do with switching to something like Implanon or Mirena. It's tough to remember to take a pill at the same time every day. Not taking the pill correctly increases a woman's chances of getting pregnant.0 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
While I agree, almost all birth controls list unexplained weight gain in the side effects. All I'm wondering is how accurate that is.
Some have the potential to increase your appetite, but if you monitor your intake, and do it accurately, you should not have issues just because of birth control.
Except for the issue of living with unnecessary and distracting hunger...
Not really. It's not actual "hunger," it's more of a peckish feeling that can be easily overcome with another distraction (like exercise). Kind of like the cravings that one may get with that TOM. If you eat mindlessly, you can gain weight. If you monitor your intake and understand that you're not really hungry, you can easily stick to your deficit.
If you're really that much more hungry on birth control pills, then up your activity level and eat at a more modest deficit. It's not that hard to do, honestly.
Ok, then the physician monographs that describe weight gain as a thing that very often happens as a result of people taking BCP (whether it's because of increased "peckish feelings", lol are you kidding, or because of some alteration of metabolism) are just a fairy tale. Thanks for clearing things up!
I don't have this issue because I don't take that crap.
It was stated earlier in the thread that studies have shown that ~5 lbs can actually be attributed to hormonal birth control. The metabolic effect is not significant enough to cause massive weight gain, and no I'm not kidding. "Craving" =/= "hunger."
Also, hormonal birth control is not "crap." It has played a huge role in the sexual health and freedom of women for decades. Dismissing something like hormonal birth control as "crap" is offensive to the women who take it (for both gynecological health reasons and for pregnancy prevention).
*Edit: too many words
Yes, BC has played a role in women's sexual freedom, props to that. Yes, it is often recommended for reproductive issues, some people have to take it.
Does it involve risk of blood clot/stroke, psychological side effects, weight gain, bloating, etc etc, yes. I think it's crap, you can call it what you want.
You are moving the goal posts, big time.
There are side effects with any medication, and context has a lot to do with the risk of birth control, which is why going with your doctor's recommendations is the best idea for OP. Chances are, if you're over 45, a smoker, overweight with a genetic predisposition for blood clots, then hormonal BC may not be for you. There are ways to alleviate risks, and taking it under a doctor's supervision should not be an issue for most women.
Even the most benign medications have side effects/risks associated with them. Singling out something as beneficial (for many, many women) as hormonal birth control and calling it crap because it has *some* risk is ridiculous.
Can you explain why women are running in droves to BC options that involve much lower doses of hormones than BCPs, like the IUDs people are suggesting? It's because the BCP mostly sucks for most women.
Just because different hormones affect women differently does not mean the the pill in general "sucks for most women."
Also, convenience has a lot to do with switching to something like Implanon or Mirena. It's tough to remember to take a pill at the same time every day. Not taking the pill correctly increases a woman's chances of getting pregnant.
Thank you for contributing to my argument.
Antibiotics can also diminish the effectiveness of the pill.0 -
Really differs from person to person. About 95% of the people I talk to HATE depo with a passion but I've honestly had no problems with it and was able to drop 12 pounds so far with it.0
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Have you tried the mini pill? Finding the right BC takes some exploration but I found I had no side effects (other than some spotting) on the mini pill. The combination pills would often have more side effects (which varied depending on the hormones in them) although I never gained weight while on any of them.
The only birth control method that was correlated with weight gain for me was the ParaGard. I can't say whether that was due to the constant ache in my uterus (that invariably made me work out less intensely) or if it was some sort of reaction to the copper. I just know that I gained 10lbs over the 8 months I had it. Placement was fine, no infections - my body just did not like it.0 -
marissafit06 wrote: »Mirena, but my strings poke my hub
This was my experience as well with the copper IUD.
You can have your OB cut the strings shorter...that's what mine did and my husband had no problems after that.
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Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
While I agree, almost all birth controls list unexplained weight gain in the side effects. All I'm wondering is how accurate that is.
Some have the potential to increase your appetite, but if you monitor your intake, and do it accurately, you should not have issues just because of birth control.
