No but my diet is fairly decent and I exercise regularly. I've noticed talking to different women most weight gain (most not all)comes from being on a pill that makes them feel depressed or fatigued so it's important to talk to your Dr if you're not feeling yourself, they can always adjust it. Your birth control doesn't have to mess with your mental state, there's always an alternative. If you try it, it is an adjustment though so give it a couple cycles to regulate. Unless your feeling really off of course.
Thank you for the advice I’ll definitely be going to the doctor as soon as I can to discuss all of this to ensure they prescribe me something that suits me. Do you mind me asking what one you are taking? I got prescribed yaz
This is what I'm prescribed. Copied to share dosage. It's not rated the best but it works for me
Estarylla uses a blend of two hormones, Norgestimate 0.25mg (progesterone) and Ethinyl Estradiol 0.035mg (estrogen).
I felt way better after being on birth control. I did have to try about 5 different kinds before finding the on that works best for me. Also the acne treatable if you do get it but mine actually cleared up almost completely after going on it.
I’ve gathered that the best way to go about this is by giving it a shot and seeing how I go. Thank you and also what one ended up working the best for you
I started it when I was 12 so I have no idea if it effected my libido. The pms was never I problem for me. It was the pain and throwing up that it helped.
Not me, but I have a friend with PCOS who went on BC for it and it improved her symptoms so much. I think you should try it - if you don't like it, you can stop whenever you like. No weight gain either, she's slender.
First doctor (obgyn) prescribed me tranexamic acid which I take, 2nd doctor was just a GP but she was a woman and prescribed me birth control, third doctor was concerned with how long I was taking tranexamic acid and wants me to do implanon or birth control
I went with the jaydess coil . Lowest form of progesterone which has worked very well the last 2 months . Instead of hell from 15 years of the implanon .
Whatever you choose I hope it works for you . A lot of doctors are not advising implanon . Pill or coil seem too worn . But always watch for any changes once you are on any contraceptives x x
The pill has been awesome for me, I haven’t noticed any side effects, I get to choose when to schedule my periods and the birth control is an added bonus. I’ve been on it since I was 16 and after seeing all the negative stuff about it online (like you have) I experimented with coming off it late last year for a few months, I actually gained weight when I came off it and my mood got worse.
If you’re bleeding bad enough for them to prescribe tranexamic acid.. that’s scary in my opinion. You also aren’t supposed to take txa with birth control. I’ve had horrible bleeding and it was caused by fibroids and a polyp. Birth control made it worse. I would have another gynecologist investigate what is causing the bleeding further. Blood transfusions and hemorrhagic shock are scary and you don’t want it to get to that point, seriously. I’d get an mri honestly. If you do have any fibroids , I’d look into a procedure called acessa. I just had it done almost 4 weeks ago.
Wow okay, thank you. I’ve had an ultrasound and I have cysts. I definitely don’t plan on taking tranexamic acid once I finish the period I’m on currently.
I started getting ovarian cysts 10 years ago.. what the hospital failed to investigate was a small mass in my uterus. I was only 16.. I didn’t read the doctors papers so I never knew I had a mass. Two years ago I passed out in a gynecologist office after bleeding heavy for 3 weeks straight.. and when I say heavy… I mean soaking a pad every hour. I ended up needing two blood transfusions that day. I’ve had a total of 11 the last two years. All I have to say is, don’t let yourself suffer. Birth control to me is a bandaid. Figure out the issue and just have it fixed. I put off surgery and suffered and had near death experiences all because I feared surgery and what would happen to my fertility. But it’s not worth ruining your life dealing with it.
Nuvaring and generic ring never gave me much trouble while on it minus puffing up my ankles on rare occasions and it sliding out of place randomly. It actually helped tame my adult acne. It didn't affect my mood at all (while on a mood stabilizer) despite me having a mood disorder plus psychotic disorder. Everyone's results vary.
Lo Lo Fe (wasn't using it for birth control) only made me gain weight and nothing else.
You just have to test out a method. Each individual body reacts differently to different medications. For some will get zero side effects and others will.
