Stopped birth control, interesting side effect

megsta91
megsta91 Posts: 92 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I’ve always been overweight, but with school and working full time, I gained 70lbs in 2 years. I struggled with fast food, sugar cravings (literally sugary carbs/dairy all day!!), and just felt insatiable. Yikes

It’s been almost a month since I quit the combo pill. I’ve tried a few generics of the same pill over the last 14 years. Decided to get off because I’m getting married soon and wanted to even out my body in preparation. Plus, the thought of synthetic hormones all these years really creeps me out.

In three weeks, I’ve lost 10lbs. My appetite is non-existent, sometimes I have to force myself to eat. And I’m 265lbs, so eating has never been a problem!! My sugar cravings are non-existent. I had a milkshake the other day (used to crave multiple a week) and it didn’t even taste that good.


I love this side effect, but I’m curious about other experiences since there is conflicting research about weight gain on the pill. Anyone else?

Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,839 Member
    This will undoubtedly vary from individual to individual. But it doesn't surprise me that your appetite would change, hormones can definitely affect your appetite.

    I had the opposite effect when I took Diane 35 when I was a teenager, over 20 years ago (an attempt to manage my acne). Over the months I took it, I lost probably 10lbs (and I wasn't overweight to start with) because I had no appetite anymore. That and I couldn't stand certain foods anymore. The thought of eating eggs made me sick.
    Since it wasn't helping my acne, I stopped taking it after a few months and my appetite (and lost weight) came right back.
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    God, you could fill libraries with what we don't know about birth control (or any other health topic that primarily affects people assigned female at birth). I hate that there's no good way to predict how your body will react to a given BC method. I was on the pill from about 2007 to 2016, first for PCOS and then to avoid pregnancy (and also PCOS), and I've had a Nexplanon arm implant for 5 years (made the switch because I was turning 26, falling off my parents' insurance, and couldn't afford monthly pill packs with my fake pretend marketplace insurance). Up until this past year, I have weighed about 250lbs, plus or minus 15-20 lbs or so. After 6 months of spotting, my periods completely stopped with the Nexplanon. Suddenly, this week, with 50 lbs gone and right in time for Christmas goodies, my period came back. I'm betting it was the being 250lb more than having the arm implant that stopped the bleeding for so long, but at no point did anyone mention this could be a thing.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Years ago in my early 20s I got on the pill…..can’t remember which…..and gained about 20 lbs in one month. I was keeping a food journal then and working out the same. It may have been water or actual fat, who knows, but even if it was just water, that was a lot for someone who is only 5’ tall and weighed 115 lbs at the time. As soon as I stopped that pill and switched to a different one a few months later the weight came off almost immediately. Hormonal weight gain is real. I don’t care what anyone else says.

    I also experienced this in my recent pregnancy. I was gaining slowly and steadily from the second trimester on, still keeping track of my calories and still just as active, and gained almost 10 lbs in a span of 2 weeks. My feet swelled up too so I am convinced that was all water weight.
  • LaurenMargott
    LaurenMargott Posts: 24 Member
    Happened to me too. Weight fell off as well as a whole bunch of other great things. Definitely not unusual.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,512 Member
    I've never had BC affect my appetite, but it has different side effects in different people, so it's certainly possible. Many years ago I was taking a pill and having horrible muscle cramps. Like, I'd be grocery shopping and have to stop because my hamstrings cramped up so bad I couldn't walk! This was not a known side-effect and my doctor swore up and down it couldn't be related, but as soon as I quit those pills the cramps disappeared and never came back. <shrug>
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    goal06082021 wrote: »
    God, you could fill libraries with what we don't know about birth control (or any other health topic that primarily affects people assigned female at birth). I hate that there's no good way to predict how your body will react to a given BC method. I was on the pill from about 2007 to 2016, first for PCOS and then to avoid pregnancy (and also PCOS), and I've had a Nexplanon arm implant for 5 years (made the switch because I was turning 26, falling off my parents' insurance, and couldn't afford monthly pill packs with my fake pretend marketplace insurance). Up until this past year, I have weighed about 250lbs, plus or minus 15-20 lbs or so. After 6 months of spotting, my periods completely stopped with the Nexplanon. Suddenly, this week, with 50 lbs gone and right in time for Christmas goodies, my period came back. I'm betting it was the being 250lb more than having the arm implant that stopped the bleeding for so long, but at no point did anyone mention this could be a thing.

    QFT

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