Depo-Provera: asking the FDA to investigate

Top 449. Nov 8, 2006 11:32 PM

» dazylauren - my experience with depo

In response to my experience with depo posted by nikkolette:

HI ,my name is lauren, i have currently been off the depo provera shot for close to 1.5 years. I have had many stomach related issues, and skin issuses, but the worst would be my weight gain. When i started the shot, i was 120lbs, 2 years later, i weigh 181 lbs.
I never had problems before the depo with weight gain. Since being off the shot for 1.5 years and work out approx 4 days a week (approx 5 hours cardio, 1 hour weights per week), i have still had no luck on losing a single pound. I also was working out the same amount while on the shot, and couldn't lose a pound. I am also on a diet of 1200 calories per day and feeling very helpless, that in 2 years i coudln't lose 1 single pound.

Since you are about the only person who responded on this site and said you lost some weight, i figured i'd ask you how you did, and how long it took before you lost weight after stopping depo.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, please respond, i'm pretty desperate at this point.
my e-mail is obrien_lo@hotmail.com

-- posted by dazylauren

Top 450. Nov 9, 2006 8:57 AM

» nikkolette - my experience with depo

In response to my experience with depo posted by dazylauren:

Well, this diet may sound crazy but it works. AND I was put on it by a Dr. I actually just stopped the depo so I did begin to loose while on it. So this should help. EVERY morning for breakfast you must eat an egg (egg substitute if cholesterol is an issue), 2 ounces lean meat, a dairy, a whole grain, and a fresh fruit or 100% juice. I usually eat an egg over easy, sausauge, bowl of boxed brown sugar cereal made by oatmeal (yummy and good for you), milk in cereal, glass of OJ. Take a multivitamin, if trying to concieve your prenatal. Then for the rest of the day you can have up to 6 ounces of lean meat, 2-3 more dairy, 3-5 more whole grains, 2 fresh fruites, 3 veggies. Your restrictions are as follows: 1 potato a week, 1 corn a week, only 1 banana a day, and no more than 2 pieces of bread a day. The bread should be high in fiber and less than 60 calories per slice. Keep your cravings at bay by eating mini meals or the rest of what you need in 2 large meals. I find that if I eat more at lunch and less at dinner I don't get as many cravings nor do I snack in between lunch and dinner. By dinner, I feel a little hungry but not like I used to. Keep up the exercise and follow this diet, the breakfast makes the difference and the pounds will come off. It has taken me nearly a year and I am within 20 lbs of 135 normal for my height and body build. I have been struggling with these last 20 lbs and am hoping that coming off the depo will help. Mostly coming off since I am TTC so I am still interested in responses as to whether there were any other women out there who are TTC and had been on the depo as long as I have.

-- posted by nikkolette

Top 451. Nov 13, 2006 10:10 PM

» care_bear555 - Fed up with Depo

I'm 18 and I have been on the shot for the past 6 months, and I am due for my next one in the next couple of days. I have decided that I am NOT going to go for my next shot because I, like so many of you out there, are suffering from the side affects. I have had my period for the past month. It's really frustrating and it's really getting me down. Like randomly I'll start crying because I want it to end so badly. I also have a gained a bit of weight, have daily headaches and sore breasts. My other friends who are on the shot seem to be just fine and do not have their period at all (lucky! well at least for those of us who do not want children anytime soon). It's definately affected my sex life and I would do anything to make the bleeding end.

My questions to you are:
1)If you experienced prolonged bleeding, how long did it take for it to end? Did you do or take anything to stop it? Will it ever end?

2)If you switch to the pill, does it stop the abnormal period? Is it better than depo?

Depo is not the way to go, at least for me. All I know is that I don't want to mess up my body anymore than I have.

Thanks so much for your time and help. Any and all answers are MUCH appreciated. smile

wish me luck! hopefull this perios will end soon

-- posted by care_bear555

Top 452. Nov 14, 2006 8:28 AM

» rya - wight gain

THIS IN RESPONSE TO SPOTTING. IM 20 YEARS OLD AND HAVE A 10 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER. JUST LIKE YOU I AM REALLY ACTIVE AND FIT. WHEN I STARTED TAKING THE DEPO 6 MONTHS AGO I GAINED ABOUT 15 POUNDS. IVE BEEN OFF IT FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS AND NOW MY BELLY IS STARTING TO GET ROUND JUST LIKE YOU WERE DESCRIBING YOURS. MY FINANCE AND I ALSO HAVE BEEN EXTEMELY CAREFUL. IVE HEARD YOU CAN GAIN WEIGHT AFTER YOU GET OFF IT. YOU WONT HAVE REGULAR PERIODS FOR AT LEAST A YEAR AFTER STOPPING THE SHOT,NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU GOT THE SHOT. IVE TAKEN LIKE 3 PREGNANCY TEST ALLREADY,AND THEY ALL CAME OUT NEGATIVE.

