If you've ever had a depo shot ... - Page 2

[jabeen]

hi liquesce,
i'm an NP and i generally tell my patients depo is not a good method for them if they're planning on pregnancy in the next 2 years, since it can take up to 18 months for regular cycles to return. of course, some people's cycles return a lot more quickly. but a year and a half is possible!

[dealic]

I took it for... a year? two? When I was 18-20 I think. I didn't even spot from the first one till the last, and got normal periods right when I was due for my first missed shot. I don't know if I ovulated because I didn't know how to tell that until years later.

I have been on 3 chemical methods of BC and always clock regular before and after. I am lucky there I guess.

BUT. Depo is evil. I had no sex drive, and it was physically impossible to get aroused. Same with any chemical BC I took but way worse on depo. Plus, it greatly worsened my underlying anxiety and depression. And I gained a ton of weight.

I can't take chemical birth control, and haven't in years. In general, I have trouble with most medications and so I avoid taking anything, but my problem with Depo is a common one so I wouldn't reccommend it.

[phatchristy]

OMG, I'm so not the only one with the "depo is evil" thought.

I had the weight gain (which is SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN as a side effect btw--I think it was an average of 11 pounds), and lost all shred of libido. Which was highly active before. Sigh.

I'd say I was nearly back to normal about 13 months after. However, I still waited a long time to have kids after that even.

My sister had a HUGE amount of issues with it too. She wound up having complications involving her endocrine system and thyroid. She went on natural progesterone and was able to get things back in order.

Supposedly after pregnancy your body is 'reset' as well.

[justKate]

Originally Posted by 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

I hate to be the one, but I have to say I did like it. Please don't flame me. I know it doesn't work well for a lot of people, but I was on it for 5 years (which is not recommended); did not have periods, no cramping, no weight gain, no side effects whatsoever. I got my last shot in Dec. '07 and got pregnant in May '08. THIS MAY NOT BE YOUR EXPERIENCE. I don't, however, plan to get another shot any time soon as I am nearing 30 and want more children in the next couple years.

So that's my 2 cents.

[ScarletBegonias]

Originally Posted by mommy2two babes

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

nak

this is similar to my exp as well.

also, do not ttc before 1 year after being on depo. it alters your eggs and a high incidence of conceiving a down syndrome baby is just one of the "side effects". i know because my cousin has a DS dd who is now 9 yo.

she did tons of research on it and, i can't remember exactly, but i believe she said the depo insert even mentioned this info.

my other cousin took depo for 6 years and it took 4 years plus fertility treatments to conceive again.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I was on it the first time for a little over 4years no af at all during : but when I went off my body had forgotten how to O and when I did I got pg and lost that pg due to the lining of my uterus not being healthy

I stopped O again and tried progesterone to jump start things but that didnt work so had to take clomid had another m/c while on the clomid.

Finally started oing again after that m/c and got pg.

It took a total of 2 years the first time and 2 years the second. Went back on it when dd was 3 weeks old. Thankfully no m/c before ds.

Some woman's bodies forget how to cycle because of it and help is needed to get it going again.

Depo was my only choice for bc and I did love the fact that it made af go away but hated ttc after it.

[maciascl]

Originally Posted by mysticmomma

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

: sadly

[annie2186]

Mac I love the second line of your sig!!!

[polishprinsezz]

Originally Posted by Red Sonja

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.

my story exactly! just add in the miscarriage it caused too. my cycles were nomal after that loss.

[*MamaJen*]

So have any of you actually managed to have an orgasm while on Depo? Because I absolutely could not.

[SeekingSerenity]

Originally Posted by UberMama

Depo realllllly messed my body up.

I thought I was the only one who'd gone through that. My XH thought it was "all in my head" because I'd only gotten one shot, even though he was right there through the four months of bleeding followed by three more of spotting.

Originally Posted by teale

... because it was literally wreaking havoc on my emotions.

I was a complete and utter wreck. And that's saying something because this was during a time in my life when I wasn't precisely at my best to begin with. It took eons to get a "regular" cycle back, and then I got pg and had a m/c when everything started to seem halfway normal again.

Originally Posted by *MamaJen*

So have any of you actually managed to have an orgasm while on Depo? Because I absolutely could not.

Well, no, but I am not sure that was the depo... since I think I can remember only a handful of times I had one at ALL with my ex, in the almost-8 years of marriage... heh.

[lactavia]

I was on it for about 3 or 4 years. And also had no side effects at all. I lost weight while on it, had no periods, and it didn't have any effect on my libido at all.

However - getting off it was horrendous. For about 10 months I had no symptoms and no period. Then when my period finally came, I was a wreck with major PMS. It took about three cycles and my periods and PMS were regular again. We were pregnant about 5 regular cycles in.

I did not know of any of the nasty side effects until well after I was off the Depo. I was shocked and mortified when I read them. I'm glad I got off it.

Originally Posted by justKate

I hate to be the one, but I have to say I did like it. Please don't flame me. I know it doesn't work well for a lot of people, but I was on it for 5 years (which is not recommended); did not have periods, no cramping, no weight gain, no side effects whatsoever. I got my last shot in Dec. '07 and got pregnant in May '08. THIS MAY NOT BE YOUR EXPERIENCE. I don't, however, plan to get another shot any time soon as I am nearing 30 and want more children in the next couple years.

So that's my 2 cents.

[DanaMarie]

Depo wasnt all bad

I had my first depo shot 6 weeks postpartum while tandem nursing 1year old n newborn i was 21. I stayed on depo 18 mnths. I think i agree with previous poster that age n cycles pre-depo may hav smethg to do with how u bounce back. I'll also add to that my nursing may hav affected how depo worked for me. I never had any breakthrough bleeding and no period the whole time which of course was lovely for DH. I didnt feel my libido changed at all.

On the downside though it did make me moody and although my hair was thinning before depo i hav had serious hair loss since then and iight contribute some of that to depo side effects.


My period came back abt 6-7 mnths aftr last shot should hav worn off or 9-10mnths after last shot.

Best of luck to everyone trying to heal.

[brittneyscott]

I've been on depo twice. The first time was before I had kids and I had one shot. It took about 6 mos from the time I was suppose to get the second shot before I had a cycle. Once I did have a cycle though it was normal and I got pregnant 2 or 3 months later. After dd I had 3 depo shots. They gave me provera about 2 mos after I was suppose to get the next shot to try to start my cycles back. You should take provera for one week then start a cycle but it didn't work for me. About a month after taking the provera I started bleeding and bled for 21 days straight before they started me on bcp. I took one month's cycle of the pills and got pregnant with ds right after stopping them. I wouldn't ever take depo again after the way it did my body the last time!