Depo-Provera: asking the FDA to investigate

Top 469. Dec 31, 2006 4:22 PM

» heidi105 - Think twice...

I have been on Depo for 7years. During this time I have battled depression, anxiety, joint pain that rheumatologists have no explanation for, immunosuppression, irratibility, fatigue, increasing weight, increasing cholesterol levels and insomnia. It has only just occured to me that this all started with Depo, so I did a bit of research. I didn't have to look far to find numerous stories just like mine, and now I see I have osteoporosis to look forward to as well. The list of side effects reads like my life story over the last 7yrs. Before I went on Depo I was energetic, slim, happy and had everything going for me, now I just feel like a wreck and I have no other explanation for the changes. I have worked hard on my excercise regime, relaxation, nutrition and mental health, all to no avail.
My next shot is due 3rd Jan, I will not be getting it. If anyone has any advice regarding speeding up the elimination process or minimising the detox side effects it would be much appreciated.

-- posted by heidi105

Top 470. Dec 31, 2006 5:40 PM

» lighthouse7101 - deppo

i have recently quit taking the shot after 4 years, i quit once before and it took almost 14 mos for my system to become normal again. this time it only took 5 mos. my periods have been regular, but im woriied it will still take years for me to have my second child. im 24 and have baby fever badly!! of course thats how it goes, when youre planning it doesnt happen, when youre NOT planning it happens right? anyway, i was just letting you guys know, it DOES effect women different ways, i only started taking deppo because i couldnt remember to take the pill everyday, also, when i did, it made me sicker than a dog!! if anyone has any questions for me you can reach me at lighthouse7101@yahoo.com

-- posted by lighthouse7101

Top 471. Dec 31, 2006 5:47 PM

» lighthouse7101 - Think twice...

In response to Think twice... posted by heidi105:

i have talked with my nurse that would give me the shot, she said theres really nothing you can do but wait it out, but be sure to keep flushing your system, like, drink lots of water. also if anyone can tell me how long they had to wait before they got pregnant after depo, please post it. i really want a child, but i dont want to get my hopes up thinking it will only take a few mos, even though im regular with my periods now, when it might take years?

-- posted by lighthouse7101

Top 472. Jan 1, 2007 5:30 PM

» Clementina - Depo-provera has been a catalyst to a lot of health problems

I have suffered for most of my adult life with symptoms that seemed to be unexplainable and have always been treated for the effects and in my opinion the cause never been found. I have had depression since my late teens, which did get better with the use of a certain anti-depressant, although I find this no longer works. As the years have gone on, I've had ongoing problems with my periods, gradually getting worse, heavier etc. One of the main issues I have suffered with all my life, is weight gain and difficulty in losing & maintaining it when I've managed to lose it. I personally believe that I have an underactive thyroid gland, although the doctors have categorically told me from blood tests only that it is not possible. Anyway, last year I had a hysteroscopy for something with my cervix, which was supposed to reduce my bleeding and ease my periods. Didn't happen, still suffering long periods, with clots and heavy. So, gynaecologist suggested I had depo-provera to balance my hormones. I mentioned that I was concerned about my weight but they said I'd be fine so long as I watched what I ate (which I have to do anyway) although I may have an appetite increase. I decided to have injection. Within a couple of weeks, the weight started to increase, my depression got worse, I never stopped bleeding (although not as heavy) and the bloating I'd already been suffering got worse. I did crave more for carb foods but fought it at least 90% of the time through sheer willpower. I went back to see consultant and explained how things were but he encouraged me to have this injection again saying I'd need to give it chance to work. Reluctantly I did. I feel worse, I have only had 8 days clear of blood, I am depressed and the anti-depressant doesn't even improve things now. I am now at six months since my first injection and I have gained 35 pounds in weight despite really watching what I've eaten. I feel I am losing the will to live and that there is just no answer to my struggles. I am due to have my next injection but I am not going to have it. It was difficult enough before I had this injection but I feel that it has basically catylysed all the problems I suffered already.

-- posted by Clementina

Top 473. Jan 3, 2007 2:24 AM

» kacyd - My Deppo Nightmare

I started taking deppo a few months before I got married back in 2005. I was 21 years old at the time. I was told by my doctor that I should expect a 5-10 pound weight increase, and to expect no period after the second shot. I turned to deppo because I wanted a "user error" free form of birth control, at least as much as possible. I had been on the pill and using condoms correctly and became pregnant (which I lost) a few years before and did not want to take any chances with my future husband since we knew we were not ready for a child. My doctor told me that the pill is not a good primary birth control because if you miss even one pill, your chances of becoming pregnant increase greatly. I was told my best bet would be deppo, because as long as I got my shot within my window every time, there was no user error involved.

I too was concerend about the weight loss in the beginning...but taking the advice of my doctor I made sure to be careful of what I ate and how much I ate as well as staying active (I was in the gym for at least an hour every day). In the first three months, I felt great! I had no periods (pretty awesome) and had gained no weight at all. For a brief moment I could not believe that I had not just gone on deppo in the first place.

However...after my second shot I started to gain weight, and QUICKLY. No amount of healthy eating or activity seemed to help. In my fourth month of deppo I gained 30 pounds (within the month before my wedding). Within the three months following I gained another 35 pounds. So in a four month period I went from a size 7-9 to a size 18 and had gained 75 pounds. I stayed on deppo for a total of 14 months and finally had made the decision to get off of it due to many health problems that were linked as side effects.

While I was on deppo I experience: Terrible mood swings including times of depression, insane weight gain, breast tenderness, drop in sex drive (I had no interest in sex), constant morning sickness, brain fog, blood pressure increase, severe headaches, and SO much more. By the end of my 10th month I was so tired and sick feeling all the time that all I wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep.

