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. The G.P never informed me these were side effects so I continued with the Depo unaware it was the cause for. On a friends advice '06 I Googled Depo side effects, what I found was shocking. If your on Depo, 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 terrible hot flashes in the night & wake up saturated in sweat in the groin area, I have sore nipples now. Stomach pain has ceased and still losing weight mind. Do your research, DON'T rely on your G.P to tell you, they don't seem to know.
i'm 24 and just found out i have osteoporosis. i've been useing depo since i was 17. all the FNP who gave it to me said was it could cause a blod clot in the leg but since you are 17 and don't smoke your risk of getting it is about 10%. after the first injection i read the paper inside the box it came and it said there is a possiblity of major bone loss in the first two years of use. so i called and made an apoment with the FNP who gave it to me and told her my concerns since my grandmother has osteoprosis and i am lactose introlorant. all she said was that was a rare side effect that the company has to report, like say some one died from it. well 4 years into is when the black box waring came out and was told by a new FNP " it could cause osteoporosis and not to be used for more then 2 years but i decided to stay on it. well i was just recently switched to the new pills seasonal and had severe mood swings, lost my hair and chronic yeast infects from being defincent in vitamen b which when i was given it, i was never told that i would need to increse my b intake.
i begged a doctor to ask for a bone scan and glad i did. my mother still wants me to continue with depo.
i begged a doctor to ask for a bone scan and glad i did. my mother still wants me to continue with depo.
Depo causes a loss of bone density in young women. I'm 34 yrs old and I'm now diagnosed with Osteoporosis after 6 yrs of depo...get off of it if you want to save your bones later in life.
Hi..I hope this post is still active..I've been on depo since I was 16 I am now 21 (so 5 years). I have endometriosis and my body rejects estrogen so its the only form of b.c. I can take. :-( I practically beg my doctor for depo because right when its about time for an injection or if I miss my injections I am in serious pain where I can't walk, I vomit, gain about 15 pounds, and I have memory loss and about a whole week is very vague. Without the shot my life would be unbearable..however after these 5 years I noticed recently I wanted to be tested for rheumatoid arthritis because the bones in my hands are starting to look weird and I can barely write and it hurts to walk (my back is in tons of pain but I figured its my scoleosis). What should I do ? Without the depo I go to the e.r. Every month and morphine doesn't even help the pain anymore but if I stay on it ill get osteoporosis ?? They told me it only causes slight bone density loss. Ugh this is so tough.
Hi..I hope this post is still active..I've been on depo since I was 16 I am now 21 (so 5 years). I have endometriosis and my body rejects estrogen so its the only form of b.c. I can take. :-( I practically beg my doctor for depo because right when its about time for an injection or if I miss my injections I am in serious pain where I can't walk, I vomit, gain about 15 pounds, and I have memory loss and about a whole week is very vague. Without the shot my life would be unbearable..however after these 5 years I noticed recently I wanted to be tested for rheumatoid arthritis because the bones in my hands are starting to look weird and I can barely write and it hurts to walk (my back is in tons of pain but I figured its my scoleosis). What should I do ? Without the depo I go to the e.r. Every month and morphine doesn't even help the pain anymore but if I stay on it ill get osteoporosis ?? They told me it only causes slight bone density loss. Ugh this is so tough. My mom and doctor want me off but that's like a death sentence if people experienced this.
I am 23 and I too have osteoporosis. It isn't curable, but being strong and doing things to prevent it from worsening helps. Like quitting smoking (which I've yet to have done), drinking. Starting to drink more milk, working out, and eating a well balanced diet. What strikes me the most is I was aware of the side effects of Depo and I still took it. I felt the pros outweighed the cons. The main Pro that made me go with depo was the responsibility factor. I tried taking the pill but found it hard for me to take it every day. I was ignorant enough to think this wouldn't happen to me. But its like smoking/drinking/drugs, People know the dangers of it, and they continue to do it for some reason. I am now afraid to take any other BC because with this luck i'll probably have a stroke or blood clot. Also, you shouldn't smoke on any other BC except Depo...I think we all need to think more about what we are putting into our bodies. I always read up about every medication I have to take, and it freaks me out the side effects, because there are so many for every little thing. But its always better to know and to try not to be ignorant about it.
