Depo Provera Is a Poison

I started the shots sometime in 2002 got off it in July of 2007 and got pregnant in April 2009 (two months shy of two yrs). I was on nuva ring after I stopped the depo until about November of this year so I'm not sure how much sooner I could have conceived or if it could have been sooner.



Onto the side effects.



I had mood changes, total loss of libido, and hair thinning.



The mood changes I didn't even notice myself. It took my ex telling me he thought it was the depo. When I got off it I noticed how nasty I was to others and how erratic some of my behaviors had become within a few months of stopping the shot. I had been crying and/or yelling at people for no real reason. What's worse I *wanted* to get into physical altercations. I was irrational while on depo.

I had a room mate who is bipolar and one shot practically ruined her ltr. She said she was totally out of control even though she was still on her meds. The doctor told her it was the shot and to not get another one.



It took about two months to get my libido back. I was absolutely not interested in sex at all while on depo after the first year of shots.



It only took me six months to get my period back. I went off it and onto nuva ring like others here but I had no side effects from the ring. I just stopped using it after I broke up with the ex. My periods that I did have were not what used to be normal for me. They were shorter, lighter, and not always regular.



The thinning hair seems to be permanent. I've had lots of hair grow in being pregnant but we will see as I hear it thins out again after giving birth.



I never got a bone density test but I haven't had any effects to make me think I need one either. I started taking it before the warning came out about bone density (the black box label was required by the fda in 2004) and they never told me about it when it came out. Nor did they tell me take calcium supplements. They let me stay on it for five years without saying anything which is kind of upsetting. I am glad I did not have a noticable adverse effect there.



I spotted for the first 6 months starting off. The poster who said this only happens if you get the shot while you are not having a period is wrong. I got it at the health department and they would not start the shot without verifying that you were having a period. After six months I didn't have any more spotting or bleeding at any time.



I did gain weight but only about 7 lbs/yr which is nothing major and could be chalked up to getting older.



I would say that overall I was lucky on the side effects not being to bad as they were for some others but as far as ever recommending depo-provera to someone else I couldn't do it with a clear conscience. It seems to make a lot of people have mood issues even if they are normally pretty stable.

Hey :-)

I've been on the injection for 2 years now starting at 14 because I was diagnosed with Endometriosis and obviously no periods means lowering of pain which I thought was the best thing! But since i've been on it I haven't been able to sleep properly and I can't stay asleep for more than 3-4 hours. I'm only 16 so I still have to get up early for school then go to work which is hard on not alot of sleep, also I get constant spotting and bleed after sex, terrible headaches, I also suffer from Bipolar Disorder so it really hasn't helped with that. I am currently still on the injection because I really don't know what else will work with the Endo pain. So guys, what do you think I should do?

I asked the nurse at the Youth Sexual Health Clinic and she suggested to stay on it despite the side effects I am having just for the cure of the pain, but i'm not all that sure it is worth screwing everything else up just to help one thing.

Thanks :-)
Kristen

This should be banned from the market. Those that I know of who have had a "good" experience with depo are far outnumbered by those I know, myself included, who have had very negative responses. I took my first dose in July 2005 when I was 21. When I took it I was warned that there may be "slight weight gain" which I had also been warned about being on the pill. I never gained a pound on the pill, so I figured that if the price to pay for birth control would be the gain of 5 lbs or so, I was cool with that. Within a month I had gained 15 lbs and found myself very tired. My sex drive went from 2-3 times a day to nothing and sex was becoming painful. I went in for a followup in October and for my next injection. I saw the doctor before the injection and told her about the weight gain, the tiredness, and the lack of libido. She assured me it was probably just due to the "Shock" of the shot on my system and told me to try another round. After round 2 I gained more weight and my periods disappeared. All told I gained 50 lbs. I went from being an active young 20 something to sleeping most of the day, depressed and had zero sex drive. I went back in 4 month later and requested to be put back on the pill. My marriage became incredibly strained due to the lack of sex. I have seen several physicians and all have told me different reasons as to my weight gain and my inability to lose weight, as well as my complete absence of libido. Now, 5 years later, I am still carrying the weight. I have tried diets, exercise, yoga, anything and everything and cannot lose weight and I still have no sex drive. I personally know of 3 others who have had the same side effects. This drug should be banned and there needs to be more research into how to reverse the negative side effects caused by it.

this shot is poison..i got my first shot in june 2010..i spotted for a little bit over the next week..but after tht my period all together stoped so ithought everything was ok..until i got a yest infection and didnt knw until iwent in for a check up..igot some meds tht ihad to take for two weeks and i was ok.but then the next thing i knew it came righ back and to date istill have one..im afraid o even have sex the smell is so bad...never USE DEPO!!!!!!

