Contraceptive pill (sorry men folk)

dianeellen2
dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

I have been struggling for a good few weeks now to have any significant weight loss - i keep going over the same 1lb (on and off...on and off...repeat for ever!)

I have been on my journey of weight loss since Sept 2011 and sucessfully lost 26lb, slow and steady. Most weeks i would lose 1 or 2lb's - i never put weight on.

I have not changed the way i am eating, i have incresed my exercise a little (nothing dramatic) and since the end of Jan 2012 i have been stuck ( i incereased my calories recently from 1200 to 1470 - on the back of information i had read on the forums, this made no difference either)!

So last night i was looking at my record of weight loss and trying to think what had changed and it struck me that my doctor changed my contraceptive pill just after the new year.

I was on a combined pill (oestrogen and progesterone) but my GP told me i would be better on a POP (progesterone only pill)

I did ask at the time about the affect on my weight loss and she said that the POP pill could increase your appitite which could lead to increase in weight but if i kept that in check i would be fine. Well i was mindful of her advice and did not notice any change in appitite (which i tracked also on MFP) - i was not eating more, so i did not think about it anymore.

So today i have decided to stop taking the POP pill altoghther (dont panic - i was taking it to control heavy periods not for contraception) So i think its a waiting game now.

Questions that i need to concider; will my weight loss have improved the situation with heavy/irregular periods and will stopping taking the POP pill help with my weight loss

just wondered if any of you have any thoughts or experience on this?
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Replies

  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Personally, I would not quit taking the pill cold turkey without consulting your doc first.... There could be a lot of side effects you are not aware of, and it could be dangerous.

    Secondly, your body needs time to get used to the new pill... some where around 2-3 I months I think. You are approaching the end of two, I would assume.. so give it another month, and see what happens. If you still aren't losing weight after the third month, then I'd consider stopping/changing.

    I don't have heavy periods, but I have very painful periods that I take Loestrin 24 FE for... and I've had no issues losing weight at all. The only reason why I'm not losing now is because I'm focusing more on strength training and body fat loss than I am scale weight and scale loss.
  • Chrissieneave
    Chrissieneave Posts: 99 Member
    i quit taking the pill years ago. I gained weight, a lot of weight. I came off it after splitting up with my partner and I started to lose weight again. But as soon as i went back on it, it crept back on :(

    Not been on the pill for years now, and my weight loss has improved!
  • spennato
    spennato Posts: 360 Member
    The Pill is the worst thing out there........my wife stopped taking it because it was making here go crazy(literally) as per one of the rare side effects it prevented her from sleeping and here body was going into some sort of shock. After 2 visits to the E.R and 1 to her family doctor and here o.b.g.y.n the determined it was the birth control. anyway she stopped taking it and it is now much much easier to lose weight for her. Before she stopped she worked out every day ate healthy and lost little. But talk to your doctor first.,
  • mickipedia
    mickipedia Posts: 889 Member
    If it helps, I have a jab once every 12 weeks called depo provera (not sure how to spell it) and this stops my periods which is lovely but i was warned that it may increase my appetite.. making me more tempted to eat more.. but i've ignored it and pushed through. Its so handy because it takes 5 mins once every 3 months and i'm done :)

    maybe worth concidering switching to something like that?
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    What was the reason for switching your pill? And unless you get anemic from your heavy periods, stopping the pill without consulting your doc is fine. I stopped and restarted all the time when I was on it.

    I have Mirena now, which is progesterone and that is also what's in the Depo shot, which is known to cause weight gain in something like 40% of people on it. (To the above poster, if progesterone is causing the OP to gain weight, Depo will be worse than taking the POP pill.) I have been struggling like crazy with my weight since I got Mirena, so I'd say you're probably right and it probably is the pill.

