"I Wouldn’t Recommend It to Anyone": What We Can Learn from Women who have had Bad Experiences with Depo-Provera
By Laura Wershler — August 24, 2016
Note: In 2009 and again in 2012, Our Bodies Ourselves posted two blog posts on the adverse effects and withdrawal symptoms that some women experience while using or quitting the birth control injection Depo-Provera. The posts generated thousands of comments from women who were having problems with the shot and were desperately seeking help and advice. OBOS invited Laura Wershler, a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and editor-in-chief of the society’s blog, to provide an update on what can be learned from the shared comments.
I am not a fan of the contraceptive injection depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, broadly known as Depo-Provera. Response to two posts I wrote for the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research (SMCR) blog about the adverse effects women experience upon quitting this drug confirmed for me that Depo-Provera poses serious risks to women’s health and well-being that have not been adequately addressed by the sexual and reproductive health community. (Please note: I do not speak for the SMCR; my views are my own.)
Between April 4, 2012, when my post Coming off Depo-Provera can be a woman’s worst nightmare was published on the SMCR blog, and April 14, 2015, when comments closed to both this and a subsequent post, more than 1200 women left comments documenting their negative experiences. The second post was a Q&A with endocrinologist Dr. Jerilynn Prior from the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Ovulation and Menstrual Cycle Research, explaining the adverse effects and offering suggestions to manage the return to ovulatory menstruation. Our Bodies Ourselves also posted two blogs on problems with Depo-Provera: Questions About Side Effects of Stopping Depo-Provera (11/09/09) and Questions Remain About the Effects of Stopping Depo-Provera (3/29/12). The OBOS posts have received over 2000 comments.
In all of these thousands of comments, there were only a very few that shared positive experiences. Many more came from women who had no problems while taking Depo-Provera but were completely unprepared for the adverse effects they experienced upon stopping. As one woman wrote:
It has been one year since I first posted about my “positive” experience receiving my first AND LAST depo shot. I’ve been following these comments religiously and they have been very helpful. Thank you. Here’s how it went for me: Depo Provera was the WORST thing I ever did to my body.
Why Do Women Stop Depo-Provera and What Do They Experience?
Women decide to stop Depo-Provera because of continual or erratic bleeding, mood issues, loss of sex drive, concern about bone health, loss of health insurance, desire to have a baby, or because, after taking it for 15 or 20 years, their doctors said they should.
Once they stopped taking Depo, many women found that these symptoms intensified and/or they started having new symptoms. The women who commented — from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Africa — experienced heavy and continuous bleeding, extreme breast tenderness, weight gain, headaches, nausea, extreme mood swings, depression, hair loss, and damaged relationships. Some were frantic about delayed return to fertility, while others, fearful of being pregnant, had taken multiple pregnancy tests.
The short explanation for what they experience is hormonal chaos, an estrogen storm. Dr. Prior explains the endocrinology in the Q&A. Briefly, Depo-Provera suppresses a woman’s own hormones to near menopause levels. Post-Depo, the body works hard to regain reproductive function by overproducing estrogen. Because hypothalamic incoordination delays the return to ovulation, progesterone is not produced to counteract estrogen. Erratic, high, unopposed estrogen causes most of the miserable symptoms.
It was infuriating and heartbreaking to read how women of all ages — from 17 to 56, whether they had taken one shot or used Depo for two, seven, 15, or 22 years — had been adversely affected by these experiences. Some days I couldn’t bear to read another sad story or one more expression of regret. A common refrain was: If I had known then what I know now, I’d never have taken Depo.
To acknowledge and amplify the voices of the hundreds of women who shared their adverse experiences, I presented an analysis of their comments at the 21st Biennial Conference of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research in Boston, MA, on June 4, 2015. As I said in my presentation, I believe the provision of Depo-Provera too often fails to honor informed choice or serve women’s health and well-being. I demonstrated this by sharing excerpts from the comments, organized under four main themes.
The Four Main Themes
Theme 1: Uninformed Choice
In contraceptive decision-making, informed choice emphasizes that clients select the method that best satisfies their personal, reproductive, and health needs, based on a thorough understanding of their contraceptive options. To make an informed decision, women should also thoroughly understand the implications of using each method.
Comments suggest that although most women had some idea of the side effects they might experience while using Depo-Provera, they were not prepared for the physical and emotional impact of some of these side effects, and none were prepared for what they experienced after stopping.
It was a long seven months… mood swings, depression, tender breasts. I have the info I was given with the first shot, nowhere does it indicate the possible symptoms after quitting the shot.
I am a living nightmare and I feel constantly on edge. How can this injection be legal? I am from the UK and I wasn’t given any serious/rare side effects of this injection. I feel helpless!!!
I asked about side effects and was told they weren’t very prevalent and I may just have some spotting. I had the shot at the end of February 2013. I then proceeded to bleed, at times heavy to the point of gushing, until the middle of June. That is one hundred and sixteen consecutive days, nonstop.
This is terrible and I don’t understand why the facts were not clearly outlined for me. This is serious stuff I would have liked to have considered during my selection process, but was only really told about the benefits of depo and just the bone density side effect and altered cycle.
I now am regretting taking this shot because they warned me about the side [effects] while on the shot but never warned me about what would happen after.
One commenter said:
I read the possible side effects but no one ever takes those serio[u]sly.
Another was accusatory:
To the people who are blaming the doctors, don’t. It is YOUR responsibility to get facts and ask questions before starting a treatment … it does the job, it does what it’s supposed to, so please don’t complain about the minor side effects, rejoice because you did not get pregnant when you didn’t want to be.
The vast majority of women who commented did not consider their adverse effects to be minor, but rather responsible for diminishing their quality of life. One woman, after participating in the discussion, summed up what many of the commentators felt:
I reckon there is far too little information available about this shot, and it is given too freely without the side effects being clearly understood.
Theme 2: Lack of Body Literacy
Do most girls and women understand how their bodies work? Do most know how a healthy, ovulatory menstrual cycle unfolds? The answer is no. It is common for teenagers to start hormonal birth control before their reproductive system has matured and before they understand how it works.
As I’ve written in the past, when it comes to body literacy, we are not taught to “read” or understand our own bodies. On the contrary, we are taught to distrust our bodies and accept various artificial means to “manage” them.
Several commenters were prescribed Depo-Provera for menstrual problems such as irregular periods, heavy bleeding, PCOS, or endometriosis. This drug doesn’t cure any of these conditions but may reduce or eliminate difficult symptoms while a woman is using Depo-Provera. Unfortunately, the symptoms may resurface — and possibly increase — when the shot is stopped.
Some women are confused by that old birth control adage — the pill will regulate your cycle — not understanding that while the pill might regulate bleeding episodes, it does nothing to support return to ovulation.
I was on depo for seven years… I stopped in October and started on the pill because I wanted to try and regulate my period as fast as I could, because my husband and I decided to start a family.
And some gynecologists don’t seem to know how to help a young woman achieve fertility in the first place:
When I was 13, I had one dose of the Depo Provera shot and my period has not been normal since. I am now 19 and I can maybe count on two hands how many periods I’ve had in the last six, almost seven years. My gynecologist put me on the birth control pill about three years ago and told me it will run its course and my period will regulate itself, but that’s not the case. I stopped the pill about two years ago. I will bleed on and off from time to time, but it is more like spotting. I like to think my period is going to come and be normal, but it never does.
Many commenters talked about “getting Depo out of my system.” Three months after the last shot, the drug has left a woman’s system. Adverse effects are caused by high and erratic estrogen produced by her own body.
Will the bleeding ever stop? Is it just the depo working its way out of my body? Why is this occurring and will regular birth control daily pills help regulate the bleeding?
It just seems you have to play the waiting game for this stupid thing to get out of your system.
The mood swings were unbearable though. I had horrible fatigue and felt depressed all the time, like not wanting to go out or do anything. Also very tearful all the time. I went to the doctor and told her all my symptoms, she said I would have to wait for it to leave my system.
Theme 3: Feelings of Fear, Anger, Regret, Betrayal, and Solidarity
It was hard for me to read and absorb, week after week, women’s emotional responses to their experiences with Depo-Provera.
They expressed fear:
Now I would like to go to a doctor and get a second opinion but right now I don’t have the money. I mean I’m really scared that the depo shot screwed me up so bad that I can’t have more children.
I don’t know when the bleeding is going to stop. I don’t know if I am going to go back to normal. I’m freaking out. Nervous. Scared. My fiance and I want another baby so bad. Nobody told me that the depo would do this. I will never take another BC ever again.
Here is what is killing me… I’m terrified that I am now infertile.
Anger was common:
The shot has been one of the worst things to happen to me and I’m so angry that I’m the one who decided to do this! It has [affected] the way I see myself as a mother.
I’m angry at the lack of education behind this inconspicuous injection. Had I known half of the stuff I know now I would never have walked into that room.
I’m angry that I ever accepted Depo into my body and now I’m angry to have to wean myself off. Is it heroin we’re talking about or birth control? I’m not looking forward to [the] next few months of getting Depo out of my system and finding a new birth control that isn’t made by corporate America. But I do appreciate this site and the information. Life could be worse but good luck if you think Depo is the bee’s knees.
Regret? Yes:
I am so not having fun and I think depo provera is the cruelest thing your doctor will convince you to do. Hate hate hate hate hate. Curse it to hell. I’d rather be pregnant six times over that go through this again.
I regret taking this shot and I feel like a complete idiot for doing it!!
Wish I never would’ve done that to my body. I’m so messed up because of this shot. I’m calling my doctor Monday. Yeah, the shot was 100% effective of preventing pregnancy. But honestly it’s not worth it! I would have rather gotten pregnant.
Women also spoke to each other in solidarity:
Who the hell put this drug on the market? Because I would very much like to put them on Depo Provera and see all the debilitating symptoms start affecting their work and personal life the way it has for all of us. I’m terrified of starting another birth control now.
No more hormones for me. The depo is a nightmare that I have yet to wake from. Think wisely my naive ladies. Be strong, my ladies in suffering. We suffer together, mostly in silence, but we are together and will win this battle. There is an end.
These comments also carry a sense of betrayal, in part a betrayal of their bodies, but also betrayal by the health-care providers who recommended or prescribed Depo-Provera and now can’t seem to help them understand or manage the adverse effects of stopping the drug.
Theme 4: Frustration with Healthcare Providers
The second comment to my first post was from holistic reproductive health-care practitioner Amy Sedgwick:
It is amazing to me how often the repercussions of coming OFF hormonal drugs is overlooked by women’s doctors and how rarely women are forewarned of these issues.
It was obvious from women’s comments to the first post that most were getting little useful assistance from their doctors. This prompted the second post with Dr. Prior’s advice on how women might help their doctors help them. Dr. Prior and I both replied to many women, referring them back to the resources and information in that post.
How did commenters express their frustrations?
The doctors and specialists don’t have the answers, only a bill to pay on the way out of the door which just makes me feel even more sick!
I would never recommend this drug to anyone ever! The stupid doctors don’t tell you what the real facts and dangers are of this drug.
I was never told the facts by my GP that it may take up to two years to become pregnant after coming off depo provera. As a nurse I would say that it most certainly should have been the doctor’s responsibility to discuss this with me.
I went to the doctor about all my symptoms and it’s so sad how the doctor was saying it was not because of the depo when I never had these symptoms before.
The sad part is WOMEN have to go to blogs to figure out what’s going on because docs don’t give us the right info.
My ob, who administered the drug, doesn’t know a thing about my symptoms. Shouldn’t they know all the ins & outs of this drug?
To say it has been a nightmare is letting it off lightly, it has almost driven me insane, to the point of considering if life was even worth living. The ongoing breast pain, on and off swelling, sweating, insomnia, weight gain etc the list goes on. I went to specialists, doctors, family contraception centers and no one could help me.
What Can Be Done?
Are sexual health clinics anywhere doing a better job of serving women who have stopped Depo-Provera than the health care providers of the women who shared their stories? What can health care providers do better or differently to lessen the negative impacts of this contraceptive?
- Tell women exactly how Depo-Provera works and what to expect when they stop taking it. Tell them that their own hormone levels will become almost as low as in menopause and that upon stopping the drug they may experience extreme symptoms related to hormonal imbalance.
- Offer a Buyer Beware advisory for women considering Depo-Provera. In 2013, I took a contraceptive counselling course that used the book Managing Contraception on the Go by Mimi Zieman and Robert Hatcher. I found it interesting that the manual included a Buyer Beware advisory for only one contraceptive, Fertility Awareness Methods:
If Fertility Awareness Methods require such a notice then why not the contraceptive shot? The five R’s of Depo-Provera would be:-
- Restrictions to sexual activity may occur due to continual bleeding, vaginal dryness and/or loss of sex drive.
- Rigorous daily exercise may not limit weight gain.
- Required high tolerance for quality-of-life threatening side effects.
- Risk of pregnancy due to high discontinuation rate among users.
- Risk of serious adverse effects upon stopping injections.
Tell women up front, “If you hate it, come back and we’ll find another method that works for you.” A powerful drug requires powerful language.
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- Use the information in Stopping Depo-Provera: Why and What to do About Adverse Effects to develop a treatment protocol. Every sexual health clinic or health-care practitioner who provides the contraceptive shot is obligated to educate themselves about adverse effects. Those who provide Depo-Provera must be the ones who support women through their post-Depo experiences, or they should refer women to someone who can.
If you can’t do 1, 2 and 3, consider whether you should be providing Depo-Provera to anyone.
What Can We Learn From Women Who Share Their Bad Experiences With Depo-Provera?
The contraceptive injection Depo-Provera is causing baffling, quality-of-life threatening adverse effects for many women. Their expressions of fear, anger, regret, and frustration must be heard, acknowledged, and acted upon. Women considering or prescribed Depo-Provera deserve concrete and comprehensive information about the effects they might experience both while taking Depo-Provera and after stopping it, as well as full support from their health care providers to understand and manage the return to regular ovulatory menstrual cycles. Providers unable to meet these criteria should not administer Depo-Provera.
We invite women to continue to share their experiences with Depo-Provera in the comments below.
Laura Wershler is a veteran sexual and reproductive health advocate who worked and volunteered with Planned Parenthood affiliated organizations in Canada for over 25 years. She is a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research and editor-in-chief of the society’s blog.
Given the dangers of hormonal birth control, why not just encourage more use of condoms? They’re still the safest contraceptive method.
Given conventional medicine can’t seem to help women who used Dapo-Provera, maybe women should try other modalities, such as acupuncture or homeopathy.
All hormonal methods of birth control aren’t the same, and despite problems with some, most are considered very safe, and can have health benefits. A great site to find out about the pros and cons of all birth control methods is Bedsider, https://bedsider.org/.
I was on it from 1994-2010. By the time I was 43, I was in full blown menopause. 15 years later, I still am. A few years ago, I went for bioidentical hormone therapy, and the Dr said I had less hormones than an 80 year old. That therapy didn’t work for me. So here I am, still hot flashing, night sweats, When I looked back at this time period, the night sweats started at 35 while I was still on depo. This shot is straight up poison. I encourage everyone to find an alternative to any hormone based birth control. If I had known early menopause was a side effect I’d never taken this shot.
Some of us have periods that make our lives a living hell, we want to get rid of them altogether. The pill made me a raging psychopath, the coil made me bleed non-stop for 6 months then I tried Depo, I don’t have periods or migraines anymore (past 5 years) and there has been no weight gain to speak of. I had several jobs severely impacted because I was “making it up” that I had period cramps, because I only just complained of that two weeks ago. For a while there my period was every two weeks or sometimes there were gaps of a couple of months here and there. When I started having hormonal migraines (every day for two weeks at one point) was my breaking point. My employer was awful with me, they had decided to get rid of me at the first chance they could get, I was treated like I was lying all the time. I would have much rather been at work than going through that hell. Starting this shot has given me the freedom to live a life without regular bouts of agony. No, I haven’t come off it yet, but I’m in my thirties and still never felt a maternal urge, I doubt the problems faced by some of these women is going to be my problem. If there’s depression to deal with I’m a seasoned pro at that I have a solid history of depression and anxiety since long before I started the shot. I’ve looked into all of the options time and time again over the years and for every form of female contraceptive there are people who love it and there are horror stories. This shot has made my life much better than it was before I started it.
Same here. Before Depo, I was bleeding so heavily I was anemic and nothing was stopping it. I’m talking continuous bleeding for months at a time, going through super tampons every 20-30 minutes and passing blood clots the size of golf balls. I was put through test after test, and my health was declining. Depo saved me. It stopped my periods when nothing else could.
