B.C stunted metabolism, what can help?

actualbettycrocker
actualbettycrocker Posts: 195 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I went to my doctor yesterday and asked if maybe I was having issues with my metabolism, I had tracked a month (before I fell off the wagon because of finals and projects) and would be consuming 1000-1200 per day. He asked me if I was taking any medications at the time and I told him I was on contraception at the time but I stopped about a month ago because I was experiencing serious side effects. He said it was probably that and it was gonna take a bit for it to leave my system. I believe him about it because my hair is still falling out which started from the medication.

Is there anything I can do to assist that? Or can I only wait it out? I finally got back to my routine this week so I'm hoping that'll be it.

Replies

  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
    I would have a workup like thyroid, vitamin levels, hematocrit, anything like that which could be responsible for those symptoms.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    Hair loss shouldn't be a side effect of birth control. You may want to talk to your doctor again (or another doctor) about the full set of specific symptoms you've been experiencing. There may be something else going on. (Hair loss *is* a side effect of giving birth - but that's because you stop shedding for most of the pregnancy so your body is just "catching up". Not really relevant here.)

    Birth control shouldn't slow your metabolism; it makes people gain weight (sometimes) by making them hungry all the time thereby making it incredibly difficult to control caloric intake - but not by depressing the metabolism. I'm not saying it's totally impossible that you had a really bad reaction to a particular medication; it sounds like you did - but this set of symptoms is unusual enough that it should have made your doctor want to follow up.

    My hair started falling out after I stopped Yasmin 3 years ago and took 6 months to normalize, but I agree the low calories are to blame for metabolism issues and not the pill.

    OP, are you using a food scale? If yes, why are you eating so little?
  • actualbettycrocker
    actualbettycrocker Posts: 195 Member
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    Hair loss shouldn't be a side effect of birth control. You may want to talk to your doctor again (or another doctor) about the full set of specific symptoms you've been experiencing. There may be something else going on. (Hair loss *is* a side effect of giving birth - but that's because you stop shedding for most of the pregnancy so your body is just "catching up". Not really relevant here.)

    Birth control shouldn't slow your metabolism; it makes people gain weight (sometimes) by making them hungry all the time thereby making it incredibly difficult to control caloric intake - but not by depressing the metabolism. I'm not saying it's totally impossible that you had a really bad reaction to a particular medication; it sounds like you did - but this set of symptoms is unusual enough that it should have made your doctor want to follow up.

    The one I was taking was known to cause hair loss so that's why I thought it was that. The side effects were really weird. Hair loss, my depression and mood swings were the worst I've ever had, and the weight gain. :(

    Thanks for letting me know, I'll try to find a different doctor to consult me about that. This doctor doesn't seem to really listen to anything I say. Thank you for the info!!
  • actualbettycrocker
    actualbettycrocker Posts: 195 Member
    gothchiq wrote: »
    I would have a workup like thyroid, vitamin levels, hematocrit, anything like that which could be responsible for those symptoms.

    I had my thyroid checked out months ago because my mother had really bad issues with hers maybe I should get it tested again and my vitamin levels. Thanks for bringing that up! I forgot to consider my thyroid about this.
  • actualbettycrocker
    actualbettycrocker Posts: 195 Member
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    Hair loss shouldn't be a side effect of birth control. You may want to talk to your doctor again (or another doctor) about the full set of specific symptoms you've been experiencing. There may be something else going on. (Hair loss *is* a side effect of giving birth - but that's because you stop shedding for most of the pregnancy so your body is just "catching up". Not really relevant here.)

    Birth control shouldn't slow your metabolism; it makes people gain weight (sometimes) by making them hungry all the time thereby making it incredibly difficult to control caloric intake - but not by depressing the metabolism. I'm not saying it's totally impossible that you had a really bad reaction to a particular medication; it sounds like you did - but this set of symptoms is unusual enough that it should have made your doctor want to follow up.

