Coming off Depo Provera after one shot

I took depo for a year and 3 months. I had bleeding for proabably the first 3 months of taking the first shot. I am now off depo and have been having a horrible time with it. I feel sick all the time, tired dizzy, out of it and I have only gotten my period once and its been about 3 months so far. You have to be a soldier just to get through the shot let me tell you! I was horrible on it with mood swings way out of controll and I honestly was depressed and hated anyone ever touching me. My relationship with my boyfriend damn near fell apart. Its not worth the protection it gives. Once your on it you wont need protection because no one will want to be around you!

Seriously, I have no idea why they still offer this method to women. I had 1 & only 1 shot Oct. 2011. My period completely disappeared and I gained 12-15 pounds even though I was a workout fanatic. I'm normally excellent in arguments because I'm not really very emotional, but I became so emotional that the tiniest disagreement with my boyfriend made me ball a if he murdered my entire family! EVERYTHING made me want to cry, it was so embarrassing. Not to mention I suddenly could NOT hold my alcohol. I'm taking drunk after a glass of wine. And of course, became an emotional drunk... I know I'm an attractive woman but my self esteem definitely collapsed for some reason, filling my head with constant doubt and anxiety. And I won't even go into the crazy dreams I stated having lol. I might as well been going thru menopause with the hot flashes and kicky-legs at night. The idea of sex literally made me sick and even being touched in that way made me want to scratch his eyes out, yet it was ok if I cuddled him. I was due for my 2ND shot in Jan. but because I missed my appt. by only 3 days, they said I had to wait for my period to come before I could get another one (I love how they said that as if it was gonna just come right back).

I decided to drop the treatment altogether because of the insane side effects. Almost immediately I had very tender breasts, indigestion, nausea, every single pregnancy symptom. I took a test which came out negative. I didn't get a period until March 2012. It was a browner tone and lasted about 3 weeks. Afterwards, I got the same symptoms over, and again, took another test. Negative...No period for the next 3 months, so I took a morning after pill in early July and a week later it came, semi normal in flow. Lasted nearly 3 weeks. Then came right back Aug 5th for only about 7 days, again only slightly lighter than my normal flow...Now here it is mid Sept. and no period. My breasts were very sore a week and a half ago, but only a tiny little bit sore now. Indigestion and nausea are coming on and yet again, I will be taking a test to make sure, tho I must say, the sex life has been rather lame and barely existent since the shot. My boyfriend has been a major trooper but I know he's irritated and I really do feel bad. I've tried working out and sitting in the sauna to sweat the hormones out and lose the weight. No matter what I do, my body refuses to lose more than a pound or 2, and it comes right back since it's mainly water weight I'm losing. The sex drive is slowly coming back but I'm still emotional and bratty. It's been just shy of a year and I've wasted so much money on pregnancy tests, and I'm damn sure not about to spend $50 on a plan b pill every month. Doctors are no help offering more hormone shots and pills to only "attempt" to bring back my normal cycle. I'm constantly stressed out and can feel how much my body hates me right now. I don't recommend this shot at all, and have yet to hear a happy ending from anyone. The average woman suffers from slight to major irritation when using condoms and every other form of BC causes crazy side effects. It's so unfair and dangerous to play with your body like this. But all I can do is continue to wait for my body to return to normal and move forward from there....

Ella wrote:

minky wrote:

Quote:

I had my first (AND ONLY) depo shot in July of this year. I was a generally healthy person, never really had any problems. Notice I said "was." Since taking that shot I have had nothing but problems. About a month after having the shot I would have extreme bouts of sadness where I would just cry and cry and cry, for no reason at all. I had just moved into a new apartment, I have a wonderful boyfriend who will soon be my husband. I have every reason to be happy, but I can't thanks to depo provera. Last month I developed a digestive problem that my doctor said was IBS, but never really made a clear diagnosis. About three weeks ago I started having panic attacks. At first the symptoms were isolated, but now they are happening ALL THE TIME. I get severe dizziness, and disconnection from everything around me. I have headaches, nausea, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest pain. I am so weak at times that I can't even get out of bed. Last week I missed 5 days of work. I'm constantly worried that I am dying because no one can tell me what's going on. In the back of my mind I know that it's the shot. It's just really hard because I honestly feel terrible ALL THE TIME. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, and I will definitely NOT be getting another shot. I cry all the time partially from the symptoms, and also simply because I just don't know what to do. I feel absolutely hopeless! If you have had bad side effects from the shot, do not feel crazy. This is real, and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

Hi there,
I just wondered how long it took you to feel OK after not taking the shot anymore. I have had 2 injections and horrendous side effects. I feel ill ALL of the time. Please let me know there is some hope of feeling good again? Thanks.

