Do birth control pills cause weight gain and fluid retention?
Filed under: Health
Birth control pills usually blamed for weight gains,
fluid retention and increased appetite. But do they really responsible or some
other factors may add to it?
Many women who are taking birth control pills are very happy
to avoid unintended pregnancy but are blaming oral contraceptives for weight
gain and fluid retention at the same time. Well, it is the undeniable fact that
pills do cause weight gain in some women but not necessarily be the prime cause
for all women. It is very important to know if we can associate weight gain
problem with birth control pills or if they cause fluid retention or if they
cause increased appetite.
The recent studies taken on low-dose (low estrogen) pills
have indicated the nominal change in the weight. Weight gain while taking pills
could be possible in few but not necessarily be at alarming situation. If the
weight gain is due to pills then it could be a temporary phenomena and
certainly not permanent. Analysts have pointed out that 5-10% women adding few
pounds while they are taking birth control pills but there is similar number of
women who are gaining weight but not on pills at all. Weight gain could be due
to fluid retention in the body (occurs other than the pills) and fat
deposition. Some women may be sensitive to either of these and experience
weight gain regardless of birth control pills.
How much weight gain could be possible on birth control
pills?
It is usually argued that birth control pills, specially
higher dose of estrogen pills (more than 30 mcgm), cause more weight than birth
control injection like Depo Provera. Studies have revealed that women using
high dose pills tend to gain 5.3 lb in a year compared to women who are taking
Depo Provera as contraception and gaining 6.6 lb (2.2 kg) in a year’s time.
However, analysts have further found that only 7% women who were taking pills
got more than 10% of they body weight. But women who were taking shots for Depo
Provera, 25% of them gained more than 10% of their body weight. If you compare
5.3 lb weight due to pills with 6.6 lb weight gained due to birth control
injection, you will notice that not only women who are on birth control pills
get lesser weight in a year than birth control injection method but also at
lesser risk of weight gain.
Moreover, most of the recent studies on lower estrogen
hormone based pills (30 mcgm or less) have shown weight loss or no change, if
continued to take for a year.
But birth control pills may cause fluid retention, isn’t it
true?
It can not denied that pills containing high doses of
estrogen may cause fluid retention in the body, specially if the pill has 50
mcgm estrogen or more. How it happens? Well, high doses of estrogen stimulate
kidney-substances like renin-angiotensin, which is responsible for water
retention that again causes sodium (salt) retention that ultimately causes the
weight gain. Studies on different levels of estrogen based birth control pills
revealed that pills having less than 20 mcgm estrogen reduce weight, 30 mcgm
pills make no difference in the weight or nominal loss of weight whereas 50
mcgm pills cause fluid retention and weight gain.
If you are on birth control pill and experiencing more than
5% of your body weight gain in a year, it may be due to your body’s reaction to
insulin resistance or abnormal glucose metabolism. You need to consult your
healthcare professional to adopt low carbohydrate diet because high amount of
sugar in any meal will offset your weight control efforts.
Besides, low estrogen, what other types of birth control
pills can affect on weight?
The combined pills containing desogestrel type of progestin
and low dose of estrogen would cause very little weight gain compared to the
pills containing norethindrone (like Ortho Novum 7/7/7®). This is possibly due
to specific progestin causing weight gain mainly due to lesser insulin
resistance. Low estrogen can be found in the birth control pills like Alesse,
Loestrin Fe, Mircette etc. If you are experiencing weight gain or fluid
retention symptoms from your present birth control pills, you can consult your
healthcare professional or doctor to know which birth control pills are
suitable for you.
You may also visit at , please consult your doctor
or physician for treatment purpose.
About the author
Linda Crowford is an author for many successful articles and
ebooks written on women’s health, birth control
pills, birth
control, pregnancy issues and human relationship.
Please visit the site http://www.mybirthcontrolstore.com
to know various birth control pills, birth control methods and options are
available for today’s women.
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