Depo (the shot)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2007
Depo (the shot)
5
Tue, 03-06-2007 - 6:43am
Was wondering if anyone out there uses this for birth control haven't seen any posts on here about it. Seems to work well for me and my lifestyle and since I got pregnant while on the pills don't think I'll use those again :). But I wanted to know if anyone knew of the side affects of the shot as in if they cause low libido or anything weird like that. Any help would be appreciated.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 03-06-2007 - 9:50am

Hi arithon1001, welcome!


      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2007
Tue, 03-06-2007 - 12:13pm
I also got pregnant from taking the pill. I have been on the shot for just over 2 years. I do love it because its easy (once every 3 months!!!!) but I did notice a number of side effects. When I first started the shot I weighed 112 lbs. My OBGYN told me that the shot has a tendancy to make most women gain anywhere from 10-30 pounds. Well, I thought I could avoid that, but I ended up gaining about 20 lbs. Also, I'm not sure if your OB told you this, but the shot derives calcium from your bones. So, your chance of breaks, fractures, and osterperosis is way higher. Well, I have been taking calcium supplements and multivitamins regularly. I have been running a few miles a night and my bones in my legs hurt so bad that sometimes I find it hard to walk!! I am going to take a bone screening to see if I should continue with the shot. Your comment about low libido sort of caught my attention. Oh my god, it is so true. My boyfriend has noticed it. I used to want it all the time. (well, not like a nympho or anything, but you know what I mean) Now, and especially right after receiving the shot, I hardly ever want to do it. I would rather just go to sleep then get frisky. I did express this concern with my OB and she told me that is pretty normal for women on the shot. It is a highly concentrated dose of hormones. Aside from the weight gain, brittle bones & loss of libido, I still think I like the shot alot more than I would the ring, the patch and deffintily the pill. I don't know if any of this has helped you. Initially, if you have any concerns, just talk to your OBGYN. They know everything about this and won'y hold back on the details.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2007
Fri, 03-09-2007 - 10:43pm
Hi arithon! I was on the shot for about three years and I hated it! First of all, it made me break out like crazy! I swear the whole time I was on that damn bc I had severe acne. But I must say, its effectiveness against me getting pregnant was 100%.......partly because I bled every single time I had sex! Which brings me to another side effect I had--I was more bitchy than usual! So yeah, that was my lovely experience with Depo Provera but hey everyone is different right? Side effects of any medication varies and depends on a person's physiology, blah blah blah. :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-12-2002
Mon, 03-12-2007 - 9:01pm

Here was my experience on the Depo shot, and I'd never recommend it to anyone:

HEAVY bleeding on a daily basis for weeks at a time. The doctors were very surprised I wasn't anemic.

Severe cramping - one minute I'd be fine, and the next minute I was in so much pain I was on the floor and too paralysed with fear that if I moved I'd make it worse.

Complete loss of libido

Bad mood swings - I was almost on the verge of going back on antidepressants, because I was miserable. And it nearly destroyed my relationship at the time, because I was unintentionally causing arguments by being really nasty.

Hot flushes - I went from finding it hard to keep warm in winter to keeping my then-BF warm in winter LOL.


 


 


iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2003
Tue, 03-13-2007 - 10:42am

I lasted one round on depo, and I bled heavily every single day of it and had mood swings. That made the decision to quit very easy for me. I was very concerned about the bone density loss, but at the time it was my only option since my insurance wouldn't pay for an IUD, but now they do and I am in the process of getting an IUD.

I would take a pill daily (if i was able) over getting depo again, especially becaues of the bone density warnings. I only tried depo because I can't have anything with estrogen or spermicide, and the minipills caused depression and low libedo (2 different ones).

I do agree that if you don't have to get depo because of lack of options you should not be on it more than the 2 years they say is the maximum. FYI, it can take awhile to get it out of your system. It took over 6 months for my body to go back to normal after that experience.