Hi everyone. I am just doing an evaluation of weight gain and the pill. Can anyone share the amount of weight they have gained while on the pill? Also, can you please state which pill it was and weather your weight as ever gone back to normal?

I have been on OTC lo for 2 years and haven't gained a pound.

Hi everyone. I am just doing an evaluation of weight gain and the pill. Can anyone share the amount of weight they have gained while on the pill? Also, can you please state which pill it was and weather your weight as ever gone back to normal?

I gained a total of 25 pounds after starting the pill, but I don't think all of that weight is related to the pill.

Although, my weight was consistent until I started the pill. I gained 10 pounds the first year of use, while diet and exercise did not change.

my best friend has been on the patch (ortho evra) for over a year, and she LOST weight, and she knows that 100% it's because of the patch. Her eating habits + excercise haven't changed so she's lost about 15 pounds? 10-15.

I heard a lot of women gain weight with the depo shot.

I heard a lot of women gain weight with the depo shot.
I was on Depo for 4 years and over that time I gained 20-25 pounds. After I stopped getting the shot I immediately lost 15 pounds in like a month (I didnt change anything, diet and pretty much no regular excersise). After like 2-3 months the rest of the weight came off. Other people I know were unable to lose the weight after stopping the shot. For some reason I was lucky.

I gained a heck of a lot of weight on OTC, maybe 15 pounds. It came off a month or so after I got off it.

Now I'm Kariva (generic for Mircette) and haven't gained any weight. In fact, I did have some initial weight loss when I first went on it.

I took BC pills for 3 years and hadn't gained a pound either...

thanks for your replies everyone! I guess we're all just very different.

I gained about 20 as well. I was taking estrostepfe. And have since switched to seasonale where I havent gained a pound but nore have a dropped. I've been working out and havent really noticed any difference.

I was on Levlite-28 to start, about 3 yr. ago, and it caused cysts in my breasts that had to be drained (I have fibrocystic breasts anyway). Was also very nauseous on it.

So, I switched, about 2 yrs. ago to Yasmin. I have gained about 10# on this pill. I eat high fiber, low fat diet, I work out.....either blade 6 - 9 miles a day, and/or walk/jog 3 miles, etc. Am very active, petite, 5'2", and weigh 122# now. This is too much for me. I should comfortably weigh 110#, like I did 2 yrs. ago.

My breasts are constantly sore while being on this pill.....I know that the drospirenone in this pill is a derivative of spironolactone, a water pill, but I'm not experiencing any less bloat. I think my ob-gyn thinks I'm nuts when I've told him I've gained weight. My pharmacist, however, says that the bcp causes weight gain...... The up side is that my skin is clear, I don't have periods that debilitate me, I can plan things in my life better, I don't have mood swings or terrible pms like I used too, and it's great for birth control.

My pharmacist says that every woman should give her body a break every 2 - 3 yrs. after being on bcp. Maybe I'll stop taking it in a few months, see if I can lose the weight, see if it really is the pill.

any suggestions?
Thanks.

I was on Depo for 3 years and didn't gain weight. During the last year of it I actually lost about 10 lbs. I'm petite, too. 5'2", so I was down to about 109 lbs, give or take. Then I started the patch 2 months ago and within the first month gained 5 lbs. But I haven't gained any more than that (yet). I've definitely noticed that I eat a LOT more now. So I'm sure a majority of the weight is just because I've become a bottomless pit.

Did your pharmacist say exactly why to stop every 2-3 years? It makes sense, just wondering if there were specific reasons?

Hey Gracie...
Depo doesn't have estrogen in it, so it wouldn't cause weight gain...so I've heard with some people. I think my pharmacist is into more natural methods of doing things. He also says that there are so many different side effects on any drugs and doctors and the drug companies just want to push products. I'm looking forward to going off this. Being 5'2" like you, an extra 10# on me is like carrying around 2 bags of flour, you know? And I mean 5# bags. I think each one of my boobs weighs that now!!!! So, I'm going to take a break and let you know how I feel.
Thanks!