    If the other pill was doing what you needed it to do and you weren't gaining, just ask your doc to switch you back. Heavy periods are the worst!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    The Pill is the worst thing out there........my wife stopped taking it because it was making here go crazy(literally) as per one of the rare side effects it prevented her from sleeping and here body was going into some sort of shock. After 2 visits to the E.R and 1 to her family doctor and here o.b.g.y.n the determined it was the birth control. anyway she stopped taking it and it is now much much easier to lose weight for her. Before she stopped she worked out every day ate healthy and lost little. But talk to your doctor first.,
    You can't make that statement based on how it affected ONE person. Good grief.
  • kimgodfrey001
    kimgodfrey001 Posts: 9 Member
    I have implant- no periods at all!! Best change I ever made
  • severnc
    severnc Posts: 16 Member
    i think your lack of scale weight loss is probably a natural result of the water weight/bloating and other effects of hormonal birth control. im sure it will stabilize. Since you've quit your pill entirely, i would expect you to lose some weight once it wears out of your system - I lost 15 lbs when i stopped ortho tri cyclen!

    i've had great results with depo provera, which as i recall is fine for someone needing progesterone only. anyways, it can also make some people gain weight, so it's always a risk to keep switching - but it can also be great.

    also, the nuva ring seems to have had great effects on everyone i know who takes it, including lighter periods and no apetite problems.

    sorry for the indecisive answer. birth control is tough... if you have the time to try several different forms of contraceptive, you should try a variety and choose the best one for you. unfortunately that can really give your system hormonal whiplash...
  • spennato
    spennato Posts: 360 Member
    The Pill is the worst thing out there........my wife stopped taking it because it was making here go crazy(literally) as per one of the rare side effects it prevented her from sleeping and here body was going into some sort of shock. After 2 visits to the E.R and 1 to her family doctor and here o.b.g.y.n the determined it was the birth control. anyway she stopped taking it and it is now much much easier to lose weight for her. Before she stopped she worked out every day ate healthy and lost little. But talk to your doctor first.,
    You can't make that statement based on how it affected ONE person. Good grief.

    I am a guy what did you expect.....:smile:
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
    The Pill is the worst thing out there........my wife stopped taking it because it was making here go crazy(literally) as per one of the rare side effects it prevented her from sleeping and here body was going into some sort of shock. After 2 visits to the E.R and 1 to her family doctor and here o.b.g.y.n the determined it was the birth control. anyway she stopped taking it and it is now much much easier to lose weight for her. Before she stopped she worked out every day ate healthy and lost little. But talk to your doctor first.,
    You can't make that statement based on how it affected ONE person. Good grief.

    I am a guy what did you expect.....:smile:

    LOL - guys like black and white answers
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
    I have implant- no periods at all!! Best change I ever made

    Hi Kim

    Unfortunatly i think implants are progesterone (so would have the same affect) - i maybe wrong

    I was offered implants or the coil before we compramised on the POP pill as i had a bit more control over it - eg if i didnt like the side affects then i could stop it easily (unlike the coil or implants)
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
    What was the reason for switching your pill? And unless you get anemic from your heavy periods, stopping the pill without consulting your doc is fine. I stopped and restarted all the time when I was on it.

    I have Mirena now, which is progesterone and that is also what's in the Depo shot, which is known to cause weight gain in something like 40% of people on it. (To the above poster, if progesterone is causing the OP to gain weight, Depo will be worse than taking the POP pill.) I have been struggling like crazy with my weight since I got Mirena, so I'd say you're probably right and it probably is the pill.

    If the other pill was doing what you needed it to do and you weren't gaining, just ask your doc to switch you back. Heavy periods are the worst!

    Reason for changing: the GP said that the combined pill i was on had contra indications for DVT and that as i was overweight (actually i am obese - but didnt think i should correct her) then she was not willing to perscribe it anymore.

