Cause weight gain symptoms and conditions

Well I have been on Yasmin for over 6 years.My youngest child will be 7 in November...After I gave birth and went to my 6 week check up I weighed 145. I now weigh 167. I am very depressed, an emotional basket case, and to top everything else off my period has been going on for 2 weeks. Does this pill cause weight gain and the rest of the side effects? I requested that I be put on these at my 6 week check up because I heard on TV that in Germany the women lost significant amounts of weight....HELP

I have had Mirena for 18 months now. I love it. I have had no side effects that you all are describing. I have 4 friends that switched and all love it and only one had to have a follow up to have the strings shortened.

As far as the weight gain, ladies, let’s be honest. We are not 18 anymore and as we get older it is only going to become more difficult to keep weight off. Blaming it on a B/C....lets think about that last chocolate bar we ate because we were busy carting the kids off to a sports practice HMMM....
With any drug comes side effects, headaches, nausea, and some other terribly worse, but lets again be honest, all of these were pointed out in the literature available.

I just thought I would take the time to write my support as this does work and work well for some women, just not all, same as any other form of B/C.

OMG! I can't believe this! I told my husband last night that I was going to do more research on the Mirena, because I thought it was making my sex drive non-existent. He said he didn't think it was supposed to have that side effect. I am so glad I read this site. I had my Mirena put in January 2008, after my last child. I thought it would be great: no periods, no worrying about taking the pill, etc. After that, I gained 20 pounds and can't get the weight off, no matter what. I too had to get thyroid tests that came out fine. Got on anti-depressants for my tiredness, soreness every morning, and overall depression. Really moody, too. I thought it was the end of the world. I don't like to take pills to be happy, when my life is great. I am calling my doctor to have this removed immediately. Can anyone recommend a good birth control pill/method other than this that won't cause weight gain?

I was diagnosed with Factor V Leiden after suffering from bilateral PEs in February 2004. I am on Warfarin for the rest of my life (I turn 45 in November). Since starting the Warfarin I have gained about 70 pounds. Nothing I do seem to work. I have tried eating better. I would love to exercise but my knees are shot. Probably from lugging around all this extra weight.

Has anybody else had this problem? From what I have read online, doctor will say the drug doesn't cause weight gain but come on.

Can anything be done short of stopping the medication? I am too afraid to do that. It sucks that there is not an alternative rx that would work.

I suffer from depression too (have for almost 15 years). As my weight has climbed, my meds for depression don't work as well. I am at the end of my rope & slowing losing my grip.

I'm at the end of my 2nd pack of Yasmin and I'm having trouble figuring out these side-effects. My acne is getting slightly better and I didn't get any cramps like I did when I was on tricyclen low. But I've gained probably about 10 pounds and I feel full/bloated all the time. I've never in my life had trouble with weight until I started the pill. I feel like I'm never hungry anymore, yet I still eat like a beast (I don't really know if this is important but I also burp all the time now which is rare for me, I used to have trouble even if I tried to. I know this is something stupid to mention). Second, I've been noticing my mood is not like it used to be. I have moments where I'm fine but then all of a sudden I feel really down and I've had random moments where I want to cry for no real reason. But I sometimes wonder if it's the effect of the pill or maybe I'm bummed out about the less fortunate things happening in my life. My weight gain isn't making things better for the mood. A lot of times I'm sad and I don't really understand why and no matter what I do to try to pick myself up there's a slump. Please help me I can't figure out if it's just me or the pill might have something to do with it.

