did your birth control pill make you fat?

i am taking nortrel for about 2 weeks now.. and i seriously gained 3 pounds... do you have similar side effect? or is it just me? cause i am really just eating normally.. nothing really changed : (

I wouldn't know - I've been overweight since childhood and grew up in a "skinny" family.  I have been on BC since college for polycystic ovarian syndrome.  I take Loestrin 1/20 Fe and I love, love, love it.  I also got serious about losing weight last September and have lost 61 lbs since then and I don't feel the pill has hampered my progress whatsoever.  The other pills I took when I first started on BC were not right at ALL for me.  I will say that being on the pill makes me feel more stable, have lighter TTOM days and I feel that being more stable emotionally makes it easier to keep my eating on track - I'm less less likely to binge.  Now, there may be hormonal changes that are causing some water-related fluctuations that may become more apparent as you keep taking the pills.  If you don't like it, you can ask your doc about other products that you could try.  It seriously took me a year to find the pill that didn't make me feel worse than not taking a pill at all.  There are dozens upon dozens of pills that are readily available (in generic form, too) and since everyone is different, hopefully your doc will be open to giving you time to find what works for you.  Good luck!

I gained a couple pounds at teh begining, but once my body adjusted to it i lost that weight. I found that some of my friends that took it, their bust size increased so if that happens to you that could account for the extra couple of pounds.

3 of my friends got the shot and all 3 gained 30lbs in a matter a 6 months.  I know when I was on the pill i was always felt hungry and would eat more.  Birth Control tricks your body into thinking you're already pregnant.  And what do pregnant women do? ...gain weight.  Sorry to be a downer. 

no

yes.  I had the shot and gained a lot
the pill also made me gain in the chest especially, but no more than 5 pounds.  still, 5 pounds makes your clothes fit different

yes when i was on alesse i was hungry 24/7.  i gained weight because i ate more cuz i was always hungry!  i switched and i'm back to normal now, just trying to lose some of that weight i gained.

When I was on the pill, I lost weight!  Without doing anything!  It was AWESOME.  I think it just depends on your body--everyone reacts differently to the hormones (and the various types of b.c.)  I can't take hormonal b.c. anymore because it turns out I have a blood clotting disorder, and taking bc gave me life-threatening blood clots--very dangerous!  So, just a word of caution to everyone--make sure you don't have a family history of blood clotting before you take hormonal birth control!

Newbie here..have to chime in. I'm a mother of 3, my advice.. think of the weight you'll gain if you don't take the pill. Three pounds isn't that much.

The only reason for gaining large amounts of weight while on any type of birth control is the hormones in the birth control could cause you to gain weight because it increases your appetite. If your weight fluctuates slightly, by say a few pounds, it's most likely due to water weight.

(I hope this was helpful to some extent, I volunteer for Planned Parenthood.)

This is a funny subject for me because when I went on the pill I gained a good 15 lbs.  When I mentioned to my husband that it was the pill that made me gain weight, he scoffed and said, "yeah, it was the pill, not the chicken strips dipped in ranch..." and the cheese puffs and all-you-can-eat chinese buffet...

Birth control tricks your body into thinking you're pregnant???? That's the most bizzare thing I've ever read

Yes. I went on the pill when I was 16 and I didn't know it could make you put on weight so i gradually put on over a stone. I'm now 22 and i still havn't lost that weight that I put on. It sucks! :-( So i guess if you are aware that it's making you hungry and put on weight, then you can do something about it before the same thing happens to you. Good luck.

Yes. Definately gained, which is why I switched to the Nuva Ring.

 

I am not a complete expert... but after being on 7 different types of BC I feel like one! Every pill affects every body differently. Some pills (like Ortho for me) makes people gain weight. Now I am on Yaz and I have been able to lose weight.

BC does trick your body into thinking its preggy so it won't release any eggs and actually get you preggy. So it makes sence that because your hormones are elevated you're probably more bloated (AND IRRITABLE!!) But like I said.. its different for everyone. If you feel like your gaining on the BC you're on now, switch to another one. :)

the problem with it is that I felt the urge to eat even though I am not hungry at all.. i just wanna munch... i decided to buy a tons of carrot stick and celery ... sigh.

I've been on ortho tri cyclen lo for over 6 months and when I began taking it I lost about 5 pounds, it really just depends on how your body reacts to it.

Im on the injection ... and ive gained about 30lbs since i first got it almost 2 years ago.. my lifestyle didnt change much either.

 

Im debating if i should get it again next time or not =(

 

K

I was worried about the weight gain after i had my DD and decided it was time to go back on the pill. My Dr. informed me that with me being as worried as i am about gaining it prolly wouldnt happen. The girls that put on 30 lbs Dont pay much attention to the weight in the beginning. This is what MY Doctor told me. Ive been back on the pill for 3 weeks and No weight gain so far Ive actually lost some more weight :D

Yes, I was on the pill for 6 weeks and gained about 20 pounds without eating much more than usual.  I stopped taking it when I realized how much weight I had gained.  I wish I had known about that nice little side effect first, now I am having to count calories for the first time in my life.  On the upside, why stop at 20, I am going to go for loosing that little bit I have always wanted to.  Haven't solved the birth control problem yet, I am scared to try the shot or anything else and gain more weight.

Yes, ma'am! My pills made me gain about 20 pounds too! The unfortunate part though is that i cannot stop taking it! I have to be on it for 3 MORE MONTHS! I just recently got my period and my OBGYN told me that i have to take it for 3 MORE MONTHS! I went crazy when i heard that! I have the exact same problem as you, because i gained weight and i ate my normal calorie intake and stuff. So i hear ya girl! Keep strong though!

P.s. It does not make you fat, it is just water weight, a LOT OF WATER WEIGHT!