Strange symptoms after getting off Depo Provera?

Jenny · Site Admin Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 504

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Weird symptoms after coming off depo provera thread.

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I've been on Depo for a little over a year and a half. I recently had sex with my boyfriend a week after getting off my shot. The next morning I was bleeding heavily, and had just started taking oral contraceptives. I had my period for TEN DAYS, all on blue monocycle pills. So now it's rolled around to my lil' green pills, (4th day today) and no period. However I am experiencing all the symptoms of a period, but ten times worth than I remember them ever being. My breasts are incredibly hard and sore, I'm bloated, zitty, and I'm cramping terribly. It's been really hard for me to sleep this past week, because of the pains that feel like they're starting way up in my stomach and zinging down to right between my legs. I'm obviously not pregnant (boyfriend was scared when I told him about it), we used condoms and all that jazz, I think if I where, with the cramping I'd be suffering a miscarriage. As I'm typing another wave of cramps are going through me.

Also, I've been having this clear discharge almost soaking my panties for the last three weeks (this is the fifth week off depo). I really, really want my period back, I feel so irregular, and it's downright creepy to have PMS and cramps and nothing to show for it. I've also been really, really paranoid lately, nervous, and inexplicibly depressed.

Anybody else having these problems? I'm not pregnant, or being stalked by the CIA, but I can't shake these weird feelings. I'm barely into my 20's and I'm worried I'm really messed my body up with Depo.

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I was on depo for 5 years and have been off of it 2 years and a few months.
I am going through so many moods i can't keep up. I constantly think people are out to get me or are talking crap about me. I am depressed. I also have had the clear discharge. it is so wierd. I seriously feel pregnant. i have taken like 4 test and they came out negative. Now, i haven't had my period yet this month and i have been pretty regular over the past few months. no idea what to do now

serina · Newbie Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

I got my first shot in August of 2006, two months after I gave birth to my first child. I was 19 years old. Every time I went to get my shot I asked more questions to make sure there were no new negative studies about the shot. While on depo, everything seemed fine. My last shot was due April 15 and due to no time in my schedule then, I did not plan on getting the shot until April 25, 10 days late. Today is April 23. I woke up at 6:30 this morning with intense cramping in my abdominal area. I was not sure if they were menstrual related cramps because in the past my cramps were always in my lower back. I got up to have a glass of water and some toast so that I could take some tylenol. I could not eat the toast.
This is about to get graphic. I had intense gas, diahrrea, and muscle cramping. I also felt like i could throw up. The tylenol evidently helped ease the cramping because I was able to get another 2-3 hours of sleep. When I woke up again, I had the same symptoms though. I tried eating again and I could not. I did eventually throw up (water and the three bites I had managed). After that I took it slow with one sip of water, one sip of sprite and even a sip of chicken broth all over the period of about 1-2 hours. At this point it was about 2pm. I was nauseaus, gassy, extremely achy and the stomach muscle cramps were coming in and out like fn contractions or something. I laid down some more.
At this point I thought I had some kind of stomach flu. I got up from trying to rest and threw up again, and after that I felt a lot better, but my whole body still ached, and I was still a bit nauseaus. But I felt like I could eat. So I ate a small meal with success and took a daily vitamin. I still felt extremely weak all over. I had to call off of work. I have been able to do nothing but rest all day, and even that has been painful and uncomftorable. I attributed my body ache to a fever. I eventually thought that maybe this is withdrawal symptoms from depo, so I googled it and it brought me to the thread that this one is a continuation of.
I was shocked and so angry. Most of these women were on the drug much longer than I have been, but I am outraged that my doctors nor anyone else warns against having withdrawal symptoms. I was aware that it could take up to a year after discontinueing the drug for me to become pregnant again, but that was all that I was aware of. I was also told about the bone-density thing, but I take a daily vitamin and the doctor told me that the calcium supplement in that would cancel out any effect that the depo had.
I am outraged that it seems like the health industry is unwilling to accept that woman are suffering withdrawal symtoms. I just hope that the symptoms that I am having today are not as extreme tomorrow.

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While I'm sorry that other women are experiencing these symptoms, I'm also glad to know I'm not losing my mind! I missed my last shot - total accident - and have been so nauseous I could sware I was pregnant. I've taken two tests, both negative. I think it's just my hormones adjusting and freaking out. Called the doc and have a plan and an appointment, so hopefully when I get my next shot, I'll be back to normal, but will at least know what to expect when I decide to get off of Depo for good.

HDHarper1972 · Newbie Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

Like everyone else, THANK GOODNESS for finding this thread!! I really should have done more research before deciding to go on Depo. I am 35 yrs old and had been spotting on and off while on regular BCPs (had been on them since 16 yrs old). The doc suggested Depo to make me "regular" or get rid of the periods altogether. Thought it sounded great so I went on it. The only side effects they told me about was loss of bone density (they gave me extra calcium to take) and not getting pregnant until 6mos-1yr after stopping depo.