i took the Depo in november 2002 when my one and only daughter was 6 months old.. I took it cause i wasn't ready for another baby at the time.. i was 17 years old.. the thought of no period to a 17 year old well.. whoo hoo.. except it made me bleed for the whole 3 months i was on it.. not heavy and i got a day or two off here and there from it.. so.. i never took it again.. hated it.. wasn't chanceing bleeding for another 3 months.. well. my daughter is 8 years old now.. which brings me to 25 years old.. i've been trying for another baby for the past.. 5 years give or take.. my periods are all over the place.. i've been going on birth control (the pill) to bring them back in hopes it will help me get pregnate once i am off.. well. nope nothing.. my period are light and very rarly there. i lost it once for 6 months and currently on a no period time.. finished 0ct 7th 2010 and well haven't seen it since.. seen a doctor.. said i had signs of PCOS.. read earlier that another had that after the shot too.. anyways.. im writing this in hopes for some answers.. is there anything i can do if i can't ever have any more children? which i REALLY would love to do.. and is there anyone who has been in my shoes and came out on top. felt like her child baring days has come to an end but then she had the blessing of having another little baby??
any insite of hope would be great.. this is bugging me so much.. i see my friends and family and all there babies.. i see people having babies who doesn't really deserve too.. it depresses me.. all i want is alittle hope from someone who knows what i am going through.. no one seems to understand how i feel..

I had the chance to adopt my friends baby.. my boyfriend (who is not my daughter dad) wants his own before ever concidering adpotion.. says once we know for sure u can't have any then we will look into it.. broke me heart to turn her down.. to see her go else where..