After 13 years on it, I worried my sex drive was practically non-existent and experienced other symptoms related to suppressed estrogen. I stopped taking Depo and my period came roaring back. I got back on it immediately.
As for weight gain, yes, I’ve gained weight from age 19 to 32. But since getting back on it from a recent brief break, I’ve changed my eating habits and I’ve lost 18 pounds. Since we know hormones affect moods, and so often people turn to food for emotional comfort, I wonder about controlled studies about how Depo causes weight gain- whether or not it’s related to increased caloric intake.
I’m sorry people experience negative side effects. However, to say it shouldn’t be on the market isn’t fair to those of us it has saved.
After my second miscarriage, my new ob identified that i had fibroids in my uterus. Thats why my menstural cycles would last for about two weeks with heavy bleeding most of that time. Its something that shouldve been caught when i was 16-17 complaining anout painful cycles and excessive bleeding. I went on to develop anemia, “free bleeding”, and heavy periods. All prob caused by fibroids. I reasearched depo and decided i wanted to at least try it since i wouldnt be trying to get preggo ever again, i dont think i could have handled another miscarrage. Since starting depo, i dont have a period, maybe a little spotting now and again, but no bleedimg out for two weeks!, and my migraines stopped, i went from 2-3 a month to 2-3 a YEAR! The “pill” made mt migraines worse and made me gain weight. I lost 15# in 3 months on depo. It just shows what works for one person doesnt work for everyone.
I agree! I have a disease that makes my periods horribly painful to the point that I can’t get out of bed, but the shot saved me! There’s ladies out there like me who don’t get side effects so it defintley be an option.
I posted my own story earlier, but I wanted to comment in this thread that I think for whatever reason (my guess is estrogen overproduction), those of us that have/had heavy, irregular periods, and did poorly with the pill, do really well with depo
Yep. I am NOT on birth control to prevent babies. I am very much single and my periods have been ruining my life. I started birth control when I was 12 because I was missing too much school. If this shot doesn’t work for me, my next and only option is surgery. I am hoping I will be one of the success stories since all of the negative side effects people are speaking of are things I have already lived with daily since my very first period.
I have been on Depo for 22 years. No doctor has advised me to stop after 2 years. It was a nurse last year who was shocked about how long I had been on this treatment. I stopped treatment last year, but after 12 months of bleeding with the occasional 2 day break I gave up and am back on it.
How can I reduce the bleeding and other nasty/painful symptoms? Heroine users have Naltrexone, does h.r.t. help? I am now 42, and just found out it causes bone calcium issues…just great.
P.s. whilst I am quite upset right now, I am truly grateful for your informative ‘non drug company’ biased post.
i’ve been on the depo shot for over a year and it’s literally the best thing ever yes you will experience side effects however everyone that’s saying it’s the worst thing ever aren’t on it for more than three shots you’re body will get use to it and not everyone has the same experience talk to your doctor not a blog and see if it’s right for you
Depo Provera is awesome! I had heavy bleeding after having my second kid. So heavy that it was scary. I love getting rid of periods. There is no biological purpose for them. Women in the state of nature would either be pregnant or lactating all the time.
DOES ANYONE ELSE ON THE SHOT EXPERIENCE, PARANOIA, INTENSE MOOD SWINGS, PANIC, ACTING OUT OF CHARACTER? OR IS IT JUST ME.
THIS HAS CHANGED MY ENTIRE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. I AM NOT THE PERSON I WAS BEFORE AND I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO GO BACK IN TIME AND UNDO ALL OF THIS.
I HAVE PTSD AND ITS VERY IMPORTANT THAT I DON’T DO ANYTHING TO WORSEN THE SYMPTOMS. STILL THE DOCTOR SAID THE SHOT WAS THE WAY TO GO. BUT THE SHOT HAS LITERALLY BECOME UNBEARABLE AND HAS INTENSIFIED MY PTSD.. I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROFOUND DEPRESSION LIKE NOTHING I HAVE BEEN THROUGH BEFORE AND AT TIMES I HAVE QUESTIONED IF LIFE IS EVEN WORTH LIVING AT ALL..JUST TO MAKE THE EMOTIONAL TORTURE STOP..
PLEASE IF ANYONE KNOWS ANYTHING THAT HELPED EASE THEIR SYMPTOMS IN ANYWAY PLEASE SHARE.
I am the same way my emotions are insane on depo i love it for my periods i act very out of character my anxiety and depression worsen so much i act out and get upset with everybody and cry over everything if i had any advice to give see a therapist or psychiatrist over your ob
I exactly. Same as you. Lost jobs, relationships. The depo was my saviour, and still is to a certain degree. when I came off it however After being recome sded a break. . I gained a huge amount of weight.arround my stomach when I came on I looked 8 months pregnant My boobs grew. Bigger every day. And after 6months of no bleeding and feeling OK in That way. All the blood and pain started to come back. Got worse every month. So at nearly 48 ive gone back on it. My boobs have returned to my chest instead of touching my belly. And after the 1st jab which I bled all the way through, that has stopped Ive had the 2nd now.. No bleeding, and hope that continues. I’m hoping to stay on it until menopause. So that I never have to deal with that blood and pain ever again. I had it right away from 13when I started. And it got worse through my life. The only problem I’ve had while on it for years, is losing my sex drive. And I didn’t know why until reading this information. But for me coming and staying off it and. Lack of other option, apart. From a histerectomy is not an option. Fingers crossed for my menopause. I wish you the best of luck.
It’s too much to put up with. I ended up shouting at my nurse the last time I seen her, because I couldn’t believe the torture I’ve been through, having depo provera injections. I’m just lucky that I didn’t have any mental health problems to begin with, otherwise the mood swings from depo provera topped with mental health mood swings would be double anger. Getting injected with Progesterone is such a crazy idea. I hear you. Whoever recommended it to us clearly didn’t do their research on it. Mind you, it was a care worker who recommended it to me, so maybe I should have asked someone who knows a lot more about depo provera.
I have been on depo for 12 years now. I had very very heavy flow periods before. I have only been late on maybe 2 shot injections ever & they are every 3 months. Today I bled just a little. Which caught me completely off gaurd bc I have only had one other time in the 12 years ever that I bled before. I love the depo shot but I am so used to it, that it is difficult to distinguish what is “normal” or not. Never had a period while on the shot. I think it does cause a 10lb weight gain, for sure mood swings in a snap & also makes you have a very small sex drive. I mean you don’t want to have sex, but once you start messing around then you’re like “okay I guess we’re doing this.” But definitely does not allow you to have an “urge” to want sex. I have good bone health as far as I know. I have also drank milk & chocolate milk like no other since I could do so. I believe that helps out with osteo but who truly knows. I have a very good immune system due to my good genes. But I am starting to worry about being on depo for so long. My Drs have only mentioned ONCE in the past 12 years about how I should look into a different birth control. Weird finding out your only supposed to take it for 2 years. With the options we have out this day in age. I’ll keep taking depo until it actually shows signs of hurting me. Best birth control out right now.
Same with pill. I was a teen, a happy kid and one week on pill to regulate my period and i hated myself. Was at a friends in br crying my eyes out for no reason. Then i remembered hearing pill and hormones so the light went on. It passed in a few weeks. In my mid teens i got off and went back on in my 20s
During first few week again, angry, crying and saying ” why is my shirt pink like a pig….ima fat” I was like 120lbs so i was fine. i remembered the first episode and it felt just like that so i knew keep on the pill and it will pass. My period regulated in 2os so i got off. Was told i wasnt infertile so it was only for periods.
At 35 i had my first kid and first depo shot. Felt great. 2nd shot i was tired or maybe because i had a newborn. Anyway im 38 and pregnant again so im going back on it. Its only one i trust at my age. The paragard was high on my list but i really am not fond of this plastic and copper thing in an organ… all i know is that once a month lining shed can hurt like torture
..The implant and iuds i hear a lot of horror stories. Having the baby, a male gyn told me that depo was what all the young girl drs were on (idk why but this hospital is all women that look like they arent old enough to be drs but are the best.) so he recommended it because most of his colleagues used depo only. He never heard of unplanned pregnancy among them or any issue coming off and getting pregnant. actually the one dr delivering my baby was due in a few month with her first kid and just stopped depo.
I must say I know a lot of women have problems with taking Depo shots. I feel for you all BUT the Depo shot was a life changed FOR ME. From my first period at the age of 12 my periods were horrible. I would go 6 days flooding everyday. My friends had to walk me to class cause I could not stand up straight. When rising from a sitting position blood would gush out and run down my legs with huge clots falling out. My mom would either have to bring my new clothes or take me home. Every month. And the pain was almost unbearable. I still remember being curled up on the bed crying with heating pads and pain medicine feeling like I was being ripped in two. Going through pads and tampons like I wasn’t even wearing them. I was put on birth control pills at age 15. I was mortified and scared someone would find out and they didn’t help. I started the Depo shot shortly after they came out after my son was born in 1991 and was hooked. My more periods, no weight gain, no more pain, nothing. I swore I’d take them till I was 100 and threatened any doctor who even suggested taking me off of them. I am genetically predisposed to blood clots but never had any problems with the shots and my blood thinners. I am now just turned 54 and a doctor took me off of them because she said I should be going through menopause by now. The only problem I’ve had is these blame hot flashes. But that’s all. I wish everyone could have the great experience with the Depo shots as I had. It’s not for everyone nothing is. But for some of us it has greatly changed our lives for the good.
That’s what I thought too. I’ve been off of it for nearly 3 months. I’m going through hell with the headaches, hot flashes, severe nausea, stomach pain, etc.. etc…
I also had blood clots after being on it for 2 years. After the blood clots, I’ve not been healthy since. The more I read about the dangers of depro provera, the more I want to tell other women what it can cause.
The worst a gynaecologist can suggest is depo kare. It has ruined my life. I should have never gone for it and my humble request to women of all ages, don’t ever even think of depo kare. Please suggest how to balance the hormones after stopping depo kare. Regards.
While I agree it was good being on it, there is truth that the side effects getting off are tedious. My whole body is having acne, like the painful kind, and I’m 26. I get cramps but haven’t gotten a period. And I do feel depressed, like you I’m used to it, but that’s a silly reason to be fine with having it. It still would have been nice to know how hard it is to be off it. It’s been months and it’s just getting worse.
I have been on the depo shot since 16 and got off of it at 18. I will tell you one thing, if you don’t wanna gain weight DONT GET IT. Oh, and if you ever wanna have babies and if you have bad depression don’t get it. The shot will worsen your depression and now I’m left infertile cause of it and cause my mom put me on the birth control pills since 14. My brain is fucked from the shot my body is fucked from the shot now I’m 23 and I’m like never hungry. Always sad and depressed. Bones weak and bad memory. To the women who have heavy periods just get on the pill. This shot was always and forever be something that will haunt my life forever…now I may have glaucoma. Do yourself a favor and just have safe sex easier said than done but yea. If anyone else can relate to me on this please respond because I have no one to relate with or talk to about this.
I too have been saved by Depo when nothing else worked. I came off it once with no problems. Went back on it because nothing else stopped the incredible pain. Still on it with no problems. The choice is important and we are lucky we have the internet to inform us and don’t have to just take whatever is offered.
I was on Depo for 9 years. Yes whilst I was on it it was good, but coming off of it was and has been the worst experience for me. I’ve suffered perimenopausal symptoms since coming off of it at the age of 32. I bled solidly for over a year and the tablets they prescribe to try and stop the bleeding did not work. I suffered the worst depression for over a year once stopping and every month since I suffer awfully. I never had this before the injection. I’ve used no contraceptive and am in a long term relationship and have not got pregnant since stopping it. I’m now 38! I strongly advise young girls to look for an alternative contraception instead of using this.
I was on depo shot for 5 weeks. It should have been 12 weeks to complete my hormonal therapy but I could NOT bear the symptoms depo was throwing at me. I was given 9 times the dosage fit for a 3-month (1 shot). I was bloated, nauseous, severe cramping in the middle of the night, terrible headaches, and my mood was very low all the time. How did you battle this one?
Please tell me you are having regular bone density scans and are taking calcium and vit D supplements…coz if you aren’t you need to demand them now!
Please post again 3 months post your last shot
My health isurance doesn’t pay for condoms otherwise that would be the go to.
Insurance really needs to invest more in sexual health.
No kidding though. The pill you take one a day and can still have sex as much as you want. Condoms depends on the number of times you have sex- it’s not regulated.
My relationship was ruined by a under skin implant. Bleeding for weeks, neurotic behavior, I made her go get it taken out. @100 lbs she needed over a pint of rare blood and med to recover. Then the pill . It took her 7 months to have 1 regular cycle. I went without for over a year . She was out of sorts and not confident. It lead to drug and alcohol abuse. Ended a good thing . She even lost her babies. She had 4 in 5 years ages 4 to 5 months. When we got together per her request. I think this thing ruined both of our lives. She did manage to conceive years later. Miscarriage. It’s tuff to bury you first in a shoe box . I put 6 month old Michel T to rest in a old pioneers cemetery. No marker. Most didn’t know. She was just showing. Not seen or heard from my former wife to be in 2 years. Can’t date. Still in love with her. I’m getting older and feel this crap stole my family and life. Miss my baby moma so much …..
Really? Condoms aren’t that expensive. How many do you need that you can’t afford a box? Damn I’ll send you money for a jumbo box and I’m broke as hell…
You can get condoms for free at the Health Department
I know your comment is over a year old, but I wanted to let you know that you can get condoms from any community clinic in your area that helps uninsured or under-insured people get the health care they need. You can Google community health clinics and find one in your area. No need to feel embarrassed about asking for condoms. I used to work for a community health clinic and I saw many people come in just to ask for them and the nurses would take the person to the back to give them privacy and provide them.
Yes
I started depo vera around 15, due to extremely painful cramps and heavy flow, I’ve now been on depo for about 3 long years. As I’m typing this I’m leaving for my first dr appointment to try and get off of it and maybe start something else ? I’m at a loss for words or really just thought, I cannot believe I was never told about the side effects of this shot. Over the last 6months+ My body has never felt weirder. Weird bubbly painful abdominal pains, feeling of pressure on my bladder as if I always have to pee but I don’t, dryness, very odd cycles, I’ve always struggled with depression but it definitely seems to have worsened over the past 3 years, I’m terrified but ready to start my journey of helping my body n mind back to normal
I started using DP injection July 1998, 6 weeks after the birth of my 2nd child and had been on it with no break until May 2022. I turned 50 years old in April and my doctor insisted that he would not give me anymore shots because the Science doesn’t support it being given after that and he didn’t want me or himself having any issues. I hadn’t had any period for over 20 years. I had mild cramps and light spotting the 1st few years. A nurse adviced me take iron tablets a few days per month which I did and after a while I had rare spotting mostly near to the renewal date or the day after. Took iron pill spotting ended. I experienced vaginal dryness in my thirties with my then partner, my 2nd child’s father but after him I was good. I have been with my current partner for over 13 years sex drive has been great, breast got tender at certain times of the month, mentally I have been fine, weight gain has not been significantly high. I have nothing but praise for the Depo Provera. My main concern now is how do I tell if I have reached menopause (I haven’t had a period since how long), I am not looking forward to the resumption of a period (I haven’t bought sanitary pads in how long, I haven’t had to deal with that mess or pain or mood swings), if my period returns what are my chances of falling pregnant (I am not about babies at this age). The possibility of periods returning and pregnancy a possibility is depressing me. I want back my DP.
Because the conservative people can’t stand the thought of people having sex. So all common sense gets thrown out of context. You’re just meant to sit with your legs taped closed for the rest of your life, and pretend that sex doesn’t exist. Who wants to live like that? A robot I ain’t. Condoms exist for that very reason, to prevent pregnancy, so I agree, we don’t need other methods. We were fine as we already were. Oh because, you know, sex is a crime. Not.
Periods ruin many peoples. Lives. Pain bleeding mood swings and contraception is used to give some people a. Life. Get an education. Look outside your ti y box. Efore commenting for the whole population. I bet your not eve. A woman. Have you had blood running out the bottom of your trousers a d all over your work chair. Lost Jobs. Spent. A week in bed I. Agony. Every 21days
No. The. Stick your condo. On your head!!
.
Condoms are the worst feeling and ima girl. Must really suck for guys.