I have PCOS, and was experiencing dysplasia of the endometrium. After some search, a doctor recommended the Mirena. This was November of 2008. The installation should have been a clue of things to come. I have never had children, and had a tipped uterus, and as a result they had to use the clamps that look like needle nose pliers to grab my cervix, and after 45 minutes of stuffing, got it in. It was excruciating. I was working out 6 days a week, 2 1/2 hours a day, and eating South Beach Phase 2- and had lost 80 lbs and had maintained for 1 year. I asked if it would in any way cause weight gain, and was told it would not. Within the first month my diet/exercise regimen failed, and despite working out 7 days a week and resuming Phase 1, I was gaining 10 lbs a month- which my Doctor would not discuss with me except to dismiss it. To make a long story short, after life threatening edema and bleeding 22 or 23 days straight and with my now discovered sensitivity to progesterone, I required a total abdominal hysterectomy to remove an enlarged, boggy, and fibroid riddled uterus. I am doing 200% better now, and I am sure there are some women the Mirena works well for, but I was not one of them, and I feel the Mirena actually endangered my life (that and the arrogant doctor who inserted it and told me to be patient. I had it in from 11/2005 to 7/2007- is that time enough?) Please, please,please. If something does not feel right, do not NO for an answer. I did not want children so I was okay with losing the ability to bear children, but having a TAH at 38 is a life change that most younger women would not want. Would I have had to have it anyway? Perhaps. But I could have been in a position to be navigator in my care rather than reactive as I was forced to be.

I HAVE HAD THE MIRENA IN FOR 4 YRS NOW. I LOVE THE CONVENIENCE OF IT BUT I HAVE GAINED ALOT OF WEIGHT IN THE LAST 4 YEARS A TOTAL OF 50 LBS!!!!!! I HAVE BEEN READING THE INSERTS AND HAVE SEEN THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED WEIGHT GAIN, AND I AM JUST WONDERING IF ANY ONE HAS SPOKE WITH A DOCTOR REGARDING THE WEIGHT GAIN?? WHEN I GOT THE CONTRACEPTIVE I WAS TOLD THAT THIS DIDNT CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN, BUT I AM WONDERING IF THAT WAS UNTRUE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT THAT I HAVE GAINED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE EXPEREINCED THE SAME SIDE AFFECT. I AM ANXIOUS TO KNOW IF AFTER ANYONE GOT THIS TAKEN OUT IF THEY LOST WEIGHT RIGHT AWAY?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

AIMEE

I have been on Loestrin 24 for over a year now and I have to say that it is working really well for me. I have extremely light periods (esp. compared to the ones I was having before), predictable periods, and no mood swings. i have had breakthrough bleeding 2 of the months I've been on this pill. The only thing I've noticed is it is extremely hard for me to lose weight. Now, I only need to lose like 10 pounds, but I was running everyday and eating healthy for about 3 months and did not lose a pound of weight. I don't know if it was due to the pill, but in the past it has been fairly easy for me to lose,

I got the Mirenda IUD inserted about 3 1/2 months ago. Since having it I have had nothing but trouble. I have been bleeding almost everyday for the last 3 1/2 months. I probably have had 5 days of no bleeding. I also feel so bloated. I haven't weighed myself b/c I am scared to know but I am bigger now than 6 weeks after I had my baby. My doctor said that this device cannot cause weight gain but I am not a believer. My clothes are so tight and my tummy area is so swollen. I also have started cramping recently. I made an appointment to have it removed on Friday. Anyone have any other suggestions of birth control?

I have been on Celexa (citalopram) for about 13 months. I took it at night, starting with 10mg and over time worked up to 60mg which is the max. dose. My doctor switched me to Lexapro and then Cymbalta to see if they worked better, but eventually I ended up back on Celexa, that seemed to be best. I did gain about 35 pounds on it, though and was still going, along with absolutely NO sex drive whatsoever. When my husband could finally coax me into it, I couldn't orgasm at all. I finally begged him to even stop trying, the attempts seemed to annoy me. This wasn't me, so I slowly tried weaning off of it. First down to 40, then 20, then 10.

so here's my question: I've been completely off of it for 3 days now and I'm still feeling dizzy, lightheaded, have indigestion, headaches, etc. The other times I was off of it, I went right on another med, so I didn't seem to notice the side effects. Anyone who has been taken off of Celexa, PLEASE respond and let me know how long these awful effects last? I have a 2 year old I have to care for and she doesn't understand why mommy feels "woozy" all the time.

I have tried to take it two different times, a year apart, and it makes me so hungry! I know it says it doesn't cause weight gain, but I have noticed a HUGE appetite difference when taking it. I gained 10 pounds in a few weeks taking it so I am off it again, for good!

