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Old 07-27-2008, 09:33 AM   #1  
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Default Are your birth control pills making you fat?

Has anyone else noticed that taking bcp slows down your weight loss? The week I am not on them... (supposed to be TOM of week, but since I hardly get it, I wouldn't call it TOM), I lose 2-3 lbs. Then I start taking my pills again and my weight loss stands still. Last month I forgot to take my pills 4 days in a row... so I thought I would ride it out that month w/o taking them and just start back at my normal time. BOY! I lost 4 lbs in 2 weeks... then I started taking them again, NOTHING! NOTHING has been happening since I started taking them again. Of course, I take my bcp pills for reasons besides pregnancy, acne, etc. But I felt SO MUCH better off them! Is it the brand?? I suffer from PCOS, so I take them to kind of have a regular cycle.

I take Orthotricycline... (SP?)

Anyone else experience this??
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Old 07-27-2008, 10:07 AM   #2  
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I lost 50 lbs while on Orthotricycline, though I have heard the bcp causes a slow down in weight loss that wasn't my experience. Has you doctor recommended Ortho-light? Maybe a lower dosage would help.

While reading this I had another though maybe you lost more water weight after your TOM?
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Old 07-27-2008, 11:14 AM   #3  
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Sorry, I don't have much experience with taking birth control pills.

But, recently (yesterday, as a matter of fact) while trying to understand more about what causes WATER RETENTION, I read that birth control pills can contribute to water retention, just as well as too much sodium in the diet.

Perhaps this is reason for gaining (or not losing) the weight?
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Old 07-27-2008, 11:51 AM   #4  
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I was on orthotricycline lo until August of last year, after being on it for about a year. I didn't have a problem losing weight. I did however gain a bit after coming off of them
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Old 07-27-2008, 12:44 PM   #5  
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Birth control pills pretty commonly cause people to gain weight from the chemicals. I know I did. It wouldn't be surprising to me if the same chemicals that cause weight gain inhibit weight loss. I moved to a non-hormonal IUD and am much happier now.
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Old 07-27-2008, 01:06 PM   #6  
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I am on orthotricyclen and I haven't had any problem losing weight.....I've lost 76.5 since last october.....However, everyone is different and lose weight differently so the pill could possibly be affecting how you lose the weight..You should definitely speak to your Dr. about it!
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Old 07-27-2008, 02:14 PM   #7  
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i am on ortho tricyclen lo, and i think when i started taking it about 2 years ago, i did experience some initial weight gain...(mostly in my boobs). however, i started my weight loss journey about 6 weeks ago and i have already lost 20 lbs.
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Old 07-27-2008, 02:28 PM   #8  
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I use to take ortho and within days of stopping it I lost 5 lbs. I went from 115 lbs to 110 lbs. I think it was just water.

I'm currently on a low dosage one and it hasn't made any difference.
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Old 07-27-2008, 06:47 PM   #9  
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I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for ohhhh, four months, maybe even five or six. It made me SO miserable! I physically felt SO much better the week I didn't take the pills. I gained a ton of weight, I was unhappy, my acne didn't go away, my cramps didn't subside, I felt bloated and uncomfortable, half the time I had morning sickness, the list just goes on and on and on.

I tried taking Tri-Nessa (Generic) and that made me have all the same symptoms plus crying all the time. Then I switched to Yaz and the morning sickness quadrupled.

As it turns out for me personally, my body reacts very, very harshly to the estrogen. So now my options are the mini pill, the nuva ring to the Depo Provera shot. I've been on the shot before, which also made me gain weight, but I felt sooo HAPPY on it (think it balanced out my hormones from the stupid pills) and my acne was gone. Went off it for little over a year, and now I'm about to go back on it (making an appointment for a shot tomorrow!). I'm definitely worried about the weight gain, but even if I do gain, to me it's worth it. So we'll see.

I'd recommend trying a different pill brand, but for me it only made things worse. If you can stick with them, do! But don't be afraid to see what else is out there - there are a TON of options. Good luck!
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Old 07-27-2008, 08:27 PM   #10  
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I took them as a teenager ( probably not the smartest thing- good that I was not a teenager pregnancy stat, but probably not a good idea to mess around with a teen's hormones by the dr's part ) but that is another story.

