Birth Control Weight Gain

Has anyone else experienced weight gain after they went on the pill? A few years ago, I went off the pill and lost 10 lbs in 2 months (without much change in diet or exercise). But now that I'm back on it, I've gained all that weight back and I have to work so hard for the few pounds I have lost. I've tried different brands - Othotricyclin, Mircette (low dose) - hoping this side effect would change but have had no luck. Does anyone know of a brand that doesn't cause as much weight gain?

Mon. Jul 18, 11:02am

i also gained weight when i went on the pill, but it was also due to several other factors... from what i understand, the effect is different on everyone - some women gain weight, some lose, and some it has no effect...

Monday, July 18, 2005, 11:50 AM

I don't have any fluctuation in weight on Orthotricyclene, though breast size sometimes vary. I did see, however, an 8-10 lb gain after an injection of Depo Provera (the 4-month birth control shot).

Monday, July 18, 2005, 1:08 PM

another one that has been good for many is Orhto-evra (patch) - since it is a continuous delivery system, it is possible to get effective birth control with a lower overall dose. Many women report a lower incidence of, or diminished, side effects due to the lower levels of hormones.

I used it just over a year - although I did like it better than previous hormonal BC, I still had enough side effects that I finally had an IUD inserted - which I have been extremely happy with.

However it has been no easier taking the weight off since I stopped taking BC than it was while I was on it. the plus is that it's no longer a struggle to keep from gaining more. I used to crave certain foods and felt hungry often, and this has greatly diminished to levels that feel more "normal" to me. It could just be my imagination.

Monday, July 18, 2005, 2:00 PM

Nuvaring

I have been on the orthra-evra patch for a few years, and did gain some weight, but not sure if it was from the patch or not. About 2 months ago I tried nuvaring - and I love it (I was skeptical until I tried it, but you really can't feel it). My gyno says the patch has high doses of horomones to get through all that skin and and stuff, and since nuvaring is direct, it has a low dose. Now I'm wondering if I lost 8 pounds in the last 2 months because of the new birth control, or because of the dieting.

Monday, July 18, 2005, 3:14 PM

I've tried everything. They all suck!
That being said, my doctor did tell me that you tend to gain more with the Depo Provera shot. I was on that for 2 years and I did gain weight, even though I was finally out of college and eating much healthier than I had the previous 4 years! My doctor told me that the average weight gain with the shot is about 6 pounds a year, while average weight gain with the pill is only 3. ( I figured that 6 pounds a year was just too much, considering I want to wait a couple more years before thinking about kids!) She did tell me that the birth control doesn't actually make you gain weight, but increases your appetite. So I guess you can try and control what you eat, to some extent.
Since being off that I have tried the Nuva ring (but it actually would not stay in for me....I was told that some people do have this problem. It often came out when I was going to the bathroom. Then I would have to hurry and get a new one.)
I tried Orthotricycline, but I was getting a lot of spotting on my face from it. High doses of birth control can cause Melasma, which is a persistant spotting of the face. These look like freckles, but are bigger, and I've never had freckles before. A bunch of my friends are having the same problem, and some are getting these spots on their chest and back as well.
I just switched to a lower dose Yasmin.
I'm crossing all my fingers that I like this one!

Monday, July 18, 2005, 3:51 PM

I have to respond about the Depo-Provera. I have been on it for a year and love it. Before I went on it, I researched it and what I found is that one of the side effects can be an increased appetite. So the drug doesn't cause you to gain weight, you cause yourself to gain weight by eating more. Once I knew that, I was careful to stay on top of it and if I felt hungrier, I snacked on healthy options. I weigh the exact same today as I did one year ago.

Monday, July 18, 2005, 4:37 PM

good luck

I was on birth contol for about two years. I gained about 70 lbs, my blood pressure, went sky high. I decided to not take it any more when I could not walk up the stairs without feeling like I was dying. Once I stoped taking it, it took me two and a half years to loose the weight.

my doctor should have never gave me the pill, my mother has diabetes and I am her first born.

I do not know of a brand that does have weight gain side effect.
Have a good day
jen

Monday, July 18, 2005, 5:01 PM

I was on the Depo Shot and gained 15 lbs within 3 months. I do admit that I ate more during those 3 months and was not really active. Then, when I went to get my second shot, I decided to eat healthier and exercise 3 times a week and 2 hours each day... I lost nothing. I was very disappointed and decided to stop the shot. I am now on a low-dose birth control pill called Aviane. I hope this works out for me.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005, 12:07 AM

I'm on Yasmin - and have neither lost nor gained weight - I've maintained - only I fluctuate during the week before my period - - -I've been on : Ortho tri, Orhto Tri lo, and Estrostep.

My best friend went on the Shot- and gained 10 lbs, but was also able to lose it by incorporating running into her weekly routine - so. . .

So, I agree - it's not the pill, the shot, the patch - you might just have an increased appetite, or some water retention. . . SMALL PRICE TO PAY for SOME PROTECTION!!!!! I'd rather that than be faced with other situations!

Tuesday, July 19, 2005, 6:13 AM

I've been on both Mircette and Zovia before (both high doses of hormones because other meds I take for migraines decrease their effectiveness). Even with the high dosage, I never gained weight from either. My sister gained 10 pounds from hers though. I think different birth control methds just effect everyone differently.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005, 7:52 AM

migraines

I also never really got migraines before I went on the pill, and I also didn't when I first went on the pill and was taking orthocyclen. Then I did the Depo shot, and gained a lot of weight and got acne, so I stopped taking that and started taking ortho tricyclen (just b/c I was in college and found a way to get that brand for free through a friend's dad). Then I started getting monthly migraines, so I went back to the doctor and told her, and she suggested it was because of the weekly changes in hormone levels - the "tri" part of ortho tricyclen is b/c it gives you a different "dose" each week, and then nothing the week of your period. So she switched me back to orthocyclen (actually, Sprintec, the generic for orthocyclen), to keep my hormones at a more constant level, and I haven't had a migraine since!

As for weight gain, most of us take birth control from our mid-teens to our late 20's or so, during a time when our lifestyle is changing all the time and our metabolism is slowing down anyway. Unless it's a dramatic change associated with a time in which nothing else is changing, you have to think of all the other factors. Also, I guarantee that my boyfriend would rather I weigh 5 extra pounds and be on it than lose the 5 lbs and the protection!

Tuesday, July 19, 2005, 12:22 PM

Migranes/Headaches

I have been using Ortho-Evra for the past 6 months and recently decided to go off of it for several reasons. I experienced headaches a lot more frequently and much more severely. I started logging my headaches and I would get them 80% of the time (8 out of 10 days). That just isn't normal and healthy if you ask me. Other reasons I decided to go off of it were due in a large part to the negative press it has been getting lately (see following article: http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050716/APA/507160913) and the fact that its risks are 3 times greater than those of the pill. Kinda scary isn't it?

I'm actually going to try natural birth control for a while because these synthetic hormones and all of the risks associated with them have not been settling with me well lately - and as you've all discussed here on the boards - there are also other effects on the weight gain/loss. Although I will surely miss the ease of not having to count days or use barrier methods!!

As for those headaches, I have not been off of the patch long enough to effectively evaluate my headaches, but so far so good.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005, 2:24 PM

Norplant

I got seriously depressed on Norplant. And I didn't even know the side effects, and that it was Norplant making me suicidal. Only when I went to seek psychiatric help for my depression, did they realize that maybe a doctor should remove the Norplant first. When it was removed, I got better in a week. Seriously, it was like magic.

That said, I did lose weight on Norplant. Gained on orthonovum and triphasal. Though being skinny wasn't worth the depression.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005, 4:06 PM

40 Pounds!!!

I was on depo and gained 40 pounds in four months. I did not eat very healthy but was astonished when I gained so much so quickly.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005, 5:52 PM

significant weight and cup size loss after stopping Yasmin

I took Yasmin for almost 1.5 years and stopped 3 months ago. I have lost 2.5 bra cup sizes and almost 10 pounds without ANY change in diet or exercise.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005, 12:33 PM

"natural" method

To the above poster who is switching from birth control pills to natural methods of birth control, like counting days... Eek!!! Please talk to a doctor about using this method! It doesn't work!!! When you first come off of a pill, or other "unnatural" method, you are very irregular, and may not become regular for 3 years, if ever. Some people are never regular. Even people who are regular every month for years may have a random month when they are not regular. Counting days is not a good way to avoid becoming pregnant!!!! Condoms are good, but also not fool-proof. They're only 80% effective, which means, in a year, you have a 20% chance of getting pregnant. Of course the percentage gets better if you are very very careful... So please, be careful! Getting pregnant instead of gaining a little weight really doesn't seem like the best of choices!

Wednesday, July 20, 2005, 2:44 PM

Do you know what they call people who use the Natural Method of birth control?

Parents!

Wednesday, July 20, 2005, 5:37 PM

Birth control

I tried a pill called Brevacon and for a while I was at a stand still. But then all of a sudden I blew up. A friend recommended that I try the patch. Everything else makes me gain weight. My doctor said that the hormone inbalance associated with the pill makes your body think its preganant and it retains weight and causes an increase in appetite. I haven't found a solution and as a result I am currently trying to get rid of those birth control blues. Good luck with that!!

Thursday, July 21, 2005, 11:19 AM

Seasonale

have heard good things about Yasmin on here. I have been on Depo and loved not getting my period, but would like to go off. Anyone tried Seasonale, on which you only get 4 periods? Is there massive weight gain or anything like that?

Thursday, July 21, 2005, 12:14 PM

Triphasil

I was on Triphasil for 9 years. I was overweight to start with but once I got serious about eating right and exercise I had no trouble at all losing weight (80 pounds of it) while still on Triphasil.

After my baby was done nursing I tried the Nuvaring. I was a unbearable. My moods swung faster that anything and I was extremely grouchy all the time. I was only on it for 3 months and that was enough for me.

Thursday, July 21, 2005, 2:35 PM

I never gained weight on birth control pills, but then, I was never able to take them long because they made my existing migraines more frequent and more intense. Bleh.

I went into menopause early (due to chemo) and the migraines eased up a whole lot.

On the other hand, I started taking tamoxifen (for breast cancer), and I've had a hard time with weight gain. I did lose 35 lbs during the first 6 months I was on it, but I was also training pretty hard for the 3 day walk. Now with normal amounts of exercise and a fairly reasonable and healthy diet, I've still gained back 10 lbs and getting them back off is a struggle.

I may have to just suck it up and double my workouts or something. *sigh*

Friday, July 22, 2005, 6:10 AM

More on migraines

Orignal mirgraine poster here: Every doctor I've talked to has told me that birth control pills are either going to help migraines (by stablizing the hormones in your body) or make them worse. I'm on a doseage that stays constant for 3 weeks and then has none for the 4th. It's never had an effect one way or the other. If you get mirgaines from the pill, then it's usually worst when you're getting no hormones at all. I've never been able to correlate the migraines with any kind of time of month. My triggers are more environmental and food related. I am going to a new neurologist soon though and will tell you all if he/she says anything different.

The preventative medication they put me on has worked great though. Anyone with migraines should consider talking to their doctor about Topomax. It cut my migraines from 2-3/week to about 1 per month.

Friday, July 22, 2005, 7:55 AM

I found this thread searching for something else. boy is this discouraging. My experience has been there are few good options. Maybe an investment in super expensive condoms is the way to go.

Thursday, September 1, 2005, 9:42 AM

IUD?

Can someone share their experiences with an IUD and what types are out there? I've been on depo and I did gain around 10 pounds on it. But I need to get off of depo and possibly all hormonal birth controls because I suffer from depression. My next shot is due in a couple of weeks and that's when they say you should stop it. Help!

Thursday, September 1, 2005, 10:15 AM

depression

i too suffer from depression. I am on the orthoevra patch. Do you think there is link between them? I dont know if I should go off it.

Thursday, September 1, 2005, 1:00 PM

You should probably look up the side effects of ortho. I don't know much about it. However, I think most forms of hormonal birth control has a side effect of aiding in depression, some may be worse than others. I would talk to your doctor about it.

Thursday, September 1, 2005, 1:50 PM

Currently use IUD - Mirena (5 months)

While I can't comment on depression, here are my experiences with the Mirena IUD.

There are 2 types:

1. Mirena - a plastic IUD that releases small amounts of progesterone (the small substance used in Depo) in order to alleviate the aggravated menstal symptoms that often accompany using an IUD.

May be used for 5 years before it must be either permanently removed or replaced.

2. Paragard - a copper IUD containing no chemicals.

May be used 10 years before removal or replacement.

Both are only recommended for women in long-term, monogamous relationships and generally for women who have had children. i have not had children but my doctor was willing to insert one anyway for three reasons: 1. I experienced a high occurance of side effects with hormonal birth control and 2. I do not plan to have children currently, but am not quite willing to go for tubal ligation. 3. I and my husband have been married/together for several years and neither of us engaged in any risky sexual activity or IV drug use.

Inserting the IUD is not pleasant, however neither is it horrible. Mine was worse because I've never had children (thus the opening to my uerus was smal and rigid) - this is the reason that IUDs are generally recommended for women who have had children. If you have not had children the insertion is more painful and can cause bleeding, which can increase the risk of infection. And any infection with a foregn object in your body may increase the risk of toxic shock syndrome which is what gve IUD a bad name in the 70s.

My doctor applied a topical anesthetic to the area first but that can't numb the pressure and cramping caused by the insertion which was alot like hitting your thumb full-on with a hammer - it made every hair on my body stand up. Then it was over and I had cramps and I went home and tried to get used to the wierd idea of "something's in there". Over the next several weeks I experienced regular cramps. After 4 weeks the regualarity quickly decreased and I now only have a twinge or two close to my period.

I can actually feel 'something' in that area during hard physical activity or if I move or contort myself into some odd position. Regualr sex helps keep it feeling 'situated'. My husband could feel the strings initially but didn't take him long to get used it, and since I've been off regular birth control I'm more lubricated during sex which helps.

All the side effects from hormonal birth control pretty much vanished within 3 months. I had frequent yeast infections, depression, irritability, weight gain (so it hasn't disappeared, but it's stopped), hair loss, nausea, and headaches and worst of all - loss of libido. I did have a perfect complexion while on birth control though and that has sadly reverted to my pre-BC complextion - oh well, I still wouldn't go back. As to whether any of this is psychosomatic or not - I can't say.

Overall I love it - I enjoy being active, feeling "in the mood" often, enjoy sex more when we have it and love not thinking about birth control.

However I researched this very carefully and discussed it with my doctor who I trust and feel comfortable asking her anything. I recommend doing the same. this works great for me but I have also heard from women for who this didn't work well.