Except for the issue of living with unnecessary and distracting hunger...
Not really. It's not actual "hunger," it's more of a peckish feeling that can be easily overcome with another distraction (like exercise). Kind of like the cravings that one may get with that TOM. If you eat mindlessly, you can gain weight. If you monitor your intake and understand that you're not really hungry, you can easily stick to your deficit.
If you're really that much more hungry on birth control pills, then up your activity level and eat at a more modest deficit. It's not that hard to do, honestly.
Ok, then the physician monographs that describe weight gain as a thing that very often happens as a result of people taking BCP (whether it's because of increased "peckish feelings", lol are you kidding, or because of some alteration of metabolism) are just a fairy tale. Thanks for clearing things up!
I don't have this issue because I don't take that crap.
It was stated earlier in the thread that studies have shown that ~5 lbs can actually be attributed to hormonal birth control. The metabolic effect is not significant enough to cause massive weight gain, and no I'm not kidding. "Craving" =/= "hunger."
Also, hormonal birth control is not "crap." It has played a huge role in the sexual health and freedom of women for decades. Dismissing something like hormonal birth control as "crap" is offensive to the women who take it (for both gynecological health reasons and for pregnancy prevention).
*Edit: too many words
Yes, BC has played a role in women's sexual freedom, props to that. Yes, it is often recommended for reproductive issues, some people have to take it.
Does it involve risk of blood clot/stroke, psychological side effects, weight gain, bloating, etc etc, yes. I think it's crap, you can call it what you want.
You are moving the goal posts, big time.
There are side effects with any medication, and context has a lot to do with the risk of birth control, which is why going with your doctor's recommendations is the best idea for OP. Chances are, if you're over 45, a smoker, overweight with a genetic predisposition for blood clots, then hormonal BC may not be for you. There are ways to alleviate risks, and taking it under a doctor's supervision should not be an issue for most women.
Even the most benign medications have side effects/risks associated with them. Singling out something as beneficial (for many, many women) as hormonal birth control and calling it crap because it has *some* risk is ridiculous.
Can you explain why women are running in droves to BC options that involve much lower doses of hormones than BCPs, like the IUDs people are suggesting? It's because the BCP mostly sucks for most women.
Just because different hormones affect women differently does not mean the the pill in general "sucks for most women."
Also, convenience has a lot to do with switching to something like Implanon or Mirena. It's tough to remember to take a pill at the same time every day. Not taking the pill correctly increases a woman's chances of getting pregnant.
Thank you for contributing to my argument.
Antibiotics can also diminish the effectiveness of the pill.
How does my response contribute to your argument?
Many medications interfere with one another - doesn't mean that they shouldn't be taken under a doctor's supervision.
Grapefruit interferes with statins. I guess the people who rely on those medications to control their cholesterol levels should stop taking them because something can render them ineffective.0 -
britishbroccoli wrote: »I realize birth control itself is not going to cause significant weight gain. The purpose of this thread is to find out if people have actually experienced weight gain from birth control as many list it as a side effect.
Science says no, there's no connection between weight gain and hormonal birth control. Most of it is confirmation bias. Although many people claim it is a side effect, there is no scientific basis.
Patch/pill and weight gain: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18843652
Study on nocebo/confirmation bias: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21134497
Pill & Primates (pill actually assisting with weight loss by raising metabolic rate): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21126966
Adverse side effects/weight gain were the same/similar in placebo groups as in BC groups:
http://www.contraceptionjournal.org/article/S0010-7824(01)00208-6/abstract?cc=y
The most helpful for your question (on different types of birth control), this is a metastudy on a variety of BC methods across 49 trials. No impact on weight: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0012456/
This is awesome, thanks for posting these.0 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
While I agree, almost all birth controls list unexplained weight gain in the side effects. All I'm wondering is how accurate that is.
Some have the potential to increase your appetite, but if you monitor your intake, and do it accurately, you should not have issues just because of birth control.
Except for the issue of living with unnecessary and distracting hunger...