I only took 2 shots (which did stop my period), but now my fiance and I want children so I didn't get the third one. Last shot was beginning of Feb so should have worn off by mid-May. Now, I am bloated all of the time, have stomach "rumblings" constantly, sporadic nausea, and have night sweats like crazy. I too took a pregnancy test because I felt like I was, even knowing that it would be too early for that to happen. I've started gaining weight as well these last 2 weeks, even though at the same time I started running and training to do a marathon later this fall. I'm exercising more than ever before and still the weigh gain happens (very depresssing!!).

It's nice to know though that these fake pregnancy symptoms are normal and that I just need to be patient. Not looking forward to the swolen and painful breasts that everyone has seemed to experience, but can't wait for periods to start again (who thought I would ever say that!!)

There really should be a requirement that the doctors/nurses who prescribe this drug disclose ALL of the potential side effects, especially those that you will experience when coming off of the medication! It might change some people's minds about what they are willing to tolerate - I know it would have changed mine...

Good luck everyone!!

Dusterjmb · Newbie Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

I am 38 years old. My doctor in her infinite wisdom thought that being a smoker and on BCP was not a good thing so suggested the depo shot. I never had any issues with my period as I was on the pill since 16 and was always regular. I gained over 20lbs shortly after starting the shot Jan 07. I had irregular spotting since then. Before I could get a refill in December 07 the doctor wanted me to get a physical. I never went in and since I'm not sexually active right now I went off the shot to try and help loose weight. The first few months was light spotting every couple of weeks. Then in April I had a full out bleeding to death type period for over a week. Then to my great pleasure it came back again 2 weeks later stopped for a week then back on May 26 and hasn't stopped yet! It's been over a month and I'm wondering if it's ever going to stop. I never know how heavy it's going to be so am now wearing pads for back up in case of an accident. Figure it had to do with going off the shot but it's been 6 months since i was supposed to have the last shot so I guess 9 months from the last one and I thought it would have settled out by now. I never had any issues with the pill like this and am not happy to find out about this bone density issue online and not from my doctor. I also have been having tightness in my breast/chest area and sometimes tingling in the arms. Good to see I'm not alone in this and is most likely a side effect.
My friend just went off after 15years and she is now having the joy of periods again. They are light for her but she's had 2 now in the past month.

star-1990 · Newbie Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

hiya,
since coming off my depoi have experienced so many weird things such as feeling pregnant and being sick in the mornings.i have experiened alot of bad things with this injetion and would most certainly not advise anybody to go for it. i came off this about a year ago as we wanted to start a family but i have had no luck wat so eva with doing so.if you are thinking of goin on the depo injection then please read thrw these forums n look into the matter a bit more you will soon find out how terrible ths contraception is.( doctors will not tell you any of the main things you need to know about this)

x x x

charlotte

venus_envy · Newbie Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 2

I am so glad I found this topic! I have been off and on depo for the last 9 years. I have a 2 yr old son, and went back on the shot on Nov 19, 07. I was told by my dr when I first started taking depo that I should cycle off once a year, and when I was cycling off, 2 days past my shot due date, I got pregnant. Anyway, my last shot was due by May 10, but I have a friend give it to me (he's a nurse) and our busy schedules kept clashing, so I figured I'm not sexually active right now so I might as well go off it again, so my last shot was on Feb 8, well within the window. I have not had sex since Feb 26th. Between March and now I have gained 12 lbs, my period has not come back, which anytime I stopped the shot before my period came back rather quickly. Now the weight gain could certainly be due to the fact that I was a gym-o-holic, but I have not been going since about mid-April because my schedule is just so busy right now I haven't had time. But I also noticed the belly rumbling over the last few weeks, I swear it really feels like kicking, not just gas, although I admit that does usually follow at some point. But I remember what the fluttering felt like with my son, and that's exactly what it feels like. Then last night before a shower I noticed the "leaking". Not really leaking because I squeezed myself, and did for a couple days just to see because I had on depo before, so I'm thinking I could have brought that on myself. I have not taken a pregnancy test yet, honestly I have been too terrified to because being pregnant would not be a happy thing for me. I have a son, I work full time and I go to school and I am barely managing it all as it is! Though I am going to take one this weekend. If it is just side effects I'd be happy, though like others have said I have never begged so bad to have my periods back!

caragirl22 · Newbie Joined: 30 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

The last shot I got was in March and my only withdrawal symptom is that I have one day every week or two where I feel totally depressed and can't stop crying. Reading these horror stories is making me really nervous, especially because I want to be able to get pregnant in a couple of years and am getting concerned that I've seriously screwed up my system with this stuff. I haven't had any bleeding at all and my last shot was 4 months ago. Has anyone had success getting off the shot without major problems, or been able to get pregnant later when you wanted to?

Strange symptoms after getting off Depo Provera?

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