Birth Control Pills, Period, Weight Gain
My gyne has prescribed me birth control pills - marvelon, and suggested that I gain weight.
I've been doing my own research about birth control pills and it doesn't seem natural to me. They say its not 'natural menstruation' anyways, so what's the point than? And it doesn't solve any problems (ie. osteoporosis, if that's a concern)
So either way I'm going to try and gain weight:
but while I'm trying to gain weight, do you think I should/need to take the birth control pills? Because they don't SOLVE anything. (like what difference will it make if i get my period now w/ birth control..... or months/years later when I'm actually at a healthy weight again?)
Maybe forcing your body to be on it's cycle again is better then not being on a cycle at all? No idea - I agree with gi-jane, ask your doctor for a better explanation. You want to know why you're doing something that's going to affect your body, in good AND bad ways.
Is anyone else taking birth control pills for their missing period due to low body fat? If so, WHY? Why aren't you just simply gaining weight? Please share your thoughts/reasoning :)
It's unhealthy to miss too many periods. Even if this is not a "natural" way, it's helping to prevent infertileness later in life.
Plus birth control pills can also have dangerous side effects, such as high blood pressure, blood clots, and possibility of having a stroke. Those side effects don't happen to everyone, but it would make me very cautious about starting the pill just to force your period or inorder to gain weight. (I've been on it before & it elevated my blood pressure too much, so I went off of it). I agree with the others to talk to your doctor about it some more or continue with your plan to gain a healthy amount of weight. Just my two cents 
Do you know why else it'd be unhealthy to miss too many periods?
Original Post by tahitisweetie123:
Plus birth control pills can also have dangerous side effects, such as high blood pressure, blood clots, and possibility of having a stroke. Those side effects don't happen to everyone, but it would make me very cautious about starting the pill just to force your period or inorder to gain weight. (I've been on it before & it elevated my blood pressure too much, so I went off of it). I agree with the others to talk to your doctor about it some more or continue with your plan to gain a healthy amount of weight. Just my two cents
However there are benefits to going on the pill such as a great reduction in your chances of getting ovarian and breast cancer, scheduled periods, and pregnancy prevention.
*note- I'm not really an 'advocate' of the pill, in fact I'm currently considering going off of it. I just wanted to give both sides so that the OP doesn't only hear the negatives. Both positive and negative are important to consider, especially when it comes to medication.
Missing too many periods can lead to infertility later in life. That's why it's unhealthy.
For me personally I hate the pill. I was on it for 17 years and the doctors had stopped my periods completely due to severe menstrual cramps. They did this by giving me the active pill all 30 to 31 days of the month. I started having problems with night sweats, low grade fevers and muscle aces. The symptoms got worse over the years. I lost all my sexual drive completely in the last 5 years on it. It caused some turmoil in my marriage. I also lost a lot of my emotions on the pill and felt so much less like a lady. Once I got off it, all of a sudden all those emotions came back and I could not be happier. I love being a women, having a sex drive and a good cry once in awhile. I also enjoy not feeling like I have bouts of the flu five times a month. I would have to say I feel 100% better off it.
Also they have now proved that birth control can completely destroy you libido if taken too long and can cause you to not be able to conceive. I still do not believe that birth control does not increase your risk for breast cancer. I had three gynecologists tell me that there is more estrogen in birth control than what is given to older women with menopause, but yet there is a warning for them. My last doctor, a very good one, told me to get off them because she did believe in the risk of breast cancer due to estrogen. I have been having problems with lumps in my breasts, which I am still dealing with, I have a ultrasound appt. set up. I am sorry but I truly think they do not want younger women to know the truth in order to keep control of the population. I had a friend, a great aunt and a friend of my aunt, all die from breast cancer. All had no family history and all took birth control. My one friend was 32 when she died. I cannot be sure that is what caused their cancer, but there has been proof that added estrogen can increase your risk for breast cancer, even in men. I say listen to your doctor to a point but if you are not happy find a different doctor. I have had my share of bad doctors with bad advice. It is your life, plain and simple and you know your body best. Not eating is your problem, I do not see why you should take any other risks besides eating.
Yes! I have been taking Kariva for about 3 months now due to Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. I was put on b/c of no period for 2 years and the worry of osteoporosis later on. I have gained 3 pounds per period and am terrified of gaining more and more weight. I went through severe anorexia and have gained about 20 pounds. I started taking it because even at a relatively healthy weight, my period did not come back.