I actually really enjoy depo, I'm not sexually active at this point, but I've had no problems whatsoever really with depo, other than my forehead seems to break out a little more easily, but a medicated over-the-counter face wash or scrub or a gentle facial cleanser will clear it up and I only had one break-out right after my second shot, just a few pimples and they weren't very visible except to me, since it's my face. I've used birth control pills for 2 years to stop my periods, I took Ocella (generic Yasmin) which is a modern low-dose pill, you can skip periods using birth control pills (most brands will allow this, especially newer low-dose since when taken normally it actually gets rid of pms and hormonal problems, depending on the brand since there's different brands and formulations, some will work great for you some not as much) by taking the first 21 pills in the pack only, just skip the last week and no periods, no pms, you feel awesome. When on contraceptives the way I do it I have less headaches, don't have to shave my legs, pits or bikini section as often, no periods, no pms. The only issue is I forgot the take the Ocella since I was a still a kid and irresponsible, so I had breakthrough periods and the cramping is super bad with them, I hated my periods prior to Ocella because I bled so heavy I had to use the super jumbo tampons, and change them every 2 hours (nightmare!) even though there was literally no cramping or bleeding, water retention or bloating and usually no clots at all, I actually would bleed for as long as a month or whatever and became anemic alot and my cycles were regular, just incredibly heavy bleeding that often would last 5-7 days but often I'd bleed for two months time, except that ocassional month stint, I had to use special pads that were a month thick when I ran out of those big ass tampons, I bled through the pads in an hour .
It aggravated my bipolar disorder with my mood cycles. Since starting depo I'll say I like it ALOT, I went off of Ocella over the summer due to not feeling like having to take a pill everyday and I wasn't having sex so it made it seem less important, I just delt with my periods and I wasn't in class so I could change a pad or tampon when needed, and bought a latex diaphragm to catch the blood (they have more than one use). I actually gained a few pounds and went from 5'9 and 115 pounds to 5'9 and 130 pounds when no longer on birth control pills.
Had a few friends who used depo to stop their periods since you'll be amazed how convenient it is, and you save money by not needing to buy tampons/pads or midol, it's great when traveling or sports/swimming, or for those who are busy, you don't have to carry a pad or tampon or worry about getting your period at the wrong time.
For those who have sex, that's another blessing. I got my first shot, immediately shed 10 pounds (was 135 at that time, which seems tiny to most, but I've never weighed more than 123 in my life so it was different) and then another five, I'm 119 or 118 right now, so as far as getting fat and like a whale on depo, never had that.
Actually had some loss of appetite. No hair loss, other than my hair seems to grow faster than on Ocella. My period stopped within 24 hours of my first depo injection since you're supposed to take it on your period, have not had one since but 2 very light spotting incidences, they were so light I didn't need a panty liner and well after my second shot, literally no spotting.
Actually, my depression and mood cycles have vanished alot on depo, which is awesome! As for those gaining weight on depo, I heard it increases your appetite, so don't eat so damn much. Secondly, depo is basically a large injected amount of progesterone, in the US it's 40-60 dollars a vial in the state I live in, health insurance covers it, you take it every 3-4 months depending on why you take it. Women who have such nasty side-effects should bear in mind progesterone is present in high amounts during pregnancy, if depo made you that sick, wait until you're pregnant because you'll really lose your marble, plus add the fact pregnancy stretches your abdominal wall, gives you varicose veins and hemorrhoids, and looses your vaginal walls, not on a great extent but enough that a gynecologist can tell if you've had kids because the vaginal wall tone is different.
Women with hormonal issues or PCOS won't do well with depo, alot of these women have an undiagnosed health problem, progesterone is not a "poison" as they call it, they probably have a undiagnosed ovarian or uterine condition aggravated by the presence of a female hormone that stops ovulation and thins the endometrium (uterine lining). Women with hormone issues, weight problems, or PCOS will benefit from a birth control pill called Zovia, it helps PCOS and is used in the treatment, and I knew a few chicks who lost 5 pounds within going on it, so it helps with the weight issue.
PCOS is common and alot of women aren't even aware they have it, or estrogen imbalances. The people I know who took depo liked it, the bone loss isn't major (4-5% of density loss which isn't much) and happens with about 4 years of use, and isn't in all women. Also, their nightmare side-effects may be another health problem, since they basically never got it checked out.
Depo and other contraceptives won't alter fertility after they're stopped, one of my friends got pregnant within 2 months of stopping it, the standard wait period is 6 months to let all residue of the excess progesterone leave, if a woman is claiming she's infertile and had bad symptoms on the shot, she has a pre-existing fertility issue that isn't diagnosed, a hormone won't kill fertility permanently, it's another health condition present she hasn't had a doctor diagnose.
Anyways, Mirena is a plastic implant slipped into the uterus through the vagina after a woman takes a muscle relaxer or light sedative, it lasts 5 years and stops periods, and is 99.4 percent effective and has great reviews, much better than depo....if you or your friend you're asking for are looking to depo for stopping periods, there's always pills if you can remember, or there's nuva ring (after 3 weeks replace the ring with a new one instead of waiting another week with no ring) which is pretty well liked with a majority of women and gets good reviews, it's a tiny silicone ring worn in the vagina, from what I hear you don't feel it nor does the guy if you insert it far back enough and you reach in and pull it out.
Also, well there's depo like this forum thread is about, and mirena. Anyways, explore your options and discuss them with a physician. Alot of women with bad experiences will give biased opinions, unfortunately a vast majority of them aren't doctors, or have a health condition that isn't addressed that became more evident while using hormones to halt ovulation.
In and of itself, hormonal contraceptives reduce the risk of ovarian, uterine and endometrial cancer, does not increase risk of breast cancer, and helps with pms and things like acne...when you use the brand that's right for you.
There's the patch, ring, shot, plastic beads placed in the skin, copper IUD (paragard, non hormonal and uses copper to make sperm immobile, 99.4% effective and lasts 10 years, but may make periods heavier and longer, won't raise copper levels in your body and is very safe)
the hormonal IUD (Mirena and is 99.4-99.7% when used alone) and hundred of birth control pill brands, plus all the generics, one is no period, one is 4 periods a year, some are very light periods, some have folic acid or iron supplements, some are just regular ones and all have synthetic estrogen and progesterone to even out hormone levels in the body which in a typical female stops ovulation, also treats cysts like in PCOS and other conditions, and fibroid symptoms so there's also medical uses, one brand may suck for you, but the next is gold or diamonds. Just try out different types, i've not had any bad luck.
Birth control pills vary from 86% to 99% (99 is max effectiveness), mini-pills are 95%, effectiveness with a pill varies on if you miss pills, how long you take it, when you started (during period or not), if you take anti-convulsant medications since some brands may effect the pill effectiveness. Low-dose pills are flexible in dosing and if you miss a pill and don't carry the side effects of high dose, high-dose are no longer available in the U.S. so you don't have to take them at the exact same time, but within a 3-4 hour time window or something reasonable, you'll have max effectiveness if you take your pill each day, if you miss one follow brand instructions which is take the missed pill as soon as possible and use a condom for the next 24 hours. Anyways, if you use a hormonal contraceptive properly and responsibly, pregnancy should be something on the back of your mind, especially if paired with a spermicide film, gel or foam or a barrier method like a condom, cervical cap, female condom or diaphragm, I always say double a hormonal contraceptive with a barrier or spermicide, I grew up around women who did this, they never had a surprise or unexpected pregnancy and this is how I learned proper sex ed, plus annual pap smears, monogamy and hiv/std tests.
Anyways, anyone who uses contraceptives or considers them, especially if sexually active should be well informed, abstinence fails since sex happens and everyone does it....if we taught contraceptive use better, we'd have less teen pregnancies and people pooping out mistake babies.
Anyways, hopes this helps.