Hi there, I had 2 injections of depo and I was also incredibly ill and have to give up my job. Severe depression, extreme fatigue, confusion, muscle spasms, IBS, blurred vision, constant bleeding etc. and the list goes on. I am 1 week out from my last injection ending. So my 3 rd shot was due 1 week ago. Don't ever get another shot. It is evil stuff and can really damage you. Try and get your progesterone levels checked as the depo can destroy them and that in itself can make you feel very depressed and generally sick. I am now on bioidentical progesterone to increase my levels, album you cannot take this while the depo is active. You need to wait until 12/13 weeks post injection. See an endocrinologist. Don't just buy the cream yourself. Your magnesium levels may also be very low as synthetic hormones can do that, and they can also screw up your vitamin D3 levels. Most people say a level of 80 is ok, but my hormone specialist said it should be more like 120. Also, get your DHEA levels checked. Sadly, apart from the magnesium and taking at least 500iu of D3 per day, plus 1000mg calcium per day, plus a good female multivitamin and mineral supplement, there isn't much else u can do until it wears off. I am still very tired, have ibs symptoms and get quite dizzy, but am a lot better than I was. If I am honest, I was close to checking myself into a mental home as I felt so detached, strange and ill. Hang in there! It will get better. Drink lots of dandelion root tea to help flush it out of your liver, peppermint tea if gastric problems, go to bed at 8pm each night, lots of water and every week give yourself a pat on the back for getting through another week. Try not to drink alcohol as this will give your liver extra unnecessary work and make u even more tired. Also get your iron levels checked if u are bleeding a lot. Post back if need anymore info, but you will get better xx

Hi, how did things end up going with your boyfriend or husband? Was he understanding? Because I just had one shot of Depo 3 weeks ago and my relationship has already hit the fan after being in a really good place. He knows what is going on but it is so stressful for him. What can I do to relieve the tension? And do you think my crazy symptoms will die down after the three months are up? Did you feel terrible for the whole first three months or just the beginning of each shot? Thank you so much

gbunny wrote:

Ella wrote:

minky wrote:

Quote:

I had my first (AND ONLY) depo shot in July of this year. I was a generally healthy person, never really had any problems. Notice I said "was." Since taking that shot I have had nothing but problems. About a month after having the shot I would have extreme bouts of sadness where I would just cry and cry and cry, for no reason at all. I had just moved into a new apartment, I have a wonderful boyfriend who will soon be my husband. I have every reason to be happy, but I can't thanks to depo provera. Last month I developed a digestive problem that my doctor said was IBS, but never really made a clear diagnosis. About three weeks ago I started having panic attacks. At first the symptoms were isolated, but now they are happening ALL THE TIME. I get severe dizziness, and disconnection from everything around me. I have headaches, nausea, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest pain. I am so weak at times that I can't even get out of bed. Last week I missed 5 days of work. I'm constantly worried that I am dying because no one can tell me what's going on. In the back of my mind I know that it's the shot. It's just really hard because I honestly feel terrible ALL THE TIME. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, and I will definitely NOT be getting another shot. I cry all the time partially from the symptoms, and also simply because I just don't know what to do. I feel absolutely hopeless! If you have had bad side effects from the shot, do not feel crazy. This is real, and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

Hi there,
I just wondered how long it took you to feel OK after not taking the shot anymore. I have had 2 injections and horrendous side effects. I feel ill ALL of the time. Please let me know there is some hope of feeling good again? Thanks.

Hi there, I had 2 injections of depo and I was also incredibly ill and have to give up my job. Severe depression, extreme fatigue, confusion, muscle spasms, IBS, blurred vision, constant bleeding etc. and the list goes on. I am 1 week out from my last injection ending. So my 3 rd shot was due 1 week ago. Don't ever get another shot. It is evil stuff and can really damage you. Try and get your progesterone levels checked as the depo can destroy them and that in itself can make you feel very depressed and generally sick. I am now on bioidentical progesterone to increase my levels, album you cannot take this while the depo is active. You need to wait until 12/13 weeks post injection. See an endocrinologist. Don't just buy the cream yourself. Your magnesium levels may also be very low as synthetic hormones can do that, and they can also screw up your vitamin D3 levels. Most people say a level of 80 is ok, but my hormone specialist said it should be more like 120. Also, get your DHEA levels checked. Sadly, apart from the magnesium and taking at least 500iu of D3 per day, plus 1000mg calcium per day, plus a good female multivitamin and mineral supplement, there isn't much else u can do until it wears off. I am still very tired, have ibs symptoms and get quite dizzy, but am a lot better than I was. If I am honest, I was close to checking myself into a mental home as I felt so detached, strange and ill. Hang in there! It will get better. Drink lots of dandelion root tea to help flush it out of your liver, peppermint tea if gastric problems, go to bed at 8pm each night, lots of water and every week give yourself a pat on the back for getting through another week. Try not to drink alcohol as this will give your liver extra unnecessary work and make u even more tired. Also get your iron levels checked if u are bleeding a lot. Post back if need anymore info, but you will get better xx

