Weight Gain on pill?

R

Rachel_Lam

Cathlete
Hi,
I was wondering if it was inevitable to gain weight if you go on the pill? I was asking around and almost 95% of the women at work swear they all gained a lot of weight from going on them. Particularly Depo provera. I might be going on Alesse but have worked soooo hard to bring my weight down and am only 6 lbs from my goal. I'm scared of ballooning up when I"m this close to it.
 
I'm on the pill (Estrostep) and have had no problems at all. It's $32/month which can suck if your insurance doesn't cover it.

My friend has had trouble when she tries generic pills - bloating, not feeling well, and breakouts. I've read many places that most people who say they gain weight actually just are bloated. My friend's gyn had her start taking a special pill that for whatever reason doesn't bloat you up. There's also some vitamin/mineral that can help.

I've definately heard that Depa Provera can cause some weight gain. Not a lot, maybe a few pounds.

I think everyone will react differently to the pill. I love it, but some have trouble finding one that works. There are a lot of pill variations. I would try to stay away from generic at first to see how the brand name pills work and then compare.
 
Hi Racheal,
I was on the pill for 5 years and never gained any weight.The last pill I was on was the Alese.I have switched my pills a few times because they were too strong or then they end up being not strong enough.
I think that sometimes people who have gained weight, just find that to blame it on because they need something to_One of the girls we use to hang out with blamed her weight gain on the pill....mean while she was always on a party every thurs,fri, and Sat night.So now she as been off the pill for over a year and still looks the same.I'm sure you will be fine......
Lori
 
Thank you! This is sounding pretty good so far! I was beginning to wonder after asking so many girls from work but then maybe I should ask people who actually workout to see what their experiences are.
 
I was on Lunelle (a once a month Depo type shot) & gained 8 lbs, switched to Depo thinking the weight gain would stop & for more convenience. GAINED 10 LBS MORE!!! I worked out & watched everything I ate. Didn't work.
 
My cousin got on Depo Provera (which is a shot, not a pill) and she gained 30 lbs in a couple of months. She stopped taking it, but unfortunately never lost the extra weight.
 
Hi there!

I think the trick to avoiding weight gain on the pill is to chose a pill that's lower in Estrogen. Pills like Ortho TriCyclen have so much estrogen in them, that it encourages a lot of water weight gain, and additionally throws your hormones in a frenzy. Ortho TriCyclen had me downing a 6pack of pop per day! A couple of ones that I've been on successfully without weight gain are Mircette and Alesse .. both have the exact amount of hormones in them, and are the lowest dose pills on the market. I think I was paying about $25 for Mircette. I'm now on Alesse, but since I work for the company that makes them (wyeth) I don't have to pay for them... makes taking the pill a little less painful :)

~ Nicole
 
Just wanted to recommend the birth control pill Yasmin. I was very reluctant to go back on the pill because a few years ago I was on one of those estrogen-heavy pills and gained a lot of weight and got really depressed. But Yasmin has been a dream come true for me. I haven't gained any weight, and my PMS symptoms are much much better.
 
Mircette

Hi - Mircette is WONDERFUL! I had been on Tri-cyclen and had awful PMS, heavy periods, CRAVINGS, cramps galone. You know--the usual joys of womanhood. It also had me bloated. I switched to Mircette about two years ago and have never looked back. I don't get a period, and if I do, it's just a day of spotting. My gyn said that's a normal side effect with Mircette. No discernable PMS. I lost all that water weight. I highly recommend it. Of course, my insurance won't cover it, but it's worth paying $30 a month. Suzanne
 
RE: Mircette

I agree Mircette is the BOMB. I take the pill to control amennorhea due to a small fibroid. Estrostep & ortho both did not agree with me. I gained weight with those, but not Mircette. Love em.
One of my coworkers gained almost 40 pounds after getting that Depro shot. Poor girl is very unhappy, can't loose weight for anything, and she was tiny before.
 
I was just wondering how long it took for you to lose the weight after you stopped the Depo.

I have been struggling to lose 20 pounds and after reading this thread think that the Depo may be the reason I am not losing the weight. I have been on Depo for about 3 years. During the last year I started to excercise and joined Weight Watchers. I have managed to drop 20 pounds, but for the last few months the scale won't budge even though I work out 5 to 6 days per week (mainly Cathe & CIA's) and eat within my points range. So right now I am at a loss as to what to do next.

Any advice is welcome

Sandra
 
Weight Gain on Depo

I was just wondering how long it took for you to lose the weight after you stopped the Depo.
I have been struggling to lose 20 pounds and after reading this thread think that the Depo may be the reason I am not losing the weight. I have been on Depo for about 3 years. During the last year I started to excercise and joined Weight Watchers. I have managed to drop 20 pounds, but for the last few months the scale won't budge even though I work out 5 to 6 days per week (mainly Cathe & CIA's) and eat within my points range. So right now I am at a loss as to what to do next.

Any advice is welcome

Sandra
 
I'm with Bootyquake - I take Yasmin, its a fairly new one, I think. No weight gain, cravings are not out of control, no cramps, some bloating but not like I used to have. I have really bad mood swings and this pill is a lot better than any other I've ever been on.


I also have a history of migraines and haven't had one since I went on Yasmin.
 
I was paranoid to go on the pill for many years. I was having some skin problems and even my derm suggested taking the pill. I finally gave in a year and a half ago and I haven't had a problem. I take allesse, and I am the type of person who gains weight easily and bloats, and have't had that problem. Good luck.
 
You may have to try a few different pills before you find one that works for you. The first pill I tried did make me gain about 2 pounds and also resulted in mood swings and constant fatigue. I noticed the change quickly, with the help of family and friends, and changed to another pill almost immediately. Unfortunately, a friend of mine had similar problems, but failed to change quickly and gained about 20 pounds. I am now currently taking Lo-Estrin, and have been on it for about 5 years. I love the pill and have gained no weight. If anything it has made my life so much easier because I have really no symptoms of PMS and really light periods. Hope this helps.
 
Ok this sounds good! I'm on day 2 and still paranoid ... I figure you have to find out either way eventually and you could always stop them anyhow. This place is always a great place to get answers even if questions are off topic. Thanks!
 
I took Lo-Estrin for 18 years and had no weight gain or other problems -- same as what activegirl has found. Also, when I finally decided to get pregnant and went off it, it only took a couple of months for my body to return to normal, and 4 months after that to conceive (good results for a 40-year-old).
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-25-02 AT 12:46PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Rachel,

I'm on Alesse, I had heard the same thing and asked my doctor and she said these days the hormone levels in the pill are so low side effects are very minimal. I have not gained any weight on it and I've been on it for about 3 years. Also it makes pms all but dissappear and the whole experience much less painful. I went off it for a few months and went right back on it because I missed the benefits!
 
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