Birth control pills and weight

Hey everyone,

I have recently joined CC. so far, its proven really helpful and I am down to my last four pounds. However, my doc just prescribed Yasmin for me-it's a birth control pill and might cause weight gain. Has anyone had any experience with it or any other birth control pill? Is there any way to avoid the weight gain? I hate the idea of putting all the weight back so any help will be appreciated.

Something I don't quite understand and kind of on this topic. I have heard many women (not necessarily on this board) say, "I gained 40, 60, 100 pounds on the pill" What I don't get is when they noticed their weight going up, didn't it occur to them that maybe the pill was to blame. I can tell you that if I gained even 5 lbs on the pill, I would notice and if it got to be more than that I would go off the pill or at least try another one. Why do people just stick w/ the same pill as they see their weight climb off the chart?

Hi!  I was on Yasmin a few years ago and I can't remember gaining any weight from specifically going on the pill.  I have also been on Loestrin 24fe and the Nuvaring, which I liked.  I am currently not on any BC because the extra hormones throw my body off balance and make me kinda crazy.  I experienced extreme mood swings and depression while on them, and now that I'm off, my husband swears that I act like a different person!  I loved having a short period or not having one at all while taking the BC, but he insists that I don't take it anymore because he can't stand me when I'm on it.  I just wasn't feeling like myself anymore and felt soooo much better and healthier when I stopped taking it.  I also experienced some bloating, breast tenderness, and some cramping at odd times.  I'm not saying this to scare anyone, but as it was stated before, BC affects everyone differently.  Just thought you should hear another side of it.

Hi!

I am on Ortho Cyclen for a while now and have done plenty of research on it. The reason why weight gain occurs is because of cravings due to varying hormone levels in your system. Another reason may make you gain weight is because it lowers your vitamin B6 concentration, which aids your metabolism. What is best is that you take a vitamin complex (B complex) with at least 500mg of vitamin B6. Also don't give in to your cravings (try to distract yourself). Also, live a healthy lifestyle. Exercise regularly and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Years ago I took Ortho Novum and gained 20 pounds in one month and freaked out. So my doctor put me on Estrostep and it was great....no weight gain or mood swings. Now I have the generic version called Tilia and I've lost a few pounds and I hardly have any period at all. If you notice sudden weight gain on the pill you are taking call your doctor immediately and have them change it.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2510 55/birth_control_methods_could_some_be.html



its bad for ya? i wouldnt go on any added hormones unless had to from an imbalance of them

birth control in my mind is a Godsend. It does not cause weight (pills is all I can talk of) it changes your eating habits to make you more likely to eat more. I've lost weight since I went on mine and didn't have much to lose. It's all mental.

Several years ago I made the mistake of going on Depo Provera (injection). I didn't even want to go on it but I was with a controlling bf at the time who refused to use protection and I didn't trust myself to remember to take an oral pill. At the time I was a size 8 (UK) and 32B bra size. Without any changes to my diet (I hardly ate much to be honest) and bearing in mind i had a very physical job working with horses I shot up to about a size 14 and 34DD in  a very short space of time, which looks horrendous on my 5ft1 small framed body. My periods also stopped completely and even though I didn't have a repeat injection (the injections last for 3 months) it was over a year before my periods returned. I know several people who have been on the injection and all but one had the same thing happen to them. Not only the weight gain but depression, paranoia, agrophobia etc. One person even attacked her bf with a knife in a fit of extreme anger and paranoia which is something she had never done before! I suffer with depression as it is but at the time I was self harming and incredibly depressed, but that may have been due to the situation I was in with my relationship at the time. One thing I do know is I'll never touch Depo Provera again in my life.

Original Post by linz78:

Several years ago I made the mistake of going on Depo Provera (injection). I didn't even want to go on it but I was with a controlling bf at the time who refused to use protection and I didn't trust myself to remember to take an oral pill. At the time I was a size 8 (UK) and 32B bra size. Without any changes to my diet (I hardly ate much to be honest) and bearing in mind i had a very physical job working with horses I shot up to about a size 14 and 34DD in  a very short space of time, which looks horrendous on my 5ft1 small framed body. My periods also stopped completely and even though I didn't have a repeat injection (the injections last for 3 months) it was over a year before my periods returned. I know several people who have been on the injection and all but one had the same thing happen to them. Not only the weight gain but depression, paranoia, agrophobia etc. One person even attacked her bf with a knife in a fit of extreme anger and paranoia which is something she had never done before! I suffer with depression as it is but at the time I was self harming and incredibly depressed, but that may have been due to the situation I was in with my relationship at the time. One thing I do know is I'll never touch Depo Provera again in my life.