I been in depo shot for a year and 3 months. I have never had a issue with anxiety and depression . But being on this shot has messed up all my hormones i been getting anxiety even some panic attacks hot flashes cry all the time i was moody before always mad and figthing . know because of this they gave me meds for anxiety and depression when i have never suffer from any of this and im one hundred percent is this shot i cant waite to come of it . and never be in another birth control ever again . Im waiting to see when i start coming of it if i start feeling better in all this things im feeling goes aways . Has anyone has gone thru this just like me ? Because i tell doctors and they dont believe it or they will be hormones . Ok hormones what ? give me a clue to see whats wrong with me .
Yolanda im going tho the exact same thing and I hate it there 😤 😒 🙃 😪
I had heavy bleeding I’m 44 And I got my first shot last month I’m having Brest pain body ache Cramps Does it get better after the first shot?????
I was on depo from age 14 to 20. I do not have breast. Even after birthing and breastfeeding three children… nothing. Anyone else have this issue?
Condoms 100% always rip! Even NHS provided! I like it rough and its wet enough, but i’m honestly scared to have sex when using condoms, all thats on my mind is feeling when it rips, pray I’ll be okay!
Right shiit I guess the pull out method? Works sometimes ha
My daughter age 32 has had 3-5 month at a time menstrual cycles. Her Gynocologist put her on Depro shot. A week and a half after the 1st injection she is suicidal and on her way to a psychiatric hospital. She has racing and suicidal thoughts that she cannot control.
‘@meg yes, like aa 32 it sucks. I’m 28, also having trouble conceiving but have not been able to try sufficiently due to work. Super happy to see
You did. Gives me hope, 🤞.
I was on the depo not as a contraception purpose but due to very difficult periods. Very heavy and painful were they stopped me going about every day activity. I was 15 when I started the depo and wanted to live a normal life so it’s not all about it just being about not getting pregnant.
Because SOME women are allergic to condoms. I have endometriosis and thats why I’m on it but last night and today I have experienced the most excruciating nausea and cold sweats drenched in sweat. I got my shot on Friday so 5 days ago and I’ve been on it for a year and have never had symptoms like this
December 2017 I given birth was supposed to have tubes tied. I signed papers months prior to me giving birth. Not even 2 hours after having my daughter, I was injected with the Depo shot. I was told no surgeon on duty pull shirt up injected all before I was told that it was the Depo shot. When my husband heard what came out of the nurses mouth he knew it was going to be life changing. Almost 3 years later my mental state is still out of control. I will never be the same person I was prior to this shot. My husband has came close to walking out on me taking the kids with. I can’t stand myself, the ptsd it’s created along with the crazy lunatic mood changes. Im surprised I’m still alive!!!
I have been on it for almost two years never had a period but been off it 4 months still no period. did blood work says it’s fine. had boobs itchy bad and heavy like I was breast feeding again after 4 yrs. I love it just wish i knew it could mess with me having a baby again
Aw I’m sorry your allergic but I started getting those symptoms too and my boobs were sooo sore. Always hungry and now I’m like never hungry no appetite after quitting the shot.
Not all birth control is taken for that purpose. It is simply not that simple. I took it then have gone back on it to stop painful periods, loss of jobs due to that pain, and a lot of schooling.. I suffer unimaginal pain with my periods. I take the depo as it stops the and at this moment in time, before I hit menopause. I need to stay on it or live in agony. Pour with blood, lose jobs, violent and should destroying mood swings. No condom can cure all that can it??
Wow. Reading this is a book gone wrong! I remember when I was 15 just started high school my parent found out I was having sex so they admittedly put me on bc. My choice was the shot. I’m a very bad reminder with pills! Just wanted something simple and quick I was only 15. I’ve been on it now I’m 18 for the past 3 years I was in hell… but I didn’t even know what was going on I thought it was “normal” I thought it was just me. I was dry, couldn’t focus in school with all the migraines and mood swings. I would wanna cuss out the students for talking to loud at lunch! And I would! I would get Aggravated a lot quicker then I would when I was 14. Things started to change in my body I thought was just puberty. I couldn’t have sex I wanted to be alone unbothered untouched. I lost complete focus in school I eventually dropped out. All I wanted to do was be in bed alone depressed… I thought it was because I missed my mother but nope I didn’t miss her when I was 13 14 15 but I wanna cry and harm myself now at age 18? Hell no. I got off that shot because no more medicaid for me! I was so much happier in the next 6 months I wanted to have two jobs I wanted to go out and be free again… I told my OB about my experience and he told me it’s just me. He was an he. I thought to myself wtf does a man know about inside of MY BODY. I’m now 21 and will never ever go back to that shot after reading what was wrong with me in the first place goodbye bc I’m ok with kids!
Yea girl I totally get you. My obgyn is a guy and he always says the same shit to me like “oh it’s just side effects it’s all in your head your good” like no I’m a girl and you don’t know what I’m thinking or feeling. And same I feel like the anxiety of being on it was horrible I was always depressed wanted to be alone. Now that I’m off it my body is happier. Glad your off it girl!!
I have been on depo for 6 years due to severe menstrual cramps. I’ve had many tests done on me other than surgery and no one knows why I cramp the way I do. I never want kids and I have never had sex but I’m getting concerned that I’ve been on depo for too long. I have had no side effects as far as I can tell, I take vitamins and my bones are still strong, but reading what happens to women after they stop getting the shot terrifies me. I’m also worried about starting a new birth control and it not helping with my cramps (which is 100% the ONLY reason I take any form of birth control to begin with) I just want to be normal and waking up in the middle of the night from severe cramps or being unable to walk feels so not normal which only happens weeks before I need to get my shot. I’m just scared and at a loss, anyone who can help me or give me suggestions I would be so grateful.
Hi Savannah,
I have a similar situation to yours, got Depo due to heavy periods that lasted 7-12 days every month, which made life unbearable at 16 y/o. I was on Depo for 11/12 years and it helped tremendously! No symptoms or horror stories other than occasional spotting before my next shot. I switched to the nexaplon implant last year, which is a lower dosage of same meds in Depo. What I have noticed so far: much more bleeding/spotting (in the beginning, no bleeding per usual but now I bleed all the time with a break here and there) and some mild cramping but nothing drastic. The bleeding doesn’t really bother me though. My doctor confirmed that is the trade off of reducing the hormones but it’s better for your body to have less.
Of course, everyone is different and their bodies will react accordingly, but I would discuss the implant or other long-term options.
Yes I agree. I grew up with my mom and dad NEVER talking to me about “safe sex” and the important use of condoms. I had to fend for myself and just guess on how it all goes. Grew up with my mom instead forcing birth control down me. Wish she would’ve just taught me how to have safe sex with condoms…
Bailey u mentioned glaucoma, do u suspect it’s from depo? My doctor suspects signs of glaucoma and I was on depo also. Depo is awful..at the time I didn’t know why I was an emotional wreck, but it all makes sense now. Also I believe it caused me estrogen dominance, which wreaks havoc on the body and causes heavy bleeding, ironically!
I was on the depo shot for 5 years, and had no problems or issues. I didnt have a period for that 5 years I was on it, which was a plus for me because my periods were horrible. I decided to stop getting the depo shot so i could have my second child. The doctor said it could take like 9 months to a year after I stopped the depo shot to get pregnant. I think it was like 5 months maybe and I got pregnant. Honestly, after my 3rd child I chose to get my tubes tied, and I had problems after problems after I got my tubes tied. Ended up having to have a hysterectomy, if I would have known that was gonna happen I would have just got back on the depo shot. I never had any weight gain, nothing, no issues with the depo shot..
I dont agree with u on the condoms, because condoms can come off during sex. Which means u could get a STD and or pregnant.. Or both.. How is that the safest, contraceptive method? Its not..
Not everyone goes on depo to avoid pregnancy. This attitude means people like me, who go on it in a desperate attempt at livable cycles, are going to be stuck still suffering
This might be a bit winded but I was placed on Depo by my mother in 2015 just two months before my 18th birthday. I only agreed thanks to a fear my mother drilled into my head of predators being anywhere in the world and I could be a target at any waking moment. Skip ahead to two months and just two shots later I’m now 18 and my insurance ran out. No longer on the depo everything seemed fine. I’m now married to my highschool sweetheart and not really noticing a difference, except for the fact I haven’t had a period for about two more months. Was I pregnant? If I was why was I suddenly having these heat flashes every 15 minutes in a cold house? I was only 18 so heat flashes didn’t seem right. I wasn’t moving around or doing exercises. I was relaxing on the couch and just melting. It made no since to me and the doctor I went to didn’t seem to understand either. I didn’t have a temperature. No answers. I wasn’t pregnant either. No answers to a few months late period, that quickly turned into a three year late period. The only answer I would get was that I needed to restart my period with more birth control. I just had a nagging voice in the back of my head that I shouldn’t trust it so I refused. By the end of 2018, at 21 years, it finally returned. Oh, boy, let me tell you, the cramps were excruciating. As times has passed I have come to learn if I miss just one month of my cycle, the cramps seem to have a vengence that will hurt twice as much the next. My cycles are never regular. I can have it one month and skip the next three months. I’ve managed to bleed for 6 months stright without a pause only to be called a moron by the ER doctor for coming to him instead of an OBGYN. I found me bleeding for 6 months straight to be an emergency. I didn’t have insurance and I was a terrified 21 year old not knowing what to do but seek some help. He did nothing and shooed me out of the ER with a $600.00 bill just for calling me a moron. I’m now 26. Still lost on what to do. I’m infertile given the amount of intimate partners I’ve had with no protection. I tried with my ex husband for 5 years to have a child but with no results. The only things I’m ever told is to check my thyroids, exercise more, or take more birth control to reset my period. I know it was due to the depo. I never had irregularities before hand. I was told there was a recall on the shot in 2015. Who knows.
I volunteered for DES action in Canada for many years . With a group of advocates we met with the Minister of Health Jake Epp, it was not approved then but then approved 20 yrs later.
http://www.theinterim.com/issues/society-culture/canada-to-approve-depo-provera/print/
Now I have another women’s issue: please review literature on the deleterious consequences of fossamax/ biphosphnates . There are two class action suits, one in us and one in Canada- patrons todos of the jaw and spontaneous femur fractures.
I fractured my humerus 6 mths ago and still not healed. Ortho surgeon agrees that it may be due to biphosphnates sitting in my bone preventing bone growth and I am DES exposed and took fossamax for 12 yrs
Thanks Shari. And yes, while we have been following the adverse effects of bisphosphonates some (see bit.ly/OBOSBisphosphonate) but definitely need to look into the latest research — will put it on the list!
I had been on the shot for 12 years for birth control and very heavy, debilitating periods. It was great not getting my period and able to function for many years. The past 1 and a half years I started getting bone fractures. The first one was a small hand fracture. Then, last year, I broke 3 bones in my foot jumping on a trampoline. 7 months later I broke 3 ribs just from tripping and falling. I stopped the depo shot and at 5 months off the shot I have not gotten my period but have intense pain everyday like I was on my period. I gained over 10 pounds. My boobs hurt. And I overall feel terrible. I’m not sure what I’m to do at this point. My doctor told me to keep taking the shots even though I asked multiple times if I should take breaks. I now have bone density loss and am super careful doing anything. I’m not going back on birth control and am hoping my hormones straighten out. I have had 3 children prior to going on depo. If anyone else has any recommendations on what I can do, please let me know. I wish I’d known how badly the shot affects your body long-term and would have used a different form of birth control.
Im 32 years old and have had 5 children.im currently waiting to get my tubes tide but in the meantime I got the depo, I currently have not stopped bleeding and my emotions are all over. I hope it stops before it gets worse cause it’s taking a toll on my relationship.
When I began Depo I was having the same issue. I had been bleeding for 6 months straight from my first shot before I decided to return to my obgyn. She assured me that this is a common occurrence. She also warned me that this may continue for up to a year if the shot was continued. I stuck with it and sure enough after my 12-month shot the bleeding stopped and has not returned. Your hormones are adjusting and it is causing changes in your uterus and hormone levels. This is what causes the bleeding and moodiness. It may be enduring now, but if you stick with it then it will stop eventually. I haven’t had any children so my experience may be different, but these were simple facts of the medicine stated by a doctor.
I completely understand. I feel like I’m turning schizophrenic. One minute I’m questioning constantly about whether my fiance is having an affair with a certain woman, the next I desperately want to never give up on my fiance. This is too difficult to live with for much longer. Also, people I know keep telling me how my fiance is no good for me. So I have to also deal with THAT every day, too :'( People are telling me to stop being with my fiance. That is up to ME and ME alone. I need to die pretty quickly before I become insane from this. It’s crazy. I have to still wake up every morning feeling like crap. How am I meant to get through this? Ruined :'( I’m angry at the depo injection and angry at people trying to control my love life. Why do I bother staying alive anymore? This is just too much. Give me a break. I’m only human.
I had depo provera, and it was a nightmare!
Cause constant, heavy bleeding, and within 2 weeks i had gone from super slim to looking so much heavier!
The doctors said “Oh, you need another dose then” so shot me up again, and it was even worse!
The effects then had to be counteracted by giving me Premarin, which is for menopausal women, and I was only 22 yrs old!
It worked perfectly as a birth control though, as I completely lost any interest in having sex.
What a horrible drug!
I too have had 5 kids and I won’t be taking any more of this phamaceutical poisons they pedal to us!
I am on a hairloss group and the amount of women on there who have lost their hair from these horrible birth control methods is diabolical too.
All this crap they put women through, to make sex more convenient for men!
Contraception when you are fertile and the “bio identical hormones” after menopause. Women have been subjected to a widespread experiment on their bodies. Men would not tolerate it.
After 20 years as a sexual health education specialist, sharing knowledge with young women about their bodies and all birth control options, including the risks of using depo, I chose this option to relieve severe cramping and just received my second shot. I’m 49 years old, not in menopause yet, and for the past 20 years since getting off the pill I suffer extreme, debilitating cramps every 28 days. I’ve gotten a uterine ablation, checked for endometriosis, and still suffered three days out of each month with pain that no meds could relieve. The options presented to me were either hysterectomy or Depo. I feel like I betrayed my education and my body but I couldn’t suffer anymore. So far the side effects for me are mood changes and breast tenderness but I’m not cramping anymore so I consider it a trade off. The plan is to leave me on depo until menopause takes care of my cramps but now I wonder how I will even know when that is and how am I going to feel when I stop.
Hi Carrie Lynne, Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s unfortunate you’ve found no pain relief over the last two decades. If Depo-Provera gives you some relief, then it may be worth it, even without answers to the questions you pose about the future.
New warning on depo you should not be on it for more than 2years. They kept me on this horrible drug for 9 1/2 years it has left me on permanent disability. And osteoporosis. I am also on prozac to help with the anxiety and depression.
hi dawn my daughter has been on this depo for almost 20 years in between having a family, NOW at 35 she has arthritis depression real bad mood swings, and now possibly osteoporosis which is one of the side affects of this drug, surely this cant be allowed inflicting pain and depression on others? my daughters life is a mess can i do anything about this?
What is your permanent problems hun? I’ve been on it 12 years…
What is your permanent problems hun? I’ve been on it 12 years…
I started Depo-Provera when I was 35. Because I was a smoker they recommended stop taking birth control pill. I did not want an implant of anything under the skin or any brass something in my uterus. I chose Depo-Provera. I never been so happy in all my life I remained very sexually active I love the fact of non embarrassing moments I’m having you. I remained on it until I was 48 years old my husband had passed away, I saw no use in even having sex anymore after that I was just taking it to eliminate the fact of having my menstrual cycle. I have never had side effects from it maybe I’m one of the fortunate ones because I have heard so much negative but if you read about the negative sometimes it is Mind Over Matter. I’m now 56 years old and I’m still healthy. I am sorry to hear about those of you who are unsuccessful with the Depo shot but it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Hi Carrie,
It has been a couple of years now-can you tell me how this treatment has been going for you-as I am in the same boat. But I’m not sure if I want to do this shot as I’m 47 and I’m a hormonal mess already.
Thanks
Hi Wendy Magg, my daughter told me today that she’s getting this seemingly mind altering shot and I advised her not to get it and, praise the Lord, was able to send her some of your horror stories from this blog. I’m praying that the Lord will prevail and she will back out of the decision to get it. I’m sorry about your own dear daughter, I’ll surely be praying for her. You also, take her before the Lord in prayer, He is still a miracle worker. No one can stand against the Great I Am
I am 18 and I quit the depo 2 days ago and I am terrified I am already feeling pain! I can tell that I did not do the right thing by getting the depo, my family has said this is just the start, well I don’t want to see what is coming in the future for me, I just feel like crying honestly, I was only told about the benefits, what they failed to mention is that I would gain weight(aka 20 to 30 lbs), I think that this drug should be banned all across the world!