3 years ago I gained 10 lbs and went up a bra size when I went onto Orthocylin. I never really realized it was from the pill becuase I thought I was just eating more. I switched to Yasmin in October and sudenly started falling out of my clothes and my bras were too big. Turns out I lost 10 lbs in a matter of 2 months, even over the holidays! It has encouraged me to start working out and get back to my old highschool size 4. I'm not there yet but maybe one day :)

While I was on Depo for 7 years I gained 30# in the first 2 years, while I've only been off it for about 6 weeks, I was due for a shot in Jan, I think that I've lost a few pounds, it's hard to tell because I've also been bloated from PMS for the past 3 weeks.

I was on nuva ring for 6 months and didn't gain any weight but I could have sworn my breasts were bigger. I am trying yasmin on sunday so hopefully that goes well.

I gained probably 15 pounds i was taking Mircette.

I think that this is a really great thread/survey. I gained 10lbs of stubborn, stick-to-the-bones lbs that won't go with all the running and spinning and dieting. I'm off now and will track to see what happens.

I haven't gained any from the pill....that last 10 lbs of baby fat is pretty stubborn though :P

I gained no weight for the first 11 years I was on the pill -- if anything, I lost a few pounds. For a few years I was on Lovral and after some experimenting with other pills I went to OVcon (been on that for the last 4 or 5 years I think). Last April, I switched to Estrostep FE and while it had the same estrogen at the same level as the Ovcon, it had much higher progestin (also of the same type). I gained 11 pounds in TWO WEEKS (thats no joke -- my doc is a witness) and had a number of other side effects. After I went back to the Ovcon, I dropped 9 pounds over 3 or so months with out any change in exercise or eating. The tragedy in this is that I now have cellulite where none was before (hormones contribute to breaking down the connective tissue that allows cellulite to look all bumpy) and I am carrying weight differently than before. Sigh.

I have been on Depo for 2yrs and gained about 25 pounds. It mostly crept up the second year. The first year was great, then I started having a lot of side effects the 2nd year. Now, it is really bad. I am getting off of it. Oh, and the weight gain is not attributed to diet, exercise because I have a routine schedule and it hasn't changed. My doctor suggested increasing my exercise pattern, but my schedule has always worked in the past, so I do NOT attribute the weight gain to diet/exercise, and I am in my low 30's and seriously doubt it has to do with getting older, I am not that old.

Great thread...I gained 10lbs and without diligence I packed on another 10 that was hard to remove. I think they also made me carb/insulin sensative too

I was on Microgynon 30 for 12 years and never gained a pound. Then i changed to Dianne 35 9 months and gained 9 lbs after 6 months.

I've been on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for about 2 and a half months and my weight has stayed the same. I have not made any dietary changes or changed my exercize habits.

I took Seasonale and gain 40-50 pounds in a year!

I have been on Depo for almost a year and I have gained 45 pounds. It is horrible and I'm changing back to the pill next week. I love not getting my period but not 45 pounds worth!!! I was already a little chubby (about 20 pounds over weight), now I am obese. Yuck....anyhow, hopefully a change in bc will help me lose it.

i have been taking diane35 for 2 years. the first year i was fine, and then i started gaining weight. first i noticed my breasts grew a lot. now, i didnt mind that! ;)
but then i started expanding all over my body as well, and in the past year ive gained 10kg... and i want to get off the pill, i look horrible now. :( i have massive red stretch marks all over my thighs and even some on my breasts. and even if i lose weight, those will never completely go away.

Tinarr, i have just come off that. I'll let you know how long it takes me to lose the 9 pounds i've gained on it.

Well, I'm going round and round w/ this with my Dr now--he is insisting that the pill NO pill causes women to gain weight. Harmph. I think he's full of it.

I was on Alesse for 2 yrs, gained 25-30 lbs AND I was dieting and exercising then--now i'm just eating smaller portions. Well, I've now been on Yasmin for 1 year and now Dr wants me on Apri, some pill I have never heard of, he thinks it may help w/ all the effects I've been having....Not sure if I want to even take it. I mean, i'm scared. With Yasmin I've pretty much stayed where I was though in a full year, i was able to loose roughly 10 lbs so, 10 of the 30 came off.....