yea those shots r the worse, even my doctor says he would never recomend them to anyone he doesnt even recomend bc unless absolutly needed for hormonal imbalance or other medical reasons or if the person absolutly wants em and knows the dangers of it which encludes blodd clots an etc and no u dont have to smoke and be on bc to get a blood clot i just read a news story of a healthy 19 year old works out, non smoker getting a blood clot and heart attack due to her bc. Which was yasmin btw, i read on a health forum/holistic med forum that yasmin was one of the worst pills, iuno

I am on Seasonale and was sure to ask my doc beforehand if it caused weight gain. She said it has not been proven, but it could be to to an increase in emotional eating because of hormones. I never gained a single pound on it, but im not much of an emotional eater so who knows?

Im on Loestrin24

A lot of other pills made me crazy and way over eat when i was getting my period (like Yasmin, EuroStep, Ortho low). I had to try pill after pill till I found one that fit me. Ortho Lo actually made me gain 10lbs in a week, and I was barely eating due to feeling so bloated from it and my stomach hurt (that could have been from not eating and my body going into starvation mode).

Talk to your doctor and explain that you feel like you are gaining weight off of it. Different pills effect people in different ways. ONe may make someone gain weight while it may be perfect for someone else

I have been on Orotho tri Cyclen Lo for two months now. I have been super emotional these past two months, and this month, I have had terrible side effects. (Nausea, vomiting, headaches, sore breasts, two week long period.....) I did notice that since starting the birth control, while I didn't gain any weight, I couldn't seem to lose any. I was eating the same amount of food, and working out just the same. This week, however, the scale is finally going down again. I don't know what caused the plateau. It might have been related to the birth control, but it might not have been. It's hard to say for sure. I do seem to notice that now that I have been on the pill a little longer, the other side effects seem to be going away, and the scale seems to be going down again, so it might be related. Just watch what you are eating, how much you are working out, and remember that it takes time for your body to adjust to new medication. There will be a transitional period, but if you stick it out, the unpleasantness should pass.

I have tried 2 different kinds (apri and aviance, both generic). I gained about 15 pounds on apri before I stopped taking it. I lost weight fairly quickly when I stopped taking it. I didnt gain on aviane, but it gave me severe migraines. I dont take any now, but I would like to try the nuva ring. Has anyone tried that?

I am on Yasmin and have not had any weight gain. (My weight has been up and down but it's not b/c of the pill.) I've been on it for years. I love it - it's good for your skin, too. I've been on other BC pills and this has by far been the best for me. My roommate takes Yaz, which I think is similar, and she likes it too.

everyone is different, test it out for awhile, its the only way to know for you. me, i was on a few different bc's for over 15 years. some years on & off. now that im off i notice that my weight is a little more sensitive, like if i eat really well i lose easier but if i eat really bad i gain easier as well. i took it for cramps & other problems initially, i would still get bad cramps though. i stopped and my cramps are even worse for 2 days (i seem to have a 3 month rotation of it getting really bad) but the other 26 days i feel much better. but that's just me, i think a lot of little subtle things come into play with how your body reacts to hormones. good luck

I have been on Loestrin for a little while now and I have not had any problems with weight gain. I think it's because I feel more relaxed on a regular basis. When I am not as stressed out about everything, I tend to focus more on healthy eating habits rather than just binging continuously because I'm running all over the place. I feel more at ease and more focused. I've lost 15 pounds so far because I have an easier time controlling my eating habits.

My gynecologist also told me that while on Loestrin it becomes very hard to gain weight. I don't know if this is just a hyped up myth or if it's for real, but so far it's been true for me.

Also, the only reason I take the pill is for my skin, it's a mild birth control pill for people like me that have a slight hormonal imbalance. Well, it's obviously for birth control but it's very commonly used among people like me.

Hope this helps.  :)

yes, i had weight gain with every birth control method so i gave up and got an i.u.d. and it was the best thing i ever did. plus birth control pills totally kill your sex drive which sucks too..