Hormonal birth control pills are one of the most convenient and common ways to carry out the protection against unwanted pregnancy. Unfortunately, their reception is accompanied by the appearance of side effects, for example, the possible effect on body weight gain. There is a direct connection “birth control pills and weight gain” because its administration causes a significant increase in weight. On this background, many women are ready to abandon them.
How Birth Control Pills Affect the Weight?
As scientists say, there is no smoke without fire. In some cases, pills really can promote weight gain, but it depends on the type of drug. Contraceptives are divided into several types:
- combined, containing estrogen and gestagen in high doses; in medium doses of hormones; in low and micro-doses of hormones.
- containing the only gestagen in small doses (the so-called mini-pills). The possible effect on weight directly depends on the dose of hormones in the preparation. In this case, both estrogen and gestagen (progesterone) can cause a body weight gain by 2 different mechanisms: fluid retention in the body and the actual accumulation of fat. Estrogens contribute to these phenomena more than progesterone.
If the drug contains more than 50 mg of estrogen, there is a high probability that its reception will lead to an increase in the body weight. At a dosage of about 30 mg, the possibility of fatty growth is small, and if with each tablet you consume 20 mg or less of estrogen, i.e. micro-dose, it can even lead to weight loss – this fact is proved and repeatedly confirmed by scientific research. About 20 years ago, women who drank hormonal contraceptives, recovered literally through one, as they were forced to use the means of the first generations with unadapted doses.
Now no gynecologist will allow himself to prescribe an old generation medication to the patient. The preparations being currently developed, contain the doses of the active substances so low that 99% of the women have absolutely no effect on body weight. Especially it concerns monocomponent agents containing only progesterone: in terms of a possible increase in weight, these tablets are as safe as possible.
Does Birth Control Pills Cause Weight Gain?
The fact that birth control pills may cause weight gain is a well-known misconception. Unfortunately, women themselves gladly support this idea, even though in reality this is not a 100-% true.
Sometimes women justify their excess weight by application of hormonal medications. Studies have shown that among women who do not take hormonal contraceptives, the percentage of weight gain is greater in comparison with women taking combined birth control medications. So do not categorically assert that you are gaining weight because of pills.
By the way, even with medium dosages of estrogen, the increase in body fat occurs on average 2 kg per year – quite a bit.
Sum Up…
The First: hormonal contraceptives of the last generations (low-dose and with micro-doses of hormones) usually do not cause body weight gain, on the background of their intake, you can even lose some weight.
The Second: if you are sure that the increase in weight is caused exactly by the tablets, you should change the drug.
The Third: do not change the medications yourself, contact your doctor for making it. And if you decide to give up hormonal tablets, then immediately move on to some other kind of contraception. At the termination of their reception, there is a rebound effect. It means that the probability of getting pregnant immediately after their cancellation rises at times.
Birth Control Pills and Weight Loss
Many people are wondering whether it is possible to lose weight by taking oral birth control pills. They do not contribute to both an increase in weight, and its loss. The main purpose of these drugs is to protect from unwanted pregnancy.
Some contraceptive pills containing the substance – Drospirenone, contribute to the removal of excess fluid, thereby reducing puffiness. This fact also formed the basis for the myth about weight loss due to this process. Tablets do not affect metabolic processes, do not reduce appetite and do not burn fat deposits.
Contraceptive preparations for each organism act differently, someone gets better, and someone really can lose weight. And it depends only on the characteristics of the body, especially to lose weight, using them, it is impossible. Some women, losing weight a couple of pounds due to fluid loss, mistakenly perceive the ability of birth control pills to influence excess weight, so on the web and there are reviews of contraceptive pills for weight loss.
The use of contraceptives requires a complete examination and medical purpose. Uncontrolled reception for weight loss can aggravate the situation and lead to the opposite result.