1st time Depo shot - what to expect?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
1st time Depo shot - what to expect?
9
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 10:46am

Hello,


I will be getting my first Depo Provera injection this week.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2004
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 1:22pm
I would advise on passing up the shot. I have been on it for 1 yr. and I have turned into someone I don't even know. I have bled for almost the whole year. I suggest you go http://p076.ezboard.com/fdepoproverainformationsitesideeffectsofdepoprovera.showMessageRange?topicID=4.topic&start=41&stop=57. These are stories of people and their side effects. Here's one story I copied and pasted.

I'd never take it again...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's been almost a year since I had taken the Depo-Provera shot and I'm still paying for it.

I had only gotten one shot, and in those 3 months I bled for 2 straight months (kind of defeats the purpose of the shot, doesn't it?), became ridiculously paranoid, upset, was told I was depressed by my doctor, I couldn't handle even the smallest incidents. I had to move out of the basement suite I lived in because I had become so sensitive to everything I couldn't tolerate the noise of the people that lived upstairs.

I suffered extreme mood swings, almost to the point of being able to be deemed as bipolar.

When I was able to finally have sex after months of constant, heavy bleeding, it wasn't even close to enjoyable because the shot had almost depleted my ability to produce natural lubrication. Things like KY would work for maybe 2 minutes. It wasn't fun at all.

I had become incredibly short-tempered and everything annoyed me. To this day, I'm not as patient as I was before the shot.

My periods are still irregular. One month it'll be normal, the next month, it'll be 5 days late and ridiculously light, but last for 10 days as opposed to my usual 5. The following period usually turns out to be 2 weeks after my last one and is very heavy. This pattern has been going on for 10 months.

I'm on the pill now and am suffering worse than usual side effects because the Depo shot has thrown my system way out of whack. My body has become over-sensitive to medications. I haven't been able to lose the weight I put on while on the shot (15 pounds or so) and more often than not, I feel flu-like.

Before the shot, I felt normal. Now, I feel like everything has changed, including myself.

To anyone who's thinking of taking the shot, I would STRONGLY advise against it. There's no sense in running the risk of taking it, in the slight chance you may be one of the few who tolerates it well. I would just as soon have a histerectomy than to ever have the Depo-Provera shot again.

I'm beginning to wonder how this drug was ever approved, and whom they tested it on.

I wish I would have investigated more before I got the shot. Its poison going into your body. I'm now on an anti-depressant and NEVER GETTING THAT SHOT AGAIN!!!!!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 2:28pm
Hi froggyfish, welcome!

Depo can have some harsh side effects. We usually get a lot more negative posts about Depo than positive ones but there are women who are delighted with how well Depo has worked for them. You can search the archives for posts about Depo using the search box at the top of the screen. One thing to keep in mind is that if it turns out you are having problems you can't stop taking it as you can the pill. Depo has to wear off and it may take 13 weeks or longer for the side effects to disappear. Thanks for posting,

Good luck,

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2004
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 3:27pm
I took the depo shot 3 times, and have since vowed to never do it again. I gained over 30 lbs in 9 months. Ive never been overweight, and now im a size 16 from a size 10. This was NOT caused by overeating, as I have always been very conscious about what I eat. My hair has grown even more thin, and my skin just isnt as great as it used to be. Granted, it was fabulous not having a period for close to a year, Ive been off it for a month now, and still havent gotten a period. I want my old body back, and am actually longing fr the days when I Have cramps, and an actual period. Dont take this shot, it royally messes up your body and I would really recommend trying Seasonale or something. At least then its a birth control pill, without so much progesterone ( which causes the weight gain) and with that you only get your period 4 times a year. Im still very nervous about me not gettin my period and having such a hard time getting the weight back off. I have managed to lose 18 lbs so far, but it hasnt been easy. Let me know what you decide.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-08-2004
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 4:32pm
I was on the depo for abput 6 years. I would say I would never do it again. There are always advantages and disadvantages to everything. I was suppose to get my last shot July 26 which I decided not to. I too was worried about how long it would take to have a period again. I had my fist period in August 25 which lasted about 5 days. I have had a period each month which is good. SO far so good. It is hard getting used to the cramps,tampons, and bloating again though.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2004
Mon, 11-01-2004 - 6:30pm
I will speak in defense of Depo. :)

I have had an overall great experience while being on Depo-Provera. During the first months, you`ll probably spot quite a bit. It really is a good idea to wear pantiliners every day, or you`ll probably end up ruining quite a few pairs of panties. I was a little crampy on and off, but nothing an ibuprofen or two couldn`t cure.

I`ve been on it for nearly a year and love not having a period, or, if I do, just one or two days of bleeding and - ta da - nothing more! I do have occassional difficulty getting lubricated during sex, but that could be a lot of things and not just Depo. I haven`t gained any noticeable weight, either.

Overall, Depo`s been super for me. (: I hope it works well for you. Like all BC`s, it reacts differently with different body chemistries - so not everyone will have a horrible time, just like not everyone will have a great time. Although there seem to be many women that loathe Depo, I know quite a few that love it, too. So take that into consideration. And, after three months, if you don`t like it, you don`t have to go for it again. There are tons of other options you can pursue!

Lena

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 11-02-2004 - 9:59am

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-03-2004
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 1:42pm
I would strongly caution you to do some fishing around on the internet about Depo before having your first shot. I have had two shots, one in May and one in August and Have bleed EVERY DAY since about a week after my first shot. Imagine it for a minute, every day. While it's not heavy, it never goes away and my GP had thrown up her hands. Even the hotline at Depo says "that's not common" but has no solution for me. Actually, today I have an appointment with a OB/GYN to try and figure out how to go off Depo and try something else. It's been a nightmare. This is the stuff they don't tell you about. They tell you that you may stop having your period and really underplay the breakthrough bleeding. All I can say is that my boyfriend is a saint! Sorry if I scared you, but I feel so alone with this and I don't want you to have to go through the same thing.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2004
Fri, 11-05-2004 - 12:31pm
JR,

I strongly urge you to reconsider getting the Depo shot. It is a very convenient form of birth control, but it is self-defeating in the sense that it kills your sex drive. For me, I'm talking no libido, none, plus inability to orgasm. I also gained 20 pounds. I went from 125 10 145 in less than a year, and I'm 5'2"! No one told me about these side effects first, and I wish my doctor had. Also, I spotted heavily for the first six months I was on Depo, and if anything puts you out of the mood, it's that. The spotting does go away, but in my opinion it's just not worth it.

T

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2004
Sun, 11-07-2004 - 9:31pm
I am going to be one of the few that defends depo...

I've been on it for over 4 years with no problems.

I've had no weight gain (actually I've lost weight), my sex life is great, and I have a period about every 4 months. (Which is fine with me!) I do remember a little spotting when I first started, but it wasn't anything I couldn't live with.

You have to remember that everyone's body chemistry is different and everyone will react to various BC methods differently. I could tell you multiple horrors of the good old birth control pill - my body and the pill did not work well together. But the shot works well for me!

Talk to your doctor about your options. She/He should be able to help you. After my horrors with the pill, I changed doctors and my new one put me on the shot. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I was much happier, much less moody, and my period was finally regulated. (Oh, and then there's that plus of not having to remember to take the pill every day or worrying about back up methods if you throw up or take antibiotics!)

Good Luck - just remember not everyone reacts badly! You could be one of the lucky ones :)

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