Wow did that get long, but this is a topic about which I have put much thought into.

Best wishes!

Thursday, September 1, 2005, 2:22 PM

To the above poster - thank you so much for all the information and personal history with the IUD. It really helps!

Thursday, September 1, 2005, 5:54 PM

i've been on the pill for almost 2 years now, and in that time, i've lost well over 100 lbs...i went on the pill mid weight loss and it never caused any weight gain...i did have to experiment to find what was best for me, i'm on the highest hormonal dose possible w/ no side effects...don't settle, there are so many options...one will work for you with minimal side effects!

Thursday, September 1, 2005, 6:10 PM

they all suck

I think all birth control pills suck when it comes to weight gain. I've been on Orthro Evra, Orthotricyclen, and now Mircette.

I do feel an increased appetite and a craving for junk food a lot, and I definitely think that makes you gain weight. What's really weird is that when I went off the Orthro Evra patch, and started on Orthrotyricyclen, I felt my appetite decrease and hardly ate much and lost weight. Unfortunately that didn't last long, and my appetite increased again and I started eating more.

I've just found that it's such a struggle to lose and/or maintain your weight while on any type of birth control. You have to be really conscious about eating healthy and working out all the time...

I read somewhere that the reason Christina Aguilera plumped up was because of the Depo shot. She had to do a lot of kickboxing an hour a day and that kind of thing to get the weight off whereas before she could eat fast food and not gain anything.

Sunday, October 9, 2005, 11:27 AM

The Pill

I haven't gain any weight while on the pill but losing it....it seems impossible. It could be that I'm doing something wrong but maybe not.

Monday, October 10, 2005, 2:53 PM

losing on pill=hard

estrogen slows weight loss, so the pill makes it harder to lose weight... however... it *is* possible, just painfully slow

i gained 5 pounds on my first month of the pill, and slowly, over months, have gotten (nearly) back to where i started

Monday, October 10, 2005, 9:25 PM

I lost weight on norplant, gained weight on the pill, stayed same when using a condom (haha!). Maybe it just depends on where you are in your life and not necessarily the pill? Although, I don't even know that I believe that because it would stand to reason that if you alter your body chemistry in some way, you alter other things.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005, 9:02 AM

switching brands after 3 years?

I've heard that after being on one type of pill consistently for 3 years you should switch because you body becomes amune(sp?) to it and it becomes less effective. Has anyone else heard this? I am currently on Ortho Tri Cyclen low and have major mood swings so I was thinking of switching anyways. Maybe to Yasmin or the patch.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005, 9:46 AM

I've never heard of the 3 year thing. I hope that's not true!! A few years ago, I had some bad headaches that corresponded to when the dosage would switch for my Ortho Tri-Cyclen, so my gyno switched me to Orth Cyclen - less hormone changes corresponded to less headaches! Maybe the same would work for the mood swings?

Tuesday, October 11, 2005, 12:21 PM

has anyone tried loestrin? I think this is the lower dose, called the mini-pill It's good if you're breastfeeding. But I'm trying to get rid of the pregnancy weight so I don't want to do it if I'll gain.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005, 1:39 PM

I thought you couldn't get pregnant if you were breast feeding??? It seems like taking any sort of pill while breastfeeding should be discussed in depth with your doctor and your pediatrician.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005, 2:20 PM

loestrin

I've been on loestrin for 4 years and have never had a problem with it. It's the only one that didn't make me sick or irritable. I also have not gained any weight.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005, 3:59 PM

I've been taking Mircette for about 4 years. I went off it for a week at the beginning of October for various reasons, and lost 8 lbs in 10 days. I have been exercising and eating healthy for a long time, and all that work merely maintained my weight. I think going off just made it easier to lose weight. I guess because I was no longer retaining water. I don't believe I gained weight due to the pill when I started it.

Thursday, October 13, 2005, 9:57 AM

Nuvaring

I lost weight when I started using Nuvaring. 10 lbs in 2 months. And I did not change a thing. I also have not had any mood swings. Or any other side effects.

As a side note, I used to take my pills straight through...I have had 1 period a year for the last 4 years. It got to be hard to remember to take the pills, so I switched to the patch. That was a little easier, but the dr recommended against it because I was taking it straight through and it had so many hormones....more than the pill. The patch has 2.7 times the amount of hormones in Nuvaring.

Thursday, October 13, 2005, 11:58 AM

alesse

comming from canada, my dr up there perscribed Alesse/Levlite.
I have been on it for 4 years and have stayed virtually the same weight...

Just wanted to let you know of hte brand name.

Sunday, October 16, 2005, 7:44 PM

I've tried Ortho-Novum and I did not gain weight at all, but I was moody, and switched to Tri-Phasal and gained weight. So annoying.

Friday, November 18, 2005, 9:10 PM

the pill

I've tried just about every brand of pill known to mankind. I suffer from depression and anxiety, so for me the battle has been finding hormonal harmony. Every pill effects me differently. PMS, weight, mood disorders, sleep... I'm guess I'm very senstitive? I have yet to find the "right" pill and I switch about every three months. Anyone else with a mood disorder find the right pill yet?

Friday, November 18, 2005, 9:25 PM

I've been on the pill since my daughter was born. It's really made me crazy. I dont' like the way I feel when I take them. My next step is to try the IUD. We've been married for 3 years and not sure if we're going to have any more kids. I"m not ready for my tubes to be tied yet, but I'm also not ready to have another little one. I believe I have had weight gain due to the pill. Although, I dont' know for sure since lots of things have changed since I got on it. I do know that I weighed 185 pregnant, and 160 now (2 yrs later).

Saturday, November 19, 2005, 9:10 PM

natural method

For some of us, it works pretty darn good thank you!! I myself am like clock work. I menstruate every 28-31 days, and I cramp up when I ovulate. I have been this way for years. So there's a 5 day stretch when condoms are a must, otherwise, no form of BC. And that's worked without fail, for 4 years.

But you have to be regular to do this. My gyno says the *most* effective means of BC is condom and spermicide. Even the pill isn't %100 percent effective.

And to those who were trying the patch, hope you're pre-disposed to thick blood, because it's been causing blood clots in a lot of people...

Sunday, November 20, 2005, 12:14 AM

Been on it all....Seasonel currently

Hello I have tried Orthotricyclin, The patch, Something a long time ago that started with an Av, Loesterin, Depovera shot...with all of these I got terribly sick, light headed, gained a lot of weight. With the shot I was on my period every day for over six months. Talk about unfair!

I started seasonel about 4 months ago. I loved it. But warning if you miss just ONE pill its hard for your body to know that isn't the time to have your period since you haven't had one for say two months. So your body will start to bleed. I like this pill because I don't get sick and it does work for the no period...if you take it when you are supposed to. My cramps where also very much so less.

NOW FOR THE WEIGHT LOSS SIDE OF IT
I could NOT lose weight. I did not gain weight, but no matter how much I dieted and exercised I could not lose it. Thats not such a bad thing if you are happy at your current weight...unfortunately that is not the way I am. :)

If anyone has any questions please feel free to email me at fromkel@yahoo.com

Sunday, November 20, 2005, 6:51 AM

Seasonale

I've been on Seasonale now for about eight months and it's really becoming very convenient. The first time I went on it, over a year ago, I had break-through bleeding and then period-bleeding and it went on for over two weeks, so I stopped taking it. I decided to try it again last April and just keep with it this time.
Results were better. The first three-month cycle, I had a little break-through bleeding around month two that lasted for a while, but was very minimal. The second three month cycle, I also had a little break through but it was less, and now, third cycle, I seem to be on track to miss periods altogether. When I do get my periods, they have been much lighter. And haven't noticed any weight gain, altough no real weight loss either, despite the fact that I eat better than I did in college.

So, I recommend trying Sesonale, if you can deal with the irregular bleeding for a few months. And also, on the bad side, it's sort of expensive, as there is no generic: averages out over the three months to $40/month.

Sunday, November 20, 2005, 3:41 PM

Migraines Caused by Birth Control

I never had migraines until I started taking Demulen and Zovia. I only get them 2 - 4 times a year, but they are accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Sunday, November 20, 2005, 8:08 PM

I started reading through all of this and realized that it was great info but which pill is best?

Monday, December 5, 2005, 4:02 PM

ortho evra

Just thought i would post a quick correction to the ortho evra comment that suggested it had a lower estrogen dose. In fact, the FDA just recently put about a warning concerning Ortho Evra because it results in increased estrogen exposure over most BCPs.
Also, one benefit to Yasmin is the presence of a mild diuretic. This can aid women with problems like water retention during certain times of the month. There are some drug interactions with this one because it has the mild diuretic effect so be sure to tell your doctor/pharmacist about other medications especially other diuretics, blood pressure medicine, potassium, etc.
Finally, I can currently using a generic BCP continuously like the dosage of Seasonale. While break through bleeding is more common with this method, it is generally well tolerated and minimal. Risk of this also highest when you first start the regimen and seems to decrease as time passes.

Lisa

Monday, December 5, 2005, 6:00 PM

BC/IUD... Stroke...

I was on a brand of BC I can't remember now that caused horrible blood pressure problems which lead to migrains after an orgasim... dr switched the brands and I was great for 2 years... until I had a stroke (when I was 24). I was on alesse at the time of the stroke so lets just add into the mix of things keeping an eye on your blood pressure when on BC it can make a difference.

After 2 1/2 years of no stroke symptoms DR agreed to let me try another BC method as I wanted something. I now have a Mirena IUD which I absolutely LOVE. I don't have to worry about it (no missed pills), and actually I have very few periods, which means less cramping, less crabbiness etc. However the insertion process was painful as I had never had children before.

You can lose weight on BC ( I lost 30 pounds while on the alesse)... but it took a lot of work, daily 2 hour sessions at the gym, and lots of watching what I was eating! But it is possible!

Tuesday, December 6, 2005, 4:29 PM

mood swings & Seasonale

I have been taking Desogen for almost 10 years. When seasonale first came out I talked to my doctor about it & she had not yet prescribed it to anyone so she didn't know what to tell me to expect. I decided to go for it. I took only 1 pack (3 mo) before switching back to desogen. I had CRAZY mood swings & I was super irritable. I started back on Desogen the Sunday I first started my period. I didn't have any spotting during those 3 months while taking Seasonale.

I didn't gain or loose weight

Wednesday, December 7, 2005, 1:15 PM

Which pill is best?

Nuvaring...which isn't a pill, but a contraceptive ring inserted in your vagina. I personally feel it's best because the dosage of hormones is much lower than many pills and especially the patch.

Monday, December 12, 2005, 7:53 PM

birth control

I was on pretty much every type of birth control pill for a total of 5 years and they caused every symptom on the list. I finally went off them due to high blood pressure. I was 23 years old, was a vegetarian, exercised daily, and had bp at 175/90. Within 3 months my bp was normal and I had lost 12 pounds without trying.

Thursday, December 15, 2005, 2:07 PM

Yasmin

I have been on the pill for almost 3 years, and I lost weight. I now take Yasmin, and I have probably dropped 6 pounds in the past year or so.

Thursday, December 15, 2005, 3:41 PM

I am sorry to hear that you had gained 70 lbs because of birth control. That must have been very difficult for you to deal with. However, I do not believe that just because you went on birth control, you gained all of that weight. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but we all need to be more responsible for the choices we make as far as gaining weight.

I understand that everyone's bodies are different and everyone reacts to stimuli differently, but we also have the control over our lifestyles including the type and amount of food we eat and the amount of exercise we get.

Some people are clearly doing their research on birth control options and are prepared for the 6-10 pound gain. These people are looking to healthy options for snacks and upping their exercise dosage. We are choosing hormonal birth control which has its side effects, but we all can choose to curb that side effect with a more healthy lifestyle. It's a simple choice.

You don't gain 70 lbs overnight. You don't need birth control to live, there's nothing keeping you from stopping. Please tell me, if you were gaining massive weight and had heart problems, why did you stay on the pill for two whole years?

Friday, February 24, 2006, 9:17 AM

I'm sorry, but, WTF?! Someone had to dig up this thread, which has been "dead" for over 2 months, in order to criticize someone?! Really, WTF?!

Friday, February 24, 2006, 10:06 AM

Yasmin = designed to prevent water retention

I was off the pill for a couple years, then went on the patch, gained 10 pounds. (Didn't like the patch anyway, because when you have a new boyfriend, you hardly want this lint-gathering bandaid like thing on you!) Went on Yasmin, lost the 10 pounds. They were actually very clever -- they use a different progesterone that still works for birth control, but decreases water retention. My experience is consistent with that. Unfortunately, my health insurance thinks its an unimportant change so they won't put it on the formulary...

quotes on drospirenone, the progesterone in Yasmin, from pubmed (if you look on yasmin's site they just hint about the water retention thing -- maybe they don't have a clinical trial to prove it so they can't talk about it? I don't know)

Drospirenone is a novel progestogen that possesses antimineralocorticoid activity. This activity is seen clinically in its effects on physiological parameters, body weight, general well-being and fluid-related symptoms. ... Weight gain during traditional oral contraceptive and HRT use has been one of the main reasons for poor compliance and discontinuation. Women receiving hormone therapy with 1 mg 17beta-estradiol/2 mg drospirenone had either no weight change or a small decrease, while those receiving estradiol alone tended to increase in weight. Mean body weight after 1 year of treatment with 1 mg 17beta-estradiol/2 mg drospirenone decreased by 1.2 kg (p < 0.001). Studies using different drospirenone doses in combination with estradiol indicate that the effect on body weight is dependent on the dose of drospirenone, and that this is due to drospirenone's antimineralocorticoid activity.

Several new progestins have been synthesized in the past decade, including dienogest, drospirenone, Nestorone, nomegestrol acetate and trimegestone. Drospirenone differs from the classic progestins in its derivation from spirolactone. The major effect of drospirenone is antimineralocorticoid activity. By that property, drospirenone causes decreased salt and water retention, and thus lowering of blood pressure.

Friday, February 24, 2006, 10:36 AM

"Which pill is best?"

It's not possible to give a straight answer to that question because everyone's body chemistry is slightly different. What works wonderfully for someone else might cause weird side effects in you. It, unfortunately, tends to be a case of trial and error although nobody I know has ever had to try more than 3 types.

And as for weight gain...yes, the pill may or may not cause you to gain or lose weight but once a few months pass, your weight should stabilize because you are not changing the hormone levels anymore. That is, you have adjusted them once by taking the pill, your body gets used to the new level and the weight change should stop. So, if you are gaining x number of pounds each year and have been on the same pill...stop blaming the pill because it's NOT the hormones causing it after the first few months.

