birth control & weight gain

Stop taking the pill and ask about Mirena or...*blinks* I forgot the name of the other IUD. They work and I don't have any weight gain problems. I hated BC pills, nuva ring, and I refused to try depo.

BC pills away caused really really bad health problems for me. Mainly dealing with breathing issues and other things. Very horrible. Also working out or if you are lazy like me, they have things (clothing) that shrinks your waist size a bit.

I have taken YAZ for years and have not had any weight gain, depression, or any other negative side effects. I would look into other things that may have changed since you started taking the medicine.

Also my bridal size is a size bigger than I wear anything else. I don't know what it is that way, but for me I just didn't see it as an issue.

I feel your pain! I've never been on Yaz but have been on/off bc for years. I gained a quick 30lbs with ONE DepoProvera shot years ago (ugh!...) and I think it took me around 5-6months to lose it. Then eventually gained 25lbs AGAIN w/another bc, though more slowly. No, I haven't lost it. My only saving grace was that I was very thin before/used to be able to fit into size 5s, so now I'm a respectable sz8 at 5'8"/not bad. Still grieve the thinner days.

I had to go off all BC pills because each one had a different problem for me, headaches, weight gain, really bad acne, mood swings. I looked into the IUD but it needs to stay in there for the five years to be worth the money, and that was the only non-hormonal option my doctor would offer. We tried condoms but DH didn't like them, I tried spermicide but I had a bad reaction, so we switched to withdrawl, which lead to me now being 7 months pregnant.

Moral of that story: All birth control options have a downside, you just have to find the lesser of evils for you. NOT that I consider being pregnant a downside in the least, as unplanned as it was we are beyond thrilled, but obviously that wouldn't be the case for everyone!

I have never been on BC and I have been considering a Seasonique since it only gives you 4 periods a year. have you guys heard anything about this BC? I have been looking for reviews but im not sure. does it have the same side effects as this YAZ pill?

I have been on Orthtricyclen for years (well Tri-Sprintec the generic actually) and have had no weight gain, have been able to build muscle mass when working out, and my skin (the reason I went on it) has been so much better than before I started on it.

@Jackie- It comes down to trial and error with the pills. The reviews are not really helpful because everyone's body is different, and each pill is different, and you just have to try and try again until you find a good match. I have friends who never had a problem with any pills, and then there are people like me who just can't take them at all. Hopefully you will get lucky with it!

-.- man. I think I may ask about it later... I'm just kinda worried because i usually start my period the second week of the month and my wedding is on the 11th, if i dont try seasonique or something to stop it... i will probably be on my period for my honey moon... EEWWWWW!! D=

@Jackie- if you do decide to go on it to stop your period, do it early so your body can adjust. The first couple of months can be the worse if you do have a bad reaction, and you don't want to be bloated and broken out on your wedding day! Also, seasonique doesn't always *stop* periods right away, it can take awhile, although they should be lighter and shorter. I didn't take that brand myself, but did do a lot of research on it! I used my regular brand to stop periods before, for vacations and things like that, just going from the active pills into the new pack instead of taking the week of sugar pills. I spotted sometimes, other times had nothing but the next month ended up with two periods.

All this BC talk has reminded me once again that I really need to figure out what I'm going to take after the baby is born. Sigh... it's been wonderful not having to worry about that.

I gained 40 pounds on YAZ and am now just starting to drop the weight! However, everyone is right there is no way around weight gain when you are on birth control. My sex drive was also way way WAY down when I was on it ... Talk to your doctor about the nuva ring, that seems to have little to no weight gain for my friends who use it. I'm trying for Seasonique or Loestrin next time I got to my OB/GYN but I am staying away from YAZ and Yasmin!

@Jackie-I was on Seasonique for about a year. I switched from Orho-Novum (might not be the exact name), so I could have a period once every three months. Ended up spotting constantly and having bad pains and cramping in my female organs. Sex was very painful too which had never happened before. My blood pressure went up and my migraines got worse. I've been off all BC for about 15 months and my pressure is much better and I don't have cramps or pain or spotting. I have irregular periods again just like when I was a teenager, but it's a small price to pay for all the misery from Seasonique. Everyone is different though, so you might do well on it. It was just very bad for me.

I've never tried yaz, but I've been taking ortho tri cyclen lo for about for about 6 years or so and have not had any weight or acne problems. It's a very low dosage so I guess it doesn't affect your weight as much. I also have no cramping at all.

I gianed weight on Yaz too, but also on Ortho Evra (the skin patch). All BC makes me gain weight, and its the kind of weight that is impossible to get off I feel your pain girl. BC ruined my body. I gained 45 pounds in 3 years

Just be sure that your next method is effective. Having lost two of my nannies in a row at one point when each of them had a diaphragm, I'm particularly sensitive to needing to make sure your method is effective.

In response to AidaLily, the other IUD besides Mirena is the ParaGard, which is copper-based rather than hormone-based. I used a predecessor to the ParaGard at one point, and loved it.