Hi Kassie, Please don’t be afraid. You may find the Q and A article I link to in this piece helpful in understanding what you may experience and what you can do to support the return of normal periods. Here is the link again: http://www.menstruationresearch.org/2013/04/11/stopping-depo-provera-why-and-what-to-do-about-adverse-experiences/
Thank you this has helped
They do tell you about weight gain. As a matter of fact almost every drug has that as a potential side effect
But they never said Death! My daughter died from it. She also had,
Weight gain, hair loss, temp loss of vision, mood swings, reoccurring UTI and Yeast infections, Stroke, seizures, inter cranial pressure. They never told us non was the information available to the public as it is now! Depo is Dangerous. I have a group of over 600 women hurt by Depo and found over 240 deaths related to it that the News doesn’t speak about. I’m blowing the whistle!
Your doctor might’ve told you but we don’t have the same doctor!!
My doctor didn’t tell me about weight gain, hormonal fluctuations (Which ironically I barely have any as he knows) or any other side effect. I am 48 on permanent Social Security disability due to both physical and major depressive disorder. Why would this idiotic dr. prescribe me something that’s gonna make me feel even worse? His reasoning was that I have almost intolerable all over body pain from joint degeneration/arthritis and this was supposed to help relieve it, what a joke
I actually lost weight, I never gained a pound, till I was off the shot having to force myself to eat. I am a waitress, and work at a pizza place, one of my customers called me anorexic, and said I need to go eat instead of look “gross & boney”, so yeah, I’ve never gained weight from it, and when I asked my obgyn, she said it ‘wasn’t from the shot”, yet ive always stayed at a 2-3 lb difference range. When I got the shot, i lost 23lbs!!!
Have really lost weight, and severe nausea. I can’t eat food..
I was on the Depo shot for 14 years I didn’t gain any weight. I remained active after the first month of taking it when I was 35 because I’m a smoker I was recommended to take off a birth control pill. I chose Depo-Provera for my birth control. I’ve never been so happy with anything in all my life. I’m 56 now I quit taking it when I was 48 I don’t have any side effects and no regrets and 101.4 pants anything I lost weight because I didn’t spend weeks on end laying around with stomach cramps my monthly menstrual.
Hi Amy, clearly you are the exception to the general rule because depoprovera is not good for every woman. And hey it’s nice you’re one of the lucky ones but guess what you don’t have to brag about it like a stuck up bitch
Amy – I’m very grateful that you commented about your experience. When it comes to medicines, I want to be able to read about both good & bad experiences. I’ve been on it for probably as long as you were & I’ve only had some minor side effects. I did gain some weight but I was very thankful for that cause I had always been very thin and was bullied for being skinny my whole life. The weight I gained dramatically changed my life for the better. I am worried about stopping it, which is why I’m here. I want to read about all different experiences. Please ignore that hateful comment from Danielle. Her comment is 100% uncalled for, disrespectful and downright mean.
Again, thank you for sharing your experience. It’s much appreciated!
I’m glad it worked for you! I took it years ago and just started again, my periods have been horrible and I loved that on it I had no period at all! I did gain a little weight but I don’t really care compared to how my period makes me crazy 3 weeks a month!
By the way the previous comment by Danielle… she’s crazy man! And rude af
Ever since I started this injection I have been having a sore vagina. It is very dry. I have stopped the injection but I want to get back to normal how long wil it take. It is so uncomfortable I can’t stand it any more
I was also on it for year’s and had no problems nor did I when I went off. I don’t think we’re the exception to the general rule at all. I know 20+ other women on it or that have been without a problem. Just like with everything else the negative garners more attention then the positive. As for Danielle her comment was rude and uncalled for but obviously she’s an asshole and doesn’t realize that….
This shot has ruined my life for 18 years!! I’m sick (feel like I have morning sickness during my ovulation & period) 26 days out of the month. I have been diagnosed with pms and pmdd, Drs just keep wanting to put me on antidepressants!! The only thing that makes everything depressed is how sick my hormones make me!! I NEVER did this before the shot. I’m at the point of wanting to commit suicide because I still have at least 12 more years to go before I hit menopause & I no longer have a life, I just exist. I sit at my home & watch others living their lives on Facebook or tv and I break down in tears!! I wish I knew the dangers before taking it but my dr said there were no bad side effects.
Brandy, you might consider reading this article that answers questions you may have about what you are experiencing and suggests ways you can minimize the adverse effects: http://www.menstruationresearch.org/2013/04/11/stopping-depo-provera-why-and-what-to-do-about-adverse-experiences/
I cant get this to load. Any suggestions?
If you don’t want to take antidepressants than eat food with seratonin and find ways to help naturally. Also take B6 and B12 vitamins. You may also have had underlying depression. It may not just be the shot
This response is to Kelsey. Number 1 you cannot eat certain foods to avoid an antidepressant. You can try to get help naturally,sorry in my opinion you are wrong,wrong,wrong. Plus no vitamins will help. I have been through hell and back. Please dont tell someone they might of already had underlying depression. The depo shot is just awful please whoever asked about this and got Kelsey’s thoughts….please go to your professional and lay it all out on the table. Be informed by them and do research for yourself. Im far from a no it all but i have lived it. Everyone is allowed to give their own opinion but really did you ever stop to think some people could read certain comments and say yah they may be right and go down a path of hell pure torture. Please everyone it helps sometimes and gives us all comfort in hearing about others peoples stories. However please get informed yourself and do whatever it takes to see what is best for every individual. I just got really upset with Kelsey saying that stuff. It was like a smack in my face and i am sure to others on here also. But hey believe and do what you want,you are gonna end up playing with fire. I am not telling anyone yah just go on antidepressants. What i am saying is give your story or opinion. All us girls or woman should stick together. Find out what is best for each of us as strong females in which all our bodies are different from each others. God bless and take care.
Omg! Soooooo sorry u are dealing with all this luv. When i read ur story i felt like i read something i wrote because i have had so many problems since i stopped getting it that i am now 32 feeling exactly as u do down to the last word .. this isn’t life
I am just existing not living 😥
Many women have periods that get worse as they age. If you already were predisposed to have depression and bad periods, then that would’ve happened regardless of the shot. I have never had the shot, but my periods and depression just suddenly got extremely intense just in the past 2 years. I am 33 now. They will have to perform surgery for me if this shot doesn’t work. I can see though how I would think that it was the shot that caused all of this if I had just happened to quit right before these symptoms started on their own. My gyno said my periods will only get worse from here on out, so the shot is my last chance.
God bless you Brandy!! I know just how you feel, I don’t even have the strength to go online or watch everybody else living a life . But then I already felt like that before the stupid doctor gave me the shot. I am petrified as the three months was just up And I know how bad the added symptoms have been since getting the shot, now I have to come off😥😤
Hi can you please tell me how you are feeling now ihad my first injection on may 1st due another july 24th not having it got the worst depression and anxiety ive ever had in my life docs want me to go onto antidepressants feel trapped in my own body please tell me how you are feeling now
Hi brandy
I feel like you. I don’t want to live. I watch others live. I hate life and wish to die every day.
Did life get better for you ? Your health?
I am one more case of regretting depo-provera. I was an uninformed high schooler in the 90s who wanted to “forget about my period” as a benefit to birth control. I had one and only one shot. Increased pain when I was supposed to be menstruating & extreme emotions are what I remember. What a mistake!
i’m 16, i started depo in the beginning of february, i hadn’t gotten my period until a few days ago and it isn’t heavy but i’ve noticed so many more mood swings and just, emotional struggles more than usual. i have diagnosed depression and anxiety but it’s been worse than it was before. i woke up yesterday morning having cramps that didn’t feel the same as my cramps did before i started depo. it’s almost like my entire abdomen is being crushed by rocks and it hurts to walk, stand up straight, any movement really. my mom wanted to put me on depo after she found out i had lost my virginity, and i was okay with it because before i started it, my periods were beyond heavy. i would bleed through a super plus tampon in less than 2 hours and i would get incredibly sick. i would get double vision, i would throw up, it was horrible. and not to mention the excruciating pain cramps were giving me. i started my period a few days ago and for some reason, now putting a tampon in hurts? it’s also really uncomfortable, and it’s weird because before it wasn’t uncomfortable. my period isn’t heavy, so i’m just using a regular and changing it every 8 hours or so. but my vagina is literally sore. it hurts to sit down. it never felt like this before. today it only was worse. i barely have been able to get out of bed, and when i do, i’m hunched over in pain. my drive hasn’t really decreased. i noticed a small difference, but it really hasn’t affected me. but what really throws me off is that tampons are now uncomfortable to use. before i started depo i would use tampons and there was no problem. and it wouldn’t hurt to sit down either. but now, it’s painful. it’s not bad enough to the point where i won’t sit, but i have to be slower about it and i have to just breathe. i have been in so much pain today that i didn’t even really eat or drink any water, even though there was both of those right next to my bed, i just laid here, feeling like garbage. i looked up to see if depo can cause your vagina to be sore and all of these other things that i’ve been feeling, and there wasn’t any results except the normal “weight gain, abdominal pain, etc,”. i haven’t gained any weight, in fact, it feels like i’ve lost some. i’ve lost a lot of my appetite though. i don’t feel hungry, and i often even forget to eat for a decent amount of the day. i was digging a lot more earlier and i was trying to find how long depo can make you bleed, and i’m terrified that this will last for a long time. i’m only 16 and i don’t want it to affect my future with having children, because i most definitely want a family. my doctor did in fact tell me about most of these things, but she didn’t mention the extended bleeding and the pain. has anyone else had these symptoms? and does anyone have any advice for me? i’m terrified it’ll make the pain last longer and i don’t want it to affect my chances of having a family when i’m older.
The Copper T IUD worked for about 16 years for me. I had one for 8 years, and the last one for 5 years. It had attached to the lining of my Uterus and was causing me bad periods and bad cramps. It was wonderful for a long period of time and I had no health issues. I started Depo after having IUD out. It was good at first. Then I started having problems with it. weight gain, mood swings, and then I had a DVT that started in my leg and made it’s way to my lung. It split off in to 3 different clots. I nearly died. I tell any female that has ever had problems with taking birth control pills or hormones in general to stay away from them. The Copper T IUD is the only form of birth control that doesn’t mess with your hormones. Not the Mirana! It has hormones. I had it and had to have it removed because I became severely depressed. Good luck.
I have one more month until this shot wears off and honestly I’m praying I make it.i have no idea what to do about the side effects I’m experiencing. I have absolutely NO appetite…I feel as though I am anorexic and being as I had a baby just four months ago I’m scared I might lose the weight too fast and ruin my body. Also I cannot stop snapping at my husband Im not even sure if he wants to be with me after these two months,I’m not being dramatic it’s THAT BAD. Not to mention my poor daughter is only five and like I said the other one is four months and I find myself SCREAMING at them because I cannot control my emotions. Then I go lock myself in my room because I feel that’s better than flipping out on everyone I feel like a terrible wife and mother and iv had depression in my teenage years so I know that it is returning.Iv asked myself several times how I’m gunna make it I’m weak, nauseous, I have so much diarrhea that I have diaper rash from using the bathroom so frequently. So far iv been bleeding for two weeks…I feel as though I’m slowly being poisoned and there is nothing I can do about it iv called my doctor three times and he never had any answeres as to how to help I just want HELP I don’t wanna be this person I absolutly hate my life I dread going to sleep because when I wake up I am dripping sweat and freezing. The first two hours of my day every day I feel like I drank battery acid my stomach feels like it is eating itself I make myself eat but I gag the whole time. Eating has never been a problem for me iv always taken great care of myself so I have to say this is one of the biggest regrets of my life.
Dear Callan,
I have only just come across this now and I am sorry to hear your story. I just want you to know that Jesus loves you and you are precious in his eyes. You may feel like your world is falling apart but He is there by your side. He can bring healing to your body. Call out to Him and ask him to reveal Himself to you. God bless you and I hope you find your peace in him.
Get a life. Did Jesus heal or help you ????
I started the depo at the age of 18yrs old. At the age of 29 I stop taking it!
The after effect is the worst Headache, depression, low sex drive
Heavy cramps & Cyst just terrible!! Didn’t think trying to protect myself wold have cause me harm. Another lesson learn
I have been on the Depo off and on for 20+ years and based on the fact that it’s not recommended for long periods of time as stated in their info, it’s a must to check into. Personally, I haven’t had any menstrual/physical/emotional problems but that’s my particular situation (off and on it 3 times now since 1995, including months and year’s of breaks). I know it states that one shouldn’t be on it for more than a few years at a time at most which let’s your body return to it’s normal state. I’ve never had any repercussions of being on the shot but you must research yourself before getting on any kind of BC in general.
One thing to consider is that the shot has actually been helping to PREVENT all of those things for you up until you quit. I have all of the “negative” side effects” of coming off the shot, which is why I am actually going ON it. I would imagine that if I come off of it in 5, 10, 20 years, that my natural negative symptoms will come back, and may be even worse since bad periods tend to get worse with age rather than better.
I am the same. This is the biggest mistake I ever made. I was a nice girl, going to school, working, having a very good relationship with my coworkers, I was A student. After I took the shot, everything changed. I started fighting with people, I ruined my grades, I got depression, and nobody was around to help me. I don’t know how it’s still legal? How? Maybe thousands of women suicid, as I was going through it, and no one ever realized that it was because of this freaking shot. It’s sad that I lost my happiness, and my life over just one mistake.
Are you feeling better now?
I know exactly how you feel/felt. I was on this poison for 4 years. I went from an outgoing, physically fit, happy woman, to an angry, fat (went from 135 to 260 in 9 months), depressed, agoraphobic, mean woman. I was on the shot from age 26 to 30. I will be 49 next month. I lost my ability to have children due to the depo shot, I tell everyone that will listen about my experience. Depo ruined my life, yet the medical organization looks the other direction. I am a basket case because of it. I see a trauma specialist twice, sometimes 4 times a week. I have thought about suicide more times in my life then anyone I know, yet I am still here. I have lost all of my friends, and the only person in my family that still loves me is my mom. I now find out that I have all kinds of health issues, that I am sure I wouldn’t have if I had never allowed my PA to inject me with that poison. I sit here crying while I type because my life was over the day I found out I couldn’t have a family… I hope that you are okay.
How are you feeling now callan?
I have also had the Depo, it ran out 3 weeks ago and I feel everything you felt. I really hope you’re better
How long did it take to get out of your system? My daughter has had one shot and is severely depressed.
The mood swings are the worst !! Why do they bother injecting us with hormones? That’s just asking for trouble. Hormones are responsible for violence 50% of the time. Hormones are the enemy. I don’t understand why we even need them.
Can you email me ! Megan-francis99@hotmail.com about your experience.
Thank you.
Everyone that’s written about a bad experience, I’m experiencing it right now. I literally feel my life falling apart. When does it end ?!??? Serious question 🙁
Help
Therapy
I was on the depo Provera shot from 2019 I left it last year on the 26th of October 2021 .I had very bad mood swings…. it destroyed my marriage and my life . I feel so depressed at times
I’ve taken it on and off for 8 years; I was an bottomed out alcoholic for several years and felt a little bit safer that I was less likely to bring a helpless child into the world with FAS.
I was on Depo for almost 10 years. During the time, I was on it. I never had any issues. However, I decided to stop so I can start a family. Now, I have increased anxiety and moodiness. My breast are extremely tender, I usually get a week or so off, where they feel normal. Been almost 4 months since I stopped and still haven’t had a cycle. I believed Depo was a great shot when I was on it, but now I have buyers remorse at using it. My doctor has nothing to say other than, it my issues could be hormone surges and some women have taken as long as 18 months to get back to normal. If this is the case, then why do they immediately go to this option for women?
23 months ago I took the depo shot and only one. Since then I have had irregular periods ever sine until now. Last night my husband and I had intercourse and I woke up this morning covered in blood and I have been bleeding heavy all day. The cramps are strong and painful. I have had six children in the last 11 years and my husband and I have been trying to conceive another. Never had trouble before. I think its the depo shot. But why now ? Why so heavy? So painful.
My advice to anyone considering taking Depo and/or anyone considering quitting: BEWARE.
In my teens and early 20s my period was so painful, with cramps and back aches that left me with tears in my eyes, nauseous on the floor, praying for it to pass. When I was younger I took the pill, but hated the discipline and management needed to take a daily pill at the same time everyday, and I was worried about weight gain.
