[Cheekies Mom]

After having been on the depo provera birth control method for over two years, I am being taken off because of my blood pressure.

During that time I gained approximately 30+ pounds, and have had other side effects from the drug that I thought were just in my head. It wasn't until I spoke to another woman who had been on the drug that I found out that these problems I had been having could have been caused by the shots. She told me she had been in therapy for her problems before they discovered the cause and took her off depo.

Some of the problems we experienced:
weight gain
depression
loss of sex drive (in her words, you feel like a fat cat lying in the sun, and could care less)
lack of menstrual period (not that this is necessarily a problem)

Any body else have these problems?
Has anyone been taken off the drug, and if so, how long before you felt normal again. My friend said it can take a couple of months, but I have already noticed some differences.

[trixiepup]

i was reading in the book women's bodies, women's wisdom about depo provera...it mentioned those symptoms, in addition to mood swings.

i would probably guess that it might take around 6 months for all the effects to clear out of your system. i think that's probably about how long it normally takes for fertility to kick in again. but i don't know for sure.

a lot of my friends have found that pills are a bit better for their bodies and life styles....maybe you can test out a few of those brands and see how it goes? there tends to be less side effects, from what i've heard.

good luck.

[BA99TJ]

Wow... I'm sorry for all the problems you have had!! It must vary from person to person. I've been on Depo for 1 yr 3 months. I gained about 10 lbs, my blood pressure is up a little (although not sure due to Depo or not) but I haven't had a SINGLE sex drive issue (in fact I complain regularly that my husband who is 12 yrs older than me has a worse sex drive than me!!)

I hope that your coming off of it helps!!
Good luck!!

[Zao]

I got the depo shot after i had my daughter.I was only 18 and i trusted the docs who told me it would be the best thing for me.I was married but i guess they didnt want to see me in there with another baby.i dont know.Before all of that i was modeling,persuing a dream career in acting.A week after i had my baby girl Lexi,i was back in my size 5 clothes.Then all of a sudden i busted out with a 30+weight gain!!I got more stretch marks from that then i did with the whole pregnancy! I found that i was very depressed,suicidal even,always getting sick just felt horrible all the time.
Im 23 now,I had my son(hubby got fixed after him!)and i STILL cant get the weight off.I have tried everything.I even limited my fat to almost zero and my calories to below 800 and that didnt work!
To make matters entirely worse,In November i started losing all of my hair,not just light shedding..im talking by the handfuls.Well wouldnt you know it I have been diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus(say that 5 times fast!)and it is believed to be brought on my hormonal disturbances.I truly believe that that stupid depo had a hand in me getting this insidious disease.

After much research on depo i definately think it should be illegal like it is in korea.I mean why on earth use something for birth control that is used to chemicaly castrate men???
That just doesnt seem right to me.I am lucky i ever had my son i guess,ive read that a lot of women get sterile from it.
I am still in search of an ongoing class action law suit against the makers of it,but no luck so far.

So here i am 30 pounds too fat with no hair and a deadly disease...think i could get a discount at cracker barrel or something??

[raeven]

I was given Depo after having my second child at 21. I had NEVER had any female problems before in my life. Within a month of the first shot I blew up like a balloon with 30 lbs of hot water trapped under my skin. I started having severe back and lower pelvic pain. I was horrible depressed, no sex drive and that was the start of two years of ****. I had another shot (2 all together) and I gained another 30 lbs. Within three weeks. I was eating low fat , but I was nursing as well so I ate about 2200 calories a day. By the time I was 23 I was in surgery getting a 10 lbs Dermoid Cyst removed that destroyed my entire reproductive system. I can't prove it's from the Depo, but let me tell you that I KNOW in my heart that they are linked. Before the depo I lost all but 10 lbs of pregnancy weight and I felt great.. I walked both of my kids (newborn and 20 months) in the double stroller 5 miles a day. I had tons of energy. Within a month of the first shot I lost my life like I new it.
In a 1970 Edition of Our Bodies Ourselves it cautioned about Depo saying that it can cause permanent sterility. It sure did for me. At age 23. It is the drug that is used to Chemcially Castrate Sex Offenders. The FDA tried to get it passed for over 20 years with no luck because of the severe side effects.
It is taken to third world coutries and given to the women "to keep them from getting sick". They are not told that it is birth control. Population control? Who knows.
I think within the next ten years more and more women will speak out against this drug. I hope at one point there will be a class action law suit and the makers and promoters will be held accountable.
Raeven

[SAS1]

Hi

Since I was 15 I have been taking the pill. When I was 18 I discovered I was pregnant but actually lost the baby very early. I was treated for depression with zoloft. After recovering I decided I did not want to fall pregnant again in a hurry and wanted something better than the pill to protect me (which previously did not work). I asked my doctor to give me depo provera. He shook his head and told me he would never, ever give it to me and not to ask about it again. However he was quite enigmatic in his answer and could not tell me why I shouldn't have it except to trust him.

These days I don't even take the pill. I actually ran out of my prescription and started feeling like I haven't felt in a long time - it was a fantastic feeling to be on top of the world for no reason. When I went back to the doctor (different one) I asked him if it were possible that the pill could cause lack of libido, depression, weight gain. "Definately" was his reply. When you ingest a significant amount of hormone into your body every day it is bound to make changes your body would not normally do. The pill will overide any natural functions. The best form of hormone contraception is to get a hormone implant that slowly releases hormone over a lengthy period and lasts for aprox 3 months (i think) It is only a new thing here. Depo Provera is not something that goes into your body daily, there must be an enormous amount of hormone immediately released into your system at the one time for it to last so long. No one ever told me there were any side effects from taking the pill except that it would clear acne (if you had any) and a little weight gain. I can't beleive I got the answer I thought was all in my head.

Who invents these drugs? It couldn't possibly be a woman could it?

I feel there is an under current out there and some doctors know the dangers but are unable to say for some reason. How many other people would assume that these feelings are all in their head just because it is not a known publicised fact???

I am sorry to hear so many terrible experiences and hope something will be done about the lack of warning that goes with this drug!

[turtlefreak1979]

i am just sitting here reading this crying. i know what you girls are going through.

i got my first depo shot in feb. of 99. i had 2 doses of the shot. my first shot, i gained about 20lbs. my 2nd shot i gained 30 lbs. i feel huge. i just started my new way of eating. dont wanna call it a diet!!

i have had no sex drive, just getting it back.
very very depressed.
weight gain
always very tired
am trying to conceive with no luck so far am going to the doctor on june 11th. hopefully he can help me. i want a baby so bad, so does my hubby. but i am just so scared.

thanks so listening. i am always here to talk!!

[Linlin]

Thanks for the info ladies!

I was thinking about Depo Provera since I'd don't feel like taking the pill anymore and we are not ready for my husband to have a vasectomy just yet. I definitely won't take it. Anyone hear anything about norplant? or is it basically the same thing?