Weight gain when coming off hormonal birth control (HBC) pills, IUD, or any hormonal BC.
Hormonal birth control (HBC) is a synthetic steroid hormone “Steroids?” Yes, hormonal HBC is the same as the “steroids” many are familiar with used in untested bodybuilding and sports. Although HBC levels are lower than many people on a steroid cycle might use for performance enhancement, it is still essential to know that when on BC, you’re on a form of steroids.
I explain that hormonal birth control is a steroid to show how powerful the drug is. If you were/are a parent of a girl and a boy, how would you feel if your son’s doctor prescribed performance-enhancing steroids to him? Likely you would say to his doctor, “NO!”. So why can your young girl be proscribed hormonal steroids (HBC) to improve her acne, make her periods lighter and more regular, and ease menstrual cramps?
Okay, now that we know HBC is a severe drug, we can talk about why you might gain weight if you have come off hormonal birth control in the past 3-12+ months.
Hormonal birth control shuts the ovaries down and alters the natural hormonal balance. Once HBC gets removed, hormones surge in some women, mainly raising androgens, usually increasing testosterone. We know that the Male testis stops producing testosterone after being on testosterone replacement therapy TRT; quitting cold turkey is not advised for men. For women, there are no protocols or recommendations for coming off birth control. Seems off, right?
PCOS
Usually, after coming off birth control, it takes 3-6 months for the hormonal surges to start kicking in. This surge in androgens puts women into a more androgenic state which can also cause PCOS in some women. The increase in testosterone (androgen) pushes estrogen down and leads to estrogen dominance, plus hyperandrogenism (PCOS), AKA the ideal FAT gaining hormonal status.
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