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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    4,516

    Please talk to be about Birth Control

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    Ladies-

    I'm curious what your ideas are. I'm 35 and married. I do NOT plan to have children (have been of that opinion for a long time and seriously doubt it would change). I have been on birth control pills since college, with a small break during which I used a hormonal IUD. I have been told I can't use an IUD again, since I turned that one around in my uterus and ejected an arm (on my honeymoon, no less).

    The problem is - even with great diet and exercise - I can't lose weight. Not a pound. The only way I have ever had success (more than a 10 pound loss) is Atkins, and I had some nasty side effects from that. I eat a balanced, mostly veggie, real food diet.

    I'm starting to wonder if my birth control pills (which I take continuously) are the issue. Anybody dealt with this? Any words of wisdom? Efficacy is high on my requirements list - so condoms really aren't sufficient. I want to go to my annual appointment with my gyn armed with all pertinent information - so go! FWIW my gyn doesn't think the pills are the issue - but she doesn't have a basis for that. Weight gain started for me about the time I started taking them (which was also when I went off to college - so hard to know what was the real cause), and has been stable for ~18 years with minor gains (due to a crappy job situation resulting in reduced exercise and bad eating).

    Many, many thanks!

    One other thing I guess I should add is that I'm hypothyroid. I take synthroid, and my doc is happy with my levels, so I don't think that is the issue (and even with perfect numbers, no weight loss).
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Between the Blue Ridge and the Chesapeake Bay
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    Vasectomy. Why should we have to take all the risks? If that is not acceptable, then a good old fashioned diaphragm. Combined with a condom, it's pretty darn effective. I've never taken the Pill because of the side effects and risks.

    ETA: if you go the diaphragm route, you could always go back on BC if you find it doesn't result in weight loss.
    Last edited by tulip; 07-26-2014 at 04:02 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Houston
    Posts
    1,301
    FWIW, as a lesbian birth control isn't an issue for me, but I was put on the pill about a year and a half ago to control crazy bleeding and I've been steadily been gaining weight. Unfortunately I don't have any other option really. The bleeding crazy out of control.
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Columbia River Gorge
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    3,565
    Well here's my story.

    Went on BC Pills age 17ish and put on weight, at 20ish was in a committed relationship with a man who had a vasectomy so when my BCP prescription ran out I just didn't bother to renew it and lost the weight I'd put on almost immediately. Fast forward to 18 yrs later, newly separated and exploring a new relationship, I went back on BCP and no matter what brand or type I had problems, weight gain, breast soreness, spotting or some combination of all three. Eventually I went to a copper IUD. On that, I didn't have weight issues but I had some other issues. Eventually I changed to a hormone IUD, other issues gone but some of the weight has come back and I have the breast swelling and soreness again.

    Summary, I think some people are very sensitive to the hormones in BCP or an IUD. I certainly am. My side effects with the hormone based IUD are not strong enough for me to do anything about it yet. But I may in the future. I feel like I need to be responsible for my own birth control, so my next step would be an essure procedure. The only reason I didn't go for this instead of the hormonal IUD at my most recent change up was because I was hoping the hormonal IUD would stop my periods completely. Still hoping.

    And yes, a vasectomy is always an option too. Worked great for me for my 18 yr relationship. The only bummer is that you don't get to dictate when you have your period.
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
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    I went on BC pills at age 17 and stayed on it until I was 27. I experienced nausea, weight gain, and breast tenderness the first few days of taking them each month. When I started having leg pains, my DH (we were newlyweds) told me to stop taking them. I used a diaghram on and off for a year and then I had my kids. We relied on good old fashioned condoms in between my pregnancies and then DH had a vasectomy.
    BC pills were great to not have to worry about pregnancy, but they affected me terribly. I lost 5 pounds immediately when I quit taking them, although the weight loss was the least of the problems.
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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Montreal, QC
    Posts
    764
    I was on the pill from 18 to just over 40. Weight gain at the beginning and never lost it when I stopped it. Was removed from it due to migraines and I was tired of being sole responsible for protection. Hubby went through vasectomy. Simplified a lot of things for all of us but migraines did not stopped.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Western Canada-prairies, mountain & ocean
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    6,984
    Blueberry, hope there's an amicable solution that's healthy.

