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Depo-Provera III: Take It Off The Market

© Debbi Carter

The title is the battle cry of many unhappy Depo-Provera users, along with 'sue them' and 'help us'. From continuous bleeding to severe vaginal atrophy, complaints of problems call out to be heard by their doctors and Pharmacia Corporation(owners of Upjohn), the makers of Depo-Provera. These women and their spouses need help in coping with what Depo-Provera has done to them and their lives.

Approximately 75% of all Depo-Provera users stop taking the drug within the first year of use. The majority of the complaints included continuous bleeding, mood swings, headaches and lack of sex drive. What the women that stopped may not have known or even been told, is that the side effects continue even after you no longer receive injections. One of the side effects that affects almost every women that has used it is delayed return to normal fertility. From here, the side effects increase and get much worse.

Osteoporosis, thought of as a disease that 'old' people get, has been linked to Depo-Provera. A woman that has used Depo is encouraged to have their bone density checked. Cervical dysplasia has been reported by many women that have side effects from Depo, along with ..."severe depression, lack of libido, lack of feminine moisture, I was on my period for 8+ weeks straight. I got bladder infections, my hair was falling out in clumps, I couldn't eat because I would get sick. I was always tired, had major mood swing..." and more.

Christina was kind enough to tell me of her experience with Depo-Provera. If her story is not enough to make a woman think twice about using Depo as birth control, I don't know what would be. "I was on depo for 6 years. It wasn't until the sixth year that any doctor mentioned the possibility of a connection between my Depo use and the problems I was having. If I knew when I was 16 what I know now at 26, I would have never have taken the first shot. I was told that the worst side effects where loss of periods, and lowered sex drive!...Depo Provera caused severe vaginal atrophy in me. To a degree that normally wouldn't be seen until post menopause...The atrophy, vaginal infections, various medications, and estrogen decline lead to the development of vulvar vestibulitis, a type of vulvodynia. I finally wound up having surgery in May. A complete vulvar vestibulectomy with vaginal advancement. The hymen was removed, and the perinial skin was grafted and tucked in to prevent further fissuring. Quite a bit of tissue was removed because of the degree of inflammation (glands were 4 inches long instead of the healthy 1cm they should be), and the amount of scar tissue and fibromas attatched to the glands...Right now it is 6 months post operative. I am in Physical Therapy to re-educate the pelvic floor muscles, and I am still coping with recurrent yeast infections."