Anyone Experiencing Missed Periods And Slight Weight Gain On Lo Loestrin Fe Birth Control

I have been on this pill since March and only got my period the first month I was on it and it was very light and only lasted a couple of days. haven't gotten it since. I have taken tests...all negative. Any one else experiencing this?

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REPORT

Since there are hormonal based contraceptive tablets, both of these symptoms can be normal side effects of using the medication.

There is really no harm in skipping your menstrual cycle, there are even contraceptives on the market that are specifically designed to let you skip for several months in a row.

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Oral_contraceptive_pill/­

However, if you are concerned, you should consulted your doctor.

Are there any other questions?

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I probably started taking this in April/May. I can't remember exactly. For the first three packs I didn't get a period. On the fourth pack I had very light bleeding for a day and 1/2. Just finished my fifth pack, and no period again. So weird.

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I have been on for 2 months am always starving. I mean hungry like when I was pregnant and had to eat NOW! I am gaining weight and feeling bloated.

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Taking the pill and haven't had a period in three months show all the sighs of pregnancy and weight gain, all my hpt have been negative, I have ovarian cyst I don't know what's going on

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I've been on Lo Loestrin fe for about 2 months. Haven't have a real period, just a little spotting when I was supposed to have my period. I have ALREADY gained about 5 or 6 pounds and I am a complete psycho with the mood swings. I am sleepy a lot, and I have no appeitite (which makes it even weirder that I have gained weight...) My doctor said to wait it out for another month or so to give my body time to adjust to taking a BCP before I switch to something else, and the side effects of weight gain and moodswings will possibly stop. I'm going to finish two more packs and see, but so far it hasn't been a good experience.

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I am having similar issues and wondered what you have decided to do. I am 48 and on the verge of the premenopausal symptoms. doc switched me to Lo Loestrin which eliminated my periods. I knew this would happen and is welcomed since I have endo. MY BIG issue has been the weight gain and feelings of exhaustion. Ever since I started this pill, I have had these symptoms, but everything I read say that weight gain is not a typical side effect. In 8 months I have gained 20 lbs. I have tried for 90 days to increase exercise, eliminate any bad food, increase veggies and fruits, no sugar, no soda. I can not lose a lb. it is so frustrating. I have gotten very thick around my middle which I have never had. I have always been thin and had a nice waistline (size 8-10). Loestrin is supposed to be a smaller dose of hormones than I was taking before, so I don't understand what the weight gain is correlated to. I am thinking of stopping the pill, but doc says I need the extra estrogen now since I am premenopausal.

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Question do you work out at all? If not try walking about 30 minutes per day.

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I have been on this bcp since last November I have never been one to gain weight but I have packed on about 15lbs out of NOWHERE I also haven't even had 1 period since last November I went to my dr to talk about my issues and she made me feel like it was all me and that this pill had absolutely nothing to do with my weight gain.

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I have been on this pill for 3 months and I've gained 8 pounds. I'm bloated. I have not had a period just a few days of spotting in the entire 3 months. I know it's this pill making me gain weight I have not changed my diet or workout routine. I was on ortho cyclen before and lost weight easily. I went to the dr and he switched me back. I had breakthrough bleeding on ortho cyclen but I can deal with that.

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I use this pills one time which was last month and now i dont have a period i hate it

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@ Cindy. I know that this is an older post, but wanted to give you my information. First, Lo loestrin has a lower dosage of estrogen, but the same amount of progestin as other birth control pills. Estrogen is responsible for keeping weight from accumulating on a woman's waist (and tends to deposit the weight in the hips/thighs instead). Since this pill is androgenic (rather than estrogenic), you will find that your hips/thighs will probably stay the same size but that your waist is getting bigger. Androgenic birth control is also linked to insulin resistance, which makes it much more difficult for the body to metabolize carbohydrates and simple sugar. I did much research on this issue (since I was having the same side effects as you, and I am only 27. And YES, to all the non-believers, I eat very clean and work out for an hour every day with weights and running, and I still gained 15 pounds in 3 years on this pill. And I could not lose the weight regardless of what I did). If Cindy couples this with a natural drop in estrogen/progesterone due to being pre-menopausal, she will have an even greater weight gain and increase in girth around the waist line that just cannot be rid of (middle-age spread). I have switched to an estrogen dominant pill (Sprintec) and after a few months, I've lost 10 pounds, have my hourglass waistline back, and feel much better. Not everyone does well on 'low dose' pills, especially women who may have a tendency toward naturally lower estrogen levels. The only way to really make sure everything is 100% in order is to have quarterly hormone levels assessed, but this could be difficult, since you would likely need to see a naturopath or pay out of pocket for the expenses. Try switching to a higher estrogen pill and let me know if you would like to see the sources for my research.