    I've never been on BC --yup. I'm amazed myself --though I did have some moments of slight panic. Condoms. And my partner already has 2 children from his ex..

    I never thought of this....ask if he would ever considered vasectomy. It never occurred to me to ask him ...

    By now, I'm probably considered by everyone here, as slightly insane.. and incredibly lucky. Long before dearie, I chose not have children.
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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    4,516
    Thanks for all of your thoughts! It's interesting to hear that so many women have had issues on hormonal birth control. I definitely have a lot to talk about with my ob-gyn (and I don't think "they can't be the reason" is going to fly this time). I have been totally spoiled by the absence of a period (taking the pills continuously, as my doc prescribes them).

    Neither of us are averse to a surgical option - but would prefer non-surgical if possible since there are risks, however small. At the very least, I would like to make sure this *is* the issue before going that route. Sounds like the diaphragm/condom route might be the best, short term.
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  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    the dry side
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    I do NOT plan to have children (have been of that opinion for a long time and seriously doubt it would change).
    So why not ditch the hormones and either you or he get fixed? As for risks (rolling eyes) there are plenty of risks associated with pill and or IUDs. At least get the additional hormones out of your body to start with. The freedom of never having to worry about BC again outweighs any potential risk. DH got fixed 25 years ago and it's been great.
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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
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    I agree. When DH had a vasectomy when DS #2 was 6 weeks old, people raised their eyebrows. "What if something happens?"
    Well, you can't live assuming the worst. Since we had already experienced the worst when our DD was born with a syndrome not compatible with life, we made our decision. I was not having any more pregnancies! I was pregnant for 26 out out of 42 months and I was done.
    Best decision in the world. I could not believe that people still asked me why I wasn't going to "try for a girl."
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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    4,516
    It's not that I'm averse to surgical risk (I'm applying to med school with an intent to, perhaps, do surgery!). I just want to make sure that the pills are the culprit first. Otherwise, I'm happy with the pills. I enjoy not having periods (mine are very heavy and cramps).
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  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    the dry side
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    I have always wondered what that not having periods thing really does to your body. I used a barrier method until DH got fixed. I was never comfortable with the idea of monkeying with my hormones.
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  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    4,516
    I think there's a lot we don't know one way or the other. I haven't looked lately, but I am not aware of any long term studies. My inclination is to think having periods - not so necessary. Having constantly elevated levels of estrogen and/or progesterone - maybe problematic. I haven't totally made my decision.
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  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    4,516
    Quote Originally Posted by Muirenn View Post
    If you are positive about not having children, there are surgical options that eliminate your period and prevent childbirth. Maybe endometrial ablation? I think that is usually done with people who experience heavy bleeding. But there are other surgical methods to consider, too.

    Still, a vasectomy sounds like the best option to me!
    The issue with ablation is you still have to use some form of birth control OR do that in conjunction with tubal ligation/essure. Apparently you can still have some residual endometrial tissue that can result in a dangerous pregnancy (or so my research says). Vasectomy is certainly a simpler procedure. I need to schedule my annual - so I will definitely report back
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  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Columbus, IN
    Posts
    216
    I have been using the nuvaring for about 4 years now. I like it for two reasons: (1) I put it in for three weeks and forget about it - no remembering to take a pill every day; and (2) I understand that it is lower in hormones than oral birth control. I certainly don't have some of the breast soreness/irritability I had on oral birth control while using the nuvaring. If you want to skip periods you can do the same thing you do with pills and skip the "off week." I do have to calendar it (is this week 2 or week 3?) but not an issue in Outlook (and my pharmacy sends me a refill reminder which is helpful). My husband has never noticed it when we're having sex, and I've never had it fall out (I think those are two things people worry about with the ring). It's month to month just like oral birth control, so it doesn't hurt to try it and if you don't like it you're not committed to it.

    I've been steadily gaining weight (and finding it increasingly hard to lose it again) as I've been aging so not sure how the nuvaring affects that but since it is hormonal it might have the same weight gain issues.

 

 

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