Ladies...BC question...

cgrout78
cgrout78 Posts: 1,628 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm sure this has been posted a zillion times, but I'm lazy to sue me.

I just finished my last week of "active" pills and am contemplating quitting my pills. I'm currently on ortho tri, and am thinking being off of hormone bc will help with weight loss and fitness goals.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with this? Or should I just stay on it? I have a few days to decide. Thanks!
«1

Replies

  • jdbeckers
    jdbeckers Posts: 84
    I don't like putting anything in my body that doesn't need to be there. So I don't use the pill or any other form of BC. We are very just careful.
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    I don't have the answer you're looking for but I'm curious as well about others' experiences coming off of it.
  • EllaScarlet
    EllaScarlet Posts: 165 Member
    I think weight and BC is so personal... you just have to work out what is best for you. Before I started taking the pill (about a year ago now) I was terrified, having heard so many horror stories about girls starting it and having awful side effects, uncontrollable weight gain, etc...

    However, I decided to give it a go anyway, and I have lost 10 lbs this year. I think it is partly down to the fact that I used to stuff my face due to PMS and now I don't. What I am trying to say is that I personally don't think that quitting the pill would help me to lose weight. But everyone is different :)

    Good luck!
  • swilk627
    swilk627 Posts: 245 Member
    Not a fan of Pouring unnecessary hormones into my body. We do NFP.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    I tried very many different types of BC. The only one that never caused me any issues was NuvaRing. I don't know how it is for you personally though. It really depends on where you are in your life. You should weigh the reasons why you are taking it now and reasons why you might like to stop taking it. Write it out and decide based on what is best for you.
  • Loseweight1980
    Loseweight1980 Posts: 94
    Hormonal birth control pills are not proven to cause weight gain. If you are using them, you just have to find the right one. If you didn't gain weight when you started using them, you aren't going to necessarily use weight by stopping them.
  • HeatherRM14
    HeatherRM14 Posts: 33 Member
    About 3 years ago, I had lost 120 pounds while on BC so I think it's a pretty individual thing. And I was originally put on BC for PCOS and not for actual birth control purposes.
  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    I personally had a rough time losing on Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I switched to Lo-Loestrin and boom-- it came off like magic. It's an ultra low dose pill, which makes it all the better, IMHO. Less going in and it still does the job.

    I'd love to try NFP, but yeah, my hubby wouldn't go for that in a million years, especially since I got pregnant using that method last year. LOL. Pills it is!
  • bobaloo22
    bobaloo22 Posts: 13 Member
    I'm on Ortho 777, and don't think it has effected my weight loss.
  • whayamean
    whayamean Posts: 50 Member
    Getting off BC did not increase my weight loss at all. I had hoped it would.
  • tfancey
    tfancey Posts: 96 Member
    I'm on Ortho Tri as well... I stopped taking it about a year and a half ago and dropped 20lbs pretty quickly but I can't attribute that to the BC... I am back on it and still losing weight and fairly active.
    I think it's a really personal choice.
  • galegetsthin
    galegetsthin Posts: 1,340 Member
    I like them. I have PCOS, so I actually need the hormones to stay normal. If I dont take it, I may have 3 periods a year. I have tried others. The IUD implanted itself in my uterus. I am allergic to latex so no condoms. (yeah you can buy lambskin, but they are more than 2 months worth of BC) I have had issues with several BCs (had my gallbladder removed, suicidal thoughts, irrational anger) but I found one that works for me. No weight gain, no side effects, normal periods, hormone levels are in the normal range. I lost weight with the one that I am on, I have never had one CAUSE me to gain weight. The mood swings from them caused me to chose to eat things that were not good, so I did gain weight, but it was because of the foods not the pill. You just have to find one that works for you.
  • Bean615
    Bean615 Posts: 132 Member
    i have been on BC for about 10 years and honestly i dont think it makes a difference with weight loss/gain. its all about finding the right one for you.
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
    57 lb down and I still use them. Thinking about quitting though, as the older I get the higher the risk factors are for complications and side effects. I'd like to get rid of the monthly migraines sooner than later.

    I didn't gain weight because of the pill, I gained weight because I was lazy. I'm not lazy anymore. Can't blame it on a pill.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
    I'm on a generic version of Ortho Tricyclen now and it hasn't hindered me a bit. Birth control gets a bad rap where weight loss is concerned, but really it isn't usually the pills. It's the person taking them's lack of self control. IIf you have a little will-power, you ought to be just fine. :)
  • cassblue21
    cassblue21 Posts: 207
    Not a fan of Pouring unnecessary hormones into my body. We do NFP.