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This is very interesting to me because I have been having some issues on Loestrin and thought that switching to Lo Loestrin might be the answer, but you are making me have second thoughts. The reason I am switching is because I have completely changed my eating habits to mainly clean eating and very few if any grains, my diet s very strict and I rarely if ever eat anywhere near 2000 cal- usually I only eat 1200-1500, because it seems if I go anywhere over that I gain weight. I have also started working out more than ever before in my entire life, I lift weights, run, and do insanity, 5-7 days a week. And I cannot seem to lose ANY weight. its extremely discouraging. I thought that maybe taking a lower dosage of hormones might allow my body to produce my normal hormone levels. I understand that this is a low estrogen level pill, however, wouldn't my body still be able to produce the amount of estrogen it would have normally without the pill? Did you have too low estrogen levels to begin with? I am extremely frustrated and I really cannot bare to gain more weight with all the hard work I'm doing. Any further insight is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much

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@ Lianne,

Can I ask you if you had issues with weight gain/loss before starting on birth control pills, or before starting on Loestrin? If you were not able to lose weight prior to birth control, there could be other medical issues going on (for example, a thyroid issue) that may need to be explored. I experienced a difficulty in losing weight and a slow but consistent increase in weight only when I switched from an estrogen dominant pill to an androgenic pill (Lo-loestrin). I was on Lo-loestrin for 3 years, and found that it did prevent weight loss, and upon starting the pill I had huge swollen bumps on my shins, and I had horrible cystic acne (which my doctor prescribed a cream for). I stuck it out, but am so glad i decided to do my own research and switch. Please let me know if you experienced problems losing weight prior to being on Loestrin, and I'll do my best to answer your other questions from there! :)

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I never really tried to lose weight as seriously as I am now, but no not really, I have always been able to drop a few pounds just with dieting and mild exercise. But I had my thyroid tested and all the blood work was normal. I am on Loestrin now and am completely unable to lose weight, I was hoping that maybe having less hormones by switching to the Lo Loestrin might help the problem, but now I'm concerned it might make it worse.

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Well, given this information, Lianne, I think that it could be the pill that is causing the difficulty in weight loss, and I don't know that a lower estrogen pill would help. Have you tried a more estrogen dominate pill before? If not, I'd recommend discussing it with your OB to see if they are willing to prescribe one for you to try for 3 months, and see how your body reacts. Also, all pills are different (triphasic/monophasic/quarterly pills, and pills with a variety of different estrogen/progestin synthetic combinations). I will do my best to answer your questions, however, so you can decide what may work best for you: 1. Your body will not produce estrogen like it normally would while you are taking the pill. The pill 'overrides' your body's natural chemical mechanisms to make your body think it's pregnant. This is why contraceptive birth control is so effective. PBS has a great site with information on the pill, which clearly outlines the difference between a woman's cycle on the pill vs. normal menstruation: pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/sfeature/sf_cycle_text_pill.html.

As you can see, during day 14 of normal menstruation, your body produces a great amount of estrogen, which triggers menstruation. This does not occur while taking birth control, since ovulation is suppressed. This is just one example of the way in which your hormonal/chemical responses change while on the pill. The PBS website has a lot of other information which may be useful as you decide what will work best for you, and it is one of the most user friendly sites (and unbiased) that I have found. 2. I do not have too low estrogen (I can get pregnant, developed normally, etc), and my estrogen is in a normal range for a woman without taking birth control. However, I am not on the high-normal end of the estrogen spectrum (rather on the mid-normal end). The fact that my body is right in the middle of the estrogen spectrum naturally, suggests that my body is designed to perform best with a moderate amount of estrogen. When taking a pill that provides you with a high dose of progestin and a low dose of estrogen, the hormonal balance can be easily tipped to progestin dominant, which is going to lead to insulin resistance/weight gain/and other unwanted side effects. This is biologically similar to what happens to women during menopause (they produce less estrogen, which leads to menopausal symptoms). Some women may naturally be made to perform better with higher levels of progestin, and these women may do better on a lower estrogen pill, but the key is to find a pill that most closely mimics your body's natural hormonal balance (doctors will not, to my knowledge, ever acknowledge that this is true, and state that all birth control is similar--it isn't! Don't bother trying to convince them otherwise, and if you are able to do so, tell me how!) Also, something to keep in mind is that progestin is not the same as progesterone. No birth control pill contains progesterone (with the exception of one, which has a natural progesterone equivalent. I cannot risk getting pregnant right now and it is a mini-pill, so I cannot try it, but would love to!) which is a naturally occurring hormone), but instead contain a form of progestin (which is not naturally occurring). The progestin binds to the same receptors in the brain as progerstone, so it helps to thicken the cervical mucus and make the uterus a hostile environment for an egg (if it is fertilized), and prevent ovulation, but it does not perform all the other tasks that naturally occurring progesterone does. So, even if a woman is naturally progesterone dominant, higher progestin birth control (also known as the mini-pill, depo-provera shot, or a low dose estrogen pill) may not work as well for her, since progesterone and progestin are not chemically the same hormone. This article has good information about natural progesterone vs. progestins founds in birth control and explains the difference between the two. You may find these two sites useful in determining the best pill for you, if you have not seen them already: fainamd.com/resources/Which+OCP+is+Best+Handout.pdf and contraception.about.com/od/thepill/l/bl_choosingapill.htm.

Hope this helps some, let me know if you have other questions! Also, I am not a doctor, but have a strong background in clinical research, which is where this information has been extracted from.

