I have a friend who thinks it's the greatest thing in the world and everytime I say I've got cramps tells me that I'm stupid for not going on it. My doctor is totally against it, but said she'd let me have it if I wanted it. I want to get pregnant in the next year and am working hard to not gain weight so I think it would be dumb. I just wanted to know everyone elses opinion on it.
What are your thoughts on the Depo-Provera shot?
- Thread starter becky v
- Start date
wendymin72
Cathlete
Becky!!!
I was on it for about 3 months and I didn't notice any weight gain BUT it altered my entire personality! I was the crankiest, nastiest, most depressed and miserable person while I was on it and my s*x drive was SHOT! Ofcourse, this is only ONE person's experience...some gals do love it!
Have a great work out!
~Wendy~
I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!
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I was on it for about 3 months and I didn't notice any weight gain BUT it altered my entire personality! I was the crankiest, nastiest, most depressed and miserable person while I was on it and my s*x drive was SHOT! Ofcourse, this is only ONE person's experience...some gals do love it!
Have a great work out!
~Wendy~
I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!
http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img][/url]
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
My sister-in-law went on it, and had weight gain and a major onset of Bitch.
A friend of mine went on it at the end of high school...not sure how long she was on it (I didn't know her then, just now), but she packed on 25 pounds she still can't get off. I know she has been off of it at least 4 years. Now granted, she is not working out like she should if she wanted to lose it, and her diet isn't the healthiest either...so take her example with the proverbial grain of salt.
She also hasn't been able to get pregnant in the past 4 years. She just adopted 2 kids.
A friend of mine went on it at the end of high school...not sure how long she was on it (I didn't know her then, just now), but she packed on 25 pounds she still can't get off. I know she has been off of it at least 4 years. Now granted, she is not working out like she should if she wanted to lose it, and her diet isn't the healthiest either...so take her example with the proverbial grain of salt.
She also hasn't been able to get pregnant in the past 4 years. She just adopted 2 kids.
Why is your doctor against it?
Let me start by saying every woman is different, but this is my experience. I was on Depo for about 1 1/2 years. I had no complaints... I loved the amenorrhea... loved being PMS free... maintained my weight (although I was hungry all the time while I was on it). Depo was no longer wonderful when we decided to start a family. I am sure you have read the stats on Depo (93% become pregnant within 18 months of the last shot), but I was in the unlucky 7% (not clinically significant unless you are part of the 7%
) who did not get pregnant within 18 months of my last shot. In fact, 2 years after my last shot I still had no periods... not even spotting. My last shot was 1/1997 and I FINALLY got pregnant with my first child 11/2000. This is rare!!! I have prescribed Depo to many, many women and never encountered this delay in pregnancy. But, you should carefully consider the side effects and statistics.
Weight gain and irregular bleeding are the most common complaints I hear from patients. Also, it was recently black labeled because of bone loss.
Best of luck to you!
Autumn
Let me start by saying every woman is different, but this is my experience. I was on Depo for about 1 1/2 years. I had no complaints... I loved the amenorrhea... loved being PMS free... maintained my weight (although I was hungry all the time while I was on it). Depo was no longer wonderful when we decided to start a family. I am sure you have read the stats on Depo (93% become pregnant within 18 months of the last shot), but I was in the unlucky 7% (not clinically significant unless you are part of the 7%
) who did not get pregnant within 18 months of my last shot. In fact, 2 years after my last shot I still had no periods... not even spotting. My last shot was 1/1997 and I FINALLY got pregnant with my first child 11/2000. This is rare!!! I have prescribed Depo to many, many women and never encountered this delay in pregnancy. But, you should carefully consider the side effects and statistics. Weight gain and irregular bleeding are the most common complaints I hear from patients. Also, it was recently black labeled because of bone loss.
Best of luck to you!
Autumn
I'm on it and have been on it for almost 2 years now. I don't have any cramps, nor periods, nor crankiness or any problems like that. I didn't gain weight from it, I gained weight from overeating (which is most likely the case in the other instances, unless it's water weight). My doctor told me that there is a small percentage of women that may retain excess weight from it and that the other stuff like "my hair fell out" is a myth. The side effects are very rare just as if you were taking the pill. However, as everyone else said, everyone is different. My SIL took the pill for over eight years and now has a cyst on her ovary. Just about everything has some type of side effect, and we usually don't find out until it's too late!
