I'm 38 and just started taking birth control pills again. I used them until we started trying to have kids, used an IUD for 3 years, but just had the IUD removed and am back on the pills. This is my third week of taking them and my weight has jumped in those weeks. Nothing else in my life has changed (food intake, exercise - neither of which are something to be proud of, but they definitely haven't changed). My weight has been very stable for years. Is this just a rotten side effect of the pill? If this has happened to someone else, can I hope that it will stop soon as my body readjusts?
Weight gain is a normal side effect. Some women might have just a couple pounds, others can gain a lot. If your weight did a big jump in 3 weeks, you need to talk to your doctor and probably find a different BC method.
I was on Low Egestrol for a year. It definetly increased my weight. I called my OBGYN and had her change it to OCELLA. Much better.
Weight fluctuates monthly, especially before and after your monthly cycle. However, if it is enough difference for you to notice then I would suggest trying a different pill. With mine, it was the significant bloating that did it for me. Just too much.
For your weight to change noticeably that fast I'd be concerned about water retention. I'd recommend talking with your doctor about your experience and possibly switching to a different kind of pill. There are several choices and a different one might work better for you.
I was on BC pills for 20+ years and they never caused weight gain for me.
Peri-menopause can start anywhere from your 30s to your 50s. It's easy to blame everything on that, but I'd stick with examining your specific side effects.
Yes, it is. If I were you, I'd stop taking it now rather than later when your body is used to it. Plus, the more weight you gain, the harder it is to get off. So sorry.
Dawn
I'd say at 38 you are beginning to enter the peri-menopause stage of life where body weight and so many other things start changing. Birth control pills are very hard on a woman's body. Weight gain is a very well-known side effect of taking them. The more weight you (inadvertently) put on now, the harder it will be to get rid of--especially if you're on the pill, because the pill is going to keep piling on the pounds, making losing weight a stress-inducing ordeal.
My advice would be to go off the pill and find another way to do birth control.
I have this same problem with the pill. I quit taking it after gaining 10 lbs in 2 1/2 weeks with no change in diet/exercise...a month later I am still working to get rid of 6 of those pounds and looking into Essure as my next method. No more pills for me ever again. I work too hard to eat right and exercise to have a tiny pill counteract all of my efforts. Good luck.
