Birth Control A No Go???

[MargoArlette]

Hey girls I'm new here! I have just embarked on a long time fitness dream that I finally came to grips with. I want to DO IT the RIGHT way.
I have been eating a clean diet for a week and a half now, working out/lifting frequently. I am also taking a contriceptive BC. We all know the sideffects of weight gain.. mood swings... cravings... and bloating...
Should I drop it for optimal results? What are some expierences that you all have had?

[SexyChic]

I take it religiously....been on it for 6 years. No problems here.

[Tiffany_P]

For me the negative effects of birth control crept up slowly. At age 22 (the first time I leaned up), I had only been on it for a few years, and I had no problems. 7 years later, I'm pretty sure my testosterone levels have finally dipped to levels where it's harder. Birth control can increase the binding of globulin, which lowers the levels of free (unbound) testosterone in your body. This happens over time though, not immediately. Unfortunately, levels don't go back to normal immediately once you're off either. How is your libido? As long as it's still high, then your testosterone levels are probably fine, and you should be able to stay on birth control and lean up. However, I wish at your age that I had gotten an IUD, which lasts for 5-10 years and doesn't increase globulin binding.

[Tiffany_P]

Originally Posted by SexyChic

I take it religiously....been on it for 6 years. No problems here.

Pay attention to your sex drive and make note of changes... I was on it for about 7 years before I had any problems. I hope that doesn't happen to you.

[bull.dogz]

I've been on it for about 9 years now and the only time I gain weight is if my diet is poor. I also don't take the sugar pill so I skip my periods. (doc said it was ok for me) but that may help with the moodiness.

[MargoArlette]

Wow, thank you for the great information. I never really paid attention to my libido before you mentioned it. (Bf far away in the USAF) But now that I think about it, my libido is noticeably stronger when I am not taking the pills. I am definitely going to look into IUD.

[justagirl]

Originally Posted by Tiffany_P

Pay attention to your sex drive and make note of changes... I was on it for about 7 years before I had any problems. I hope that doesn't happen to you.

sorry to go off topic, but is it worth switching bc if you find your libido is down? it isn't significant, but it's lower on bc for sure. the thing is i love yasmin, my skin looks so much better than without it and i've had no other side effects

[bull.dogz]

Originally Posted by justagirl

sorry to go off topic, but is it worth switching bc if you find your libido is down? it isn't significant, but it's lower on bc for sure. the thing is i love yasmin, my skin looks so much better than without it and i've had no other side effects

X2, I'm on Yasmin as well and really like it.

[dishyxx]

this is interesting to me... I've been on BC for almost 5 years now, and I have definitely noticed a change in my libido. And honestly, I'm not too happy with it :/

I'm thinking of having a serious talk with my doc when I go in for my check up.

[JillSlap]

I was on Depo for two years and I gained a ton of weight. Just my experience; I know a lot of women who swear by it.

[SurfOnSilver]

Hey, sorry to go slightly off-topic, but whats IUD? My (very recent) ex used to talk about the loss of libido on the pill and how she hated it and wanted to go off it, but there was no alternative as good...

Thanks for any info =)

[terracotta]

Originally Posted by SurfOnSilver

Hey, sorry to go slightly off-topic, but whats IUD? My (very recent) ex used to talk about the loss of libido on the pill and how she hated it and wanted to go off it, but there was no alternative as good...

Thanks for any info =)

the most popular one right now is Mirena - http://womenshealthmatters.ca/centre...ol/mirena.html

[Tiffany_P]

Originally Posted by justagirl

sorry to go off topic, but is it worth switching bc if you find your libido is down? it isn't significant, but it's lower on bc for sure. the thing is i love yasmin, my skin looks so much better than without it and i've had no other side effects

The thing is, if your libido is down, then there's a good chance your testosterone levels are down since the two are linked. If your testosterone levels are down and you're trying to build muscle and lose weight, it's tough. I'm not sure if switching brands would help. Talk to your doctor. Maybe there's something else that's causing loss of libido. Maybe you could get your hormone levels checked to make sure.