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Cindy, you have described what is happening to me to a T!! I am so frustrated with gaining weight on loestrin. My doctor put me I. The pill to regulate my periods and now my whole body is out of sack. I work out everyday hard core and cannot lose an ounce. Curios what you ever decided to do? HELP! Elizabeth

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I am taking now not quite 2 months and gained weight, feel no energy and definitely bit more balanced. Dr. Put me in for perimenapausal symptoms . I wonder if you can just stop cold turkey?

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Meant to say definitely not more balanced. Want to stop this and have left message for nurse today!

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I decided to just stop taking my pills even before my pack was finished. I was prescribed lo loestrin to regulate my periods not for birth control since I have already had my tubes tied. I would rather have irregular periods than how I felt on the pill. I will say it took less than a day to feel a difference. It's been a week now and I feel my old slimmer self again. Totally not worth it to me!

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Thanks for response. I too had my tubes tied years ago and Gyno prescribed for perimenapause symptoms/heavy bleeding. I did talk to nurse today and of course she said again that birth control pills don't cause weight gain and needed to give at least three months. She said could just stop if I preferred but to expect a period in a few days. I wasn't feeling great before this pill, but no point taking something making me feel so lousy and actually lot worse.

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Re: Lk (# 99)

Update on my situation. I stopped my Lo Lo around January due to insane amount of weight gain.

I went from 139 to 160 and even though I stopped, I kept on gaining the weight. My highest was 168! Yes 168!!!

I have never weighed this much in my entire life.

I’m convinced that for some folks, Lo Lo causes our bodies to create/store the fat.

I am a grain free, sugar, salt, dairy, oil free individual who works out 2-4 times a day and is on her feet for 12 hours a day. Yet I can’t shed the fat I have gained with Lo Lo.

I rather have my fibroids than 30 extra lbs is of fat.

My suggestion - if you have been at a steady weight and get on Lo Lo and gain weight rapidly, consider that this might not be the pill for you and seek something else.

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Re: Cindy (# 6)

Yeah using for endometriosis treatment but I also noticed weight gain only one month and went up 5 pounds and bloated and moody

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Re: Sparrow22 (# 15)

Sparrow22! Interesting that after ~4 years since your post, I found it and I am very happy and grateful for that. All what you say makes sense. It is three years now that I am on Lo Lo, and I have put on ~10-11 kg. Over the these years, the idea of gaining weight as a side effect of Lo Lo came to my mind several times, but I intentionally pushed it back because overall, Lo Lo has made my life a lot easier. Not having all the pain that my periods would bring to my life (from mood swings, to 3-4 days of severe migraines before each period would start, to 2-3 days of cramps on the first few days of my period, to heavy bleeding, to irregular periods) was really great and I think would make anything not associating weight gain to Lo Lo. Over the last two years and a half I have played with any other factor, from cutting/changing my other medications, to controlling my diet, to taking long (and heavy) daily walks... And I have kept gaining weight! Your post was a big alarm to me tonight, reminding me that maybe I have to give up all the convenience LoLo has brought to my life and stop having it. I, the woman who always struggled putting weight on, am now only 1kg far from being overweight based on the BMI measurements! :(((
I hope I can find a good replace for Lo Lo. The life was so great without having quarter of it associated with pain. :-(

But regardless of all, I am really grateful for your post. I like how you have gone over the details. I will continue your research to see what recent articles I may find on it.

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My dr put me on Lo Loestrin due to uterine fibroids. I had a myectomy and had 16 oz of fibroids removed. I cannot go back to having fibroids grow the way they had nor can I consciously go on Lupron!

I have been on Lo Lo for a month and feel like a sausage! I gained weight around my thighs which has never happened to me before.

I need to keep my high estrogen low, so switching to a high dose estrogen pill is not possible.

Help!!!

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Yes. I've been on it for almost a year and I stopped getting my period. At first it lasted for a few days and then nothing at all. I've also noticed that I've gained weight. I'm having tests done tomorrow.

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Re: Stephanie (# 53)

Hello, this may be a little late, but once you came off of Lo Lo Estrin fe did you change birthcontrols or stop all together? also did you loose the weight you put on easily? I have gained 15 lbs in 8 months

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My girlfriend switched from the depo to layolis fe. Not too long ago she just got done with her first month of treatment and still has no period. She is not eating much and is tired a lot and emotional. Is it normal not to get your period after the first month of these pills after switching from the depo? Is it also normal that she's not eating much? {edited for privacy}

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My doctor prescribed Lo Loestrine FE 2 months ago to help me get through my moodiness from early stages of menopause. I have had a period most of the time (almost 8 weeks). It won't go away. I had been losing weight before starting this pill. Now I crave sweets like crazy. I've never been this bad. Weight is coming back with a vengeance. All that hard work for nothing. :( The only positive thing I have to say is that my moodiness is better. I'm thinking that it's not worth the constant period and weight gain.

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I was on the pill 5 months. No periods or very light. I had a whole host of symptoms but I stopped taking it in June. All better.

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I have been on this pill for 3 years havent had a period but the weight gain i cant get rid of i have tried everything and it wont go away i am a small girl and never had weight issues till i went on birth control.

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