I've gained 22lbs in the first 2 months when I switched from Desogen to Loestrin FE 24.
I just picked up my test results. I have not been able to loose weight no matter how hard I try. So I went and had my hormones and cortisol checked.

Testosterone 33 normal 14-76
Progesterone <0.2 normal for luteal 3.3-25.6
Estrogen 119 normal for luteal 122-437
Cortisol 11.2 normal 31.-22.4

So I have an appointment at 1:50 today for an ultra sound so I'm bringing my results and I am praying my OBGYN can fix this with script or 2. I am miserable and so tired. I'm always sleepy, I stopped going to the gym 2 weeks ago. I can not muster up enough energy to go even after sleeping 12 hours. I hate this I am always cold and it's 80 or more degrees where I live.

I was always an extremely active person. My neighbors keep asking if I am sick or if I have cancer cause I have been letting the grass grow where before I was cutting it 2X a week. I was always in my garden planting things. I even cut the neighbors yards since they are to old to cut it.


My neighbors think I am fat. One of them actually told me I was gaining weight last month. Then this month the same neighbor said "Oh Girl you gaining more weight you better stop all that eating your doing your going to explode". The neighbors on the other side of me asked me when I was due. I said due for what? They said you must be at least 3 month pregnant by now. I really wanted to shake them badly. I'm not FAT! I am a size 8. Do I feel fat YES cause I use to be a size 4 and all the weight is around my mid section.

They say that if your progesterone is off then it's almost impossible to loose weight. I sure hope my doctor can help me today. I'm a strong person but this weight issue is really close to cracking me. and and can feel a crying episode coming on. It's been 7 months now of eating 1200-1500 cal. Cardio 1 1/2-2 hours a day and not a freaking pound has come off. I am stuck ever since I changed my BCP to Loestrin FE 24 I gained the weight in 2 months and can not remove it.

This Loestrin FE 24 is obivioulsy not the pill for me otherwise my blood results would not be so off.

Gotta go get ready for the doctor. Just wanted to vent thank you for listening.

Squeaky

My neighbors think I am fat. One of them actually told me I was gaining weight last month. Then this month the same neighbor said "Oh Girl you gaining more weight you better stop all that eating your doing your going to explode". The neighbors on the other side of me asked me when I was due. I said due for what? They said you must be at least 3 month pregnant by now. I really wanted to shake them badly. I'm not FAT! I am a size 8. Do I feel fat YES cause I use to be a size 4 and all the weight is around my mid section.

That's just wrong. I've had people say that pregnancy crap to me before because when I gain weight it goes straight to my middle. If they don't know for sure if someone is pregnant or not, they should KEEP THEIR TRAP SHUT!! How would they like it if someone said that to them? I'm not on the pill anymore, btw, been off for over a year. Way too many side effects for me. Just wanted to say that I can sympathize.

[/QUOTE]It's been 7 months now of eating 1200-1500 cal. Cardio 1 1/2-2 hours a day and not a freaking pound has come off. I am stuck ever since I changed my BCP to Loestrin FE 24 I gained the weight in 2 months and can not remove it.

Squeaky[/QUOTE]

Probably what's happened is the pill has slowed your metabolism. If you go off of it, the weight will probably come right off.

So I'm back. My doctor gave me 3 options. First he said to stop taking the birth control since my progesterone levels were so low and he wrote me a script for Provera 10mg. We talked a bit he looked over my ultra sound and told me I have fibroids. I left got to my car then turned around and went back into the office. I waited by his door and the nurse asked me why I was back I told her why and she went off to retrieve him.

The doctor came up to me and asked me what was wrong. I asked him if he remembered that I was on Loestrin FE 24 he said yes but since you are not having any periods that means you are not ovulation which can the reason why your progesterone is so low. I told him I was scared of getting pregnant so he told me to take the Loestrin with the Provera. I asked him if I could just go back to the Desogen even though it gave me migrines. He wrote me a script for 6 months of Orthocept which is the name brand for Apri,Solia, and Desogen.

So now I sit here with these scripts in front of me 5 months left of the Loestrin FE 24 that I can refill. The 2 packs of Yaz that he gave me last week and 2 packs of Ovcon 35 that he gave me the month before I was switched to Lo and can not decide what to do.