Not really. It's not actual "hunger," it's more of a peckish feeling that can be easily overcome with another distraction (like exercise). Kind of like the cravings that one may get with that TOM. If you eat mindlessly, you can gain weight. If you monitor your intake and understand that you're not really hungry, you can easily stick to your deficit.
If you're really that much more hungry on birth control pills, then up your activity level and eat at a more modest deficit. It's not that hard to do, honestly.
Ok, then the physician monographs that describe weight gain as a thing that very often happens as a result of people taking BCP (whether it's because of increased "peckish feelings", lol are you kidding, or because of some alteration of metabolism) are just a fairy tale. Thanks for clearing things up!
I don't have this issue because I don't take that crap.
It was stated earlier in the thread that studies have shown that ~5 lbs can actually be attributed to hormonal birth control. The metabolic effect is not significant enough to cause massive weight gain, and no I'm not kidding. "Craving" =/= "hunger."
Also, hormonal birth control is not "crap." It has played a huge role in the sexual health and freedom of women for decades. Dismissing something like hormonal birth control as "crap" is offensive to the women who take it (for both gynecological health reasons and for pregnancy prevention).
*Edit: too many words
Yes, BC has played a role in women's sexual freedom, props to that. Yes, it is often recommended for reproductive issues, some people have to take it.
Does it involve risk of blood clot/stroke, psychological side effects, weight gain, bloating, etc etc, yes. I think it's crap, you can call it what you want.
You are moving the goal posts, big time.
There are side effects with any medication, and context has a lot to do with the risk of birth control, which is why going with your doctor's recommendations is the best idea for OP. Chances are, if you're over 45, a smoker, overweight with a genetic predisposition for blood clots, then hormonal BC may not be for you. There are ways to alleviate risks, and taking it under a doctor's supervision should not be an issue for most women.
Even the most benign medications have side effects/risks associated with them. Singling out something as beneficial (for many, many women) as hormonal birth control and calling it crap because it has *some* risk is ridiculous.
Can you explain why women are running in droves to BC options that involve much lower doses of hormones than BCPs, like the IUDs people are suggesting? It's because the BCP mostly sucks for most women.
Just because different hormones affect women differently does not mean the the pill in general "sucks for most women."
Also, convenience has a lot to do with switching to something like Implanon or Mirena. It's tough to remember to take a pill at the same time every day. Not taking the pill correctly increases a woman's chances of getting pregnant.
Thank you for contributing to my argument.
Antibiotics can also diminish the effectiveness of the pill.
How does my response contribute to your argument?
Many medications interfere with one another - doesn't mean that they shouldn't be taken under a doctor's supervision.
Grapefruit interferes with statins. I guess the people who rely on those medications to control their cholesterol levels should stop taking them because something can render them ineffective.
Compliance issues (having to remember to take the pill every day) are another way BCPs suck.
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Ortho Evra patch - Ive been on it for almost 2 years. I love it because it is very convinient since I only have to worry about changing it once a week. It has helped so much with my acne and pms (tender boobs days before period). I did however gain about 10-15 lbs on it but I blame that on myself for neglecting my healthy eating and exercise routine. I was able to lose 12 pounds while on it recently by watching what I eat and light exercise such as walking.
I also want to mention I think it has a higher dose of hormones than the pill so idk if it will work for you. It was a little bit of hell for me the first day I applied because it gave me bad stomch aches but once my body got used to it I was fine. Also since its a patch you get a ring kindof the adhesive on your skin (it aint pretty lol) but thats why i stick on my butt cheeks lol the place that sees no daylight.
oh and it also made my boobs fuller wich can be good or bad.
Good luck on finding the perfect BC!0 -
I didn't read the entire thread, but I use Mirena and it hasn't had any affect on weight gain with me! I have never had a baby either, but I still use it!0
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Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
While I agree, almost all birth controls list unexplained weight gain in the side effects. All I'm wondering is how accurate that is.
Some have the potential to increase your appetite, but if you monitor your intake, and do it accurately, you should not have issues just because of birth control.
