Question:
Does anyone on here take Birth Control Pills

I am due to have surgery on 2/13/05. I've been on birth control since I had my second child in 2002. I just wanted to know if anyone was able to take then after surgery.    — LaKesha H. (posted on January 13, 2005)

January 12, 2005
Some people do take BCP's but from what I have been told by many sources it is a crap shoot as you have no way of knowing how much of the medication you will absorb and a few women have found themselves pregnant shortly after WLS and they took their meds faithfully. The are other things more reliable in my opinion because they do not go through the intestional system. I've been on Depo shots since 1995 and wouldn't trade them for anything. Flew right through surgey and no sudden period appeared right after surgery either. It's too late for you to choose this option before surgery but you might want to consider it. The Nuva-ring is something I've seen people mention as a good option. There is also an IUD and then also barrier methods. You will get many answers and some have had zero problems of getting pregnant on the pill but the odds are not in ones favor. It is definitely playing russian roulette. JMO
   — zoedogcbr

January 12, 2005
BCP's are not completely reliable after WLS becaus of mal absorption. Sorry. But, you could use them and then double up on protection to make sure you don't get pregnant. DEPO may open up a whole can of worms for you that you don't want if you are still interested in bearing children. DEPO also has the side effect of loss of bone mineral density (read- osteoporosis)so, it's not a great idea for long term BC for WLS'ers- IMHO. I have the Ortho Evra patch. It works well for me. Some people have issues with it sticking, but I never do. There's also the Nuova ring. Please speak to your OBGYN about other options.
   — LMCLILLY

January 13, 2005
Hello. I have been taking Depoprevera birth control since 2000. All they wanted me to do was to stop taking it one month before I went into surgery but then I could resume right after the surgery. They just wanted my body to be relieved of any medications. (I had my surgery at UCLA, California).
   — Michelle M.

January 13, 2005
HI. I was told to not take b/c for 6 weeks post-op due to an increased risk of blod clots. I obliged. I had been on the same pill regimin for 6+ years for hormone therapy, thus preventing menstruation. Anyhow, after my 6 weeks of being off b/c I resumed my pills only it no longer prevented menstruation...basically my ob/gyn reasoned that the b/c pill wasn't doing it's job because of my malabsorption issues post-op. In any event, I switched to ortho evra (the patch) and it has been working great! I know that ortho evra is only "recommended" for people that weigh less than 198 pounds (however thet got that number) but I have used it successfully since about 270 pounds. Good luck with your upcoming surgery. It's like giving yourself the gift of life! (2+years out, weighed 315...now 117).
   — klinzey

January 13, 2005
My body was not absorbing the pills after surgery, so a few months ago, I was put on the patch. And it is doing fine. Had a few side effects at first, but wasnt too bad. And I havent had too many problems with it coming off either. Also, my ob/gyn says that I would either have to do the patch or take the shot, because our bodies will not absorb pills....Hope this helps!
   — dixie24fan

January 14, 2005
I was on the pill and I went off of my own fear. I switched to the patch...my doc said i'd absorb the pill, but I didn't want to chance it.
   — Hypnocutie Cha CHa

January 15, 2005
Birth control in pill form is not fully absorbed for post-ops however the patch is not full effective for those who weigh over 190lbs. So neither of those options are the best for post ops. You should discuss all options with your gynecologist and explain to him that BCP are not fully absorbed.
   — Michelle B.