I am 21 years old and I have been on the depo shot for 4 years. I have been having lots of pain everywhere it hurts to get up and walk my feet and legs kill me everyday and my back my arms hurt if someone presses on them and i can not walk long periods. My fingers are starting to disform due to arthritis and my hands are very weak and often hurt. I am been in great health prior to the depo. I went to multiple doctors rheumatoligist, neurologist, pain management dr's and no one could find what was wrong with me so i was reffered to a university clinic i went to mayo university clinic in jacksonville fl and found out i have rhuematoid arthritis, fibromayalgia, and osteoporosis in my hips and my back. i had extensive blood work, xrays of my back, feet, hands, and hips. Mris of my hand and pelvis. And none of this runs in my family I am 100% sure it is due to the depo shot i have just recently stoped it and am hoping i will get better and be able to stop the multiple medications i now have to take. I loved the depo it was perfect but not at this cost and i just wish someone even one of my multiple doctors would have informed me. Now i am stuck with very expensive doctor bills even though i had insurance it still adds up and fast. I would say to anyone considering depo please please think twice and dont alway believe what your doctor says believe it or not they don't know everything. Anyone on depo i suggest you have a bone density test done number one for sure that will show osteoporosis if ou have it and then maybe even a mri which will show inflamation which is a very key point in a problem. I am currently looking for a new birth control but am not sure what to go with but i know im staying far away from the depo. I hope this helped someone.
I was on Depo for about 10 yrs. (age 16-26) My doctor kept telling me to take the bone density tests and I kept putting it off. I knew that I had low calcium in my body. So the chances of me having bone loss were pretty high. I finally took the test and it came out positive. My doctor took me off Depo. I've tried pills, but can't seem to take them everyday. I didn't get my period the whole time and for about a year after getting off of Depo. A year after that, I got pregnant. I am 30 and my child is now one and I'm having another baby. So, YES, you can get pregnant after being on Depo. I want to go back on Depo because it was the only Birth Control that I was able to stay on and keep track off, plus no period to deal with. It' didn't affect me in any other way. Maybe if I take calcium pills or something, I can go back on it. If you're dealing with bone loss and want to stay one it, try adding some Vitamin D or Calium to your diet.
I am 35 years old and have now been on depo-provera for 15 years. I have had osteoperosis now for about 6 years. I don't take DP for it's bith control properties, I take it because I can't live without it. My life was hell before DP. I won't go into long details but I can't live a normal life without it. I did well on DP for ten years(my only complaint was a loss in libido) however, for the last 5 years i have had the following side effects: osteoperosis, weight gain, depression and COMPLETE loss of libido to name a few.( no wonder it's such a good birth control!) I am now waiting to see a hormone specialist (6 month waiting list) Te best I can hope for is a full hysterectomy. My family doctor keeps telling me I don't want a hysterectomy but I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I used to be very active- physically demanding job, riding my bike to work and doing a 3 hour workout every other day. Now I can't even ride a bike or do heavy lifting. I broke my tailbone 5 years ago and I havn't been the same since. This is causing a lot of depression, I am menopausal from the DP so I have very little energy or motivation, terrible hot flashes and night sweats. I had to leave my job as a chef because it was an average of 42 degrees in the kitchen and I was suffering from heat stroke every time i went to work. I hope i am not turned down for a hysterectomy, but i still don't have all the facts and i get a lot of conflicting info on-line. Does anyone know anyone else who has been on DP for as long as I have?
I'm curious... of all the people that have posted here, only one person has said that she used to be active.
Regular weight bearing exercise coupled with calcium and vitamin D supplements are effective in stimulating bone growth. But I wonder, before people complain about developing osteoporosis, how many people have actually developed it after doing these things to prevent it?
