Overweight and pill

[Tassha1223]

Hi everyone,
There was much debate on whether or not the pill works if you’re overweight or obese. I found many research sites that say no it doesn’t interfere but also many other ones that say they do. This put me to worry because my BMI is 26. Does that mean the pill doesn’t work for me as well as it should?

[Heather]

Your BMI isn't an issue here.

Here's the scoop: if you have been prescribed the pill by a healthcare provider, they have taken your weight into account. It sounds like you're of average size, so this probably isn't even an issue (and it often isn't, period), but if you were of a size where this could be an issue, your healthcare provider either would suggest a different method or choose a "stronger" pill formulation (where the amount of hormone in it was slightly higher).

Unless they just aren't doing their job, they won't have prescribed you a method that won't work for you or won't work as well. This is very similar to the question you asked about migraines: healthcare providers don't just prescribe pills because a patient asks, or without considering a patient and their health history.

That all said, you have expressed a lot of concern about the pill working for you, and have said you're inclined to worry. Are you backing up your pill with a second method (and IMHO, ideally condoms, since the pill offers no STI protection)? If not, know that the most effective way for everyone to prevent pregnancy is dual contraception: using two methods, not one. What that can also give you is additional peace of mind. After all, were either method to be less effective at any time for any reason or to fail, then you'd get to know you don't need to worry because you have that second method to cover it. Make sense?

[Tassha1223]

Thank you for your reply! Yes I am backing up not only with condoms but also pull out method. The reason I’m so worried about he pill working properly is because I don’t only take it for sexual reasons. I take it because I have ovarian cysts forming and the pill suppresses that. When I found out that weight may have an effect on the efficiency of the pill-I panicked knowing that I’m maybe 2-3 kilos overweight.
For many years pains and symptoms I had doctors dismissed and not a single one ever looked into it until I was in the emergency room close to death. I guess that’s why I don’t fully trust my healthcare provider. Because I know there’s always room for error. And after that traumatic experience I tend to over-analyze each this that may go wrong in the future and prevent it.
Thank you for answering and easing my mind!

[Jacob]

Hi Tassha, that sounds like it was quite a fright!

That said I don't think I'm qualified to be definitive, but I think the hormonal birth control suppresses the growth of ovarian cysts because it works as birth control by stopping ovulation. So if it's functioning as birth control, my guess is that it's serving that function too.

I also think it's worth seeing if you can find other doctors if you aren't happy with yours.