Of course it has been 30 years since I have been a teenager, so my imput is extremely ancient, but perhaps worth mentioning just the same.

I gained 8 pounds the first month I took them which at the time was really annoying as I had no weight issues way back then, I was 105 pounds in high school, so gaining 8 in one month annoyed me to no end.

I am sure there are so so many more options for women to chose from nowadays, with much less estrogen. If I remember correctly I took one called ' Norinyl' or something like that.

Good luck to you.

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Old 08-01-2008, 01:35 PM   #11  
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I take Yaz now with no problems. OrthoTricyclene made me mean as a snake! I took Seasonale (spelling?) for about 6 months and was miserable and fat(er)! The month I got off it, I lost 10 pounds. Dr. said weight gain was one of the side affects of Seasonale. I'd love to try Mirena IUD, but the active ingredient is the same as Seasonale, just lower dose.
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Old 08-03-2008, 12:53 AM   #12  
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I quit taking them and I've never felt better. i will never go back on the Pill unless I *need* to. It's really different for every woman.
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Old 08-03-2008, 01:23 AM   #13  
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I was on Ortho for a few years and my Dr. changed me over to a lower-estrogen, higher-testosterone pill for various reasons. I did gain weight while on the pill, but I also gained weight off of it so I don't think they're related.

Something that Kaplods says that always makes me stop and think (sorry if it's a bit harsh) is that "the pill you're taking doesn't have a single calorie in it, it's not causing you to gain weight." We have control over what we eat, we just need to be more aware. Your bc pills are calorie free, they aren't causing you to gain weight. JMO, of course.
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Old 08-03-2008, 08:34 PM   #14  
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I don't remember saying that. Although I do talk about birth control pills ALOT, because I really attribute my change in bc to helping me lose weight. I found that I have killer PMS (probably more legitimately PMDD). Hubby says I am a complete beast during the days preceding my period and the early days of the period. I get killer menstrual cramps that sometimes even relatively strong pain killers don't touch (tramadol and acetominophen together or even darvocet). Hubby was calling it "meat week," because I would crave beef and chocolate (and not at all the rest of the month) and I was VERY mean if I didn't get it. He said (only half joking) that he would throw me a McDonald's bag (I hate burgers any other time of the month) and it was only safe to walk in the door once he heard me chewing.

Now, I know it wasn't THAT bad, and yet I know it WAS that bad. I really am a very even tempered, even sweet person most of the time, but every month I wanted to KILL my SOB husband (who oddly, wasn't an SOB any other time of the month).

Changing my bc, changed my life. I now skip my placebo week and just start a new pack (I use Necon 28). It's sort of a cheaper way of making a regular bc pill act like Yaz or Seasonique. Every three or four months I take the placebo week, so I get a period now only three or four times a year. Talk to your doctor before making any changes on your own though. My doctor was initially concerned that doing this might cause my periods to be worse (the menstrual cramps as well as the hormonal and mood stuff). The first one may have been (or just not having experienced it for 3 months, may have just made it seem so), but gradually they've become lighter and less traumatic - even when I do choose to have the period.

I definitely think birth control can impact upon a person's ability to control hunger and therefore to control weight. I also think that carbohydrates can similarly increase my hunger. For me controlling hunger, helps me control my weight. It's still crazy tough, and I think every tool you have in your arsenal should be put to use.

If you think your birth control is affecting your weight, ask your doctor about changing birth control. Like antidepressants some people find that they have to try several to find one that doesn't adversely affect their weight or appetite. And also like antidepressants while there are some that "tend" to cause weight loss or weight gain, one drug can cause one person to lose weight and another person to gain. So, while your doctor can recommend one that is "less likely" to cause weight gain, you might find that it isn't the one for you.

And of course, you do have to realize that there is a behavioral component. Even though I found that eliminating periods helps me control hunger EMENSELY, it isn't a miracle cure. Old habits die hard, and it takes a lot of commitment and attention to change behaviors that were acquired over a lifetime.
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Old 08-04-2008, 12:25 AM   #15  
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Sorry if I mis-attributed it, Kaplods. No harm intended.
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