Sunday, February 26, 2006, 8:54 PM

i was also on the depo shot for those months. i hated it, my moods were out of control and my appetite went through the roof but i stayed on my plan for eating and i did not gain anything but it was so hard and i was so mean to my fiance, i felt so bad.

Monday, February 27, 2006, 7:57 AM

BC - been on it all

I've been on the pill, the patch, and NuvaRing.

The pill - no problems, just couldn't remember to take it. Not good when you are TTA!

The patch - made me a RAVING b!tch

NuvaRing - I loved this. I did however gain weight very quickly after coming OFF it, which I see is the opposite of what everyone else is saying. Weird. I also have anxiety and I think the ring may have increased it.

Monday, February 27, 2006, 12:09 PM

I didn't want to get on birth control for the longest time because I was afraid to gain weight. When I asked my doctor about it she told me that the pill itself doesn't make you gain wieght, it just might make you feel like you want to eat more. But if you realize that and keep your diet and workout the same you should not gain weight. I have been on the pill for almost 2 years now and I have not gained weight becuase I just control my eating.

Monday, February 27, 2006, 12:51 PM

BCP weight gain

From what I've heard (and experienced), gaining 5-10 pounds when you go on the pill is not uncommon.
What is relatively uncommon is losing it again when you go off the pill. In that regard, count yourself lucky!

Monday, February 27, 2006, 4:05 PM

birth control and hyperpigmentation (melasma)

I realize this comment was from over a year ago, but I have been trying to find a BC that minimizes melasma, hyperpigmented plaques usually on sun-exposed facial area. I've been on Ortho-Tricyclen for several years and while I could live with the hyperpigmented spots before, they are getting out of hand. Lower dose estrogen pills would seem to be the answer but switching from a form of BC that works well for me in every other way is a bit questionable.

Anyone have experience with this? Thanks

Tuesday, August 8, 2006, 2:32 PM

link to a site with some possible solutions for you...good luck!

Link

Tuesday, August 8, 2006, 2:43 PM

very interesting thread....

Monday, September 4, 2006, 8:21 AM

Melasma

I had melasma on my forehead, and after I went off the pill it faded over a period of 3-4 years. As well as going off the pill, I became pretty religious about wearing serious sunblock and wearing a ball cap that covers my forehead when I'm outside.

When I first went on the pill it was Demulen and I lost 15 pounds. A nice side effect of the Demulen was that it brought my blood pressure up, which had been problematically low. Then switched to Ortho-Tricyclen and stayed the same weight.

Monday, September 4, 2006, 8:33 AM

Alesse 21 - Weight GAIN!!!!!

I'm 19 years old and i've never been on any kind of birth control. Since I was 12 when I first initially began my periods, they were always pretty horrible with awful bleeding and cramps. Sometimes I'd have my period for almost 2 months! I demanded my family Dr. do something, but he'd brush it off like nothing was wrong. How could bleeding for two months and sometimes not getting my period for a year be normal?! So I basically told him to go to hell and marched into a walk in clinic and got prescribed Aless 21. Well, let me tell you this. I have been dieting for the last 10 months and I have proudly lost 90 pounds! Amazing right?!?! Well without any change to my diet or excercise, I have noticed a weight gain of about 2.5 pounds a week! (the last three weeks). What the hell?! I think i'm going to stop the pills. But I also find that there isn't much info on Alesse. Is this a good sign? :S

Thursday, October 26, 2006, 9:00 PM

haha-i love all the comments about the "natural method". my mother and father were really serious when it came to this-my mother charted everything and was had a very regular cycle . . . yet i am one of 5 children!!!!!!! only the first one was intentional-the rest of us were nice "surprises as my mother told us.

yes the natural method works-but only for a period of time . . . .

Friday, October 27, 2006, 1:10 AM

weight gain

I have been on and off the pill since I was 18, because I never seemed to be able to regulate myself without it. I've probably tried 10 different pills over the years, changing because of various side effects. One pill (in a long purple container) made me thow up for 28 days straight, one (ortho-tricyclen) made me break out in hives, etc. I am currently on the Nuvaring. I bled for about 6 weeks straight when i first started, but my doctor kept me on it because I was not vomiting or allergic. I have now been on it for almost a year. The good news is, I don't have to worry about forgetting a pill and I never miss a period. The bad news is, i've gained about 25 lbs with no change in my diet or exercise, and i can't seem to take it off.

I spoke to my doctor about the weight gain and she says that while 25 lbs is a lot, different people have different reactions to the hormones. But at the same time, while my face is fuller, I get comments all the time about how great my skin looks.

Monday, October 30, 2006, 11:40 AM

i don't think there is 'one best option...'

Although I don't think there is one best option, I've definitely seen better and worse for myself personally. I'm now on lo-ogesterol, I'm on the generic version and where other pill have made me put on weight this one has not, and doesn't seem to be hindering my weight loss. It is a low-hormone pill, which might be part of it.

I would say to ask your doctor about alternatives, since obviously everyone responds differently, but perhaps choose some listed here and ask specifically about those that might fit for you. Good luck! It's terrible to gain weight and feel as though it is out of your hands.

Monday, October 30, 2006, 12:04 PM

I will not take the pill (or other hormonal changing birth control) for this reason. If I'm fat, I don't want sex anyway. The condom suits me.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006, 11:45 AM

Option IUD

Much like you I am married a little while and have been on birth control for a while already. I considered an IUD, but my Dr. told me it would be incredibly painful and almost physically impossible, as I have not had children either. I hate the side effects of the pill and I would do anything to get off of them. My husband and I don't want kids for a long time and there is even a possibility that we won't. I'm too young for a tubal ligation as well... so I guess I just wait out the years until I'm able to take the the option of an IUD. There is also another option I recently learned of, they offer them in the states, they are called the Lady Comp and is a machine that reads your cycle and when you are fertile. Apparently it is supposed to be 99.3% effective, its quite pricey, but if I can save my health and money in the long run I would definately consider. If anyone has any good info on this please don't hesitate to email me or post. Thanks sharazanne@hotmail.com

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 1:39 PM

The pill is only slightly more effective than condoms, and condoms are only slightly more effective than pulling out.
The pill makes me crazy and I'm starting to feel hopeless after reading this thread.

Monday, November 20, 2006, 10:14 PM

Pearl Index and IUDs

Please, please inform yourself. This is NOT meant in an ugly way at all, but there are certainly no "slight" differences between withdrawl, condom use, and oral contraception. The Pearl Index measures the number of woman that become preganant per 100 over the course of a year using a particular form of birth control with the lower number being the result of "perfect use" (for example,your pill every day at the time you need to take it) and the upper number being the result of "typical use." Oral contraception has a Pearl Index of .3 - 8, while the male condom has an index of 2 - 15. Withdrawal has a staggering rate of 4 - 27, meaning that within a year, 1 in 4 fertile woman will become pregnant with the "typical use" of this method! These aren't slight differences by any stretch of the imagination.

We live in a time where we have more birth control options than ever in the history of womankind! From patches, to rings, to coils, to pills, to injections, sponges, caps, implants. You name it! There is a method out there for each of us! Do not feel hopeless, just do some investigating. I am constantly astounded that American woman seem to march like zombies to get the Pill (and I am American, by the way) . This, believe me, is not the case the world over. We've just been led to believe it is by virtue of the fact that the manufactures have unlimited advertising budgets. The number one reversable form of birth control in the world is... the IUD!

To the Nov. 16 1:39 poster, please stay onto your doctor about the IUD or get a new one. His/her excuse just doesn't wash anymore. I got my first IUD when I was 22 and am now on my second one at 26. I have certainly never had children, and this has been the perfect method for me. Yes, it is an uncomfortable procedure, but it is over very quickly, and I personally think that is worth years of worry-free sex with nothing to remember to take, wear, wash, exchange, etc. I've heard this over and over on this board - woman denied the IUD in America on the basis of having no children (I got both of mine while living in Germany). This just isn't good enough. There are no complications based on lack of giving birth! They screen you to make sure your reproductive organs are healthy, but that is the only medically sound prerequisite. I always received an injection to help diatate my cervix, but this was strictly for my own comfort, not the fact that it would be impossible otherwise. I don't know why American doctors are so shy when it comes to bringing up and/or advocating "alternative" birth control methods! I hope all you ladies get on the warpath with your health care professionals, perhaps try a few new methods, and find what's right for you! Birthcontrol was a hard won right. We should make use of it ot the fullest! Rant done: over and out

Tuesday, November 21, 2006, 4:54 AM

I think I was thinking of the "perfect use" difference between the three, which is obviously a huge difference from "typical use".

Tuesday, November 21, 2006, 3:04 PM

Yasmin

I was on Yasmin for a year and gained weight. I was also on Ortho-low for 3 months and lost about 15lbs, but sick daily and had diarhea. Fun

Wednesday, January 3, 2007, 3:07 PM

so you're saying yasmin increases your libido? hahaha, sorry about your experience!

Wednesday, January 3, 2007, 3:55 PM

on the depo shot i had a very bad reaction to it i gained 80 pounds and i didnt have a period for 6 months so gaining ten pounds girl your lucky

Thursday, January 11, 2007, 9:33 AM

Why is it so easy for people to believe that you can lose weight by changing pills but they don believe that you can gaim weight from them they say its all bad diet. Sorry you skinny minny's who think that its not its called a REACTION TO BIRTH CONTROL.

Thursday, January 11, 2007, 9:44 AM

Yasmin

I have been on yasmin for 3 years and have gained 30 pounds . I am looking for people to contact me and let me know what their experiance has been on yasmin. I want to loose all of this weight and go back to normal. please help

love4linds@yahoo.com

Tuesday, January 16, 2007, 10:00 PM

Been on a variety of low dose birth controls (currently on the generic of Allesse) for over five years. I remember when I first started, I gained about five pounds - entirely in my boobs! Which elicited a big woohoo from this A-cupper. Unfortunately, they deflated after about three months but I have not had any other weight gain that I can attribute to the pill.

For the record, I love the pill. It has made my cycle like clockwork, I never have cramps or any other symptoms, and it's nice to have such a brainless form of reliable contraception. I might be a best case scenario, but I'd hate to see people ruling out what may be a great option for them due to all the negative stories on here. Talk to your doctor, try it for yourself, and if you don't like it - duh - stop taking it!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 12:46 AM

I know there are a couple of mentions on this thread, but I thought I'd just re-state. A suggestion from someone who has used it for years; American ladies, look into IUCDs. It doesn't get more "brainless" (just a reference to the above post) than having to think about it once every 3-10 years. It's the most common form of birth control in the entire world after sterilization and therefore the most common reversible. I've never liked the idea of ingesting hormones and this is right for me (mine is Copper, not the hormone based Mirena) By the way, I am a young twenty-something who has never had a child. Doctors who use that as an excuse have not read the leading research of, say, the last twenty-five years.

Birth control is a very personal choice and should be whatever fits into your life best and helps you maintain good health. I just feel American women are missing out on something great here.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 7:36 AM

Im 22 and ive been on Yasmin for 6 years. When i first went on it, i gained like 5-10lbs, not sure but i was smokin alotta pot! lol so i was always eating. After a few months my normal weight and stayed that way. Usually the week before my period, I become an emotional wreck, a raging bitch and get migranes. blah. Anyways i dont smoke pot as much and i quit smokin ciggs bc i didnt want to get a stroke. Ive never really had alot of probs the past 6 years with Yasmin untill recently. Im all into organic foods and natural medicines. Im going off Yasmin bc in the last few months ive spotted most of the month, been really depressed, and im retaining water like crazy!!!! i feel like im going crazy and yasmin is messing with my head!!!! my weight has stayed the same, i weigh myself every day. Im just done w. BC in general, i dont want to be on it anymore. i feel like im being pumped of hormones like a cow or something! but i DONT want kids, ever....Im kinda freaking out, what if i go off of it, and next month i get knocked up???? ill be kicking myself!!!.SO i need to find a new non-hormonal way of BC. condoms i guess...Maybe the IUD but the procedure sounds scary :/ BUT a good thing is that, THANK GOD, i have a very high libido, i dont know if its bc of Yasmin, but i just got off my last pack 2 days ago so i hope it doesnt drop. that would suck!!!!! i had a high sex drive B4 i went on yasmin. anyway hope this helped!!!

Tuesday, January 23, 2007, 10:17 AM

Hey. I'm the 17 January 7:36 AM poster. Yes, the IUCD procedure is less than comfortable, but for me a couple of minutes of discomfort for years of hormone free, effortless birth control was worth it. And I'm no woman of steel. The whole thing for me took about thirty minutes including before/after consultation. And that was for an exchange of an old one for a new one which obviously takes a little longer. I know I go on about it from time to time on these boards, but it's sooo right for me that I just want to scream it from the mountain tops. Especially as a lot of women here don't seem to consider it.

I hope you find the method that's right for you. There are so many to choose from these days and loads of great sites that outline them. Whatever you decide, make sure you stay protected while switching. As you said, you don't want to get "knocked up." Best of luck!

Tuesday, January 23, 2007, 11:17 AM

depo

ive been on the shot for 3 years and gained about 30 lbs i have no choice since i have hypertension does anyone know besides having tubes tied another alternative?

Saturday, February 3, 2007, 4:35 PM

IUDs

There are a few posts on this thread about IUDs. This might be a good option for you. They do come in a non-hormonal variety (which I have), and best of all require a "procedure" as opposed to surgery, and their effect is immediately reversed when removed should you decide the time is right for (more or first) children. Please look into it. Far too many women think irreverasable surgery is there only option.

Just a link to the Wikipedia article, but there are further links on the bottom of that page.

Link

Saturday, February 3, 2007, 4:52 PM

the patch

get off the patch! I started having depression and aggression problems after going on the patch and they went away about two weeks after I switched to Nuvo ring.

Monday, March 5, 2007, 7:56 PM

going off yasmin

hey im the Jan 23rd poster. ok so ive been off yasmin for almost 2 months.....honestly i feel great, im not moody, depressed or have no energy. Ive also dropped weight, like 5 lbs, not much...BUT weve been using condoms and they SUCK!!!!!! i hate them :( they irritate me. but i love sex :) so now im in a rut again. my BF is really supportive, he says condoms are no big deal....and i talked to my friend who had IUD and shes had 2 kids, and she said her husband could feel it poking him.SO honestly im going to get my freakin tubes tied!!!! haha jk n e way hoped this helped :)

Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 9:42 AM

BACK ON YASMIN :/

ok yea im going back on yasmin :( condoms really irritate me and its def put a damper on our sex...and yes i felt great for about a month and the past 2 weeks im really feeling crappy again, depresses, major anxiety....so my experiement worked i guess. i wanted to go off the pill to see how i felt, and haha i still have hormones that make me feel like shit once a month!!! but i still havent gotten a period, and ive been super stressed and paranoid taking like prego tests every week!!! SO i really dont want to go though the same effects when i first started the pill at 16, nausea is my main concern....any suggestions????