I recently began taking Loestrin 24 Fe because I actually stopped having my period. I have lost 80 pounds over the last 2 1/2 years. The Doctor explained that the weight loss had affected my hormone levels and advised me to take this pill. However, she also assured me that I would not gain weight. I have been taking the pill for two weeks, and I have already gained 4 pounds. I am a faithful Weight Watcher member and looking back over what I ate the past 14 days and how much I worked out - the weight gain does not seem possible.

Doing some independent research, this pill has the lowest levels of estrogen, supposedly meaning that it shouldn't cause weight gain like other oral contraceptives with higher estrogen levels. However, the scale shows different results and I also feel like I am retaining water. I don't want to appear "vain," but I have worked very hard for a very long time to lose 80 pounds. I do not want to see it creep back on because of medication, especially when I am only using it for regulation, not pregnancy prevention.

From reading earlier postings, I know some other people have had similar experiences. Did your Doctor change the type of birth control? Did you simply stop taking the pill and lose the weight? Does anyone have any advice? I really appreciate the help!

After reading this site I'm so ridiculously upset with my allergist. I was specifically told that the 100/50 dose of advair had such a small amount of steroid that it shouldn't have any adverse effects.
In the 5 months I've been taking advair I've gained 20 pounds, and I've been unable to lose even an ounce of it despite diet and exercise. After reading this page I decided to cut down to one dose a day, and magically I dropped 3 pounds. I'm going to my doctor tomorrow and just let him try to tell me that advair doesn't cause weight gain.
Oh also, I'd been feeling very down and depressed lately, and I'd even considered going to a psychologist. I just attributed my feelings to issues in my personal and work life. Well, as soon as a I cut down on the advair I went back to feeling like myself again. I hadn't even noticed how much I had changed until I suddenly felt a million times less irritable and able to smile and really laugh again.
I'm worried about just quitting the advair (I'm paranoid about side effects) but I feel so much better without it that I don't know if I can bring myself to take my next dose.
What a choice - breathe perfectly and be miserable or constantly suffer with asthma and not even be yourself.

I've been taking Wellbutrin on and off for several years now. It works for me and my depression and doesn't cause weight gain. Unfortunately, a lot of my hair was gone before I researched it and found that this seems common with many users. I stopped taking it for several months and my hair loss pretty much stopped. Some grew back in around my hairline and my head felt better, but not a significant regrowth on my crown. It definitely stopped coming out like it was. The improvement took about 3 months. I started taking it again and within 2 months I noticed that I was again loosing hair. I use Nioxin shampoo which slows it some, but will stop taking it again. In my research I found that some vitamins, scalp massage or yoga where your head is down and you increase blood flow helps. Hair color also helps for several reasons. I found, however, that while on Wellbutrin my scalp was very sensitive and sometimes had a burning sensation. My dose if very low at 75-150 mg per day. What a shame this side effect it is because this is a very effective medication! However, I have no doubt whatsoever that it's causing my hair loss.