Doctors don't always know what they're talking about.

Well, I'm going round and round w/ this with my Dr now--he is insisting that the pill NO pill causes women to gain weight. Harmph. I think he's full of it.

I was on Alesse for 2 yrs, gained 25-30 lbs AND I was dieting and exercising then--now i'm just eating smaller portions. Well, I've now been on Yasmin for 1 year and now Dr wants me on Apri, some pill I have never heard of, he thinks it may help w/ all the effects I've been having....Not sure if I want to even take it. I mean, i'm scared. With Yasmin I've pretty much stayed where I was though in a full year, i was able to loose roughly 10 lbs so, 10 of the 30 came off.....

I was on Alesse and gained about 20 pounds. I wasn't exercising regularly, but I was just as active and had the same eating habits as I had when I wasn't on a pill. I switced to Apri when my insurance stopped covering Alesse about 2 years ago, and I haven't gained any weight since. Now I'm working on taking off what I've gained from Alesse.

I know everyone is different, but I've never had any ill side effects with Apri. What effects are you experiencing? From there you'll have to weigh the risks of switching to a pill that may help, but could end up being worse for you? However, if Yasmin is working for you, I wouldn't switch. Goodluck! :angel:

"I switced to Apri when my insurance stopped covering Alesse about 2 years ago, and I haven't gained any weight since"

Yeah, I hated being on Alesse I was miserable and fat and always felt hungry!


Well, I am just too chicken right now to try a new pill I mean i'm not emotionally ready lol...I feel like I'd get so sick and tired if this one (Apri) didn't work I'd go insane.

On Yasmin my 1st year no effects at all all was good, couldn't loose that weight I lost still, but now in the end of the year I've been on it, It's finally starting to come off! Only took me 6 months...but, the scary effects are increased bleeding during periods. Spotting only a few times no biggie and not too bad a nuisance but the heavy bleeding and cramping was somethng my Dr insisted I'd have gone w/ Yasmin. It's been a yr and nothing's changed, if anything it's worse. He is like well this is the best pill well ***? Anyway, the scary thing is not just the bleeding but recently, last few months my fingers or toes will go numb and I mean numb to the point of not being able to feel them and my fingers being white!!! I immediately called my Dr once that happend to that extreme (I couldn't hardly type) and he is like well i've never heard of a pill doing this to someone. Well um excuse me but it says in the brochure on yasmin to call your Dr right away if this happens.

I read up on stuff online and apparently I had a bought of hyperkelimia, and when this happens (this is when you have too much Potassium in your body)....you can get real numb w/ this. Of course you can feel numb w water retenion and I know my rings and shoes wont' fit right at certain times of the month. So I express this to my ob gyn and he still thinks i'm crazy. Gives me a darn fluid pill to stop water retenion--which also isn't suppossed to happen on this pill--and then I read in the brochure for that pill, that it can increase your potassium in your body!! So that doesn't seem safe...I mean i'm taking Ibprofen like daily, been doing so for one full month at least, for my toothaches (been having an awful time w my teeth)....

Looks like this thread has been around awhile, but I'll put my two-cents worth in anyway. My daughter has been on Apri for a year, and has gained 15 lbs. Her OB blames it on anti-anxiety meds she has been taking. It is probably a combo of the two. Her breasts have just ballooned, which suggests the pill is part of the culprit to me. She changed her over to Kariva, because she said if she was retaining fluid, it would be less likely with Kariva than Apri. I have used the Ortho-Evra patch for a year with great success. No weight gain, I feel better and the little bit of acne I still had at my advanced age (44) has gone away!

Which anti-anxiety med is she on? I believe the pill can cause weight gain, but it is also VERY common to gain weight on anxiety meds.

Well, i've been off Dianette 35 for 2 months now. My boobs have gone down, but i haven't lost any weight. My belly isn't really bloated, but i can still pinch an inch. So i've come to the conclusion that Microgynon 30 was keeping my weight down, with it being high in progesterone, which builds muscle, which in turn burns fat. I still wouldn't go back on a pill that is high in progesterone just to lose weight though, as i don't think it's worth the acne. You can't win, really.