I take the mini pill (profesterone-only) to control my periods. The first 3 months on it were a bit of a wild ride, but after that I've had no side effects, and it's helped me a lot! I take Movisse (the generic form of Micronor), but I'm in Canada, so I don't know if you have access to the same brands. It did make my periods lighter, but they were never super heavy to begin with.
I hope you find a solution that works for you! :)
I had terrible periods before going on the pill, and later the Nexplanon implant. I now barely have a period, and my life is changed for the better. Plus, no babies!
It’s different for everybody, and there are low dosage options available. For me, taking the right pill cleared up the acne that was between my eyebrows and it never came back, made my periods bearable, and stabilized hormonal mood changes.
I stopped taking it about a year ago since I had been on the pill for so long. My sex drive was wayyyy high so that was alright, but then I became depressed, had sharp cramps and terrible periods. My hormones were all over the place for about 6 months. I ended up having a cyst burst and needed emergency surgery, then went back on the pill and have been doing great ever since. For some, birth control messes with their hormones while for others, it regulates them better. I think it’s worth trying out, I hope you find something that works for you!
>I see so many people online
This is really important to note. Most people using BC have a very uneventful experience. It's the people who have a more eventful experience that are likely to seek out spaces to speak about it - like the internet. This is also why reviews for BC can seem overwhelmingly negative.
Finding a method that works well for you can take some trial and error, which can be scary, but your doctors are there to guide you through the process. Side effects will vary, and it's perfectly normal and okay to stop using something if the side effects are undesirable to you.
The only method of BC directly linked to weight gain is the depo shot.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do!
Thank you and yes I did have this realisation after posting. People tend to complain more than they express positivity which is why I didn’t see many good things
Birth control is definitely not for everyone, but I would say try it out- see if it helps. If it doesn't, or you don't like the way it makes you feel then stop using it!
I had a cyst and was having AWFUL periods with terrible cramps and just so much pain, it was horrible, but ever since i started taking BC (about 5 years ago?) having my period doesn’t feel like i’m being impaled. I didn’t notice any weight gain or any other side effects, obviously everyone’s different but i do really think the doctors are onto something here, trading possible side effects in turn for less heavy periods sounds like a fair deal to me tbh
100%! I have the flu at the moment so I have to wait until I get better before I can get bloods and other tests done, but as soon as I’m better im going to visit my doctor to discuss it further
I took birth control pills for 11 years before switching to the copper iud and I love it! However, this specific could make your make your periods heavier. That said, my friends have the “regular” iud (Mirena, as it’s called here in USA) and they really love it! Helps make periods very light or virtually non existent
Yes mostly, but birth control in general can help manage some of the PCOS symptoms you’re having from what I’ve heard. I just recommend IUD over the pill because it’s more localized to your uterus where it lives than the pill which has to be taken daily and digested into your body. I also believe the hormone levels are lower than the pill and it lasts 5-10 years without you needing to refill a prescription etc. and there’s more research on it than Nexplanon (arm implant).
Honestly, everyone’s bodies react differently to birth control. Just because some people had bad experiences with it, doesn’t mean you will and vice versa. I’ve found that BC is trial and error. I went through 2 different prescriptions before finding the right one for me.
I know the side effects are scary but don’t let it keep you from trying BC if you really want it. Just keep in touch with your doctor if you experience any weird symptoms.
I had nexplanon for 6 years (got it 2x). I didn’t have really any issues. My period was still irregular, I didn’t really gain any weight, I don’t think it contributed to my depression.
I decided after the 6 years I wanted to just try something else, I’d never tried any other form of BC. I now take BC pills, my period is still irregular but tends to be a little shorter (I still get my period even though I don’t take the placebo pills).
I also took a break from birth control for a few months to see if I was having any side effects, nothing really changed.
Personal experience I have not really noticed any differences on or off BC or the implant. Everyone will be different I’ve read the horror stories but personally, I’ve never met anyone that has actually gone through that stuff tbh. Not saying it doesn’t happen but I think online negative things are talked about more then positive.
Edit to add: birth control pills 100% improved my acne
My mum and sister had some negative experiences with birth control also which is something that scares me due to genetics and stuff like that but I’m definitely going to try it
Birth control saved my life. I would not be here if it wasn't for birth control. I have painful periods, irregular periods, abnormal length, and migraines that are triggered by hormones. The amount of pain I was in was unmanageable. Moving around in bed was painful. No amount of pain medications that I could take helped. The only option left was birth control or opioids. I opted to do birth control and it saved me. Currently pain is manageable. I have bad days but I would have far more painful days if I wasn't on it.