Around 20 or 21 years old I began taking Depo, with the only precaution being “possible bone loss” described to me as something I would encounter way, WAY, in the future, and, hey! I could take a caramel-flavored chew for that (as simple a response as “hey, there’s an app for that!”) so I barely batted an eye when getting on board with depo.
No daily pills? Check. No periods? Check. No cramps and awful back pains? Check. No pregnancy on top of all those perks?? Check! Count me in. AND, not likely I’d gain weight?! Oh, hell yeah!!! Sign me up!!!
Now, don’t get me wrong, my experience ON depo was great, and all those things I just “checked” off? Yep, I enjoyed them. But, OFF depo? If I had it to do again, never would I EVER have taken it.
January of this year (2016) I got my last depo shot. I had new insurance and therefore a new doctor, and after finding out I’d been on depo for well over 7 years, she said she’d give me one last shot and then I needed to decide on a new birth control. She was not comfortable issuing me more than one last dose as it appeared I may have been on depo as long as or longer than 10 years.
At the time I wasn’t seeing anyone and thought my body may deserve a break so why not go off it for a while? If I get back to having an intimate relationship maybe I could try an IUD like she suggested. I had no idea what was to come.
At the time of my last shot (Jan ’16), I already felt overweight, not for my height I guess but for my normal body – 5’6″ and 145 lbs. Now, October ’16, 6 months since the medicine “should’ve” started wearing off, I’m 163. I had to buy new clothes. I feel like a stuffed sausage. Worse than the weight though, through the spring months I encountered the worst depression I have EVER encountered, thinking every day was my last because I dreamed, fantasized even, about taking my own life on the regular – I have never experienced a sadness like this, the sadness can’t be put into words. Thank god for Prozac. Ugh.
Shoot forward to now, I haven’t changed my eating patterns or exercise patterns compared to that of when before I gained this nearly 20 pounds in just a few short months, if anything i eat less, yet I still continue to gain weight. I’m exhausted. My boobs hurt so bad and nipples are so hard all the time I feel like I should audition for a porn. It’s literally painful to touch then anytime, a shower hurts, and taking my bra off and slipping even the comfiest shirt/tank on at the end of the day kills. It’s ridiculous.
My new doctor said I’m likely ovulating, but had no projection as to when I may get my period back; I hurt, I’m uncomfortable, and I’m sick of this “ish.”
If anyone has something they recommend instead of depo I’m all ears ! Hopefully I helped some woman with my story. Best of luck!!!
My advice to anyone considering taking Depo and/or anyone considering quitting: BEWARE.
In my teens and early 20s my period was so painful, with cramps and back aches that left me with tears in my eyes, nauseous on the floor, praying for it to pass. When I was younger I took the pill, but hated the discipline and management needed to take a daily pill at the same time everyday, and I was worried about weight gain.
Around 20 or 21 years old I began taking Depo, with the only precaution being “possible bone loss” described to me as something I would encounter way, WAY, in the future, and, hey! I could take a caramel-flavored chew for that (as simple a response as “hey, there’s an app for that!”) so I barely batted an eye when getting on board with depo.
No daily pills? Check. No periods? Check. No cramps and awful back pains? Check. No pregnancy on top of all those perks?? Check! Count me in. AND, not likely I’d gain weight?! Oh, hell yeah!!! Sign me up!!!
Now, don’t get me wrong, my experience ON depo was great, and all those things I just “checked” off? Yep, I enjoyed them. But, OFF depo? If I had it to do again, never would I EVER have taken it.
January of this year (2016) I got my last depo shot. I had new insurance and therefore a new doctor, and after finding out I’d been on depo for well over 7 years, she said she’d give me one last shot and then I needed to decide on a new birth control. She was not comfortable issuing me more than one last dose as it appeared I may have been on depo as long as or longer than 10 years.
At the time I wasn’t seeing anyone and thought my body may deserve a break so why not go off it for a while? If I get back to having an intimate relationship maybe I could try an IUD like she suggested. I had no idea what was to come.
At the time of my last shot (Jan ’16), I already felt overweight, not for my height I guess but for my normal body – 5’6″ and 145 lbs. Now, October ’16, 6 months since the medicine “should’ve” started wearing off, I’m 163. I had to buy new clothes. I feel like a stuffed sausage. Worse than the weight though, through the spring months I encountered the worst depression I have EVER encountered, thinking every day was my last because I dreamed, fantasized even, about taking my own life on the regular – I have never experienced a sadness like this, the sadness can’t be put into words. Thank god for Prozac. Ugh.
Shoot forward to now, I haven’t changed my eating patterns or exercise patterns compared to that of when before I gained this nearly 20 pounds in just a few short months, if anything i eat less, yet I still continue to gain weight. I’m exhausted. My boobs hurt so bad and nipples are so hard all the time I feel like I should audition for a porn. It’s literally painful to touch them anytime, a shower hurts, and taking my bra off and slipping even the comfiest shirt/tank on at the end of the day kills. It’s ridiculous.
My new doctor said I’m likely ovulating, but had no projection as to when I may get my period back; I hurt, I’m uncomfortable, and I’m sick of this “ish.”
If anyone has something they recommend instead of depo I’m all ears! Hopefully I helped some woman with my story. Best of luck!!!
CONDOMS darlin’ when you have the energy…no matter how desperate you get have faith that ur body is a very complex but strong piece of machinery and when it’s had enough it will shut down and allow you to sleep like sleepin beauty. You may look young,nobody will see how you suffer but my god the body will feel ancient!!!! And hey you’ve jogged my memory of things that arnt normal but have become the norm. Chin up sweet cheeks x
HEALTH WARNING FOR YOUNG WOMEN: STEER CLEAR!!!!
A little about myself and backgroud : At age 19 after my son was born I took a contraceptive pill. I felt a bit moody so after my initial 3 months supply I decided not to bother…being married it didn’t matter if I fell pregnant or not. At 39 I had a change in circumstance and at age 40 I decided I should think about contraception… as I wasn’t in the routine of popping a pill everyday I thought I would probably forget and I didn’t fancy a coil but I’d heard about this injection that lasted 12 weeks so I thought this was probably my best option.
I wasnt given any information apart from I may put on weight….on first injection my periods stopped and I thought WOW this is a godsend and I put on 2 pounds.
I have questioned over the years could it of been the injection or could it have been a 12 week course of smoking patches??? (they were the only 2 things in my system in a 4 year period that had never been there all my life). I don’t wish to scare or put anybody off a choice they wish to make about contraception after all “it is better to be safe than sorry” and like everything what is “good for one can be rubbish for another” and I’ve always been a “i’ll do what I want it’s my life” kinda person as well haha.
Now I may get a bit confused with events or timing here as in 2009 9 months after bloods after bloods after bloods all came back CLEAR I diagnosed with CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME which they thort I’d had since 08 but looking back at old pics I think my problems were there in 06 which was 2 years into the injections.
If started with feeling quite tired and lower back pain, I eventually gave in and went to my GP I had blood tests ALL CLEAR nothing wrong with me.
I suffered the pain and within 6 months it progressed to what I wouldnt call a headache just a dull ache on the left side of my head which lasted approx 15 mins with a feeling of being very ditzy if not somewhat brain dead, the backache got worse I put on 10lbs in 1 week,my stomach n boobs swelled I looked pregnant but my I had a fantastic set of “double D” boobs for my petite frame :)…so a year after initially going to see my GP I was back to see my GP again she sent me to hospital I had cysts on liver and kidneys…I suffered more pain, I felt more tired and more ditzy then the weight started to drop off me I went back to hospital to get my cysts checked they hadnt disappeared but they hadn’t grown either! LUCKY ME!!!
I carried on working, I carried on feeling quite ill but I decided not to get the injection again something was causing this and if the injection then surely things would get better.. NO THINGS DIDN’T GET BETTER IT WAS A DOWNWARD SPIRAL!!!!
I was in agongy, all I wanted to do was sleep, my energy was so low and I had to leave a job I loved and apart from a 6 month bleed 18 months after stopping the injection my periods to date (im probably thro the change of life now) never returned but I never fell pregnant having unprotected sex…hmm if that’s what you could now call it lying there like log not a human!!!!…
I’d had my family and I didn’t want anymore so for me it didn’t matter if my periods didn’t return but for young people be careful, at 45 tho I would of liked my health back and be the whippet not the snail I’d become.
I’ve been to hell and back not once but for the last 7 years, I’ve spent 20 hours in a 24 period sleeping, I’ve been stuck in bed for weeks on end, pain has been unbearable as I’ve aquired an intolerance to meds (apart from being able to take 1 over the counter anti nflam no more than 3 times a day and for no more than 3 days…they have become what I call my emergency med’s when I can’t stand anymore) energy levels so low I could hardly feed myself or walk, problems with eyesight, cognitive problems, I’ve had to move into a smaller flat and iv been stuck in the house like a damned recluse since I left work in 09.
Diagnosed with CFS nothing GP can do for me unless I want anti depressants which have good side effects of insomnia and energy (I tried.. they gave insomnia but did nothing for energy and within 10 mins of taking I cried solid…3 weeks of “the not so HAPPY tablets” took 3 months to get out my system and for my “own humour” to return and get me thro this) also don’t think for one moment it’s been a simple process as a single person having to give up work and diagnosed with CFS claiming UK benefits… FAR FROM IT looked on as a maliger all in the head…I manage on what I get coz I don’t have a LIFE outside of HOME but it doesn’t allow to make my life any easier!
Can I blame my GP probably not he may not of had all info to hand at the time but some counties have got lawsuits with this pharm comp so who in UK is gonna take up lawsuits for us…they could make a fortune form us less fortunate!!!
I feel like I’ve been a test dummy to shorten my life and I won’t bow down to more med’s unless I’m dying!!!!!
It’s taken me at least four hours to write this…PLEASE young girls and young mothers THINK TWICE xx
Hi. I know you wrote your story in 2016 but I wanted to know how you’re doing. What you describe is exactly how I felt. Could not keep my eyes open and was falling asleep at work. I’d sleep round the clock if I could. I found out what was wrong. I have a rare thyroid issue called a thyroid conversion disorder where Reverse T3 is high. So in your thyroid you have T4 that has to be activated by converting to T3, which is essentially your Metabolism. Reverse T3 is the opposite of your metabolism. It’s like a bear in hibernation mode. My Reverse T3 was 47, the highest my doctor has ever seen. Normal
Is between 7-15. Most doctors, including Endocrynologist’s, don’t test for reverse T3. The treatment is T3 meds (liothyronine). Please let me know how you’re doing if you by chance read this.
Ruined important friendships, made me emotionally unstable, and I attempted to commit suicide the day after my birthday. Yeah, I highly recommend staying away. I read the possibility of depression and increased anxiety level. I made myself aware of the possible side effects. No amount of research could have prepared me for the most difficult 3 months of my life. Seriously, if you think you’ve done enough research and still want to get the depo shot…DO NOT GET IT. Trust me. You do not want to deal with the repercussions. Stick with condoms or regular birth control pills.
How long were you on it for ? And when did you start to feel better ?
I was wondering does the depo have anything like the antidpressant properties. Somewhere I read it did. I have bipolar and can’t tolerate any type of antidepressants. I have had three shots and now and it finally stopped my months of bleeding. Although my bipolar was stable and having issues now. Also when I take the shot around week two it make me itch and go numb especially around the mouth. I can deal with it with benadryl but is that safe?
My question is, is there a treatment for any of this? Does it get better? So many people have commented that the symptoms of withdrawal are real, but there is no feedback on treatment or recovery. I had my last injection in February 2016. I was fine the entire time I was on it. Starting in the summer I began having Panic Attacks, Depression, Insomnia, Headaches, Nausea, Leg Pain, Muscle Weakness, you name it. I had my hormone levels drawn and on paper I seem menopausal, but I’m only 29. I’ve seen 2 OBGYN who dismiss the issue, and tried to get in with Endocrinologist, but they said they do not treat hormones. Tomorrow I’m going to see a BioIdentical Hormone Doctor in hopes they can calm the side effects. Has anyone else had these body pains and muscle weakness, and does anyone have any answers. Please?
I have read after 3 years of using that bone loss (osteoporosis) is comparable to that seen in women going through menopause and within 30 months of stopping bone levels return….I would think bone loss could cause pain so could bone returning to normal also be the cause of pain x
While on the depo did anybody notice if they grew in height… I grew an inch within first year,after coming off the depo I shrunk 2 inches and now i’m back to my orginal height…hmmm!!!!
I’m so sorry that you’re experiencing this but I’m going through some of the same things. I’m 28 and I got my first injection in February of this year also. I only had one more injection in May and bled the whole time so I decided that the May injection would be the last. By June, the bleeding had stopped but there is a strong odor coming from down there, especially after sex. I have a six year old so I know what it feels like to be pregnant and that is exactly how I feel. I get nauseous constantly, my back hurts, my breasts feel engorged, and I feel so weak. I’ve taken numerous pregnancy tests over the span of two months, all negative. I feel insane. I barely sleep. I haven’t gone back to my OBGYN for them to assess anything but as selfish as this is, I’m happy I’m not alone. Well wishes to you and your recovery. I hope we make it out of this nightmare soon.
Please read the information provided at this link: http://www.menstruationresearch.org/2013/04/11/stopping-depo-provera-why-and-what-to-do-about-adverse-experiences/
Search for “A Wake-up Call about Depo Prevera” on the internet. This letter explains in detail how the injection can cause chronic backache and render one handicapped as a result of pain. I am in a similar boat. After my third injection my lumbar vertebrae area is almost in continual pain. I cannot walk the dog, cycle or participate in my much loved aerobic classes at the moment. I have been reduced to moving in the pool on a noodle just over a period of a month. The pool, however, is proving to be my saving grace as being weightless in water allows me to run, walk and jump in the pool, all exercises that strengthen essential lower back muscles weakened by depot prevera.
omg im going thru the same but i still havent satrted the withdraws i think im feeling the side effects and i feel my body is not tolerating it anymore because i have never suffer from this before . and know i want to a endrocologist to see whats going on i just want my period to come to feel back to normal i had the same panic attacks anxiety headaches lighthead depressed and know im on meds because of this stupid shot
I am 2 and a half months in to my first shot and I had no idea I could experience so many side effects, the worst of it is night sweats, waking up 2-4 times a night, trouble sleeping, non stop spotting (for over 2 months now), no sex drive, and mood swings. I was not informed properly of the side effects and told that at most I would probably just experience spotting. This is definitely the worst thing I have ever done to my body. I am barely functioning with the lack of sleep, it has affected my work, my relationship, I don’t even feel like myself anymore. I am scared to find out what the withdrawal effects might be. Is there some way to report side effects so that the FDA has a better understanding of how many women are affected by this drug?
I had my first shot in February 2020 and I was supposed to get the second one in May however I decided to stop taking it since it causes mood swings,spoting , bloating stomach and lots of bad side effects,I thought I will get my periods right after I quit but it’s two months now with no periods and not even spoting and when I went to the doctor she told me exactly the same thing that it’s the side effects of quiting depo , but I am glad I didn’t stay on it for long and apparently after three to four months it will wear of completely so there’s only one months,I just hope it get out of my body as I am planning to start a family with my fiance.
I was using seasonique (which I loved) but had painful “mini periods” if I skipped even 1 pill. I was told depot shot would be a good option and there could be some unpleasant side effects like weight gain but to not worry because they’re “pretty rare.” 1 day after my 1 and only shot, I had woke up with an EXCRUCIATING headache, major joint pain, severe depression…No period or spotting at all. Exactly 1 year later I had my first period (usual, normal, no problems) then 2 weeks later got it again and it hasn’t stopped since. Every single day since the first week of September I’ve had a constant flow and terrible ovarian pain. PCP has referred to check for PCOS but appointment is next week. Last week it changed to a really heavy, cramping period and hasn’t let up at all. Biggest regret of my life was getting that one shot. The OB/GYN that gave it to me even told me that it’s probably not what was causing my terrible headaches or other symptoms!!!
I’ve taken the injection in June, so it suppost to be out of my body by now. But now I’m experiencing horrible Brest pain, mood changes, nausea… just like I’m pregnant, besides the fact that I just friked out thinking I was! Not right! It should be banned!
I started the depo shot in June/July of 2015 due to being on the pill and getting pregnant. That ended in a miscarriage and I decided to try a new method. I wanted to try this because after talking to friends and several other people from work, they had successful and positive stories of their experiences. The last shot I received was in January 2016. From the time I started the injection up until now, Dec. 2016, I have bled countless amount of times. From having my “period” for two months, and off for maybe a week then bleed another two months, not having a period for 6-8 weeks and having the pregnancy scare, and so on, I regret ever taking this medication.