-- posted by rya

Top 453. Nov 15, 2006 6:54 AM

» nikkolette - To care_bear555 - Fed up with Depo

I didn't have a period but my sister also tried depo and she bled constantly for 4 months straight starting shortly after the shot and it finally quit when the doc gave her something. I don't think it was the pill though. It took her about 8 months to get back to normal cycles though. It also made her very depressed and moody. When I was around her after she had the shot it was like she was bipolar or something. She would be happy and upbeat one minute and crying and didn't want to get out of bed the next. It is crazy what depo does to our hormones and bodies. These side effects were never discussed with me. As a matter of fact when I had my first shot October 1998 I don't think I was told of any side effects other than lack of period. They do say that in women who at first bleed that it eventually goes away if you stick it out. But the other effects of this drug strongly outweigh that in my mind. I think it was great not having a period for 8 years but I sure would like to have my fertility back soon and be back down at my normal weight again. I was 150 when I started depo and I ballooned up to 220, then even on the depo I came back down and am now within about 20 lbs. It is difficult what it does psychologically to a women who was of normal weight to gain so much. I am however grateful to finally get that part under control, now if I could just get my body to start ovulating again and return to pre-depo normal I would be glad. Currently 1 month TTC hope it doesn't take 18 months plus

-- posted by nikkolette

Top 454. Nov 15, 2006 9:03 AM

» hayleyh - To care_bear555 - Fed up with Depo

In response to To care_bear555 - Fed up with Depo posted by nikkolette:

I was diagnosed with endometriosis and after surgery and awhile being on the pill I was put on the Deppo shot. I received three injections of the Deppo shot and another one month shot. Over the past twelve months I have gained 100lbs. I have felt trapped in my body like a prisoner. The hot flashes were horrible, the paranoia was an believable, the weight gain hurt my entire body.
I told my doctor that I was going to refuse my next treatment and try my odds at getting sick from the endometriosis and I have never felt better. My periods have been very infrequent for the last 8 months. I was getting one period only every three months. Emotionally I feel drained; I went through so many emotions and feeling paranoid all the time.
I haven't started to loose weight. Maybe 5 pounds but I have not seen any improvement. Has anyone had any success with weight loss? The Deppo company should be held responsible for creating such a horrible medication.

-- posted by hayleyh

Top 455. Nov 15, 2006 9:09 AM

» hayleyh - Fed up with Depo

In response to Fed up with Depo posted by care_bear555:

The best thing I ever did was stop taking the shot. There is nothing better then being healthy again. The weight gain starts off small at first and then snowballed.

I stopped everything to try to get the Deppo out of my system. It's been seven months and I am just getting back on track, and I'm only 23.

The pill was still a great birth control option for me. My sister was bleeding very frequently, it was determined that she had an underlying condition and she was able to recieve a hormone medication. She has had a lot of success and it was definitely worth the bloodowrk.
Good Luck!!

-- posted by hayleyh

Top 456. Nov 15, 2006 1:38 PM

» care_bear555 - no more

In response to Fed up with Depo posted by hayleyh:

Thanks sooo mcuh for replying back!

Yah, I am definately not going back on Depo EVER again. I just want my body to be normal again and although I know it won't be for awhile, it's reassuring to know that I'm off of it. Everyday I wake up and hope my period has stopped, but I just find myself more dissapointed than the last. At least I know that it will end...eventually. I scheduled to see the doctor on Monday morning, so we'll see what they'll say. I kind of assume that they'll be like, "No worries...that's a very common side affect." and then I will be forced to slap them in my frustration...just kidding. Anyhow, hopefully the pill will be a better option for me because otherwise I don't know what I'm going to do as far as birth control goes. I need to stay on it as long as I'm with my boyfriend (which I hope to be is going to be for awhile).

Thanks again!

-- posted by care_bear555

Top 457. Nov 17, 2006 1:11 PM

» tachoina1 - I'm not alone???

Oh my gosh!!! I didn't realize so many other women were in my same position at the same time. So here is my story. I discovered I was pregnant with twins in February of this year. I became very lethargic and couldn't even keep water down, in 2 weeks I lost 15 pounds (I was at 120 and 5'6".) Went to the doctors and of course they said I was dehydrated. So we got that under control and I went for my first prenatal appointment the next week. I found out the following week when all my lab results came back that I was suffering from hyperthyroidism. I was sent to a specialist who put me on PTU. Everything was fine and in my 5th month I lost the babies and the doctors couldn't tell me why, this was in May. I stopped taking the PTU and was doing just fine. In June I went back for a check up and got on depo-provera. During the month of July I started having side effects that were like the ones I had when I was put on PTU so I figured that they were coming from not taking my medicine. So in August I refilled my prescription and began to take the medicine again. My symptoms cleared up and my hair even started growing back in the 2 spots it had fallen out. So I missed my second depo shot in September and had to wait 2 weeks to get the next one in October. My hair has been coming out a lot and I've been thinking its stress or maybe its my thyroid and yesterday while looking for some sea kelp pills to help my hair regrowth my sister tells me that depo might be the reason for my hair loss. I was never told of that side effect when I received the shot. I was told that I may not have a menstrual cycle or I may have one that lasts for weeks, I may gain weight or become depressed, might be moody, sore where I received the shot, or I may even feel fatigued at the time when my cycle would usually start. but nothing about hair loss and at times I am severly depressed because of the shot and not knowing why I am losing hair does not help. I would like to know if maybe the combination of depo and PTU is doing this and why us patients who decide to go with this birth control method are not told of all of its side effects instead of the most common ones only?? I also did not mention the fact that my hair loss in July may have been due to the fact that in that month my belly was becoming round under my navel and I thought I was possibly pregnant with triplets instead of twins and still had a baby inside of me. I took 6 pregnancy tests, 3 of which were clear blue tests and all came out inconclusive. This was something I had been stressing about too. In the morning I wake up and sometimes I feel a little ball on one side of my belly sticking out. I am so confused as what to do because my test keep coming back negative. Usually my stomach is flat even if I don't work out...I can't lose the 5 pounds I'd like to but I have not gained any weight as of yet. Someone please give me some advice. Should I go and try to get an ultrasound to see if I am actually pregnant or should I get off the shot and just stick to condoms alone and see what happens?

-- posted by tachoina1