Saturday, March 24, 2007, 12:17 PM

Depo Provera is a monster

I've only been back on depo for like 6 months - and despite watching what I eat and working out 3 times a week - I am gaining weight - not losing. Which is very discouraging needless to say. I am seriously going to weigh the benefit of having the IUD put in. Just seems like the way to go.

Everyone's bodies respond differently to hormonal treatments. So to say that I am gaining weight because I have an increased appetite is totally false. I am actively working against the weight... and it's not working. In fact, I am back peddling.

Friday, March 30, 2007, 8:17 PM

I had the worst time ever with triphasal, and that's supposed to be the best. I don't even use birth control - can't deal with what it does to me emotionally.

Monday, May 14, 2007, 8:36 PM

Yaz

This thread is really freaking me out. I am on my second pack of Yaz which I started because it has had good results reducing PMS and it also makes your period shorter due to having fewer placebo pills. I really did my research and chose to ask my doctor for Yaz based on this because in the past year I had really become a hormonal bitch and my PMS was nearly dehabilitating. My periods were also lasting about 6 days which I know is better than the 2 months some of you have dealt with but since I started my period they were always around 3 days so for the length (and heaviness) of my period to be doubled was not cool.

Long story very long (sorry) I am now on Yaz and am so worried that it is going to make my hormonal situation WORSE or make me gain weight! I have been steadily gaining weight recently but I am concerned that now that I am trying to take it off, it will be nearly impossible because of the birth control! Have any of you felt like being on birth control has made it more difficult to lose weight? I will say that I have not had any noticable side effects yet and that my PMS was a little better though I had painful cramps before my period which I thought would lessened instead of worsened by the Pill.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007, 11:05 PM

NUVARING

I just started Nuvaring and I love it. I've had no weight gain and have actually lost about 10 pounds in the last month (due to diet and exercise) meaning that it is possible to lose weight and be on BC.

In the past I was on the pill. I took Alesse for 6 years, when I first started the pill I lost a ton of weight effortlessly. I've never had any negative side effects to birth control other then the fact that I had a hard time remembering to take the pill which is why I switched to the ring.

I would recommend the ring to anyone. You can't feel it, your partner can't feel it, it's effortless and great!

Good luck to all of you with your choices:)

Thursday, May 17, 2007, 11:28 AM

I feel your pain, I have had two kids and am done having them, I want to loose weight and get back my old body but it has been so hard on birth control. I am trying to convence my husband to have a vasectomy so we can be done with it.

Thursday, May 17, 2007, 11:30 AM

i was on depo and it was awful, i got fat and had no sex drive at all. i guess if you don't want to have sex then that's efficient birth control! ;o) i was on it for three years, and having no period was great, but the side effects weren't worth it.

i now take mircette continuously for about a year... no week long breaks for aunt flow to visit. i've had no side effects and with changing my eating habits and exercise i've lost 22 pounds in the last two months... so no BC weight gain here!

Thursday, May 17, 2007, 1:24 PM

IUDs ----Nothing is perfect!!!!!

I am 32, have 2 kids and had a non-hormone copper IUD (paraguard) placed about a year ago. The precedure was uncomfortable but short, and I was thrilled to be free of worry!! I had been on OrthoTriCyclen for years before my kids, but had to stop b/c of terrible Malasma...anyway....
With the IUD, my periods are a nightmare! I have migranes, crazy heavy bleeding, and cramps so painful that I am out of commission for days out of the month. I am going to have to have it removed, it has been impossible for me to live with. I am unsure of what to switch to though, for fear of aggrivating my malasma!! Any suggestions??? Just please understand that the IUD is not without fault....

Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 11:15 AM

the fact that doctors can't explain exactly why an IUD works is enough of a reason for me to steer clear of them. plus, the little string that is attached to it just sits and stews inside of your body for years...yucko!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007, 11:21 AM

too strange that IUD's have been around forever but no one can tell you what they do. they can only guess as to what's actually preventing pregnancy.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 11:32 AM

BC weight gain

I lost 30 pounds when I went on the pill

Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 5:32 PM

Seasonale

I take my regular pill (Allesse) for 12 weeks straight. My doctor said all pills can be used that way, not just Seasonale. it's great! I've been doing it for 2 years and the "periods" you even have are about 1 day and almost nothing. No mood swings, no cramps, no breakthrough bleeding, no water weight gain, no cravings, no "pre-period" exhaustion. I can't recommend it highly enough!

I have been on the Pill since 1980 by the way

Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 5:36 PM

BC

I've been on the Pill since 1980 - don't have kids, don't want kids! There is no downside to not having children and using a form of BC that agrees with your body. There's a huge downside to NOT using reliable BC!!!!! You may have to try a couple things to see what works for you. I went through several different pills until i found one that really agrees with my system. There are MANY so just because one causes a side effect doesn't mean they all will. I've never had an IUD but I know they can be good choice for the right person. Keep after your doctor to get the right method for you. if he/she doesn't help, find a new doctor. There are lots of good ones!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 5:44 PM

The Pill, The Patch, The Shot and now The Ring

I've pretty much been on all the different kinds of BC except for a couple. I was on the pill Orthro-Tri for a short period of time and never had time to feel the impact of the possible side effects. 3 years ago I decided after not being on BC for 7 years and coming out of depression that I wanted to set a goal to lose at lest 60 pounds. I accomplished most of my goal in a year by losing 50 pounds. Not even changing my life drasticly just by eating less fatty food and being a little more active. Now finding myself single again after 7 years and after having my daughter. I decided 2 years ago to get the shot. That was an awful mistake. I started bleeding all the time after a month of use. The nurses at PP said it would probably stop with continued use. After the 2nd shot I was still bleeding. After 6 months of this I decided the shot was not right for me. They put me on the patch and it actually stopped the bleeding but come to find out the patch broke me out, causes nasty rashes at the patch sight and it would fall off and that just scared me. So now my file at PP says I'm allergic to the patch. I decided on the ring, that was about exactly a year ago, I was still maintianing my weight of about 145 and I didn't notice any other side effects at first. About 4 months into I started having headaches about 2 or 3 days after I took it out for the week. Could be just the days before your period or whatever. BTW, I'm still on the ring as of today. I'm still having the headaches. And slowly but surely my metabalism has went to nothing. I'm tired all the time. My appetite has increased but I've still stuck to my eating better habits. Despite that and my strive to keep active I've gained all the weight back plus some. I'm convinced that it is the BC. I would hate to change it because of my forgetful habit with the pill but I am growing depressed about the weight gain and the only way to tell if it's the ring is to go off it. If I could afford to have my tubes tied I would so go that route. So until then...

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 3:05 PM

I recently attended a seminar on birth control methods and sexual health. The dr. stated that small weight gain is possible (as in around 5 pounds) with b.c. pills, and of course all bodies react to things differently. But Depo Provera is known for actual weight gain.

I do find it humorous that people are blaming massive weight gains on pills. I have been on the pill for 9 years. I have tried 3 different kinds. No weight gain when I was younger. But have I gained weight in the past few years? Yes! Do I blame it on the pill? Heck no. I think it is more likely it can be blamed on the fact that I am getting older, my metabolism has changed. And sometimes I eat too much and don't work out enough. I can't blame that on the pill!

It's just like my aunt who had two children while on the pill. Anytime a pill conversation comes up, she is like, "oh the pill is awful! I got pregnant TWICE on it!" Well, fact is, I doubt she was using it perfectly, which is the only way to use it! Why is it I have never had a pregnancy? I take it at the same time every day. And if I miss, throw up, take an antibiotic, etc. then I abstain or use a condom. Hello!? Common sense.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 4:06 PM

Seasonale Been there

i have tried Seasonale. my newest ob/gyn tried me on that soon after the new baby, not a good idea at all. honestly i believed I was going to bleed to death. like most pills it takes several months for you body to adjust to - which is what you get in one package. however the first 3or 4 weeks was str8 period for me w/ 1 or 2 weeks of break w/ spotting. i did try a second pack and after it looked similair and my mood was low - I had to move on. Too many BC's in the sea to suffer. Besides my ob/gyn feels that you can use any b/c like seasonale and skip the "resting or period pills' and go on to the next package. I dont really do that but he feels it's not a necessary thing to have a period.

Monday, June 11, 2007, 3:04 PM

maybe the weight gain associated with birth control pills helps in preventing pregnancy....less men approach, less chance to get pregnant.

Monday, June 11, 2007, 3:14 PM

Common Sense

It not quite as easy as common sense i have known ppl who have been genuinely following the instructions to the letter and still manages to get pregnant and not known about it till they went to the doctors with weight problems..
But i was on the pill for quite and few years and was always strugglin with my weight.. didnt matter what i ate, i stopped takin it last year after my husband got the snip.. i lost about a stone i felt great.. now i am with a new partner and back on b/c.. and i have put 10 llbs on in 6 months.. i'm tired.. achey.. continuous headaches.. its gotta be the pill.. so wat is the answer

Monday, June 18, 2007, 1:12 PM

Is Yasmin making me fat?

I thought that Yasmin was the reason that I could not lose any weight. It wasn't. It turns out that i was not working out as long as I needed to lose any weight. Instead of 20 minutes of cardio and 5 minutes of weights, I do 45-60 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of weights. I lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks and plan on losing 30 more that way. That is what worked for me!

Monday, June 18, 2007, 2:28 PM

Birth Control while Breastfeeding and weight gain

I have the same problem. I'm breastfeeding my son and he is almost 5 months old so I'm starting to feed him baby cereal. I started taking birth control that my doctor gave me and have gained about 10 lbs in 2 weeks since I started taking the birth control. I workout 4 days a week and walk all the time around the small town I live in, but still continue to gain weight. My pregnancy pants are even tight on me. I'm tempted to go to the doctor and ask about the ring. That's the only thing I can think of, so all I can suggest is to talk to your doctor about your concern.

Friday, June 22, 2007, 3:28 PM

Experiences w/ Birth Control

So I've been on Ortho-Evra, Depo, and Orthotrycyclin and here's what I've found:
1) Depo (as demonstrated on this board) is most likely to cause weight gain, and it did for me
2) It's not really the pills making you gain the weight, it's the increase in appetite and desire for everything nummy brought on by hormones
3) I didn't realize until reading this board that my migraines were probably brought on by BC

Also, Nuvaring is great, but my friend accidentally dislodged hers before a trip with her boyfriend rendering it ineffective and they conceived on that trip.

Friday, June 22, 2007, 5:45 PM

To the poster who just stopped breastfeeding: could that be the cause of your weight gain? There is NO way you gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks due to birth control.
I think an above poster had it right. She wasn't exercising enough and eating too much! I think blaming it on the pill is an easy excuse to gaining weight.

Friday, June 22, 2007, 6:40 PM

re: "natural" method

Hmmm. Condoms are 80% effective... I took stats a few years ago, but I don't think that translates into 20% chance in a year of getting pregnant. Each time you have sex is a different chance. They don't cummulate like that.
And, there are plenty of people who use NFP and have no problems. It's people who don't use it correctly. You use temperatures and mucus to determine ovulation. Doesn't matter if you are irregular- you will see the difference, just at different times of the month.

Sunday, July 1, 2007, 6:37 PM

Interesting post

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, 9:16 AM

I gained only 6 pounds in 2 years on the pill. And that I attribute to having a boyfriend who takes me out to eat all the time. Now that boyfriend left for Army training and I joined Peertrainer, I took it back off. I think if anyone gains an incredible amount of weight on the pill, they need to immediately get off it. You may actually have an allergy or a bad reaction to one of the ingredients in it, and it may be doing worse things to the inside of your body than to the outside. ANything that has that much of a profound effect on the body can't be good.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, 10:00 PM

Hey, whoever keeps writing "interesting post", get a life. None of your posts are interesting!

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, 10:01 PM

nuvaring

the nuvaring was the worst thing I ever used for several reasons. for me it made sex uncomfortable, it made areas smell more than they should and the worst part was the fact I put on 10-15lbs within the 1st month of using it. I did not like the product at all, but that is just my experience.

Thursday, July 19, 2007, 2:23 AM

we're all here for weight loss. bc won't MAKE you gain weight but it could spike hormones that increase cravings. its up to us to resist them and get enough exercise. without a proper diet and health a person cant single out anything as the cause for their emotional (depression) or physical (acne, migranes,weight) problems.

Thursday, July 19, 2007, 2:33 AM

I Need to gain some weight

If you dont mind i would like to know the name of the pill, i am very skinny and hate that, i've been on Yasmin, Feminan & Cilest right now but i think they all are making me slimmer and i REALLY HATE THAT. I would like to get some info about some pills that really do make you gain weight. SLIMS

Sunday, August 19, 2007, 7:47 AM

I gained 6 lbs. when I started on Orthotricylene, but recently I switched to Desogen, and I haven't gained any weight on it.

Sunday, August 19, 2007, 8:48 PM

From Nuvaring to Paragard IUD

To add my two cents to this thread... I'm 23 years old and was on Nuvaring (my first ever form of birth control) for 2 1/2 years and found myself irritable, depressed, drier than the Sahara and had no sex drive. Oh yeah, and I also gained about 40 pounds. I tried different methods of exercise and diet and the best I could do was stop the weight loss for periods of time, but never lose. This past July I took out my Nuvaring and decided to go on Paragard. I've never had children and have been in a longterm relationship for 5+ years. I researched A LOT about the differences between Mirena and Paragard, but ultimately decided I did not want any more hormones, so I decided on Paragard. As you might have heard, Paragard can increase flow and make periods longer. My doctor said the main indicator of success with Paragard is what your periods are like off of birth control. If you had horrible, crampy, headache filled periods pre-BC, than Paragard is probably not for you. I was okay with periods, never really had cramping or muscle pain, never had a very heavy flow and they lasted about 6 - 7 days. Since I've been on Paragard, I've felt like my old self again! My sex drive is up (which my boyfriend loves), I'm not moody and I'm finding it easier to lose weight. I will say that insertion sucks!! I took two Aleve about 30 min. before hand. Also, its a good idea to have someone drive you and pick you up. My boyfriend took me home and ran out and bought me a heating pad (WHICH REALLY HELPS!) and I relaxed the rest of the day. Within a couple days the light spotting stopped and the slight cramping went away. My first period was a few days longer and a bit heavier than normal. If being hormone free is a priority for anyone, I suggest looking into Paragard!!

