heres some things for all of you, clearly all of your doctors made one HUGE mistake, they didn't give you the information sheet on it to read before you get the shot. Most doctors are trained to explain fully to you what the shot does and side effects, and also to give you an information sheet. Most questions on here are explained by the information sheet that my doctor gave me, yet some questions of mine still go un-answered.
Side Effects
70% of women using Depo Provera gain weight. Almost half of the women using Depo Provera gain more than 5 pounds after one year of use. Many women gain more than 10 pounds.
Irregular, heavy, or no bleeding are common side effects of Depo Provera. After a year of use, many women stop having periods. Lack of a period becomes increasingly common with longer use.
Other side effects of Depo Provera can include headaches, nervousness, mood changes, bloating, hot flashes, decreased interest in sex, breast tenderness, acne, hair loss, and back ache.
After the last shot of Depo Provera, it can take over 6 months for the drug to leave the body. Side effects may linger until the drug is completely gone.
Side Effects
70% of women using Depo Provera gain weight. Almost half of the women using Depo Provera gain more than 5 pounds after one year of use. Many women gain more than 10 pounds.
Irregular, heavy, or no bleeding are common side effects of Depo Provera. After a year of use, many women stop having periods. Lack of a period becomes increasingly common with longer use.
Other side effects of Depo Provera can include headaches, nervousness, mood changes, bloating, hot flashes, decreased interest in sex, breast tenderness, acne, hair loss, and back ache.
After the last shot of Depo Provera, it can take over 6 months for the drug to leave the body. Side effects may linger until the drug is completely gone.
i just read through all 9 pages of this and i'm starting to wonder why it's still on the market. i got the shot after i had my son and i too kept bleeding. i contacted my doctor and she told me that it was because of the shot, but i simply thought that the shot acted that way because i'd just had a baby. about 3 months later, the bleeding stopped and all was well.
money dried up after i'd had about 2 or 3 more shots so i stopped taking it. when my cycle started back up it was more regular than it had been in my life AND it was only lasting about 2 days (YAY!) after a few scares, i decided to go back on the shot.
it had done well for me but i haven't had it in 8 months (i'm thinking about ttc) and suddenly my period won't stop. it came and lasted for a week. my boyfriend and i had sex, but now my cycle is back with avengance a week after it first stopped.
even though so far my side effects haven't been as bad as many of the women here, i'm uncontrollably bleeding now, just like i was the first time around and i'm NOT HAPPY. i agree with everyone else that said that the doctors are too quick to give this to us and they may even say "excessive bleeding" (which neither of my doctors ever said to me) but if they told me that there was a chance that i could bleed like a stuck pig for months on end, i'd think long and hard about this. yet, they never mention it. they're so quick to give it to women, in hopes that it'll stop their bleeding, yet they seem to somehow miss the other side of the coin which says that it can make you bleed way worse.
i hate to take away something that works for so many women, but i get the feeling that there are far more women complaining about this than the drug companies and the doctors are telling us, so this needs to be taken off of the market. a few lawyers are even thinking of suing. i've looked at sites and i've read about women being sterile and they're blaming this shot. some women have complained of their relationships falling apart because they have no libido on the few days that they aren't bleeding. i'm not going to say that i regret ever taking the shot, but if i'd known that i stood a good chance of bleeding excessively for an extended amount of time, i don't think i'd have been so quick to take it. it makes no sense that i got the shot 8 months ago but now i'm feeling the affect. the problem is that when a woman hears "excessive bleeding" it isn't really explained. sorry to have to dumb it down, but why not just say "heavy period bleeding that can last months on end"? i'd be willing to bet that more women would avoid this medication if the side effects listed that instead of "excessive bleeding." it should also be explained that just because the shot has worn off doesn't mean that you can't have side effects. i'd also be quite interested to see an ACTUAL number of compaints that the drug companies have received on this, because one site that i looked at claimed that they haven't had ANY complaints on it. hmm... i just read 9 pages of complaints here.
