P.C.O.SIS

Join

Birth control

LolaDeeDaisy23
LolaDeeDaisy23 Posts: 383 Member
in Social Groups
Anyone on birth control? Forgive me if you've seen my post on another thread, no one has answered. Hoping to get some answers here. I've been eating way, WAY over calories for the past two weeks. Averaging about 2,600 a day (yikes!) and I started taking birth control pills two weeks ago. Coincidence yes, no, maybe? I have PCOS and they're putting me on the pill to regulate my hormones before getting me started for my ivf transfer.
Sounds counterintuitive, I know. Wanting to get pregnant but they're first making me take birth control pills...

Replies

  • aSearch4Me
    aSearch4Me Posts: 397 Member
    So "they" (medical community) say that birth control doesn't directly lead to weight-gain, but I ALWAYS found that I had a ferocious appetite on BCP when I was on it for cycle-regulation for years (I was on Ortho Tricyclen Lo--this was long before I was ever diagnosed with PCOS). So in my personal experience, "Yes-- they can make you hungrier & eat more." If you are a lean PCOS'er, which I think you are if I remember correctly??...I wouldn't think a few weeks of higher calories would be THAT bad, especially if you're still paying attention to carb/sugar ratios?

    I've had several friends who have done different types of fertility cycles that have to go on a month (or more) of BCP to "reset their bodies" prior to treatments. It does seem counter-intuitive to take birth control when trying to conceive, but I know several people it's paid off for :smile: . Good luck!
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    I tend to be hungrier when starting pills (I was on as a teen, from 16 until trying to conceive, which was about 22-23). I was off of them until 34 or so, then gained while starting them again. What I have found to be the most indicative is where my hormone levels are while I'm taking the BCP. I was on OrthoTriLo- and that made me miserable as all get out. Contrary to everything I've read, I had to get on one that had more estrogen, and a slightly higher than lowest dosage to get level, but once I got level on my estrogen/progesterone/testosterone levels ON the BCP, the extra hunger and weight gain vanished...but that was also combining with a low carb dietary plan.

    For me, the key to keeping everything level is to keep my insulin levels and insulin resistance well managed, since insulin is a hormone (I realized this as a an annoying BFO a few weeks back). If your insulin is wacky, it can mess up the "sex" and endocrine hormones. If your sex/endocrine hormones are wacky, they can mess up your insulin. For me, finding a level-ish balance began with controlling my insulin levels...

    And taking the pills helps "level out" those crazy hormone inconsistencies which complicate conception. Someone said in another thread (the success one, I think) that TSH for thyroid has to be BELOW 2 for conception or for best chances at conception...and that's one of the endocrine levels, so leveling out hormones, blood sugar regulation, sex, and endocrine, it all seems to be part of that crazy cycle causing us all so much chaos...
  • ellielittlewood20
    ellielittlewood20 Posts: 19 Member
    I tried a few of the different brands or combined pills before my doctor had to take me off then because of other medical stuff, but they were absolutely fine in terms of appetite etc, and I had very few (if any) side effects. I then went onto a progesterone only pill (or the 'skinny pill') which made me really hungry and also meant I put on weight even when I wasn't eating much... I ended up putting on 10kg in about 8 weeks!! It leveled out though and is now fine, and have managed to loose 5kg of the weight I put on with relatively little trouble. Hope that helps :)

Categories