I’ve gone to my doctor about the uprising issue and what did she do? Absolutely nothing! I always got, “just wait it out”, “it’ll stop on its own”, “I don’t know exactly what you mean by the issues, let’s run some labs and other tests.”
To going to a specialist and getting put back on the pill to regulate me. Always a run around.
My horomones are ridiculous. Mood swing after mood swing. Anywhere from thinking my boyfriend is the best person in the universe, to wanting to ball my eyes out over the stupidest things, then to wanting to kill every living thing I seen. I yell and scream at my dog, boyfriend, parents, family and friends over the dumbest of things. Then I cry my eyes out over my boyfriend forgetting my order wrong at the drive thru. Never in my life have I ever been like this. I just wish it would end already! Almost a year from my last shot and every time “Aunt Flo” comes for a visit, I think I’m starting to become regular. Jokes on me. I started my period around 11/15/16 and ended on 11/20/16. Everything was fine then I went to the bathroom and wiped only to see a few spots of blood on 11/28/16 and have been on and off bleeding since.
I will never take the depo provera injection again and I will let others know my story of experience if they tell me they want to try it. I would never recommend this and I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy.
I wish this all would end.
Since i stopped the injection,i have been having serious chest and backpain.doctor dont seem to diagonise anything,i attribute this to depo provera.
I was on the depo shot for 2 years then I had stopped I had no symptoms at the time. I got pregnant 6 months later with my son! After having my son I had got the depo shot again, now my bones (joints) hurt all the time (knees, wrists) I have lost a lot of my hair it use to be full and now it’s so thin! I also have lost my sex drive 🙁 I wish I would of never got this shot! The only thing it did for me was help me with my skin disease! Other than that it was a horrible decision!
I agree that doctors should have to tell people the side effects of being on depo and stopping it. After experiencing difficulty breathing, chest pain, heart palpitations and other scary symptoms, I went to a doctor – she told me I am breathing wrong, that it is my fault even though this never happened before depo, that there is nothing that can be done to help me and no medication for it…..worst birth control ever! I hope they stop giving it
Your doctor told you that you were breathing wrong??? I would have said to him/her, “Well, what is the ‘right’ way to breathe? Explain it to me!”
My advice… FIRE your doctor and get a second or even a third opinion until you get someone that will take you seriously and HELP you. What you experienced is NOT your fault, please don’t EVER believe what that quack told you. You deserve to be treated with dignity at your medical appointments, not made to feel insignificant. I really hope that you found a doctor or specialist that was able to help you through this!
Sending you prayers, peace, love and light from chilly MN!!
i had a question i haven’t really experienced some of the situations that has been posted but i am scared i could start experiencing them.. i started the depo-provera right after i gaved birth my doctor said it was the surest thing i could take while i was on the shot i had irregularly periods i would only spot from time to time also i had huge headaches.. me and my husband decided to have another baby so i stopped getting the shot i only took the shot four times and my period hasn’t got normal until last month i was bleeding heavily and i would stain everything that i would wear or sit on but i thought it was regular i thought it was my period getting back to normal it lasted seven days then i got it again the same month and it was heavy again i have concerns if it will get worse or is it something i shouldn’t worry about??
Yall forgot
R:isk of extreme hair loss. 1 in 5 women are effected.
I am also in this camp of anger, regret, and uninformed choice regarding depo. My story is dead similar to the others you’ve noted above. I only did three rounds of shots and I’ve been off it for a year and for four months now, have been getting periods every 12-15 days. Not ovulating, diagnosed with PCOS, gained 20 pounds, mood and depression struggles…all the things. This stuff should be ILLEGAL. I wish there was a class action lawsuit or something I could join to get this off the market. And, it seems you have to google the exact right phrase to find any articles like this to confirm the symptoms and that I’m not a lunatic!
I got this shot 3months ago. And I’ve had all the adverse effects since then. Especially the irregular bleeding. It really kills me. I don’t know what is gonna happen when quit the shots. I am so scared. Is there any way that can stop bleeding and back to my normal cycle?
I had Depo for contraception for over 20 years and my periods stopped completely.I was advised by my Dr to stop using it because of the health risks due to my age ( 50). Since then,over a year later,I still haven’t had a period and have lost 17 kgs which has now put me underweight at 55kgs.Has anyone else had unexplained weight loss??
I have to say, I am surprised your Dr. Let you take the shot for so long. When I began the shot when it first came out in 2000 , my Dr. Stated you can only take the shot for up to 5yrs then you must get off it to give your body a rest. I am 48 I have been off the shot for 8 yrs. I preferred to have my tubes CLAMPED to avoid the reoccurring adverse effects of the DEPO Shot which has worked very well for me. No pregnancy in 4ys since I had my tubes CLAMPED. No cut, not tied or burnt.
I’ve been on depo for 24 years. I had it at my son’s 6 week check up. I’ve never had side effects, my bone density is fine. I’m considering going off it because I’m no longer sexually active and it really has just been a no period option for me for 5 years. I don’t think it’s a benefit any longer and I’m wondering what will happen when I stop taking it.
My advice, just stay on it. After taking the depo shot for over 19 years with absolutely no side effects, I decided to stop because I was diagnosed with osteoporosis (which runs in my family) and I had also turned 51 so I didn’t feel like I really needed it…bad choice! My last shot was 9 months ago and I am now realizing after reading these posts that my issues are most likely from the Depo. I thought my GERD had returned but my symptoms include acid reflux, stomach pain, menstrual cramps, nausea, leg and back pain, joint aches, insomnia, and increased anxiety. Have lost 13 pounds in 6 weeks because nothing sounds good most of the time. And none of these symptoms are mild! I’m trying to swallow hard and keep going. Making myself keep moving even when I just want to puke! I am going to purchase a Tumeric supplement hoping it will help. So don’t stop it if it isn’t causing you problems currently. The risks of adverse withdrawals isn’t worth it!
I have been on depo 30 years, will be 50 soon and my dr. says no more….wondering what to expect. Do not want period or moods, they’ve been gone for 30 years. I at one time was told to stay on it till 55 and then a gradual weaning for 2 years, then you would not experience menopause.
I have been getting the shot for 12 years; I am getting ready to stop. I would say for the most part I have been very happy with the results. Only within the last few years have I had negative side-effects (extreme dryness is the worst). As I am reading through the post shot side-effects I am scared as heck what might happen. I am in my mid 40’s and there is a good chance I am not “ready” to go through my change of life just yet (unfortunately). Wish me luck, hopefully I will lose the 15 pounds I have gained over the past 12 years and won’t be too awful to my family!
I’ve been on the Depo for 2 1/2 years now.
I’m 20.
I chose the depo because I had an IUD and that scratched my uterus.
Sometimes i get painful migraines that don’t go away until I throw up or make myself throw up.
I have two balding spots because of hair loss due to the shot.
My bones hurt randomly, I sometimes get muscle weakness that causes me to fall.
I feel like my heart skips a beat when I breathe.
My lower back feels damaged as if I hurt my disk
My tendons ache
My mood swings are intolerable and I go from yelling at my boyfriend to being lovey dovey with him after 2 minutes
I experience SERIOUS AGONIZING pain in my ovaries and don’t doubt that there is something off going on
I’m scared, I want to go to the doctor but I know they will deny everything or give me a different kind of medicine because that’s how they make $$.
I’ve felt suicidal more than once.
I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar disorder even though before the shot I was just a normal teen with normal mood swings.
Please do not get this shot if you are around my age, especially if you want to have kids in the future.
One of my biggest fears is being infertile.
I walked into a planned parenthood and asked them if it was appropriate to take the shot even after the 2 year mark and they said yes, they don’t care about your health, they just want the $$.
I also gained 30 pounds in 3 weeks…
I was well aware of the weight gain side effect but never to the point where I would be fatigued or without energy feeling useless or hopeless.
My biggest regret is using the depo shot so young and for more than the advised time frame.
i stopped using the injection july 2016. i gained weight always tired and sleep less with still no period and sore breast. is this normal and how long till i get my period back
VERY bad drug! SHOULD NOT be on the market. I was ill informed by my gyno. Only told to be careful b/c I could experience minor weight gain. I’ve only had 1 shot. it’s been 1 1/2 mos and I’ve already gained almost 20 lbs. I feel VERY emotionally unstable. I have suffer daily with: headaches, joint pain, visual disturbance, EXTREME lethargy, irrational thinking patterns, unquenchable hunger. This is an absolute nightmare and daily I feel like I’m losing my mind. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! It clearly is not good for the human body!
Hi I’ve read so many reviews and here it’s all negative I’ve tried so many different bc pills and the Nuevo ring all to make me extremely emotional and irrational and some make me bleed for weeks on end. My dr this week said this is my best option for my moods as far as I’ve read I am now terrified!!! Is the weight gain and moods really that terrible right at the start???
i just took my second depo shot and my moods are absolutely terrible already. the first three months were a piece of cake but now i can barely make it through the day. i question my relationships and overthink things regularly and i am very emotional. i hope this will end soon. i am not getting the shot again so hopefully since i have only gotten two shots then my side effects after won’t be too bad. hope this helps
I’ve only had one shot, back in November and it’s the worst thing I’ve ever agreed to!
I’ve put on nearly a stone since then, sore spine and shoulders, migraines, nausea, severe cold sweats and insomnia.
I totally agree it should be took off the market
I am 28 years old. My husband and i are trying to conceive. I was 5 weeks pregnant with symptoms bad, i went to my dr for a blood test. At 4 weeks it was negative. I recently as of yesterday went to the er to get some answers! I was sick as ever! After several test. I was told my test came back negative and i had already gotten a faint positive on a urine test. A few weeks before. So anyway. The dr told me i had a miscarriage. And i also had a cyst that ruptured and bled out on my left ovary! Ever since i started taking the depo shot i have had reoccurring ovarian cyst. That put me in my bed for a week. It ruptures im sick for a whole day. And then my period hits! Im not taking the depo anymore and haven’t been for about 3 years. Im not infertile but since being off the shot i haven’t been able to conceive. Until now. But my one time of conception. I misscarried! Im still upset. At myself for listening to everyone who said yeah you should get the shot!. I have 2 other children. I missed my shot for 3 months in between my son 11 and my daughter7. I have faith in God. And i know every thing happens for a reason. I just pray he blesses us with another child. To raise in his honor! Is there anything i can do about this?. These cyst cause severe damage to my body. I lost my child bc my system had been poisoned by a ruptured ovarian cyst.
I have been on the Depo Shot for about 6 years now, and I loved the idea of not menstruating, but for the last year or so I find that I’m always tired even when I get enough sleep, my body aches waking up in the morning and I can not lose weight to save my life and I am eating well and exercising 4-5 days a week. I have no motivation to want to go hiking or outside anymore and I couldn’t understand why until doing further research. Now after hearing all of this I am nervous to get off the shot but I also want to be able to have another child without complications…..anyone else with similar side effects and how did you cope coming off the shot and doing a different form of birth control?
Get off the shot it says not two take it more than two years.
Brittney I have also been on Depo for 6 almost 7 years and just found out all this information…did you end up stopping Depo or no? How was it?
My daughter has had two larspcopic surgeries for blood clots and lost a tube. She gained a tone of weight overnight. Her mood changed she started to act like a old woman.
Hi
I am using the depo shot now for almost a year I’ve been constantly feeling nauseous and sick been getting headaches i want to go off it but im so scared can anyone give me advice
Began shot may 1. 1.5 yrs later, decided to quit. Erratic heavy bleeding and regular nausea and mood swings were not worth it. Next shot scheduled for nov 1. Didn’t get it. Glad I didn’t want kids right away. Beginning of January commenced the 15 months of eternal bleeding (and still counting. Probably had a total of 30-40 days out of 420 not bleeding or spotting. It’s my new normal now, but am not keen on any other hormonal contraceptives. Don’t depo before you know.
Prior to me getting the Depo Shot and that was back in 2002/2003. I made sure I read all the side effects which were nothing like all the other birth controls. I was on the Shot for 5yrs and gains 15lbs within one yr. I got off the shot for a few yrs then back on to discover later on my hair was thinning out. That side effect was NOT on the box nothing mentioned about your hair thinning out or falling out. In addition, after completely getting off the shot, I got pregnant & had a miscarriage for no apparent reason. It has been 8yrs and the worst part of the adverse side effects is I am constantly feeling pain in my buttocks muscles where I had been given the shot. Unlike others, my shots were on my buttocks and it is a very discomforting feeling especially when I’m wearing a belt. It becomes very painful and an extremely uncomfortable feeling. I don’t know what to do. It scares me.!!!
Thinning hair is often related to a thyroid imbalance. The reason thinning hair was not on the box was because it’s unlikely the Depo shot caused that symptom.
Also miscarriages are awful and I’m very sorry for your loss but up to 50% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. It’s highly unlikely that the miscarriage was related to the Depo shot.
My doctors never warned me about the side effects. They told me that they are just like any other birth control symptoms! After I got off the first brith control the “Nuva ring” I was pregnant with our first a week later. So I thought yeah if it’s like that I should be fine. It’s been 10 months sence I’ve stoped the depo shot and I have not had a period sence I first got pregnant with our son. He’s 2 now. I’m scared that because of the shot I may not be able to have more children. We didn’t want them to be too far apart in age but it may just be that way. I blame the doctors for not being more informed and just telling me that “it’s like any other birth control” when yes in ways it is but no it’s not. It did its job I didn’t get pregnant but now I’m having a difficult time getting pregnant again now that I want to have another. I also blame myself for not doing research. I was concerned more about finding an affordable birth control than being concerned about having more kids.
Kayla
I am so sorry for you 🙁 I am in the same situation. Took my 1st shot in 2013 and after the 3rd I decided to stop. It was 3 years without menstruation…Now I am under treatment to see if I will be able to get pregnant again, but the doctor is not sure if it is gonna happen. I feel sad because I was not informed about it, just heard that “Depo will be very good for you”
Today I think it would be a lot better to get pregnant again when my son was 2 months old.
I was on it for 3 years and the other than a very slight weight gain I had no issues at all. My periods were limited to a couple of days of spotting once every 3 months, and I became pregnant within 6 months of going off of it.
For me Depo was an excellent positive experience eliminating the worry about missing a pill, and having no periods and no PMS was freakin awesome.
Just thought I should balance the negative with some positive. Well it might not work for every woman, some of us would highly recommend it.
Good to hear. I had no moods swings until I was coming off it and my joints were like an old woman. Its hard to tell if its the depo or age slowing the body down lol. I am going back on it tomorrow, as im 46 and cant handle the periods any longer.
This is the worst drug ever for women that i dont undetstand how still provided to women. My GP recommended it for “short term” contraceptive method. I had one shot last year in June, i am still getting side effect currently in may almost a year after. I had to see my gyno to stop the bleeding somehow and he told me this symptoms could last for two years. So if you use depo, you wont get pregnant since you will be bleeding all the time, give you a horrible mood swing so no one would have intercourse with you. I have wasted so much money on tampons, appointmemt with specialist, and not to mention that i had to pay for this injection ruined my life for the past year. Do not recommend this to anyone unless for someone you hate so much want to make her life miserable.
I am 18 and I got the my first depo shot in January of 2017 I didn’t bleed for two months straight. March came around and I started bleeding and here it is may and I am bleeding and cramping ten times worse. Going through pads practically every hour. Haven’t got any other shot since my first one..
The deposit shot is the worst thing any girl can do to their body.. I hope they take this off the Market quick before it messes up more women.
I used depo-provera from 2008-2013 not to prevent pregnancy per se but to reduce periods (since age 12-13, heavy and as painful as you can imagine)–it worked and I got absolutely none during that time. (Being overseas in the military in a highly physical job, it was the smartest option for me.) It worked for me…once, however after my last ob-gyn appointment this year, I was prescribed it again almost cavalierly. I have no need to be on the drug because I’m currently abstinent and in a sedentary job (both of which I mentioned), however the physician recommended it anyway for PMS and heavy bleeding symptoms as a way of relief. But I feel like if I am not asking for that relief through a drug, why would she push it? Although she prescribed it and seemed to assume I would take it, I still felt uneasy. I trusted myself and found this article. I think that considering that bodies change over time, I can’t guarantee the possible positive effects of this drug will outweigh the potential negatives. So I’m not even going to fill the prescription. Thanks for posting this article!
I wish I was older and had a choice to go on depo provera because the doctor and my mother thought it would be the best option at 14 and now my bodies screwed I haven’t had a period in about 2 months and I’ve been trying for a child I’ve been on the depo for 6 years and now I’m always getting my hopes up every few months thinking I’m pregnant but nope just another negative.
