WHAT NOBODY TOLD ME ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL

In August 2009 I noticed a lot of changes in my body.  I felt like there was  a layer of fat covering my stomach, butt and legs that had never been there before.  I was working out regularly and doing plenty of cardio so I was not sure why the sudden change.  I started researching and asking questions.  I was given some pretty crazy advice, but most everything was followed up with the statement that "I was in my 30's and that was to be expected".  I had my doctor do blood work (he thought I was crazy and let me know that NOTHING was wrong with me and I was experiencing normal female body changes).  My blood work did come back normal and so my doctor was nice enough to let me know that he was right.  In my heart, I knew that some factor had changed.  I analyzed my diet, my activities, my stress level and continued on with my life frustrated that I could not figure it out.  Over the next few months I tried to make the scale budge.  I increased my workouts, altered my diet and started tracking my food in a log.  I could not lose one pound - even when I was sick for two days and ate nothing but saltines and ginger ale.  I KNEW that this was not my body. 

I don't remember the exact moment that I realized that I had been using the Nuvaring for a little less than a year.  As soon as I realized the timeline, I knew that it was the factor that had changed.  Now it sounds crazy to me that I didn't think of it earlier, but to me it was just birth control - a little clear ring I shoved inside of me once a month.

I went to my OBGYN and talked to him.  He said he had never heard of what I was describing from the Nuvaring.  I asked for my non-hormone options and there weren't many.  I chose to have the Paragard put in.  This was tough for me since anything implanted in me is not my ideal; however, I absolutely did not want hormones added to my body anymore and this outweighed the dislike of implants.


I had the Paragard procedure in April 2010.  Within a week, I lost 5 pounds without changing anything.  Over the next few months I saw that layer melt away and my body balance back where it was previously.

I was PISSED!  I know that I cannot be the only one.  The fact that not one doctor even introduced the idea to me that my birth control could have been causing the changes in my body angered me and now I tell people my story in the hopes that even one person can relate and use the information. 

I am thankful that now I feel more in control of my body.  The Paragard is not perfect, but I would rather deal with the non-hormone side effects than the hormone side effects.  

~Lisa