Hello,

This is the first time that I have posted in this forum. I have Anorexia Nervosa and started to take the pill about three months ago while I was at my last treatment center because I had amenorrhea for three and a half years. I was in the process of gaining weight at the time, so I do not know if the weight gain was due to my refeeding or due to the pill, but I just wanted to know if that old rumor was true... do you gain weight when you go on the pill? If so, will I lose some weight when I go off the pill? How much can I expect to lose? Any help would be great!

Bjork

It really depends on how your body reacts to the hormone in the pill. Some women gain weight and some don't. I have been on it for 2 years and have not gained a pound. In your case it is hard to tell if it is the pill causing the weight gain. If you go off the pill, the weight just doesnt go away...you have to workout to get it off.

I've heard different stories when it comes to this... :rolleyes: Some women say it is water weight that they gain, so it comes off with no effort when they go off the pill. Some say it causes them to eat more, so when they go off the pill, they have to work it off. I've heard that if it is indeed water weight, it usually isn't more than about 5-7lbs (that you'll gain, or lose). In my case, I started taking the pill almost 3 years ago, and I DID gain weight. I'm not sure if it was from the pill though, because at the time I was on an anti depressant (which is notorious for weight gain). However, since then I have stopped the anti depressant, and have been unable to lose the majority of the weight I gained on it, so I'm wondering if the pill did have something to do with the initial gain. I only have 2 pills left though, and then I'm off BC! I plan to write a post if I end up losing any weight after going off. :) Good luck!

Whiskers :wave:

It all depends on the person. I personally have never gained a pound while on the pill (and never lost any upon going off it).

Just wondering, if your major medical problem is Anorexia Nervosa, is how much weight you might gain or lose as a result of going on or off the pill really that important, or is this a manifestation of your illness? Or are you hoping the pill will help you gain weight permanently?

Hmm--I gained a LOT on Alesse, but now I'm on Yasmin--my dr said it does depend, just like others have said, from woman to woman. And he said that Yasmin causes your cells to absorb less water (so to me, that means that your cells would actually become "waterlogged", which is the term my Dr used and he is an ob-Gyn, not a GP) SO I assume that if your on it long enough you can eventually gain some water weight...

The pill itself usually doesn't make you gain weight, but it does cause your appetite to increase which is a side-effect that can make you gain weight. I've gained 15 pounds since being on the pill. When I go off the Pill my appetite is 1/4 of what it was on the pill.

I share Thisby's concerns, and I think you should talk to your therapist about this.

Weight gain and loss on BCPs are "individual," which is another way of saying that we don't know what all of the factors are. Some women have weight changes, some women don't. Some of it we know -- for example, if your PMS symptoms include the munchies, then you're likely, but not guaranteed, to get the munchies on BCPs. On the other hand, if BCPs make you nauseous, then you're likely to lose weight. Sometimes weight gain is permanent and sometimes it is temporary. Some women gain and lose weight both on the same pills as their bodies adjust to it.

But I think that this is something that you should mention promptly to your doctors. They may be able to provide you with more information about what to expect in your specific situation.

I have actually lost weight everytime I've gone on the pill or patch. I don't know why but each time I lose weight.. only about 5 lbs but I only weigh 120-125 lbs so it actually looks like a lot on me.