Is it possible to become better on birth control pills?
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Are you eating right and still gaining weight? The reason may be not only high-calorie foods, but also medications that you take on the recommendation of a doctor.
This is a side effect that you may not even be aware of, wondering why the arrow on the scale stubbornly shifts to the right and the fasteners already hardly converge on a plump waist. However, many drugs (from antidepressants to antihistamines) affect us in such a way that we become slow, lethargic, move less. In addition, drugs of this kind can seriously affect the metabolic processes in the body, up to disruption and slowing down of metabolism. As a result, while undergoing treatment for any disease, you increase your weight and volume. So what is the way out of the situation? The main thing is to find out in advance which drugs have a similar effect, and if this has already happened to you, then work with your doctor to solve the problem.
depressive hunger
After Elizaveta Miroshina showed signs of acute overwork against the background of prolonged stress associated with overload at work, the doctor who observed her at that time prescribed a course of antidepressants. He assured that the only side effect of the drug could be increased appetite.
The medicine helped Elizabeth a lot. A few days after taking the drug, she already felt a surge of strength and energy, enthusiastically took up work and home. It wasn't until three months later that she realized she was gaining weight at an incredible rate. And six months later, Elizabeth added almost 13 kg.
“I ate everything,” says the girl, “and could not pull myself together.”
Then Elizabeth turned to another psychiatrist. The doctor prescribed her a drug that eliminates hunger and goes well with antidepressants. But everything remained the same. Excess weight has become an additional reason for worries and depression. As a result, the third doctor managed to break this vicious circle by replacing one drug with a more gentle remedy, and canceling the second one altogether. The constant feeling of hunger disappeared, but Elizabeth had to make great efforts to return to normal weight.
What are hormonal drugs?
Hormonal preparations contain hormones or hormonoids that exhibit pharmacological effects similar to hormones. Of course, health is more important in any case, and it is impossible to refuse to take medicine, because Manya from the next entrance was smashed to evil by everyone. Let's try to understand everything from the very beginning.
- Since a doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes treatment, you have the right to go and make sure that the prescription is correct to another specialist. If both times you are dumbfounded by the same answer, move on to another step.
- Take your medications as your doctor has told you. No change in dosage, time of administration, as it must be taken at the same time of the day. After all, it is often not the doctor who prescribed the wrong treatment and was biased that is to blame for failures, but the patient who neglected the words of a specialist. Therefore, ask questions that interest you, do not be indifferent in such an important matter.
- Do not ask friends with a similar diagnosis how everything happens. If you are a good boy, nothing bad will happen. However, do not forget that your body is absolutely individual and unique. Therefore, you are not in danger of gaining weight if you yourself do not expect an increase. Thoughts are still material.
Since you are taking hormones, it is completely natural that you may feel very different. Since hormones are one of the important components of your body, they affect all the functions that take place inside the body.
Diseases of the century
Almost 25% of women get better due to the side effects of antidepressants, hormonal and other drugs. At the same time, WHO experts note a significant increase in heart disease, kidney disease and diseases caused by hormonal disorders: diabetes and depression affect an increasing number of the population. And many of the existing drugs used to treat these diseases can lead to excess weight and even obesity. Which, in turn, is a risk factor for the development of the same hypertension and diabetes. Another vicious circle?
“I believe that the seriousness of this problem is underestimated by both doctors and patients,” says dietitian Alexandra Chastnikova. - Most people start taking medications without even carefully reading the instructions for use. Yes, the doctor prescribed it, he thought out a treatment plan for you.
But you know your individual reaction to this or that remedy better than anyone else.
Some drugs cause drowsiness, lethargy, other drugs increase the production of the "hunger hormone" - and all your thoughts are concentrated on the desire to eat. The body of each person reacts differently to the action of medications, so it is almost impossible to determine in advance how much you will recover during the course. Moreover, even those drugs that have not previously been identified such side effects may have this ability.