Looks like this thread has been around awhile, but I'll put my two-cents worth in anyway. My daughter has been on Apri for a year, and has gained 15 lbs. Her OB blames it on anti-anxiety meds she has been taking. It is probably a combo of the two. Her breasts have just ballooned, which suggests the pill is part of the culprit to me. She changed her over to Kariva, because she said if she was retaining fluid, it would be less likely with Kariva than Apri. I have used the Ortho-Evra patch for a year with great success. No weight gain, I feel better and the little bit of acne I still had at my advanced age (44) has gone away!


It is quite possible that it could be the anti-anxiety meds, especially the SSRI's (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Luvox, Celexa, Serzone, or Lexapro). They're known to cause weight gain. However, I've been on Ovcon-35 birth control for six months and have gained about 7lbs. I had an increased appetite for a month, maybe two, but then it went away. I still have the weight, though :( . I work out 4 or 5 days/wk., plus clean houses. I don't diet, but I do try to watch what I eat, especially at night, i.e. I don't eat heavy fattening foods at night. I know, 7lbs. isn't much to a lot of people, but it really bothers me. Before going on this pill (this is my second time on it btw, no weight gain the first time), I had lost about 35 lbs. through diet and exercise and kept it off, until now anyway. If I can't get the weight off, I'm considering switching to Kariva. I'd really be interested in hearing how your daughter does on this pill. Thanks for any input. :)

ugh...i gained about 20 lbs from yasmin pills and i wasn't even on it for that long, about 2 months at most since i got critically ill from taking it to begin with.

i did exercise and ate a healthy diet too.

I was on Nordette for about 8 months (until my insurance just stopped covering it and I've now been on Levlen for a week). During that time I gained about 15 pounds without changing anything. In fact, I have stayed the same weight my whole adult life until I started that pill, and it's really bothersome. I have a very thin frame, so 15 pounds really shows! I'm curious to hear if anyone on Levlen can share their experiences so I know whether to expect to continue gaining weight or possibly lose some. Thanks!

If you want to lose it, try Microgynon 30. I don't know if you get that one in the US, though.

My first round with OTC I lost 10 lbs. Second round I gained 15 in about a month. No changes to diet or exercise. On the patch I gained 15 lbs in the first month. Fortunately, I was able to lose the weight once off the pills. On Seasonale now (third month) and no weight gain or loss (knock on wood).
Oh and my doc said the same thing someone else said. He said no pill has been KNOWN to cause weight gain. That women change their habits, etc and blame it on the pill. It makes me wish men had to deal with all the hormones. :)

I am getting off my birth control---- after being on it for 7 years. I gained some I am sure, but more on the AD Celexa. I gained about 10 pounds from it. It is an SSRI. I am going off Birth Control as I am turning 50 and there is some risk being on it after 50---- heart attack and stroke increase...
So, those who have gone off birth control? do you lose weight right away?
And also do you get weird moods and edgyness? I wonder what to expect....
Feedback?
~dagmar

My first round with OTC I lost 10 lbs. Second round I gained 15 in about a month. No changes to diet or exercise. On the patch I gained 15 lbs in the first month. Fortunately, I was able to lose the weight once off the pills. On Seasonale now (third month) and no weight gain or loss (knock on wood).
Oh and my doc said the same thing someone else said. He said no pill has been KNOWN to cause weight gain. That women change their habits, etc and blame it on the pill. It makes me wish men had to deal with all the hormones. :)

Don't worry, their day is coming......with the male contraceptive pill :) .

How long till you noticed the weight gain on Yasmin? Or on any birth control?

For me, it was about 6 months.

How long till you noticed the weight gain on Yasmin? Or on any birth control?


It really varies for each person or pill. I just started my 7th month on Ovcon-35. So far I've gained 7lbs. About a month or so ago, I had an increased appetite on it, but then it went away after a month. When I was on Estrostep FE, my appetite increased from the beginning and I gained 15lbs the first 5 months.

