Had to buy bigger clothes...

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Replies

  • naomi8888
    naomi8888 Posts: 519 Member
    Do you strength train? Maybe having some muscle mass will help your metabolism?
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
    edited April 2019
    On another thread several people were discussing weight gain with IUDs. Whatever causes it, these were long time MFP users who had no trouble maintaining until they got the IUD, gained a noticeable amount of weight in a short time, then lost it without difficulty when it was removed. For some a different variety of IUD did not cause the weight gain. Some felt they were eating more because the hormones made them constantly hungry, others felt they were eating as before but gaining weight, but regardless, getting rid of the IUD solved the problem. So if you do feel this is the cause of your issues, it may be worth exploring other birth control.

    Thanks for sharing this. It just dawned on me my Mirena could be why I'm always hungry and why I'm steadily gaining over time. I always figured the fault was mine, even though I weigh and log everything down to my vitamins. It was so frustrating that I kinda gave up for a while. When you keep hearing CICO is the end all be all, it's easy to overlook other causes.

    The OP stated her age before. Should she opt for something like Paraguard, and it works for her, she'll have a real winner. The way this works is, that for women in their 40s, a new one of these will likely be the very last one they'll ever need. Statistically, when it's 10 years are up, it will not likely be 'needed' considering the woman's age, and it'll just stay in until post menopause. I'm guessing, doctors don't make as much money on it.... My niece had the same weight gain issues with the Mirena. Hormones made her hungry as well. Her body didn't cope with the copper, and she found an entirely different option, involving her hubby. Snip...
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member
    Libby283 wrote: »
    I eat the same as I always have and gained the weight. You can see on my progress chart the steady climb.
    I showed my doctor. He did agree that it does appear to be a steady 50 lb gain every time I get an iud and a 50 lb decrease when it expires.
    He tested my hormones and said it was all normal so he does not see how the iud causes it.
    I am 40 and not yet menopausal. I don’t want to take chances on an unwanted pregnancy. We struggled with finding birth control that prevented pregnancy. The iud works in that area

    Yay, another doctor who treats the labs and not the patient! Yay!

    [/snark]

    Seriously, get a Paragard IUD then. The Paragard was here before the Mirena and it works, just no progestin like the Mirena. You'll likely have heavier bleeding, longer bleeding, and uterine cramping with but there will be no exogenous hormones to argue with such a MD/DO if they are/are not affecting you systemically.

    He will balk because of the cost of the IUD in removing it/replacing it, but it's really not his choice. Go to a Planned Parenthood if you have to for removal if he continues to refuse, and you won't fire him over it, and you are not comfortable removing yourself to force the replacement without his input.

    Is that the copper one? I can’t have it because of the heavy bleeding. We are treating anemia as well. I am not anemic when I don’t get heavy periods.

    At this point I would cut it all out but he seems to feel like that is an issue with me being only 40 with hormones and stuff.
  • BecomingMoreAwesome
    BecomingMoreAwesome Posts: 151 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    I eat the same as I always have and gained the weight. You can see on my progress chart the steady climb.
    I showed my doctor. He did agree that it does appear to be a steady 50 lb gain every time I get an iud and a 50 lb decrease when it expires.
    He tested my hormones and said it was all normal so he does not see how the iud causes it.
    I am 40 and not yet menopausal. I don’t want to take chances on an unwanted pregnancy. We struggled with finding birth control that prevented pregnancy. The iud works in that area

    Yay, another doctor who treats the labs and not the patient! Yay!

    [/snark]

    Seriously, get a Paragard IUD then. The Paragard was here before the Mirena and it works, just no progestin like the Mirena. You'll likely have heavier bleeding, longer bleeding, and uterine cramping with but there will be no exogenous hormones to argue with such a MD/DO if they are/are not affecting you systemically.

    He will balk because of the cost of the IUD in removing it/replacing it, but it's really not his choice. Go to a Planned Parenthood if you have to for removal if he continues to refuse, and you won't fire him over it, and you are not comfortable removing yourself to force the replacement without his input.

    Is that the copper one? I can’t have it because of the heavy bleeding. We are treating anemia as well. I am not anemic when I don’t get heavy periods.

    At this point I would cut it all out but he seems to feel like that is an issue with me being only 40 with hormones and stuff.