EDIT last week my progesterone was 0.4 now it's <0.2

I'd go with the Ovcon-35. I was on that before and I never had any weight gain, except in the breasts, which for me was a good thing. ;)

Do you know how much progesterone is in the Ovcon? I took it the first month I was off of Desogen and I gained 8 pounds. I did check my progesterone back then so I don't know if the weight gain was from the pill or the lack of progesterone.

It only has 0.4 mg progestin in it. I always thought the higher the progestin, the more chance of weight gain. Maybe that's just the way I am because I gained weight in the exact same way that you are (slowed metabolism) on Estrostep Fe and the progestin in it is 1.0 mg. Also, I was just looking at a table that shows pill problems and what to do about them, and it does state that if you're having weight gain to switch to a pill with a lower progestin.

I have a -0.2 in the progesterone so I need some. When I looked up the lack of progesterone side effects it said if estrogen is not balanced by progesterone, it can produce weight gain, headaches, bad temper, chronic fatigue and loss of interest in sex. I sooooo have the chronic fatigue. The progesteron should have been between 3.3-25.6

Since my estrogen is 119 and the normal for the luteal days that I took the test on is 122-437 I am low in that hormone. I suppose that a lower dose of progesterone is good. I think I will try the Orthocept for a month then have my blood tested again. If my migraines come back then I'll try the Yaz and if that doesn't work then the Ovcon 35 again. Lastly I'll try the Loestrin with the Provera.

If only men could be the ones with ovaries!

Thank you for the info Kitty

EDIT: is the first number on the pack the estrogen or the progesterone? Example. Apri Tablet(Tablet 0.15;0.03 mg;mg)

I found it the first number is the progesterone and the second is the estrogen.

It really depends on the pill. Usually the estrogen is listed first, but not always. Sometimes it's the other way around as in: Loestrin Fe 1/20 (1.0 mg progestin, 20 mcg estrogen). Estrogen is always listed in mcg (micrograms) while the progestin is listed in mg (milligrams). I usually did well on higher estrogen/lower progestin pills, but that's just me, everybody is different.

CRUD~ Ok now I have to go bother the pharamascits at my local Walgreens for help. I have printed out pages with the photos or each BCP. Each picture has the generic's and name brand name above it.

My estrogen is 3 points off so I need little estrogen and lots of progesterone. Since he told me I could take provera @ 10 mg. I am looking for a BCP with lots of progesterone.

I've seen MonoNessa 0.035mg-0.25mg that's to high, Brevicon0.035mg-0.5mg, Femcon 0.035mg-0.4mg,Nortrel 0.035mg-1mg, Ovcon 35 0.035mg-.04mg, Apri 0.15mg-0.03mg, Femhart 5mcg-1mg Cryselle 0.3mg-0.3mg The Aleese is to low that has 0.02mg-1mg There's a couple more but they are the same as others above.

I wish I could just find a page that had all the names of EVERY pill. Like generic and name brand with the amount of each listed next to it. I found it one time years ago but can't now. So annoying.

It's hard to find info like that because their always coming up with some new pill, but I'll keep a lookout for ya. :) Why not ask your gyno, though? He/she should have that kind of info. Don't worry about bugging doctors and pharmacists, that's what they're there for.

My OBGYN is around 65yr. I've been with him for years but now that he's involved with politics in my area he's changed. He use to be old school and I liked that but lately in the last few months he has the new stuff that's on the market. The new stuff is what got me into this predicament.
He gives me great discounts since I don't have any insurance. My last pap smear only cost me $56.00 My ultra sound the other day was $100 and no cost for the office visit.

He suggested the provera but I don't want to go that route. TO much of a chance of getting prego. When I went back in his office after I left the other day to ask him to change my script he kinda just gave me this look of "I knew you'd be back".

I suppose I'll just try the Orthocept if the pharmacists can't help me. I have to start my new pack on Sunday. I'll keep researching till then or until I hear back from him about my pap results but once I have him on the phone he's all mine. :p

Thank you Kitty !