I started taking Estrostep FE in August of last year. Now as of June, I guess I have gained about 15 or 20 pounds. I feel miserable. My boobs have blown up. I went from a 34B to a 36C. I have really bad headaches. They are so aweful. They make me sick to my stomach. During my first full week of pills on a new BC pack I am usually so sick to my stomach, I have heartburn, and everything I eat bothers my stomach and I keep a headache for that entire week. Plus I just feel bloated & huge all the time. I haven't changed my eating habbits or anything else in my life. I know that I've heard from people that you gain weight when you 1st get married because you both enjoy being together & eating, and you know "things like that", but this is just crazy! Truth be known, we both have always eaten a lot, even late at night & it has NEVER bothered me like this before. I am having to buy new clothes and still have about another month or 2 before I have to go back to my gyno. But I am going to talk to her about a new pill. I don't mind my boobs getting bigger, because to be honest there never really was much to them to begin with and I do enjoy how my skin has cleared up. But I don't like the amount of weight that I have put on. I just don't feel like myself!

I have been on Depo for about 4 months now and have gained some weight but it mostly seems to be water weight that will go away if I diet for like a week, however I also got pregnant on Depo and miscarried,I noticed the weight gain about a week before I miscarried so it might have been that.

I started taking Estrostep FE in August of last year. Now as of June, I guess I have gained about 15 or 20 pounds. I feel miserable. My boobs have blown up. I went from a 34B to a 36C. I have really bad headaches. They are so aweful. They make me sick to my stomach. During my first full week of pills on a new BC pack I am usually so sick to my stomach, I have heartburn, and everything I eat bothers my stomach and I keep a headache for that entire week. Plus I just feel bloated & huge all the time. I haven't changed my eating habbits or anything else in my life. I know that I've heard from people that you gain weight when you 1st get married because you both enjoy being together & eating, and you know "things like that", but this is just crazy! Truth be known, we both have always eaten a lot, even late at night & it has NEVER bothered me like this before. I am having to buy new clothes and still have about another month or 2 before I have to go back to my gyno. But I am going to talk to her about a new pill. I don't mind my boobs getting bigger, because to be honest there never really was much to them to begin with and I do enjoy how my skin has cleared up. But I don't like the amount of weight that I have put on. I just don't feel like myself!

Probably a good idea. IMO, that's one nasty pill!

ive been on ortho tri cyclen for almost 3 years now and ive steadily gained anywhere between 30-50 lbs!!! its horrible.. im actually thinking about getting off of the pill completely just because i feel so ugly and not myself.. this isnt counting the mood swings and everything else ive had since ive been on them... all pills react differently w/different people so all you can really do is try them.. good luck :)

Why does the pill make us gain weight? It is not fair and it is a constant struggle! I was on Alesse from about 2002 to 2004 and I gained 25 lbs. Went from a size 6 to a size 12! It was terrible and I was miserable! I was working out like crazy and dieting and nothing worked! So I got off of it and within 3 months I lost all the weight and then some! I went all the way back down to a size 6 or 4! Then all the sudden I developed acne! I had clear skin all my life and I was freaking out! So my gyno. put me on Yasmin to help my skin and I have been on it for 4 months now and my skin is looking alot better and I haven't gained any weight so I am happy with this pill (for now haha).

I've only been taking ovcon for almost 3 months, and havent noticed any weight gain so far...i hope it stays that way! wouldnt it start by now if i was going to gain weight?
at times though i do feel like my breasts feel bigger but i dont know maybe thats my imagination...lol

Why does the pill make us gain weight?
The pill doesnt spontaneously create fat.... its what you choose to eat that makes you gain weight. The hormones in the pill may make us hungrier. Even the natural hormones in our body may make us gain weight especially during PMS. But i know a few of my friends that have lost wieght on the pill. As for me, I started the pill 3 weeks ago, and so far i havent gained... if i did im sure its either do to water or constipation (i dont go #2 everyday).
:D

10 lbs or so

I haven't gained any thing and I've been on the pill for 2 years... :)

I gained 10 pounds from being on Diane for over a year. I have lost 7 of that from working out 5 times a week. So I guess the weight gain may have been due to the fact I was really lazy during the school year. But I have switched to Alesse and I dont get as much cravings as I used to..and dont feel hungry as often.

