I haven't seen any threads on the shot...I'm not sure if it has a different name and I don't know about it....if there is a thread on this already I'm sorry :( As you can tell I don't know much about it!

ANyways, I was wondering if any of you are using the shot as a BC? I want to know more about it (I already talked to doc about it, but I want first hand opinions)

I haven't seen any threads on the shot...I'm not sure if it has a different name and I don't know about it....if there is a thread on this already I'm sorry :( As you can tell I don't know much about it!

ANyways, I was wondering if any of you are using the shot as a BC? I want to know more about it (I already talked to doc about it, but I want first hand opinions)


It's called Depo Provera.

Most common problems with Depo are weight gain, mood swings, and non-stop bleeding. Although, many women find that they have no side effects at all.

Currently, Depo is recommended for only short-term use (no more than 2 years) due to bone density problems.

The reason I ask is becuase I want to use a form of BC, but not the pill wince I became pregnant on the pill....once bitten twice. I heard that some women don't have any periods on the shot....odd.

Hi,

Most women stop having their periods within 6 months of taking the shot. It can usually return within a year of stopping it.There is a lot of threads here regarding the shot. I would suggest reading all you can on it. Depo-provera is a very long term med. So, if you have side effects you just have to deal with them till it runs out. Good luck.

HI... saw your question about the shot and I thought I would share my story. Three years ago I was using the shot as bc, and my life has not been the same since. Depo hinders your body from producing progesterone (sp?) causing your period to stop. When you stop using the shot your body will over time start to produce this hormone again and your periods should start up as normal. For some women (me!) this doesn't happen. When I went off the shot I bleed for three months straight, suffered horrible headaches, and stomach discomfort! Not to mention I was irritable beyond control. Some days I couldn't make it through the work day! I went to my doctor and was told that my body would readjust and to "hang in there". Three months later I still couldn't take it. A friend suggested I go to see a hormonal specialist. He explained that in the absence of progesterone, my body had started to produce low levels of testosterone, which was the cause of my discomfort. Over time this can lead to nasty side affects and infertility. I started using a otc progesterone cream, usually used by menopausal women. Three years later I still have to use the cream every month to regulate my period.

I would advise anyone looking for bc methods to forget the depo shot! I know there are a lot of women out there who use it and are fine, but I don't think its worse the risk! The pain and discomfort I went through it just wasn't worth it.. I should've gone on the pill. I'm pregnant now, and this was an unplanned pregnancy, so I am thinking about birth control options for after I have the baby. ( I never went back on birth control after what happened to me with the shot...I was scared!) From what I understand the pill is the safest. Its a huge pain to remember to take it every day, but for me it seems worth it!

I don't want to scare anyone currently taking the shot, just wanted to share my experience!

I am so concerned about what birth control I should go on....

I had been taking BC pills for nine years, and then bam...I got pregnant. WHich was ine...I always wanted one child. But I DO NOT want to get pregnant again....at least for a long long while. I was going to go on the shot, but I have been reading all of these scary things :( I have no clue what I should do!

Hi,

I would suggest maybe a another form of BC. I was on Depo for 1 and a few months and had some bad side effects. My doctor wasn't going to put me back on the pill cause of the hormone inbalance i had from the depo. So, she suggested the Pargard IUD. It has no hormones and is good for 10 years. Most doctors don't suggest IUDS cause of the problems with a certain type back in the 1970's. The 2 IUD that are avaibale here in the states are very effective and long term. Insterting can be painful for some women. Especially ones that haven't given birth. I haven't had any children and mine wasn't as painful as i thought it would be.Also, if you don't want to go that route there is the nuvring and the patch. I believe they have some amounts of hormones in them.But, i have read that the patch can have a higher risk of causing blood clots. Good luck and let us know on how things go for you.

I was on the depo-provera shot, it made me gain about 30lbs- and still got it- and then also I didn't realize until I went off it how depressed I was. I couldn't deal or cope with life, when I went off it my husband said he almost got his wife back! (i.e. your just never the same after gaining 30lbs!)
my periods came back regular thank god, I think I was on it for a year or two.
I only have one other friend who takes it but she doesn't want kids so she's not concered about the long term side effects. I couldn't tollerate taking a pill and I"ve found the two best b/c for me is the nuva ring or the patch. I just have to figure out how to keep the patch on!

