I went on the Depo shot when I was 17 without really knowing anything about it other than it was going to help with my IBS. At that point I weighed 150 lbs, after I went off it 8 years later I was at my highest ever of 256 lbs. I never really put two and two together that it may be causing the weight gain until I read an article on it, I just thought I was making bad food choices. I went off of it and my IBS is worse and I am really tempted to go back on it but I keep telling myself that I am never going to lose the weight while on it.
It is just so convenient as a form of BCP and it was nice not having a period.
I'm on Depo and love it! I was one of those that bled extremely heavily for five straight days with cramps that had me curling up on the floor in tears or head first in the toilet/bucket (whichever I could get to first!). If my family didn't find the pms near lethal, the serious lethargy and sickness made everyone miserable. Since my first injection in January, not only have I not had a period or any of the pms or sickness, but I couldn't have felt better (Minus of course my other issues completely non depo related...stupid jaw...) and I love the not having to think about yet another pill to add to my day! I have a hard enough time remembering to take my vitamins, never mind having to be stuck on a pill schedule. I haven't had a weight change with it, and honestly, aside from the feeling like I got punched in the arm for a day or two after the shot, not a single side effect.
Everything affects people differently, I guess I so far am one of the lucky ones, and I hope all of you with horror stories the best!
I am so sorry you are going through this. I also believe that depo should be studied further and possibly taken off the market. I've see for myself how it changed someone. The girl I knew who was on it drastically changed. It made her emotionally disconnected, wanting to eat constantly and at one point she had suicidal thoughts. She's been off it for 5 years now and lost all the weight, lost her drive to binge and feels normal emotionally again. She became her old self for sure once she was off it.
Apparently I'm one of the few that doesn't have issues with it. I've been on and off of it for years, and while I gained some weight it certainly had more to do with my food/exercise choices, and not my birth control. It's also helped control my mood swings. I find it liberating to not have to worry about girl stuff, or remember to take a pill at the same time every day.
I was on it for about 3 1/2 years total through college... I am not on it now because I think I might want to have a child sometime soon in the future and dont' want to have a long wait for return of normal fertility. LOL I am on the nuva ring right now and love it too, but I do have to remember to remove the ring and put a new one in monthly- Still better that a daily pill I say!
I lost weight on DEPO when I tried (with WW too) and stayed the same when I wasnt trying. I had no libido changes or mood changes. I loved not having a period!! It was very freeing for me!
I had one shot of depo and had a period last for 10 months...not to mention the weight gain and other fun side effects... Hang in there. It does eventually get better as the stuff finally leaves your system!!
My SIL said Depo was the most effective birthcontrol she ever was on because she want to kill her husband if he came within 1000 feet of her.
I love mirena but it is truly only recommended if you have already had a child. I know they do give it to some women who havent sometime but I think there are higher risks of complications.
LOL, that is how I felt about the pill. Anyway, just wanted to stick my head in and say that there are theories that women who have not had children may have higher risks of expulsion with IUDs (despite this warning, I am the only person I have ever heard of who had an IUD expel and it was not mirena, it was paragard and I got another one that has been fine) and that insertion may be slightly more painful but I don't think they have any concrete reason besides those to not use mirena in women who have not given birth. I personally am a paragard fan because I want to monitor my PCOS without mucking it up with hormones but I totally agree with the people who said Mirena!
I have never tried Depo, but I wanted to put in that I have had bad experiences with the 7 different BC pills that I have tried. I think it's different for every person. I was diagnosed with PMDD and went on Yaz...that was even bad (monthlong period).
On a side note... yay Morgantown ( I'm from Clarksburg, but graduated from WVU last year)
For the PMDD Yaz wasn't too bad. My side effects were, boobs got huge (I'm talking D cup from a B), month long period, no weight gain in general that I noticed I was at my highest weight at that point. But it did help somewhat with my emotions; according to my bf it was a little bit better, but not much. It's sad, but my emotions get so bad I am considering going back to it, just to help him.
Depo was a **** on earth for me. An absolutely terrifying ****. A shot that was supposed to last for 3 months left me with awful reactions to it for a year, and no period for 16 months. NEVER AGAIN and I believe it should be pulled from the market. I really, really do.
I also had a really bad experience with it. I got my first shot 5 months before my wedding so that I could have the second before the big day & honeymoon and be "settled in". I didn't experience anything adverse at first. Ohhh lordy no! I gained so much with that first shot I actually had to go back to the wedding shop & plead and beg my way into a larger size. Thankfully I hadn't needed any altering of the first dress. It was such a nightmare. I didn't figure it out, that it was the shot messing with me, until I had received my third shot and had gained 65 pounds. I was a complete wreck.
I lost weight while I was on it...
I love DEPO..