I started on the depo when I was 19 after suffering years of terrible heavy periods. My period stopped altogether and I was glad to see the back of them. The only side effect I had was a 7lb weight gain. I stayed on the injection for 8 years. I had a bone scan and that was normal. I came off the injection and had no period for a further 2 years, my doctor put me on the pill for a year to get me back into a monthly cycle. Then I came off that. My period was erratic for 6 months and then they returned back to a normal 28 day cycle and now I have 2 sons aged 4 and 3 years old.
Other women I know have had similar experiences to myself but as with all hormonal contraception it’s trial and error. What is suitable for one person, may not be suitable for another.
I just got the shot last month my period started on the 7 th day of this month and today is the 20th and I am still spotting, if I new I would bleed this long I would have just kept my heavy flow, I got the shot to decrease my fibroids, I am so upset I’m constantly crying.i hate the depo- shot.
Depo shot was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced with something I’ve put into my body. I was manic, it was scary and NOT MYSELF. I had to get the reversal shot and I normalized within 30 min. Although everyone’s body is different it definitely did not work for me.
I didn’t no there was a reversal shot?
What is the reverse shot?
I gained 100 lbs in 3 months on the stuff, and I was skinny. Ever since I have trouble losing weight and gain it easily.
I am 48. I was injected with Depro Provera, one time 24 years ago, in my left bottom cheek. It was terrible. I never got another injection, but right after using it I started with health issues like Fibromyalgia and IBS. I had always been super healthy before taking that horrible shot. Within a few years I had three cracked vertebrae. I have had severe pain in the left side of my neck, left side of my head and left arm, which I attributed to these skeletal issues. Last year (2016) I was diagnosed with Pelvic Congestion (varicose veins in the pelvis, thought to be caused by changing hormone levels, weakening the vein flaps, which are suppose to close and keep blood from flowing back into these veins. When the flaps fail, the blood pools in that area and keeps the adequate amount of blood from circulating to the legs and back up to the hear). My leg muscles started to deteriating, to the point I couldn’t walk, owing to lack of circulation in my legs. I have had a vein embolization and full hysterectomy to try to elevate the symptoms. While I am able to walk now, I do not have adequate circulation and I am limited physically. I have sharp sporadic chest pains now, and I am completely unable to go outside if the temperature is above 78 and the humidity above 60%, because my legs begin to hurt to the point I can not walk within moments of being outside. It is crushing my soul. I still have terrible pain in my neck and shoulders and left side of my head. I now know that pain was not all caused by the skeletal issues, but instead, circulatory issues from the pelvic congestion. Either way, I believe Depro Provera is at the root of all of this, especially after reading so many cases of the horrible side effects on the bones, veins, heart, neurological system, and emotional wellbeing of the women who have taken this terrible drug. We have got to get this poison off the market!!!
My name is laura I stopped using depo 5 years ago and now I have been trying to conceive but I can’t I regret it
My 20-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a small pituitary tumor that started with a pituitary hemorrhage after taking the Depo shot for 2 years and then stopping the shot. When she first started Depo, she had a fibroadenoma breast tumor removed at age 16. Then, after discontinuing the shot, she had sudden sever depression, anxiety, headaches, mood swings, fatigue and has not menstruated for 2 1/2 years. It is hard for the whole family. We pray that her pituitary tumor will resolve itself as they sometimes do. On the other hand, it could continue to grow, cause more sever headaches and threaten her vision. We pray that her menstration will return and she will be able to conceive. I believe that there are many other women with pituitary abnormalities due to taking the Depo shot and the drug companies need to own up to it. I also believe that drug company representatives read comments such as this one. I wonder how those people can sleep.
I am so sorry to read this. I have a Pituitary tumor I believe is linked to Depo Provera . I am seeking a lawyer to file a lawsuit.
Thats good , you know your body well before and after we start up on all this monster medicines and its your rights !!! Im going through tough times too after only 1 depo provera injection and im not the same anyone , i got the shot February 21, 2018 and im still having issues bleeding and all ?!!!
Were you able to pursue your concerns? I’m in the same situation now.
I am scared to be on the shot or not on the shot. I am scared of what I don’t know….Like most drugs on the market…one problem is solved…and another created….the bleeding costed me everything…Now…I worry I won’t have kids at 38! Pray for everyone that’s chose this method to solve an issue and ended up dealing with sooooo many others.. To us women….my PRAYERS TO ALL…
I am 15 and a junior in highschool
I’ve had a boyfriend for 2 years and due to the side effects of depo I hardly trust him, I can’t disagree with anyone or I will flip out, and if anyone wants to take credit for anything that I helped with I will hate them.
i was on the shot since 2015 and stopped march of this year it’s been 4 months and i don’t have a sex drive i don’t know if its due to being dry or what please help me will my sex drive come back if so when
The Devil created Depo! I was put on that junk back in 2010 to help control heavy periods brought on by fibroids. Awful, awful, awful. Had terrible side effects, both physical and psychological. My BP went through the roof! 180/100. I’m still on BP meds 7 years later because of it. I should’ve sued that damn gyno for putting me on that crap. It ought to be outlawed 🙁
If you want children in the future, or you have no children DO NOT TAKE THIS INJECTION. It is great to stop periods and helps if you suffer severe pms. When coming off the injection expect bad mood swings and joint stiffness, you will feel like your mind wants to do so much but your body says wait. Wait. Wait.lol. at 46 I’m going to go back on it as my periods have started to get bad. Heavy clots. Odour change. Effecting my self confidence. Working is impossible each cycle making me feel unreliable, and my moods with people are uncontrolled, effecting my relationships with people i love and love me. Hope it works out. Good luck people, what ever you decide.
I’m 19 soon 20 years old and I’m using depo since one year and a bit, I started using it bc I was a wreck during my period, I was so in pain. I couldn’t go to work everytime so I started using depo. My period stopped and I feel no more pain, yes I gained a little bit weight but I’m skinny so it’s not a problem. I was happy with it but now I feel anxious often, I think I have an awful sickness, I got problems with my heart or I’m just thinking that idk…I’m very moody. Idk what to do now, I heard of the side effects when I stop using depo, I’m afraid of it. And I don’t know what I should use when I stop using it.
So glad to see women sharing their experiences and raising awareness of the aftermath from taking this drug. I used Depo-Provera for 5 years (age 13-19), but with being so young I never really made the connection between the medication and the ways I was feeling. For the entirety of being on the drug, I was horribly depressed and experienced major mood swings, impossibility of losing weight, terrible acne, and many other side effects. Just as with most accounts being told here though, the worst came with coming off the drug rather than being on it. I got pregnant 11 months after taking my last dose, miscarrying 6 weeks into it due to such severe hormonal imbalance that I have since become convinced was caused by taking Depo-Provera for such an extended period of time. The many side effects were so severe, I ended up having to see an endocrinologist regularly and was later diagnosed with PCOS, directly caused by these hormonal imbalances. It took years for my period to regulate again, though now are always accompanied by painful cramps and tenderness that I’d never had trouble with before. Although I was originally told the side effects and suggestion to not be on the drug for a long period of time, once I began taking it I was never advised to come off or made aware of the possible damage that it could do. Being as young as I was, I feel my ignorance was targeted as a way to maintain my status as a consumer and the consequences ended up being more than just a little sadness here and there – among so many other things, the consequence was my child. That in itself is reason enough to say, I would never EVER suggest this drug as an option for birth control or anything else. Undoubtedly one of the biggest mistakes of my life, and my most regretted decision.
I took one shot of depo on may 2017…I didn’t mestruate for the 11 weeks but suddenly on my last week I started bleeding and its now a month….I don’t know when will it stop I’m tired!!
I was on the depo shot for 8-9 years. While on the shot I had a surgery to remove my right ovary due to cysts from depo in 2012. Well while still on repo fighting depression major mood swings lack of sex drive and constantly bleeding in 2016 I became pregnant, once again I was on depo and only had one ovary. I have had no stop problems with my body and my doctors speacilist and obs. I have been bleeding for about two and a half years even while I was pregnant. Thanks to the depo and not knowing this horrible shit that can happen my life has been falling in a downward spiral. I am seeing another speacilist and pretty much all they can tell me is its going to take some time.
I am a recent Depo-Provera victim. The events are as such, last November (2016) I started experiencing irregular menstrual cycles, I would not bleed for a month or two, then bleed for a day, then not for a few weeks, then bleed again for many days. I would also experience severe pain in my abdominal area, to the point of going to the ER, I was diagnosed with ovarian cysts and was sent on my way, after months of this continued chaos, I was seen by a OB-GYN who, after running test, told me that it looks like i might have Endometriosis, and without surgery, there was no way to be sure, so he was going to treat me as though I DO have Endo, and proscribed birth control as a solution to my issues. I am already taking a handful of pills everyday, that I cant always afford to refill. I also am not a fan of IUD’s. The other option I was given was the shot. 1 shot, every 3 months. I figured that since I end up seeing a doctor at least that often for the various other medical issues I have, that sounded like the best option. Within about 2 hours after getting the shot, the severe pain I was in stopped. All that was left was a minor discomfort from the muscle spasms that occur during menstruation. However, it has been 13 days since I took the shot, ant 14 days since I started my menstrual cycle. I also have been experiencing mood swings. I take an anti-depressant on a daily basis for just that thing, now they are getting worse. My doctor is out of the office for the next week, and the call a nurse I spoke to said to go to the ER. Now I’m really worried.
I took the shot for about a year after my second child and gained so much weight during . I stopped the shots and have been physically sick for 18 years . Diagnosed with Fybro , depression, and so many surgeries and my body does not fight infection well. My youngest son , now 18 made the comment that he has always known me to be sick or just never feeling well . I have a hard time remember things which effects my work and family
Although this was published some time ago, I feel it is still relevant. 6 years ago I decided to switch to the shot after speaking with my doctor and trying out several pill-form contraceptives that did not work out. When I was on the shot, I love it. Early on, I lost weight. A LOT of weight, a scary amount of weight to the point where I needed to monthly check in with my Dr. to make sure it was still safe to stay on the shot. Of course as a 21 year old in college loosing seemed to be a blessing so I stuck with it. Looking back I wish I took that to be my warning sign. Flash forward 5 years- a week leading up to my shot, I could feel my body go into withdrawal symptoms- flu like symptoms nausea, shakes etc. When I received the shot, the body aches lasted a couple days, then it was back to normal. After 3 rounds of this I took this to be a sign that I should stop this medication, my body seemed to be getting dependent on it and I was getting married and looking to have babies- maybe not soon but someday. Flash forward a year and a half to present day- my last shot was in January. This means by April the medication should have been up and my body getting back to normal. It has been anything but normal. Mood swings, nausea, extremely sore breasts, and not a trace of a period. It is now September and Ive been married a year. We are talking about babies and because of my constant nausea and other odd symptoms we thought we were pregnant a couple times and were actually really excited! After a few tests, we were let down and Ive realized my body is just crazy. Ive called my Dr. and theres nothing she’s suggested but waiting it out. She said it could take up to a year (next April) for me to being ovulating again. How can this be normal and with no forewarnings? I know it is impossible to become pregnant and I know Im still young but knowing you can’t even if you wanted to makes me want to cry. If there is anyone in the Boston area who can help/give advice/ or no a helpful practitioner I am open to all suggestions. Thank you.
I was on the depo shot from 2008 to 2015. I decided to get off of the shot because I was no longer sexually active. The only side effect I experienced was weight gain. I am currently back on the depo shot because I am tired of dealing with periods. I absolutely love it and would never use anything else. I have several friends and family members who experienced bad side effects from other forms of birth control and have now switched to the depo shot and have no problems besides a little weight gain. All birth control can and has caused adverse effects for some women. You just have to find what’s right for you and make sure to educate yourself about how it will effect your body and serious side effects associated with it.
My daughter has suffered from horrific periods since she began her cycle at age 12. After 2 years of unbelievable cramps and gushing blood the gyno put her on BC pills, they did not work. So, tried another and yet a 3rd BC pill. Finally the gyno offered Deposit Provera. I wish I had changed gyno docs before they injected this toxin into my child. She was 17 & 1/2 yrs old at the time. It has been one & a half MONTHS!!! I wish I would’ve found this blog when I was doing research. The gyno was so positive. I believed her. I felt safe for my daughter. I have since called the FDA and I am to make a report. Then they want me to call the State Medical Board to report abuse to patients! WHY??? I watch my daughter suffer everyday worse and worse. She’s a senior and she’s on pain meds always. The gushing blood, the unacceptable pain, the increase in appetite! Where did this devil poison come from? How is it even available to anyone, especially teenagers who are suffering horrid cramps and bleeding? How did the FDA accept this to be on the market? Once the shit goes in, there is no way to stop the destruction, irreversible pain and suffering!!!!! Please help! Regards, A mother suffering in silence. God help us all, my poor baby.
At 18 I jumped at the chance to have a 3 monthly shot that could stop my periods all together and mean I don’t have to think about contraception until my phone reminded in 3 months time. I was on the depo for just shy of two years and raved about it. Then I stopped to try for a baby with my now husband of 7 years.
We weren’t informed of any dangers to our plan when I told my gp we were trying for a baby and within weeks of leaving the depo I was pregnant, we were thrilled and at 7 weeks we lost our first baby. A strong bleed and one fun night later we were pregnant again and at 11w 6d we lost our second baby on our honeymoon the night after we married. From there I bled irregularly and frequently until falling pregnant with our son (now 6). After having our son I bled horrendously, erratically and frequently until falling pregnant with our daughter (now 17 months) and now I’m back to bleeding almost continuously. This is destroying my marriage and my mental health.
Only this week was I informed that the depo has adverse effects on bone density and that with a family history of various forms of arthritis, crumbling spine and osteoporosis (amongst other bone issues) I should never ever have been allowed to have the depo.
I am currently waiting on blood test results as at the age of 26 I have possible fybromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and a possible deterioration in my spine causing a trapped nerve leaving me with serious pain 90% of the time.
I’m distraught that I made such a terrible decision at such a young age without being fully informed or even comprehending that such a quick and easy decision (being encouraged by my then gp) could negatively impact my entire life to such a horrific extent.
Only now are there talks of reffering me to a gynaecologist and since researching the depo this week (the truth is well hidden!!!) I hold out very little hope for fixing this mess
I was taking depo- provera from ages 16-20 and then again from ages 21-24. I finally decided I had enough when I noticed some weird body changes. Most I still have to this day and I am now 27. I experience hot flashes, mood swings, which to some people I am now known as a person with an attitude, and bad body aches. I have had some hair loss (some spots are not growing back) and a lot of weight gain. I have been off the shot since the age of 24 and my period just came back last year. I discussed this with my gyno and even he thought it was strange that my period was delayed for so long. I have been trying unsuccessfully to have another baby. If I knew what I know now, I would have never taking this shot. I am currently not on any form of birth control and I plan to keep it that way because of these experience.
I lost a bunch of my hair, my libido went from high sex drive down to almost nothing. I’m literally dry Nd this never was a problem for me before. I’ve been depressed because I can’t get off and constAnt anxiety. the depo shit is my biggest regret. destroyed my last relationship and might be drstfouing my current one too. this drug is evil!!! Help!
I would have to completely disagree with this article. I was on Depo Provera for 6 years to prevent debilitating cramping when I get my period.(just recently diagnosed with Endo) I lost 35lbs while on the shot, this weight I gained before I started the shot, by just eating healthier. I had no side effects from it, and I got 6 years of my life pain free. I have an older sister who was on it for 2 years, no side effects, she went on to have 2 kids, no issues getting pregnant and no problems during her pregnancies. Its unfortunate that a lot of women have a bad experience, but don’t take it away from the women it has helped. This shot gave me my life back.
I’ve been on the depo injection for 12 years, after having my son and daughter and had no problems… until recently when my partner and I decided to try for a baby and I chose to stop the injection. Wow! I was never ever told about what I was about to experience, and always just trusted what I had been taking was ok!! Nieave really!
I’ve been off the injection for 19 weeks now and have had the most horrendous time. I’ve been tearful, angry and sobbing most days (which is ridiculous as I have a great life) my poor husband and children have been living with a nut case! My breast are ridiculously sore, even just on my bra, and wake me in the night if I move. I litrally can’t stop eating, which isn’t like me at all, and to top it all off, I’ve had morning sickness everyday, actually throwing up, every single day. Just the smell of someone’s perfume makes me sick. Finally I’ve been exhausted!!! I’m a mum to a 14 and 12 year old, have 2 dogs and work full time as a physio at the hospital, whilst training at the gym every morning, and recently I’ve been exhausted to tears most days.