My first Depro shot was January 10', I have fibroids, the bleeding and pain was so bad at times I couldn't stand up. I play a lot a of sports, have had many broken bones, and I work as a fire fighter, so when I say it was bad, please don't think I'm complaining about some mild cramping. I had clot discharges that were over 5" long and thick (I know gross), they hurt so bad I thought I was going to pass out. My PCP put me on the Depro and the bleeding stopped along with my period (after the second shot). I gained thirty pounds in nine months, I became depressed, I had no libido, I literally became a different person. I could barely get up in the morning. My last shot was July 10', it's currently March 11', I just got my period, if you want to call it that, it's all dark and weird and the two weeks leading up to it were filled with bloating like you read about, it's like my body is fighting to get back to itself. I actually feel like going for a run, I haven't wanted to go for a run for 18 months! yesterday I did a little research on this horrific drug, it's the exact same drug they give to men to chemically castrate them! You ladies that are on here and have not stopped putting this drug in your system need to do some research, lots of countries are considering banning the stuff. Some of you who state you've been on it for FOUR years need to read the manufacturers warning about not being on it for more than TWO years at the MOST. Google what happens to babies exposed to the stuff. No joke it is poison, and just because you haven't felt the effects does not mean your body hasn't already been damaged. Do yourself a favor and instead of letting your doctor tell you lots of folks use it with no side effects, talk to your friends who have been on it for any length of time ,read up, seriously get this poison out of your body. PS it may also cause cancer, just a little bonus to the depression, loss of libido, and osteoporosis.

At first i thought the Depo would be a great form of birth control, one shot every 3 months sounded pretty good to me. Unfortunately i learned the hard way. Since  i been on the depo-provera i have had heavy bleeding, migraines every single day, and now i am starting to notice a big hair loss. I just run my hands thru my hair and a whole chunk falls off ! It has me so scared, being that im only 20 years old, losing my hair is devastating. I hope it doesnt continue like this once the depo is out of my system. To anyone considering to get this, please dont. Its no good.

depo isnt really ment to be taken more than two yrs because it serverly decreases ur ability to have children because the lack of having a real period and once ur body becomes accustomed to that even off the shot ur cycle will continue not to happen..this can be permenent...for some women there are many side affects of weight gain and or loss painfull breast growth headaches fatigue forgetfulness...loss and or increased libido i myself am on the shot i have put fourteen lbs painful breast growth and morning sickness but not pregnant hot and cold flashes but in compariosn to what the patch and pill did thats nothing the patch releases way to much progesteron which causes extreme fatigue fainting massive blood clots during periods dry mouth and insomnoa the patch landed me n the hospital...all b/c have extreme side effects but in comparison to the iud patch n pills its not as bad..we has women need to releaize taking this products with artifical progesteron will cause and negitve impact on our body being that we have no idea what percentage our bodies are naturally producing progesteron and estrogen

You cannot have intercourse soon after DEPO and you must wait 1 month for any type of contraception. I too am seeing a lot of negative side effectes after just 1 shot and have decided to stop it. I just hope its not too late. I hate this drug. I am losing a lot of hair because of it.

I just got my first shot about a month ago and everybody has told me that I am very Moody and I have not had acne so bad since I started the pill 4 years ago. I would rather have the pill after everything. It doesn't give u a 3 month long period

Nuvo Ring gave me & 4 of my friends HPV which all lead to use having cervical cancer by age 23 we started the ring at 16. I am having the smae problems on my depo shot...I think my 2nd injection will be my last.

thanks for informing me about the injection after i stoped taking it i had a lot of back pains lack of sexual appitite amongst other thngs thanks for informing me about it

