Birth Control Packed On The Pounds

So I went to the doctor the other day and was weighed as usual. I asked to see my weight from the first time I visited and started the Pill. At that time...in 2003, I was 5'10" and 125 pounds. Now in late 2006, I am still the same height and over 30 lbs. heavier. My diet has gotten better...much better...I was always getting food in a rush back then with my crazy schedule and I even exercise much more than then. The only thing that has changed is the Pill. Its an odd thing too...the pounds are in my stomach and hips...everything else is pretty normal....

Has anyone else noticed this? It is to the point that I am wanting to come off the Pill and see if I slim down...

Also, I have noticed that I am a rank awful bitch the week before...when PMS never really affected me prior to the pill. It is so bad that my boyfriend checks my pills to see when I am on the dark blues...he knows to stay away that week!

 

what kind are you on?

 

sounds like the progestin in the pill is too high for your body. Get the patient info on the brand you are taking and compare the composition to other brands (besides, it's always a good idea to have the package insert sheet anyway, in case of side effects or questions you might have).

 

Ortho Tri-Cyclen...



White pills are .18 mg norgestimate and .035 mg ethinyl estradial

Light Blues are .215 norg and .035 eth

Dark Blues are .25 norg and .035 eth

 

That happened to me too. I gained like 10 pounds so far, and I eat WAY better than I used to.

 

that pill gave me mad pms. And I NEVER had PMS before. I had to get off. I felt so bad for my boyfriend b/c we'd fight pretty hard during that time. part him. mostly me.

Not sure about weight though. I've been flutuating since I was 14. Keep skinny, but by no means movie star skinny. I wear an 8-10 in pants and I'm 5'9

 

Maybe you'd be better suited on a monophasic low-dose pill? I've had no problems in weight gain in the 3+ years I've been taking mine. I've actually lost quite a bit of weight (not saying the pill was responsible for this but it certainly didn't inhibit it).

 

I am on ortho too and I have no side effect like that. Try asking your dr. about the low dose. But so you know for you height your weight is normal you where too thin before.

 

Nah, different standards for different bodies. At 6' and 140 I'm still a size 8. BMI is flawed.

 

try a lower dose pill... I'm on Alesse which is one of the lowest doses 'round (yet isn'tn actually labelled low dose so far as I'm aware)
100 ug levonorgestrel
20 ug ethinyl estradiol

 

Mini pill is progestin (brand name norgestrel and others) only, and would cause even worse weight gain and emotional side effects. Try a low dose combo pill, if you wish to continue with hormonal bcp at all... If it were me, I'd switch to condoms instead. Generally "low dose" usually only refers to the estrogen, but it's the progestin that causes most of the side effects (well, except the really scary ones like cancer)

 

Whoops, didn't mean to say "mini pill" in my original reply. Has been edited to what I intended to say which was "low-dose".

 

Dose level aside, definitely switch to a monophasic pill -- so all three "on" weeks are at the same dose level. That should aleviate the impact on PMS.

And I will second the opinion that you were probably severely underweight at 125 if you're 5'10". At 5'7", I look unhealthy when I get down to 125.

Further, you say you've been exercising more. You are aware, aren't you, that muscle mass is much heavier than fat? And you've been eating better -- so does that mean you've been eating the same amount of food, but healthier food, or does that mean (as I read your post) that you're better about eating a full meal (instead of cramming half a sandwich down your throat as you run out the door) and about not getting so busy that you forget meals? Getting closer to proper nutrition and a healthy intake of calories can also pack on the pounds, as you become no-longer-malnourished.

I went on the pill when I started dating my now-fiance. And I packed on like 30 pounds in the first year, though I have been pretty stable since. I can't say whether or not the pill had anything to do with that, because at the same time I all of a sudden had someone who was happy to cook for me most evenings, and who would make a special trip to bring me whatever food I would eat if I was having one of those days where I was too stressed to bother. As compared to before we were dating, when I might eat one meal and a couple of small snacks a day if I was really busy, and would often find that I was tired and just not in the mood to bother to cook dinner, so would just get by on a couple of triscuits instead of cooking.