Strange symptoms after getting off Depo Provera - Part 2

I was supposed to get may last Depo shot the second week of October. I decided not to after being on it for 1 year and 5 months. I started when I was 18 and now I'm less than a month away from being 20. Instead of not having periods at all I bled constantly while on the Depo, and my periods were always irregular lasting up to a month straight.

I've been off Depo Provera for almost a month and I believe I'm starting to experience symptoms of withdrawal.
I've been having cramps tenfold and they're the worse in my lower back. I'm experiencing a lot of nausea and fatigue. I've been getting these horrible migraines that make my head pound and hard to focus. There also has been some tenderness in my breasts too.

I'm not sure how it has affected my fertility since I'm not trying to have children at my age, but since I've been off I have not started a period yet.


I didn't enjoy being on the shot. The effectiveness is convenient, but the side effects aren't worth it.
I plan to switch over to the pill and take Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, which I hope will regulate my periods better.

Hi Ladies,

I have to say to everyone who has taken the time to leave messages on this thread and number 1 a massive thank you! nice to know i'm not cracking up!! :-)

Well I went to see my GP due to getting dizzy from being on the pill, he told me the way to go was Depro - so the nurse said about the bone density possibilities - no porblem i thought i'll take calcuim and vit D so my body can absorb it.
Well after 24 hours (it gets a bit graphic - sorry) i was getting mild tummy cramps - didn't think much of it, then they got very severe went to the GP who thought i was having an eptopic - i wasn't as a result of this terrible jab ive had scans, cameras where they dont belong, become anemic keep fainting, my hair is falling out, ive gained 3 stone, in 12 weeks - all in 1 jab - the weight gain sucks as im a sports and weight personal wellness coach!! - the sysmptoms have been terrible my boobs are swollen and so tender that a bra is uncomfortable, my stomach is so big and bloated, i constanlty have a headache and some blurred vission as well as heart palpitations, and now the GP says im bleeding out internally!! - great! im depressed and just want to do nothing, no energy and its all reltated to 1 injection that my GP called 'fantastic'!! needless to say i haven't been for my 2nd jab!! i feel like im expecting there white / clear discharge - i really dont know if this is normal. and the weight just isn't shiffting. and my poor fella thinks im going off him as well my sex drive is non existant! and my mood swings are rediculous :-(

I gotta say im pretty well lost for words that how easily we can get this injection, and the side effects people are suffering is just rediculous i feel for everone who is on or trying to regain a life after having it, ive only been off of it 2 weeks, no period and my symptoms are not getting any better, im not posting this for sympathy - im posting it in the vain hope someone who is considering taking this outragous drug gives it some serious thought, and i certainly wouldn't recommed it to anyone - not even an enemy.

i never thought id say this but please come back periods and get this c**p out of my system! i really hope theres no long term affects!

I had been on depo since 1996. I got my last shot in October of 2008 due to wanting to give my body a rest and try to let it get back to normal. I unfortunately have had many of the side effects listed in this forum. I have gained about 20 lbs and never did when I was on the shot. I have also not been able to lose it! I am a personal trainer and this is really frustrating and depressing! My breasts grew a whole cup size and were so sore for about 6 months. They felt like they were sunburned all the time and working out or putting on a bra was horrible. I still cannot fit into many of my clothes and my moods have been awful. I also experienced the night sweats but they have gone away. I have been taking a small dose of the hormone in the depo just to feel sort of normal. The whole time until I started the hormone therapy--I thought I was pregnant too. Two tests and negative results of course. I just never imagined going through such a horrible experience. I am still not regular and still have severe moodiness. Hang in there though. I hope all of this will eventually get way better. I started my period finally in July of this year but it is far from regular.

Here is an article that just came out on
"Women Struggle to Quit Depo-Provera: Birth Control Injections Have Long Safety Record, But No Tests on So-Called Withdrawal Symptoms"
It doesn't really answer any of our questions but at least these withdrawal problems are finally coming to light.

