Hey ladies, haven't been here in a while!

I'm just wanting/needing a little support as I start my journey yet again.

In Dec/2012 I got out of a very bad relationship, I left my kids' dad. In August of last year I went on depo and boy do I regret that!

When I went on depo I had just lost all the baby weight from my fifth baby (she's 1.5 now) and was looking and feeling good. I was around 130 lbs. I'd never been on BC and wanted something easy. I knew I'd never remember to take a pill at the same time every day being so busy with 5 kids.

Right away after getting my first shot I started feeling uncontrollable urges to just EAT and EAT and EAT and it hasn't stopped. I had my yearly well-woman exam this week and was weighed for the first time in 14 months. I am 194 lbs!!! I am in a state of shock and am so upset. In addition to the weight gain lately I have been having menopause symptoms at the age of 26. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness/pain, low sex drive, poor sleep, etc. On top of that repeated yeast infections.

While depo has prevented pregnancy perfectly, it has really wrecked my life in a lot of other ways. I am so over it. My last shot was Oct. 1st and come December I will start on nuvaring. If I am unhappy with that I will try a Paragard.

I just can't believe where I was a bit over a year ago and where I am now. I try so hard to lose but this overwhelming urge to just eat all the time is very hard to counter. Thanks for reading ladies!!

Most people I know have gained 30+ on Depo. It will come off, don't worry. I have the Paraguard and I have a love/hate relationship with it. You won't gain weight but you'll have longer periods. Definitely try the Nuvaring first.

I'm a little hesitant to get an iud for that reason, especially after not having periods for a year on depo, lol. But if it is necessary to avoid other side effects then I'll do what I have to do. Ugh, I hate BC!

I haven't really had experience with the depo shot, but I did use to have very heavy periods. I've been on Mirena for about six years total (had it replaced a little less than a year ago and my son will be six in Dec, got it put in after I had him). I haven't gotten a period since, but now that I've been losing some weight I do have very light spotting now and again. So light that I only notice it when I wipe (sorry if that is TMI). There are some folks (just like with depo) who have heavier periods, or never seem to stop having period with Mirena, but it's a very small percentage.

As far as weight gain, I'm not sure that Mirena had much to do with it. I wasn't eating healthy to begin with so.. I'm also not finding it too difficult to lose weight right now, but I'm also at a much higher starting weight and I know pounds are suppose to be easier to shed where I'm at.

Just another option. I hope Nuvaring works out for you, and if it doesn't then I wish you luck on finding something that does.

Just a warning for you, I was on nuvaring for about a year and gained about 30 pounds. I was so upset at that point that I talked to my new gyno(moved) and she told me nuvaring was one of the worst birth controls for weight gain. And I was insanely frustrated and thinking why the **** didn't my last gyno tell me that before I ended up here! I got off of it and switched yaz, which was better for me as far as symptoms, but I eventually went off that too due to low sex drive and other symptoms. My sex drive was so pathetic it was affecting my marriage, so now we use condoms and I'm not on any kind of birth control. Honestly, that's just a lot easier for us, and I feel more like myself. I may consider something like mirena once I have had a child.

I would just keep an eye on how your body handles the nuvaring. Hopefully it will be better for you than it was for me!

I don't know if it's coincidence or not but I was always thinner on BC pills than when I was off.

Novangel: I'm the opposite. I gain a lot on bc (especially nuvaring) its much easier for me to lose off it than on it. While on it I gained weight while dieting, incredibly frustrating.

Thanks for the comments, ladies!

Claygirl, that sucks! I will keep a close eye on the nuvaring. The good thing is you can take it out and it quickly wears off unlike depo which stays in your system for months.

My BF is concerned about my health and told me if it comes down to it we'll use condoms. Neither of us would like to but my health comes first.

Thanks again ladies!

Put me down as another gainer on Nuvaring...and there were some other unpleasant side effects. I 100% prefer VCF now.

I'm a burnt child so-to-say when it comes to hormonal contraceptions. All of them have caused nasty side effects for me, weight gain being one of them but worst of all severe depression. It got worst when I had the Mirena. So, whatever you choose, please do some research and don't believe everything the Doctors will tell you and listen to your gut feeling.
I'm currently using a gold/copper IUD and have no troubles whatsoever.

Thanks ladies! The copper IUD is definitely next on my list if the Nuvaring gives unwanted side effects. I've been really working hard this last 1.5 weeks and have lost weight. I'm hoping I can continue on the downward trend.