[terracotta]

I know it's off-topic, but it's worth noting that your hormone levels can also go off-kilter if you aren't getting enough dietary fats. So if you are having sex drive issues, I'd also check that your dietary fat levels are adequate.

Personally I've been on BC for almost 9 years without issue.

[LinzersMH]

Originally Posted by JillSlap

I was on Depo for two years and I gained a ton of weight. Just my experience; I know a lot of women who swear by it.

I had the most horrific experience with Depo. I had major depression and libido issues, and I only had 2 shots!

As for the BC, I think it really just depends on who you are. Everyone is different. Like Jill said above, a lot of women swear by one thing, but others could equal disaster. It's best to just know your body and what works or doesn't work for you. Personally, I hate taking anything. I think the IUD would be a good choice, but it does have hormones, as well. If you're looking for hormone-free, try a diaphragm with spermicide, and condoms, condoms, condoms.

[MauiZos]

I've been off birth control entirely for over 3 years and I will NEVER be on any kind of hormonal pill/patch/injection ever again. I started on depo at 14, and used a few others after that, so it wasn't until I went off BC that I realized how much the drugs had been affecting me for so many years - moodiness, irritability, weight gain, mood swings, low sex drive. I feel like an entirely different person without the drugs and definitely more in touch with the natural biofeedback of my body.

On a chemical level, yes the hormones will interfere with extreme physique goals such as competing in figure or BBing. But you have to weigh the pros and cons for YOU. The severity of your side effects vs the benefit of not getting pregnant. The extremeness of your goals vs your ability to be responsible with other forms of BC every time you have sex. If you just want to be healthy and fit and are not in a position to handle a pregnancy, then stay on it. If you're planning on pushing your body to an elite level then going off the BC will be a must, at least temporarily.

[hotmamato3]

WEll a lot of female BB take hormones to increase size....
how is that n e different than taking bc as far as being natral?

[RebeccaTD]

Originally Posted by bull.dogz

X2, I'm on Yasmin as well and really like it.

x3 on Yasmin...love it!

I have been on the pill for 12 years and I have no libido, mood or weight problems. I guess that we're all built in our own unique way. Ultimately I guess it's a question of paying close attention to what our bodies are saying to us. If something (negative) changes then it's worth looking at nutrition, supplements and lifestyle to see whether something can be done.

[soccersenior]

talking about getting a IUD-intra uterine device...like the pill it doesn't protect against std's...and as far as actual birth control it isn't as effective as the pill...just wanted to put that out there.

[terracotta]

Originally Posted by soccersenior

talking about getting a IUD-intra uterine device...like the pill it doesn't protect against std's...and as far as actual birth control it isn't as effective as the pill...just wanted to put that out there.

mirena is as effective as the bc pill - it's an iud that releases a very small amount of hormones.

[SunGoddess22]

I thought I would jump into this discussion because I'm concerned if BC is stopping me from losing my last bit (seems like alot) of fat.

I'm 5'7", 28 yrs old and weigh about 150lbs. I had a child 5 yrs ago.

I train like a maniac! A typical week of working out for me is:

Monday: Afternoon arch trainer on fat burner mode for 20 min. I do intervals every 1.5 minutes. Then I lift 1 - 2 body parts for another 30-40 min. Evening I do martial arts (it's a mixed martials arts I have been doing for 15 years. Boxing, kicking, wrestling, etc)

Tuesday: Afternoon, some type of cardio for 30-40 min. Evening more martial arts

Wed: Repeat of Monday. Evening is off

Thurs: Same as Tues

Friday: Same as Monday

Sat/Sun: Two hours of martial arts training

I've been on this routine for months. I generally eat a good diet with a mix of carbs, proteins and good fats. (I tracked it all on fitday.com for awhile and I average under 2000 calories) I eat 5-6xs per day. I also take my multi vitamins and started lean Xtreme last week.