Hi Ladies
I have been on the rollercoster for over 3 months now,no help from my doctors,I ended up going to a naturopath,he is also a pharmacist,when I told him about all my symptoms and that I was on depo, he rolled his eyes,he said i was having withdraw symptom's.
He told me Depo suppresses the hormone progesterone,when you come off depo, the progesterone hormone slowly increasing in our bodies,with the other hormones they end up out of balance,it takes time to get the all the sex hormones back into balance .

Thanks to our doctors we now have a Suppressed hormone and low stomach acid (reason for putting on weight while taking depo),when coming off depo our hormones are in shock,they are fighting one another trying to work out a way to work together again, our stomach acid is so sluggish reason for feeling all these symptoms of nausea, fatigue,not losing the weight we put on when taking depo etc,I was given a list of very high protein foods and some tablets to kick start the stomach acid into working again so my body will be able to absorb the food i eat better and help put the hormones back into balance, after a few weeks you can start to feel the difference.

If your thinking of going on depo,depo it made so that your body is tricked into thinking your pregnant,so again the symptoms of feeling prego for the first few month, thats meant to happen.......it does settle down.....,the best thing is, dont even think about going on depo stay away from it, because at some stage you will get some kind of symptom, stay away from depo.............

Hi ladies
Just want to clear up the previous post,she had it around the wrong way with progesterone.
When you take your first injection of Depo,Depo is slowly increasing the hormone progesterone into our bodies,thicking the linging of the uterus,when you come off depo, the progesterone hormone slowly decreasing, the uterus is now thinging out, thus leaving the body trying to produced the right amounts of progesterone on its own,with the other female hormones they end up out of balance,the body then works hard to get all the female hormones back into balance,when that happens you should get your periods back.
So if you want children one day, dont let doctors talk you into taking Depo that does this to your body, ask your self is it worth it before having children.........
My last shot was 8 months ago,still waiting for my periods........

To the younger readers
The uterus is an amazing part of every woman's body as we all know. It is the part of a woman's body that creates an environment where a baby can grow. As special as this organ is, it can also be a pain - literally for us.we all know this is the organ that not only holds a growing baby,but can also give you problems,menstrual pain,bleeding problems etc etc.
So why does science experiment with the female organs, is it because we woman like to be in control of our bodies when it comes to pregnancy,it would be so much easier if they played around with the male sperm by giving them a shot in the butt every 3 months,to slow the sperm down a bit, so they die before they reach the uterus,its men that get woman pregnant, its about time males be a bit more responsible for there own action as well, it could better for them and us in the long run, males taking a pill or getting a shot in the back side,so many young men ending up in court paying maintenance for an unwanted pregnancy.

Over the years many woman who suffered serious side effects from Contraceptive have been taken of the maket,even some contraceptive pills were taken off the market over the years mine was and I was happy with it.
Norplant Contraceptive Implant was Withdrawn from the market,soon it will be Depo-Provera,keep our fingers crossed.Norplant inplants lasted 5 years,Depo,once into the body,no one realy know's how long it will take to be rid of it.
Unlike the birth control pill, which provides women with a small dose of hormones on a daily basis,if you have problems,you can stop taking them the next day,Depo-Provera gives women a large dose of progestin at one time. As a result, side effects tend to be more pronounced then the pill.

Good luck, all the best.
Still waiting........

Update: Hi everyone, I was the guest poster on 10/05/09 (last depo shot at the end of 4/09) I wanted to come back on and give you all an update as I had promised. I finally got my period yesterday 12/6/09. My breasts are still huge (D cups) but no longer sore. Other than that, the other symptoms have also all disappeared. My energy level is back, I am exercising regularly at the gym now, no longer exhausted, and all of the gastro issues have resolved themselves. Have not lost the weight yet, but have also not gained any (and it is the holidays).
A few weeks ago I stopped stressing about all of the symptoms, and decided to just wait it out. Additionally, I made a concerted effort to elimnate all processed foods from my diet. This past week before getting my period, I ate no processed foods, just lean proteins and fruits and vegetables (maybe that helped? I don't know)
So there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Next step is getting pregnant, and I'll update when that happens.

