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Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain

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Shamrockette
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
I'm hoping when I try to get onto low-dose BC, it won't make me gain weight like the full-strength one did.

Man, when I was on it, I got so freaking hungry all the time! It was like I was purposely starving myself. I'd eat a big sandwich for lunch, and one hour later, I'm starving again! I must have gained over 10 lbs in two months just from that alone.
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Ulookinatmyjunk, JOC
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
DMPA does not make you fat. It's a synthetic form of progesterone which the body produces naturally. You produce a LOT of it when you're pregnant. DMPA mimics pregnancy. One byproduct of progesterone is that it makes you hungry so that you will store fat for the fetus. The progesterone in DMPA makes you hungrier, you eat more and then you gain weight.

In sum:

DMPA ---> Hunger ---> Burger King ---> one size bigger in your skinny jeans.
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Le Kangourou de Kataroo
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
I love the weight gain from my birth control - it makes me super curvy and all of the sudden I have tits and ass! When I go off the pill (which I do between boyfriends), I go back to looking like a 12 year old boy.
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Chocolate Sex Bunny
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
I know this all too well. While I have been on depo almost 13 years (I'm 28), and haven't had ONE PERIOD AT ALL since 1996 I do struggle with my weight and it IS harder to lose weight while being on depo. I tell mysef all the time I'm going to stop the injections but the not having periods thing is just tooo powerful!!!!!

I'm considering a tubal and "embolization" or whatever it's called to stop my periods...anyone have any experience?
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veronykah
03/05/09

@Chocolate Sex Bunny: What?!!! I can do something permanent AND not have periods still??

Seriously, tell me more! I'm 30, been on Depo since I was 17. I have NO desire to have children and would love to never be able to have them but I always thought all the sterilization techniques left you with periods...no thanks.
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Chocolate Sex Bunny
03/05/09

@veronykah: Yeah I saw a commercial for it on local TV here in Scottsdale, AZ and the website was [www.stoptheflow.com] but when I visited it, it was gone! I don't know if "embolization" is the right term though. Dammit I need more info.

Google here I come!
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Chocolate Sex Bunny
03/05/09

@Chocolate Sex Bunny: Jackpot.

It's called endometrial ablation. [www.midlife-passages.com]
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Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
From my own experience, and others I reached out to in person or on the interwebs, 10 lbs gain is a CONSERVATIVE gain for Depo.
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lalaland13
03/05/09

@Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka: I have no real idea how much of this was Depo and how much of this was just adulthood makes you fat, but a friend of mine has gained I dunno, 50 pounds or so? She was on Depo for about a year and hated it. Now she and her guy just do condoms.
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lalaland13
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
Has anyone ever used just condoms and not had a pregnancy scare? I'm wondering how feasible such a thing is. Because I'm already trying to lose weight, and I don't want to go on something like this and just gain it all back.
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Laines
03/05/09

@lalaland13: Only condoms, all my life. (I can barely handle the hormones my body makes naturally.) Going on 25 years of a lot of fantastic sex with a lot of guys and never a scare. Then again, when my mister & I decided to go for kid # 2 and do without I didn't get pregnant for six months. Maybe my eggs are just lazy and underachievers.

Trojan. 'Cause I'm worth it.
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lalaland13
03/05/09

@Laines: Thanks, everyone! I have raging hormones and mood spells and weight gain now, so yeah....I dunno. I'd just be afraid of holes in the Trojan. And it seems like a lot of guys would get whiny about only condoms all the time. If so, I guess I'd suggest a vasectomy. :P

Not that I have to decide now, really. The boys banging down my door to do me will have to wait.
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katevsmothra
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
I had a friend in high school whose dad is an OB/GYN. She got all sorts of sweet BC swag. Depo came with this totally cute pink and black tote bag and she got me one from his office. Then I started noticing all of the girls in school who happened to have the same bag. And all of them gained a lot of weight rapidly. That when I first theorized that depo made you gain weight.

I'm just saying, I totes beat these scientists to it.
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mfnher
03/05/09

@katevsmothra: Was it the depo, or the super cute tote bag? I'm on the ring now, but when I was on the patch, it always came with really cute little bags. I have something like 15 ortho evra "toiletry bags" now.
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midwestmarge
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
I'm hemming and hawing about trying yaz, but I'm afraid I might puff up like a blowfish and become Stabby McRipyourheadoff. So. I don't know.
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saintbernadette
03/05/09

@midwestmarge: Go ask that cute doctor girl sitting at that table over there!
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sequined
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
Oh you mean just like it says in all the information they give you about Depo? Where it says repeatedly that women gain an average of 15 pounds? That's TRUE??
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veronykah
03/05/09

@sequined: I was thinking that, I've had many doctors tell me "wow, you are a lucky one that doesn't gain weight on this".

Its no secret.
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devilchyld22
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
I just wish the damn IUD didn't cost sooooo much!

Even with insurance, I can't afford it.
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mfnher
03/05/09

@devilchyld22: Really? How much is it? I was thinking it was painful, and you have heavier periods were my only reasons for not doing it.
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Cookie Dough Monster
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
I'm becoming really concerned with some of the effects of HBC. I've been on it for years and years because my cycle refused to become regular otherwise. I've had to switch types numerous times and I feel like they've been really altering my mood/personality (hello massive mood swings and crankiness!). The idea of getting off hormones... and losing weight and helping my mood out in the process... is really tempting.
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saintbernadette
03/05/09

@Cookie Dough Monster: Check out Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It's a great book!
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Cookie Dough Monster
03/05/09

@saintbernadette: Thanks for the rec! I'll check it out.
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mfnher
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
This is why I'm thinking of switching to the IUD. I gained 10 pounds when I went on the pill, but I was also 17/18 which is a pretty normal age to not be able to eat all the Jack in the Box tacos I want in one sitting without gaining weight anymore.
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R_Claw
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
Is then the actual birth control that you gain so much weight no one wants to have sex with you anymore? I'm beginning to wonder...
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ihateyourescalade
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
Birth control makes you fat? In other news, PMS makes you cranky and adolescence makes your face break out.
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Penny
03/05/09

In reply to Study Finds Birth Control Shot Causes Weight Gain
I just went off my hormonal BC in the hopes that it would help my libido. I have dropped weight. I am hoping my doctor will let me get the non-hormonal IUD.

Weight or not, I hate pumping myself full of hormones.
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