I'm happy with my legs, butt, arms and back, but my tummy fat is barely budging! Oh and yes I work abs in the mix up there. About 4-5xs a week.

A friend of mine suggested I stop my bc or change it. But that's not an option at the moment. Could this be my problem? Anyone have any suggestions. I'm trying to understand what I'm doing wrong and why I am not seeing results that I want.

Many thanks!

[gfundaro]

Originally Posted by terracotta

mirena is as effective as the bc pill - it's an iud that releases a very small amount of hormones.

Yea, but if hormones are the issue with the pill, it wouldn't make sense to perform such a painful and invasive procedure that many gyno's won't do anyway until you've had kids. IUD's have many more risks than pills. Mini-pills are an option if you want birth control with low hormone levels.

Just putting that out there too

[jonc316]

ive been on alesse since i was 16 and im now 23. i also workout like a maniac and cant tone down or cut. is this normal with alesse? lately , in the past 2 years my libido is jsut out of the window as well...any sugestions on what i should try or ask my doc to try??

[MiaFey]

I gave up on the pill and decided to use Mirena (intra-uterine device) instead. I have way less side effects and I barely have any periods now. It's a relief, really!

[xoloveinautumn]

Birth control doesn't make you gain weight
some women might have more cravings though which could lead to weight gain

The first birth control i took I did have mood swings.. and i was SO mean to my boyfriend and didn't crave sex...at all and after a couple months I started getting horrible cramps again on my periods and i was break through bleeding
so I changed and now am on Aviane 28 but my periods are getting bad AGAIN my last period I got neasueas/fever and threw up... soo I have to switch again :\

You just have to find the right one for you!

[Kris83]

I was in birth control for 9 years before realizing that it was the pill that ruined my sex drive. I tried various different pills and nothing worked. I am not sure if I gained weight or had trouble building muscle, I don't remember. But just yesterday I started taking Yasmin and I am worried I am going to gain weight!! Or worse lose my sex drive again! It took me almost 8 months just to have the desire to have sex again when I went off the pill.

If you notice your sex drive is low....go to your doctor right away!! I waited 2 years before going to the doctor because of a low sex drive. It takes soooo much longer to return to normal when you wait too long!!

I have heard many bad things about Yasmin so I am pretty worried about the effects! I hope it works out well for me...

[RXlady]

Certain BC pills are more anti-androgenic than others. For example, Diane35 is used for acne which is often due to excessive androgen production (ie. too much testosterone) and this pill is meant to be an anti-androgen. I have never really considered the effect of BC's on muscle growth, but if you follow this premise, a pill such as Diane35 might not be the best choice if you are trying to gain muscle. Maybe a progesterone only pill such as Micronor would be a good choice? Again, I have never read any studies on this issue. IUD's do have some risk associated with them such as increase risk of pelvic inflammatory disease which can affect fertility if left untreated. This is why doctors often recommend women have their children first. IUD's are the most effective BC method on the market. BC pills are a close second when taken like clockwork......but we know this never happens in real life. Women with higher body fat also have to be careful with low estrogen pills like Alesse as they are not as effective as they should be in larger ladies. BC pills may make you retain fluid which can make you look like you've gained fat but they don't make you fat. OK, I'm rambling here. My fav BC pill is Yasmin but I admit I feel better pill free. The only thing you have to be careful not to use too much fake salt while taking Yasmin because it can mess up your potassium levels.

[gynoid]

I used to be on Yasmin for years.
I went pill free about a year ago.

Going off the pill hasn't changed my physical appearance in any way.

The main difference is that I feel more like 'me' again. While on the pill I felt very 'un-me', depressed and lethargic. I'm a lot more happy now. On the downside, my cramping and bloating are worse off the pill.