THe shot was the worst mistake i ever made.
i had breakthrough bleeding for 53 days. i had horrible horrible mood swings. i was depressed and i would get pains in the stomach all the time and i had cramps.
I use to cry every single night because i hated it.

I only had one shot thank god though.

I have been getting the shot for almost 7 years now. I would say I am content with it (obviously, since I've kept getting it for so long). I do have some of the side effects: I gained weight, my acne was really bad for a while, my skin has pretty much cleared up, I haven't had a period since I started getting the shot (I love it!), and I think I lose more hair than I used to (it seems like there's an awful in the bathtub drain every morning), I still have a full head of hair though. I didn't get the bad mood swings or cramps or anything like that. I am a little concerned about the effect its had on my ability to have children though. I want to start trying in a couple of years and I hope everything goes alright. I'm not that worried though. I tried the pill for a month last year to see if I would like it. I hated it. I hated having to remember to take it everyday at the same time, I love only having to go get the shot every three months. While I was on the pill I did get my period for a couple of days, so I know my plumbing is still working! Overall, I am happy with the shot and will continue to get it until I want to have children.

just an update...


I am still clueless to what type of BC I will use....but I don't think it will be the shot. I've heard too many bad things about it.

Thank you for all of your responses though! they have been very helpful!

Glad to hear that you are going to refrain from using the shot. It can be a wonderful thing for some, but for others.......it can be the worst mistake they will ever make. I was on the shot for 2 years. I didn't get my period at all when I was on it. I did gain about 50 pounds, but for me.........not having my period was worth it. I also noticed some other problems that developed while I was on the shot, but was told that they had nothing to do with Depo. Those problems now have a diagnosis......PCOS. You will find that many women for whatever reason end up with PCOS after using the shot. PCOS affects you in different ways.........and there is no cure.

Just to give you some insight as to what I dealt with, without writing a book......my period did not return on it's own for 5 years after I stopped using Depo. During those 5 years, I went on Clomid to assist with conception, which worked........but those were the only months (4 total) that I had a period during the first 5 years. Now, 9 years after stopping Depo...........I still don't get a period regularly unless I am on meds to force it to be regular. So, it has been a long road for me..........as well as for many others out there.

Best wishes to you...........and research your birth control before settling with one.

I'm on the shot for the 2nd time, I am 26. The only side effects I have are some weight gain :nono: and no periods :D . When I stop taking the shot, my periods all return as normal as they were before. But every womans body is different and reacts different. My friend gets the shot, and has periods that last 1-2-3 wks at a time, and sometimes gets them just weeks apart from each other, she doesn't gain the weight though. Everyones different.

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I was not told of the bone density issue until this year, which I've been on Depo on and off for 16 years!!!! Worried, yes, but not to the extent that I'm running to my doctor for calcium supplements and vitamin D...

I will also mention that when I first got off of Depo (after being on it for 6 years) it took me about a year to get pregnant...this was not a planned pregnancy.

I also was having my period for about 6 months after I gave birth! The OB/GYN keep telling me to give it one more try (every 3 months they were saying the same thing). But after the 6 months, my period did stop!

I've had no bad experience with Depo, however I would of like to know earlier about the bone density issue prior to being on Depo for 16 years!!!

Lisa

I was on depo and i had my period about 27 days out of the month... for close to a year... why did i stay on it for close to a year with those side effects you ask? I was 18 and was told by my doctor that is was normal and that my period would eventually stop... Furthermore at that time it was new and they didn't know the long term side effects so it came highly recommended...

I had my last Depo shot in April of this year. I have not had a period yet, even after my Dr. put me on oral provera to start it up. I am concerned about this as my husband and I want to start a family. I had a horrible feeling about PCOS and the shot, so I'm really glad I read this post. I'm afraid I have messed my reproductive system up for good now because of this shot. I thought it was a great idea at the time, I didn't have a period for a year. But now that I want one, it won't come. Thanks for all your info ladies.

i heard that it takes several months for your body to go back to normal... don't give up hope just yet...

i just went off the shot last week after being on it for 3 yrs. for the 1st 2 1/2. i had no side effects, no bleeding, nothing. after that, i had massive depression, constantly crying, weight gain, breast discharge. i was a mess. i still have the discharge, and my breasts hurt really badly. no period yet dr told me probly after 2 months it will come back. he advised me to go off it cuz of the chance of osteoporosis. im worried about being able to have kids...never will i go on it again