Alright, after reading many of the replies on this, I've decided to share my horror story of the depo. Granted, it takes some explanation. When I first tried the depo shot, I was 17. I had just figured out from my doctor that I cannot take estrogen; I have migraines with aura, and estrogen can cause me to have a stroke. I was using nuva ring at this time. I had tried the monthly pills before this, and also the seasoniqe pills. While I found out that I couldn't use the nuva ring because it contains estrogen, I very much enjoyed this method. It was easy, simple, and had a low dose of hormones that was continuous. And you could stop it anytime you wanted. I went in for the depo as a last resort. I had heard of implanon, but it is expensive, and I'm 17 at this time. I had moved out when I turned 18, so forking 400$ out was not possible as a new young adult. I did qualify, and still do qualify to have IUDs because I cannot take estrogen, but I don't like the fact that they can cause irreversible scare tissue. I used the depo for six months, 2 shots. I had a continuous heavy period, I lost a lot of weight, mood swings that make PMS look like Sunday school, and a very strange increase in sex drive. (I only wanted sex when I was angry...strange.) The weight loss was scary. I lost almost 50 lbs in 6 months. I went from 148 down to less than 100. I only ever gained back 20 lbs. I still miss how curvy I was. I stopped after the second shot. My boyfriend at the time had broken up with me, so there was no real need to stay on birth control, and after that, I was okay with condoms. But it doesn't end there. After the depo, I had no real side effects pop up. I went to college, condoms worked as far as I was concerned, and there were only a few times I had an accident, and had to go for plan B. Then I had a pregnancy scare. My period was late almost 14 days. I'm 21 now. I am now living with my boyfriend, and have noticed a certain sensitivity to condoms. I also have kidney problems...I'm waiting on a surgery, and I am told by my urologist that getting pregnant could possibly mean my death, and a definite emergency abortion. I've already almost died from my kidney problems, so getting pregnant before this surgery (that I'm still jumping through hoops to get) is not on my agenda with a full time job. So I'm stuck in the same depo boat. I can't take the non-estrogen pills. Even if I don't forget, I'm constantly taking antibiotics for kidney infections. I can't stop these kidney infections, I have a malformed ureter. I thought about getting my tubes tied, but no doctor really wants to talk about that. It's not always reversible. I do want to have kids one day. So I went back in for the depo, the lesser of several evils. I got it again 2 weeks ago, and I have to say, it has been much better than the first time. The first time I started it, I was already on my period, and that period didn't stop for six months. The same strange libido is back... I am far more irritable. My appetite has gone down. I hope I don't lose any weight this time, it's hard to keep weight on with my kidney problem enough as it is... I'm a size 2. I used to be a very comfortable size 9. I know nobody likes to hear the skinny girl complain about how skinny she is, but something you need to know about losing weight is that your boobs and buttshape are the first to go. I loved my curves. Hopefully I gain some curves back on the depo. I'm too boney. Anyways, long story short, not everyone has a plethora of birth controls and methods to choose from. The last time I used a completely normal condom, I had an allergic reaction that I had to take benadryl for. And the pull-out method works, as long as you both know what you're doing. But, I was in college, and I DO NOT recommend using this method in single-life status. Only with long-term guys who either donate blood or have been tested for std's. I actually liked not being on birth control while I was single in college, because once you say that, almost every college boy who was so against using condoms start to reach for one at that point. So, sometimes not being on Birth control can be a good thing. If I could choose my birth control, I would go for the Nuva ring again. It's got pretty much most of the benefits of the depo. You don't have to remember to take a pill everyday and stuff. If I could afford it, I would try the implanon. If I didn't want kids, I would get my tubes tied. I only use depo because at this point, I'm a little out of options. Hope that helps someone out in their decision-making.

I'v been on depo for about 4 years and just want to give out some pointers about this shot. Okay first, the Depo itself does not make you gain weight. What happens is depo tricks your body into thinking you are hungry for longer than you really are, so people tend to over eat. For example someone off depo might take 15-20 minutes of eating to feel full, and on depo it takes like 30-45 minutes. So to prevent weight gain, eat about a fist size amount of food then wait 20 minutes to see if you are really still hungry. I started on depo when I was 145lbs. I got up to 175lbs last year while on depo. I always thought that it was just the depo shot itself making me gain weight when it was just a side effect I could control. so when my birth control doctor told me about that I started only eating part of my plate, then waiting 20 min to see if I was still hungry and just by controlling the amounts of food I took I am now down to 132lbs. Also, if you are going to try it don't give up after you have had one shot. It takes time for your body to get used to it I recommend 3 shots before it starts working really good. I have been on depo for 4 years and love it. It isnt right for everyone, but for some people it definitely is. Oh, and try getting the lower dose for the first year(usually goes in tummy) or so, then if you are spotting move up to the higher dose(goes in butt or arm). I think alot of people new to depo get the high dose first and their body is really shocked and thats when bad side effects happen. Starting with the low dose and going up will make it easier for your body to adjust to the medicine. Hope I helped someone!