Hi, how did things end up going with your boyfriend or husband? Was he understanding? Because I just had one shot of Depo 3 weeks ago and my relationship has already hit the fan after being in a really good place. He knows what is going on but it is so stressful for him. What can I do to relieve the tension? And do you think my crazy symptoms will die down after the three months are up? Did you feel terrible for the whole first three months or just the beginning of each shot? Thank you so much

I was in my crazy crappy mood for the whole time I was on it. I still have a crappy mood being off it for 3 months now. It is a little better but I am weepy all the time and get upset super easy still. Not as angry as I once was but its still not hard to get me started. My relationship did hit the fan and we are still recovering from it. It was really hard for us and he felt like I didnt love him anymore because I didnt want him touching me, loving me or even being near me and even when we were talking I was always yelling at him. I dont think there is anything you can do that your hormones will make you feel like you want to do to relieve the tension. For a while I was letting him sit next to me for a little while and after the second shot he just stopped trying. I suggest you to never get this shot and if you have quit now! You will always feel terrible on this shot no matter what you do. I tried to take herbal supplements to boost my mood and they didnt help. It was really hard to go through it and I am still struggling with it even after I stopped taking it.

Wow, these stories have been really good to hear.My second shot was due in June and I didn't go as I put on a stone and a half and no change in diet, I was running and walking every single day and I just put more and more weight on, so that alone damaged my confidence - but that was it while on the depo.

2 Months after the second was due and I'm getting worse.I am having panic attacks, depression, anxiety, horrendous mood swings, suicidal thoughts, paranoid and I am constantly tired...tired as in last week I went to bed at 4pm woke up for my tea went back to sleep and didn't wake up till 7.30 am the next day! And then had to have a nap in the evening that day! My concentration levels are at an all time low and it is effecting my work and home life. I can forget what I have done 5 minuites ago, for example I can be driving to work and half way to work I have no recolection on how I actually got to that point, not able to remember a thing of that first half of the journey. I get a stinging feeling in my stumach which all last week was alomost constant, I am physically and emotionally drained.No periodAfter typing this I sound insane and ill.

Each week something new happens, It is has got to the point where I actually can not take anymore, crying, snapping at people, feeling guilty about it and I am having to go to the doctors.

That sounds terrible, the same thing happened to me, it was a new thing each week! First I was snappy and irritated, then crying at everything, then depressed and extreme anxiety, and now everything has tapered off for the most part. Did that happen to anyone else during their first shot? It was Three or four weeks of feeling like that and then just slowly got better the week after. So weird!

wow, this thread has helped me so so much. I was pressured into getting my 1st and only shot in july. I refused three times, then eventually caved in after the doctor promised that weight gain was not a symptom (!) Within 3 hours, my bf had called an ambulance as I was experiencing my first ever panic attack. From that moment, I literally just transformed into a psycho b***h. Its been nearly 3 months and I cry every day. I managed to avoid gaining weight but I think its mainly due to the fact that I pretty much don't eat or do anything anymore. I feel so anxious and upset everyday at the thought that the effects may be permanent. i actually have a calendar counting down the days until February... which i estimated as a time I may feel normal again.

I have a had quite a few side effects. Crazy moodswings, intense exhaustion, etc. After 4 weeks my hair started falling out a lot. I'm lucky to have pretty thick hair but its starting to get a lot thinner, which depresses me. I also have zero libido, am so dry it hurts and bleed everyday.

Depo has affected my life in a big way. I lost my job because of the uncontrollable moodiness I was experiencing. They were lenient at first because it was 'out of character' but in the end I just couldn't stay there- I was literally out of control. i very very nearly lost my boyfriend who after 2 months of shouting and crying could barely take it anymore.
The most infuriating thing is the way the doctor just shrugs it off. She has literally destroyed the last few months of my life but when I complained at my appointment she casually responded "well, looks like depo's not for you, we'll try something else next time". There will never, ever be a next time! I've learnt my lesson the hard way and its condoms all the way!

