Weight gain and the pill

I recently went to my doctor to ask for another prescription of oxytetracycline, which I had been taking to deal with my acne and which had been working perfectly ever since I started taking it with no side effects and the acne completely cleared up. But this time the doctor told me he'd prefer it if I started taking an oral contraceptive instead. I was wary for a number of reasons. First of all, I've read up on the pill and to be honest when you look at the side effects it sounds like taking poison daily. Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, headaches, rashes, skin problems, blood clots ... I'd rather risk becoming pregnant! But I decided to give it a go anyway.

My main worry was that I'd been told you gain weight while on the pill. I'm in recovery from an eating disorder so I didn't really want to trigger any old habits.

So I've been on Dianette for a week now. The first few days all I experienced was a little nausea. Also, my mood has been very low all week. However, yesterday I ate the same amount I always do, about 1600 cals spread out over the day, and by the time I went to bed ... I felt like I hadn't eaten for weeks. I was literally doubled up in pain from the hunger pangs and unable to get to sleep until I finally gave in and went and got a small snack which helped me to drift off. Then this morning I was right back to feeling completely starved. I've eaten way more than I usually do in a normal day but now I'm still as hungry as ever.

All the research I've been doing has said pretty much the same thing: the pill often causes weight gain, bt no one knows why. They don't know if it's because the hormone imbalance triggers cravings, or if it affects the appetite, or speeds up the metabolism. No one knows anything.

I'm not all that happy being on medication when even my doctor doesn't know what it does. Also the possibility that I might gain weight without even eating any more than I usually do makes me want to stop eating altogether, because it seems like that's the only guarantee.

I absolutely hate this pill but I'm going to have to stick with it because a) I need something to deal with my acne and b) I'm told the side effects even out after a while. But has anyone dealt with weight gain and the pill before and do you have any advice formaintaining my current weight.

Hi.  Im sorry you are dealing with all this :(

A few things that come to mind reading your post. Do you know why your doc wants you off tetracycline? Were there problems with it? I used it for acne with great success as a teen, and I don't remember any side effects.

You have LOTS of other options for acne besides birth control pills.  They can have negative short term and long term side effects, some of them super dangerous (weight gain is nothing compared to a blood clot that kills you!).  I know that some women do fantasticlly with them, but others do not.  You have to be the judge. You can do internet research in your own on pills and maybe see a dermatologist to talk about other options for your acne...?  Let you doc know you have concerns about birth control pills, and if they don't listen or tell you you need not worry, find another doctor! Doctors get incentives for prescribing certain medications.  Sad but true!

Good luck!

Hi hilary, thanks for replying.

My doctor just said he didn't want me on antibiotics in the long-term (I'd been on oxytetracycline for about 18 months). There were no problems or side effects and it was incredibly good for my skin. That's another reason why I'm unhappy being switched to Dianette - it sounds even more dangerous than oxytetracycline, I've read a few stories where people have had to have bits of their liver removed because of the damage it's done!

My experience with the pill is mostly great. I used to be on the pill and didn't have any side effects. I switched to the Depo shot, for convienance, but then went back on the pill. When I went back on the pill this time, I was naseous for 2 or 3 months. Some days I really did think I would be sick but I only did once and it was probably more psychological. It finally did go away so I'm back to normal.

The weight gain thing is kind of iffy, I think. I thought that most women gain weight more from becoming lazier but you really should talk to your doctor about your concerns. Tell them about your recovery too, if they don't already know. If they don't switch you to something different, they should be able to ease your mind. If it turns out that there's a slim possibility that the pill alone could make you gain weight, show them your food and exercise log for proof.

It's reversible so it's not like it's some huge mistake that you're on the pill.

There are different kinds of birth control that can also help w/acne but aren't as severe.  Nuva Ring is really good, and low dose.

Another reason to consider birth control if you have acne is you may have a hormonal imbalance that can lead to excess testosterone and acne.

Most hormonal birth controls have a laundry list of side effects- that doesn't mean you may have them all.  They are just required to list them all.

I just started using Nuva Ring again, and have not seen any real change with bloating/hunger/weight gain.  I have taken pills in the past though and did notice more extreme effects.  everyones body is different, but you may want to try a few different ones out.  Also maybe consider having your hormone levels tested (it's a blood draw) and see if that actually is the cause.

There are also homeopathic ways to deal with hormones.  It may pay off to find a good ND.

Tortoise is right - talk to your doctor about the lowest hormone dosage pills. I just started Loestrin Fe 24 (today is my 12th day on it), and I haven't noticed a problem with it yet. I asked my gyno about the possible weight gain, because I was worried about it as well. Basically what he told me is that Loestrin does NOT cause weight gain, and if I gain weight, it has nothing to do with the pill. He said a lot of women love to use birth control as an excuse for their weight gain. 

But this was with Loestrin, a very low hormone dosage pill. From my understanding, women on higher hormone dosage pills might be hungrier than usual. But if you continue to watch your caloric intake, you won't gain any weight. If you're already experiencing hunger pains, switch to a low hormone dosage pill! Good luck!

Yeah, I started Nuvaring a few months ago--like early October--which is when I started dieting also...and I lost like...10 pounds in 2 months with no exercise whatsoever.  (NOW I'm exercising, and feel much better, but even still--) Nuvaring hasn't made me gain anything...and for the most part, I love it a lot.  It also hasn't made me any hungrier or anything like that.

Haven't taken the pill--too forgetful--but the patch made me incredibly sick.  Switching to the Nuva has been pretty all-around wonderful.

First of all, as tortoise said, birth control (and all medicines) have long lists of side-effects. I mean, ibuprofen could cause a stomach ulcer and you could bleed to death internally, but I'm still going to take it when I have cramps, because it makes the pain stop. It takes a lot of women up to 3 months to get used to the pill, and then it's relatively smooth sailing.

Second of all, every pill affects everyone differently. I was great on orthotricyclen and tricyclen, except for spotting. But emotionally, weight-wise, complexion-wise, all was good. Plus, cut down on painful periods. Loestrin-24, which some people love, gave me the worst mood swings ever. I started crying because I couldn't decide if I should bring 3 or 4 shirts on a business trip. Not good. Yaz is fine - my mood still suffers a little, but nothing compared to the Loestrin-24, and I'm not at a point where I want to play around with a new rx, nor do I want to risk pregnancy.

As for weight gain - I've heard enough people say that they gained on the Depo shot that I think that actually might do something to you. But in general, pills are just going to make you hungrier or less happy, both of which can lead to weight gain. I gained weight on Loestrin 24 because I was very very unhappy and so I ate. I switched to Yaz and lost nothing til I started counting calories - and then I lost weight just fine.

As for the annoyance of taking it daily, it's really just part of my routine. Brush teeth, remove contacts, get into bed, take pill, go to sleep. I don't have to remind myself to take it any more than I have to remind myself to do any of those other things.

Yaz is a low dose pill and claims to be very good for clearing skin.  I'm on it and I have never felt any additional appetite.  My skin is better but I'm not really sure if that has anything to do with the pill.  Also, I have experienced weight loss after getting off of a pill.  I think that the pill causes some people to retain more water.  It makes sense because the pill essentially tricks your body into thinking that it is pregnant and when you are pregnant, you retain water. 

hi...i have been using oxytetracyline for my acne also, after half a year, it all dissappeared, but so did my TOTM...

any1 else have that problem?

maybe its just a coincidence?