I have been sitting here for almost an hour reading all of the posts on everyone's experiences with depo/coming off depo....and I am feeling really upset and worried - it is a shame that none of us really knew what to expect. I am glad to have found this post, so I thought I would add by sharing my experience.
I was on Depo from the ages of 15-21...about 5.5 years, and I got my last shot this June (07). I was due for another shot in August but finally decided to stop the depo in hopes of returning my body to a normal, natural state.
While on Depo, I was period-free (over 5 years) after some infrequent spotting during the first 3 months. I gained a significant amount of weight (about 40lbs - 110-150) and have tried many things to lose the weight, unsuccessfully. My Dr. tested my bone density approx. 2 years ago and it was normal.
I have now been off the shot for 6 months, or 3 if you count the last one's effects, without a sign of a period. About three weeks ago I started experiencing extremely tender breasts that felt hard to the touch, and felt like they were bruised when laying on my stomach. That stopped after about 2 weeks, and just yesterday I started to experience the 'sunburn' sensation of the nipples - they are so so sensitive, my shirt and bra feel like too much pressure/sensation.
Anyway I too have concerns about the potential for permanent damage, and loss of fertility...reading this post makes me think it might be a long battle ahead, but in any case there it is. |
