Strange symptoms after getting off Depo Provera - Part 2

hi holly, i just want to know, how many months your breast are in pain and sore?... because my left breast on & off the pain since september... my last shot was july, reaching the next shot the pain started...

I was suppose to get my last shot in August, my boobs didn't start to become sore until October but stayed sore pretty much until recently... Maybe the first week of December is when the soreness began to cease. And they alternated the entire time, one would be worse than the other. Now they are fine but some of the swelling is still left, so obviously I'm larger than I was which is fine because they no longer hurt!

But during the period of me taking the shot I never had any soreness, the only effect I had was bleeding the first few months.

holly, actually my breast pain started after 2months of the last injection, same thing as yours one would be worse than the other... i hope mine will cease the pain soon... i'm always praying to totally gone my breast pain... :(

I wish you all the best, be careful with the shot. It is used in sex offenders as a sterilizer... I decided to get off of it so that I don't lose an opportunity to one day have kids. Although, if planned, that will be about 6 years from now! So by then hopefully I'll be completely back to normal with my cycles. I've decided to be very careful with my fiancé and just have him wear protection which is hard sometimes because I am allergic to latex... (go me, not!) lol

how are you now holly? im wondering how does your nipples look likes when you experiencing pain in your breast from withdrawal of depo provera?

Hi,

I am so pleased I'm not the only one having these symptoms. I came off the depo in May 2012 and I immediately had a period, although I haven't had one at all since. I came off the depo because me and my partner wanted to start thinking about having a baby. In the first few months it was hell, I suffered with all the symptoms you describe but the past few months have been fine apart from mood swings. My partner and I have been having unprotected sex and I have a lot of pregnancy symptoms for e.g, tiredness, tummy cramps, heavy discharge ( sorry to be gross) tender breasts, back pain, sensitive smell and headaches. I toke a pregnancy test today and it was negative. I was really surprised as I was convinced I was pregnant. I was hoping that after the depo got out of my system there wouldn't be anymore problems.

Is there anyone else who is the same situation as me any ideas on how long it might last??

oh forgot to add I hope everyone feels better soon x

When researching, prior to finding this website, I read several times that it can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to get normalcy back... Hopefully that isn't the case :( But I'm sure it is - obviously it depends on how long you took it... Good Luck to y'all! I would consult a Dr and maybe get your fertility checked out - I've also read that it was common for women have had several miscarriages after coming off of it and trying to conceive?

Best Wishes to you and yours!!

(I still haven't received a minstrel cycle, but the majority of the symptoms are pretty much gone; all but my mood swings)

Hi

I had my first depo shot in May 2012, I was having really bad side affects like headaches, mood swings and feeling really low.  I decided to not have my second shot in August 2012.  My partner and I would like to try for a baby too but Since then the side affects have just got worse.  My period returned November 2012 and it was a normal period, thinking my body was finally returning to normal, but since then I keep having false pregnancy symptoms, sore breasts (nipples so tender I cannot touch them), period cramps but no period, feeling sick and every time I do a pregnancy test it's negative??? been to the doctor and he said its just the depo still coming out of my system. I started to get a slight bleed 2 days ago but has not come to anything?? again I have heard this can happen early pregnancy when attachement is taking place but still the tests say negative?  I would not recommend depo to anyone, it has really messed up my body and I feel slightly broken and would just be happy to have a regular normal period at the moment.  I understand my fertility may not return for anther year or so but just wish my body would retrun to normal :(

hi chris,

i know the feeling its horrible. I really hope things work out for you soon. i too want my periods back asap its been years since i had a period because i never had one whilst on the depo. I had to see a gynecoligist last week about an abnormal pap smear seems i have this hpv virus andi had to have a biopsy taken from my cervix. whilst i was there I asked her about my problems she said not to be too concerned that the craps are our bodys trying to have a period and a good sign that we are ovulating. if i dont have my period back after a year then i would be referred for furthur tests by my gp automatically. i must also remind everyone that even though u havent had a period and have had unprotected sex there is still a chance of pregancy although you may misscarriage. if you think you may be preganant keep taking the tests and also u can get ovualtation test kits aswell. if all are negative but u think u having been ovulating ask your gp for a blood test to check if u definatley are pregnant.

I wish you luck and hope this helps.. take care all xx

Hello everyone,

A message of hope:

I had been on the Depo Provera shot for over 6 years, and finally I decided to get off it. A few of the reasons being how dangerous/unhealthy it actually is when you use it for more than a couple years. Plus the Osteoporosis thing, as well as many other reasons. I was very freaked out about what would happen to me since I was on the shot for over 6 years, and I looked EVERYWHERE for answers about how long the side effects/withdraw symptoms would last, and I couldn't find anything. So now that I know, I decided I'd share.

My last depo shot was in July, and wore off in September. I started to feel the side effects very shortly after: started to feel slightly hormonal, plus my breasts ached, etc. Within a month or two I was definitely deep in the withdraw symptoms: I have never had such strong mood swings. I'd feel like crying for no reason at all, and sometimes I did. The smallest thing that usually doesn't get to me would suddenly send me into a bad mood, or even a depression spell. Every week or two I'd get such a strong mood swing that it would last for a few days, then it would be over until the next one. It was hell, and I was an emotional wreck.

Thankfully my boyfriend was amazing. It was both of our decision that I needed to get off the shot and most importantly he helped me to research the side effects of coming off the shot, and long term risks etc, so he knew what to expect. I was completely open & honest with him with my worries and fears, how I felt and how hopeless and aggravated I sometimes felt. After several mood swings I started to know when another one was coming up so I'd tell him when I was starting to feel ever-emotional and that helped him a lot.