When I returned to get off the deppo and look into a new form of birth control I opted to see a new doctor, mainly to get a second opinion. I was informed that with all her patients..the average weight gain is about 60 pounds within the first year. She also mentioned that it can take up to a year for Deppo to fully get out of your system, especially if you have been on it for a year or more. I am so frustrated that my life has changed so drastically because of a perscription drug that is supposed to help me! I have been off of deppo for about 6 months now and have only lost about 5 pounds. I am hoping that as time continues I will be able to loose more weight, but being on deppo has permently scared me emotionally and physically. At the age of 22 I am now no longer healthy, am seriously over weight and have lost all confidence that I once had...thanks to poor advice from my doctor, a bad decision on my part, and MAINLY Deppo.

-- posted by kacyd

Top 474. Jan 4, 2007 3:23 PM

» DevilishDiva - Depo

In response to Depo posted by britt0328:

Britt0328 - I just want to say that I'm sorry to hear what you are going through. I also felt a need to respond. I was first put on depo at the age of 16 and was on it for about 4 years. I made the decision to stop it at the age of 20 because there was no need for me to be on it and I felt that something was wrong with a girl as young as I was not having a period. Its been 3 1/2 years since my last shot and in that time I've struggled with terrible cramps, back pain, outrageous mood swings, gaining nearly 80 lbs. and depression. I've also only had 1 period in those 3 years that lasted about 2 weeks and have not had another since. I've been to doctors who all blame the symptoms on something I'm doing or that it is all my imagination(atleast that's how I tend to take it). I hope relief finds you and that your system can return to normal. Most of all I hope this helps you to see that you're not the only one its ever happened to.

-- posted by DevilishDiva

Top 475. Jan 7, 2007 1:16 PM

» eliza09 - Depo ouch

I have been on Depo before and I did experience some bad side effects, and I had a lot of irregular bleeding. I gained a little weight but not a huge amounts. I have been off of it for a while and then was on the patch for a while, I'm not great at taking the pills everyday. When I switched jobs and insurances, I had a lapse in my birth control and wass off of anything for 6 months, it felt great. However, I am a teacher, going to MBA school and live with my significant other, so I deperately needed to get back on birth control, I went with the DEPO because it seemed convinient. BIG MISTAKE, I am sitting here with horrible cramps, which I usually have under control with exercise, and I am also experiencing a heavy period. I have only been on Depo for 3 weeks. Has this happened to anybody?

-- posted by eliza09

Top 476. Jan 8, 2007 4:37 AM

» ZooSpore - How many has this happened to?

Like many other women on this board I decided, after a lot of consideration, to use Depo. I was horrible at remembering to take the pill and it seemed like a good option. I was told I may gain a little weight and that is the only warning I remember getting. I certainly wasn't told that the reason I would gain weight is that Depo interferes with Thyroid function.
For the first three months everything was fine, then after the second shot I started having horrible moodswings, I was like a crazy person. Fortunately these went away after a couple of months, but then the weight gain started. The "little weight" I was told I would gain turned out to be 65 pounds, with no change for the worse in my eating or excercise habits. I had also been in good shape before, but suddenly I have a weight problem, without the fun of eating enough ice cream to justify it sad

Still, I was all for not having a period, they've always been sporadic at best for me, sneaking up when I least expect it, sometimes a week early or late, so I was glad to be done with that. I tried everything I could think of to lose the weight that I had gained from the Depo but it never dropped more then 5-10 pounds at the most and it was a constant struggle to keep it off. When it started to seem like the only way to get rid of it was either stop eating entirely or stop the Depo, I stopped the Depo. I had been taking it for about 5 years. Three months later, still struggling with the weight, and I get a lump in my throat. After all sorts of less then pleasant tests the doctors decide to operate to remove the lump and lo and behold, Papillary Thyroid Cancer and a second surgery to remove my thyroid entirely. My family has absolutely no history of Thyroid cancer on either side, and only one other type of cancer period, and that was related to smoking.
The doctors of course express befuddlement, since it is unusual for someone who is 28 (at the time) to get a thyroid lump, and even more unusual for it to be cancerous. So, now being just 60 pounds overweight is a fond memory. Since they have to take your thyroid out and keep you off Thyroid replacements in order to do the radiation treatments and the follow up scans and it takes a while for your thyroid levels to build back up once you do take it, I was effectively without a metabolism, or with a very low one, for months at a time. With all my Depo and cancer related struggles I gained a total of around 140 pounds. Surfing around on the internet, I've seen a few stories of other women who have gone through this. It's wonderful having people, even friends and family, looking at you as if you have a serious eating problem on top of having to deal with the cancer treatment. At least now I remember to take daily pills, I don't have a choice anymore, I'm dependant on them for the rest of my life.
I have to have my doctor look to see if I have also had bone density loss, and I'm wondering if the thyroid cancer is another unadvertised side effect of Depo. The timing is just far too coincidental. The company that put this drug out without long term studies and absolutely no warning of the risk of thyroid related problems really needs to be held accountable and get the word out there. They already have a class action law suit in the works for bone density loss, but what about the cancer?

-- posted by ZooSpore

Top 477. Jan 8, 2007 4:44 AM

» ZooSpore - Depo-provera has been a catalyst to a lot of health problems

In response to Depo-provera has been a catalyst to a lot of health problems posted by Clementina:

I have been trying to ring for a while now with good success. My doctor said that the dose is low enough that leaving it in for the full four weeks isntead of just three is fine. So, I skip my period for three months at a time, much like Seasonale, and when I do have it, it is light and lasts for three days at most. It has the same risks and side effects as the pill, but so much easier to remember smile I would recommend looking into it. But I would absolutely not recommend contuining Depo.

-- posted by ZooSpore