The oral contraceptive pill and weight gain

tallaght01

Was just at a talk at lunchtime, regarding the oral contraceptive pill.

I was pretty surprised to hear that the evidence shows that the OCP doesn't

A) make girls put on weight

cause a redistribution of weight

A lot of girls are reluctant to take the pill because they think they'll get fat, or they think they'll put on weight around their hips.

Well, apparently, it's not so.

I came here to the hospital library to post this, and meant to bring the paper with me, so i could reference it. But i've left it behind me. But I'll post the reference for the pill discussed (microgynon) when I get my hands on the paper.

Btw, the study didn't just look at "weight". they asses body composition too, aswell as waist/hip ration.

Apparently the depot contraceptive is the only one that causes weight gain. This may also be common knowledge, but I didn't know it So, just thought I'd put it out there to see what others reckoned.

hunnymonster

GP's always told me weight gain was a possible side effect but then again, it could be in the same vain of safety advice that means paracetamol may kill you - yes but it's not a common side effect. I've never noticed a weight gain myself.

On the topic of the OCP, In a study of 1, I have noticed that I am a faster athlete when I am not taking the pill than when I am taking it. I've tried several times to find out I this has ever been properly studied and always drawn a blank. If anyone ever comes across anything, please let me know.

Bison

This is an interesting article along those lines

polycystic ovaries were much more common in athletes training for the Olympics compared with the average woman - 37% of the athletes had them, compared with one in five women in the general population....
This could mean that the slight increase in production of the male sex hormone testosterone which accompanies polycystic ovaries is offering a competitive advantage

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7354882.stm

Dr Galen

well in my experience it appears to make boobs bigger.........so maybe thats where the extra weight goes?

Chunky Monkey

^Hops has the same effect apparently...:p

Bui

tallaght01 wrote: »

Well, apparently, it's not so.

I came here to the hospital library to post this, and meant to bring the paper with me, so i could reference it. But i've left it behind me. But I'll post the reference for the pill discussed (microgynon) when I get my hands on the paper.

This is a long debated topic! Tbh, I think as is the case with most medications, the effects are different with each person. I have known girls who have notably gained weight after going on the pill and others not at all; of these, some have lost it again after they have settled down and adjusted to it, others not.

Also there is one other factor which is important to consider here.... Psychosomatic effects can play a big factor, and the fact that the OCP has such a rep for weight-gain, whether justified or not, can play a large role in any subsequent weight gain when starting on one, whether there is any weight gain caused by the pill itself or not.


These might be if interest:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11535214

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7188168

tallaght01

Interesting article from contraception in 2001, bui.

I wonder should we start a little journal club here. I'll start a thread.....

Lola87

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

well in my experience it appears to make boobs bigger.........so maybe thats where the extra weight goes?

Which one makes boobs bigger?;) I'd love that side effect!

Red Sleeping Beauty

My girlfriend is on the pill but she has said that it doesn't cause her to gain weight. I suppose the only real way to be sure if it does or doesn't is if you're on a strict or controlled diet with regular exercise and you then drop the pill into the equation and see if there's weight gain or loss. I can't speak for everyone but I know my diet fluctuates a lot - some days I'll eat more , some days I'll eat less. I could blame this on a number of factors - weather, mood, paracetamol et cetera.
My gf's best friend started the pill about 2months ago and came off of it because she thought that she was putting on weight and that it was making her depressed. When she was on the pill she was eating twice as much and now that she's off it she still says she's depressed. Mind you this person is a bit of an attention seeker.

dontcallmecrazy

the pill has turned me into a demon, but i almost feel addicted to it, is that even possible?

moody, lethargic, nauseous, ive actually lost weight coz i dont want to eat, sore boobs, general lack of interest in anything, its upsets me because im normally a very energetic person who likes to get things done, these days i just want to go home from work and curl up. bit depressed id say.

does anybody actually know a brilliant gynae in dublin, ive been to about 3 different ones and never warmed to any of them??

Red Sleeping Beauty

dontcallmecrazy wrote: »

the pill has turned me into a demon, but i almost feel addicted to it, is that even possible?

moody, lethargic, nauseous, ive actually lost weight coz i dont want to eat, sore boobs, general lack of interest in anything, its upsets me because im normally a very energetic person who likes to get things done, these days i just want to go home from work and curl up. bit depressed id say.

does anybody actually know a brilliant gynae in dublin, ive been to about 3 different ones and never warmed to any of them??

It'd probably be a good idea to see your GP or family planning clinic about getting a new contraceptive pill. There's many of them and you've to find one that's right for you.

alices_wonder

I've been taking yasmin for the past 2 months and have gained 12lbs in those 2 months. My appetite has gone crazy and i'm so lethargic. The obvious solution is to go off it which I have but does anyone else have any similar experiences on yasmin?

Also I read an article in the Daily mail about a woman who gained 7stone over 18 months on the contraceptive injection, I'd assume that the injection was not the sole cause but still that amount of weight gain unerves me.

dudara

I went on Microlite 8 years ago, and am still on it. I can't say that I noticed any weight gain, in fact the only thing that causes me to gain weight is myself.