    She said that since i was not using it for contraception (hubby had a vesectomy years ago) then it was too powerful and that i had to have the POP instead
  • jrose74
    jrose74 Posts: 27
    It doesn't hurt to stop the "pill" cold turkey. There is no way to wean off of contraceptive. If the only reason you are taking it is to reduce painful or heavy periods then I would talk with my doc and find one that doesn't have this effect on you. There is way more pills out there than most know about. Weight loss is important for all females to keep our horomones in check. The depo shot is one that is known for causing a significant weight gain in most women. So I would avoid that one all together. Talk with your doctor and let him/her know what you are trying to accomplish and they can switch you to one that will work better for you.
    Oh and one more thing is there is a procedure that they can do now called ablasion that burns the inner lining of the uterus for this problem also. I have had many of my friends and family members have this done. It reduces periods to in some cases light bleeding. It is not recommended for women who wish to have more children though. Check it out.....might be a God send for someone that doesn't want to take any medications.:smile:
  • liog
    liog Posts: 347 Member
    I have terribly heavy periods and the pill did nothing for me. I can't take it now anyway for other health reasons. I don't know if the weight loss will have a positive effect or not. Time will tell I guess. I am opting to try an endometrial ablation. Most women either don't have a period afterward or only a light period.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    This really is a tough one.

    Even if Depo wouldn't make you fat, I wouldn't recommend it. My best friend was on it. It actually sped up her metabolism and she lost a lot of weight, but she also had several benign lumps in her breasts (several surgeries before the docs stopped worrying), severe bone loss (basically, osteoporosis) and it sent her into peri-menopause when she was 27. I've done some research and those side effects, plus weight GAIN, are common with Depo. My OB/Gyn refuses to prescribe it for those reasons.

    Anyway, it's the same hormone as your pill. You really need to sit down with your doc and talk about how this pill is affecting your weight and tell her you need a change or other options. Like I said, Mirena is also progesterone and has caused my to gain and made it pretty much impossible to lose. The website says this is a problem in fewer than 5% of women on it, so I guess I just got lucky. And the copper one will probably make your periods worse.
  • Amy_Lynn74
    Amy_Lynn74 Posts: 134 Member
    If it helps, I have a jab once every 12 weeks called depo provera (not sure how to spell it) and this stops my periods which is lovely but i was warned that it may increase my appetite.. making me more tempted to eat more.. but i've ignored it and pushed through. Its so handy because it takes 5 mins once every 3 months and i'm done :)

    maybe worth concidering switching to something like that?

    I am on the second cycle of the depo shot and I have been spotting since Nov 11th. It is quite annoying. My doctor put me on it to also help with my heavy bleeding. I am considering going back on the pill but I still need to discuss it with my doctor. I go back in a few weeks.
  • MsTanya77
    MsTanya77 Posts: 357 Member
    I used to take the pill and I never had any weight side effects from it. I took 4 diff ones (Ovcon, Yaz, Yasmine, Seasonique) and never had an issue with weight. When I was on Depo Provera I did experience about a 25lb weight gain, but that is also a progesterone injection, so maybe the progesterone only hormone is causing some of your weight gain............

    I did experience SEVERE DEPRESSION for about 2 months on Yaz, as soon as I stopped taking it, it totally went away.

    Mirena IUD also caused me to gain some weight too, but it was minimal maybe 5lbs or so........
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    exactly how "heavy" is your flow that you have to control it? Have you ever had an ultra sound to check for cysts? Have you ever had your thyroid checked? Diabetes? Too much alcohol or caffinee? Is the vein in your uterus all right? Is the "heavy" just on one day (typical) or for more than 2 days continuously non stop? Are you sure that you have a problem?

    You should talk to your GYN, not your doc. A specialist can help you, MFPals can't.

    And yes, mucking up your hormones will muck up your insulin response and food cravings. Congrats on getting off the progesterone
  • bbysars
    bbysars Posts: 36 Member
    I had the 12 week depovera and honestly it made me gain about 20 lbs which I'm trying to lose now. I was always relatively healthy and skinny ish but the shot triggered something and I was always hungry and tried not to give into the cravings but in the beginning I had no idea it was making me gain weight. It's hard to notice the first 10 lbs without weighing yourself. I think you'll be fine just talk to your doctor to find something that will help with the periods.
  • catic
    catic Posts: 156
    Personally, I would not quit taking the pill cold turkey without consulting your doc first.... There could be a lot of side effects you are not aware of, and it could be dangerous.