    What about a vasectomy? Those are able to be reversed and the procedure is much easier than a tubal.

    Another vote for vasectomy here. I mean, in retrospect I should have said “yes” when my doc asked whether I’d like a tubal ligation during my c-section, but I hadn’t planned on a repeat cs and did a bit of magical thinking “if I don’t about it, it won’t happen.” (Rolling my eyes at myself here.) My husband was only sore the day of and the next day, and honestly was kind of grateful for a good excuse to spend the weekend binge watching shows while I ran around with the big kid and newborn!
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    Vasectomy has worked well here for birth control (especially as I can no longer use any hormonal treatments), but of course, didn't help my heavy periods - can you have another chat with your doctor?

    My doc has put me on tranexamic acid tablets for the heaviest bleeding days. Really has made a big difference to my energy/iron levels, and also means I can leave the house without masses of extra supplies and clothes on those heavy days! Oh, the joys of periods.

    I realise that's only my own personal experience, so not the be all and end all for everyone, but I just wish I'd known there was such a thing available years ago!
  • amcarpla
    amcarpla Posts: 8 Member
    Libby283 wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    I eat the same as I always have and gained the weight. You can see on my progress chart the steady climb.
    I showed my doctor. He did agree that it does appear to be a steady 50 lb gain every time I get an iud and a 50 lb decrease when it expires.
    He tested my hormones and said it was all normal so he does not see how the iud causes it.
    I am 40 and not yet menopausal. I don’t want to take chances on an unwanted pregnancy. We struggled with finding birth control that prevented pregnancy. The iud works in that area

    Yay, another doctor who treats the labs and not the patient! Yay!

    [/snark]

    Seriously, get a Paragard IUD then. The Paragard was here before the Mirena and it works, just no progestin like the Mirena. You'll likely have heavier bleeding, longer bleeding, and uterine cramping with but there will be no exogenous hormones to argue with such a MD/DO if they are/are not affecting you systemically.

    He will balk because of the cost of the IUD in removing it/replacing it, but it's really not his choice. Go to a Planned Parenthood if you have to for removal if he continues to refuse, and you won't fire him over it, and you are not comfortable removing yourself to force the replacement without his input.

    Is that the copper one? I can’t have it because of the heavy bleeding. We are treating anemia as well. I am not anemic when I don’t get heavy periods.

    At this point I would cut it all out but he seems to feel like that is an issue with me being only 40 with hormones and stuff.

    Ask your provider about a partial hyster. They leave the ovaries but take the uterus and cervix. This can minimize the hormone issues. My mother had one due to endometriosis when she was 42. No problems. No early menopause. Just no more kids or periods. Still had the ovaries which are the primary hormone creators for that stuff. Worth a chat at least.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    jo_nz wrote: »
    Vasectomy has worked well here for birth control (especially as I can no longer use any hormonal treatments), but of course, didn't help my heavy periods - can you have another chat with your doctor?

    My doc has put me on tranexamic acid tablets for the heaviest bleeding days. Really has made a big difference to my energy/iron levels, and also means I can leave the house without masses of extra supplies and clothes on those heavy days! Oh, the joys of periods.

    I realise that's only my own personal experience, so not the be all and end all for everyone, but I just wish I'd known there was such a thing available years ago!

    Yes, I am taking tranexamic acid as well and it has reduced the bleeding by 33 - 50%. :smiley:

    I had to inform my GYN about it, and it took some time to get it approved by the VA as it is not in their formulary for this purpose, but it was worth the struggle.
  • grinning_chick
    grinning_chick Posts: 765 Member
    edited April 2019
    h7463 wrote: »
    The price shouldn't be an issue, as those will last 10 years. I think, I went through 4 of this type in 30 years, and never had a problem, especially not with weight gain. (I blame my chocolate addiction for a few pounds off and on.) However, they work with a copper layer, and if there is a sensitivty to copper, then there might be an issue. Never make an attempt to remove those yourself, though. Bad idea and worse advise. Also, removal and not having an immediate replacement means no protection. That's probably not the idea of the exercise..

