Depo Provera Is a Poison

I used Depo from 1999 - 2006 on my G.P's advice that it was perfectly 'safe' and had no side effects other than no periods. In September '06 after reading online risks I demanded a Bone Density Scan and to my horror Depo has caused Osteoporosis. I am 30 yrs old!! My skeleton is equalto that of a 70 yr old woman thanks to Depo. I had no period for 7 yrs, my oestrogen levels are now exremelet low and indicate I've gone through early menopause, my G.P refuses to test for this at this stage. I also had 4 stone weight gain - wich I have now lost with extreme dedication, mood swings, blurred vision, chronic abdominal pain, lack of lubrication , exhaustion and more. The G.P never informed me these were side effects so I continued with the Depo unaware it was the cause for 7 yrs. Only on a friends advice end 2006 I Googled Depo side effects and read and read, what I found was shocking. To all you women out there on this crazy drug, look up the side effects, go to the manufactureres website - pfizer.com, GET a copy of the patent info sheet, this is no good for you. I've been off it 4 months and no period yet.

When I was 30 I was a size 8/10 and thin with very perky breasts. Then I took Depo. Within days I started gaining weight and didn't stop. I packed on 50+ pounds and went up to a size 20/22. Besides having to buy a completely new wardrobe, I did permament damage to my leg muscles. I am no longer able to jog or run, and I can't walk at fast speeds for more than a block before my legs go numb and fatigued. I had physical therapy and surgery, but it didn't help much.

I've never been able to get down to a size 14 or below, despite eating healthy and exercising alot. I am still at a size 16/18 and my abdomen looks swollen.

I have saggy, stretchmarked breasts. I'll need a breast lift to fix that. I am too ashamed to show my saggy breasts to any man.

Depo ruined my life and my body. I hate it.

i regret taking my first depo shot. I took the first one august 2006 and bled for 2 months. After my second shot i bled for 6 weeks and all of a sudden my blood pressure increased 150/120. My doctor swears it has nothing to do with the depo but i'm not really convinced. i am 29 years old and never had any problems with high blood pressure even through 2 pregnancies. With my 3 shot i bled for a week but it was heavier. I'm due for my next shot in april but do not want to take it. I've read so many horror stories that i'm nervous about coming off it but don't want to be on it anymore because it's probably worse for me in the long run. What can i expect coming off of it? Has anyone else had problems with blood pressure from being on it???

I used Depo from 1999 - 2006 on my G.P's advice that it was perfectly 'safe' and had no side effects other than no periods. In September '06 after reading online risks I demanded a Bone Density Scan and to my horror Depo has caused Osteoporosis. I am 30 yrs old!! My skeleton is equal to that of a 70 yr old woman thanks to Depo. I had no period for 7 yrs, my oestrogen levels are now exremeley low and indicate I've gone through early menopause, my G.P refuses to test for this at this stage. I also had 4 stone weight gain - wich I have now lost with extreme dedication, mood swings, blurred vision, chronic abdominal pain, lack of lubrication , exhaustion and more.I continued with the Depo unaware it was the cause for 7 yrs. Only on a friends advice end 2006 I Googled Depo side effects, what I found was shocking. To all you women out there on this crazy drug, look up the side effects, go to the manufactureres website - pfizer.com, GET a copy of the patent info sheet, this is no good for you. I've been off it 4 months and no period yet.
I have had sore nipples for 5 days now, thought I may be pregnant but not - luckly! I have terrible hot flashes in the night I wake up saturated in sweat in the groin and underarm area, I still get exhausted toward the end of the day. Stomach pain has ceased now and still losing weight.

Okay, you can't go to the hospital for severe blood loss from a period. Get your facts straight. Menstrual blood isn't just a gush of blood. There are no popped veins in there that would cause a loss of blood. It is the lining of your uterus, and as such, you can only lose as much blood as your uterus's lining is large. Quit scaring people.



To the OP: Think before you get the shot. As the above person said, there is no counter to it, so if you do have adverse symptoms, you're stuck with them for at least 3 months. Even after that, Depo can reduce your chances of getting pregnant for a year or more after your last shot. It is a LONG-TERM BC method.

"Okay, you can't go to the hospital for severe blood loss from a period. Get your facts straight. Menstrual blood isn't just a gush of blood. There are no popped veins in there that would cause a loss of blood. It is the lining of your uterus, and as such, you can only lose as much blood as your uterus's lining is large. Quit scaring people."

I hate to break it to you - but you can be hopitalized for extremely heavy blood loss during a prolonged menstral cycle. It can cause critical anemia. Uterian tumors can also cause this kind of bleeding - get your facts straight before calling someone a liar or down playing someone else's problems.

You most certainly can be hospitalized for severe blood loss during a period. I was- 3 times in one month and recieved 12 units of blood during the cousre of the hospital stays. I was severly anemic. One of the many reasons this can happen is called Endometrial Hyperplasia. I know ,because I found out after the HEAVY bleeding that sent me to the hospital.

I was given the shot to stop the bleeding during my last hospital visit. It didn't work and I had to have a D&C and a Hysteroscopy. Thanks to the shot I still haven't had a period after 8 months. Now I don't know if it's due to the shot or the Endo Hyperplasia.

I know it works for some people, but it should be something you think long and hard about. I didn't take it because I wanted to, but because the Dr. said I needed to. I won't do it again!