I am in no way attacking anyone. Words cannot express how wrong it is for the doctor not to tell you this major risk, but it seems that some people on here carried on with the drug knowing this?
I just want to know how affective these measures are at preventing it.
Regular weight bearing exercise coupled with calcium and vitamin D supplements are effective in stimulating bone growth. But I wonder, before people complain about developing osteoporosis, how many people have actually developed it after doing these things to prevent it?
I am in no way attacking anyone. Words cannot express how wrong it is for the doctor not to tell you this major risk, but it seems that some people on here carried on with the drug knowing this?
I just want to know how affective these measures are at preventing it.
I have been on depo for three years now and the only problem i have had with it is terrible mood swings towards the end of the three month period, which i have managed to control with evening primrose. When i first went on it i read the pamphlet and saw all the side effects that it could cause, the main one i was concerned about was osteoporosis because i have a family history of it. My doctor told me to increase my calcium intake and to do weight bearing exercises and i did. By doing this i have not experienced any for of osteoporosis and my bone density scans have come back normal. What I am trying to say is that it's your body and your responsibility and it shouldn't be up to anyone else to make sure that you do all the things you can to help and stop the side effects of the depo.
I just wanted to add that when i started depo 15 years ago, many of the side effects were listed as "rare" or not yet known. it was not yet approved in Canada and i had to sighn a waiver stating that i would not sue if i experienced any serious side effects. the long term side effects were not yet known and i was told it was safe. i didn't even want depo- i wanted a hysterectomy but because i was only 20 at the time the doctor said they wouldn't do it because they thought i might change my mind someday about having children. i insisted i was sure i never wanted children but they dismissed my wishes. now, at 36 years old, i finally have an appointment to see a surgeon about that. they should have just done it in the first place.(just for the record if you did not read my original post, i have endometriosis.) i certainly agree that your health is your own responsibility, but what do you do when 3 different doctors don't think you are capable of making your own decisions? i went and saw a specialist behind my doctor's back and against his advice, but i'm finally getting what i wanted all along. it only took 15 years.
I have been on Depo Provera for 12 years. I think it is a absolutely wonderful!!! It cured all the bad female problems I was having. I used to have chronic bladder and yeast infections. I had horrible periods with bad PMS. Within 30 days of my first Depo shot, all the bad things went away and my periods went with them. I have had 12 wonderful years without my life being ruled by my periods and PMS. I will NEVER quit taking Depo! A year ago, my doctor sent me out for a bone scan and my bone denisty was better than the comparison subject. Im 45 years old and I have the bones of a 20 year old!
Melissa
I am 42 years old and I believe I have been on the depo for about 7 years (at 35 dr took me off the pill cause I was a smoker). I have for the most part loved it. I haven't had my period for probably that long also, which is why I love it. I don't like the depo cause I have zero sex drive. Real bad the last 2-3 years. What has been scaring me is the severe (and I am saying severe) loss of memory. I'll be lucky if I remember that I am typing this. I had no idea that this was a side effect and only read it today in a news bit. For the past year, my memory has been slipping so bad, that I have some friends that were very concerned. It is by far more than a forgetfulness. I have scheduled a Dr appt and I don't care if they take my insides out, just as long as I don't have to live in misery with a period and I get my memory and sex drive back.
I am 30yrs old and have been on depo for 10yrs. I have followed all the rules/suggestions to prevent osteoporosis; doing marathons, triathlons, weight training clases in addition to all the good healthy eating habits and high calcium dairy, and most importantly the vitamins/calcium. Even with this, just yesterday i was diagnosed with osteoporosis. I have been refered to an endocronologist for further tests, and will no longer get a depo shot. The reason i was getting the depo shot is because it was the only thing that cured my crazy periods. I am the type that will have nausea, fever, crazy cramps and even pass out during menstrual periods, depo cured it all. Lately however, my bones ache, i have extreme back/neck/writs/knee pain and starting to get memory loss. who knows what else is going on inside my body, only the additional tests will tell. Anyway, i dont think it would've mattered how much i tried to prevent it, using depo still gave me osteoporosis.