My Mirena Removal....
So i posted here a few weeks ago after I found this site. I had EVERY side effect listed and was so freaked out that i immediately made an appointment for removal.
For those of you reading and wondering what the removal is like..
Well, NOTHING like the insertion. I was so so nervous and it was over before we actually started. The DR was surprised that i was back in his office to have this removed. He then proceeded to do an ultrasound to be sure it was placed properly before removal. And yes, all was OK on the position of it. I explained to him my reasons and he looked at me like he had never heard this before. I honestly can not imagine with all the women he sees that NONE of them have complained. But...as I was getting dressed afterwards, I took a good look in his office. There was Mirena literature ALL over the place. In fact, that was the ONLY thing he was advertising. Not to mention...they made me pay up front with the insertion back in Nivember...billed my insurance and I still have yet to receive my reimbursement. Oh yeah, and that...they charge more than the actual Mirena costs, then they bill your insurance for the price they know they will pay and the DR then makes about $150 profit. Nice.
Ok, back to my side effects post Mirena. The removal was not painful at all. I did spot for about a week- nothing too heavy but it was clotty and def there.
A couple of days after the removal it felt like I was coming out of my skin something terrible. I figured this was my body adjusting to the lack of hormones. I also had some headaches.
It has now been 2 weeks and the spotting has disappeared. I also can see the bloating of my stomach is starting to go away. It looked like I was about 4 mos preggo while I was on it. I also have an increased sex drive. And sleep-- well let me tell you, I have not slept this good in a very long time. I am actually sleeping more than 6 hours now and the night sweats have also discontinued.
I can't believe EVERY time I come to this site and look up Mirena ALL the people that have posted their experience as being negative. Yet, the DR looks at me like I am crazy! I have been seeing him for years and I have never complained about something like this. I really am so happy that I have it out and wish I would have done my research on this prior to insertion (which was one of the most painful things ever!)
So..for those of you out there that are either contemplating having it inserted...I say NO WAY. And for those of you out there that are nervous about the removal or not sure..I SAY YES, DO IT! For our bodies to be reacting this way, it is clear to me that it should not be inside of us. Listen to your bodies...they really do speak to you and let you know when something is not right. Forget about the DR saying it is safe or he has not heard of any of these side effects...YOU be the judge.
Good luck! And I promise it gets better once you get that lil' demon out!
Mona

Hives

paragard is the IUD that I have-I don't know why it's not listed on here--but here goes---i got the copper iud and it has zero hormones in it! so you don't gain any weight and i have actually lost weight by having it! it has its downsides though--heavier periods that last about 7 days--give or take--i have not had any break through bleeding between periods. you will cramp before you start but midol will take care of it. i'd like to add that in my case, the first period i had was about like the ones i have now but it felt like i was literally having contractions that came about 10 min. apart---though i haven't ever had kids--it hurt!!!! but that was the only time and i have had it for 3 years--i think its like a foreign body that your uterus isn't used to--but it stopped after a few days so don't worry---and you may not ever have that happen so --unlike the mirena--you don't gain weight--hope this helped a little for anyone interested.

I barely got off the pill Microgestin, because of the weight gain and water retention, to have Mirena inserted the beginning of July. It has been nrealy 3 months, and I am still experiencing back pain, water retention, and my chin breaks out with acne every once in a while. I also have been experiencing moderate cramping and a constant slight feeling of being bloated. I was told when this was put in that weight gain was not one of the side effects, weight gain being the main reason for getting off the pill. I have not lost the weight, and it could be a combo of the pill slowly dissipating, or the Mirena does cause weight gain. Anyone else have the weight gain or slight increase in tendency towards water retention??

I've been on Diovan for about 9 months and I have all of the side effects everyone else here has mentioned! Weight gain, bloating, fatigue, mood swings, extreme muscle aches- especially in my lower back and legs, hunger, and more! These Drs. are sooo stupid!!!! They tell us to lose weight and then give all of us medications that cause weight gain. I am also diabetic and my Dr. also has me take Humalog insulin- which also causes weight gain! I would enjoy hearing from everyone who has had side effects from Diovan, and I would like to hear about alternative remedies for hypertension. Good luck and Best Wishes to all of you....Kim Q.

I am a 44 year old widow with 2 children. I had used bc pills throughout my adult life with no problems. I never had a regular cycle, so being on the pill always solved my biggest problems. After starting a new relationship I decided that nuvaring sounded like an ideal birth control to use--worry about it once a month, very low dosage-lower than any pill I ever took. I was told that it doesn't cause weight gain or moodiness. Since I recently lost 24 lbs. I was glad to hear that. I started using it on Saturday. The next day I woke up with a rash on my chest and neck. I didn't associate it with the ring until I found this forum and started reading. I was using calamine lotion on the rash, but it wasn't going away. I took the ring out last night, and this morning it was almost gone and it stopped itching all together. I can't prove that there's a direct correlation, but I'm not taking any chances.
For those of you who are young and haven't started a family yet, I say stick to condoms and spermicide. Not as romantic, but it probably won't kill ya either!