Link

Thursday, August 23, 2007, 11:33 AM

no solution

I initially started the pill in 2004 which was ortho tri lo....I gained about 10 lbs but it was nothing unbearable...I then after about 10 months started to have extreme break through bleeding....I had my "period" for 3 weeks straight...i went to my docs and they then switched me to low orgestoral *sp* i was on it for a while and eventually the same thing happened a period that seemed to last forever about 3 weeks with no rest....my doctor then recomemded that I try the Depo shot...So i did at that point I was exercising at the gym at least 5 days a week and eating a generally low calorie diet...I went from about 189-178 haha ...then over the next 9 months everytime i weighed myself the scale went up....at my next visit to the docs i told them about my 20 lb weight gain...so they told me 1200 calorie a day diet and at least half hour exersice 3-5 times a week...so ive been following a strict low calorie low fat diet exercising for the past 5 months (only one of which i havent had my shot for) and i stayed at my whopping 198 lbs i never had trouble losing weight in my life...i cant say i entirely blame the depo for the gain....but my doc did inform me that the depo can def effect your abilty to lose...as why my weight wont change no matter how well i eat often i exercise etc...until the depo decides to go out of my body once and for all...i wud never never never recommend this form of bc to anyone!!!

Thursday, September 20, 2007, 7:31 PM

Tried them all, end of my wits

Unlike most of you I have no choice -- I need to take BC for a hormonal imbalance. And I'm at my wits ends. I tried most the better tolerated ones (like the ring, patch) and they resulted in insulin resistence. For a while I freaked out that I was getting diabetes, until I read that birth control pills can have that effect. Things were getting truly desperate when I discovered that Loestrin doesn't do that.

So I was thrilled for a while ... unitl the weight gain and bloating hit. OMG!!! I'm nearly suicidal. I feel like an elephant. I gained some 25 lbs (and I'm petite .. or used to be!) and feel horrible. Even worse, I'm bloated and have cramps and nothing works to alleviate them. I'm doubled up in pain every day. My stomach is so extended, you'd think I'm pregnant. In between that and the weight gain and horribly painful periods, I'm again at my wits' ends.

And Yasmin gave me terrible nervousness and I was told to stop.

I was thinking about Seasonale, but I hear it's even worse.

Ideas??!!! Help.

Saturday, September 22, 2007, 2:01 AM

Nuva Ring

I've been on NuvaRing for 4 months now and need to get off!!! I have gained 21 pounds with no end in site. I eat ridiculously well (all whole grains, fresh fruits, lean meats), work out lifting and cardio every morning before work, and I may have to start wearing sweat pants to work because they're the only thing that are comfortable anymore! I had yasmin before, and loved it, I just hated remembering to take it. It really does help with water retention, and I lost weight easily on it, as well as having regular and light periods with few emotional side effects. After reading this thread, I'm really turned off to hormones and am considering an IUD or a very low dose IUD, though I have never had children. Besides what has already been posted, thoughts? Advice? I'm so bloated! Have pity.. :)

Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 2:44 PM

To the July 1 poster, I know this was a long time ago, but in case you or others are still reading this thread...

When methods of birth control (including condoms) say how effective they are, the statistic actually refers to one year of use. So, if condoms are 80% effective (not saying that they are or aren't), then that would actually mean that there is a 20% chance of getting pregnant in a 1-year timeframe of using that form of birth control on a regular basis.

Of course, that includes a lot of other factors, such as, are you having sex on a regular basis, and, who determines what a regular basis is?

Condoms are much more effective than that, though, if used exactly as you're supposed to - putting on correctly, not touching before it's on, storing properly, and using ones that haven't expired, etc.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 4:57 PM

IUD Weigth Gain

I have the Mirena IUD, gained over 45lbs, that is even with increased exercise and strict diet. Having it taken out ASAP. Anyone else experience these problems with the Mirena IUD

Thursday, October 25, 2007, 9:17 PM

Fortunately I haven't gained any weight (yet!) after getting on a low dose pill. I'll keep monitoring it.

Friday, October 26, 2007, 2:02 PM

B.C. Weight Gain

I am on the Depo shot and I have gained weight. I gained with the pill and the shot. I think it is just a part of the process. Our body thinks that it is pragnet and the pounds just appear. Not to mention the cravings! I gained about 30lb or so. Yikes... but I don't want kids and can't use an IUD. =(

Friday, October 26, 2007, 10:55 PM

depo

i dont even need birth control but im soo desperate to gain weight that i went on depo.. thats really sadd.. i just hope this works for me ive tried EVRything elsee.. im so damn skinny 90 lbs and 5'5 ughh.. but yea, i have some hope right?

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 10:21 PM

Seasonale/ Levlin

I have been taking this BC for four years. Because its low dose, it seems like the side effects take a bit to catch up. I was fine the first year, and during the second year noticed I started to retain a lot of water weight, and that it was impossible to get rid of it. Starting year two, when I really started to get self-conscious and watch my weight and what I eat, I started to pack it on like no other. Before this, I was always thin, VERY physically active and thought I was just getting fat because I got lazy. At this point i'm working out for three hours a day, and only taking in 900 calories (not long term, and I know it's unhealthy. I'm just making sure it really is the BC) and I haven't lost a single pound in the two weeks i've been doing it. I also have virtually no sex drive, and don't even enjoy it anymore much to hubby's chagrin. My moods aren't bad, but I feel "off", I get yeast infections at the drop of a hat, and my hair is also excessively shedding.

Four periods a year aren't worth it. I'm seeing the doc next week to switch to a copper IUD. I'm done with hormones.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 2:30 PM

It's easy for me to blame my birth control for my ten pound weight gain over the past 6 months, but it just isn't totally true. The truth is that the hormone increase definitely urges my cravings on, but I'm the fool giving into them. I looked amazing last May. I'm talking fitness model amazing. And now I'm fluffy again.

Birth control isn't to blame, it's lack of self control. At least for me.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 7:54 PM

I'm seriously thinking about starting to take the pill. I was on ortho once, for 3 months, and it seemed to make more hormonal-so I stopped. That was years ago. Looking at this thread, Yazmin seems to be the one that at least has some good comments. I don't want to gain weight or feel like I'm crazy. Condoms irritate me, and I don't want to have kids at this point in time. I'm not worried about losing my libido because that left me a few years ago (actually, I would love to have it back!). Any advice?

Thursday, November 8, 2007, 8:48 PM

iud response

hi, im 19 f, and i had a iud placed about 3 wks ago , and i love it. well except for the spotting. i havent gained any weight. i dont have to remember, my pill very night.when i was on ortho-trycyclin whenever i forgot two pills i strted my period, and now i wont have to worry about that anymore. i got mirena. the reason was that i am getting ready to go to college, and i didnt want to have to worry about having to take a pill every night.plus having to make an appointment every time i needed a refill. i am also in a serious relationship with someone.so mirena was placed which was a bit uncomfortable, because i have never been pregant, but the worst part was having it put in. and you have cramps but they werent nearly as bad as the ones i used to have when i strted my period. when i first got mirena the strings would bother me, but now i dont even feel them. which is great. and its as effective as having your tubs tied, but i would recommend to still use another type of protection.and reverseable when you are ready to have a child. so i feel that i have made a good decision, and i would defenently recommend it. :b

Wednesday, November 14, 2007, 12:13 AM

12:13 - are you in the US or another country? My gyn refused to give me a coil because I've never been pregnant. And I'm twice your age. I've decided not to have him as my doctor moving forward for other reasons - he was all for, and I quote, "burning" my tubes. So if the coil is an option that some US-based doctors provide and some don't, then I'll make that part of my interview for a new doc.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007, 12:53 AM

freaken depo!

yes, so unfortunaly i gained some good amount of weight due to the depo shot.
ugh. thank god i went off it.

i gained about 12-15 pounds. great..

Tuesday, November 20, 2007, 4:10 PM

the pill

i went on the pill in the summer and never got my full period. i got off of it because i gained 10 pounds. I just got off of it like 3 weeks ago, and still havent gotten my period. is this normal? Does anyone know which birth control wont have me gain weight?

Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 1:54 AM

I want to respectfully disagree with the popular idea that "It isn't the birth control...it's my fault". as well as "It's an increased appetite, not weight gain".

Why would pharmaceutical companies let us believe that BC causes
'appetite changes" instead of weight gain? Because it would very much kill their sales, wouldn't it? So the companies are largely vested in allowing women like us to take these side effects and take complete responsibility for them. So if we as a culture are willing to to take responsibility for the way these drugs affect our body...why should the pharmaceutical company??

Same goes for the low sex drive...Why should they acknowledge that lots of women experience a decreased libido and other sexual issues? We are so willing to take that onto ourselves and we feel like it is our fault! I don't think that literally millions of women could all be making the exact same mistakes...there has to be a common link to the BC. And yet again, pharmaceutical companies do not want to own up to that, which is a decision that I think has a large part to do with sales and marketing. There is no research to show that BC causes decreased libido (because pharm companies pay for research and why would they want documented proof of that?).

We do not see social change happening here, either, I would say. There is not a large scale push for companies to address the fact that many many women are disatisfied with these types of subtle, yet serious side effects.

On a personal note, I too thought that it was my fault that I gained the first 2-3 pounds on BC. I watched what I ate and I didn't give in to the "increased appetite" that I was experiencing. But 18 months later I find myself 10 pounds heavier and it's impossible to lose.

I just can't take that on. I don't think it's my fault. I do acknowledge that everyone is different and that some people will not gain weight. Lucky girls. But watch out...even if you don't gain weight immediately, women are more likely to weigh more over their lifetimes than women who do not use hormonal BC.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 10:06 PM

Good lord why on earth is this 2.5 year old thread still going on? PEOPLE PEOPLE, PEOPLE....YES YOU WILL HAVE A SLIGHT WEIGHT GAIN IF YOU TAKE THE PILL!! The facts all say the same.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 2:59 AM

My vote is for the IUD

Got the Mirena- Love it...Mindless birth control! Yeah!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 2:52 PM

yasminelle

Not sure if you can get it in the US (I get it in Europe), but I am quite happy with yasminelle. It's a lower dosis than Yasmin, so the side effects are less. I still get migraines and really bad mood swing for about 1-2 days, but considering the trouble I had with other pills, it's quite bearable. And I keep shedding pounds like crazy!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 11:06 PM

Hoping its a side effect

I had been on OrthoTriCyclen for years and never noticed anything. I switched to Seasonall (3month) pill and it made my hormones go crazy. I switched back to OrthoTriCyclen and I have gained almost ten pounds. I feel like I'm PMSing all the time. I have food cravings that are almost insurmountable and I have zero desire to eat well or exercise which is unusual for me. Normally the week of my period I crave bad stuff but it has always gone away. This time it has not and I'm starting to worry. I think I will try something other than the pill. I thought maybe it was just me but since I've read these other postings I'm hoping that's not the case. The dark brown spots on my face are another awful side effect and NOTHING seems to make them fade.

Sunday, December 16, 2007, 9:58 AM

bc weight gain

I went on the pill (orthoTriCyclen Lo) around 2 years ago and was very concerned about the weight gain aspect. I began eating healthier before i went on it and vowed to stick to this while on it. Without changing this diet method, i gained around 14 lbs around 3 months after going on the pill. Since then, i have been excercising and keeping acttive but am having SUCH a hard time losing this weight. I am still active and eat very well. I am so tired of being on hormones and have felt many side effects, my breasts went up to almost a DDD from a C-D before. My breasts are often tender and i constantly feel bloated. I have tried other kinds of BC and nothing seems to work for me, and i eventually just went back to triCyclen lo. Every other woman i know who is or has been on the pill has experienced some sort of side effect, all of them experienced bloating/weight gain. I have read that going off the pill can cause acne in the inital 6-8 months even though no acne was present before, this worries me! overall, though, i think i would much rather use condoms than feel like this any longer!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007, 2:07 PM

copper iud

I have been on seasonale now for 5 years and I have gained 10 lbs and have NO sex drive. I do believe that BC increases appetite as I eat more now than I did before, so it make sense. But I am getting married in 6 months and I am trying to loose weight so I am switching to a copper IUD. I am 27, no pregnancies, my Dr didn't blink an eye. I think Dr's who won't do it if you havent had a kid are just lazy as it does make insertion more difficult. Switching also because I don't want to begin my marriage with no libido!! I miss it! The good news is my dr says I can still use regular pill BC to skip my period (like for my honeymoon). Yay!

Thursday, January 3, 2008, 5:57 PM

Depo really screwed me up! Pills didn't do much better!

I first started taking OrthoTriCycllin and then OrthoCyclin when I was 18 yrs old. I went from weighing an average of 127 pounds to 146 pounds within the first year. I did not increase my eating. I started dieting like crazy instead and couldn't figure out why I was still gaining. I stopped taking the pills when I was 20. I lost weight from 146 pounds down to 135 pounds in a month along with continuing to eat small amounts and lots of walking.

About two months later I got the Depo shot. I gained back to a weight of around 146. I walked 2 miles every day and strated eating less again. At my yearly exam my NP told me I did great because my weight hadn't changed. By the next year I had gained to 156 pounds. I was still walking 2 miles. I was barely eating anything because I thought that was why I was gaining. Within the next several months I had gained on up to 164 pounds. I was eating like a bird and walking two miles plus some aerobics.

It was at that point I found a post online from a nurse that worked at a gyno's office. She was telling people about how the doctors at her work new that Depo was causing extreme weight gains and were keeping it hush hush just for the money because of it's popularity. I had been on the shot for 2 1/2 years at that point and I decided to quit after reading that one and a few more.

It took a year and a half to get my period back. I did not lose any weight during that time. I started using Yas and did not gain or loose during the two months I took it. My doctor had me stop it because the daily medicine I take shouldn't be mixed with it because of the potasium increase. Shortly after that I started taking some weight loss pills that had an am pill and a pm pill to boost metabolism. I ended up loosing 10 pounds in a week! After starting to lift weights I lost down to 142 pounds in about 2 months. Unfortunately I ended up having cervical cancer and gained 10 pounds back when I lost all my energy from the surgeries.

I just had my first daughter in October I only gained 8 pounds the whole pregnancy even though I ate a lot of carbs and more than normal. I ended up getting down to my pre pregnancy weight in a month and a half. Not sure how that happend....

I'd like to be able to find something that would work without the weight gain. I'm getting tired of having to use condoms with my husband. I want at least one more baby before I get my tubes tied, but that won't be anytime soon. So if anybody has experience with a low side effect pill or other type please let me know.

The reason that the Depo causes weight gain it because it stores itself into your fat cells. That's how it lasts. It also causes your fat cells to not desolve and every cell you gain keeps adding to the ones you had and they pattern keeps going until you are unhappy and over weight.