It's hard to describe- I'd wake up and start thinking, and the smallest thing would immediately send me into hateful feelings towards myself and other people: 'I wonder why she said that last night. Did she say it to be mean? In fact, maybe she's always mean to me. Maybe everyone is always mean to me, I just don't see it. Whats wrong with me that everyone hates me?', and before I had even got out of bed, I'd suddenly find myself so upset over nothing, and I knew I was probably starting another 1 or 2 day mood swings, at which point I'd tell my boyfriend that I'm feeling emotional.

The other serious side effect was how tender my boobs were, and how much bigger they were getting. Tender isn't really the word for them: it felt like I was hit by a truck sometimes! Well, thats an over exaggeration, but they definitely felt like they were 2 big bruises: I'd give someone a hug and it would hurt so much, when I slept on my side sometimes it hurt them. If they got bumped at all, they would ache, and you'd look down expecting them to be bruised but they weren't. But you only had to look in the mirror to tell they were obviously much much bigger, so it doesn't surprise me how much it hurt. Out of the whole time, I went through 2 ache spells, one was minor and only lasted a week, and the other came a few weeks later and lasted 3 weeks. If the ache gets too bad you can always take Ibuprofen or something, that helps.

My mood swings, from start to finish, lasted about 3 months. Everyone says it varies from person to person, plus depending on the length you were on depo, so I can't say anything about what anyone else should/would feel: I can only say how mine went. I actually feel a LOT better now too. Plus some good news: I just got my first period since getting off the depo! I thought it would take a year, but it's only been 4 months. It lasted 5 days, and I was off my period for a week, and then it started again even heavier than before. So, it's going to be crazy getting my body sorted out, but I'm so happy I'm on my way.

And the other update is that I'm getting an IUD. It's made of copper, so it doesn't have any hormones in it at all. Plus it works better than the pill, so it's safer too, plus it lasts 5+ years! And the day I decide I want to get pregnant, I can have it removed. Its a dream come true compared to Depo Provera.

I remember reading a lot about people who were knees-deep in mood swings and it felt like they would never end, but nobody seemed to give answers on how long they might last. So I really hope this helps. It's hard to get through, really, but it's over a lot sooner than you might think. Plus its awesome to be off such terrible hormones.

Hope this helps!

-J

I have been on depo for 13 years now. i started it when i was 15 to control my periods when all the pain pills and things didn't help. i skipped a few shots when i was 22, but i had no ill effects from it and got back on it after three months or so. recently i stopped taking it for a year and i had the worst side effects, my nipples hurt so bad all the time for about a month, it might had been longer. i had the mood swings, loss of appetite and my libido was through the roof. i got my period back for about 4 months and decided to go back on some for of birth control and ended back on depo. i just recently got my second shot and the place i go to said they have a new batch that has to be administered in the stomach  i was hesitant but i got it anyway, i didn't have much of a choice. i got the shot on jan 21st and today is feb 11th and i feel like i am going through all the c**p i went through when i got off the depo. constant spotting, high libido  mood swings cramps. has anyone heard anything about this new depo? i'm going to call the dr tomorrow and find out what the hell is going on. i feel like i am going crazy!

Hi yes i was on depo for 17yrs and came off last not having my due shot in july. I came off it as i started to get the symptoms of my endometriosis again. Since coming off i have had sore swollen breasts and my first period in november lasted two weeks then one month later my period was a week. I was due two weeks ago and havent got my period yet but was told this is to b expected after being on depo for so long. I have no calcium problems at all. I didnt have any problems while on the depo and would go back on it if the drs recommended it for my endometriosis

I have been on the depo injection since I was 24 and I am now 34 so its been 10 years!! Funnily enough, I am now beginning to experience pains in my knees and ankles and I have been told by my GP that I have degenerative changes in my neck. Another issue as of late is that I've noticed my weight is becoming a real problem and I have never been overweight in the past, even when taking Depo withing the first 5 or 6 years!  I'm currently at my heaviest weight ever, 11,5  and I cannot shift the weight with ease. I've always been fit and active and now that i'm experiencing the pains in my knees and ankles and of course the extra weight, I'm finding it very hard to work out and maintain a good level of fitness.

I've recently had xrays on my neck as I was recently suffering with extreme pain all down one side of my neck as though it was a trapped nerve, it turns out from my xrays that I've got degenerative changes (wear and tear) of my discs and joints and I now think from reading about Depo's long term effects, it is the Depo that is causing me all these problems. I tried to come off Depo 2 years ago, I only went 8 weeks and my knees swell up and became very painful, I could hardly get in and out of my chair without experiencing bad pains!  I ended up going back on Depo and the symptoms went away! I am scared now to come off Depo because of the after effect it will have on my body!!  I personally think it should be taken off the market as the long term effects are shocking.  

hello,i was on the depo shot for 18 years,yes i gained weight,and very low sex drive,but not having a period was so very worth it,im 47 now and had my last shot 4 month ago,"no more shots for you" she said......so this month 2/2013...i have had the worst headache ever like my head was beaing ripped apart,i ache everywhere,depressed,anxiety,the doctors had no clue what was going on...well thanx to by sister for finding this site,and now i kn ow im not alone...not sure what im going to do just yet..but the light at the end of the tunnel is shinning again!!!