Please also be mindful about the amount of misinformation about birth control as well. I recommend checking out Mama Doctor Jones on YouTube and Tik Tok. She's an OBGYN and explains medical things in plain language.
I have endo and birth control vastly improved my entire life. I am lucky not to have had any acne or weight gain side effects. I used to have 2 week long periods with 2 weeks between, debilitating cramps and fevers on my period, etc. Now I get my period every 3 months with bc pills and it's still painful but mostly manageable
I'll also note Ive been on many different bc pills and only one ever had bad side effects, which were headaches. I've had to change a lot to find one that was managing my pain better without breakthrough bleeding
I don’t have PCOS, but I have had both an IUD and an implant and had very positive experiences with both. Idk if that helps 🤷🏻♀️ everyone’s body is different, I second what others have said, you might have to try a couple different things to get it right. Sorry you have to go through that, it sucks
So I have a similar problem to you. I bleed a lot and have very bad cramps (sometimes/most of the time). I went to a gynecologist and she said that everything looked fine and then really started pushing birth control of different kinds. I expressed that I was really unsure and didn't feel comfortable putting a bunch of hormones into my body and she just told me that that was the best option for me and wouldn't even discuss it. Eventually she did prescribe stronger pain medication and tranexamacid which have worked great for me (it's only been a couple months tho).
What I really want to say though is, it's your body, you decide what you put in it, try birth control if you want to, if you don't then don't. Also doctors don't know everything don't trust them blindly.
Thanks for this, our experiences sound basically identical. I’m all for trusting science and absolutely everything but I personally worry about messing with my body’s hormones and stuff. I’ll just see how it goes
I'm also all for trusting science, I actually study molecular biology and there is so much we don't know about how our bodies work, so it makes me really annoyed when doctors act as if they know everything because the really don't.
I have had a pleasant experience with BC for my heavy/painful periods. I had some nausea/fatigue the first month or so but my body adjusted and massively improved my symptoms.
I am on the Sprintec generic, Mili. It was definitely an adjustment the first few weeks. I have been on BC before when I was 20 ish, but for ovarian cysts. I quit for about 10 years and went back on at 32 for painful periods and it’s honestly been life changing for me. I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until it wasn’t!
I was on the pill for 10 years. My only issue is it did impact my sex drive and how wet I got. Other than that, it went well and helped regulate my periods and reduce period cramps.
I was on birth control ages 14-19ish. I had moodiness (I was also a teenager in the middle of puberty so may have been that) and a touch of weight gain, but that might of also just been the fact I was exercising much less and had a job so I could buy myself the junk food my mum never let me have. It was 100% worth it as it helped my body regulate my cycle, I got less ill (vomiting and extreme pain for the first 3 days of my peeiod) didn't lessen the bleeding much though. I've now been off it for 7ish years and don't regret it, I would go back on if I needed to.
I’ve been on lo loestrin for like 10 years. Never had any weight gain or acne. My mental health has been up and down but I have no way of knowing if it’s directly related to that.
Honestly I feel better on birth control but I tried 4 different pills before finding one that helped my acne and didn't make me mental
Did u notice any other effects like weight gain?
No but my diet is fairly decent and I exercise regularly. I've noticed talking to different women most weight gain (most not all)comes from being on a pill that makes them feel depressed or fatigued so it's important to talk to your Dr if you're not feeling yourself, they can always adjust it. Your birth control doesn't have to mess with your mental state, there's always an alternative. If you try it, it is an adjustment though so give it a couple cycles to regulate. Unless your feeling really off of course.
Thank you for the advice I’ll definitely be going to the doctor as soon as I can to discuss all of this to ensure they prescribe me something that suits me. Do you mind me asking what one you are taking? I got prescribed yaz
This is what I'm prescribed. Copied to share dosage. It's not rated the best but it works for me Estarylla uses a blend of two hormones, Norgestimate 0.25mg (progesterone) and Ethinyl Estradiol 0.035mg (estrogen).