I have been doing research on the Depo since 2002. It is a man made synthetic hormone that was just barely approved by the FDA. There is a petition against it and a huge lawsuit is is in the works against the company that provides it.

If you have had a bad experience with the Depo sign the petition!
http://www.petitiononline.com/depo1/petition.html

Get involved with Depo lawsuits!
http://www.anattorneyforyou.com/legal/depo-provera.htm

I can't find the links to most of the stuff I saw that charted all of the symptoms but iff you google it you will see horror stories everywhere.

Friday, January 25, 2008, 8:24 PM

Yazmin, Yaz and NuvaRing

I was on Yazmin for about 2 years..i lost a lot of weight but not because of the pills. It definitely didn't make me gain anything. I started to have break through bleeding so my doctor put me on yaz for 2 months. I was never so moody and depressed in my life, and the cramps were horrible! Today is my first day using the nuvaring...does it really make you gain that much weight? I'm in my early 20's and really trying hard to beat anorexia before it gets too bad. I don't need the nuvaring making it worse right now.

Is anyone currently using it? Or have used it?

Sunday, January 27, 2008, 9:25 PM

I don't take BC, but my best friend is on Nuvaring and she loves it. She's been using it for over a year without any noticeable weight gain.

Sunday, January 27, 2008, 9:42 PM

has anyone tried lybrel? can anyone tell me an approximate cost difference between depo and a pill? i've been on depo for almost 6 years now but i worry about the bone loss issue and the weight gain ... yuck. considering lybrel now and hoping it will be a bit less pricey! thanks all!

Monday, January 28, 2008, 11:31 PM

For people on here who know the weight gain and/or mood side effects (like irritability) are a side effect of the pill they're on, how long did you wait to conclude this?

I had been taking a generic 28-day, varying hormone pill (sprintec) for 3 years and it was fine. I'd gained some weight, but likely due to changes in lifestyle and increasing age (23-26 yo). I just switched to Seasonale, bit the bullet on price, so as to avoid my period. I've been on it for 3 weeks, and I've gained 4 lbs back (Of the 8 I lost over the last couple months) and been *unbelievably* irritable and bitchy recently. How long should I wait it out for, to make sure it's not something else? Eating habits haven't been great, but not so far off of my usual. And I've been working longer hours at work, though I don't feel particularly stressed about it ...

Thursday, February 21, 2008, 10:50 AM

IUD, if you want one- find a doctor who will do it.

I recently just had the Paraguard (Copper) IUD inserted last week. I am 23 and married, but I didn't have the kids part of the requirement. The first gynecologist I went to said she would not insert one for me because I had not had any children -she said that she wasn't "forceful enough to do it". I was initially frustrated with her- especially because I had waited months to get an appointment with her and then she told me that she doesn't like to do it. Anyway, after further consideration and reading about the research with IUDs and helpful online comments, my husband and I decided that we wanted to go with this option. I have been on hormonal birth control for the past 12 years, over half of my lifetime! So, I found a new gynecologist who would insert it for me. Although it was painful during the few seconds it takes to actually insert and place it, it wasn't horrendous pain. I had my husband there with me to hold my hand. I felt slightly nauseated afterwards and I was thankful for him being there to drive me home and let me relax on the couch for a while. I would recommend taking the day off of work if you are planning to have one inserted. Also, get yourself a heating pad, I found that to be very helpful in relieving the initial cramping after I got home. My gynecologist had me take 4 ibuprofen before I came in, and I found Aleve really helped with the cramping afterwards (Midol and Aleve are the same drug and the same dosage, save your money!) So far, I have been happy with the IUD. I have had a little more cramping during the rest of my period this month and I have also been spotting- but nothing out of the ordinary. I am so happy to not be taking the pills or patches or rings anymore although I do feel a little withdrawal from the hormones. I am hoping to start leading a happier and more natural life with the IUD. I am thrilled to know I will be able to have it removed at any time when my husband and I are ready to start our own family. If you are considering an IUD and you have not had a child, please do not let your doctor stop you -unless of course, you have medical reason or condition that would become worse or not allow you to have an IUD. Many women who have not given birth have one and love it. The expulsion rate of a woman who has had a child is only 2% less than a woman who has not. Remember, you are the best judge of what is a good birth control method for you and your partner. Many Planned Parenthood Clinics offer the IUD at a lower cost and many insurance providers will cover a portion of the cost.
Good Luck Ladies!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 10:24 PM

Watch out on NuvaRing

I had lost about 20 pounds. I had been off Depo for about 4 years (Depo caused me serious side effects, including horrible weight gain despite swimming an hour every day and lifting weights 3 times a week). I got on NuvaRing. No weight gain the first three month. BUT... my boobs grew a cup size. Yea, now I had DDs. Then, the moodiness, constipation, irritable bowel, high blood pressure, hair loss, and eventually, the weight gain in my stomach, thighs, and worst of all, my upper arms. I went from wearing a medium in most shirts to large or extra large to fit my boobs or my arms. I'm going off this horrible drug that makes me a monster for 3-5 days every month, and getting on a NON hormonal IUD.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 1:20 PM

10:15 AM IUD

Hi IUD- I have the IUD - Mirena with hormones and it solves the weight gain problem and eliminates periods but it interferes with orgasms. If I had insurance I'd go back to the patch or try nuva ring. That said, I do love the convenience and I've learned to have orgasms "around it".

Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 2:45 PM

ortho cyclen

I have been on orthocyclen for about 2 years now. i have gained thirty pounds since being on it. My dr told me that birth control pills will not make you gain weight. But after reading all these posts and seeing it for myself, i think i might try a different dr and a different pill or patch or whatever. becuase i know that some of the weight gain was my fault, but there was a time in one week i gained 10 pounds (while eating healthy and exercising!)... so,i think its time for me to try something new... now i am busting my butt everyday exercising and snaking on carrots and celery and not losing ANYTHING! FRUSTRATING!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 1:42 AM

I first went on birth control when I was a freshman in highschool because my periods were literally unbearable ever since I first started in fourth grade, but my mom would have been too embarrassed to have a middle-schooler on BC, so I had to suffer until high school. They started me out on the patch, and I liked it, it was actually easier to remember it weekly then it would've been for me to remember daily. Well then they told my mom that the patch increases the chance of blood clotting in young girls so she made me switch to the pill. They put me on Orthotricyclene and the estigen level was so high it made my stomache upset. So then they put me on Apri (it's a generic version with a lesser dose of estrigen and also helps my acne). I've gained 30lbs while on the pill after a few years. I workout regualarly and I've always been a slim girl, but I can't seem to get the weight off my hips and thighs, I read some where that while the pill may also increase your appetite and water retention, some might also increase breast, hip and thigh tissue. I've had it with all these different BC. I'm not sexually active so I'm thinking about going off BC all together.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 11:50 AM

weight

I was on the pill for 7 years without any weight issues. I had two boys and decided to do the shot or nothing. I recieved one shot at 5 weeks post partum. I notices that I did not lose the baby weight as I had the first time being on no bc. I have not gone back for the second shot and finally at 6 months post partum the weight is coming off. I'm consistent in my activity and diet so I attribute this experience to the hormones and I won't be injecting anymore into my body. I feel much better too, happier and I have more energy.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 12:07 PM

Yaz

When i started the yaz pill it was because i wasn't have a period due to not having enough body fat. So i told my doctor i heard yaz was good, but after a month ive gained like 10 pounds and so i started to exercise like crazy and still nothing i do will make the weight go away. So i heard that one of the side effects is that it makes you gain water weight so when u step on th scale it says you have gained weight , but all it really is is your stomach is all full of water which can make u feel bloating all the time. So im going to my doctor and shes going to give me a diuretic and supossibly its supossed to make all the weight come off. I know someone who went from being 158 and then took the diuretic and went down to 137. So if u feel like you can't lose weight tell ur doctor and its probably just water weight.

Friday, July 18, 2008, 5:03 PM

i am 23 with two kids and i have never been on any type of birth C. i have been thinking about getting started with one. but i have a real fear of gaining weight. It took a year and half to get my daughter. i dont want to start on BC and two years later want another kid and cant. I dont know what to do.

Friday, August 29, 2008, 7:31 AM

First off birth control will not limit your ability to have children down the road. I have read in official studies and then also my sister was on birth control for 10 years and got pregnant her first month trying so the proof is in the pudding.

Secondly there is no evidence that birth control makes you gain weight. There may be some retention of water as PP said, however that is not body fat so it wont negatively affect your body and it will not make your clothes fit much differently.

There is a correlation between girls who go on birth control and weight gain - but let's take a look at what else goes on in a girl's life when she starts birth contol:
Probably has a serious boyfriend for the first time so she is hanging out with (and eating with) boys which in my personal experience causes me to eat more.
She is probably between 15 and 20 when women tend to gain weight in their hips and breasts naturally.
She may be going to college which everyone knows causes a slight weight gain.
I think the birth control is an excuse for weight gain when really it is just environmental changes.

Friday, August 29, 2008, 11:35 AM

Stop preaching

If proof is in the pudding, here is your pudding.

I started birth control for the first time at the age of 26. Before starting the pill, and continuing after, I have eaten a very healthy diet of whole grains, fish, veggies and fruit. 4 months into taking the pill, despite changing absolutely nothing, I gained nearly 30 pounds. I've since decided to go off of the pill. I must have been nuts to inject hormones into my body.

I've already graduated from undergrad and graduate school and therefore have no environmental changes. I'm with the same person that I was with before starting the pill and we do not eat out. He is a home cooking, healthy eating, nut. So, this seems to contradict your environmental changes argument. Further, I have gone to the doctor and have no thyroid issues, or health issues whatsoever. My doctor, however, is not unrealistic and is the first to tell you that everyone's body will react differently.

Now clearly this does not happen to everyone. As mentioned, everyone reacts differently. But I am tired of reading comments like the one above preaching about how since your body reacted one way, so will everyone elses. You're ridiculous.

And please do not quote studies. Find me one study that was not conducted by a pharmaceutical company or a representative of a pharmaceutical company. Think about all the exercise programs and drugs sold with the disclaimer, results not typical. Why? Because everyone reacts differently. Studies choose the ones that acted the best to sell their product.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 11:09 AM

someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 11:18 AM

yasmin/tri-sprintec ...alesse now??

i was on yasmin for about a year and i gained about 10 pounds. but that's horrible for me. i struggle with some eating problems anyway, so the uncontrollable weight gain was hell.

i then went off the pill for 6 months, and in june i started with tri-sprintec (generic for ortho tri lo) and im already noticing the side effects again, so im going to switch to an ultra low dose.

but, every time i go on the pill my boobs get HUGE. i go from a full a to a full c.

but i also get mood swings, EXTREME fatigue, and gross weight gain. and my hips are literally bigger. the width of my hip bones has increased almost a whole inch from before i started the pill.

Thursday, October 2, 2008, 12:15 PM

Has anyone had a similar experience?

After 6 years of BC...I am finally done with it.

I have always been an active and healthy person. I rarely eat out and work out at least 3 times a week and was a member of a dance troupe when I was in college. Ever since I got on BC i gained roughly 10-15lbs. No matter how much I work out or diet, I cannot lose this weight. The only time I lost the weight was when I had food poisoning and lost 11lbs in a day. This leads me to believe that the pill has caused me to retain water. I also spot continuously for 2 weeks during my cycle (2nd week and end of 3rd week into placebo). I have changed the pill continously to stop this problem but nothing works. I finally took myself off the pill and my gyno is checking me for thyroid problems just in case. I figured I'm getting married in a few months and we decided not to have sex until our honeymoon anyways (because I told him I was taking myself off the pill). I'm not too freaked out about getting pregnant after we're married anyways we'll just use condoms....so....has anyone else experienced this???

Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 3:23 PM

Estrogen, the Pill and weight loss

I wanted to mentioned that estrogen does not slow weight loss, in fact, studies have shown that women who have a decrease in their estrogen levels (such as menopausal women) tend to gain weight.

That being said. I agree with people who have said that every pill effects every woman differently. I am currently on Levora, and have been for the past five years or so with no problems. Prior to that I was on two other pills since I began taking the pill (about ten years ago), none of them causing me any weight gain issues. Although I have gained weight, I attribute that to my age, lack of activity and eating habits, not the pill. Unless you start taking the pill and experience an extreme and rapid weight-gain, or loss for that matter, I would look to other factors.

Link

Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 4:01 PM

my story

started taking Ortho-Tricyclen when I was about 21 and I lost weight however I would get severe headaches perhaps migraines when the hormone levels would drop (my period would start). I went off that after a few years and within a month gained about 6lbs especially in the hip, butt, thigh area! My doctor perscribed Mircette and I continued to gain weight plus I have two UTI's in a short period of time which I had never had a UTI in my life so I discontinued the Mircette. My doctor insisted that my weight gain had nothing to do with the BC. A few years later I started on Otho-Trycyclen Lo and maintained my weight pretty well I went off that because it cost too much and I didn't have any health insurance. Most recently I am on Kariva which is generic for Mircette, about 3 years, my current doctor perscribed this because it is a lower estrogen dosage so I don't get the headaches which she claims is not correlated to the BC pills. So 3 years later I have gained 25 pounds and still gaining! I had blood work done last week because I am so upset about the gaining and now I get extremely tired after I eat a meal and I have had major mood swings recently. Nothing abnormal in my blood work, I had convinced myself that I had a thiroid issue but I don't. I watch what I eat and work out but I have no energy and sleep 9 hours a night and I am still exhausted. I don't know that BC is causing this, maybe my age is attributing to this, I am 31, but I think that BC could be making it worse. At any rate after reading all the posts I guess our bodies react differently to different birth control pills but I am fed up.

Monday, December 8, 2008, 11:58 AM

I've been on Reclipsen/Desogen for almost 2 years with no weight gain and have been able to lose 35lbs

Monday, December 8, 2008, 12:25 PM

BC is so frustrating. I was put on a new kind this month (in hopes it wouldnt squash my sex drive the way my old kind did) and I gained 9lbs in 3 weeks. 9!!

Monday, December 8, 2008, 4:05 PM

I'm on Mirena. It's an IUC. No periods, almost. I love it. I'm horny as hell. It has lots of testosterone in it. I love it, and I have endometiosis. Best old thread i've read in a long time. And by the weigh, I'm 128 pounds at 5 foot three.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 12:12 AM

UGH

I am on Sprintec. I eat right, work out alot, and even stopped drinking. But, I have gained about 10 pounds since I started this pill. I have pre menopause, does anyone have any recommendations?