I've been on Alesse 28 since April. I weighed 229 when i first started but i went in to get a refill the other day and the nurse weighed me in at 219 so I actually lost 10 lbs!!! I knew that i would gain weight by taking the pill so i got more active and i walk to places that are close by and i go walking more. I know i'm in no position to gain weight so i decided to eat right and be active while on the pill.

I actually lost 8 pounds since ive started the pill in late June!!...... I'm very excited. I hope this continues.
:bouncing: :bouncing: :bouncing: :bouncing:

i lost about 8 lbs (taking ortho tri lo) in the first month and was pretty happy about it....then three months later i gained it back plus five pounds.....i have changed nothing in terms of exercise and diet.......i think that the first month regulated my hormones and then after that i got the typical 5 lb weight gain (hopefully water weight).... i am going off the pill because of this and lack of sex drive.....i wonder how long it takes to loose the water weight....anyone know?

i've gained about 8 pounds because of orthotricyclen. It also makes it very hard to lose that extra weight. As soon as I am off it though I start losing it again. within three months doing the same amount of exercise and same eating habits I am able to go back to normal. But even extra excercise and limiting calories, on the pill I just cannot make it back down to that weight..very annoying... :eek:

I have been on the pill about 9 years. Never gained a lb when I was on it.

I went off the pill once to try to the shot....

took the depo shot once, gained 60lbs.

I've been on OTC lo for a little over a year and I gained about 10 pounds within the first three months of going on it, but I also started working at a candy store around the same time so that could have had something to do with it :p And I went up like half a cup size too. I've weighed about the same for the past few months, but I'm considering switching pills so we'll see what happens with that! :)

just tried the patch this morning, can't believe the difference in my appitite. I'm not hungry! I hope this sticks! I need to loose!

Not a big fan of the bc pills myself. Basically was told that if I didnt go on some sort of bc pill that I would continue to get cysts and have long drawn out painful, heavy bleeding cycles. I took estrostep for 7 months...I hated it!
I gained 8 pounds, felt hungry all the time but would not eat because I did not want to gain weight! I felt tired all the time, nauseous and would actually vomit the day before my last white pill every month. I have been on yasmine for two months now. I dont care for it too much either. I have been very depressed and fatigued. The only suggestion that my gyn has is to keep trying pills till we find the right one. :-(

I gained about 5 lb.s

I was on Ortho for 5 years & switched to Ortho Lo 2 years ago. I've never really considered if my weight has any different b/c of the pill, but I do think that my breast size may have increased, plus I can never really get rid of those pesky 10 lbs. But I always think it's diet & exercise as opposed to OTC.
I'm switching to Yasmin in two weeks due to breakouts, plus I just think it is time to try something else. Crossing my fingers & hoping that my breast size will decrease and I will loose some weight too.

Well, I had my daughter in Dec 2000, as soon as I was done breastfeeding I started the pill...so I never lost the 'pregnancy' weight. I was about 40lbs overweight...I did my exercise tapes and everything and wouldn't lose a pound. One day after my period I stopped taking my pills...about three weeks later I had lost 19lbs, I was still doing the same exercise routine, the only thing I changed was not taking the pill!!! I was taking the low hormone pill. I just use an OTC spermicide for birth control now! I plan on losing a lot more weight...the only thing miss? Lighter periods! :( oh well, we can't have everything.

I've been on ortho lo for two months and I've lost seven pounds (no change in diet or excercise).

I started the ortho evera patch last sunday, I started blowing up with water weight like crazy, took some water pills and ate some bannana's and it went away, I hear after three months your body will adjust. Now I'm not sure if I have a virus or if it is the patch but my stomach is very upset, which is fine with me I just had a baby and I need help loosing some weight.

However, I do know that since starting the patch my depression and my anxiety have almost completely gone away! I'm actully in better moods most of the time, my sex drive is back, and my enthusasim for life is back; and when I do have a bad mood swing I just tell myself to try and let it pass, so far they haven't lasted very long at all. I've been able to decrease my Zoloft from 200mg to 100mg and still doing great, that should help me loose weight also as sometimes the SSRI's can cause you to gain weight. I wish the doc's would have talked to me about hormones five years ago before just throwing me on SSRI's.