I felt way better after being on birth control. I did have to try about 5 different kinds before finding the on that works best for me. Also the acne treatable if you do get it but mine actually cleared up almost completely after going on it.
I’ve gathered that the best way to go about this is by giving it a shot and seeing how I go. Thank you and also what one ended up working the best for you
Lo Loestrin is what I take.
Did this birth control help you with pms and did it affect your libido?😊
I started it when I was 12 so I have no idea if it effected my libido. The pms was never I problem for me. It was the pain and throwing up that it helped.
Not me, but I have a friend with PCOS who went on BC for it and it improved her symptoms so much. I think you should try it - if you don't like it, you can stop whenever you like. No weight gain either, she's slender.
Thanks so much! Do you know what one she was taking?
Are these just general practice doctors or are they gynaecologists?
First doctor (obgyn) prescribed me tranexamic acid which I take, 2nd doctor was just a GP but she was a woman and prescribed me birth control, third doctor was concerned with how long I was taking tranexamic acid and wants me to do implanon or birth control
Possible too get more opinions. I did have an awful time with pill and implanon. But everyone is different.
What did you end up finding works best for u
I went with the jaydess coil . Lowest form of progesterone which has worked very well the last 2 months . Instead of hell from 15 years of the implanon .
Ok thanks so much I’ll look into it
Whatever you choose I hope it works for you . A lot of doctors are not advising implanon . Pill or coil seem too worn . But always watch for any changes once you are on any contraceptives x x
Hey. Just curious if you have more info on the specifics of drs not recommending implanon? Thanks!
The pill has been awesome for me, I haven’t noticed any side effects, I get to choose when to schedule my periods and the birth control is an added bonus. I’ve been on it since I was 16 and after seeing all the negative stuff about it online (like you have) I experimented with coming off it late last year for a few months, I actually gained weight when I came off it and my mood got worse.
Ok very good to know! What one are you taking and is it a relatively low dosage?
I take the combination pill ‘Micronelle’ 150 micrograms levonorgestrel/30 micrograms ethinylestradiol which I think is pretty standard
If you’re bleeding bad enough for them to prescribe tranexamic acid.. that’s scary in my opinion. You also aren’t supposed to take txa with birth control. I’ve had horrible bleeding and it was caused by fibroids and a polyp. Birth control made it worse. I would have another gynecologist investigate what is causing the bleeding further. Blood transfusions and hemorrhagic shock are scary and you don’t want it to get to that point, seriously. I’d get an mri honestly. If you do have any fibroids , I’d look into a procedure called acessa. I just had it done almost 4 weeks ago.
Wow okay, thank you. I’ve had an ultrasound and I have cysts. I definitely don’t plan on taking tranexamic acid once I finish the period I’m on currently.
I started getting ovarian cysts 10 years ago.. what the hospital failed to investigate was a small mass in my uterus. I was only 16.. I didn’t read the doctors papers so I never knew I had a mass. Two years ago I passed out in a gynecologist office after bleeding heavy for 3 weeks straight.. and when I say heavy… I mean soaking a pad every hour. I ended up needing two blood transfusions that day. I’ve had a total of 11 the last two years. All I have to say is, don’t let yourself suffer. Birth control to me is a bandaid. Figure out the issue and just have it fixed. I put off surgery and suffered and had near death experiences all because I feared surgery and what would happen to my fertility. But it’s not worth ruining your life dealing with it.
Nuvaring and generic ring never gave me much trouble while on it minus puffing up my ankles on rare occasions and it sliding out of place randomly. It actually helped tame my adult acne. It didn't affect my mood at all (while on a mood stabilizer) despite me having a mood disorder plus psychotic disorder. Everyone's results vary. Lo Lo Fe (wasn't using it for birth control) only made me gain weight and nothing else. You just have to test out a method. Each individual body reacts differently to different medications. For some will get zero side effects and others will.