Friday, January 9, 2009, 11:10 PM

Implanon

I have been struggling t find out why I have not lost weight. I had my 2nd child over a year ago, nursed for 8 months and lost no weight besides the initial weight loss (I lost about half of what I gained). I dieted and exercised while I nursed as well.
I got the new Implanon implant which is etonogestrel only (no estrogen). It last 3 years and it sounded great to me. The downside is irregular periods that can just spot, no way to keep track.
I'm getting it removed next week due to depression and the weight issue. So I have not gained weight, I just can't lose it.
I've been trying to figure out what else to do and in the meantime back to good old fashion condoms (which really sucks when you are married).
I'd like to go natural, but there isn't a lot of options. I considered paraguard IUD but don't want the heavy periods. Maybe I'll let my body readjust and go from there.

Saturday, January 31, 2009, 1:02 AM

sprintek

This was the first birth control I got put on after my daughter was born. I was 156lbs to begin with. I was breastfeeding, dieting and hardcore exercising, and over the course of 4 months only lost 5 lbs. I have not lost any since, even with the last resort of starving myself for 3 weeks.

My boobs also got two sizes bigger, I want my A cup back.

I switching to one called trinessa next.

Monday, February 9, 2009, 9:03 AM

mood swings

I wanted to share what happened to me on the pill. I am sensitive to medications to begin with. This last November I tried the pill for the second time. The first time I was a teenager and just couldnt remember them and I had also been misinformed that the pills were not vegan so for ethical reasons I stayed with the condom.

My son's father and I used the rhythm method which worked well for 3 years (go ahead and laugh).

My husband and I decided that we wanted to stop using condoms (and the pull out method) I find condoms altogether irritating.

I talked with a gal at a planned parenthood who found that pills are synthetic (vegan friendly) I told her of my general sensitivity to meds and she put me on the lowest dose pill possible. So I figured while husband was out of town I would start the pill. Okay- like all people I have good days and bad days. Im a happy person. I love my family, my life..etc. After 2 days of the pill I was freaking out. I have never experienced anxiety like this before. I was actually contemplating suicide...I was so far out of my mind that I am lucky to have realized that the problem was the pill. on day three I believe I saved my life by not taking the pill.
My husband doesnt seem to understand how intense this was since he was only hearing the phone version. He suggests the nuvaring because his x had great results with it -I am terrified of hormones now. I am going in for an Paragaurd on March 4th as it doesnt use hormones. Ill update to let you know how it goes.

Thursday, February 19, 2009, 8:18 AM

it's water weight...i gain about 5 to 10 pounds on the pill...to lose it and get muscle definition again i just work extra hard in diet and exercise.

Thursday, February 19, 2009, 9:50 PM

question

Like many of us, I have experienced weight gain while taking the depo shot. I have only been taking it for 6 months and have gained nearly 20lbs. I DO notice that I am hungry alot more often and am always in a "snacky" mood. Lets not forget that healthy snacks just don't cut it, I have tried fruits & veggies and they don't even touch my hunger pangs. I was wondering if anybody has heard that the patch has a weight limit? I was told several years ago that if you were heavier than 175lbs the patch wouldn't work for you. I haven't asked my doctor yet, but I was curious to see if anyone else had heard this and new for certain whether it was true or not true?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 12:23 AM

yaz and nuvaring

the patch has a weight limit of 200 lbs - it's less effective after that. however, nuvaring and the patch apparently have been causing strokes and stuff so be careful.

i gained a ton of weight on nuvaring and YAZ. yaz was TERRIBLE. i gained like 20 lbs in 6 months and i was SO moody!!! the tiniest thing would upset me and make me mad and i'd just flip out. i was CONSTANTLY craving more food too.

when i told my gyno all this, she suggested ortho tricyclen lo, so i tried it, and it was like night and day. it seriously felt like a demon had left my body. i didn't overeat, i can even say that i felt as happy as i did without using any birth control. i LOVE this birth control.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 2:06 AM

DEPO

dont do depo. i am 17 and weigh 200 pounds. i dont look like it but i feel it. I was 160 before depo, and i didnt realize how much i gained till i went to the doctor. its depressing. I tried the pill ortho evra and it messed up some things with me. I'm thinking of an IUD or anything that doesn't make you gain weight. I love not having the periods but would rather have them then be huge.

Sunday, March 8, 2009, 4:57 PM

weight gain on the IUD

I gained nearly 40lbs on the IUD and cant even shed a pound with strict dieting and 2hr work outs 5 days a week. I also have had a massive amount of acne break out all over my face, neck , chest, and back. I have normally beautiful skin and I even go to get facials once a week to try to clear it up but with no real steady results. The break outs and weigh gain happened with in the first few days of the insertion of the iud, and this same thing happened when I was perscribed the abortion pill as well ( which is a high dosage of birth control). I'm also suffering from moodiness and beiing extreamly tired from the moment I get up to the time I officially go to bed, but Im napping all day long. I cant possible get any kind of job in the shape that Im in on behalf of the birth control. The doctors that I have complained about these problems to deny al side affects pertaining to the IUD and or the abortion pill. I'm concidering a class action law suit against the companies and doctors for not truthfully declairing the possible side effects from it looks like all form of birth control. Thank you Britany Hendricks

Thursday, March 12, 2009, 7:29 PM

BC and wt gain.

I am 25 years old and have 2 kids. I was on orthotricyclin since after my first child ( about 5 years.) I came off BC and had my second child.....then went back on after. I had gained wt after my second child...and with vigorous diet and excercise, coud NOT lose the weight no matter how hard i tried.. I came off the pill and lost 30 lbs in less than 3 months. Eventually upon fear of becoming pregnant again, I went back on Ortho.....I gained prob. about 8 lbs in 2 years. I started researching BC and decided that Alesse was the way to go to maybe lose a little wt because of the low amount of hormones. I have been on Alesse for 2 months and have gained 5 lbs ....and this is with Daily working out. I have decided to go back off the pill and take my chances with Condoms......maybe a tubal in my future!

Monday, March 16, 2009, 6:47 PM

BC weight gain and other bad side effects

Before I got pregnant for the first time when I was 32, I had never taken BC pills. My hubby is a personal trainer, so he helped me with exercise and diet before and during pregnancy. After I had the baby it took me about 6 months of hard core exercise and nutrition to lose the baby weight even though I still had about 7-10 extra lbs to lose. Then the doctor put me on birth control and it was all downhill from there. I started on the mini-pill which wasn’t too bad. It didn’t make me gain weight, however I was training hard so I was just maintaining. Then when the baby was 8 months, the doctor put me on the high dose pills (Desogestrel-Ethinyl Estradiol). No matter how hard I exercised and ate healthy, I could never lose those stubborn 7-10 extra baby weight lbs. I also look puffy, which I attribute to the water retention from taking the pill. The extra water weight gets worse during my periods, so I gain about 2-3 lbs more. I can never button my pants even though they are the right size. Other side effects include irritability, mood swings, low libido, and increased appetite. Since I exercise hard, I eat even more! With the diminished libido, my husband gets frustrated. All this makes me depressed and very angry. I am 34 now and still on these BC pills. I told my husband that I want to stop taking them and let my body get back to normal for a while until the next baby. IT will be hard using alternative BC, but I want to feel normal again.

Thursday, April 16, 2009, 12:24 PM

Birth Control/Weight Gain

Definitely have gained weight. I went by my doctor's office and she said there is no correlation - which we all know is not the case. I think I put on 5 lbs pretty much right away. I'm on Loestrin and I like it cuz I have much less cramping, but the weight definitely is a bummer. I'm going to work out harder and see if I can get the weight off. If not, I'll switch to something else.

Link

Sunday, May 3, 2009, 3:21 AM

Trouble Losing Weight w/ Tri-Sprintec

I have been using Tri-Sprintec for a little over 2 years now and have gained about 15 lbs, despite the fact that I have been training for a marathon for the past 6 months, eating healthy and doing bootcamp exercises. I cannot seem to lose any weight, and I appear "puffy" like some of you mentioned. My body fat % has even increased by a few percent!! I thought that maybe I was doing something wrong, but running over 15 miles a week, eating healthy and nothing to show for it will make you wonder. I even tried a detox diet and nothing. I'm starting to believe that my birth control may have something to do with it. I did not experience this during college, but then again I was on a European brand and I actually lost weight while studying there. It's extremely frustrating and I'm ready to stop taking these generic pills, even though it has cleared up my adult acne and increased my cup size. Anyone else having difficulty losing weight? Particularly fat loss??

Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 3:25 AM

I take seasonal too. I had the same issues that the poster at 11/20/2005 3:41 had with it too. I lost a decent amount of weight before I got on it, and I love the three month gaps now that my body has gotten used to it. That said, and I never made this connection until today, I haven't lost hardly any (about 2 fluctuating pounds) since getting on it about 9 months ago. I will definitely check into the connection now though!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 8:04 AM

Yaz, can you really have your cake and eat it too?

This pill has been a heaven sent, and the devil. I had extremely irregular periods; 10 days apart and very, VERY heavy. Yaz has regulated me completely. On the downside, it has given me horrific acne that is not going away, (which I did not have before). I also gained 10-15 pounds in a very short amount of time. I am very active and for the most part have a healthy diet. My hunger has increased as well as my hormones.
Is anybody else having this issue as well?
Also is anybody having issues taking weight off?

Saturday, May 23, 2009, 9:46 PM

I've just come off the pill so I'll be interested to see whether there are any differences in my body and weight loss.
I do remember having a much higher libido when I wasn't on the pill, that could be because I was younger.. who knows??!! I'm looking forward to finding out :)

Sunday, May 24, 2009, 1:31 AM

YAZ

I started Yaz in January and I have gained 10-15 lbs. Before I went on i never got migranes and my cramps were not that bad. I thought Yaz would shorten my period, but 8 months later they still last a week. This summer i have exercised regularly and have really controlled my diet...NOTHING. it is really discouraging, but i am switching to Nuvaring later this month before i go to college. I am hoping to lose weight, and definitely not gain more than I have.

Monday, August 10, 2009, 5:04 PM

What is so sad about this in today's society is:
My daughter is 17- she sees that I had struggled with weight loss for many years and work hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle and have brought that lifestyle here into the home so that hopefully everyone has learned how to be healthy in our home. I thought what was happening was about lifestyle health and not all about weight and fat- None the less I told her when she was 16 and had a steady boyfriend that if she felt the need, to please seek assistance from me and I would help her get on the pill (as a mom, I'm not condoning it, I'm educating her and protecting her in the only way I know how- it's better than sticking your head in the sand) What was her response to me? Oh no way- first of all I dont' need then, second the BC pills make you fat and I wouldn't goi on them! OMG! How scary is that, society tells us that most of america is obese and that is unhealthy. Yet I live in a state that has the highest teen pregnancy rate.... oy! Which is the lesser of the two evils? There has to be something out there that helps control this issue? To have my state tell it the only thing is abstinence- try telling that to teen's raging hormones!
She just graduated High School and is smart as a whip- hopefully she knows what she's doing!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 5:19 AM

NO IUD!!!

I had mirena inserted about 10 months ago. in 6 months i gained over twenty pounds, had terrible migrianes, body aches, stomach pains, bleeding during intercourse and so many other side effects. all of this was contributed to mirena. i would not reccomend it to anyone!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009, 1:56 PM

Wow, I guess everyone has their own story of birth control & weight gain/loss. Personally, the b.c. pill helps me keep weight off. And it keeps the migraines away. I went off it a year ago to try to get pregnant and I've had problems with weight gain and horrible migraines. No luck getting pregnant yet. I want to hurry up and have another baby so I can go back on the pill and make the migraines stop, and also lose some weight.

Thursday, August 27, 2009, 9:37 PM

Birth Control and Weight Gain

My daughter who is 17 was put on YAZ 3 months ago for acne, constant spotting and bad bleeding issues~before starting YAZ she was 116 lbs now she is 136 lbs and her spotting, heavy bleeding have gotten worse and now add in severe moodiness~Are there ANY birth control methods that can help her with her issues WITHOUT the weight gain~She is now depressed from the obvious!!

Link

Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 9:09 AM

so far so good

Im 46 and on Paraguard IUD--its the copper one without the hormones. Ive had it for a month--the procedure was painful but only lasted a few minutes and the spotting and cramping all stopped after 1-2 weeks. It shouldnt effect my weight at all seeing that it has no drugs in it. If it did, I wouldn't use it most likely. I work too hard to stay slim.

Thursday, September 10, 2009, 3:11 AM

IUD

I just joined this forum. An older post asked about IUDs, so I thought I'd summarize from my experience.

I was on the Paragard T 380A for ten years and was very happy with it. The Paragard has no hormones, so you don't have the side effects of hormonal birth control. Here's a link tot he site: http://www.paragard.com

If you haven't had children, your doctor may steer you away from an IUD. It's a little more difficult (thus more painful) to insert. But you can still have an IUD if you want it. I hadn't had children prior to the insertion. I's not going to lie...it was painful.

After insertion, my body took a little time to adjust. After all, my body was trying to combat a foreign object. My first periods were very heavy and prolonged. I had a lot of cramping, which I had never had before. Eventually, the bleeding (and the cramping) tapered off but my first 2-3 days were much heavier with the IUD than without for the entire ten years. In fact, I tended to run a little anemic, which was the biggest drawback for me. I got used to taking iron supplements.

You will need to check string occasionally to ensure the IUD is still in its place. I never had an issue with the IUD shifting.

After 10 years, you will need to remove and/or replace the IUD. Removal is painless. I didn't get a new one, but I imagine that the replacement would be as painful as the original insertion.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 2:40 PM

Birth control weight gain

When I first got on birth control I got on the Patch (Orhto-evra) I gain about 70 lbs within a year. But when I got off of it I lost about 85 lbs in about a year and a half. After I had my son I got the IDU put in and I am gaining again. I am scheduled to get it takin out after gaining 34 lbs in about six months. The thing is I am VERY active and watch what I eat but the pounds just keep adding up. I havnt found a Birth Control yet that makes you not gain weight. But like others has said, everybody is different.

Sunday, November 22, 2009, 11:13 AM

Aviane

hey, I have been on Aviane for about 7 months now and have gained 10-12 lbs and completely hate it... First of all, Aviane is NOT low dose, it's a medium-high dose pill. I've found that I am tired ALL the time, so even though I want to excercise (I always feel awesome after I do) it seems like I'm always fighting to keep my eyes open and I feel hungry all the time. I tried watching calories and fat intake but no results... This is really killing me since I used to weigh almost 135 lbs and then after my metaolism naturally increased and lack of an appetite plus more active (as active as I am today) I dropped to just under 120 lbs. I was so happy and got compliments. The problem is that even after I dropped the weight, I wasn't completely happy with my body, but had slightly more confidence, and I just can't deal with this wieght gain. The added weight has gone to my boobs too and made them VERY sore and bloated looking...not sexy. Some days I just feel "shitty" and moody for no reason.