Except for the issue of living with unnecessary and distracting hunger...
Not really. It's not actual "hunger," it's more of a peckish feeling that can be easily overcome with another distraction (like exercise). Kind of like the cravings that one may get with that TOM. If you eat mindlessly, you can gain weight. If you monitor your intake and understand that you're not really hungry, you can easily stick to your deficit.
If you're really that much more hungry on birth control pills, then up your activity level and eat at a more modest deficit. It's not that hard to do, honestly.
Ok, then the physician monographs that describe weight gain as a thing that very often happens as a result of people taking BCP (whether it's because of increased "peckish feelings", lol are you kidding, or because of some alteration of metabolism) are just a fairy tale. Thanks for clearing things up!
I don't have this issue because I don't take that crap.
It was stated earlier in the thread that studies have shown that ~5 lbs can actually be attributed to hormonal birth control. The metabolic effect is not significant enough to cause massive weight gain, and no I'm not kidding. "Craving" =/= "hunger."
Also, hormonal birth control is not "crap." It has played a huge role in the sexual health and freedom of women for decades. Dismissing something like hormonal birth control as "crap" is offensive to the women who take it (for both gynecological health reasons and for pregnancy prevention).
*Edit: too many words
Yes, BC has played a role in women's sexual freedom, props to that. Yes, it is often recommended for reproductive issues, some people have to take it.
Does it involve risk of blood clot/stroke, psychological side effects, weight gain, bloating, etc etc, yes. I think it's crap, you can call it what you want.
You are moving the goal posts, big time.
There are side effects with any medication, and context has a lot to do with the risk of birth control, which is why going with your doctor's recommendations is the best idea for OP. Chances are, if you're over 45, a smoker, overweight with a genetic predisposition for blood clots, then hormonal BC may not be for you. There are ways to alleviate risks, and taking it under a doctor's supervision should not be an issue for most women.
Even the most benign medications have side effects/risks associated with them. Singling out something as beneficial (for many, many women) as hormonal birth control and calling it crap because it has *some* risk is ridiculous.
Can you explain why women are running in droves to BC options that involve much lower doses of hormones than BCPs, like the IUDs people are suggesting? It's because the BCP mostly sucks for most women.
Just because different hormones affect women differently does not mean the the pill in general "sucks for most women."
Also, convenience has a lot to do with switching to something like Implanon or Mirena. It's tough to remember to take a pill at the same time every day. Not taking the pill correctly increases a woman's chances of getting pregnant.
Thank you for contributing to my argument.
Antibiotics can also diminish the effectiveness of the pill.
How does my response contribute to your argument?
Many medications interfere with one another - doesn't mean that they shouldn't be taken under a doctor's supervision.
Grapefruit interferes with statins. I guess the people who rely on those medications to control their cholesterol levels should stop taking them because something can render them ineffective.
Compliance issues (having to remember to take the pill every day) are another way BCPs suck.
Your argument was that hormonal birth control was crap. Mirena, Implanon, Nuva Ring - these are all hormonal birth control that can be easier and more convenient for women to take than the pill.
If one can remember to take the pill every day and has no issues with compliance, then there is nothing wrong with them taking it. Many women have no issues with the pill. There are just many other methods of birth control these days.0 -
kamakazeekim wrote: »marissafit06 wrote: »Mirena, but my strings poke my hub
This was my experience as well with the copper IUD.
You can have your OB cut the strings shorter...that's what mine did and my husband had no problems after that.
Lol they were cut as short as they could go. Either way I got pregnant regardless. :laugh:0 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
While I agree, almost all birth controls list unexplained weight gain in the side effects. All I'm wondering is how accurate that is.
Some have the potential to increase your appetite, but if you monitor your intake, and do it accurately, you should not have issues just because of birth control.
Except for the issue of living with unnecessary and distracting hunger...
Not really. It's not actual "hunger," it's more of a peckish feeling that can be easily overcome with another distraction (like exercise). Kind of like the cravings that one may get with that TOM. If you eat mindlessly, you can gain weight. If you monitor your intake and understand that you're not really hungry, you can easily stick to your deficit.