I will be sure to post back in a few months time to let you all know just how long this depo madness lasts. Good luck everyone :(

Bobby, I completely feel for you. I only had these symptoms for a couple weeks and thought I was going to die, so I can only imagine what you are going through. My doctor didn't help me either so I went to a psychiatrist, which I never had to before the shot! He really helped me and gave me Ativan which is an anti anxiety pill that does wonders. I would advise taking something. I promise these symptoms will go away, you sound like you are a really strong person because three months of that is a nightmare. I hope things are ok with your bf. I almost lost mine over this too. Just keep reassuring him that you will be back to yourself soon enough and that this isn't you and to please just bare with it. I'm sure things will be ok. I lost my hair too from it and also lost weight cause I couldn't eat for a while:/ but please go talk to a psychiatrist I swear it helps.

thanks so much for your reply :)
its so much easier to know your not totally alone and crazy.
My boyfriend suggested seeing someone about the intense anxiety issues... but i'm so distrusting of doctors after the lies this one has told! :(

I'm glad you got through it. How long has it been since you took the shot? I know its all individual but it helps to know you got better. Also how much hair did you lose? Mine keeps on coming out everywhere :(

Yeah my doctor lied to me too, so I just went to a psychiatrist and they could tell that I was beyond our of control and crying hysterically so at that point they agreed it was the depo. You just got to tell them you are positive that the shot is the only thing affecting you and they can look online for proof. But if the anxiety really is affecting you that much, a pill does really help, even though it feels like nothing will make u feel better.
I just took the first shot a month ago exactly. And even though I feel better, the depression is still lingering sometimes and I'll still get emotional really easily but the longest I've heard of anyone feeling the way you do was a year but obviously it wasn't bad every single day. How many shots have you gotten?
My hair started falling out the first week! I have thick hair too but it still is depressing seeing it all go down the shower drain. Last time when I was on the shot years ago my hair fell out for about two months and then when it grew back it was all pokey everywhere:/ but don't worry, no one else even notices but you. I swear it will go away!

ahhh I feel so much better, thank you so much :) You've totally made my day...actually my month! I was seriously worrying that this was it, this was the rest of my life! Ive only had one shot... I went to another doctor who told me I'd had a severe reaction (3 months of sadness/sickness is a bit excessive!) I think I will take your advice and try and see a psychiatrist, anything to feel better than this :( I can't wait til my hair stops falling out :( I have quite long hair and the ends of it have got ridiculously broken since taking depo. You've taken the shot before? Just out of interest, what made you come back to it? I'm glad your starting to pick up a bit now. I feel a bit more hopeful!

I'm so glad to hear that! And omg I thought you had two shots for some reason but if you've only had one it will be out of your system so much quicker. That's what I'm waiting for too. Ugh I know, I had to cut my hair with more layers so it looked more full which really made a difference to me.
And I took it when I was 17 (I'm 20 now) and I had NO side effects except my boobs grew a ton which was amazing and everything was fine, but then I started bleeding for 4 weeks so I got off it. So then when I decide to take it again I don't get why this started happening to me and of course my boobs just get smaller cause I couldn't really eat.

I don't know if reading everyones stories will help me feel better or if I just have to take it one day at a time till I can get through this.  I am forty two years old.  I have spent years refusing to take hormones and even doing natural family planningat one point because the depro Provera shot messed me up so much in my late twenty's.  I spent years taking an anti deppresent and now I know I propbably had to take because of stuff I did for birth controle back in my late twenty's and thirties.  I finally went off my Elexapro this year but I decided to have the procedure Hysteroscopic Occlusion Of The Fallopian Tubes For Sterilization done.  They said I just needed to do one Depo Provera shot to thin the lining of the uterous for the sergery.  I am absolutly taking one day at a time.  I have lost who I am.  No desire for sex.  Which I normally have a very high desire for. Feelings of anger and anxiety, depression, and lack of motivation.  I instantly knew what it was and why but I am waiting for each day to pass hopeing the three months will come to an end.  So knowing that it doesn't ware off quickly after only one shot really is up setting.  I want my life back.  

Palmer, I know reading what other people are going through still cant help completely, because I know the feeling is worse than anything else, especially not knowing how long it will last. Thank goodness you only need one shot though. I felt like I was going to kill myself! But like I said in my other post, talking to a psychiatrist or a therapist really does help, because you just feel so alone, so talking to someone who will understand does help you to feel better. I'm sure you will be feeling more like yourself soon enough. My dreadfulness only lasted about a month. I'm still not back to my normal self and my libido is still not the same but it is getting better. Hang in there, it will be okay, I promise.

Please don't panic- its the worst thing you can do! I made myself seriously ill with worry and consequently exacerbated the depo effects. Please do see someone as Gbunny says.
I went to see a therapist because I was literally crying EVERY day. He basically told me this:

"Stop reading the horror stories. they are written by a few who have bad experiences.. you know why there are no good stories online? because no one who has a good experience on a drug bothers to write a review. thinking about it, I've never written a review online for any other drug I've taken. Its true, there are a few who it affects badly but the majority are fine."

You will be fine, most of us the drug wears off after 3 months. I'm at 11 weeks now and am starting to feel better every day. You will too. I plan to write another post here at 14 weeks so I can let everyone know how it feels coming off depo.