If you've ever had a depo shot ...

[Liquesce]

... how long did it take for your body to get back to normal when you stopped getting them?

I had one about three months ago as a sort of a "what's the harm" placeholder birth control method while I thought over other options. And now that I've had a three month long period for the effort, well, I'd kind of just like to know if there's a normal range of time in which to expect its effects to be fully out of my system.

[UberMama]

It took a year before my body began ovulating again and only because I took a months worth of BCP's to get it back on track.

Depo realllllly messed my body up.

[crittersmom]

I had one shot and it took three months from the time I should have had the next one for my body to try to ovulate.Four months was when I ovulated but I still didn't get pregnant until almost a year after that one shot,I was actually going to ask for help but tested +the night before.Talking to some of my post Depo friends the unscientific real life average could be as long as 18 months or even longer or as short as 3 months usually with a BCP jump start.It also increases chances of ectopics the first time post but that is again not official.
Depo is bad medicine and really shouldn't be given so freely.Good luck coming off of it,that was a roller coaster.

[Lisa85]

I had two depo shots. Each time, I didn't have a period for 6 weeks, then I had a period for 6 weeks straight. I'm trying to remember how long after it took, but I can't remember (so it couldn't have been too bad. I believe I went on the pill soon after so that probably helped regulate me.

[belchers1]

I had the Depo shot right after my miscarriage in Oct. 2001. I got pregant with DD2 in Sep. 2002. My cycles didn't really become regular until around June or July 2002. Like the OP, I bled/spotted for many months (I know at least six!)

I hated Depo! I recommend against it!!! :

[EviesMom]

I did for about a year in college. Took 3 mo after the last one should have "worn off" to be back to normal. I think age and regularity before depo plays a big role though.

[broodymama]

It took about 1.5 years before I had a period again after my last shot. Then for the next 2-3 years after that they were very sporadic, it took about 5 years for me to have normal cycles again.

And 10 years for me to get off (most ) of the 100 lbs I put on in the 2 years on the shot, and I've never recovered from some of the neurological side effects. Evil stuff.

[mommy2two babes]

Originally Posted by UberMama

Depo realllllly messed my body up.

This.
I had 2 shots of it because they said on the second my nonstop bleeding would stop. I bled so badly on it I was anemic. It took a good 6 mos for the spotting to stop and a good year for my cycles to become regular again with the help of Provera.

Finding out about possible bone loss after the fact was just icing on the cake

[mysticmomma]

I don't think I ever returned to normal. Depo is evil.

[annie2186]

All I know is my two sisters were on depo - and they both gained a bunch of weight.

I was never on depo because of this, and to this day I am the only one who doesn't struggle with my weight. AND I've even had two kids in two years!!

So yeah, I warn EVERYONE away from that evil shot!!!

Have you noticed on these posts how no one says they like it? On every other HBC there are those that don't like and those that do - with Depo, where is anyone who likes it????? WHY do they still give that shot? Unbelievable

[JollyGG]

If depo has caused continuous bleeding you need to go back to your doctor. They can give you something to stop the long period. I had a friend who had to do so.

I was on Depo for a year before having kids. It took six months to get my period after when the next shot would have been due (so 9 months after the last shot) and it took us 15 months (from when next shot would have been due, 18 months from last shot) to get pregnant again. But I'm one of those people who had mabey only two periods the whole time I was on Depo and I was on it for a year.

I did have one friend who had one long period on Depo and after a month went back into her doctor and they were able to give her something to stop the bleeding.

I will say I liked it for birth control when I used it. I was informed of the side effects such as bone loss (took a calcium supplement), taking a while to get pregnant and possible weight gain (which wasn't a problem for me) before I got the shot. I enjoyed few side effects and it was effective. However, I warn lots of people that Depo seems to be a love it or hate it form of BC. Your body either does well on it and you love the convince or you have side effects and those side effects are bad and you hate it. I just think that we do need to do a better job, in this and other forms of BC, of making sure people are getting the information and making informed decisions.

[Liquesce]

Originally Posted by JollyGG

However, I warn lots of people that Depo seems to be a love it or hate it form of BC.

Most BC is either love it or hate it ... depo seems more love it or absolutely despise it. Mostly, I think, because unlike most other forms of BC, if you hate it you can't immediately just stop using it.