    There are no side effects nor is it dangerous to stop taking the pill "cold turkey".

    The pill you were taking may have the side effect of increase appetite, but you'll only gian weight if you eat over your calorie defecit daily. By stopping the pill don't expcet to start losing all this weight, it doesn't work like that. Also if you have heavy periods you'll probably always have them regardless of what size you are. I suggest staying on the pill or trying something else like an IUD (mirena) to control your periods. but don't bet on losing weight just because you stopped the pill.
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
    Its really good to hear 'real womens' views on this - thank you for being so helpful and understanding.

    I think i will stop for a while, see how it goes, if my periods are too heavy then i shall return to the GP

    I think i am reluctant to discuss it with her as people are very judgemental and assume if you are 'large' then you lie about trying to lose weight! I know i am not doing anything differant to when i was losing weight but i am not sure i will be fully believed.

    I did think about printing off my food logs from MFP and my weigh loss chart (but thought i might look a little obsessive - which i am LOL)
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
    Personally, I would not quit taking the pill cold turkey without consulting your doc first.... There could be a lot of side effects you are not aware of, and it could be dangerous.


    There are no side effects nor is it dangerous to stop taking the pill "cold turkey".

    The pill you were taking may have the side effect of increase appetite, but you'll only gian weight if you eat over your calorie defecit daily. By stopping the pill don't expcet to start losing all this weight, it doesn't work like that. Also if you have heavy periods you'll probably always have them regardless of what size you are. I suggest staying on the pill or trying something else like an IUD (mirena) to control your periods. but don't bet on losing weight just because you stopped the pill.

    Hi Catic - i dont think it will be a miricle cure - i am not actually increasing my weight, just not losing (for at least a month now). I have tried 'tinkering' with things, increasing my water, upping my 1200 calories a day to 1470, eating back all/most of my exercise calories and changing my exercise routines.

    I know things take a while to have an affect but i was going along quite nicely for the first 4 months then something happened.

    Guess i am just trying to keep my motivation up - its a bit soul destroying when you know you are trying and nothing is happening
  • Amy_Lynn74
    Amy_Lynn74 Posts: 134 Member
    It doesn't hurt to stop the "pill" cold turkey. There is no way to wean off of contraceptive. If the only reason you are taking it is to reduce painful or heavy periods then I would talk with my doc and find one that doesn't have this effect on you. There is way more pills out there than most know about. Weight loss is important for all females to keep our horomones in check. The depo shot is one that is known for causing a significant weight gain in most women. So I would avoid that one all together. Talk with your doctor and let him/her know what you are trying to accomplish and they can switch you to one that will work better for you.
    Oh and one more thing is there is a procedure that they can do now called ablasion that burns the inner lining of the uterus for this problem also. I have had many of my friends and family members have this done. It reduces periods to in some cases light bleeding. It is not recommended for women who wish to have more children though. Check it out.....might be a God send for someone that doesn't want to take any medications.:smile:

    I have had an ablasion and it didn't help so it doesn't work for everyone.
  • spankyee
    spankyee Posts: 2
    I tried the pill sent me mental tried depo bled so heavily thought I would die grrrrrr If you think it is the "new" pill ask doc for the old one back simple
  • sbeisel1
    sbeisel1 Posts: 181
    The Pill is the worst thing out there........my wife stopped taking it because it was making here go crazy(literally) as per one of the rare side effects it prevented her from sleeping and here body was going into some sort of shock. After 2 visits to the E.R and 1 to her family doctor and here o.b.g.y.n the determined it was the birth control. anyway she stopped taking it and it is now much much easier to lose weight for her. Before she stopped she worked out every day ate healthy and lost little. But talk to your doctor first.,
    You can't make that statement based on how it affected ONE person. Good grief.
    Actually artificial hormones are pretty bad, I agree that its the worst for you. I myself and many others I know have suffered at the mercy of the hormone based contraceptives. I was on it for years, no problems, but after a pregnancy I whent back on... after 3 years of weight gain, depression (ended up on celexa)and many many many tests, there was no psychological reason for the depression, my doctor and I figured out it was the hormones. once off the pill, I was stable emotionally enough to get off the antidepressants(they only made me feel emotionally numb and the sideffects and withdrawls were horrifying). my best friend had a simmilar but more serious reaction, same scenerio only she got to add severe migranes, weekly, to the list of problems. she got off and her depression is gone, her migranes are down to once a month(which is good for her). Being on or off a hormone based birthcontrol is a personal choice, but dont dicount the many many testimonials out there. do some serious research find out what can natrually help you and your heavy cycle. I have found that (with doctors supervision) a daily calcium supplement, vitamins, daily excercise and eating healthy, avoiding sulfites, sulfates, msg, perservative in general really truely helps.
  • djtessatessa
    djtessatessa Posts: 54 Member
    I had so many problems with oral contraceptives. I ended up just getting a copper IUD. No hormones and no pregnancies. The initial pain was well worth it.
  • okerachel
    okerachel Posts: 45 Member
    I started back on the pill about 6 months ago and immediately gained 10 pounds in a week. Totally freaked me out. I do not gain weight (I certainly don't lose it either, but I don't add more very often) About three months after I started, I dropped 5 pounds in just a few weeks without trying. It took a while, but I have since lost the other five pounds and then some. I would give it another month and if it isn't budging, go back to your doctor.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Weight loss is calories in verus calories out (inc exercise). By increasing your food in your diet and eating back calories, its not a shock to see weight loss has stalled. Contraception can cause water weight increase and by its very nature oestrogen likes to lay down fat if the calories are there but its not a magic pill the forces weight onto, it simply doesn't work like that.

    What is your current exercise regime and diet?
  • catic
    catic Posts: 156
    Personally, I would not quit taking the pill cold turkey without consulting your doc first.... There could be a lot of side effects you are not aware of, and it could be dangerous.


    There are no side effects nor is it dangerous to stop taking the pill "cold turkey".

    The pill you were taking may have the side effect of increase appetite, but you'll only gian weight if you eat over your calorie defecit daily. By stopping the pill don't expcet to start losing all this weight, it doesn't work like that. Also if you have heavy periods you'll probably always have them regardless of what size you are. I suggest staying on the pill or trying something else like an IUD (mirena) to control your periods. but don't bet on losing weight just because you stopped the pill.

    Hi Catic - i dont think it will be a miricle cure - i am not actually increasing my weight, just not losing (for at least a month now). I have tried 'tinkering' with things, increasing my water, upping my 1200 calories a day to 1470, eating back all/most of my exercise calories and changing my exercise routines.

    I know things take a while to have an affect but i was going along quite nicely for the first 4 months then something happened.

    Guess i am just trying to keep my motivation up - its a bit soul destroying when you know you are trying and nothing is happening

    If it makes you feel better, I've been at this for 50 days and only lost 1lb. I work out min 4 days a week, stay within my calories... It blows. but it's a lifestyle change, and I have more energy, so I keep it up!
  • dianeellen2
    dianeellen2 Posts: 259 Member
    exactly how "heavy" is your flow that you have to control it? Have you ever had an ultra sound to check for cysts? Have you ever had your thyroid checked? Diabetes? Too much alcohol or caffinee? Is the vein in your uterus all right? Is the "heavy" just on one day (typical) or for more than 2 days continuously non stop? Are you sure that you have a problem?

    You should talk to your GYN, not your doc. A specialist can help you, MFPals can't.

    And yes, mucking up your hormones will muck up your insulin response and food cravings. Congrats on getting off the progesterone

    Good advice - heavy for me is 2 days very heavy (flooding with clots - sorry if TMI), whole thing lasting about a week then a week of nothing before starting again - at that point i was feeling very drained and went to the GP who put me on Yasmin (which was fine - it was a different GP who insisted i change)

    Yasmin suited me fine for several years

    I dont have a GYN (in UK you have to be refered by your GP to a hospital, which has not happened - i may make an appointment with GP and discuss seeing a specialist)
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