Hi ladies. Firstly, like so many others, thank you for all putting forward your stories, I have read all posting on all three threads. I actually hadn't realised that is what was going on with me but I identified with so many of those symptoms - but having never been pregnant before I didn't have a reference point. There's not many who come back with the longer term story so I thought I'd put my one forward for those that were asking.

The paranoia thing was a huge breakthrough for me as I've been getting counselling to help me with some relationships (a twin sister) but it mightn't have been all her fault after all. I was on Depo the first time from about 2002 to mid-2003, and my hair fell out, some of it still hasn't grown back (luckily it's at the base of my neck so you can't see it). I put on a heck of a lot of weight during that time but thought it was due to the EXTREMELY stressful job I had at the time.

I don't remember all of these symptoms when I came off it, but I definately had the moodiness, nausea etc - but again put it down to working full time and studyign full time. In 2004 / 2005 I did lose all the weight and then some, and looked pretty damn good actually!!

In 2006 I (foolishly) decided to go back on the Depo - but last August (as in Aug 2008, over a year ago) I missed my jab because I hadn't been in a relationship for a couple of years (pathetic, I know) and didn't want the chemicals anymore. Well, it's now Dec 09, so 16 months later and I am having some periods, very irregular, one was particulary heavy and lasted for about a week, but mostly have been light nuisancy ones, happening about every two weeks and lasting for about 4 days. I have put on heaps of weight and bra size has increased -this has created the issues with my sister as she is about 12kg's lighter than me and I'm extremely jealous becaues I know how I used to feel, and now I feel fat and useless (paranoia symptons don't help here). I've been having heaps of migraines, mostly only minor ones (but one hospitalised one fairly recently) and that's driving me nuts. It was my chiropractor today who suggested that I see if my menstrual cycle was part of the problem, hence I looked up "coming off Depo symptoms" to see if migraines were listed and found all this other stuff that I hadn't quite made the connection on.

Having read all this and looking at the pattern I went through last time, I'm starting to see that its going to be 18 - 24 months for me to settle back down again, but I'm going to start 2010 with a good healthy eating plan and plenty of exercise, and I think that's going to be enough time for the majority of this rubbish to get out of my system. I'm sure I can get back to being normal, it'll be the year of revitilisation, and hopefully I'll be able to repair some of the relatinoships I might have damaged. I'll be telling my Mum about this in the next day or so, it'll be good to have some family support.

Oh, and I have a family history of osteoparothsis, and I get asthma and migraines - three things listed as reasons you shouldn't take this drug and not one doctor told me ...

Thank you all again and I'll try and remember to post in a couple of months to let you know how things are going on.

I've read so much. I'd like to tell you my story.