BC pills are progesterone/estrogen 'tablets', your body is lacking these hormones, because your body does not have the means to produce them, which is the reason why you need to gain weight.
the pill is getting your hormones back in track, then when you gain the weight and stop taking the pill, your body will take over and produce the progesterone/estrogen hormones by itself.
Also the pill is important, because these hormones (estrogen and progesterone) help regulate the female body such as temp and other things, they also affect other hormones, therefore, its very important to have them!
and as others suggested talk to your doc, we're not doctors 
we give advice but all in all, its your doc that truly knows!
Sorry I just read this thread... Yeah I was told (when I was anorexic) by some doctors that I could take the pill to regain my period, and it would be good for my bones as it would provide the hormones (eostrogen and progesterone) that were missing in my body, and which in women's bodies help with bone formation. So yes, going on the pill does help to prevent osteoporosis.
However, ultimately all the doctors changed their minds about giving it to me as yes, it is unnatural, and you will never find out your healthy weight if you get your period back too soon.
Unfortunately, I didn't have my period for about 3.5 years and now I do have arthritis. I would advise that if you miss your period for two years or more, maybe consider going on the pill anyway? I'm not an expert but I just wouldn't wait as long as I did.
not sure if someone has answered this already... but i recently went on birth control because i hadn't gotten my period in over a year (it stopped when i stopped using birth control previously) and i am at a healthy weight, so low weight is not the reason. my doctor prescribed me birth control because she said that not having your period puts you at even GREATER risk for ovarian/ breast/ cervical cancer (even more than the increased risk there is from taking birth control).
im taking progestrin and something else after day 15, its worked in the past. theyre hormones, not BC.
As someone who teaches contraception methods to high school students, I just wanted to clear a few things up:
1. Taking hormonal birth control does help prevent osteoporosis, because it increases the amount of estrogen in your blood (low estrogen = bone density depletion = high risk for osteoporosis).
2. The risks for blood clots is very, very low if you're a non-smoker and don't have certain risk factors (obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc).
3. Being on the pill can help reduce risk of some cancers.
More info on the safety/risks/side effects of hormonal birth control: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topic s/birth-control/birth-control-pill-4228.htm
Hope that helps clear up some of the confusion!
my parents are both obgyns.....they are big on the pill (as long as you aren't a smoker!!!). it helps increase bone density....as well it's preventitive for a lot of types of cancer....i'm on mavelron as well. it keeps you on schedule and regulates your estrogen levels. i'm a marathon runner so my mom put me on the pill as soon as i started doing heavy cardio....when you loose too much weight your estrogen levels decrease. there are a LOT of problems that come along with losing your period....including infertility, osteoporosis etc.
my only problem with the pill is recently i started gaining water weight a day or 2 before my period but it goes away the day of my period. (i usually gain an extra 2 pounds the day before)...to prevent this drink lots of water and excersise and i don't think you'll notice.
You're right....it's not natural at all. Our reproductive system is not meant to regulated by a daily hormone pill. It kind of freaks me out haha! With that being said, though, taking the birth control for a few months or a year can straighten out your cycle and help you to have more regular periods. I suggest giving it a shot - try if for 6 months at least. 6 months of it won't hurt you, and you can go back to being natural after that.
I actually just started the pill a month and a half ago, and I am pretty sure I'm going to get off of it. It's a personal decision - decide what's important to you. I don't see any real reason for me to be on it, which is why I'm going to stop taking it. In your case, though, it seems that the pill could beneficiary.
K the pill is actually pretty good for you. The benefits definitely outweight the cost....any female OBGYN is either on the pill/has been on the pill. Unless you are a smoker you have no reason to worry. If you are a smoker you probably have a lot more reasons than the pill to worry...
anyway here are some of the benefits:
getting your period is extremely important!!! you run the risk of being infertile if you miss it for even 2 months in a row. you need to talk to your doctor and be informed. it would be a terrible thing to not be able to have children because you were a few pounds under weight for a few years.
Original Post by kaila_a:
decreasing the risk of ectopic (tubal) pregnant
Teehee - I thought that was the whole point of the pill, to reduce risk of ALL kinds of pregnancy! :)
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