Why Does Birth Control Make You Bigger?

Birth control is an easy method some women use to prevent pregnancy. However, a common and unwanted side effect is weight gain. If you stop taking birth control, you will lose any weight gained, according to Epigee.org. However, you do not need to give up your birth control; there are other types of birth control you can take that are just as effective without making you bigger.

Ingredients

• Birth control contains high levels of estrogen and a progestin. According to WdxCyber.com, estrogen levels vary between 20 and 50 mcg, depending on the brand of birth control. The higher the levels of estrogen, then the more weight you are likely to gain.

Causes

• Estrogen causes water retention, which makes you bigger. Also, birth control can increase your appetite, making you gain excess weight.

Statistics

• According to Epigee.org, women gain an average of 10 lbs. over the course of one year while using birth control pills. Women gain an average of 8 lbs. after two years of using Depo-Provera, a type of birth control that is injected through shots. The amount of weight gained depends upon the estrogen levels contained in your particular birth control method.

Desogestrol

• Some types of birth control pills contain desogestrol, a type of progestin that do not may you bigger like other birth control methods do. Birth control pills containing desogestrol include Ortho-Cept and Desogen.

Prevention/Solution

• If you find that your birth control has made you bigger, WdxCyber.com recommends that you try birth control with desogestrol, or other types that have less amounts of estrogen. Low-estrogen birth control pills include Levlite, Mircette, Alesse and Loestrin-Fe. If you still have weight gain problems with birth control, you should see your doctor. This may be indicative of an underlying health condition, such as insulin resistance.