yes, some women take this thing and love it (and i too was once one of them) but after my experience the second time around, i suggest that until a woman has fully gone off of it and restarted her cycle with no problems, she shouldn't think she's out of the woods. by the way, if men had the same type of horrible side effects that women are having (what kind of birth control makes it so you can't have sex?!) they'd take it off the market. imagine if men started having something comprable from viagra. sorry for the long rant.
money dried up after i'd had about 2 or 3 more shots so i stopped taking it. when my cycle started back up it was more regular than it had been in my life AND it was only lasting about 2 days (YAY!) after a few scares, i decided to go back on the shot.
it had done well for me but i haven't had it in 8 months (i'm thinking about ttc) and suddenly my period won't stop. it came and lasted for a week. my boyfriend and i had sex, but now my cycle is back with avengance a week after it first stopped.
even though so far my side effects haven't been as bad as many of the women here, i'm uncontrollably bleeding now, just like i was the first time around and i'm NOT HAPPY. i agree with everyone else that said that the doctors are too quick to give this to us and they may even say "excessive bleeding" (which neither of my doctors ever said to me) but if they told me that there was a chance that i could bleed like a stuck pig for months on end, i'd think long and hard about this. yet, they never mention it. they're so quick to give it to women, in hopes that it'll stop their bleeding, yet they seem to somehow miss the other side of the coin which says that it can make you bleed way worse.
i hate to take away something that works for so many women, but i get the feeling that there are far more women complaining about this than the drug companies and the doctors are telling us, so this needs to be taken off of the market. a few lawyers are even thinking of suing. i've looked at sites and i've read about women being sterile and they're blaming this shot. some women have complained of their relationships falling apart because they have no libido on the few days that they aren't bleeding. i'm not going to say that i regret ever taking the shot, but if i'd known that i stood a good chance of bleeding excessively for an extended amount of time, i don't think i'd have been so quick to take it. it makes no sense that i got the shot 8 months ago but now i'm feeling the affect. the problem is that when a woman hears "excessive bleeding" it isn't really explained. sorry to have to dumb it down, but why not just say "heavy period bleeding that can last months on end"? i'd be willing to bet that more women would avoid this medication if the side effects listed that instead of "excessive bleeding." it should also be explained that just because the shot has worn off doesn't mean that you can't have side effects. i'd also be quite interested to see an ACTUAL number of compaints that the drug companies have received on this, because one site that i looked at claimed that they haven't had ANY complaints on it. hmm... i just read 9 pages of complaints here.
yes, some women take this thing and love it (and i too was once one of them) but after my experience the second time around, i suggest that until a woman has fully gone off of it and restarted her cycle with no problems, she shouldn't think she's out of the woods. by the way, if men had the same type of horrible side effects that women are having (what kind of birth control makes it so you can't have sex?!) they'd take it off the market. imagine if men started having something comprable from viagra. sorry for the long rant.
hi all,
i was on depo, i had my first injection september 2009 and then my next in november (the sixteenth)
i had no bleeding at all during my first injection except on november the 14th i came on my period, and was told to get my new dose of depo early to cut my period short,
well, i was mistaken because ever since i have been bleeding. i was due for my next injection February but didn't get it, because i was still bleeding, and didn't want to keep a hormone in my body that kept me bleeding,
Ive been to the doctors numerous times, first they game me methanic acid (spelling is incorrect) which was used to pain, which i wasn't experiencing, then i went to the doctor who went on Google to look up my symptoms and prescribed me tranamic acid (spelling also incorrect) which lightened the bleeding but didn't stop it and a blood test to see if it was making me anemic (results were fine), and other drs Ive visited have said just wait it out without giving me any time frames on how long i have to go through this nightmare, my partner is concerned, the bleeding seems to be on a constant cycle, with bright bleeding then within a week getting darker, then becoming bright again,
Ive gained weight, Ive become self conscious, im skint because i have to keep buying 'ladies things' and its really getting to me,
well there is my depo story, if anyone has any advice please any would be amazing, im 24 and nearing the end of my thread,
thanks
i was on depo, i had my first injection september 2009 and then my next in november (the sixteenth)
i had no bleeding at all during my first injection except on november the 14th i came on my period, and was told to get my new dose of depo early to cut my period short,
well, i was mistaken because ever since i have been bleeding. i was due for my next injection February but didn't get it, because i was still bleeding, and didn't want to keep a hormone in my body that kept me bleeding,
Ive been to the doctors numerous times, first they game me methanic acid (spelling is incorrect) which was used to pain, which i wasn't experiencing, then i went to the doctor who went on Google to look up my symptoms and prescribed me tranamic acid (spelling also incorrect) which lightened the bleeding but didn't stop it and a blood test to see if it was making me anemic (results were fine), and other drs Ive visited have said just wait it out without giving me any time frames on how long i have to go through this nightmare, my partner is concerned, the bleeding seems to be on a constant cycle, with bright bleeding then within a week getting darker, then becoming bright again,
Ive gained weight, Ive become self conscious, im skint because i have to keep buying 'ladies things' and its really getting to me,
well there is my depo story, if anyone has any advice please any would be amazing, im 24 and nearing the end of my thread,
thanks
i put a post up a month ago. Not to alarm anyone else but i've been sick since the injection. My flu wont seem to go away.