    The cost I am referring to is the one equal to removal one recently installed IUD (IUD #1 cost) and replacement with a different IUD (IUD #2 cost). FWIW, that little piece plastic with a tiny bit of small gauge copper wire wrapped around was $650 at a PP back in 2009. I can only imagine how much it is today. :)

    I mention price because that is exactly the argument the OB/GYN at PP argued, wanting me to keep in a Paragard that was causing BV and go on what would have been endless cycles of metronidazole instead of removing as I requested, six weeks after insertion. Lucky for me, I know how advocate successfully for myself when it comes to medicine/medical treatments. Many do not.

    As such, if doctor's are refusing to remove an IUD, and you want it out of your body, you can indeed DIY as long as you don't rip the retrieval strings off of it. There is no special tool for removal that only doctors have access to. Research (especially things that can go wrong/when to seek medical help) and a healthy dose of common sense is required, so I guess I should have caveated both since the latter does seem to sometimes be in short supply these days. Arguing to suck it up and leave one in when you don't want it in your body anymore but doctors are playing gods with you and refusing to remove it, thinking they know better than you what is good for you, is a bad idea and worse advice from this armchair.

    If a woman does not know that no more IUD in her = no more protection from unwanted pregnancy, and to take appropriate back up measures until another one is installed/other form of BC takes effect/seeks permanent sterilization, I would argue there are larger issues in play in need of address...


  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    Libby283 wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    I eat the same as I always have and gained the weight. You can see on my progress chart the steady climb.
    I showed my doctor. He did agree that it does appear to be a steady 50 lb gain every time I get an iud and a 50 lb decrease when it expires.
    He tested my hormones and said it was all normal so he does not see how the iud causes it.
    I am 40 and not yet menopausal. I don’t want to take chances on an unwanted pregnancy. We struggled with finding birth control that prevented pregnancy. The iud works in that area

    Yay, another doctor who treats the labs and not the patient! Yay!

    [/snark]

    Seriously, get a Paragard IUD then. The Paragard was here before the Mirena and it works, just no progestin like the Mirena. You'll likely have heavier bleeding, longer bleeding, and uterine cramping with but there will be no exogenous hormones to argue with such a MD/DO if they are/are not affecting you systemically.

    He will balk because of the cost of the IUD in removing it/replacing it, but it's really not his choice. Go to a Planned Parenthood if you have to for removal if he continues to refuse, and you won't fire him over it, and you are not comfortable removing yourself to force the replacement without his input.

    Is that the copper one? I can’t have it because of the heavy bleeding. We are treating anemia as well. I am not anemic when I don’t get heavy periods.

    At this point I would cut it all out but he seems to feel like that is an issue with me being only 40 with hormones and stuff.

    Has your doctor talked to you about an ablation? It does nothing for birth control, but can help with your heavy periods.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Maybe 5:2 IF or calorie cycling would help to make meeting your calorie goals easier to meet?
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Libby283 wrote: »
    Libby283 wrote: »
    I eat the same as I always have and gained the weight. You can see on my progress chart the steady climb.
    I showed my doctor. He did agree that it does appear to be a steady 50 lb gain every time I get an iud and a 50 lb decrease when it expires.
    He tested my hormones and said it was all normal so he does not see how the iud causes it.
    I am 40 and not yet menopausal. I don’t want to take chances on an unwanted pregnancy. We struggled with finding birth control that prevented pregnancy. The iud works in that area

    Yay, another doctor who treats the labs and not the patient! Yay!

    [/snark]

    Seriously, get a Paragard IUD then. The Paragard was here before the Mirena and it works, just no progestin like the Mirena. You'll likely have heavier bleeding, longer bleeding, and uterine cramping with but there will be no exogenous hormones to argue with such a MD/DO if they are/are not affecting you systemically.

    He will balk because of the cost of the IUD in removing it/replacing it, but it's really not his choice. Go to a Planned Parenthood if you have to for removal if he continues to refuse, and you won't fire him over it, and you are not comfortable removing yourself to force the replacement without his input.

    Is that the copper one? I can’t have it because of the heavy bleeding. We are treating anemia as well. I am not anemic when I don’t get heavy periods.

    At this point I would cut it all out but he seems to feel like that is an issue with me being only 40 with hormones and stuff.

    Vote for a tubal ligation an endometrial ablation. All the plumbing stays where it is (no hormone issues), but the faucet is permanently turned off. Worth it!