elisha--what kind of dieting software do you have that calculates your metabolism, and what does it base its calculations on? I've seen plenty of calculators and such and use Fitday regularly, which tries to tell me that my BMR is something like 3350 calories a day (which is total BS--I would SO be gaining weight at that much!), so I'm wondering how yours is so accurate and adjusting. I'd like to know more about it As for the pill, I was put on Orthocyclen (not ortho-tricyclen--this one only has one hormone level and the placebos, so not as many colors of pills ) right after I turned 16 (to prevent ovarian cysts, not for birth control--didn't have sex for the first time till I was almost 22 ). I was on it ever since until just this past winter when I went to a new doctor, and she said their pharmacy doesn't carry it (stupid Kaiser Permanente!), so she switched me to Levlen, which she said is basically the same thing, just a different brand. I have never had a problem with either of them (yes, I gained weight when I started when I was 16, but I was gaining weight anyway, so I don't think the pills had anything to do with it).
I think your best bet is to ask your doctor. He/she should be able to prescribe one that is less likely to cause weight gain.
I didn't gain any weight what so ever when i took ortho-tri-cyclen BUT i did experience bad side effects and i would never take any other bc pills because of it.
Its funny because the week after i got off the pill i used a condom with my significant other and it BROKE. oh goodness. I have to say just use a condom and have a morning after pill ready in casse something were to happen. They are just as effective and in the long run healthier since you don't have hormones running throughout your body 24/7. I have to say do not trust trojans! they always seem to break on me. Durex are really good.
But to each there own. That is my experience on Birth Control Pills. [i took them for 2+ years]
Jill--I use DietPower 4.0. I input my weight, food intake, water, and exercise on a daily basis, and it calculates my metabolism daily based on the variation in my weight. If you log everything consistently it seems to be fairly accurate. Fitday always calculates my BMR way too high too. There are some things I would change about DietPower, but I really like the features it does have, like allowing you to enter your own foods and recipes. I also think it's a lot easier to use than Fitday, but perhaps that's just because I'm used to it. I chose it primarily because I can use it offline. You can download a free trial at www.dietpower.com. I believe it costs around $50 to purchase.
Again on the BC issue--the first one I tried was Depo-Provera. I honestly don't know if it made me gain weight, because I wasn't monitoring my weight at that time (because it was going up anyway), but I had other side effects. Same thing with Ortho-tricyclen: I wasn't paying attention to my weight when I started it the first time. Seasonale definitely contributed to a weight gain, but when I switched back to Ortho-tricyclen I didn't experience any additional gain because of it. Yes, I gained a few more pounds, but I attribute that to the Seasonale as well. My metabolism never had a chance to recover, and birth control certainly isn't going to speed it up. I'm hoping the new lower dosage allows my body to work its way back to normal.
As for using condoms instead of birth control, unless you're with one specific person only and know about their history, you should use condoms whether your on birth control or not to avoid STDs. However, birth control can also have other beneficial effects. For example: my periods are very, very heavy and I have very bad cramps if I am not on birth control. The pill makes it manageable and almost painless. Also, some birth control can help prevent things like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis. It can be a good thing to have a few extra hormones in your system.
But in any case, I completely agree with Jill: talk to your doctor. I prefer a female dr, especially on this issue, because they've always seemed more knowledgeable about the intricacies of bc and what it can do to the female body (honestly, male dr's just seem like "cramps? it can't be that bad, just deal with it!" and how could they know?), but that's just my opinion. In any case, your dr can help you find what works, and they should be able and willing to address any questions or concerns you have. If it's not working out for you, don't keep using it just because your doctor recommended it first. Maybe that's really the best one for you, but maybe it's not. If you don't ask, you'll never know.
Thanks for all your replies. I really appreciate it. I just want to clear things up a bit, I'm not blaming my weight gain on bc. I just have heard both ways, you know the extra cravings, slowed metabolism and all. I have trouble with birth control in the sense it makes me very moody. When I was on the shot I was more depressed, much more depressed. When I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen I was so mean, very moody. I am surprised my husband didn't leave. I also want something short term because my husband and I do plan on trying for our 3rd after I reach my goal weight and we have insurance. I dont' qualify for insurance until after the middle of december. I know it ultimatly comes down to what the doctor and I discuss I just wanted to go in with a few ideas of my own. Thanks again all.
Jen
I have to second HOlicanmc. I love the NuvaRing. I switched to it because I was having trouble with the Pill (my memory mostly). It is so easy and I haven't had any side effects.
Also I do the skip period thing. I do the edited version she describes above (per my Dr's orders). Three weeks in then replace with a new one.
I was on the ring for about 1 year before I started doing the skip period version. And I wasn't having any problems. The bonus with this is when I was on the Pill I would occassionally try and do two months in a row (bad timing, trying to manipulate timing, etc) and I always got really bad morning sickness. No side effects witht the NuvaRing though.
My doctor said I could skip two periods. So for me it is three weeks, replace. Three weeks, replace. Three weeks, out for a week.
Yes that is right I am off only 1 out of every 10 weeks!!
I'm lucky, I guess, in that I can take the pill more than a month at a time without side effects. Just this year, I started taking it for 2 months straight, then off for a week, then 2 months again, so I only get my TOM every other month. When I go back for my next yearly check-up (in January), as long as everything looks okay and I haven't had any problems with this schedule, my doc said I can go ahead and do 3 packs straight with no placebos, so I'll only have my TOM every 3 months. Hurray for medical technology!