Your quite welcome, glad I could help a little. :) I was wondering, are condoms or another barrier method an option for you at all for birth control? My husband and I use condoms and they work out just fine. I've been on so many pills and had so many side effects (a lot of hair loss, depression, weight gain, breakthrough bleeding, dizziness, loss of sex drive, etc.) that I just said 'forget it'. Also, isn't it funny how some doctors are cool for awhile until the pharmaceutical reps get a hold of the them? Then, after that it's like they become brainwashed zombies. I'd find a new one if I were you, with a small practice, not some 'big medical center', those are the worst. They don't listen worth a crap there. I had a gyno once for over ten years with a small practice. He always had time for me back then, and would answer all my questions no matter how many I had. Then, he moved into a medical center-type office building and I noticed an immediate change in him. He never had time for me after that. It was always rush, rush, like an assembly line. He wasn't that type of doctor before at all. I don't even think he liked the atmosphere there. Wouldn't you know it, though? He retired shortly after that. Coincidence? I think not. Good luck in whatever you decide. :) And, always remember: Do your own research on these pills regarding side effects, because doctors won't tell you everything you need to know. For example, I found out through my own research that the pill depletes B vitamins (and many other important vitamins and minerals) and that's why people get depressed or moody on them. So, taking a B complex with your pill really helps with that.

Sadly I am allergic to all types and brands of condoms. I get the worst BV when I use them. I had to use a back up last week due to me being sick soon as I took my BCP I threw up. So I took the pill for the next day but I am still one pill less for this month. Low and Behold I have BV now. I used the foam it's better than most of the backups for me.

I have cervical dysplasia with not STD or HPV. It's only in the pre cancer stages. Did the biopsy and just had the 4 month pap follow up pap smear last week. I'm waiting for the results. If they have become cancerous I will then go to Terrebonne General Medical Center it's about an hour away but the services are free. It's a very clean and professional hospital. They offer full treatment to folks that don't have the money or insurance. My friend had her tubes tied there. I know a few other people in my area that go aw well. They all say you get an extremely thorough work up. I can afford a couple hundred here and there but a surgery bill is out of the question. That will be thousands. That's why I opted to have my D&C with no sedation or Twlight . They numbed the cervix i was wide awake in th office. $450 is cheaper than surgery in an operating room.

Thank You once again :wave:

you can't compare the progestin levels with just the numbers. my nurse explained to me that some have different strengths than others, so even if the number is high, it could still be low. for example, desogestrel is a very very potent progestin, so they use a teeny amount of it. vice versa with other progestins.

she also told me that every single combination birth control pill lowers your progesterone. all of them. they all stop your ovaries. thats why the pill is prescribed to women who have too much testosterone in their bodies.

i am on loestrin 24 fe as well, and it has greatly increased my appetite, but other than that, it has not made me gain weight. i am also 20 years old. i remember you said you were in your late 30s, i believe? honestly, some women just suddenly gain weight at that age. your metabolism takes a huge nose dive around that time. happened to my boyfriends mom. she had always been thin her whole life, had been on birth control for years, but just started gaining weight around 40. :confused: just trying to help!

I start Ortho Cept tonight which is desogestrel. My doctor was going to give me progesterone only pills to raise my progesterone but the pregnancy rate is to high. So I am taking both. I will find out if it raises my level in a month or so when I go back to take my progesterone blood tests again.

I don't know anything about the pill being given for to high testosterone. I am 38 but there is a reason that I am gaining weight and that is my progesterone is to low and that happened when I switched to Loesterin FE 24and there is hardly any progesterone in that pill. Before that I was on Desogen.

Only time will tell if the extra progesterone in my BCP will help me. Until then I just have to hope that this is what fixes me.

Did you get your biopsy/pap test results back yet? Hope everything came back negative. You're in my thoughts. :wave:

I haven't heard anything yet. I'm hoping that since I haven't heard anything that I will get a card in the mail unsealed. My OBGYN sends post cards out after the pap smear with a note saying. "You're tests came back all clear see you next year" If I get a sealed letter from him that means something is wrong with the test results. A phone call is worse./shivers

If it's still pre cancer cells I say leave those cells there and test me again in 4months. If they're not causing me problems leave my tissue where it is. It still might go away.

Thank you Kitty :wave:

YEAH!! I called my doctor to get a copy of my ultra sounds and also asked for a copy of my pap smear results. I got a bill from the lab 2 weeks ago but never received anything from my doctor. The nurse said that they sent the results out yesterday and they are NEGATIVE. WHOOT!! :blob_fire I have to think it was the pH pills and drinking lemon water that fixed it since that was the only I changed in the last 4 months.

So ladies when you get a test result saying you have cervical dysplasia there is hope. Mine is gone. Now I just have to keep it gone. My dentist told me to drink my lemon water through a straw to keep the acid in the lemon from destroying my teeth.

Now my next battle is to get my Progesterone up and get this tire off my waist. One battle conquered and 2 to go.

Good for you, Squeaky!! :) That's great to hear. :wave: