Saturday, September 1, 2012

Side Affects, Risks and Weight Gain from the "Pill"


There are several reason today why woman take birth control pills other than the normal reason for safe sex. I hear this discussed by so many women day in and day out...the pill and weight gain. Is there any truth to this matter and if so why do women tend to get increased appetites and pack on pounds? Well, lets look at this in a medical perspective shall we? Birth control pills contain synthetic hormones which go straight to the pituitary glands. Once there, the synthetic hormones block the production of LH and FSH hormones. This prevents the body the natural growth of the egg and ovulation. Birth control pills based on estrogen often lead to water retention. The amount of fluid that is retained is directly proportional with the quantity of estrogen found in the pill.

The explanation is given by the fact that estrogen directly stimulates several compounds from the kidneys that lead to fluid retention. The compounds are known as renin-angiotensin. Oral contraceptives that contain around 20 mcg of estrogen are recommended for women who want to avoid fluid retention. Such a low concentration is known to be safe, according to several studies. If the gained weight exceeds 5 percent of the body weight, this may indicate that you have either an abnormal glucose metabolism or insulin resistance. 

Besides changing the type of oral contraceptive that you take, you can also follow a diet that is low in carbohydrates, as these are the main cause of weight gain when you have an unusual glucose metabolism. By taking these measures, you may be able to avoid gaining extra pounds. Is it frustrating to those women whom start gaining weight out of the blue when they've never done so before? You bet it is. Our bodies are going through a real change the first 3 months or so (at the very least) from this new drug in your system. You feel like a yo-yo. Your happy, then sad, then hungry, and nauseous. What's a gal to do? Hang in there...it gets better, and if it does not or if you begin developing signs of other issues with your body talk to your doctor immediately. Not all birth control pills are right for each person. There are other forms of contraception that will work. Do you find yourself eating and then less than a few hours later eating again, and again? Many women say that they do. It happens. Often we try to say no but our body says YES!

According to some doctors and medical practitioners, birth control pills can cause an increase of appetite, at least to some women. But studies have shown that this situation is more of an exception rather than the rule. Another perception of feeling bloated or fat when one is taking the pill is that the body is said to hold more water when it is on pill compared to when it is not. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are going to pop out of your pants. If you are/were anything like myself and my sister, we gained 5-7 lbs in water weight gain prior to our cycle. Isn't that peachy? Moody, PMS, and water weight gain. No wonder we get so darn cranky at times. Men have NO idea what we go through, and if they did, they would make a more conscious effort to comfort us.
 
I think that I can speak for most all gals when I say that women are very conscious of their weight. Ask any man who made the wrong move of commenting on a women's weight. I'm sure it did not go over well at all. Our bodies are experiencing a number of changes and until we work through them- we suffer. This consciousness or even subconscious wariness of gaining pounds might contribute to false admittance or observations that birth control pills cause weight gain. Women often fear the added pounds. Because of this fear women don't take or totally avoid taking birth control pills.Although some other methods are quite effective, the pill is still the better option with 99.7% chance of preventing pregnancies. Women should stop worrying about something that isn't real or they will really begin to worry about weight gain when they get pregnant and after giving birth. These two situations pack more weight related issues than what they have now with birth control pills. 

Weight gain and weight control is all about balance. A balance diet combined with a balanced body work-out. That's the ideal way of living. You prevent any significant weight gain by eating healthy and exercising. 


How do birth control pills affect your risk of cancer? Does it control levels of your cholesterol? Can it effect your blood pressure?

 

First things first...Scientific evidence suggests using birth control pills for longer periods of time increases your risk of some cancers, such as cervical cancer and liver cancer, but it also decreases your risk of other types of cancer, including ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer.The effect of birth control pills on breast cancer risk isn't quite clear. However, some studies do show a link between pill use and breast cancer. Key factors seem to be how many years you take the pill and how recently you last used the pill.

 Birth control pills can affect cholesterol levels. How much of an effect depends on the type of pill you're taking and what concentration of estrogen or progestin it contains. Birth control pills with more estrogen can have a slightly beneficial overall effect on your blood lipid levels. In general, though, the changes aren't significant and don't affect your overall health. Birth control pills may slightly increase blood pressure. If you take birth control pills, have your blood pressure checked regularly. If you already have high blood pressure, talk with your doctor about whether you should consider an alternative form of birth control

Here's something else to digest; Cardiac Arrhythmia, sometimes called palpitations of the heart, is an irregular heartbeat. Did you know that hormonal imbalances can be the cause of arrhythmia?  In recent studies, this occurred with patients who were on birth control pills. So if you suspect this to be your problem, you might want to try a three-month test without birth control pills.

 The bottom line is this; there are so easy solutions. I cannot promise anyone that you will or won't have side affects to the pill. Every woman is different and no two bodies are one in the same.There is no magic gum you can take to prevent pregnancy, to act as a contraceptive or to make anything easier. If there were, we'd all be chewing it! Your body knows what is best for you, so please...listen to it. If you feel miserable or sick, or if you get too emotional and moody, or if you begin gaining more than just  a few pounds, ask why? Take care of yourself...your body is your house, and it's the only one you'll ever have!


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