[candipooh]

I only had the shot once. I bled for three months but it was basically spotting. But it was my wedding and honeymoon that I spotted.

[fruitfulmomma]

I ran a support group for women coming off of Depo several years ago and have heard some horrific stories. Mine seemed quite tame in comparison. I only had it one time and had no periods the whole time and gained weight. Then I had one really bad period when it started wearing off. My cycles after that seemed normal enough for me (which is not really normal at all) but I couldn't say whether or not I was ovulating. It took me 19 months after that to get pregnant.

well, I'd kind of just like to know if there's a normal range of time in which to expect its effects to be fully out of my system.

I believe I've read 18 months, but I don't remember for certain. If it were me, I would speak to the prescribing doctor and also start looking for alternative methods of helping my body heal. With that much bleeding, your iron levels could be pretty shot as well.

[teale]

Originally Posted by mysticmomma

I don't think I ever returned to normal. Depo is evil.

Yep, this is me too. It is teh evil.

I was on it for all of 3 months, maybe 4 before I came off of it because it was literally wreaking havoc on my emotions. It STILL took me a year to get back to "normal", and even then, my cycles to this day are still wonky.

[EnchantedMamma]

I thought I would love being 'sure' I was safe. Turned out I worried anyways...

I can't remember how long it took to be fertile again. After several months I got on the Pill. Once I quit the Pill, it took a little while longer (no more than a month+/give or take) till I was ovulating.

I have a healthy baby boy now, but boy am I glad I quit Depo while I was young!

That stuff is E.V.I.L. Oh, and I gained 5+ pounds with each shot. And the doctor swore up and down it couldn't be the shot. And it made me depressed and killed my libido. Good stuff.

Not bitter though... lol. :

To the OP - I would consider taking a round or two of the Pill to get things back on track. But definitely see a doctor about that.

[*MamaJen*]

Depo is the devil. I pretty much had an emotional breakdown right after I got the shot, and it killed any trace of my libido the entire time I was on it. Having an orgasm was literally impossible. I found out later that the depo shot is used chemically castrate sex offenders.
I had no period for six weeks, spotted for six weeks, and it took months for my cycle to regulate itself.

[bubbledumpster]

why is this even FDA approved?

this is really really bad stuff.

i was given it by planned parenthood, and when i filled out the intake sheet asking for any pre-existing conditions i may have, i truthfully answered no to every single one, except the one about having a history of psychological issues.

when i was "counseled" about recieving the drug, the nurse went through all of the questions again, verbally, EXCEPT THAT ONE.

i have been hospitalized for severe depression. Depo is contraindicated in people with a history of depression. i didn't know this until i looked it up on the internet a month later when i realized that i was being a horrendous bitch to my boyfriend constantly.

i'm nearing the end of month three, thankfully, but in that time i've gained ten pounds and sprained my foot (which i partially blame on bone loss, due to the fact that i've never ever broken or sprained anything in my life before now.) i've also had spotting every day since i got the shot.

does the weight gain continue after the three months? i've always struggled with my weight, and losing again is making me feel really awful.

[Ellien C]

I was on depot in the 90's and I really liked it. I gained a little weight but I started out at 96 lbs so I could have used it. I think my period came back within 6 months. It wasn't 3-4 months after the last shots, but it wasn't a year. I had no trouble getting pregnant with my first kid many years after going off the depot. My weight melted off after I discontinued the depot. I remember thinking how I was doing the same things I'd always been doing but the weight was going away. It did depress my libido though and I remember THAT coming back, too, to my disappointment since there was a reason I discontinued the shots!

[Dustyblue]

I took Depo regularly for about 7 years, from age 24-31. For the 1st three months I bleed sprodically & hated it. My doc at the time convinced me to perservere, and it worked great for me after that.

After I stopped at age 31-ish I used NFP/charting for 2 years. It took almost exactly 12 months for my periods to return to normal (normal being 30-odd days). For that 1st six months I had no periods at all. In the 2nd six months it got back to normal.

Then I made a (ahem) mistake with my charting, and in a heat of passion with DP got preggo. Unfortunately I had a miscarriage at 10 weeks.

That was 6 months ago (I'm 34 now). I haven't taken any birth control since, and periods are back to 30-odd days.

Did'ya follow all that?

Upshot is, Depo really did work well for me in the long run. After so many years on it, it doesn't "seem" to have had any lasting effects.