I gained 35 lbs while on yasmin. I just got off them and now I'll be taking Ovcon for a syst on my ovaries.

I hope this has a reverse effect because this wieght is killing me.

I was on Aleese bcp for years and I gained about 15 lbs and always felt bloated!I went off of it in May and have lost about 15 lbs since then, I have always eaten well and excerised regularly so I do agree that certain pills do make you gain weight. I recently went back the pill and am taking Yasmin. I was scared at first of gaining more weight but I haven't noticed anyhting at all. I recently went off them though because I always felt very tired and grumpy, but they don't make you gain weight, but they may make you irritable!

In an earlier post in this thread, someone said that bc pills don't just "create fat" but it's what you choose to eat. This is not totally correct.

BC Pills can change the way your metabolism works, sometimes making it faster, sometimes slower. Some women mentioned they maintained the same eating and exercise habits they always had and still gained weight. Changes to metabolism are the probably cause there. BC pills can also change the way your body stores fat and what it stores.

So while hormones from the pill can make you hungry and gain weight, for women it is the affect the pill can have on one's metabolism that can explain weight gain.

I've been on Alesse for almost a year and a half and have had no side effects. I haven't gained any weight, my breast seem about the same size, maybe ever so slightly larger. Until this past week I hadn't had any bleeding or spotting either. I hope this was just a fluke because I don't want to have to change pills. I'm very happy with Alesse.

In an earlier post in this thread, someone said that bc pills don't just "create fat" but it's what you choose to eat. This is not totally correct.

BC Pills can change the way your metabolism works, sometimes making it faster, sometimes slower. Some women mentioned they maintained the same eating and exercise habits they always had and still gained weight. Changes to metabolism are the probably cause there. BC pills can also change the way your body stores fat and what it stores.

So while hormones from the pill can make you hungry and gain weight, for women it is the affect the pill can have on one's metabolism that can explain weight gain.

This is so true! When I was on Estrostep FE, yeah I ate more but I was working out regularly 4 to 5 days a week, but yet I was gaining weight. :confused: Fifteen pounds in five months, to be exact. It wasn't muscle either. My pants size went from 12 to 16! Thankfully, though, after that five months the weight came off. :)

I've gained none, and I've been on Microgynon 30 for nearly a year now.

i gained about 25lbs in a year and a half but each women is different, I finally got off the pill this month so i'll see if it makes a difference

Hi Everyone... Ortho Tri Lo with no weight gain here.

I was on OTC Lo for about 6 months and was recently switched to Ortho Evra because of the easiness of changing weekly. With the pill I lost 30 lbs but that is most likely attributed to religious exercising and dieting. I've been able to keep that weight off and then some. I'm worried about this switch. I think I actually might lose weight judging by how nauseous this patch makes me.

I'm on Yasmin and gained 15 pounds. My metabolism used to be pretty high, now I watch what I eat.

since being on the pill i have gained about 20 pounds lol...but that is because i like to eat and am lazy lmao

I know that every body is different but I thought I needed to post to let everyone know about my experience with Yasmin. After being on OTC for a year and having mood swings and Aleese for a year and having spotting. My doctor put me on Yasmin in March of 04. I thought everything was good until I started to notice my moodiness before periods and I had gained 20 pounds before I knew it. I know that the weight gain wasn't all from the pill but I have never had a weight issue. Anyhow, I recently got off birth control completely, I feel 100% better, no crying before my period, my pants are fitting better and I have only been off for 6 weeks. I have been reading this and other sites about Yasmin and have found it interesting that many people have had depression, though I was never "depressed" I would say that I feel (Mentally) much better without Yasmin!

I have been on various pills for 10 years. I have never gained weight from any of them. I am also on anti-anxiety meds and if I have gained any weight it is because I feel so much better and my appetite has returned.

I was on Loestrin 1/20 and 1/30 and didn't gain a pound. Then I switched to Alesse which I thought would make me gain weight but I actually lost about 5 pounds. It surpressed my appitite and killed my sweet tooth. Gotta love that!