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Minimum hormones - ideal parameters? Contraceptives that won't put on weight
Gynecologists say that it is almost impossible to get better from such pills with the smallest amount of hormones:
- Yarina, Triziston, Jeanine, Jess. They have the status of "OK for weight loss." Included in the group of low-dose drugs. Thanks to drospirenone, they do not provoke edema. All women are allowed to receive, except for teenage girls;
- Logest (for women over 35, used, among other things, for the prevention of cancer). Contain microdoses of hormones;
- Mercilon, Lindenet. Microdose contraceptives. Designed for girls who are just beginning to have sex;
- Exluton, Charosetta - Mini-Pili. It is believed that these are the most gentle means. They affect the uterine mucosa and change the viscosity of the cervical secret, which prevents sperm from fertilizing the egg. They can be used by women who have sexual intercourse only from time to time.
Look after yourself
The best way to maintain a normal weight is to observe your reactions and body condition. “If you have to take a course of taking any drug, start weighing yourself every morning,” advises Georgy Chernov, Ph.D., head of the rehabilitation center. - The extra 2 kg that appeared after the start of taking medication is a sign of a side effect of the drug and a signal to see a doctor. If your appetite has increased dramatically, you should talk to your doctor about a possible drug change.”
Obesity against the background of depression has become one of the most common diseases of the XXI century. And new antidepressants appear so often that many doctors have little time to study the side effects of each. In some cases, substituting one drug for another or reducing the dose is not a solution to the problem. It may be necessary to review the entire treatment regimen, giving up some drugs, but only under the supervision of qualified endocrinologists or neuropsychologists.
Is it possible to lose weight on hormonal contraceptives
The main purpose of hormonal contraceptives is to prevent unwanted pregnancy, all other effects are just a side effect of the drugs. Modern preparations of this group do not contain any components that affect specifically the burning of fat, the acceleration of metabolic processes . All cases of weight loss on oral contraceptives are only an individual effect, which neither the doctor nor the patient can predict in advance.
Recommendations for weight control and weight loss while taking OK
Due to the fact that taking oral contraceptives is a priori associated with the risk of weight gain, women, especially during the selection of the ideal drug, should adhere to the special rules for its intake and nutrition:
- Do not prescribe or cancel the drug on your own - this is fraught with a serious hormonal failure and the consequences that are far from harmless from it, including in the field of metabolic processes.
- When choosing the time for daily pills (and it must be observed impeccably), give preference to the evening - before bedtime. In this case, the peak of hormone exposure will occur at night, and if a side effect appears in the form of hunger, then there will be less chance of satisfying it.
- Stick to a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition - you need to move a lot, and eat fractionally.
Side effect of treatment
Antidepressants
It all depends on the composition of the medicine: while taking tricyclic drugs, you can gain up to 4 kg per month, drugs containing lithium - up to 1 kg per month. Antidepressants, which belong to the neurochemical serotonin class, also lead to weight gain. If you take one of them and noticeably get better, this is an occasion to change the medicine.
Antihistamines, sleeping pills
Many drugs that are prescribed for allergies and sleep disorders contain diphenhydramine, a substance that causes muscle sluggishness and general apathy during the day. So your physical activity decreases, in contrast to your appetite, which may even increase. And, accordingly, the fat reserves of the body increase.
Medications that normalize blood pressure
Their alpha and beta components cause a feeling of general fatigue, which can cause excess weight (quite common information). If you feel a loss of energy, start drinking rosehip infusion, multivitamins and - most importantly - consult your doctor about a remedy that reduces calcium leaching from the body.
Psychotropic drugs
They greatly affect the intensity of metabolism and appetite. Often, patients recover by 2.5 kg per week. If this happens, ask your doctor about alternative remedies. For example, atypical psychotropic drugs do not affect metabolism.
Which hormonal contraceptive pill is better
To understand which birth control pills do not get fat in your case, you need to make an appointment with a doctor for a consultation. Some drugs can cause a change in metabolism, retain water in the body, and lead to various disorders. Among the popular and safe pills, the dosage of hormones in which does not exceed 20 mcg, include:
- Qlaira;
- Novinet;
- Jess;
- Lindinet-20;
- Minisiston 20 fem;
- Logest;
- Mercilon.
Side effects from these drugs are minimal and easily tolerated by the body. They fight the manifestations of a rash on the face, reduce pain during menstruation. If their dosage is insufficient to eliminate spotting between periods, then you can buy stronger remedies. They are harmless to health, so the question of whether they get fat from hormonal pills will be superfluous. These include the following:
- Yarina;
- Lindenet-30;
- Janine.
Learn more about how to drink hormonal pills correctly.
Do birth control pills cause weight gain?