    My hair started falling out after I stopped Yasmin 3 years ago and took 6 months to normalize, but I agree the low calories are to blame for metabolism issues and not the pill.

    OP, are you using a food scale? If yes, why are you eating so little?

    Yeah, I'm a cook so I always keep one around. I was trying to teach myself control but I sucked at it. :(
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    Yeah, there is no one size fit all that relates to side effects and how our bodies react to medications. I agree that you can get some blood work, but I wouldn't rule out that your body is having a bad reaction to the pills and causing hair loss. I have heard horrible stories about one person's reaction to a particular BC while another was fine.

    BC pills can wreak havoc on our bodies. You would be surprised at some of the side effects.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    Just FYI- I just read something that stated that few of us are aware that contraceptives are a common trigger of hair loss. Many of us may just be lay-persons and not members of the medical profession. Just follow what your doctor said if you are comfortable with that.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    actualbettycrocker wrote: »
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    Hair loss shouldn't be a side effect of birth control. You may want to talk to your doctor again (or another doctor) about the full set of specific symptoms you've been experiencing. There may be something else going on. (Hair loss *is* a side effect of giving birth - but that's because you stop shedding for most of the pregnancy so your body is just "catching up". Not really relevant here.)

    Birth control shouldn't slow your metabolism; it makes people gain weight (sometimes) by making them hungry all the time thereby making it incredibly difficult to control caloric intake - but not by depressing the metabolism. I'm not saying it's totally impossible that you had a really bad reaction to a particular medication; it sounds like you did - but this set of symptoms is unusual enough that it should have made your doctor want to follow up.

    My hair started falling out after I stopped Yasmin 3 years ago and took 6 months to normalize, but I agree the low calories are to blame for metabolism issues and not the pill.

    OP, are you using a food scale? If yes, why are you eating so little?

    Yeah, I'm a cook so I always keep one around. I was trying to teach myself control but I sucked at it. :(

    When you don't have an aggressive calorie deficit it's easier to have control :)

    Also, focusing on satiating foods is very important for me:

    Understanding satiety: feeling full after a meal

    ...Tips on how to feel fuller

    So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:
    1. Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
    2. If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
    3. Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
    4. Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
    5. The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.

    Read more: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    BreezeDoveal wrote: »
    Hair loss and problems lossing weight? Yeah, it sounds like you damaged your metabolism so low calories. You should up your calories, but try to make sure they come only from whole foods, and avoid any you might have had issues with in the past even if they're whole.

    No, no and no. Ignore this.
  • actualbettycrocker
    actualbettycrocker Posts: 195 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    actualbettycrocker wrote: »
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    Hair loss shouldn't be a side effect of birth control. You may want to talk to your doctor again (or another doctor) about the full set of specific symptoms you've been experiencing. There may be something else going on. (Hair loss *is* a side effect of giving birth - but that's because you stop shedding for most of the pregnancy so your body is just "catching up". Not really relevant here.)

    Birth control shouldn't slow your metabolism; it makes people gain weight (sometimes) by making them hungry all the time thereby making it incredibly difficult to control caloric intake - but not by depressing the metabolism. I'm not saying it's totally impossible that you had a really bad reaction to a particular medication; it sounds like you did - but this set of symptoms is unusual enough that it should have made your doctor want to follow up.

    My hair started falling out after I stopped Yasmin 3 years ago and took 6 months to normalize, but I agree the low calories are to blame for metabolism issues and not the pill.

    OP, are you using a food scale? If yes, why are you eating so little?

    Yeah, I'm a cook so I always keep one around. I was trying to teach myself control but I sucked at it. :(

    When you don't have an aggressive calorie deficit it's easier to have control :)

    Also, focusing on satiating foods is very important for me:

    Understanding satiety: feeling full after a meal

    ...Tips on how to feel fuller

    So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:
    1. Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
    2. If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
    3. Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
    4. Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
    5. The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.

    Read more: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html

    Woah. Thanks for all of this!!!!!!!! :smiley:

Categories