Weight Gain (on Yasmin, does it go away?

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-07-2003
Weight Gain (on Yasmin, does it go away?
7
Sun, 02-22-2004 - 9:28pm
Hi,

I have been on Yasmin for 2 months now and have gained about 13 lbs, which is so upsetting to me... My chest has increased about a size, and I have definitely been hungrier/eating slighty more (but not so much that I would gain this much). Does anyone have experience losing weight after gaining on the pill? Is it really true that it takes 3 months for your body to get used to it, then the extra weight "should" go away? I know every woman reacts differently, but I was wondering what other's experiences were with losing weight. I want to stay on the pill, but I'm afraid that at this rate I will just keep on getting bigger.

Also, has anyone switched from Yasmin to Aleese or a lower dose? How was it different, considering the lower dosage in Aleese (or other) and the different progrestrone in Yasmin. I'm kinda confused as to what is making me *gain*- the bloating/water retention-- is it the estrogen or progestrone?

Thanks for responding! :)

Christina

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-29-2004
Sun, 02-22-2004 - 9:42pm
i'm so excited to see your post because i just posted something similar to your problem. i gained 22 lbs since May of '02 and i am really unhappy. i also get hungrier and i feel that my breasts have also gotten bigger. i'm on ortho cyclen, but it took me about 2-3 months to adjust to the pill (mood wise). i dont know if they weight just "goes away" cuz mine hasn't. i'm considering getting off the pill because i think it's causing my weight gain.
Avatar for sparklinrae
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-13-2003
Mon, 02-23-2004 - 1:55am
i also have had this problem on ortho cyclen, i actually just posted about 4 days ago. I am having a hard time deciding whether i am going to find a new birth control pill. I have already tried about 3 others, Ortho Tri Cyclen, Norinyl, and Necon i think was what it was called. Anyhow, none of them have been winners. I gain a cup size and feel pudgy all over when i am on them,. the only bonus is cleared up skin, it doesnt even help my cramps much, the reason i started taking them in the first place. the next pill i was going to look into was the yasmin, but it doesnt any better... has anyone heard anything about seasonale??
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-09-2003
Wed, 02-25-2004 - 9:12am
Hi! the same exact thing happened to me on Yasmin and the dr. kept telling me its not from the pill. Well, I felt as though it had to be because that was the only thing I did differently in my life at that time. I stuck it out for months but the weight did not go away. I then switched to a generic version of Alesse (Aviane) and that didn't help either. So, now I am off the pill altogether. I don't feel as moody and anxious as I did on the pill, but going off still didn't help too much with the weight loss. Maybe a few pounds but not enough to get me back into my old jeans. I am going to try going on a strict diet now to see if that helps because with spring and summer being not too far away, I really want to loose this extra weight. Let me know how you make out.
Avatar for autumnstar02
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 02-25-2004 - 11:59am
It might be extra weight from the pill alone, but honestly...Yasmin has a diuretic in it...so look at what else you are doing differently as well.

If you say you are eating more, it only takes an extra 110-115 calories per day to gain about 1lb a month. (3500 extra calories is one lb) 110 cals is less than a serving of chips, donuts, ice cream, soda, crackers and most other processed snack foods. 110 cals is basically 1 piece of regular bread. Sorry if you knew this already. I'm speaking from my experience in thinking that the pill caused my weight gain last year.

To answer to your question...yes, it takes about 3 months for your body to regulate on the pill. In some women the pill can cause weight gain. I think for most women it is a combination of the pill and habits changing. I let myself gain too much weight thinking it would all come off once I got used to it. It hasn't. Which means that I was eating too much extra and my eating added to the weight gain. It might not be this way for you. It might be the pill. I would take inventory on how much extra you are eating as well as keeping an eye on how your body is reacting to the pill.

Please don't take offense at this. I am only speaking from experience because I went through the same thing.

Jen

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-07-2003
Wed, 02-25-2004 - 4:07pm
I think that I have definitely gained weight while on the pill, but am wondering if it is due to eating, which I think it is. I tracked my calories (before the pill) and I used to eat around 1300-1500, but now, after watching a day, I've been up to something like 2500! Its as if I always have to be snacking... so I'm going to try counting calories and eating less. Also, exercise comes into play. I used to run 5 miles, 3 times a week. Now I do about 3 miles total/week. It just seems like with the pill I'm more tired and muscles hurt while exercising (like spasms or something). Hopefully, it will workout though!

Good Luck :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Sat, 02-28-2004 - 5:31am
Progesterone in the pill can increase your appetite substantially, depending on how it reacts with your body. It is known to alter your blood glucose levels and insuline resistance. If your appetite goes up and you find that you feel you are hungrier, its very difficult not to eat when your body sais you are starving (I went through that on the pill and with Mirena). If you also develop insulin resistance then it will make so your body doesn't use fat for energy in the way it could before even if you do cut back on calorie intake/excercise. Combined together the pill can cause weight gain. Some doctors say the pill doesn't cause weight gain because they look at it in the way of, just taking it does not cause the weight gain, it is the change in eating habits that accompany the appetite increase while on the pill. Speaking from experience, I have always lost the weight after discontinuing the pill and also with Mirena (I gained 10 lbs with Mirena in almost 4 months time). It took me about 6 weeks to get rid of the extra 10 lbs after I got rid of Mirena but I didn't excercise and I didn't diet. The weight just came off naturally due to my regular appetite coming back. The same happenned with my 40 lbs weight gain I got when I took triphasil 28 at age 17. ( gained 40 lbs in the first 3 months and went back for my 3 month check-up and the nurse freaked out and immediately switched my pill). Apparantly, supposedly, triphasil was supposed to be well tolerated by most young girls at the time but maybe I am just a freak. So far it is now 11 almost 12 years later and I am still afraid to take the pill again due to the weight gain and sexual side effects. Good luck on everything......I would suggest really paying attention to what you eat and your appetite before/after going on the pill if it affects you in this way. Also, perhaps a different progesterone wouldn't affect you in the same way. I haven't tried desogestrel yet so I am considering trying Mircette. Take care!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2004
Thu, 03-04-2004 - 3:21pm
I'm also glad you posted this message. I was on Yasmin for about 3 months and had gained a little bit of weight (about 3-4 lbs), but for me that was a lot because my weight has been stable my whole life. I felt weird on Yasmin and I did notice an increase in appetite. I went off Yasmin and the weight automatically came off. Now I am on Mircette which is even a lower dose pill and has a different progesterone than Yasmin. I LOVE IT!! I feel like myself and absolutely no weight gain or change in appetite. You should ask your doctor about it and try it out!!