If you're really that much more hungry on birth control pills, then up your activity level and eat at a more modest deficit. It's not that hard to do, honestly.
Ok, then the physician monographs that describe weight gain as a thing that very often happens as a result of people taking BCP (whether it's because of increased "peckish feelings", lol are you kidding, or because of some alteration of metabolism) are just a fairy tale. Thanks for clearing things up!
I don't have this issue because I don't take that crap.
It was stated earlier in the thread that studies have shown that ~5 lbs can actually be attributed to hormonal birth control. The metabolic effect is not significant enough to cause massive weight gain, and no I'm not kidding. "Craving" =/= "hunger."
Also, hormonal birth control is not "crap." It has played a huge role in the sexual health and freedom of women for decades. Dismissing something like hormonal birth control as "crap" is offensive to the women who take it (for both gynecological health reasons and for pregnancy prevention).
*Edit: too many words
Yes, BC has played a role in women's sexual freedom, props to that. Yes, it is often recommended for reproductive issues, some people have to take it.
Does it involve risk of blood clot/stroke, psychological side effects, weight gain, bloating, etc etc, yes. I think it's crap, you can call it what you want.
You are moving the goal posts, big time.
There are side effects with any medication, and context has a lot to do with the risk of birth control, which is why going with your doctor's recommendations is the best idea for OP. Chances are, if you're over 45, a smoker, overweight with a genetic predisposition for blood clots, then hormonal BC may not be for you. There are ways to alleviate risks, and taking it under a doctor's supervision should not be an issue for most women.
Even the most benign medications have side effects/risks associated with them. Singling out something as beneficial (for many, many women) as hormonal birth control and calling it crap because it has *some* risk is ridiculous.
Can you explain why women are running in droves to BC options that involve much lower doses of hormones than BCPs, like the IUDs people are suggesting? It's because the BCP mostly sucks for most women.
Just because different hormones affect women differently does not mean the the pill in general "sucks for most women."
Also, convenience has a lot to do with switching to something like Implanon or Mirena. It's tough to remember to take a pill at the same time every day. Not taking the pill correctly increases a woman's chances of getting pregnant.
Thank you for contributing to my argument.
Antibiotics can also diminish the effectiveness of the pill.
How does my response contribute to your argument?
Many medications interfere with one another - doesn't mean that they shouldn't be taken under a doctor's supervision.
Grapefruit interferes with statins. I guess the people who rely on those medications to control their cholesterol levels should stop taking them because something can render them ineffective.
Compliance issues (having to remember to take the pill every day) are another way BCPs suck.
Your argument was that hormonal birth control was crap. Mirena, Implanon, Nuva Ring - these are all hormonal birth control that can be easier and more convenient for women to take than the pill.
If one can remember to take the pill every day and has no issues with compliance, then there is nothing wrong with them taking it. Many women have no issues with the pill. There are just many other methods of birth control these days.
Yes, they are all hormonal birth control methods, many of which also have negative side effects comparable to the pill for some women. Just a little less.
I don't know why you care so much what I think about all this, but I'm flattered! Anyway, I'm out. Fight on!0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
As low as 74% effective? I don't think I'd take the chance.Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »CObluegrass wrote: »last year my doctor recommended vaginal contraceptive film and I'm now a big fan:
http://www.vcfcontraceptive.com/whatisvcf.html
We used those for a while. Super easy.
Good point. We did couple it with condoms around ovulation.
Then I switched to a diaphragm. Loved that.
yeah, I should have prefaced that with the fact that it took us 3.5 years of really actively trying to get pregnant after 10 years of using no birth control whatsoever, so we haven't been too concerned.
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Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
While I agree, almost all birth controls list unexplained weight gain in the side effects. All I'm wondering is how accurate that is.
Some have the potential to increase your appetite, but if you monitor your intake, and do it accurately, you should not have issues just because of birth control.
Except for the issue of living with unnecessary and distracting hunger...
