Depo-Provera: asking the FDA to investigate

Top 9. Sep 9, 2002 7:38 PM

» Filomena - Stop The DEPO

I feel for you & I also will try to start a petition here in California. I have not taken depo since 1995 & took the shot twice. Gained 30 lbs w/in 6 months. I went from 125 lbs to a now 201 lbs & climbing. There is no end to my loss, my body, my soul. Once happy & youthful, pretty, physically & energetically active. I am only 30 depressed, fatigued, very moody & angry. Depo has robbed me of my right to feel good at my prime. False advertisement, misleading information and flat out lying should not be tolerated. Along with this are Medical problems that no doctor can diagnose. Each doctor, seems to ignore my symptoms & tells me that is just my body, I am getting older now. This is not true, 3 PID's, That can leave me infertile, Vaginitis, & Antibiotics that left me w/yeast infectns, unbearable scents, since 1996. To this date I still have no period since 1998 & have blowned up like a balloon. I look toxic & swollen, painful ovaries on the left side, Painful & bleeding after sex. I bled after a pap smear, Ankles are giving out on me, Terrible Migraines that last for days & now this is one never heard of & never had, "I can feel & hear liquid shoot up the back of my spine to my head." What the hell is this? Depo needs to be stopped. IT IS Definitaley TOXIC!! The manufacturers are lying & using woman as guinea pigs to make money. Who is to suffer but women. Yes I thought it was good until the problems persisted. Little do we know about depo. We know it stops you from ovulating & stops your lining from doing it's job. Nature is taking it's toll for messing with What was given to us & it took humans to ruin it. I have now a rash of acne all over my body, & facial hair that just won't stop. Let's not forget short of breath & chest pain. Let me remind you FDA it has been since 1995 & now 2002. It destroyed my youth & me. Once a dancing magnet--now lifeless with emotional hurt & physical pain. I do not want to leave my home & Women have contiplated suicide. The doctor's have no means to acknowledge this is depo related. I am still taking tests & everything is normal, But it is not. I have menopausal like symptoms @ age 30. Don't they put male hormones in depo, & I also read that depo was used to fatten cattle.? How can this stay on the market. We are not cattle We are humans. Depo should have not been twisted to Control Human Race. We are left in despair, suicidal, & possible emotional madness. FDA-----Shut THis Down. Our bodies are meant to ovulate & our hormones are not to be modified. Please for all the woman in this nation, we are going baron & hope is deminished. This needs to be taken off & a Lawsuit should be in order. Hello, One person died from it.. How many more people is it gonna take to get this going. Maybe a lawsuit against the FDA. All pertinent testings should have been relevant & public before manufacturers used human guineas. We Are HUman NOt Cattle..Plzzz Do something!!! Take it off. Yes, it affects people differently, they should not have assumed it would work for everyone with no medical problems. I didn't have any until now. Thanks Depo for ruining my life & the life of others. Thanks FDA.

-- posted by Filomena

Top 10. Sep 16, 2002 8:44 PM

» Millie51 - Re: Need advice

Hearing all these stories helps me to see I'm not alone! Which I have felt for several months now. I am 29 years old. My son was born in 1998. I started taking the depo shot my first visit to the doctor after his birth. I loved it at first. For three years I took the shot, thinking nothing was wrong with it. Boy was I wrong. Last year my husband and I decided we might want to try to have another child within the next year. We weren't in big hurry, I knew it could take maybe up to a year before I could get pregnant. No big deal, we could wait. Well 13 months later still nothing, no period, nothing. I still wasn't that concerned until the hot flashes started among other things. My doctor did some blood work and found my estrogen level isn't what it should be. But he assures me that it probably isn't pre-menapause. I want to think it's not but after hearing all these stories and hearing the symptoms others have had that I am now experiencing I'm not so sure. My last visit he said he wanted to wait until December before we do anything. And put me Sarafem for my mood swings (really to help me NOT to kill someone). I don't know what to do. Should I get a second opinion? Please if there is anyone that can help me I would appreciate it. I believe the depo shop is the cause of all my problems. I never had the problems before the depo shot. I'll be glad to sign the petition to get the depo shot off the market!

-- posted by Millie51

Top 11. Sep 17, 2002 12:41 AM

» ttcweb - Re: Re: Need advice

In response to message posted by Millie51:

Millie, you should check your phone book for a Reproductive Endocrinologist (an infertility specialist), or try to find an OB/GYN that specializes in infertility treatments.

You are not happy with your doctor and I get the feeling that your doctor is not listening to you and your wishes. You need to find a doctor that will work with you and for you. Get a second opinion!!

I have an article on my web site TTC Dreams about how to choose a doctor, and you might want to read it so you can find a doctor that is willing to listen to you and help you now, not later.

Please contact me at ttcweb@suite101.com and I would be happy to give you some links to support groups (for both dealing with Depo and ttcing) and I will answer any questions I can for you.

Best Wishes!

