I've been taking an oral contraceptive, Tricyclen, for 6 months.

Mindy F., From: Ontario, Canada :

I've been taking an oral contraceptive, Tricyclen, for 6 months and started a workout routine at the gym about the same time. I wonder if you could explain the effects, if any, that these pills have regarding weight loss and other matters. I have a bunch of technical information that doesn't tell me much and I'm too busy to schedule an appointment to confer with my doctor.

The list of possible side effects with oral contraceptives is long and may seem alarming. The most serious are blood clots, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, eye problems, liver tumors, and increased chance of breast cancer for those at risk. More common would be nausea, headaches, menstrual irregularities, and depression. Both weight gain and weight loss are possible side effects, but weight gain would be more common, sometimes due to fluid retention and sometimes because of increased appetite. If you have any of these symptoms, or anything else that seems amiss, call your doctor. He or she will want to confirm the cause and then may give you another kind of Pill or suggest alternative means of contraception. Make sure your doctor knows if you have family history of these or other diseases. If you smoke, quit. Women who smoke and take oral contraceptives increase their risk of heart disease by 5 times. That said, most women who take oral contraceptives tolerate them quite well and find that the Pills have no effect on their exercise routine. If you have no symptoms, go ahead and work out and don't worry.

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That's it for this time,

By: Joann Bally

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