After i complained to my doctor bout this. she put me on Provera 5mg for 5 days - a tablet designed to stop menstrual bleeding... That didnt work.
I went back and she advised that usually a light anti biotic would stop the bleeding and to take it for 2 weeks. So i did, for two weeks, and i was STILL BLEEDING.
I finally went back about 10 days ago. She prescribed me the pill "Yaz" to restore the estrogen in my body. after 5 days, my period has finally stopped...
I got the injection to prevent pregnancy, but now im taking the pill, which i didnt even want to do anyway. One is my contraception n the other is my "stop bleeding pill". and ofcourse, i have to take the pill for another month. Soo ive gained weight from the Depo injection and now im going to put on a bit more weight from the pill.
So for me, its been a never ending cycle of sickness, bleeding, mood swings and my constant going to the supermarket to get tampons.
After i complained to my doctor bout this. she put me on Provera 5mg for 5 days - a tablet designed to stop menstrual bleeding... That didnt work.
I went back and she advised that usually a light anti biotic would stop the bleeding and to take it for 2 weeks. So i did, for two weeks, and i was STILL BLEEDING.
I finally went back about 10 days ago. She prescribed me the pill "Yaz" to restore the estrogen in my body. after 5 days, my period has finally stopped...
I got the injection to prevent pregnancy, but now im taking the pill, which i didnt even want to do anyway. One is my contraception n the other is my "stop bleeding pill". and ofcourse, i have to take the pill for another month. Soo ive gained weight from the Depo injection and now im going to put on a bit more weight from the pill.
So for me, its been a never ending cycle of sickness, bleeding, mood swings and my constant going to the supermarket to get tampons.
i got the depo provera shot on 3/18 because i was terrible at taking my pill and didn't want to worry anymore. it's now 4/3 and i've actually lost some weight and haven't had any emotional swings. i have been spotting since the shot though - granted i spot a lot anyway, which i figured was because i was bad at taking my pill. it's annoying but appears to finally be wrapping up. i don't think this shot is the demon everyone makes it out to be, but granted everyone reacts differently. i've known many women who gain a ton of weight and cry all day from birth control. if you are putting a hormone into your body it is going to react, so be prepared. but i just want to say so far my experience has been mostly positive though i am getting tired of the spotting.
I went on Depo in June 2008. For the first three months it was bliss - no bleeding at all. From the second injection onwards, though, I bled constantly - lightly, but enough to have to wear a tampon. The doctor and nurse told me it would take up to a year to sort this out, so I continued with the injections, sometimes getting them early (on the doctor's advice) to try and stop the bleeding. I was also given medication to try and stop the bleeding, but it made it worse.
After 14 months I finally gave up and didn't get my next injection, having bled almost incessantly for 11 months. I gained two stone in that year - almost unheard of for me, as I've been the same weight since I was 18 (I'm now 33). I had weird mood swings, would burst into tears for no reason, and suffered from bad back and leg ache (owing to rapid weight gain, I imagine).