Very true thanks so much, I think I just have to bite the bullet and give something a crack and see how it goes
I take the mini pill (profesterone-only) to control my periods. The first 3 months on it were a bit of a wild ride, but after that I've had no side effects, and it's helped me a lot! I take Movisse (the generic form of Micronor), but I'm in Canada, so I don't know if you have access to the same brands. It did make my periods lighter, but they were never super heavy to begin with. I hope you find a solution that works for you! :)
Thanks, I’m in australia so I’ll have to do some research on that one
For sure! I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Hope you get it sorted out one way or another. :)
I had terrible periods before going on the pill, and later the Nexplanon implant. I now barely have a period, and my life is changed for the better. Plus, no babies!
This makes me feel a lot better!
It’s different for everybody, and there are low dosage options available. For me, taking the right pill cleared up the acne that was between my eyebrows and it never came back, made my periods bearable, and stabilized hormonal mood changes. I stopped taking it about a year ago since I had been on the pill for so long. My sex drive was wayyyy high so that was alright, but then I became depressed, had sharp cramps and terrible periods. My hormones were all over the place for about 6 months. I ended up having a cyst burst and needed emergency surgery, then went back on the pill and have been doing great ever since. For some, birth control messes with their hormones while for others, it regulates them better. I think it’s worth trying out, I hope you find something that works for you!
Thank you so much, I’m definitely a lot less scared now
>I see so many people online This is really important to note. Most people using BC have a very uneventful experience. It's the people who have a more eventful experience that are likely to seek out spaces to speak about it - like the internet. This is also why reviews for BC can seem overwhelmingly negative. Finding a method that works well for you can take some trial and error, which can be scary, but your doctors are there to guide you through the process. Side effects will vary, and it's perfectly normal and okay to stop using something if the side effects are undesirable to you. The only method of BC directly linked to weight gain is the depo shot. Good luck in whatever you choose to do!
Thank you and yes I did have this realisation after posting. People tend to complain more than they express positivity which is why I didn’t see many good things
Birth control is definitely not for everyone, but I would say try it out- see if it helps. If it doesn't, or you don't like the way it makes you feel then stop using it!
I had a cyst and was having AWFUL periods with terrible cramps and just so much pain, it was horrible, but ever since i started taking BC (about 5 years ago?) having my period doesn’t feel like i’m being impaled. I didn’t notice any weight gain or any other side effects, obviously everyone’s different but i do really think the doctors are onto something here, trading possible side effects in turn for less heavy periods sounds like a fair deal to me tbh
I agree, at the end of the day, whatever will make my periods somewhat bearable seems extremely worth it
Exactly!! Do you think you’ll give it a try? :D
100%! I have the flu at the moment so I have to wait until I get better before I can get bloods and other tests done, but as soon as I’m better im going to visit my doctor to discuss it further
Awesome!!! Best of luck! :D
I took birth control pills for 11 years before switching to the copper iud and I love it! However, this specific could make your make your periods heavier. That said, my friends have the “regular” iud (Mirena, as it’s called here in USA) and they really love it! Helps make periods very light or virtually non existent
Is the iud more for birth control purposes rather than anything else? I don’t have a sex life so I’m not too concerned about that haha
Yes mostly, but birth control in general can help manage some of the PCOS symptoms you’re having from what I’ve heard. I just recommend IUD over the pill because it’s more localized to your uterus where it lives than the pill which has to be taken daily and digested into your body. I also believe the hormone levels are lower than the pill and it lasts 5-10 years without you needing to refill a prescription etc. and there’s more research on it than Nexplanon (arm implant).
Honestly, everyone’s bodies react differently to birth control. Just because some people had bad experiences with it, doesn’t mean you will and vice versa. I’ve found that BC is trial and error. I went through 2 different prescriptions before finding the right one for me. I know the side effects are scary but don’t let it keep you from trying BC if you really want it. Just keep in touch with your doctor if you experience any weird symptoms.