I was 15 when i decided to go on bc because i was having sex and did not want to become pregnant so young. I was on normal bc for about 2 to 3 months before i was getting really sick so i went back to the doctors and told them my symptoms and they prescribed me low dose bc. I was fine after that. But after another 4 to 5 months i was in so much pain every time i got my period. I needed something different. So my mom and her friend were telling me about depo and being only 15 i thought it was awesome! So I started the shots. Every couple of yrs i would want to try bc again and i would go off depo for a month maybe up to 3 then decide to go back on to depo to avoid the shots again. Last year around Sept 2008 i decided it was time to go off depo for good. i started to fell it wasnt good for a 22 year old girl to have not had her period for years. It was fun while it lasted. I went back on bc. going back on bc was fine at frist then 2 months in i started to get really bad pms/pmdd and i couldnt take it ne more. i would cry for no reason at all and get so irritated over the littlest things. i again went back to my doctor and told them about my symptoms. they told me about yaz. i already had seen the ads for it and i gave it a try. again 2 months awesome! then the yeast infections started. I was fed up. So in feb 2009 i decided to finish the last pack of pills i had and then to stop. since going off bc all together everything seemed fine . i still got my period but irregular of course but normally around the same time. Well around Aug. 2009 i started to get weird pms symptoms. I was nauseous, sleepy, sore all over. I get my period and it goes away. Well as the months have passed new things keep happening each time i approach my period. Migraines, horrible cramps at time, nauseous, dry heaves, night sweats, top and sides of breast hurting(just the last period i got did that start happening). The newest symptom is going on right now as i should be getting my period soon. My breast are so swollen and tender and itchy. every inch of them hurts tops and sides included. I havent had the migraines this month and they have been pretty consistent for the past 6 months now. I have at time thought i was pregnant too but as most of you have said it was negative. This month i'm trying not to stress it. I was support to get my period last sunday or this sunday but still nothing. again not stressing it. But today my nipple was itching and i had to be so careful when itching it it hurt so bad. Then right after my breast started to burn a little like a warm tingling in my breast. I also have been ttc but not really so hard. i know it can awhile before you can have a baby after being on depo. I'm just worried that i've screwed up my body by being on depo for so many years.

I am shocked to hear all of you have the same problems. its really so scary. Just one more thing. My best friend was on depo for about 2 yr and after coming off she has a banine tumor in her breast. The doctors tell her it could be a result of her coming off of depo. That was also a shock to me. I hope i also can help in helping other woman deal with depo and the awful side effects.

Hi Ladies,

I have read so many of your posts, and I'm wondering if anyone has a situation similar to mine. I was on depo for about 6 years. My next injection was due by Jan. 12th, and I advised my Planned Parenthood office that I was going to discontinue because I want to try for a baby. They told me that it could take a few months for my body to regulate, and to start ovulating again. Unlike many of you, rather than getting no periods at all throughout my run with Depo, I bled all the time. According to Planned Parenthood, Depo was my only choice because I got migraines when on any other type of birth control. So, I dealt with the constant bleeding. Anyway, my shot ran out in mid-January. I stopped bleeding on February 2nd. I have all of the symptoms described in this thread previously. Low energy, headaches, lower back pain, sore and enlarged breasts (a whole cup size), and I know it's been a long time since I have ovulated, but last week it felt like I was ovulating. I'm optimistic at this point since I stopped bleeding quickly after stopping the shot, I'm just wondering if anyone else bled the whole time they were on it, and if it was any different for them as far as time it took to conceive. I really feel as if I might be pregnant, but after reading all of the posts here, I know I'm not. And I don't want to get my hopes up and be let down. Help?

Hey guys. I am so glad I found this. I only took one injection, and it has been hell for me. stomach aches, headaches, 7lb weight and it seems like It doesnt want to come off. I took the shot in 8/09 and was due on 11/4 for it , but I didnt as of a result of all these symptoms. However while off Ive notice all pregnancy symptoms despite various test and a heavy period of 5 day period. However my breast seemed darker have any of you experience this change? is it normal? and I feel like I have a mass but idk. am worried tommorrow am going to get a pregnacy test done.

I am so glad I found this post. I have been on depo for 6 years - I am now 24 and have been recommended to come off it due to the amount of time I have been on it. We are not so much trying for a baby but do want them in the next year or 2 so if it happens early it happens although i was told 6 to 18 months for periods to return. us

The clinic told me nothing of these withdrawal systoms. Having had my last shot 3 months ago this week i've been a mess !!

Crying for no reason, tender boobs, spotting, headaches, cramps, sickness, diahorria, dizzy spells & feeling like my bodyhas been hit by a bus - and painful hiccups - i've done a test today just in case but it came back negative. Surely not a coinceidence so many of us feel the same way !!