Now, I had done the research; I knew about the various possible symptoms, but no research can prepare you for the misery of living with the problems. I thought it worth a try, as many people have no problems whatsoever, and I wanted a reliable form of contraception.
Supposedly, it takes six months to a year to totally get the stuff out of your system. For the last seven months, since the last injection 'ran out', I have been getting horrific cramping every few weeks, periods on a totally random basis (I have always had regular periods before), and very odd bleeding, with lots of clots and sometimes an odd smell. I can't seem to lose much weight (until the last few weeks, I got ravenously hungry every half hour, which is absurd). On the positive side, I feel more 'myself' and haven't had any mood swings since stopping the injections, so I'm hoping it's gradually easing off and eventually all effects will disappear... It has been so helpful to read that others have the same problems and that I'm not alone in this. Thanks, all of you!
After 14 months I finally gave up and didn't get my next injection, having bled almost incessantly for 11 months. I gained two stone in that year - almost unheard of for me, as I've been the same weight since I was 18 (I'm now 33). I had weird mood swings, would burst into tears for no reason, and suffered from bad back and leg ache (owing to rapid weight gain, I imagine).
Now, I had done the research; I knew about the various possible symptoms, but no research can prepare you for the misery of living with the problems. I thought it worth a try, as many people have no problems whatsoever, and I wanted a reliable form of contraception.
Supposedly, it takes six months to a year to totally get the stuff out of your system. For the last seven months, since the last injection 'ran out', I have been getting horrific cramping every few weeks, periods on a totally random basis (I have always had regular periods before), and very odd bleeding, with lots of clots and sometimes an odd smell. I can't seem to lose much weight (until the last few weeks, I got ravenously hungry every half hour, which is absurd). On the positive side, I feel more 'myself' and haven't had any mood swings since stopping the injections, so I'm hoping it's gradually easing off and eventually all effects will disappear... It has been so helpful to read that others have the same problems and that I'm not alone in this. Thanks, all of you!
I've been on the DEPO for about 6 wks. About 2 wks ago, I started having periods... not light ones, but like real ones, but not quite as bad. I've had these periods for 2 wks straight and it's a really big pain in the butt! I hate having a period for 5-7 days... this just makes it worse. A friend told me it would tapper off over time, but it's not worth it! If I had known this would happen, I NEVER would have gone it! I only hope it eventually ends for all!
I was on the depo shot for seven years. At first I had a regular period, then no period, then spotting all the time. A friend told me to take Motrin (I can't remember the amt because this was so long ago, but I know it was high), twice a day for seven days. I was skeptical but at that time willing to try anything. It worked!! I couldn't believe it, but it actually stopped the spotting completely. Other side effects I felt were weight gain; at an average of 3lbs/year no matter how much I excercised, mood swings, and vaginal dryness, thank goodness for lube. lol.
I have been reading some of the posts on here. I went on depro in december of 08 because of fibroids on ovarian cysts. I couldn't deal with the pain. For the first time in my life (i am 40), my periods were dirupting my life and job. My doctor recommended the shot and explained everything to me in detail. The one thing that I am not seeing in any of the posts and I do not know anyone or their doctors, so I do not know everything that everyone here has been told. With the type of hormones that are used in this shot, any time you get any type of infection in your system, whether you have symptoms or not, you will bleed. After my first shot, I went four weeks without bleeding. That was the longest in over a year. I was having periods every couple of weeks. I also learned that excessiveamounts of sugar can cause bleeding on the shot. I am about 4 weeks away from my third shot. There is some break thru bleeding about like a regular period, but I know longer have the pain that I did. I chose this because I have a history of blood clots and this is the only bc that is actually recommended for women with clot history. I have been fortunate and not suffered some of the side effects that a lot of you have. I do feel your pain cause those are symptoms that I had before the shot. Just wanted to share.
i have taken depo for the past year and now 3 weeks later i am off of it. i have had abnormal bleeding still with only a week break (last week) without a period. My bleeding is stil very much abnormal and is affecting my life entirely with the cramps, bloating, and constant passing of blood clots. I have been experiencing chest pains too everytime i menstrate as i did while on depo. i dont know why my periods got worse during and after depo but its destroying my life.