I used to get terrible menstrual cramps - I'd actually vomit from them. But all that disappeared and I'm not half as erratic as I was.

alices_wonder

I've always had severe and agonising periods. To be honest because I was so shy about it and never spoke to anyone regarding this issue it wasn't until i hit 20's that I realised that mine were a bit abnormally severe. I also vomit during my periods, diarrohea too. Using yasmin has done little for the side effects but has definitely shortened the length of my period and lightened it a fair bit.

eth0_

alices_wonder wrote: »

I've always had severe and agonising periods. To be honest because I was so shy about it and never spoke to anyone regarding this issue it wasn't until i hit 20's that I realised that mine were a bit abnormally severe. I also vomit during my periods, diarrohea too. Using yasmin has done little for the side effects but has definitely shortened the length of my period and lightened it a fair bit.

Have you had a blood test to see if you could be suffering from PCOS or hormonal imbalance?
Your symptoms sound exactly like my own except I was becoming increasingly lethargic, I thought I was seriously ill. Luckily my GP decided to do a blood test, saw one of my male hormones was through the roof and sent me to a gynae for a scan which revealed PCOS. I take metformin tablets for it, and about a year ago started getting depo provera injections which have further helped.

eth0_

alices_wonder wrote: »

I've been taking yasmin for the past 2 months and have gained 12lbs in those 2 months. My appetite has gone crazy and i'm so lethargic. The obvious solution is to go off it which I have but does anyone else have any similar experiences on yasmin?

Also I read an article in the Daily mail about a woman who gained 7stone over 18 months on the contraceptive injection, I'd assume that the injection was not the sole cause but still that amount of weight gain unerves me.

Different pills affect different women in different ways. Go back to your GP and ask to change to another pill.

I'm really sceptical of these stories of women gaining massive amounts of weight "because" they are on depo. Depo doesn't force you to overeat. I'm on depo and i've LOST a lot of weight since I started it.

Also, if you were gaining weight on such a massive scale as that woman - why not stop getting the depo injections?? They only last for 12 weeks after all.

Dr Galen

your a burd?

eth0_

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

your a burd?

I'm a woman.

DrIndy

i knew this for ages mystik by reading the tone of the threads!

Dr Galen

jesus I never really twigged that all eth0. goes to show how awake I am most of the time!

ChewChew

From my own personal experience of using the OCP for the last 10 years or so I've never had an issue with any i've been on with regards to weight gain (or loss for that fekkin matter :mad:) but I chopped and changed untill I found the one that was right for me. I tried the injection, never again. so i'm back on the OCP and the only changes I have noticed are I have much better skin but very oily hair. Both of which I dont mind. But I suppose these are the side effects that may only effect me not everyone.

AmcD

Sadly I have just seen another pregnant teenager, who stopped her pill because she thought it was making her gain weight. I promise I kept my mouth shut and didn't talk about babies causing weight gain.

Chunky Monkey

I'm using cerazette (progesterone only pill). Makes menstruation annoyingly irregular but no weight gain, mood swings etc.

Apparently it's very slightly less reliable than the combined pill though.

Chunky Monkey

AmcD wrote: »

Sadly I have just seen another pregnant teenager, who stopped her pill because she thought it was making her gain weight. I promise I kept my mouth shut and didn't talk about babies causing weight gain.

Sex ed for us was absolutely woeful. It basically comprised of 'no sex before marriage' and that was it. Is it any wonder that Irish teenagers, for the large part, are clueless.

DrIndy

My religion teacher in irish secondary schools used to completely skip those chapters so we didn't even learnt the catholicised version!

Vorsprung

We had one sex ed class and one only.

The teacher (female, 50s, not exactly streetwise) had a picture of a penis on an acetate sheet, and projected it in front of a group of 14 year old guys, probably 25 of us. She had it upside down though so it looked erect, and the projection was a bit wonky, so instead of being modestly sized, it was about 8 foot high. You can imagine the reaction. No more sex ed after that!

eth0_

AmcD wrote: »

Sadly I have just seen another pregnant teenager, who stopped her pill because she thought it was making her gain weight. I promise I kept my mouth shut and didn't talk about babies causing weight gain.

It's a pity that GP's don't make women aware that they might have to try several pills before they find one that "agrees" with them. I've been on a pill that made me gain a bit of weight, another pill made me really weepy and sensitive all the time. But I changed pills because I educated myself enough on the subject to realise it was the particular type of pill I was on that was causing the problem. I imagine there are a lot of overweight/miserable/lacking libido woman out there who have no idea their pill could be the cause, because their prescribing GP never gave any caveat.

AmcD

eth0_ wrote: »

It's a pity that GP's don't make women aware that they might have to try several pills before they find one that "agrees" with them. I've been on a pill that made me gain a bit of weight, another pill made me really weepy and sensitive all the time. But I changed pills because I educated myself enough on the subject to realise it was the particular type of pill I was on that was causing the problem. I imagine there are a lot of overweight/miserable/lacking libido woman out there who have no idea their pill could be the cause, because their prescribing GP never gave any caveat.

I always ask women to return after three months for a checkup and to see if the pill suits. There is so much information going on during a pill consult that this probably gets forgotten. I always ask teenagers to ring me if they are having problems or want to ask questions. Definitely different brands suit different women.

DrIndy

The levels of progesterone and oestrogen and the way they change are different in every woman and you need one which matches your natural hormone cycle - so its very much trial and error - but this can take a while as there are so many brand out there all with differing regimens - this is why the third generation pill are better as every tablet has a slightly changing formulation to match the menstrual cycle more closely.