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What Are The Side Effects Of Plan B?
Question: Hello I took plan B back in March and the only side effect that I noticed was weight gain within one month of taking it. Yes my period was a few days off here and there but nothing unusual. It's now September and I am still experiencing this weight lingering, if not adding up, despite diet and exercise. I'm a very healthy eater and exercise regularly, but my normal routine is not cutting it. I have an appt with my OB/GYN next week. Is it normal for my hormones to be imbalanced for this long? I'm frustrated!
Brief Answer:
About difficulty in losing weight;
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for asking!
I do not think the difficulty you have in losing weight is due to Plan B pills you have taken about 6 months ago.
A 40-year-old woman has a very different body compared to the one she had ten years earlier.
Woman’s metabolism declines at the rate of at least 5 per cent per decade of life, starting at the age of 20, due to the natural loss of muscle mass that comes with age. The less muscle mass you have, the fewer calories your body is able to burn.
At the age of 20, you may have required 2,000 calories a day, but by 40 you could require 300 fewer calories a day.
While exercise and careful eating can minimise this effect, they don’t completely erase it.
Of course, your physician will exclude an under-active thyroid as a cause of difficulty in losing weight before dedicating it to age related low metabolism.
Hope I have been helpful. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Kind regards,
Dr.Mirjeta
About difficulty in losing weight;
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for asking!
I do not think the difficulty you have in losing weight is due to Plan B pills you have taken about 6 months ago.
A 40-year-old woman has a very different body compared to the one she had ten years earlier.
Woman’s metabolism declines at the rate of at least 5 per cent per decade of life, starting at the age of 20, due to the natural loss of muscle mass that comes with age. The less muscle mass you have, the fewer calories your body is able to burn.
At the age of 20, you may have required 2,000 calories a day, but by 40 you could require 300 fewer calories a day.
While exercise and careful eating can minimise this effect, they don’t completely erase it.
Of course, your physician will exclude an under-active thyroid as a cause of difficulty in losing weight before dedicating it to age related low metabolism.
Hope I have been helpful. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Kind regards,
Dr.Mirjeta
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
I understand that my body is not the same as it was when i was 20. But, i actually look better now than i did then because of my mostly clean diet. How do you explain the weight gain coming within weeks of taking the pill? My meal replacement protein shake is part non-gmo soy and i noticed when i first started using it about a year and a half ago i also had unexplained weight gain. My body then got used to it i guess and no longer had problems. Since cleaning up my diet and exercising regularly ive been able to lose weight, or body fat, if i wanted to. Now that i want to, i cant. All weight gain is in butt, thighs, hips, and stomach. Again, no problems until i took this pill.
Brief Answer:
About plan B side effects:
Detailed Answer:
Hi again,
I still insist that can not be due to plan B pills.
It contains only levonogestrel ( has no estrogens) and there are studies that confirm that women using levonogestrel IUD ( so those who take it continuously, not just 1 pill) have reported weight loss.
I would recommend to check thyroid function, if you think that the calorie intake is not exaggerated and you are physically active.
An underactive thyroid may be the cause of your difficulty in weight loss.
Best wishes,
Dr.Mirjeta
About plan B side effects:
Detailed Answer:
Hi again,
I still insist that can not be due to plan B pills.
It contains only levonogestrel ( has no estrogens) and there are studies that confirm that women using levonogestrel IUD ( so those who take it continuously, not just 1 pill) have reported weight loss.
I would recommend to check thyroid function, if you think that the calorie intake is not exaggerated and you are physically active.
An underactive thyroid may be the cause of your difficulty in weight loss.
Best wishes,
Dr.Mirjeta
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Ok thank you. Can a general doctor check thyroid or do you recommend another?
Brief Answer:
Check TSH hormone;
Detailed Answer:
Hi again,
You need to check TSH level. Of course a general doctor can prescribe it.
Best wishes,
Dr.Mirjeta
Check TSH hormone;
Detailed Answer:
Hi again,
You need to check TSH level. Of course a general doctor can prescribe it.
Best wishes,
Dr.Mirjeta
Note: For more information on hormonal imbalance symptoms or unmanaged diabetes with other comorbid conditions, get back to us & Consult with an Endocrinologist. Click here to book an appointment.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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