-- posted by ttcweb

Top 12. Sep 24, 2002 10:49 AM

» JinelleB - I can't believe it

My husband called me from work this morning to tearfully apologize for agreeing to let me start getting depoprovera shots five years ago. We have been beating our heads against the wall trying to figure out what the heck is wrong with me, and now, from your letters, we are sure.
I began the shots five years ago at the age of 32, and was told I might gain a few pounds, and my period would evenutally stop. Having been thin all my life, I saw this as no biggie. I took the shot for three years, over which time I gained more than fifty pounds. From the very first shot, I never bled. I loved it, like you all did! But after a while, my appearance became too much to bear. I was placed on Serazone, an anti-depressant, which seemed to help my mood somewhat. I finally decided I wanted to be ME again - so I stopped taking the shot. That was two years ago. SInce that time, I have been told that my ovaries are producing too much testosterone, so my voice has gotten lower, and I have hair sprouting up in very strange places. I was then told that Serazone was not good, so I stopped taking that as well. I was the Homecoming Queen in my high school, used to model, and now I am too ashamed to leave my own house. I know I'm jumping around subjects here, I'm sorry - I think I'm really writing this because I've never had the opportunity. Sorry, please bear with me. Shortly after stopping the shot, about five months, I began menstruating again. But it did not STOP for almost six months, when I finally went back to my doctor to say I thought maybe this wasn't a normal reaction to stopping the shot. He put me on PROVERA - to take five days a month for the next few months to "get me regular again". I got regular for one month, and now I haven't bled since - that was 1 1/2 years ago. I just went back to the doctor yesterday, and they took more blood samples to see if even more testosterone is being produced. My hair growth is outrageous - I look like a blown-up balloon. I'm constantly "exhausted", too tired to do anything, depressed to the point of just not giving a darn anymore about anything. I have no hope for the future, it seems. I have also developed sleep apnea because of my weight, making it impossible for me to hold down a job or drive a car because I fall asleep. Exercise seems to do nothing, adn I have always been a light eater - but NOTHING is combating my weight. My wonderful husband is investigating class action lawsuits through some local lawyers who are going to put him in touch with some. I will be glad to pass along the information to you who are also suffering from this situation. I'm so sorry to all of you for my rambling, and my heart goes out to you all. One nice thing, is knowing now that it's not all in my head. Best of luck to all of you.

-- posted by JinelleB

Top 13. Sep 25, 2002 4:44 PM

» ttcweb - Re: I can't believe it

Jinelle,

Please send me any information you and your husband find concerning a class action law suit against the makers of Depo. I wrote a three part series on Depo and would like to update any information about the class action suit and who to contact concerning it.

You and/or your husband can contact me at ttcweb@suite101 with any information that you are willing to share. Please contact me if you have any specific questions that I might be able to answer for you.

Best wishes, and big hugs!!!!

-- posted by ttcweb

Top 14. Oct 3, 2002 2:40 PM

» tamaran - Re: Depo-Provera

Hi Stephanie,I was reading over all the things about the depo.Yes it is true that for some people it is good but from my own experencies and alot of other people who I know that has taken it it is not good.I have been off of the depo since November of 2000 and I still have not had a period until last month and it was not a regular one.
Some of the symptoms I have are headaches,back aches,adominal paines,excessive weight gain,depression,bladder infections,and there are a few others I have.When I first started getiing the shot my Doctor told me that the side effects were weight gain and your period will stop maybe but now I come to find out that there is alot more side effects.I am for this petition 100%. Thank you Misty Nelson

-- posted by tamaran

Top 15. Oct 6, 2002 8:49 PM

» audiogirl2001 - Re: I can't believe it

In response to message posted by JinelleB:

i understand wear you are coming from. i reacently suffered a stroke from taking provera i didn't think that is what caused it until the heart dr told me . he said that they got some reports on it saying that it causes blot clots strokes heart attacks i have been searching for it my self cannot find it, now they are saying i might have to have surgery on my heart because i have a blood clot and the medicine i am taking isn't helping disolve it i am only 28 with 3 kids i am so scared i didn't realize something that small could do so much damaged to a human body . they told me if my dr would have just listened to me this wouldn't have happen but they insisted it wasn't the provera and they even knew i had blood clots when i was younger but they said it won't hurt me but now who do i trust i am afraid of not seeing my kids grow up because of this horrible poison they gave me an they are giving to others why don't they listen to us .
sorry about venting to you i didn't mean it that way . i am sorry you are going thru this to and the others that i have read about, feel free to email me at _audiogirl2001@yahoo.com

-- posted by audiogirl2001

Top 16. Oct 7, 2002 1:34 PM

» adinieri - 10 years on Depro

Hi, I just located your site and joined. Myself and my two daughters took depro provera and we all have the same sysptoms. Severe joint and muscle pain. Also, we were all diagnosed with early osteoporosis. My being in my 50's it is understandable but they are in their early 30's. Something is not right. Let me know if there is anything we can do about this. We live with pain everyday.
Thanks, adinieri@yahoo.com

-- posted by adinieri

Top 17. Oct 7, 2002 3:40 PM

» torgerson - Re: Re: I can't believe it

In response to message posted by ttcweb:

-- posted by torgerson