Maybe my particular pill is really low-dose. I never really looked into it. I know, however, that when my sister would miss a pill (on ortho-tricyclen), it says to take the next one as soon as you remember. Well, if she didn't remember till the next morning and had to take 2 at a time, she would get pretty sick. As for me, I have forgotten plenty of times (since I've been on the dumb things for over 7 years) and have had to take 2 at a time, and I have never had a problem--no sickness, no spotting, nothing. So I guess my point, too, is that it depends highly on the individual and how your body reacts to things We can give you stories about our own experiences till you drop, but your may still be completely different. Good luck!
I was on BCP for about 4 years. I was on OTC (ortho try cyclin) for about 1 year, but was then switched to Lo Estrin because I was still having painful cramps with the OTC, and she thought the LE would help get rid of that... lol that didn't work, they were worse on the LE, and I went back to OTC.
I changed Dr's and she put me on Aleese, and I was on that for about a year.
I never experienced weight gain that I could blame on the BCP. I did gain weight, but it wasn't the pill's fault - that was mine.
The only medication that caused me to gain weight was Paxil.
Anyway, I'm not on any sort of pill anymore right now, and I still gained weight
I was told that you can skip your period with pretty much any pill, but the cyclic ones. My Dr said that you're more likely to experience spotting if you try it with those type (like OTC)
Hi all! Birth control is one of my favorite topics.
Combined oral contraceptive pills are generally not associated with weight gain, and have tons of positive effects, like less PMS, less total blood loss, less cramping, etc. Monophasic pills have fewer side effects than triphasic.
Depo-provera is statistically associated with about a 5 pound weight gain, although I have many patients who gain a lot more than that. There is also a possibility of lots of spotting, though the longer you are on it, the less you bleed and periods may cease. There are concerns with bone density loss during the time a woman is on it (may be more concerning for teens) but the latest research shows that when a woman stops the depo, her bone density returns to nearly normal. The jury is still out though and who knows what will be happening to women who were on depo in 40+ years.
THe ring is fabulous (in my opinion) and you can take it out during intercourse if it bothers you or your partner for up to 3 hours without decreasing efficacy. People are certainly skipping the "ring-free" week and thus the withdrawal bleed (aka period)...there is no data to support this but no reason to think it is harmful at all and no reason to bleed every cycle, every 2 cycles, every 3 cycles, or even never.
The patch is pretty popular in my practice, too, and, like the ring, some women are skipping the "patch free" week and not having periods. Lovely.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned here is the IUD. There are 2 kinds--one can stay in for 5 years (Mirena) and one for 10 years (Paragard). Very safe, very effective, nothing to remember. THe Mirena has progesterone and thins the uterine lining resulting in spotting at first but then no bleeding, no periods for most women. THe paragard is hormone free so women cycle as they normally would, occasionally a little heavier with a little more cramping. Both of these can be removed at any time a woman wants to become pregnant with good return for fertility (immediately for paragard, within 6 months or so for mirena). Consider an IUD!
I would also like to put in a plug for your neighborhood nurse midwife or nurse practitioner. Midwives and NPs prescribe MORE birth control than ANY other profession in the US, including MDs. We know what we are talking about and what we are doing. I sigh when I read about women struggling with PMS, cramping, etc. Are periods obselete? Pretty much. Women don't have to be so darn uncomfortable each month.
So, use condoms to prevent STDs and consult with your practitioner (find a midwife or NP!) for what is perfect for you.
LOL, I always say "doctor," but I almost never actually see the real doctor when I go to my gyn's office--I think it's usually a nurse practitioner. I still just call her my "doctor," though, because she gives me the meds I know a lot of medical stuff can be performed by a lot of different people that aren't technically doctors (I work on Medicare documents, so I know many things can be done by "non-physician practitioners," i.e., nurse practitioners, midwives, physicians' assistants, clinical nurse specialists, etc.), but for the sake of simplicity, I think we tend to generalize them into a lump group of people who check up on us and make us feel better--doctors
Me too, Jill. My former "doctor" was a nurse practitioner, and she still wasn't really that helpful. My new one is an actual MD though, but that was fairly random. I was recommended to a specific office, and she was the only one at the office accepting new patients.
OH and as far as the patch goes...if you are active like me it is terrible. I usually shower 1-2x per day and had a really hard time keeping it in place. PLUS you get can get terrible tan lines in the summer (people think you're on the patch).
Fight underpopulation...get married and have lotsa babies...otherwise, just get fixed and get it over with!
*Amanda huffs, as she was one of those who took birth control once (when her unmarried butt had no business even needing it) and had terrible side effects from it!*
I love Depo-Provera, but I understand why you don't want to use it especially if you are going to try to conceive soon. I'm always in the minority, but I used it for 5 years with no problems and actually lost weight. I started spotting weekly so I quit and shortly after got pregnant. Now I'm on it again since while nursing a baby you can't have estrogen (except the mini-pill) only projesterone (sp?). Again, no problems. Love the shot.
) right after I turned 16 (to prevent ovarian cysts, not for birth control--didn't have sex for the first time till I was almost 22 
). I was on it ever since until just this past winter when I went to a new doctor, and she said their pharmacy doesn't carry it (stupid Kaiser Permanente!), so she switched me to Levlen, which she said is basically the same thing, just a different brand. I have never had a problem with either of them (yes, I gained weight when I started when I was 16, but I was gaining weight anyway, so I don't think the pills had anything to do with it). 
My new one is an actual MD though, but that was fairly random. I was recommended to a specific office, and she was the only one at the office accepting new patients.
