Does Birth Control Make You Thick?

Oral contraceptives have many opponents and supporters. Some people spread opinions that contraceptive pills make you thick, a double chin appears and hair falls out, others say that this does not happen if you are taking new-generation drugs. We decided to find out who is right in this eternal dispute and reveal the dark side of oral birth control!

An improperly selected birth control is a fast way to excess weight

Oral contraceptive pills are not medicine you can take without consulting a doctor. Only a doctor should select oral contraceptives (OC). You should not expect that contraceptive pills that are suitable for your friend, sister, mother (underline the necessary) will definitely suit you. And if someone gained weight, lost their hair, someone’s libido worsened, then this happed not because the pills are bad but because they do not suit that person. When prescribing OC, a doctor takes into account the woman’s age, a history of pregnancies, the desire to have children in the future, whether the patient needs contraceptives only to prevent unwanted pregnancies or are simultaneously treating any diseases, the regularity of sexual activity, weight, concomitant diseases (both gynecological and other organ systems). For overweight girls, the list of tests is expanding.

All birth control pills are different and are used according to indications. For example, there are high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose drugs. The higher the dosage of the hormone, the higher the risk of side effects. Low-dose and high-dose pills are distinguished by the dosage of estrogens and progestogens. Most doctors today are trying to prescribe low-dose drugs to healthy patients whose main goal is contraception because there are fewer complaints about them.

The safest birth control pill which is unlikely to make you thick is Ortho Tri-Cyclen. The medication was approved by the FDA for contraception in 1992. This is is a combination OTC birth control containing 2 female hormones. Its generic name is based on the hormones it’s made of, ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate. The drug is also used to treat acne vulgaris in females who have reached the age of 15 years.

There is also another form of the drug – Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. It has a lower dose of the ethinyl estradiol part of the drug.

When taken correctly and daily and without missing any pills, Ortho Tri-Cyclen is highly effective, with only 1 in 1,000 women getting pregnant in a year, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to reviews, the cheapest version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen can be purchased online from Canadian Pharmacy Mall.

How do you know if your doctor has prescribed the right contraceptive pills?

If the doctor does not send you for examinations and some tests but simply offered pills without taking into account an anamnesis and age, we can assume that he or she is doing this incorrectly. In this case, you should just go to another doctor and not waste time trying to figure out why he or she prescribed an oral contraceptive without tests and examination.

If birth control pills are prescribed after all tests, will I gain weight?

In general, no one is immune from weight gain, let alone cases when you interfere with the work of the hormonal system. As we have already figured out, weight gain occurs if fluid retention occurs against the background of an incorrectly selected OC. Of course, there is also a more banal reason: a woman simply starts to eat a lot, does she not follow the diet and refuses to exercise. If you decide to use such contraception, you need to adjust your diet and add sports to your schedule. Any hormonal drug, regardless of whether it is OC or any other, will give an increase in weight while maintaining an unbalanced diet and physical inactivity (a sedentary lifestyle).

Sometimes, birth control pills cause an increase in appetite, but there is a great trick that will help to deceive the body. Since oral contraceptives must be taken at about the same time, you can simply take the pill before bed, so you will not be tempted to eat anything unhealthy.

If I use contraceptives for a long time, can I get fat?

You can take birth control pills for a long time. There is no need to take breaks. OC affects the coagulation systems of hematopoiesis. When a woman starts taking contraceptives, the hemostasis system is rebuilt to another level. And if the patient begins to change OC or, for example, take them with breaks, the hemostasis system begins to change, which adversely affects the entire body. Permanent changes can cause micro thrombosis.

But the hormonal background, which is responsible for changes in weight, does not change much due to the use of contraceptives. The endocrine system is at rest because it is artificially controlled, kept in balance with the help of hormonal pills. Doctors fear only for blood clotting while taking oral contraceptives.

If the drug is chosen correctly, use it constantly, do not give your body a hormonal roller coaster. The body will not thank you for this and may react with weight gain. But if the drug is not suitable, then you should take tests, undergo an examination, consult a doctor why it is not suitable, and change the drug to another. In no case should you stop taking pills on your own, especially in the middle of the pack.

Can I lose weight on birth control pills?

Yes, you can! The contraceptive contains an estrogen complex and progestogens. The progestogen is different. There is a species that can remove additional fluid from the body. If there is a tendency to gain weight in the second phase of the menstrual cycle or to edema, then a progestogen is prescribed, which removes excess fluid from the body. Therefore, it also happens that some women lose weight. For example, patients who are prone to edema are prescribed OC with the correct type of progestogen complex, which helps them lose weight.

The keyword here is “some” women. You should not count on the fact that hormones will help you lose weight. These are not diet pills for you. The result can be absolutely opposite.

If I do gain weight, will sports and proper nutrition help me lose it?

Sports and nutrition will certainly help you lose weight. However, you need to correct the dosage of the drug. Weight gain can occur due to fat deposits and due to water retention with an incorrectly selected preparation. If the drug has a high dosage or the woman was prone to water retention and the wrong contraceptive was prescribed, then there may get thick. In the case of gaining fat, sports and proper nutrition are your faithful helpers in getting rid of extra pounds; but in case of accumulation of excess water in the body, you need to consult a gynecologist and check whether the oral contraceptive was prescribed correctly.