Ladies,
I go in for that dreaded drs appointment next week and i would really like some input on birth control methods of choice. After the birth of both girls I was on the shot. Well I did a little research on that and decided that it carried too many risks, so year ago I quit taking it. My husband and I have been using condoms since then. Well he's not real reliable and we had a very close call last month so now I am taking matters into my own hands. I know they say you don't gain weight on the pill but everyone I have talked to says otherwise. I want something very low dose. If you don't mind would you share your methods of choice and if their was any weight gain. I would really appreciate that. Thanks in advance.
Jen

I have a question about this, too. My husband and I use condoms, but I am hearing that the sponge will go back on the market in the US soon. I was not in a long-term relationship when it was on the shelves last, so I know little about it. Anyone use the sponge? Like it or hate it?

I use Nordette - it's on the lower range of normal doses and I haven't noticed any water retention. I started back up about a week and a half ago and I've lost 7.5 and a half pounds since. I really think that the idea that you're going to gain weight on BCP is really a myth - you might retain a couple pounds of water, but you really shouldn't shoot up 20 lbs. in a month - there's something else going on there for the most part!

I haven't noticed any weight gain with the pill but then again I am terrible about taking it in the first place so who even knows if it is working? Oops...

I take Mircette, well the generic version called Kariva. It has one of the lowest doses of estrogen of most pills. I have been on it for like 3 years now. I didn't gain any weight from it. Now, 2 years later I gained, but that had nothing to do with the pill. I had a friend who took Orthotricyclin and didn't gain any weight from it at all. I think that a lot of times if you would be prone to gain weight from it, exercise and a good diet would keep that from happening! I have heard the myth, but no one that I have know who took the pill gained. I think that people who think birth control is evil started that rumor since that's something that women are afriad of (I was raised Catholic, and I heard all kind of scary things about stuff like that, none true!) Hope that helps!

I'm actually on the shot and have been for almost 2 years with absolutely NO side effects so I love it. I havent had a period the whole time, no cramps, and no PMS (i'm just regularly *****y cuz that is who I am!). I do take a calcium supplement now though since they have found bone loss in women who are on the shot. I dont know what I would do without it. What other bad things have you heard about it or know?

I'm on Enpresse, which is a generic for Ortho-tricyclen (I've been on it for just over 5 years). The only side effect I had was morning sickness for the first few weeks I was on it. From everything I have read and heard, the pill does NOT cause weight gain just by itself. However, often when people go on the pill they are at some other point in their life where weight gain occurs -- for me, I went on it right before starting college. And who hasn't heard of the "freshman 15"? More like "freshman 30"! Besides, I had been gaining before going on it anyway. I think most people just like to use it as an excuse for their weight gain ("there's no way I ate enough/was lazy enough to gain weight, it must have been the pill!").

The only grain of truth I see in the "BC makes you gain weight" thing is: when it is TOM, a lot of us crave foods and eat more, right? I have heard that for some people, being on BC increases your appetite b/c of the hormones, and of course if you have an increased appetite you might eat more and you might gain weight.

It certainly doesn't stop you from losing weight, since so many of us here are on it and losing. I think as long as you watch your eating/exercise and drink lots of water there is no problem.

Aside from the weight gain, one method I have heard great things about is the Nuvaring. It is low-dose and has fewer side effects than the pill. Also, it is lower maintenance because you don't have to deal with it every day, just change it once a week or something like that.

I've been on both ortho tricyclen and ortho lo (the low dose version) and I liked both of them. I've actually lost weight on them, and I've read numerous places that birth control pills don't cause significant, if any, weight gain. I've heard people say it... but it is always nice to have something to blame weight gain on, right?
Medically, if you maintain your current lifestyle and don't eat more or move less you shouldn't gain FAT but because it changes your hormones you may notice a different kind of water retention (and loss.)

I've never tried any of the other methods, but I've studied them in school (I'm a sexual health peer educator.) One of my friends really likes the Ring and she says she can't feel it at all. I've heard a lot of mixed reactions about the patch.

i just started with tri-levlen 28 i dont know if its a generic version of anything i dont know much about it... i havent gained weight just retained a lil water and my doc says once my body gets used to it that should go away... i am glad i have never had cramps so i dont know what they feel like and my period only last 4 days sooo hopefully it doesnt get any longer... i dont ever get "PMS" *****y i am always *****y...hehe

I've been on BCP for what seems like forever. Over the course of the 10 or so years I've been using them, I've tried a few kinds. I don't really like one over the other........and I didn't gain weight with any of them. They worked great-no kids!! lol But I would only recommend them if you are good about remembering to take them! Good luck with whatever you choose!

I know its not the pill and it looks like that's what you are going for but I just wanted to throw out the idea of the Nuvaring. I LOVE it. I'm not familiar with the hormone levels (whether or not it is low), actually I'm just too lazy to go find the packet and look it up. I never gained any weight on it and cramps are practically non existant now. I've never been on the pill so I don't have anything to compare to but I think it is great.

The best part: No pill to remember to take everyday, in fact I only have to remember something twice a month. The ring is inserted, left in place for three weeks, then removed for one week, repeat. (Incase anyone was wondering the same thing I was at first, no, typically men don't even know it's there)

holicanmc - do you know if it's possible to do the "skip the week off, skip the period" thing with the ring like you can with BCP? I've been thinking about starting it.

Yup, my doc said it was ok. I've done it a couple times. The ring slowly "secretes" the hormones and according to the packaging it will continue to "secrete" for an additional week if you forget to remove it after the third week. I've left mine in for that extra week once for vacation and once or twice because I forgot to remove it.

Edited to add: I'm pretty sure you can also skip your period altogether for a particular month by removing ring1 after three weeks and immediately inserting ring2 for another 3 weeks but you should check with your doctor about that one.

I've been up and down with this one. My doctor told me that birth control can cause weight gain in some cases because it leads to a drop in metabolism due to changing hormones. I experienced that personally when I started taking Seasonale last winter. I use dieting software that calculates my metabolism, and mine had been doing pretty well (about 2500-2600 calories burned per day as my BMR). After I started taking Seasonale my metabolism dropped to about 1300-1400 cals per day BMR within 2 weeks (no change in diet or exercise during that time). One of the nurses at my dr's office told me she experienced the same thing, and my dr told me she had seem many girls with the same problem. I switched back to Ortho-tricyclen around March, but my metabolism has yet to recover. Again consulting my dr, she's switched me to Nordette because of the lower hormone levels, but I haven't started it yet, so we'll have to wait and see what happens with that.

I'm not trying to blame my weight on birth control though. I know I'm overweight because I eat too much and don't exercise. But there are medical factors that can hinder our efforts, and there is a chemically valid reason. Different people will react to medications in different ways, that's the wonder of being human. If you want something low-dose for any reason, there are lots of options on the market: Nordette, Yasmin, and Ortho-tricyclen Lo are some I can think of off the top of my head. Ask your doctor, express your concerns, including weight gain (if you get headaches frequently, tell your dr that too--the right bc makes a difference there too), and figure out the best course of action for your body. You may have to try a few different options, but pay attention to the effects and you will eventually find one that you like and can live with.

Just my two cents.
~Elisha

Thanks for your input Elisha - I was beginning to wonder what was up with the idea that BCP make you gain weight if none of us had experienced it!?!