Birth Control Weight Gain?

Hey Everyone,

Been eating within my calories, exercising, nothing really over the top and in the past 2 months gained 8-10lbs. I was put on Ortho-Tricyclin approx 2 months ago and I seriously believe I have gained weight from it.

Anyone else have this happen to them? If this is what my body needs in order for me not to get preganet, thats fine... but weird! haha

I am also on OrthoTricyclen, but I had recently had a baby, so I didn't gain weight.  Maybe that is why I am having so much trouble losing the last 10 lbs of baby weight (the other 32 lbs came off pretty easily).  I have read that weight gain could be a side effect of the pill.  Sorry I don't have the answer, but you're not alone!

When I was on Ortho-Trcyclin I went from 120 to 140~! dood, thats 20 pounds! I am so glad I'm not taking that anymore. It took me all year since last january since I got off of it to lose it.

My gyno said that most forms of hormonal birth control can make you gain weight. In some cases, women have claimed to gain up to 50lbs!

before i had my daughter this year I was on ortha-tricyclin too for about 5 years...it did not contribute to any weight gain for me

Yeah - when I first went on Ortho- Tricyclen, I gained 10 to 15 lbs in the course of about 4 months. To make things worse, I then moved to the U.S. 5 years later and my insurance would only cover the generic brand. I had to switch to this stuff called Ortho-Trisprintec. That was 2 years ago - and I gained another 10 lbs from the switch. Grr......

what is it about ortho that makes you gain?  does it increase your appetite, or make you retain water, or...??

anybody know?

Maybe it would help to switch to Ortho-Tricyclin-Lo.  It has less hormones and, uh, yeah, it works... it's probably healthier too.  It came out not that long ago - within the past two years, I think - and it's worth asking your doc about.

i switched over to seasonal after i had my baby this year...I keep thinking how could of I gone for so long with out it...periods only 4 times a year is awesome!

You might want to ask her if you can switch to Ortho-Lo or another brand of low hormone contraceptive.  A pill with a smaller dose of hormones is just as affective at preventing pregnancy but has many fewer side effects. I have been on it for about a year and have had no problems. Also note, that while weight gain is a well-known side effect of oral contraceptive it is only experienced in about 50% of women and most of those women experience a very small amount of gain. Many women lose weight on the pill.

Just remember everyone is different and there are so many options these days. So it is definitely worth it to ask your physician about switching to find the one that works for you best.

I've been on Depo-Provera for almost a year and have gained 5 lbs (which is a lot for a 5ft tall person).

When I looked it up, studies showed that around 70% of the women gained 5lbs the first year and 30% of those gained 5 lbs the next year, with this medicine. 

I'm not getting another shot, but unfortunately it takes a few months to totally leave your system.

I wonder if it's easier to LOOSE the weight once you're off the hormones?

Okay, now y'all have got me all freaked out!!! Recently, I have no idea why, there was this massive shortage of my kind of birth control (I think it's call triphasil) so I was recently informed that I was being switched to a different kind. That freaked me out bad enough, because I've been on mine for about 3 years and it's been working great, and I don't want to have to deal with any new side effects that might come with starting a new one! They can make your period all crazy at first and stuff. But if it's going to make me gain weight, no way buddy! I'd rather be fridgid.

Those are the pills that I take, and I've lost weight since I started them.  If there is any weight gain associated with birth control.. it's just water weight.

It's a myth that you gain weight by taking the pill.

I never had weight gain with birth control pills ... usually I'm one to get all the bad side effects of drugs. 

No matter what pill I try, I gain 8 pounds.  Keep in mind that I've never tried lo-dose pills which a friend of my suggests I try.  I'm so used to the ones that I have that I just try to work out around that extra 8 pounds.

I suggest a low dose pill too - i've gone from Allesse (low dose)to Ortho-Tricyclin and back to Allesse.  I thought the Ortho might help clear my skin but it just felt too strong. It hurt my stomach to take it in the morning, even with food, and something just felt off balance when i was taking it.  I like the low dose and will stick with it.

No Myth about this one lady's.  The fact of the matter is that by taking oral contraceptives your are changing your bodys hormonal composition.  More female hormones (i.e estrogen) produce a need for the body to store more as fat.  It is not water weight, nor is eating more.  It is just changing the way your body stores different things.  Many women find it harder to loose the last 10-15 lbs. becuase of this when they have been on it, and yet others gain weight when starting.   

Since everyone is different, each women's body will or will not react the same to the pill.  If a women has a higer prevalnce of certain enzymes in her liver, the pill is broken down in a different manner, thus she may not experiene certain side effects, like weight gain, like others may.

Hope this helps!

Im on Alesse and I lost 5Lbs....

o_O