Gaining weight after stopping the pill is not common. More common is gaining weight when on the pill. What might have caused the weight gain cannot be determined without further examination. After coming off the pill, the body needs time to re-establish the previous hormone levels. How much time would it take for this to happen is different in every woman. It might take several months up until several years in rare cases to return to the normal hormonal fluctuations.


If a woman experiences irregular periods, her gynecologist might decide to recommend use of birth control pills containing hormones to try to regulate the hormonal fluctuations by simulating certain part of the menstrual cycle and letting the body to continue from there. This might be used even if the woman was previously on birth control pills, but has to be done under strict supervision of a gynecologist in order to avoid possible side effects.