So happy I found this site!
I was on depo for 10 years. I decided the shot would be better for me because I cant remember anything, so trying to remember to take a pill the same time everyday was out of the question. When I first started it, my doctor never told me anything about bone density concerns. All I remember her telling me was the weight gain and depression. Well over the course of the years I had to switch doctors, when I started at my new doctors office, I learned about the bone density test and she ordered I have one because I had been on it about 4yrs at this point, but everything was fine. So over the years, I guess I gained around 40 lbs and completely lost any desire to actually have sex, but since I didnt have a period, I just couldnt give it up yet. So this Jan. I went to the doctor for my annual and to get my shot. Then she started discussing with me all this new negative stuff she had been hearing about Depo. She told me that even if I get bone density test, its not testing the bone density for someone my age(26) that it was testing for someone older. And there is no way to determine how much damage was already done but that I wouldnt notice til I got older. So since i wasn't having sex anyways, I decided "why not give it up." She gave me a presciption for a pill version of birth control and she told me if I started that, I would have my period at the end of the month. Well, of course telling me this, I wasn't going to start them. So now, I am 2 months off of the Depo and not on anything else and I am experiencing much of the same "withdrawl" as everyone else. Extremely sore breast and nipples, lumpy feeling breast, stomach cramps, nausea, (my mom and best friend both told me they thought a had this stomach thing that was going around) I want to sleep all the time. I went bra shopping a few days ago and got sized again, my breast are a cup and a half larger then they use to be. No sign of a period. So, I am still waiting for that to return and will definatly update if anything new happens...

Wow!!!! I'm sooo happy I read all of these posts. I was on the depo for two years and decided to get off of it because I felt like I was going through menopause after my last shot. So, I took my last shot in Sept 2009 and did not take my next one in Jan 2010. It has been 6 months since I have been off of it and now I am feeling the symtoms of WITHDRAWAL...my boobs are so sore (its not even funny)...It hurts to lay on my side and def not on my stomach. My son cannot even lay his head on my chest...I am 25 years old and this is crazy. I was afraid I might have an infection in my breasts but after reading these posts I know it is the withdrawal symtoms of coming off the depo. I am not on any BC because I wanted to start my period naturally and one night me and my fiance slipped before my period came (about a month ago)...so I took the morning after pill and three days later I started my period. I was so happy! But, after reading one post that this could be just from the morning after pill, I'm not sure if Im going to get a period again for awhile. I also thought I was pregnant because of the pregnancy like syptoms, but it was negative. This is crazy that I'm going through this. I'm wondering if I should get on the BC pill to help these syptoms go away. I'm so upset, and this boob sensitivity has got to GO! I can't believe that no one ever mentioned the side effects of coming off depo. This is insane! I've also had weird bowel movements, stomach cramping, urine color and smell change, lower back pain, mucus discharge sometimes, mood swings, and fat rolls in my stomach!!! I've never had a stomach and one started to form when I got on the depo and now that I'm off it seems to be getting bigger but I haven't actually gained anymore weight. I was going crazy where I thought I was losing weight in my legs but gaining in the center of my body. My figure has changed and I really feel that the depo has screwed my body up. Last but not least, the body weight gain from the depo caused stretch marks on my body. I just feel like crying..................oh and that's another syptom. :'(

Before I took the depo shot, I was so in love with my boyfriend, I saw a future in us, and I knew that he was the one for me.

But after I took depo, all I did was doubt, doubt, doubt. I went through anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fatigue. I was insecure, doubtful of my feelings and the future of our relationship. It came to the point where thoughts of breaking up bothered me, and then the "friend" feeling was there whenever I'm with him.

I can't take it anymore. I just want everything to be back to how it was before depo.

I am 19 years old, 5'7" and weight 130lb. I am a healthy eater and I run everyday. I still have a month left before the 3 month is up... I've only taken 1 shot.

Are the symptoms different for people who used it longer?

For people who taken only 1 shot: How did you feel after the shot? Did you still have those feelings after the shot? What was the side effects coming off the shot? Did you stop having the "friend" feeling? I'm scared. I don't want to lose him.