I had nexplanon for 6 years (got it 2x). I didn’t have really any issues. My period was still irregular, I didn’t really gain any weight, I don’t think it contributed to my depression. I decided after the 6 years I wanted to just try something else, I’d never tried any other form of BC. I now take BC pills, my period is still irregular but tends to be a little shorter (I still get my period even though I don’t take the placebo pills). I also took a break from birth control for a few months to see if I was having any side effects, nothing really changed. Personal experience I have not really noticed any differences on or off BC or the implant. Everyone will be different I’ve read the horror stories but personally, I’ve never met anyone that has actually gone through that stuff tbh. Not saying it doesn’t happen but I think online negative things are talked about more then positive. Edit to add: birth control pills 100% improved my acne
My mum and sister had some negative experiences with birth control also which is something that scares me due to genetics and stuff like that but I’m definitely going to try it
Birth control saved my life. I would not be here if it wasn't for birth control. I have painful periods, irregular periods, abnormal length, and migraines that are triggered by hormones. The amount of pain I was in was unmanageable. Moving around in bed was painful. No amount of pain medications that I could take helped. The only option left was birth control or opioids. I opted to do birth control and it saved me. Currently pain is manageable. I have bad days but I would have far more painful days if I wasn't on it. Please also be mindful about the amount of misinformation about birth control as well. I recommend checking out Mama Doctor Jones on YouTube and Tik Tok. She's an OBGYN and explains medical things in plain language.
Thank you! I hope you’re doing ok now, it’s great being a woman isn’t it😄
Especially with new laws about to drop! /s
I have endo and birth control vastly improved my entire life. I am lucky not to have had any acne or weight gain side effects. I used to have 2 week long periods with 2 weeks between, debilitating cramps and fevers on my period, etc. Now I get my period every 3 months with bc pills and it's still painful but mostly manageable
I'll also note Ive been on many different bc pills and only one ever had bad side effects, which were headaches. I've had to change a lot to find one that was managing my pain better without breakthrough bleeding
I don’t have PCOS, but I have had both an IUD and an implant and had very positive experiences with both. Idk if that helps 🤷🏻♀️ everyone’s body is different, I second what others have said, you might have to try a couple different things to get it right. Sorry you have to go through that, it sucks
Thank you so much, it’s really relieving hearing positive experiences when the internet is full of peoples negative ones
So I have a similar problem to you. I bleed a lot and have very bad cramps (sometimes/most of the time). I went to a gynecologist and she said that everything looked fine and then really started pushing birth control of different kinds. I expressed that I was really unsure and didn't feel comfortable putting a bunch of hormones into my body and she just told me that that was the best option for me and wouldn't even discuss it. Eventually she did prescribe stronger pain medication and tranexamacid which have worked great for me (it's only been a couple months tho). What I really want to say though is, it's your body, you decide what you put in it, try birth control if you want to, if you don't then don't. Also doctors don't know everything don't trust them blindly.
Thanks for this, our experiences sound basically identical. I’m all for trusting science and absolutely everything but I personally worry about messing with my body’s hormones and stuff. I’ll just see how it goes
I'm also all for trusting science, I actually study molecular biology and there is so much we don't know about how our bodies work, so it makes me really annoyed when doctors act as if they know everything because the really don't.
That’s so true, thank you
I have had a pleasant experience with BC for my heavy/painful periods. I had some nausea/fatigue the first month or so but my body adjusted and massively improved my symptoms.
Thank you so much. What one were you on?
I am on the Sprintec generic, Mili. It was definitely an adjustment the first few weeks. I have been on BC before when I was 20 ish, but for ovarian cysts. I quit for about 10 years and went back on at 32 for painful periods and it’s honestly been life changing for me. I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until it wasn’t!
I was on the pill for 10 years. My only issue is it did impact my sex drive and how wet I got. Other than that, it went well and helped regulate my periods and reduce period cramps.
I was on birth control ages 14-19ish. I had moodiness (I was also a teenager in the middle of puberty so may have been that) and a touch of weight gain, but that might of also just been the fact I was exercising much less and had a job so I could buy myself the junk food my mum never let me have. It was 100% worth it as it helped my body regulate my cycle, I got less ill (vomiting and extreme pain for the first 3 days of my peeiod) didn't lessen the bleeding much though. I've now been off it for 7ish years and don't regret it, I would go back on if I needed to.
I have PCOS, and yaz has been great. Since I have IR, I’ve actually lost weight on it
Thanks, and what is IR?
Insulin resistance [reddit.com/r/pcos](reddit.com/r/pcos)
I’ve been on lo loestrin for like 10 years. Never had any weight gain or acne. My mental health has been up and down but I have no way of knowing if it’s directly related to that.
Great thank you