It's a continuing process.....
It's a continuing process.....
Why did your doctor say that? My doctor said that you always have the option of changing your form of birth control. There may a time period overlap or something of that nature, but you should be able to change it, if you aren't satisfied with it.
Edited to add I lost all 45 of my pounds while still on the shot too!
It's a continuing process.....
Edited to add I lost all 45 of my pounds while still on the shot too!
It's a continuing process.....
Yes, your doc is on the money. My personal thoughts are if you want a baby in the next year stay away from Depo... but that is completely my personal experience. I have patients that LOVE it... it is a great 2 year option for some (some may take it longer but the labeling suggests limiting it to 2 years because of the potential for bone loss).
I was on the shot for 4 years, and I gained 30 pounds. I'm not saying it was ALL depo's fault, as I was finishing up a master's degree, writing a thesis, and defending it. That being said, however, I became pregnant just 6 weeks after my last shot. During my pregnancy, I ballooned up to 223 pounds (I'm 5'10) and just months after having our son (he was our second child), we decided that our family was complete so my husband got a vasectomy. It only took about 10 months after having my son for me to get down to 150, and I really think it's because I wasn't on the depo shot.
Sarah
Sarah
tnwalker01
Cathlete
Becky V,
I am an RN who works at our local health dept. I work with the family planning program and this is one of the forms of birth control we offer. I must keep up with all of the current trends and this includes new information we just received in the past couple of months, I thought I'd share it with you.
The FDA is trying to send out this information to all providers of the depo, it has been black labeled due to current studies show it can drop the calcium levels in the bones and contribute to osteoporosis. The recommendations are for women to only use it for about 3 yrs and our clinicians are to highly encourage women to change to a different form of birth control. With this current information and what you mentioned about wanting to become pregnant in about a year, I would not recommend depo. You could opt for condoms/spermicide/VCF (vaginal contraceptive film or a birth control pill. You may even consider "the ring" if your Doctor approves. Even for young women, we are to strongly recommend they not exceed 3 years on the depo. Now for the mood swings and wt gain, I see wt gain with it, more than with any other form of birth control. We have a strick guideline to monitor wt gain, and I even inform the women up front to be prepared for this and to eat healthy and exercise ( what we should be doing anyway ). I don't see too many extremes in mood swings, it is a possibility with depo and even the pill to have mood swings. This affects some women and some it doesn't. I hope this info helps.
" My treasures do not chink or glitter, They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night" - Bedouin Proverb
" On the rail at a show walk!"
Melissa
I am an RN who works at our local health dept. I work with the family planning program and this is one of the forms of birth control we offer. I must keep up with all of the current trends and this includes new information we just received in the past couple of months, I thought I'd share it with you.
The FDA is trying to send out this information to all providers of the depo, it has been black labeled due to current studies show it can drop the calcium levels in the bones and contribute to osteoporosis. The recommendations are for women to only use it for about 3 yrs and our clinicians are to highly encourage women to change to a different form of birth control. With this current information and what you mentioned about wanting to become pregnant in about a year, I would not recommend depo. You could opt for condoms/spermicide/VCF (vaginal contraceptive film or a birth control pill. You may even consider "the ring" if your Doctor approves. Even for young women, we are to strongly recommend they not exceed 3 years on the depo. Now for the mood swings and wt gain, I see wt gain with it, more than with any other form of birth control. We have a strick guideline to monitor wt gain, and I even inform the women up front to be prepared for this and to eat healthy and exercise ( what we should be doing anyway ). I don't see too many extremes in mood swings, it is a possibility with depo and even the pill to have mood swings. This affects some women and some it doesn't. I hope this info helps.
" My treasures do not chink or glitter, They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night" - Bedouin Proverb
" On the rail at a show walk!"
Melissa
DON'T TAKE IT!!! If you want to get pregnant in the next year your odds are that you won't if you take Depo. I was on it for 2 years and it took me 5 months to get my first bleeding, and another 2 months to get a normal period. DH and I have been ttc for 6 months and so far nothing. I have a friend who took her over a year off of depo to conceive. This is not a friend to those who WANT their fertility!!!