woman-only question

I've heard that birth control pills make you gain weight.  Does that mean that being on them will make it harder to lose weight?  Can anyone relate?

when they go on birth control, most women initially gain 10-20 lbs of WATER WEIGHT and it's mostly in your breasts anyways. It'll go away on its own after about 3 months. and it wont make it harder for you to lose actual FAT , you just wont feel the fat loss for awhile because of the water weight

i was actually just going to ask if its normal to feel like your boobs have gotten huge

I went on it a month ago and I haven't gained weight, but my breasts have def. got bigger

The combined pill raises your appetite.

It also has it's advantages though. It completely cured my PMS, which is why I'm going back on it heh.

Well that explains it.

Here I thought I was just becoming blessed or something.

I guess the pill is responsible for my full cup size growth over the last few weeks.

Here's some interesting info if anyone hasn't experienced it yet or know someone who has.

Depo Provera, the needle form of birth control, contains Progesterone which is a male hormone.  I talked to my doctor about my libido getting so low and also told him I wanted to have a child within the next 3 or 4 years. 

His reaction was this, "I suggest that you switch forms of birth control right now.  I've seen women have to undergo hormone replacement therapy because Depo has caused miscarriages, deformities, and male characteristics in other women.  Voice deepening, hair growth... that type of thing."  (eew!)  He said that if I wanted to have children in the future it was absolutely vital that I get off of Depo right now. 

Furthermore, a friend of mine who was on Depo for 1.5 years, just miscarried at 2 months pregnant.  Her doctor told her that had she not miscarried, they would have advised an abortion anyhow because of the high rate of deformities associted with hormone imbalances and Depo provera.  The level of male hormone in her body was too much for her to healthily carry a child.  Scary hey?  No one told me this 3 years ago when I started taking Depo.  anyways.......

Now I am on Tricyclin - I've been crying for no reason at least every second day, my libido has sky rocketed, and my boobs have grown.  Once this PMS thing wears off, it'll be good reviews all the way around!

I haven't noticed a weight gain with the pill. I started taking it in September, and I was able to continue to lose weight. My breasts did grow initially, but they shrank back to normal. I was bloated a little in the beginning, but not for long. I also found a decrease in PMS syptoms, the first few weeks I was a bit off emotionally, but after that I was back to my normal self. I have endometriosis, which causes severe cramping, but when on the pill my symptoms are next to nothing. Hope it works for you!

depo provera is awful.  besides what's already been said, it totally screws up your cycle and stays in your system LONG after you stop getting the shots. 

I'm getting married soon and I obviously just talked to my dr. about starting on birth control but I said I was nervous about weight gain since I was trying to do the opposite. She said that nothing has proved that bc pills cause weight gain, but those that are MOST LIKELY to cause it are the tri-cycle ones (like ortho tri-cycline, etc). She said something about the "tri", three thing makes weight gain most likely. So I obviously told her not to put me on that kind! lol. 

The thing about birth control is that everyone has a different story.  Besides water weight, birth control will not "make you gain weight". 

Sure it may increase your hunger or your cravings, but ultimately it is your choice to hit the drive through or the cupboard.

This one girl, who was very overweight, was discussing my weight with someone and said, "She must be able to eat anything she wants and not gain weight.  Either that or she's anorexic.  I'm on the shot and it makes me gain weight."

pff. No lady, I eat often and healthfully - not "whatever I want", and the shot did not make you buy that cheese burger now did it?

Some people.

I stopped taking the patch because it made me irritable, fat and it can cause heart problems.

petitemiss ... when I went on the patch my doctor actually told me that many women gain weight because of the hormones ;)

Yes because the hormones cause an increase in hunger.  Birth control tricks your body into thinking it's pregnant; hence you do not release an egg every month.  Your body gets the boost of hormones that it would receive if you were pregnant, causing your body to want to eat more to feed the "baby". 

If that isn't true then I guess, neither of us are doctors so who knows; but according to the anatomy and physiology books I studied in college, that's how the reproductive system works.

I'm not saying either one of us is right, but honestly, how can so many women be on the same birth control and only the ones who actually increase their calorie intake, gain weight?

Then how do some people actually become pregnant, carry a child for 9 months, and gain nothing but the baby's actual weight?

It depends on how much you eat versus how active you are, not your birth control. (except as I said, for water weight, which coincidentally also happens during every womans' menstrual cycle; hormonal changes)

I think it depends on the person.My daughter started on birth control and within a year gained 50 lbs.She has never gotten back to the size 3 that she was.She may never see it.

My whole body shape changed after going on the pill, but this was 13 years ago.  I'm sure they have changed it a lot.  It also made me feel just "icky" and the only thing I can compare it to is mild morning sickness.  I know my body shape changed because I was the same weight, but I ended up not being able to wear the same jeans.

Again, I think everyone is different and you have to do what works best for you.

yeah thats what I was trying to say. I was actually very active and didnt change my caloric intake and I gained about 30 lbs. I was walking everyday and running a couple of times a week ... plus I was poor so we didn't eat mcdonalds etc. We ate homecooked meals ;) So for some people the pill actually makes them gain weight and for others it doesn't. It depends on your body type. I have friends who can eat mcdonalds everyday, can get pregnant and never exercise and they do not gain a lb. Then there are peolple like me who eat one peice of chocolate and we gain 5 lbs. So just listen to your body when you are on the pill. I didn't like what happened to me and I didn't like how it made me feel so I stopped. ;)

I'm on Seasonale and love it...because it means no PMS and a period only once every 3 months. However, due to problems associated with hormones (the pill in general) and the unknown (I'm not having any, just wonder if I will)...I'm thinking of going off the pill all together and trying a diaphram or something.

Just something to consider. Do we really know the pill is truly safe?

Birth control pills vary from brand to brand. Your doctor can tell you better which one is right for you. Each different pill contains different hormone combinations. What is right for MY body may not be what YOU need. I can't take triphasic pills because they make me irritable and nauseous, but I do great on Yasmin, which is monophasic and low estrogen. It may take a few months for your body to adjust to the pill, and it may take up to a year or more until you find the right pill for your body. As with any prescription medication there are risks involved with taking it. I would go to an obgyn that you trust and discuss it with them. Explain your needs and fears and then you can work together to find something that will be good for you. I loved the patch, but now I hear there are risks of blood clotting and strokes I am glad I no longer take that particular medication.

I have only heard horror stories about the shot, a good friend of mine had hot flashes and lost a lot of hair. I have hear the ring is great, but I personally am afraid I will be unable to get it out by myself. 

My mom told me that the pill made her fat, but I took it for a few months and I never gained weight or ate more...but the one side effect I did have was weird brown fluid down there (eww I know. Planned Parenthood said it was natural and it was "old blood" but it never happened before that and it doesn't happen anymore...I'm still creeped out about it.) I think it differs from person to person.