kc892020

I had the Mirena IUD for 5 years and it was great for the most part. I had no periods! I suffer from Migraines though, and I felt like it was making them worse, so when it was time I had it taken out and my husband got a vasectomy. I'd still recommend Mirena though. It was great!

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I think the type of pill makes a big difference in weight gain. pills that have several different levels of hormones throughout the month may be worse, and are also worse if you have Migraines or PMDD. At least that was what I was told. I've been taking birth control pills continuous cycling (I don't take the sugar pills) for more than a decade so I never get my period at all because I would get terrible mood issues (I have bipolar disorder), migraines, nausea, cramps, etc when I got my period. I am so terrified of having to stop the pill for surgery. I am considering getting an IUD when I stop the pill. I'm not at risk of pregnancy because I don't have sex, but I hate having my period.

Hello to everyone and a very big thank you to all of you for taking the time to respond.
Unfortunately, the guy I was seeing broke it off with me and I never had to worry about bc in the first place (sorry if TMI). It was a pretty upsetting breakup. But at least thanks to all of your input, I have some ideas for the future, if anyone special ever does come along.

I have a mirena IUD. No issues with it. I'm 40 and done having kids. my mom had a mirena during menopause to help with heavy bleeding and it helped a lot.

Mirena IUD. No weight gain. No painful periods (if any at all).
Needs to be changed in a few months.

IUD here. I do not experience weight gain except during periods.

I think my birth control sparked my weight gain as well. I was on the Mirena (hormonal IUD) and although I loved how it stopped my period, I felt like suddenly I wasn't able to lose any weight no matter how hard I tried. Thats really when I started trying all of these extreme dieting and exercising and developing bad habits. I eventually started gaining weight until I took it out but by then I think the damage had already been done. Also, I developed facial hair which still continue to grow after I removed the Mirena. Recently I tried the Paraguard (Copper IUD) which didn't make me gain any weight but I HATED it. My menstrual cramps were soooo bad and I bleed so heavily and often. I haven't tried anything post WLS.

yep - I begged my gyno to take me off it when she couldn't guarantee that my weight gain would stop - after I gained 40 lbs!

I had an always-been-skinny friend who gained about 80lbs on the depo shot, and I’ve known of other girls who have gained a lot from it too. I’m glad it’s worked well for you but unfortunately substantial weight gain is a very common side effect with that one

I gained 40 lbs on that....but that was before WLS. Weight gain is evidently really common with that, so you were lucky.. It might be different after WLS, though.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/will-the-depo-provera-shot-cause-weight-gain-906704

I’ve been taking the depo shot since before I had WLS due to period related anemia. Even during my 6month pre-op period I lost weight. Post-op I haven’t had any issues either with weight loss. Now that I’ve been at goal for about a month and eating more I’ve still managed to stay in my goal range. I will say that when I wasn’t on the depo for around 6 months post-op I had only lost about 35-40lbs.

Condoms? Won’t affect your weight and are pretty reliable. I can’t use hormones at all because they cause me to have seizures (I have epilepsy) so that’s what I’ve always used. You could also use a cervical diaphragm or sponge if you don’t want to do the condom, I know it can be hard to use a condom every time with a long-term exclusive partner, and those are also pretty reliable barrier methods that won’t affect your weight but feel a lot more “freeing” than a condom lol. When I was researching options my doc told me that the Nuvaring and the patch have by far the lowest side effects for hormonal birth control, and the copper IUD doesn’t have hormones so it’s supposed to have few side effects as well. Good luck!

I started a non estrogen bcp on January 28th and had a polyp removed this morning due to nonstop bleeding for months. I got on the scale and only lost 1 pound since Jan 12th. I was shocked! Granted I did a reset mid to late January and lost 5 pounds in about 6 days (a lot of Water I'm sure) but, I've been faithfully tracking and exercising since (had a 4 day trip to Florida but didn't eat much and walked a lot) and was sure I had lost another 7 or 9 pounds. Nope! Now I'm really questioning if it had anything to do with the bcp. I'm only 7 months post surgery and starting to worry about reaching goal at this weight. I figure I'll call surgeon's office in a week if the scale doesn't budge. One thing I know from my past experience with bcp is every body and type of pill is so unique in how it effects a woman. I too fear the IUD weight gain because I'm so prone to weight gain as it is. Not sure if that helps at all. I feel it was part my venting, as well.

No suggestions about better methods I'm afraid as I'm post menopausal, but I think you're right about the pill causing weight gain. My daughter who was always very slim put on a ton of weight when she went on the pill and really struggled to lose it. She became pregnant last summer almost immediately on giving up the pill to ttc, and was nearly 3 stone over the weight she should have been i.e. that she had been until she went on the pill. While pregnant she has managed to gain hardly any weight with very little effort and while eating well for the baby. So when she isn't on the pill she can control her weight easily and when she's on it she balloons. Hope you find a good solution!

ooohhhh....i did not know that it prevents menopausal symptoms! guess its time for me to research this!

I’ve had a Mirena IUD for over 10 years (on my third one). I LOVE it!! No period, and no problems dropping my weight after surgery. I highly recommend it. I’m near menopause age (51) and having no symptoms. My doc recommends me keeping it in until I’m assumed to be past menopause as she states it will prevent me from having most menopause symptoms. Yay for that!

Well my birth control is in the form of Mr.'s vasectomy. LOLOLOLOLzzzzzz
I have several friends who have IUDs and swear by it.
I also have another friend who does injectables, but wants to switch to IUD based on our other friends' experiences.
It is said that hormonal IUDs *may* still cause slight weight gain vs. non-hormonal ones, but I know at least 2 of these gals are using hormonal ones and have not gained any weight in the years they have been using it. Mind you they are never-been-fat girls, so that may be a factor.

I didn't have my surgery until I was past menopause, so I've had no personal experience with post-WLS birth control, but I do remember being on Depo-Provera once and gained like 40 lbs from it before I begged to be switched to something else. Not sure how that one would be if someone had had WLS, but not sure I'd risk it. Weight gain from the pill isn't as high as that - and maybe some brands aren't as bad when it comes to weight gain. I did go on the pill for awhile after the Depo disaster and didn't gain any weight, but it could be that I was watching it like a hawk because I was terrified of gaining more weight. Would your doctor be willing to do something like place an IUD? I'd just talk to him/her about your concerns and your options.

I take BC for acne/PCOS and am still losing weight. You might just need to try different brands of pills until you find one that works for you and doesn’t affect your weight.

Menstrual pain is the worst. So sorry you suffer from this.
My surgeon told me as long as I wasn’t taking nsaids regularly it was ok to take them. I take them for my rare headaches - so 1or 2 tablets less than once a month. Panadol, etc. are useless & codeine messes with my head. I’m not suggesting you start taking nsaids but have at chat with your doctor. If they say no ask for suggestions for alternatives to help manage your pain.

This doesn't help for pain in the moment but helps prevent it. Take evening primrose oil once a day and then take a magnesium supplement or electra sport drink mix infused with magnesium. You can also take buscopan (I don't know the name of it in America) for the pain when you experience it.

I also was a big ibuprofen user. I am still pre-op, but am trying to break that habit. Are you allowed to take Tylenol or acetaminophen? Those are pain relievers. Some other things that are not medication that have helped me have been using a heating pad on my abdomen, taking a hot bath, exercising (sounds counterintuitive, but it did work for me), and drinking herbal tea. Feel better soon!

I was told by my nutritionist to check out the Great Low Carb bread Co. Wow am I glad I did! They make it all-breads, pastas, rice...whatever you want. There's no risk of dumping or weight gain. Just stick with a serving and you'll be good. It's all about portion-control when it comes to anything with our new lifestyle. I was sharing in another post on here that the other night, I mastered the art of "bariatric friendly mac and cheese" and tbh I couldn't be happier.
In addition to that company, there's a whole slew of low carb and carb-free brands of pastas, breads, etc to try. I've tried several and while pricey, they're definitely worth it if you need that occasional "pasta fix."
FYI if you're wondering about sauce, Ragu and Prego both make no sugar added sauces that are quite good!
Good luck!

From the male perspective- if he is "the one", it shouldn't matter to him either way. He will appreciate you, and likely think it's cool to see how far you've come since you mentioned that he knows about your WLS. He's probably just as nervous about it as you are and will just be happy to get that far with you.
Relax, it will be fine. At that moment, he's likely just trying to think about baseball to avoid being too excited.
And on the remote chance that he does have a problem with your "squish", he's a jerk. Run away and be thankful you dodged a bullet.

Find something that actually makes you feel more confident/sexy (and let it carry over to intimate situations) like reading/listening to empowering books & music, exercise, self care, candles, lingerie, foreplay, etc. And you may have to practice building your confidence alone for a bit.
From personal experience, I think it’s a huge red flag if someone is critical (instead of helpful) during intimacy. Most people won’t do this because they under the social implications. Most usually take the path of ghosting because it’s easier and less confrontational. Either way if a potential partner is tactless in this area, run.
Have Fun ❤️