Expert: Norman Solberg - 7/14/2010

Question
Good Day,
I'm a 27 year old female and have been using Gynera/Yasmin birth control pills for 2 years. I came off the pill 1 month ago and have noticed obvious weight gain although my food intake has barely changed. I'm very concerned and hope this is a temporary hormonal imbalance. Is this normal? What can I do to help the situation?

Answer
When a woman goes off the pill, her own hormones take over.  Most likely the weight gain is due to some fluid retention from your hormones.  That might mean that you haven't ovulated yet, and your estrogen level is running high.  Sometimes it takes a month or so for ovulation to happen after stopping the pill.  The main thing you can do is get regular exercise and maintain a healthy diet.  Most likely it will even out with time.