I have been taking 300mg for 4 years. The first negative side effect was I passed out. The doctor reduced it to 225mg a day. I also take imdur, norvasc,lasex,altace and quite a few more. I am only 38 and I am surprised I don't have any more side effects. Oh I have experienced weight gain. Has anyone else noticed that? If curious I take all these meds for Hcm with ventricular tachycardia. Had an ICD put in in 2003. Man now that I type this all out sounds like I am in really bad shape. ok I am done babbling. To make a long story short I just want to know if anyone has had some weight gain?

i have endometriosis, as well. i tried doing the vitamin thing for a couple of months but my peroids didn't get any easier, so i gave-in and went on BCPills. i was on loestrin which worked great for the 1st 3 months but then stopped working and i gained 8-10 pounds of water weight. i took a month off and went on yasmin and LOVED it! for the 1st 4 months, it was a dream come true - i lost the water weight, had TONS of energy. well, when i started working out again, around month 4 - i was fine doing cardio but as soon as i'd add weights to the routine, i would be hit with TOTAL exhaustion, muscle fatigue, etc.. i thought i was coming down w/ the flu or a cold and would take some time off...only to try again and have the same effect. this went on ALL summer - then i found out it might be YASMIN!!! apparently the increased levels of potassium in the blood can mess w/ the acidity in the blood and make the muscles hurt. my OBGYN refuses to accept it could be the pill (suggested i get tested for fibromyalgia, depression, etc.). i'm off of the pill now for a week and am still REALLY muscle-achey (sorta feels like the flu). does anyone else have this? does anyone have experience w/ how long it takes this crap to get out of the body? i just started at the gym this morning, only adding cardio for awhile... i am so frustrated!! i'm getting married in 8 months and want to be buff for the wedding but keep getting sidetracked w/ exhaustion. *UGH* can't wait to get yasmin behind me.

I decided to get Mirena after the birth of my second son. I seemed like such a great idea. I had it put in last Sept. My doctor is very good and warned me about some things that might happen after it was inserted. What I didn't expect was just how bad I bled after getting it. I know it sounds like I'm exaggerating, but there was a point where I was running to the bathroom every 15 minutes to change. It was horrible, but my doctor assured me that everything was normal and I should see some improvement within the next few months. Including the heavy bleading, I bled for about a month and a half straight. About a month of that was the annoying spotting. Since then, I haven't had a period, which I love...the only thing I love about it. The past year has been rough, but I never associated it with Mirena until now. I was starting to lose my baby weight but now I weigh about 5 lbs more than I did just after giving birth. My stomach looks bigger than my sister's and she's almost 7 months pregnant. I was put on anti depressants, but associated that with post partum depression...now I'm not sure what caused it. My husband and I have been fighting more and we even considered spitting up. I'm just not ME and he has even said it. I have acne like a teenager, weight gain (no matter what I do), very low sex drive, BLOATING, cramps, my memory is pretty much non existent, nausea, horrible sleep pattern which causes extreme tiredness all the time, sore body, constant discharge, and blurred vision. I've actually taken pregnancy tests because I felt worse than when I was pregnant. I've talked to my husband about the Mirena and wanting to get it out, but he's just worried that I'll get pregnant again if I get it out. He doesn't realize how bad I really feel cuz I'm not telling him. We decided that our marriage is worth saving so I'm trying to do my part by not getting mad at him for every little thing and not complaining about how awful I feel. He just started a new job, too, so insurance hasn't started at the new place and his old place of employment has already stopped it through them. I can't pay for a regular doctor's visit without insurance, so I guess I'm stuck with it for now. Sorry for babbling, I just don't have anyone to talk to, so once I start, I just keep going.

i have been on this pill now for about 4 months, and i finally know why i am gaining so much weight. It seems to be getting worse everyday! also, i have been having extreme mood swings. everyone notices and it is even interfearing with my boyfriend of over a year. i dont reccoment this birth control to anyone. (unless you are trying to gain some weight!) :D

I have been on yas since march of this yr. since then my weight has dropped bad. im normaly around 98lbs and at my doc visit in july i was down to 88! everyone is saying im looking skinny then normal. and i eat like crazy. does anyone have this prob? i didnt put it together till my friend said something about maybe side effects.