I am having this same problem using the Depo without estrogen. I'm glad I read this and will never take it again. I did take my second shot hoping the bleeding would stop but it hasn't. My doctor gave me some IB Profane for the pain, but nothing to stop the bleeding, I don't know what I should do. Just wait it out I guess.... Don't use it. I am having these same problems now without estrogen. It's not worth the bone loss. I don't need birth control that forces me to abstain.
So, we shouldnt listen to you either. Ive had irregular bleeding, that is never ceasing for a month. Ive been in the ER twice for unexplained vomiting that is so consistant, i cant even work. When the majority of women explain similar problems with the exact same shot, perhaps the shot is just not good for anyone. Even though you dont feel effects now, just wait, you may never be fertile again. Sadly as the truth may be, this could be the case for many woman who use it on a long-term basis. *REMEMBER EVERYONE'S BODY TAKES TO IT DIFFERENTLY SO DONT LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES.*
My last shot finished Nov 2009, I had 3 shots total. It is now June 3rd and I have had my period constantly! I bleed for 2 weeks stop for a week and then another 2 weeks, for the past 7 months. I have spent a fortune on tampons. I told my doctor that I am trying to get pregnant and she said that my hormones are trying to sync themselves, but come on 7 months later. My sex life is deminished because of the constant bleeding.
So my chances of being pregnant are less and less.
All my doctor can say is wait a year if your not pregnant by then then they will investigate my fertility.
I wonder if there is any class action lawsuits started against this company! They sure dont tell you that u can become un-fertile. Before they poke you.
Not to mention I am 23 years old and was just diagnoses with Degenerative Disk Disease. Which usually only happens to women 60+ and from what I hear, bone issues arise from this shot.
DONT TAKE THE SHOT! IT IS NOT WORTH THE HEALTH RISKS
So my chances of being pregnant are less and less.
All my doctor can say is wait a year if your not pregnant by then then they will investigate my fertility.
I wonder if there is any class action lawsuits started against this company! They sure dont tell you that u can become un-fertile. Before they poke you.
Not to mention I am 23 years old and was just diagnoses with Degenerative Disk Disease. Which usually only happens to women 60+ and from what I hear, bone issues arise from this shot.
DONT TAKE THE SHOT! IT IS NOT WORTH THE HEALTH RISKS
Where was this site before i got the shot. DP is terrible i got it June 3rd and i've been bleeding since. I am dying to have sex w. my bf and i cant bc of this. I have diarrhea and cramps hot flashes heavy and light periods loss of appetite and i can only imagine whats next. before this shot i was on yaz. I had my period for 4 days tops on yaz and now im suffering. We're nothing but lab rats and i fell for it.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS SHOT TO ANY FEMALE. I got on it to gain weight and it is not helping me.
ladies fat and skinny, be happy the way you are. Don't let this shot fool you like it did me. Even if it reacts differently with people your doc should know you enough to say yes or no that you should be on it. :$
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS SHOT TO ANY FEMALE. I got on it to gain weight and it is not helping me.
ladies fat and skinny, be happy the way you are. Don't let this shot fool you like it did me. Even if it reacts differently with people your doc should know you enough to say yes or no that you should be on it. :$
well hi all, i havnt posted in a while so i thought id give you all an update, i stopped bleeding in april (20th i think) and didnt bleed for 2 months, i then finaly had a normal period, (halleuya) well my happyness was short lived, as after 5 days of no bleeding i was bleeding again, ive now been going thru a 5 days on 5 days off cycle for about 2 months now, and i cant stand it any more, i cant cope, im going mad, i had a ultrasound to see how things were and they found a cyst on my left ovary, thats the last i heard from the hospital, they say i gotta wait until my doctor contacts me and that was 2 weeks ago, im a wreck now, i have no self esteem, every time i talk to a doctor they tell me to wait it out, well im tired of waiting, i cant do it any more, i just want to know whats wrong with me, i feel dirty all the time i just want it all to go back to normal, its nearly a year that all this started and im regretting every moment that i had this poison in me,
can anyone please give advice?
can anyone please give advice?