Not really. It's not actual "hunger," it's more of a peckish feeling that can be easily overcome with another distraction (like exercise). Kind of like the cravings that one may get with that TOM. If you eat mindlessly, you can gain weight. If you monitor your intake and understand that you're not really hungry, you can easily stick to your deficit.
If you're really that much more hungry on birth control pills, then up your activity level and eat at a more modest deficit. It's not that hard to do, honestly.
Ok, then the physician monographs that describe weight gain as a thing that very often happens as a result of people taking BCP (whether it's because of increased "peckish feelings", lol are you kidding, or because of some alteration of metabolism) are just a fairy tale. Thanks for clearing things up!
I don't have this issue because I don't take that crap.
It was stated earlier in the thread that studies have shown that ~5 lbs can actually be attributed to hormonal birth control. The metabolic effect is not significant enough to cause massive weight gain, and no I'm not kidding. "Craving" =/= "hunger."
Also, hormonal birth control is not "crap." It has played a huge role in the sexual health and freedom of women for decades. Dismissing something like hormonal birth control as "crap" is offensive to the women who take it (for both gynecological health reasons and for pregnancy prevention).
*Edit: too many words
Yes, BC has played a role in women's sexual freedom, props to that. Yes, it is often recommended for reproductive issues, some people have to take it.
Does it involve risk of blood clot/stroke, psychological side effects, weight gain, bloating, etc etc, yes. I think it's crap, you can call it what you want.
You are moving the goal posts, big time.
There are side effects with any medication, and context has a lot to do with the risk of birth control, which is why going with your doctor's recommendations is the best idea for OP. Chances are, if you're over 45, a smoker, overweight with a genetic predisposition for blood clots, then hormonal BC may not be for you. There are ways to alleviate risks, and taking it under a doctor's supervision should not be an issue for most women.
Even the most benign medications have side effects/risks associated with them. Singling out something as beneficial (for many, many women) as hormonal birth control and calling it crap because it has *some* risk is ridiculous.
Can you explain why women are running in droves to BC options that involve much lower doses of hormones than BCPs, like the IUDs people are suggesting? It's because the BCP mostly sucks for most women.
Just because different hormones affect women differently does not mean the the pill in general "sucks for most women."
Also, convenience has a lot to do with switching to something like Implanon or Mirena. It's tough to remember to take a pill at the same time every day. Not taking the pill correctly increases a woman's chances of getting pregnant.
Thank you for contributing to my argument.
Antibiotics can also diminish the effectiveness of the pill.
How does my response contribute to your argument?
Many medications interfere with one another - doesn't mean that they shouldn't be taken under a doctor's supervision.
Grapefruit interferes with statins. I guess the people who rely on those medications to control their cholesterol levels should stop taking them because something can render them ineffective.
Compliance issues (having to remember to take the pill every day) are another way BCPs suck.
Your argument was that hormonal birth control was crap. Mirena, Implanon, Nuva Ring - these are all hormonal birth control that can be easier and more convenient for women to take than the pill.
If one can remember to take the pill every day and has no issues with compliance, then there is nothing wrong with them taking it. Many women have no issues with the pill. There are just many other methods of birth control these days.
Yes, they are all hormonal birth control methods, many of which also have negative side effects comparable to the pill for some women. Just a little less.
I don't know why you care so much what I think about all this, but I'm flattered! Anyway, I'm out. Fight on!
I personally don't care what you think about birth control, but understand that calling something "crap" that has improved the lives of so many is going to elicit some strong responses on a public forum. If you personally don't want to take it, who cares. However, if you don't want your strong opinion of it (which, IMO, comes from ignorance on the subject) to be countered, then maybe you should keep it to yourself.-1 -
And mirena hit me the worst. Funny how different we all are.Sandcastles61 wrote: »Mirena all the way for me.... Couldn't ever find a BC pill that didn't send me completely over the edge
The hormone is very low level and targeted. Everyone reacts differently to different things, but I haven't had a single issue.. Biggest bonus for me was no more TOM... And my gyn cut the strings short so my fella has never noticed a thing 
. Good luck0
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