What are the side effects of BC pills???
Please help!

What are the side effects of BC pills???
Please help!
I can tell you a few but Im sure there are many more. I just know of the ones I have experienced.....Weight loss, weight gain, increased appetite, anxiety, panic attacks, complete loss of sex drive....those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. :eek:

What are the side effects of BC pills???
Please help!


The most common side effects are nausea, weight gain, and moodiness.

If you are prescribed birth control, make sure to read your package insert, which will also list the less common and more serious side effects.

i've read many times that weight gain (and rare loss cases) are temporary. it's all water weight, and supposidly goes away after a few months. i've been on them too long to remember.
there are positive side effects. like lower chances of breast cancer, regular and lighter periods, maybe less acne, less pms, being able to skip a period if you need to (talk to your doctor about this before doing it- she can help you get a full rundown of how it works and additional side effects. i've done it a couple times, for wedding or anniversery, but i don't like the side effects so i don't without good reason)
if you have bad side effects, like once i was seriously sick to my stomach, or you might get headaches, feel tired, be moody... switch brands or strength. i'm allergic to certin brands, but others help me beyond description. i'm on yasmin now, which actually succeded in lessening my depression symptoms! you can tell your doctor exactly what you'd like (regular periods, less pms, or acne control) and she can give you the brand that is designed for that specific side effect. good luck!

I only experienced headaches 1-2 days before the actual period. No weight gain. But I've started to have cramps since I stopped taking the BC pills :rolleyes:

I can tell you another side effect, that you probably won't hear much about but you can find out more information if you look on the healthboards under Liver Disorders and Liver Adenomas due to BCPs. These are benign tumors that grow on your liver due to the Estrogen in BCPs. I was on the pill for only 4 years, when at age 22 I started having a burning pain in the middle of my chest, kinda like indigestion. Ultrasound revealed a 4 cm benign tumor (adenoma) on my liver (now it is 7.5 cm grown due to pregnancy). I was told to immediately discontinue BCPs. They say this is a rare finding, and believe me, once you have one it is very hard to find doctors that seem to know much about it, i.e. OB/Gyn, gastrointestinal doctors--just read the posts under Liver disorders. They say the longer you are on BCPs the greater your risk and most women don't even know they have them until they show up at the hospital with severe stomach. Just wanted to let everyone know of this side effect. Perhaps, ask your doctor of a low estrogen BCP, a progesterone only BCP or even a non-hormonal IUD (which I have to use now and is great with no hormone side effects). And remember, if you are on these and ever have any upper abdominal pain for a period of time--always see a doctor and tell them you are taking BCPs.

wow, thanks for that information. i'd never heard of that before. is it compounded when you take other drugs that effect stomach or liver (like pain killers?)

I was told when it was discovered, to stop taking any Ibuprofen products and am only allowed to take Tylenol for any type of pain. Supposedly, Ibuprofen products can make it bleed or rupture like an ulcer can. The Estrogen in BCPs though definitely causes it. Most of the women I read about on the healthboard were shocked when they found out they had one because they never knew this could be a potential side effect.