I was on Depo for 13 years. I had no problems in all this time. I only recently started gaining weight, more so after I stopped the shot 5 months ago. I am a 5/6 instead of a 4 now. I now have cramping, no periods yet. I do want to have another baby, not sure how that will go. But I really do not have any HORROR stories about it. I am 34 and it did not really hurt me. I had a bone density test and there is little loss, not a whole lot so I decided to stop now, and I want one more child soon. I am sorry so many of you had such bad experiences with this shot.

When I got my first Depo shot at 19 I went from 135 pounds to 190 in less than half a year despite running on a treadmill and swimming 2 miles 3 times a week. Depo caused me headaches, bruises in my legs and to lose all interest in sex, joint pain and irritability. 9 years after the shot I still cannot get down anywhere close to my original weight no matter how hard I try.
When I confronted my OB about the issues he told me I was depressed and that was why I gained the weight. Yeah, sure...I had just married my high school sweetheart and made it into nursing school. 8-| My stomach was so fat people thought I married because I was pg. :$
One of my coworker's daughters took over 3 years to concieve after taking Depo yet the doctors don't tell you this can happen. Wonder why? Maybe they are afraid less women would take these shots knowing the possible complications?

i had the depo shot at my 6 week check up after i had my son and it has been 8 weeks since the shot now and i feel pretty much the same way i did when i was pregnant and i took a hpt and it had a faint line so i was wondering if there could be any birth defects because of this shot?

I agree with most of the women saying that depo provera is not a nice drug. I was on it for almost 8 years and kept asking if there were any side effects while on the drug. The doctors all told me no. Even the drug sheets didn't have anything in them. Now after almost 3 years of being off the shots I have continued to abnormally bleed (almost daily) and no doctor is able to truly tell me why. Before depo my periods where like clockwork, to the day and almost the hour. Now it is one long period.

I have tried correcting the hormones with new birth control pills etc, but nothing is helping. All the MD's want to do is take my uterus out. All I want is them to tell me how to correct the problem the Depo started. So ladies be careful before jumping on board with this shot. I had no problems while on it, now I have the weight gain and the bleeding.

I have been taking depo-provera for a year because my doctor told me it would stop my menstrual cycle because I was bleeding all the time. It has not stopped my cycle yet and I am fed up with bleeding all the time. This really ruins your enjoyment in life. It prevents you from having or wanting intercourse and you have to always ensure you have pads and cleaners with you to keep yourself clean. I have another appointment with my gynecologist coming up and I am going to demand something different.

I wish I had found these before getting the shot. I got my first shot about a month ago. I had my 2nd daughter 6 months ago and was looking for something convienient for birth control. I have been bleeding for 3 weeks now and it's really been getting me down. I too was told my periods would likely stop and I'd have no side effects. First off the injection site was sore for a full week and then after that week the bleeding started.

I'm going to look into something else because I can't deal with this constant period and I don't think I should have to.

I am well through my second and final shot. I just got diagnosed with TMJ (jaw problems, a known possible side effect) and I had restless legs and it has made it intolerable. I have random "periods" that range from spotting to really heavy and frankly they scare me. They can last two to three weeks and come with horrible cramps, not the god send for my sex life I thought it would be. Some people are ok on it for a while, but I have heard nothing but horror stories about long term use. I would avoid it. I'm thinking of switching to the ring, I have trouble remembering to take the pill and the ring seems to be doing well with my friends and from what I have read it effective and easy. But everyone is different.

The convenience isn't worth the deterioration of your body.

I took two depo shots when I had my last child.... That was 5 years ago and I am still suffering from the side effects! At first I didn't realize I was having any side effects until my husband told me (after the second shot)one day that he would divorce me if I Ever took another one! I was a total Witch and didn't even realize it until he said that... then I realized just how much it was effecting me. The list is Endless! It took me 2 years to get my periods back and BELIEVE me I was on my hands and knees begging for my period! It was like pmsing constantly... After I finally started having periods, they were not normal. I would get them about every 6 months for a time then it got to where it was every three months. As of now, my last period was in Feb 2007 (6 months ago!) and I am again on my hands and knees begging for it to start! I have had so much weight gain from "the shots".... My body stays blown up with fluid and I look 6 months pregnant... But I am Not! I take a test monthly just to be on the safe side..... I am Miserable!!! My feet and ankles stay swollen... I have No nerves left! pms sounds like a blessing compared to what I have been going through. I am only 38 and have the change of life symptoms! hot flashes..... you name it. I have the boils too.... I really feel as if my life will Never be back to "Normal" again. It has been almost 5 years!!!! My daughter turns 5 Sept 4th and I had my first shot right after I had her.... Oh and When I Do have periods.... They are so light that I don't know if they actually qualify as periods!
I have read quite a few posts and for the ones that think depo is Great! All I can say to you is that you just don't realize how poisonous this shot really is yet! I mean think about it.... Really Think About it.... Anything that stops your period CANNOT be good for you!!!!!!!!!! How on Earth could it be???? I know how it is to think.... Oh WOW! How nice is it to Not have a period! Don't we All wish we could do without that messy business! But Really!!!! It is the cycle of life and it IS Something our bodies need!!!

Now to all the Depo Haters out here....... Isn't there a way we can do a lawsuit against this????? If we don't get ANYTHING out of it other than it taken off the market!!!!!!! I have read it stated before as "The Shot of Death" And Canada at one time had a law suit over the depo shot..... I KNOW I do NOT want my children or my children's children to Ever take this shot and go through what I have went through........