Why does the pill make you gain weight

Most hormonal birth control methods like birth control pills don’t cause permanent weight gain. Depo Provera (medroxyprogesterone) is the one hormonal method that is known to cause weight gain.

Birth control (contraception) is used for many reasons. It's most commonly known for preventing unplanned pregnancies, but it’s also prescribed to treat pain from periods and certain health conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It can even help treat acne.

Luckily, if you need birth control for one reason or another, there are many types to choose from. The two main categories of birth control methods are hormonal and non-hormonal. Hormonal methods contain a combination of the sex hormones estrogen and progestin, or progestin only. 

One of the biggest concerns of people taking hormonal birth control is weight gain. In fact, many women stop taking birth control pills for this reason. But studies show that birth control pills are not a likely cause of weight gain.

Read on as we discuss birth control pills and why you might feel as though you’ve gained weight after them.

What is birth control?

The term “birth control” represents a variety of methods that can help you avoid pregnancy. There are prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) options. Even lifestyle methods can help prevent pregnancy.

Prescription birth control options include:

OTC options include male condoms and spermicide. Lifestyle methods include natural family planning.

Keep in mind that no contraceptive is 100% effective at preventing unplanned pregnancies. And, most contraceptive methods don’t protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia or HIV. Condoms are the only form of birth control that also protect against STIs.

For the rest of this article, we will focus on birth control pills.

How do birth control pills work?

Birth control pills contain a combination of estrogen and progestin, or progestin only. 

Birth control pills may work in a few different ways to prevent pregnancy. They prevent ovulation (the release of an egg from your ovaries). They may also prevent fertilized eggs from attaching to the uterus. They can also thicken your cervical mucus, which makes it harder for a sperm to reach an egg. 

Do birth control pills cause weight gain?

It’s unlikely. In fact, most hormonal birth control methods don’t cause weight gain. 

It’s possible that the progestin and estrogen in hormonal methods can cause your body to store excess water, which can lead to feelings of bloating. But this isn’t true weight gain because it's not an increase in body fat. While bloating may not be preventable, most people see this “water weight” go away over time. 

However, the one birth control method that has been shown to cause true weight gain is the Depo-Provera injection. Around 38% of people using Depo-Provera in clinical trials gained over 10 lbs in the first 2 years of treatment. If you’re concerned about weight gain, this might not be the best birth control method for you.

What does the research say about birth control pills and weight gain?

Many hormonal birth control methods list weight gain and weight loss as potential side effects on the product information. This includes birth control pills. But even if you gain weight while using hormonal birth control methods, it’s unlikely to be the cause.  

Some clinical trials have looked at whether there’s a connection between hormonal birth control methods and weight gain. The results of these studies are below:

• A 2011 study of over 1,400 female participants didn’t find a connection between weight gain and COC use.

• A 2014 study of 150 female participants didn’t find a link between COC use and weight gain. In fact, they found that weight loss was just as common as weight gain. 

• A 2016 review of over 11,000 female participants didn’t find a relationship between POC use and weight gain. However, the researchers noted that the studies included in the review were not the best quality.

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GoodRx Health information and resources is reviewed by our editorial staff with medical and healthcare policy and pricing experience. See our editorial policy for more detail. We also provide access to services offered by GoodRx and our partners when we think these services might be useful to our visitors. We may receive compensation when a user decides to leverage these services, but making them available does not influence the medical content our editorial staff provides.

If I gain weight while taking birth control pills, can I lose it?

Weight gain due to water retention is normal with hormonal birth control. It will usually go away over time. Other than that, if you do gain weight while taking birth control, it probably isn’t due to the birth control method itself. But, most people can lose weight by making certain lifestyle changes, like getting consistent physical activity and having a healthy diet.

If you start taking birth control pills and feel like you’ve gained weight, talk to your provider about what you can do. You can also consider switching to non-hormonal methods. Some options might include:

What are common side effects of birth control pills?

Like all medications, birth control pills can cause side effects. If you have any side effects that are really bothersome, talk to your healthcare provider. There might be another option that you tolerate better. Between all the forms of birth control, which contain varying amounts of hormones, there’s hope that you’ll find a product you can tolerate easily. 

Some side effects you might experience with COCs include: 

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Bloating

• Nausea

• Breast tenderness

• Changes in your period

• Mood changes

Some side effects you might experience with progestin-only pills include:

• Headache

• Nausea

• Breast tenderness

• Spotting or bleeding between periods

Many of these side effects go away with time. However, if your birth control pill is causing side effects that are hard to tolerate, you may benefit from choosing a non-hormonal method. But unlike hormonal birth control, they won’t help with other health concerns like acne or painful periods.

Do birth control pills have any serious side effects?

Birth control pills can have more serious, long-term side effects, as well. The estrogen in hormonal birth control might raise your risk for blood clots and high blood pressure. This can lead to heart attack and stroke. This is especially true if you’re over 35 years old and you smoke cigarettes. If this applies to you, estrogen-containing birth control probably isn’t the best option. 

While birth control pills are generally considered safe to take long-term, they may raise the risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer (but lower the risk of other cancers, like ovarian, uterine, and colorectal cancer). Talk to your provider about whether or not you’re at risk for complications from birth control pills, and whether another method may be a better choice for you. 

The bottom line

Birth control pills aren’t known to cause weight gain. However, some people might see temporary weight gain due to bloating when starting birth control pills. 

Birth control pills may cause other side effects. The good news is that there are many pill options, and other forms of hormonal and non-hormonal birth control methods. If you’re interested in starting birth control or interested in trying a new method, talk to your healthcare provider to discuss the best birth control option for you.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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