So, we must admit that a similar problem existed due to the high content of hormones in OK. Previously, oral contraceptives contained a very high content of estrogen (50 mcg), which just caused weight gain. Modern preparations contain about 30 micrograms, and low-dose - 20-15 micrograms.
So by themselves, contraceptives do not give any weight gain . Weight gain can only happen if you “on the advice of a girlfriend or the Internet” prescribe pills for yourself without consulting a doctor.
Let's be honest and note that some studies have found an association between birth control pills and energy intake and some increase in overall calorie and fat intake; other studies have not found any related effects.
Due to the limited data available, it is difficult to say what exactly matters: different types of birth control or individual differences. De facto, of course, the female body reacts extremely differently to contraceptives.
But the same can be said about the behavior of women during the menstrual cycle in general. Someone calmly, as they say, "on their feet" endures all the hardships, someone begins to hamster everything that is nailed down, others can barely move from pain. Many factors influence this: differences in hormone levels, sensitivity, etc.
It is the same with energy expenditure, while one study showed a slight increase in basal metabolic rate at the level of 5% due to the use of contraceptives, another study found no change. Again, the type of drug and individual characteristics likely played a role.
Conclusion : in most cases, there was still not a single significant change in body weight due to taking birth control pills, although many have a tendency to increase body weight by 2-3 kg in the first months of taking, but after a few months of taking the weight stabilized.
This is due to several reasons:
increased appetite ;
fluid retention in the body - an analogue of progesterone, which is contained in OK, provokes a slower removal of fluid from the body, when edema is detected, you should read our article "Edema: causes and remedies" ;
hormonal disorders - if weight gain is observed with a diet, a normal mode of motor activity and the absence of edema, then weight gain while taking OK may indicate disorders in the thyroid gland and hormonal imbalance, in such cases it is necessary to contact an endocrinologist .
Is it possible to recover from contraceptives
Some women are still wary of this type of contraception, worried that it will negatively affect their figure, provoking an increase in total body weight and a change in body shape. So do contraceptives get fat or do they still not pose a threat to the figure?
Birth control pills are one of the most popular ways to protect against unwanted pregnancies. Many of the drugs that are presented today on the shelves of specialized stores and pharmacies, in addition to the protective function, also help to establish the menstrual cycle and normalize hormonal levels.
Why does weight gain when taking hormonal drugs?
"Among the people" there is a strong opinion that as soon as you start taking these insidious "hormones", and in any form, you will definitely get better. And, it must be admitted, such a view cannot be called fundamentally wrong.
When using glucocorticoid drugs for a long time (we are talking about months and even years), for example, due to a systemic connective tissue disease, or bronchial asthma, patients get better, because glucocorticoids increase glucose levels, which, that is, indirectly contribute to an increase in adipose tissue .
Weight gain is also common in diabetic patients with an overdose of insulin. Insulin is an anabolic hormone, that is, it stimulates the processes of utilization and storage of glucose, amino acids and fatty acids, and at the same time inhibits the catabolic processes of breakdown of glycogen, fats and proteins.
If you are involved in a discussion about the fact that a friend, acquaintance, colleague from a neighboring office, a celebrity from TV has recovered “on hormones”, do not rush to apply this information to yourself. The start of taking hormonal drugs does not automatically mean that it is time to buy clothes "over the top".
The first question that arises when you hear about "hormonal" weight gain: how did the woman eat? Body weight cannot increase in the absence of excess nutrition. In any case, if the doctor prescribed the drug to you after a thorough examination and strictly according to the indications, and you can’t not take it, you must first of all carefully and honestly look at your table and the degree of physical activity. If you are sure that you eat right, move enough, and the weight continues to “arrive”, you should understand the reasons individually and together with your doctor. In no case should you cancel and replace treatment on your own, go on a strict diet, and even more so, starve. Just like using someone else's experience of losing weight after taking hormonal drugs.
Is it possible to recover from contraceptives
Some women are still wary of this type of contraception, worried that it will negatively affect their figure, provoking an increase in total body weight and a change in body shape. So do contraceptives get fat or do they still not pose a threat to the figure?
Birth control pills are one of the most popular ways to protect against unwanted pregnancies. Many of the drugs that are presented today on the shelves of specialized stores and pharmacies, in addition to the protective function, also help to establish the menstrual cycle and normalize hormonal levels.
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