    I am married with two kids and I have no idea what NFP is! lol But when I was chatting with my dr about birth control after my second I told her I didn't want anything that would hinder weight loss or cause gains and she says that BC in her opinion helps because it balances out your hormones. She did agree that the shot did tend to have the side effect of weight gain but the pills and other forms haven't been shown to cause that problem. I have been on Mircette for 2 years and have lost 60 lbs in that time. :)
  • sofitheteacup
    sofitheteacup Posts: 396 Member
    Make a list of your pros and cons for doing this, then meet with your doc to figure out what's best for you.
    I originally went on BC to stabilize my wildly fluctuating hormone levels, not as birth control per se, but I didn't notice any weight related issues. You're going to get every answer along the spectrum but what works for you is going to be specific to you.
    Mention your weight concerns and see if you can switch to a lower dose if it makes you feel better, but I think it's really about personal choice not medication. Sometimes it's just really difficult to lose weight.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    I'm on Lo-Estrin 24 FE and have had no issues losing weight.. and would never go off either unless I absolutely had too.
    My periods are way to unbearable without the B/C.
  • EJCURRY
    EJCURRY Posts: 9 Member
    It depends on why you are taking them. There is nothing like getting pregnant to ruin your weightloss ;-)! In all seriousness, I've found that BC doesn't really have any effect on my weightloss. What it does do, is keep my hormones from fluctuating like crazy. I've had better luck with steady dose BC like nuva ring than ortho Tri, but if you are watching your calories and working out like you should be, then the weight will come off no matter what BC you are/aren't on.
  • Melis25Fit
    Melis25Fit Posts: 811 Member
    I lost 120 lbs while on the pill. After I got off the pill, I didn't notice much difference regarding losing weight at all....
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Quitting ortho tricyclen didn't affect my weight either way...well, until I got pregnant 6 months later! :wink:
  • orangecrayon
    orangecrayon Posts: 293 Member
    I take ortho-tri, too and I'm doing fine! I'm not having weight gain side effects or anything, so I don't know. But then again, everyone's body is different. I might not have a problem with it but you might. Overall it's just what's best for you.
  • sonyachan
    sonyachan Posts: 518 Member
    What is your alternative going to be? Would you rather be 5-10 pounds over or pregnant?
  • melindadunston
    melindadunston Posts: 157
    I have only had weight gain in association with bc when I did the depo shot. When on bc pills it has never effected my weight. Of course this is a personal decision. I actually gained about 30lbs when I stopped using bc....it is called pregnancy...lol :wink:
  • alecta337
    alecta337 Posts: 622 Member
    I'm on Lo-Estrin 24 FE and have had no issues losing weight.. and would never go off either unless I absolutely had too.

    I'm on the same pill and have the same sentiment. Birth control is here so we can use it!

    I have been on a few different pills over the years and no changes in pills seemed to correlate with any weight gain/loss. I think its a myth, but if you are that concerned about it, next time you go see your OBGYN you should ask and see what they say. Maybe there is something that we don't know.
  • MrsSullivan08
    MrsSullivan08 Posts: 274 Member
    I switched to Lo-Loestrin and boom-- it came off like magic. It's an ultra low dose pill, which makes it all the better

    I just started Lo-Loestrin as well, and haven't had any side effects. I am on it due to an ovarian cyst and heavy bleeding, not for actual birth control
  • Aerohead21
    Aerohead21 Posts: 333 Member
    I am not anti-BCP. I lost 120 lbs while on it. However, after 7 years of use (age 26) I nearly died. Hormones cause blood clots. I had several in each lung. Now I am hard pressed to find a doctor who doesn't freak out over every teeny tiny thing. I am not allowed to take any kind of hormone EVER. Also, between my PCP and the two specialists, they determined the one and only cause was the pill. No weird blood disorders or diseases. Just that little blue pill. I asked why it hadn't happened before since I had been on it for 7 years and they said it just happens. Sometimes your body changes. Now, if I get pregnant I have to take blood thinners to keep me from reacting to my own hormones. If my legs swell, straight to the ER. Everyone thinks I am fragile :) i am not, but what are you going to do?
  • angiebarker
    angiebarker Posts: 127
    I'm actually on it too and am hoping to get off of it the end of next month because we are hoping it helps get us pregnant within the yr or so. My doctor told me that it may help with weight loss if your off it but it can make your hormones out of whack for a while. How long have you been on it? I gained like 5lbs and then it just stayed; though ive been on it for about 4yrs.
  • cowgirlslikeus86
    cowgirlslikeus86 Posts: 597 Member
    A few years ago when I was going on it, I was worried about gaining weight too.
    One of my friends, who is a teacher, told me that her doc told her, BC doesnt make you gain weight.

    I did some research on the subject . I found alot of reserch, online, that concluded that the BC itself does not "Make" you gain weight. It would have to slow down your metabolisim, etc. in order to do that. What it has that can contribute to gain, is the hormones that can effect your "desires" for food choices. Just like our emotions and hormones make us overeat, crave chocolate during our cycle or icecream over a bad break up. It is the same way with the hormones in BC, thus, people relate the two and wa-la!...you've gained weight.
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
    Im on Nuvaring and I've lost twenty pounds. It's a steady hormone unlike oral birth control though.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories