Birth Control and women
Replies
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Yup, BC definitely causes a gain! If you're not careful that is! It also can make it more difficult to lose weight, depending on the particular formulation you use. In my opinion, it's a choice. I'm losing weight even on an implant version of BC! Slow, but as long as it comes off, I'm happy!
I agree with this to a point. I just came off BC and in my experience I had lost ost 80 lbs before going on it then I gained 20 lbs pretty much immediately after going back on it. I couldn't budge it over the following 2 years even though I chose to continue calorie counting, eating healthy whole foods and exercising my butt off. I went off it at the beginning of this year, the 20 lbs came off quickly and still going. I made no changes in my diet or exercise over those 2 years and currently.0 -
I had the IUD placed just last week and am starting my journey now, so I should know in a few weeks if its having any effect on my efforts ... if it does ... its coming out !0
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You don't have to be a doctor to realize that putting extra (potentially cancer causing) hormones in your body is not a good long-term thing. Some women are more sensitive to them than others--but everyone I know eventually gains weight on them. Condoms are the way to go.0
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Well, I can tell you I had the same concern before I went on BC, and I have had no weight gain from my BC since being on it. I have been on it for 6 months now. Now, I have put on 8 lbs from a anti-depressant I am on, but I am working on getting it back off. In alot of ways, my BC has really helped me especially with bloating and water gain during TOM - I don't get that much anymore. Plus, I am "more regular" which is beneficial for me. I am on Ortho Tricyclin Lo (if you want to know).0
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I have to say, any of you using or considering using the pill, shots, an IUD or any other hormonal device, you need to do some serious research about the side effects.
I am NOT some religious nut who thinks birth control is wrong. I use condoms religiously. I am a medical professional who wants you all to know what your doctor probably won't tell you.
Like, did you know your risk for a blood clot is WAY higher on hormone bc, EVEN if you don't smoke! And a common side effect for all hormonal bs'c, and even non-hormone IUD's are tubal pregnancies, infertility and miscarriage.
Why do doctors usually leave these types of facts out of the discussion? Because the pharmaceutical companies don't give them kick-backs on condoms.
My best advice as a woman and a friend is, stick to condoms!!!!
I was on the pill for 13 years with no problems, but thank you for your concern.
All medications have potential side effects and some people will experience the worst of them. But that doesn't mean I'm going back to the dark ages because of a maybe. Hormonal BC has had a positive affect on my quality of life. Yes, my IUD is messing with my weight. but I'm otherwise healthy and not feeling for a week every month like my uterus is going to fall out or bleeding heavily for seven straight days.
Just because we use hormonal BC doesn't mean we don't know the potential side effects or are otherwise uneducated. I know a woman who at 19 years old had a stroke from BC pills. It happens. But I'm willing to take my chances because the risk is pretty low.
And I have NEVER had a doctor mislead me on potential side effects of hormonal BC. Not to mention that every pack of pills comes with an insert that explains them in great detail to anyone who cares enough about her health to read.0 -
I was on the depo shot and started it at the same time as one of my girlfriends. She gained about 50 pounds within 6 months. I found that I was really anxious when I was on it so I actually lost weight. To be fair she was drinking and eating considerably more than she used to during this time, so although she attributes the weight gain to BC....I'm not sure that's accurate.
Chiming in with everyone who says it depends on the person. Although I would NOT recommend everyone avoid depo, for many many reasons.0 -
I've been on the pill, the ring, the patch and currently Mirena. None have made me gain weight. However, being off of them and getting pregnant DID. lol0
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I am no expert my self but My gynae has refused to prescribe ne any pills coz of my weight... and believe me I have had many gynaeI am just curious how much birth control effects weight loss and gain. Based off the doctor they say there is potential but not enough research proving for sure. If a woman lives healthily she shouldn't have a problem is what I've read. But so many chicks say the depo and IUD's make you pack on weight. I think that some women are sensitive and others just are unhealthy meaning they do pack on the weight. I am promising myself I won't make that excuse for myself like I have in the past.
That doesn't sound right. I was over 300lbs when I first went on birth control for PMDD and heavy, painful, very irregular periods and I was never denied them. I was warned that as far as a contraceptive, bigger women had a lower success rate of the BC working, but I don't see why it should be denied to you because of your weight alone.0 -
I have the Mirena (IUD)...inserted since last July 2011. And, while I haven't gained weight because of it, it also hasn't controlled the irregular bleeding that I deal with basically every two weeks!
Did I mention that I'm dealing with it now? Today? Ugh...I'm pissed off just thinking about it. :explode:
I pretty much had my period for six straight months after I got mine, but the longer you have it, the better it will get. Give it another couple months and you should see a change. If not, talk to your doc.0 -
I'm on depo and started on it during the weight loss journey and nothing changed. If you are watching your food and exercising there really shouldn't be a problem.0
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You don't have to be a doctor to realize that putting extra (potentially cancer causing) hormones in your body is not a good long-term thing. Some women are more sensitive to them than others--but everyone I know eventually gains weight on them. Condoms are the way to go.
As for the condom theory, they are ok if you are ok with getting pregnant "by mistake" because they have a 15% fail rate. My cousin got pregnant while using a condom while BC can have a fail rate too it is like less then 5%. Yes, with BC, you are putting hormones in your body, but I also don't want an extra child right now, and I have had no issues with my weight.0 -
Sorry, got to butt in here.....my wife didn't want to be on the pill because she said it would cause her to gain weight. Not sure of this or not, when she was on it or not, I didn't notice a difference. So we used condomns, ya not the best choice from my point of view. Not much sensation when using them. Protection, yes....pleasure,not so much. Went to the doc and got snipped. That should solve both problems.0
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I've been on BC for over a decade. Probably will be for another decade too. I've never had any issues with gaining or losing due to my BC.
Same here. I've been on a high-dose pill for more than a decade, and never had a weight gain problem (size 0 back in high school, size 0 now, never dieted in my life, eat an ave. of 1800 Cal/day).
From what I remember back in my teens before going on the pill, my hormones were crazy without the birth control: heavy flow, massive mood swings, cramps, back aches, head aches. The pill made everything easier for me. I want to go off it now because I want to have a baby, but I'm a little scared of being without what has been a very stabilizing thing for me.0 -
I've been on DEPO for over 10 years now and I have gained weight over the past 10 years but I don't attribute it to DEPO I blame it on poor food choices and no exercise...I'm not ready to give up my DEPO anytime soon
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I was on the depo shot for 3 years and gained 50 pounds! I would like to blame it on my eating but the truth is that back then I ate pretty well and was on a swim team the whole time. Swam laps everyday and burned a lot of calories. My period completely stopped those 3 years and I was happy about it, but I ballooned out and started to think it wasnt healthy. The worst part of the depo I experienced was that after I got off, my period would not start. My doctor put me on hormones 3 different times to try to get it going and when it did it was AWFUL, I was also told that it may take years to conceive. I would never do depo again!0
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It's easy to say that people should just use condoms but many women are on BC due to health reasons.0
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I have to say, any of you using or considering using the pill, shots, an IUD or any other hormonal device, you need to do some serious research about the side effects.
I am NOT some religious nut who thinks birth control is wrong. I use condoms religiously. I am a medical professional who wants you all to know what your doctor probably won't tell you.
Like, did you know your risk for a blood clot is WAY higher on hormone bc, EVEN if you don't smoke! And a common side effect for all hormonal bs'c, and even non-hormone IUD's are tubal pregnancies, infertility and miscarriage.
Why do doctors usually leave these types of facts out of the discussion? Because the pharmaceutical companies don't give them kick-backs on condoms.
My best advice as a woman and a friend is, stick to condoms!!!!
Actually, the doctor that orginally prescribed birth control for me actually talked to me about it... So not all doctors leave this kind of stuff out... and all drugs have risk factors to them of some kind... the Z-pack does too... Thankfully for me though, the only side effect I have ever had from the patch is loss of hair... and even that's not that bad, just more so than if I weren't on the patch.
I know that not all doctors leave this out. My OB/GYN being a great example. Then it's up to the woman. For me personally, the risk is too high. And for what, to be able to ditch the condoms? I'm okay with using condoms until I'm done having kids and then looking into surgical procedures.
I have major concerns with hormone birth control so I stopped using it. At first my husband was okay with it and agreed to use condoms, but that didnt last long. I dont want to go back to putting something harmful that makes me feel like crap into my body because he doesnt want to have to use a condom every time. It's causing problems though so i've been looking into natural family planning as a last resort.0 -
Unfortunately for some women BC is something they have to take. For years i've suffered with migraine like headaches (feeling sick, immense pain all round my head, head feeling like its in a vice, not being able to have a conversation the pain was that bad and having to go to bed by tea time everytime i had one). When i'm not on birth control my headaches start up from day3 and last until day16 without fail every month. But when im on BC pills, i don't get even one mild headache, never mind the migraine symptoms.
I have tried the mirena and ended up with my youngest child, i've tried the mini pill and not only did this not help the headaches but i was a raging ball of hormones and gained weight.
Now i'm on micorgynon 30 and haven't gained any weight. In fact just the opposite, whereas when i'm not on BC i can gain upto 7lbs during that time of the month, now i don't gain at all and over the last year have lost consistent 3-4lb a week.
Whilst i know i'm at a slight increased risk ( and believe me i've done the research and my risk is only slightly increased) by taking microgynon 30, for me i have no option as without it i would be divorced, and spending half my life in bed due to the headaches.
Hubby having the snip is not an option yet, and neither is just relying on condoms. I hate using them so does hubs and wouldn't like to use them alone, so for the time being and to rectify my hormonal imbalance i'll take the risk and carry on with BC pills.0 -
For me BC consistanly makes me gain weight. Always has. Each time I've stopped taking it I've dropped 5-10lbs. The only one that didn't cause me weight gain was the NuvaRing - but I completely lost my sex drive on that.
I'm currently 20lbs heavier than I've been in the last 10 yrs. I'm eating better than I ever have and excersing and still nothing. My weight hasn't gone up or down. Pretty frustrating. I know w/in a month of stopping the pill I'll be down about 10lbs.
I'm seriously looking into NFP.....like now.0 -
I hold about 20 pounds of water weight on bc, I haven't taken bc in a little over 10 years.0
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I have to say, any of you using or considering using the pill, shots, an IUD or any other hormonal device, you need to do some serious research about the side effects.
I am NOT some religious nut who thinks birth control is wrong. I use condoms religiously. I am a medical professional who wants you all to know what your doctor probably won't tell you.
Like, did you know your risk for a blood clot is WAY higher on hormone bc, EVEN if you don't smoke! And a common side effect for all hormonal bs'c, and even non-hormone IUD's are tubal pregnancies, infertility and miscarriage.
Why do doctors usually leave these types of facts out of the discussion? Because the pharmaceutical companies don't give them kick-backs on condoms.
My best advice as a woman and a friend is, stick to condoms!!!!
THIS TIMES TEN!!!0 -
I'm on the Othra Patch, and I'm having no problems with weightless.0
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Ive been on Avion (spelling) for many years now, and I did gain weight, but I don't attribute the weight gain to the pills at all. Some side effects may include increase appetite but as long as you stick to counting calories and manage those cravings, then you should not gain weight. No one is going to gain 30 lbs just from taking the pill, you have to change your habits in order for that to happen.0
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It's mostly birth control containing estrogen that's been linked to weight gain. Single hormone methods, like implanon and iuds, and those with very little estrogen, like nuvaring or a mini-pill don't typically cause problems.0
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Every person will respond differently to different types of BC. My doctor put me on a different type recently and I gained 8 pounds virtually overnight - water retention is a potential side effect. Changing again made it go away.
I've never had issues with being hungier or anything like that, just short term things while getting used to a different hormone. Everyone is different.0 -
Personally, I CANNOT go without BC of some type. I get really large, totally out of control, painful cysts if I go off for any length of time. In fact, I may be dealing with them now due to going off estrogen, but I'd rather deal with the pain over acting like a monstrous b@#^&. I literally can be psychotic without my BC. Sad, but true. I've pissed off nearly all my female friends over the years because I can be incredibly hormonal all month long. Ugh!
I'm happy to say, I got the full length warning talk about the Implanon from my OBGYN twice. He's more than careful about telling all the side effects, giving you the necessary literature and so on. It has been an incredible journey for me, and I'm just ready for it all to be over. LOL!
Those that have other choices, great! Me, I don't have one. I must use BC.0 -
It's mostly birth control containing estrogen that's been linked to weight gain. Single hormone methods, like implanon and iuds, and those with very little estrogen, like nuvaring or a mini-pill don't typically cause problems.
Actually, weight gain is one of the side effects of Implanon.0 -
I've been on BC for over a decade. Probably will be for another decade too. I've never had any issues with gaining or losing due to my BC.
Same here. I've been on a high-dose pill for more than a decade, and never had a weight gain problem (size 0 back in high school, size 0 now, never dieted in my life, eat an ave. of 1800 Cal/day).
From what I remember back in my teens before going on the pill, my hormones were crazy without the birth control: heavy flow, massive mood swings, cramps, back aches, head aches. The pill made everything easier for me. I want to go off it now because I want to have a baby, but I'm a little scared of being without what has been a very stabilizing thing for me.
I have also been on the pill for more than a decade. I did gain a bit of weight when I switched pills about 6 years ago (different dose or whatever) to help manage endometriosis pain, but it was nothing significant, say 10lbs over several years....i'm pretty sure it had to do with lifestyle vs the pill I was taking. I too am at a point where i'm thinking about coming off of it, but like you i'm scared of being without....it has SERIOUSLY helped my pain, the insane heavy periods etc.
In relation to the stroke/clotting...my doc did go over it with me and even ran a blood test to see if I was predisposed as my mom had previously had a clot (though hers was after she broke a bone).0 -
I have to say, any of you using or considering using the pill, shots, an IUD or any other hormonal device, you need to do some serious research about the side effects.
I am NOT some religious nut who thinks birth control is wrong. I use condoms religiously. I am a medical professional who wants you all to know what your doctor probably won't tell you.
Like, did you know your risk for a blood clot is WAY higher on hormone bc, EVEN if you don't smoke! And a common side effect for all hormonal bs'c, and even non-hormone IUD's are tubal pregnancies, infertility and miscarriage.
Why do doctors usually leave these types of facts out of the discussion? Because the pharmaceutical companies don't give them kick-backs on condoms.
My best advice as a woman and a friend is, stick to condoms!!!!
I'm going to have to disagree with you here. But first, I'd like to know exactly what kind of medical professional you are at only 19 years old?
I have years of experience in womens' health, and my mother is an ob/gyn, so let me give my two cents here.
Yes, occasionally, ectopic (ie "tubal") pregnancies can occur while on birth control. HOWEVER, the instance of that is NO HIGHER than the number of ectopic pregnancies occurring in women who aren't using any form of birth control.
Yes, a few forms of hormonal birth control have been linked to blood clots, HOWEVER, that is relatively rare, and typically occurs in smokers, and people with a family or personal history of high blood pressure and clots. If your usage us monitored by a doctor, the risk is incredibly low.
Infertility has been linked to iuds, but again, it's VERY RARE.
25% of all pregnancies end in natural miscarriage anyway, and birth control does not affect this rate.
Spreading misinformation like you did is dangerous, and can be counted among the reasons that the rate of unintended pregnancy is as high as it is.0 -
i personally cant say whether or not it contributed but when i started daing i got on BC an from there is what i started gaining weight. but i also went on BC after high school so at 18 and i was very active in soccer in high school so i dont know if has to do with the BC or just life changes0
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