I'm not trying to make you worry, just keep your eyes open. I plan on switching pills once I switch doctors.

Monday, March 8, 2010, 12:49 AM

Natural/Rhythm Method and my weight gain story

I was on the pill for four years and I had a crazy appetite! I gained almost 30 pounds during the first year -- 20% of my body weight. I was a young bride and I felt horrible. I didn't realize it was the birth control pill (I was taking a VERY high dose). I was on that high dose pill for 3 years and just as I'd got back to a normal weight, I switched to Nuva Ring. I gained 20 pounds when I started Nuva Ring. UGH! Again, I felt horrible. I'm a very fit person, I work-out and run 5 to 6 times a week. I stopped using all (hormonal) birth control three years ago and I've been back to my WEDDING DAY WEIGHT since about three months after quitting. I feel great! One of the best side effects: my sexual appetite is back. I've kept a calendar of my periods so I know when I'm ovulating. My husband and I use condoms when it's appropriate. No pregnancies and we've been together for 7 years. One downsid: My periods can be brutal. About 24 - 48 hours of hell. But, it's worth it to me. I was so sad when I gained all that weight. Condoms aren't that bad. So, for me, the occasional condom and occasional PMS is worth it.

Monday, March 15, 2010, 2:45 PM

loestrin VS. Yasmin

I have heard that Yasmin is facing a lawsuit. I am worried cause I am currently on this. I like it so far because I haven't gained weight which I am very sceptable to gaining on BC. I haven't really noticed any bad side affects. Is Loestrin comparable to Yasmin?

Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 7:56 PM

melasma

One of the horrid side effects I got from being on the pill ortho tri cyclen about ten years ago for about three years was melasma. Brown patchy staining on my face. If I had known I would have never done it. . . . .

Thursday, March 25, 2010, 1:38 AM

AViANE

So this is my first time on BC..my doctor put me on Aviane for my irregular periods..it has helped tremendously..but my periods are very heavy and have never been like this. They still last a whole week..it sucks..i've also never had bad cramping until i got on Aviane.. i believe i've also gained weight..been in a very snacky mood..i won't eat big meals, i snack throughout the day because of the food cravings i have. any opinions of what i should do??, please!

Thursday, April 1, 2010, 1:43 PM

PP- I am not a doctor so this is only my opinion as a person who used to be on birth control.

How long have you been on Aviane? If it has been longer than three months and you are still not happy on how it is reacting to your body chemistry TRY SOMETHING ELSE. There are lots of different options out there.

Thursday, April 1, 2010, 3:08 PM

let's see..i believe just two months goin on my third. i appreciate your opinion though.

Friday, April 2, 2010, 12:56 PM

I've been on Seasonal "Seasonique" for about a year now. I've gained about two pounds, and those are easy to shred off in less than a week. I have four periods a year. I get a three month supply every three months. My gynocologist said it may cause cramps to be kind of bad, but not as bad as they usually are. Although, it is our period, and we will have cramps, mine are sometimes worse than normal, and sometimes not. It all depends on our bodies. I really like Seasonal, but I'm considering an insertable birth control. Does anyone have any suggestions about any good or bad ones?

Monday, April 19, 2010, 9:00 AM

Eventually while taking Seasonal, it is normal to miss some periods, especially when you are this far a long in taking the pills. I've been on these pills for quite a while and I had the same concerns when I didn't have my last period. I called my gynocologist and he informed me that it is okay to miss periods, and eventually you may just quit having periods. But you still shed the excess blood in discharge. It is perfectly normal for this birth control to react this way.

Monday, April 19, 2010, 9:04 AM

I am 16 and have been on Aviane for about 3 months now..i need a stronger dose because it's not helping like it used to.. any suggestions for something to help me with my irregular periods? [wanted to ask people that's had experience with different kinds of birth controls before i go back to the doctor..]

Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 1:17 PM

Weight effects of depo shot

Since I've been on the depo shot I've noticed a drop in my weight actually - and a rise in my body fat %. I think a lazy sit-and-study student life coupled with birth control is diminishing my muscle mass.
I'm going to start lifting properly and see if the condition improves. I'll let you know.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 7:55 PM

Depo shot?

Quesition! OK so I decided after 6 months of the shot to get the f off because A. I am not having sex anyway because I gained 20 lbs while diet and excerizing and B. Having a period for 3 months straight is not my type fo fun...Has anyone gotten off the shot and lost the weight with the diet and excerzie (Ya I cant spell) Also if you have long did it take? Any way I properly wont be on here a lot if you can email me your story or advice email me studioaussie@yahoo.com

Wednesday, May 19, 2010, 11:14 PM

On Depo & hate it

I just found this thread as I am sitting here wondering how the hell i gained 25lbs in like 4 months with no changes to my lifestyle. I am 22.
After reading this and other websites I am done with Depo and will go back to the bill. I was on Yaz before but had a hard time remembering to take the pill but my doc didn't tell me any of these side effects. and I have been so out of it for the last month or two. Just moody & emotional & anxious. Not fun to be around. I am uping my dieting & exercise! I hope i loose this nasty weight fast!

Friday, July 16, 2010, 2:06 PM

mirena iud

after i had my daughter, the doc tells you not to have sex for 6 weeks. and i had wanted the mirena bc it lasts 5 yrs and i dont have to remember to take any pill everyday. but i couldnt get mirena until 9weeks postpartum. so i had 9 weeks to loose weight... i lost about 30 pounds (unhealthily, but w/e i lost it) but let me get to the point... after loosing 30 pounds since birth i was at 140. i got the mirena inserted and now im stuck at a miserable 155. and nothinggggggg is working to lose the weight again. im so mad. i just wanna be back to my normal 125! :(

Thursday, July 22, 2010, 10:42 AM

birth control pill weight gain

i have asked my doctor because as much as i have been eating healthy and working out i have GAINED weight. my doctor said that there is no pill that will stop that. 99% of them will make you gain or not lose weight. but there are other forms of birth control that can help.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 9:30 AM

seasonale

Yes I have. I tried it when I first got married and am now on it again. I LOVE only have 4 periods a year, but for me it makes me sooo hungry. I eat healthy and go to the gym 4 days a week but cant seem to lose anything. It makes me very depressed too. I get irritated very easy and for no reason and as soon as i go off i get better. anyway thats what it does to me. Hope this helps a little

Thursday, July 29, 2010, 12:32 AM

That's the reason I went off the pill. I couldn't stand gaining weight. As if I'm not big enough as it is. I was only taking it to regulate my periods anyhow. I am infertile, plus almost 3 years unprotected with nothing happening so whatever. I'm not trying anyway. I began losing at a healthier rate when I stopped. Its different for everyone. If I had to take it again I would go with Seasonique. Its the generic form of Seasonale. Believe it or not I noticed a difference. (I have been on every pill under the sun to try to find one that worked. The first couple I tried made me into Mega Bitch. I'm not even close to kidding. It doesn't help that I am Bi-Polar to begin with.) Plus I can't stand how it made me feel over all. I would rather have irregular painful periods than not be able to lose 5 lbs. I can always take Ibuprofen for cramps. (And I do. Problem solved.)

Friday, August 20, 2010, 12:24 AM

Aviane

I'm on aviane now and it def. made my periods much better, but I swear I've gained weight. I went off of depo, even though I only had one shot, last may, but I gained about 10 pounds off that one shot, then started aviane in december. I must have gained at least another 5 pounds. I work out and I don't eat a ton either so I'm confused. I dk what to do. I like having my periods under control but I can't keep gaining weight like this.

Sunday, August 22, 2010, 12:58 PM

seasonique

I was on Desogen for a while and decided to switch to Seasonique for fewer periods. It was great for the first pack (3 months) but within the 2nd month of the 2nd pack, the minute I didn't take my pill within an hour of the time I should take it, I would start bleeding. Your body wants to have a period and when you don't have hormones going in, your body thinks you can start. It was annoying and freaked my boyfriend out. I went back to Desogen...actually the off-brand Reclispen, and was fine.
But I did gain a lot of weight on the pill...whether, I changed my eating habits or my metabolism changed because of getting older or what...but I gained more weight than I ever have and I haven't been able to get any of it off. I don't have enough hours or patience in a day to work as hard as I need to to get the weight off. It also doesn't help my mother harping on me to lose weight. Good-bye birthcontrol and hello weight loss! I'd rather refrain from sex than gain weight.
I'm not happy anymore and I have a closet full of clothes I can't fit into and I refuse to buy a whole new wardrobe. The funny thing is about the weigth gain...if you look at me, I'm not proportionate. I'm about a size 8/10 regularly, but after getting on the pill I'm pushing a 14 now. I look fine on top but when you hit my stomach and hips, I expand. It doesn't look right...like something is making just that area bigger. Basically saying it's not from not eating right...has to be something in the pill keeping weight in certain places. If I were to gain weight, then make me fat everywhere...don't make it obvious I gained weight only in certain areas.

Sunday, August 22, 2010, 1:56 PM

seasonique response

my body is the same way. I got like a round in my stomach and sides, and my hips I swear got wider. I'm not huge or anything, but I'm def. not where I use to be.

Monday, August 23, 2010, 1:59 PM

Can't Get it Off!

AHHH I went on Tri Sprintec and in THREE WEEKS I gained 12 pounds. I went from 128 to 140, it was unbelievable! I went off it because it wasn't worth not fitting into the majority of my clothes... Now I'm down to 135 but can't get that other 7 pounds to get a move on!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 11:51 PM

Aviane - my story - HELP

Ok so my story in a nutshell. I was on aviane since the dawn of time.. I'd say 3 -4years at least. I don't remember what I weighed then. What I do know is that about a year ago I began working out more and eating healthier and lost about 10 lbs. This was On Aviane. I moved across the country to be with my fiance- they do not sell Aviane here. They switched me to some crappy generic brand. I'll admit my eating habits shot to hell for a bit but my working out kept up. I gained all of the weight right back. Went off the pill.. lost about two pounds, when I went home for a visit my Dr put me back on Aviane, now I have the pills sent to me, BUT I CANNOT LOSE THE WEIGHT. I'm following the PoNR program, I've mixed up my workouts with strength training and cardio. Nothing. The scale won't budge. Is it the longest plateau ever? Or is it my birth control? I don't want to get knocked up but I'm seriously miserable with the extra weight. Any clues???

Thursday, May 12, 2011, 12:58 PM

Seasonale

I have been on seasonale for about 6 months. unfortunately I gained almost 10 lbs and i was working out every other day and doing cardio every day. my eating habits were healthy so that didn't contribute to it. I do remember when i was on othro-tricylen (sp?) and i actually lost a pound or two. I'll be going back on that after i quit seasonale (stoping taking the pack today) an hopefully the weight gain an bloating goes away. i'm tired of my tummy looking like i'm pregnant

Friday, May 13, 2011, 8:14 PM

:)

SMALL PRICE TO PAY? You must be kidding. This pill will change your metabolism, sometimes permanently. It isn't NORMAL nor SAFE for your body to stop your cycle. For the sake of having your bf or husband NOT use a condom, I wouldn't take this risk - especially when there is a whole LIST of complications and warnings. Women already make too many sacrifices, so if you don't need to use this, don't use it. I have endometriosis, so I had to be on it for six months (am 27 years old), in the mean time I gained about 10-15 lbs without changing my diet or exercise levels - I work on our horse farm, and am constantly in motion and lose weight in a day - unfortunately that was not the case when I was on this pill. I bruise easily, already have genetics for swelling of the limbs, and possibly am at risk for blood clots. Please watch yourselves while taking ANY hormones.

Monday, May 23, 2011, 4:16 PM

Aviane

You might also be gaining in muscle weight so don't panic. If your off bcp's you will return to your normal metabolic activity sooner or later...
Before starting seasonale, I used to gain muscle really fast, and even had pump when working out (prior to eating/insulin)..
I am off of it finally today, so from now on I am hoping to fit into my clothes without looking "so healthy".. with a little "bulge" as my abdomen...

Monday, May 23, 2011, 4:20 PM

Aviane

Ten-twelve POUNDS of muscle weight though? I'll admit.. before the weight gain all I did was run, now I do so much more strength training. I'm sure some is muscle, but 10-12 pounds!?? I'm five feet tall! That just seems.. not right. GAAAAAAH (so frustrated sorry)

Friday, May 27, 2011, 2:08 PM

I also had weight gain on the Pill - I would diet and exercise, and the scales would not budge. I tried lots of different brands, but had other side effects because of taking it, and after 8 years of driving myself crazy, I went off it. That was 7 years ago. I lost weight the minute I stopped taking it, and then had to be accountable for any further weight loss. :)

I know the frustration of all of this - and my doctor said it wouldn't make that much difference - but for me it did. I'm sorry you (and lots of other women) are going through this too.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 1:51 AM

Aviane

You've inspired me..come the end of this pack.. I'm going off. If it doesn't help- I'll know it's something else I'm doing wrong. If it does... holy cow. I'll let you guys know.

Friday, June 3, 2011, 2:32 AM

ugh; I gained 50 pounds on Mirena. I just could not lose any weight, no matter how hard I tried. I had it taken out last month.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011, 12:03 AM

Birth Control Weight Gain

I went on birth control at 14 to deal with heavy periods. Now I'm 28 and just off it. Through the years I was on Depo, several different brands of pills, and then NuvaRing for the past 5 years (which I loved). Last year my doctor suggested I get off of it because of the heart attack/stroke risk of another of my medications. I was always very thin, but at about 23 the weight started piling on and refusing (no matter how hard I worked) to come off. Within the first 3 months after going off the birth control I lost 20 pounds (no other changes but stopping the NuvaRing) and my cup size dropped from a DD to a A/B. Now I'm too thin, it's hard to gain muscle, I have acne for the first time in my life, and I still (8 months later) haven't had a natural period (the OBGYN gave me progesterone a few times to force it). I'd go back on it if I could.

Link

Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 6:54 PM

Levora and weight gain

I’ve taken generic levora for about a year and a half now. Honestly, I’m pretty happy with it. The only side effects I’ve experience while taking levora is a LITTLE weight gain. But its not like I gained a lot of weight. I gained so little that the only people that noticed where those who really know my body…like my boyfriend and my mother.

Link

Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 2:01 AM

Use Rybelsus for weight loss

I've been taking Rybelsus 7 mg for six months, and the results have been amazing! Not only has it helped me manage my blood sugar levels, but I've also lost 20 pounds. It's been a game-changer for my weight loss journey. The best part is that it's easy to take, and I haven't experienced any major side effects. I feel more energetic and healthier overall. I highly recommend it!

Link

Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 11:11 PM

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