I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy! I’m appalled at a health service, that I myself work for! I spent years doing medical research to treat patients and I’m disgusted that this drug is alloud to be administered without patients knowing the consequences.
I would welcome and support anything that assist in letting women know what they are letting themselves into when taking this drug. I hope more is done to prevent how myself and other woman feel.
I haven’t had a period and I’m so worried this has made me infertile. I just pray that’s not the case.
I was administered the depo provera shot about 10 years ago and ended about 4 years ago. I was told it was no longer available on the market. I believe that it is the cause of my osteoarthritis in my knee joints and now my hip joints, which came on suddenly and rapidly. I am looking to see if there is a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer as there is in Canada.
I was looking into this, there was something in 2008 in Montreal and in 2016 in Calgary (if I remember right)
The Article was updated in July of 2017
https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/depo-provera-lawyers.html
In 2001 I was 130 lbs. and tried the Depo. I started gaining weight and bled everyday for six months straight. And went up to 200 lbs. This is 2017 and I am still trying to get the weight down. I would rather have a 1000 babies than do it again. My weight is now 154 lbs.
I had one ONE Depo Shot! It was the end of my great sex life as I knew it. Within a week I started bleeding. I thought it changed my date to have a period. By the third week I knew I was in trouble when huge blood clots drenched my slacks & I almost passed out. I was rushed to the ER and was told I was hemorrhaging. My OBGYN then informed me I’d have to have an emergency hysterectomy!! I had only taken the shot because my medical provider said I wouldn’t have to bother with having periods interrupt my life. WRONG! I would never recommend this horrible shot! I wanted to have one more baby now I can’t. It changed my sex Life forever. It will never be the same.
I was given the depo shot 3-4 years ago. Before having the shot I was a normal 23-24 year old, everything seemed fine until 2 months into the depo shot.
I went from being a little wacky (montly due to period) to a complete and utter mess. I would cry myself to sleep every single night and I had no idea why I was crying for months. I was extremely depressed, emotional, crazy, angry and everything else in between. After two months and having felt that way I decided to NOT take the depo shot ever again. I thought everything would go back to normal but no, it only got worse from there.
First month into depo, period was on time and was ok nothing crazy, month two along with crazy feelings my period lasted a lot longer from 3/4 days to 6/7 days with spotting in between the weeks. Month 3 came and I basically had a period for 3 weeks in a row with spotting on the 4th week, for 8 months. 8 MONTHS!!! I went to the hospital to figure out what the hell was wrong with me. The doctor said that my uterine wall was very thin which was why I was bleeding for so long?? Not to mention my libido went down the drain by month 3 and continued to fizzle in the years to months to come. I didnt want to be looked at, touched, nothing, because I felt useless and I had no drive and couldn’t/can’t get myself to physically want to. Emotionally and mentally I do, but physically I couldn’t/ can’t.
Its been almost 4 years since and I have horrible periods, crazy mood swings that not even satan himself wants to look at me, horrible cramps and clots that I never had before (Ive had my period since the age of 11). Zero sex drive, gone, poof hasnt made its way back at all since then either. When I do have sex extremely painful and uncomfortable, sharp shooting pains and dryness.
PLEASE DONT EVER TAKE THE DEPO PROVERA SHOT.
I’ve been on Depo for almost a year (started at 19 yrs old). I get mine at a clinic for woman (County family health place). I tried the pill, but that made me sick and hormonally I didnt feel myself. So, they put me on depo. Everytime I experience a new symptom (that’s not in the brochure) I’d Google it to see if I’m not the only one suffering. Then when I’d go in for another shot and tell the nurse, she tells me to stay off of the Internet and not believe everything I read. I’ve had headaches, cravings, I don’t have a period anymore, but I have ALOT of discharge (I have to wear a liner everyday and change it 2X or 3X), I’m tired and have an anger issue to the point where I get mad over the smallest thing. For the past 2 days I’ve been vomiting and I can’t stand to eat or look at food and my next shot is towards the end of next month.
Before telling my story which didn’t have a happy ending I want to state a few things.
1st any hormones will severely mess with your body
2nd all drugs carry side effect
3rd THIS ONE IS FOR THE TEENS you can’t put ALL your emotional and physical issue on any BC, you are a teenager going through hormone changes you’re not going to be the same way you were 2-6 yrs ago.
4th it’s a 3m shot of course it’s going to take longer to clear out of your system
With that said, I was on it from 12-24 I had an amazing 11yr run THEN that last year I started bleeding almost everyday. However I’m a strong woman and YOU Can Be too! I do recommend STOPPING it if you are on it. Push yourself to move forward…YOU choose what happens now. I’M not saying life’s a cake walk I have ADHD, depression, seizure disorder. I was molested as a child, rape, my mom in a wheelchair my who life, from 9-17yrs old I was in Mt state custody, 18-26 married-widow. Yep, I’m a SURVIVOR!, a MOM!, an I’m LIVING cause I deserve to!, YOU CAN TOO ? LADIES YOU
I was on Depo Provera for 5 years. Two months ago I was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and have blood clots in my left leg. According to the hospital, this was all caused by the Depo injection. I was told to get off of it, which I did. Now I’m on a blood thinner for at least 3 months and have to have ultrasounds every month until they’ve dissolved.
Hi, I can sympathise with you as I too ended up with DVT in my leg from this injection. Was told no more contraception or anything to help through menopause. The following 3 months were horrendous. I actually wrote my experience on Coming off Depo-Provera can be a woman’s worst nightmare board 2yrs ago. All the best.x
Depo definetly did not work for me. I took the shot in August and i am still bleeding, some days are worse.
I would not recommend this to anyone.
I was on this at 13 for a hormonal imbalance, I was perfectly fine. When I stopped it my periods came back after a while. Now I’m 18 and I got my second shot 10 days ago and the cramps have been absolutely unbearable. After my first dose I had heavy bleeding and cramps so bad I had to quit my job. The gynecologist I saw told me it was probably just the first shot and getting the second should even it out but here I am doubled over in pain and bleeding again. Definitely not getting this shot ever again.
I was on it for 5 yrs in my 30’s. I had some breast tenderness and stronger odour while on it but it took care of all the period problems. When I came off it my periods started up the next month. I am contemplating going back on it again to control the debilitating migraines I get from hormones the week before my period. The gyno said to use it but reading all these comments give me pause. I am now 51 with no menopause in sight and the pain meds are getting to be too much. Seriously debating this .
I’ve been on the depo shot for a few years and had a great experience with it until this year. I enjoyed not having periods and being able to spontaneously enjoy sex with my husband without worrying about pregnancy, which we plan for but haven’t been ready for yet. This year I dealt with painful ovarian cysts, which seemed swept under the rug by medical professionals as not something to worry about. The worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life is not “nothing to worry about”! I suspect the long-term use of the depo shot is to blame somehow, even though this concern was also ignored by medical professionals I spoke to.
Although I had a great experience with the depo shot at first, I worry at the lack of long-term studies. I agree I was never given enough information. Luckily I know how to vet online sources for myself, or I’d be much more in the dark! Some people are bound to have bad experiences with any drug and I can’t say depo is all bad since it’s just now I’ve had issues and some say you shouldn’t use it longer than about five years anyhow. It’s not right that I received so little information from professionals, and much of it was conflicting. Sometimes I was told of the risk of bone loss, and other times that was completely downplayed, for example.
I’ve decided I’m done with the depo shot. The horrible withdrawal symptoms many women have described going off of the shot remind me of the withdrawal symptoms of psychiatric medications stopped suddenly. These medications are advised to never be stopped “cold turkey” but to instead have the dosage lowered a little at a time so you “taper off” of it. Why is a similar option not offered or even discussed for stopping hormonal birth control? It seems like it would save women a ton of emotional pain! I worry about going off of the shot myself and want an option to “taper off”, but since this isn’t an option I’ve ever heard of being offered, is there any way I can try to do this? Can I request a gradually lowered dose, of the shot itself or some other way of taking gradually lower dosages of progestin?
They only have progesterone in an ointment that you would rub on your abdomen I think. I have also thought about this as I did have only good experiences with the progesterone. I was told by physicians most women gain weight in it while I stayed the 128 lbs till I got off it. I would like to try the ointment just to run some estrogen interference but all my physicians say I am fine and don’t need it
This was my first time taking birth control, depo has messed up my monthly cycle. I’ve been bleeding for 6 months straight, heavy periods, having to change my pad every hour. I became fatigue, headaches more often, shaky, not able to go outside or go to work, & ive become more tired everyday. I’ve became anemic because of depo. The pain is very unbearable & it’s the first and last birth control I’ll take. I’m not sure when my body will come back to normal, any advice ? I even talked to my obgyn and they said it’s different for everyone..
I’m sorry to hear that you had such a bad reaction. While I was on Sept everything wasd fine. If you reasd my post below you’ll see I suffered and I’m still suffering from the affects the depot had on my body. I hope that your recovery is much faster than mine has been.
My husband and i had a mid life crisis. We have been separated for 2 years. He filed for divorce in March 2016. I recently learned he has a mistress, he left home and it has been so terrible because i could not endure the heart break, then i came across Dr Mack on the internet about his good work and how he has brought unity among couples who had relationship issues. i decided to contact Dr Mack through his Email:dr_mack@ yahoo. com and luckily he was able to bring my Ex-Husband back, Dr Mack is real and genuine and he has the powerful to restore relationship.
I’ve been using depo for three years. I don’t have too many bad side effects, but on and off cramping (no bleeding) is worrying. So far, no doctors or nursee have been able to give me answers for this. It’s driving me crazy!
Also, there was a time when I lost my health insurance so I had to miss the shot. It was horrible! Constant spotting and period cramps.
I would stop taking it but I’m worried about withdrawal. Plus, I’m worried about having my heavy periods return, which is why I got on depo in the first place.
I was given depo provera in 1988. I had just had my second daughter 14 months after the 1st. I was told by my health visitor (UK)that if I didn’t want another baby for a while I could have this fantastic new injection that didn’t have to be remembered to be taken with no side effects etc. The Dr actually came to my house to give me the injection she gave it me then told me to sign consent then left saying she’d be back in 10weeks.i started bleeding that day and didn’t stop. I was 19 at the time and had loads of energy and no depression. Within weeks I was permanently tired and really depressed. I didn’t know at the time it was depression I just thought I felt ‘bad’.my relationship ended because I didn’t want sex and I kept getting in a temper. I also piled on weight and felt like I had never ending pms. The Dr came back in 10 weeks gave me another injection and said that it would cure all the symptoms. It didn’t. They got worse. I didn’t have another injection. It took about 6months for my symptoms to go and to shake off the pms. I felt fine after. I’d never advise any woman to have it it was awful.
I was on Depo for about 7 years. In 2012 due to not being able to afford the injection anymore I stopped getting the injection.
The first 3 months were a nightmare for me. I was one of those lucky people who never really got cramps. For 3 months straight I had cramps so bad that I could not get out of bed.
Then around month 4 I started to bleed. I thought thank God the worst part is over. I was wrong my period continued non stop for 4 more months. I went to my doctor several times during this time and was told give it time it will work itself out.
It’s now almost the year 2018 and my body still hasn’t adjusted. How long am I supposed to wait? Some months I have a periodf for 7 days normal healthy no problem other months I start and it doesn’t stop f or 60 days. Then there will be times that I’ll go 3 or 4 months without a period.
I regret ever going on this birth control f or the pure fact that I feel like I have no control over my body. And my sex drive has suffered because I don’t wasn’t to have sex whiole on my period because it’s so messy. I wish moire information had been avaiable about what could happen if I ever stopped this meddication.
I myself have never taken this shot, but 2 of my sister and a cousin did. It caused weight gain, mood swings, thoughts of suicide and excessive bleeding. I told my 14 year old daughter and her father these things when we were discussing birth control over the phone. So instead of listening he glee his girlfriend take our daughter to the health department and they let her get this shot. I am furious.
I myself has been taking the Depo shot for over 8 months and has had continuous bleeding. I was told that after 6 months the bleeding would stop, but has not. This is ridiculous!!! I had recently taking the shot after my son was born 13 years ago and did not have this problem. Not sure if they are using different stain of this drug or not. This is terrible and I feel awful. I have lost weight instead of gained. Mood swings, I have them. Now I have to go through the torture of allowing this shot to wear off in my system. This even ruined my relationship with my significant other.
The most horrible thing ever! Only had one shot and have felt all over the place. Doctor minimized side effects. I had been diagnosed in 2014 with hypothyroidism which was under control but now hormone levels are off and feel happy, sad, angry, hurt, etc. all the time. It was three months ago when I had the shot and was told it takes around 6 months to get back to normal… can’t take much more.
I only did two shots of depo and i was like no more! I was literally working out six days a week and was gaining weight and couldn’t figure out why and then i remembered i was on the shot..i then went and looked up the side effects and what reviews said about it and i was telling myself i won’t get another shot..before the shot i was steady loosing weight and then i gained the weight back being on it plus more..but reading that women in the shot for 2 years or more couldn’t loose the weight at all that being on depo they couldn’t loose the weight from being on the shot that really scared me and i choose not to get another one! scary! wish i wouldn’t of listened to my doctor and her telling me it’ll help but it hurt me more than actually helped! it was already a hard work loosing the 15 pounds i lost but gaining it back from a shot my doctor recommended plus more i was beyond frustrated.
I like Depo Provera because I don’t have periods and I don’t have to worry about getting pregnant again. I didn’t have any issues with it.
Depo Provera is awesome! You can use it to get rid of your periods altogether! I used it for a decade and then had two kids. Now I plan to get on it again.
I think I got Cervisitis from it. Had a horrible infection in my cervix. Got told from a friend it could have been from this shot. Beginning to wonder if it’s true. Any ideas?
I’ve only had the depo shot once and I had a horrible experience. First everything was fine then a week into the shot I started having really bad mood swings, I started feeling depressed for awhile I couldn’t do nothing I felt horrible then one day it was gone and
I could say a few days later i started getting really bad cramps, I could sleep, eat, move or lift anything. One day I felt a little better and I wanted to go out shopping so right when I was about to leave my apartment I felt a rush of something like if i was getting my period I went into the bathroom and checked myself and in my panties there was big white sticky clumps of tissue with brown blood I was scared so I went to the hospital and they told me it was totally fine and I believed them because after that all of my the pain went away. A few days after that i was feeling great I had no cramps no mood swings I was going back to normal until I couldn’t eat anything every time I ate I would throw it up I couldn’t eat nothing I lost about 6 pounds then the really bad cramps came back and i started getting a really bad rash, I couldn’t stop scratching I started getting hurt cause it was so itchy I couldn’t stop. I felt like this was never going to end, and it was time to get the shot again and I was like no way. My doctor had told me if I get off the shot it should take 3 to 6 weeks to get my period back and now it’s been 8 months and I haven’t gotten my period and I still get rashes cramps and mood swings but I don’t get them that often but I would never recommend this shot to anyone
I am on it right now been mean ? But should i go get my next shout would be my 3 time taking it
I only have tooken the shot about 5 or six times and I’m very upset that I haven’t seen my period Im trying to have another child and it scares me to feel like I will neva have kids again this isn’t fair and wasn’t explained to me when I was being given the shot will I ever have kids agsin?????
I only have tooken the shot about 5 or six times and I’m very upset that I haven’t seen my period Im trying to have another child and it scares me to feel like I will neva have kids again this isn’t fair and wasn’t explained to me when I was being given the shot will I ever have kids again ????
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Don’t get scared, it depends on your body. If you want to get pregnant, get off the shot, no birth control. Allow your body to completely detox. It is recommended that you should try to get pregnant 6-8 months after the missed shot. I got pregnant and everything is fine. Have hope
Do NOT take this injection!! It is AWFUL. I have experienced the worst time of my life and I have only have one shot. I got it in September and it is now January and I have felt possibly nearly every bad side effect including depression, anxiety, panic attacks, feeling like u are going insane, headaches, body aches, chest pain, leg numbness, vision problems, loss of interest in everything!!, loss of relationships, loss of friendships, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath, neck stiffness, no energy, over tired, barely no appetite, weight loss I have even had to leave my job because of how bad it has got! Feeling lost! Like a living nightmare and can’t wait for it to Be out of my system So that I can feel normal again! This needs to be banned so no one else has to go through this !!
How are you feeling now?
I have been off the Depo for about 6 months
I was taking it on and off for about 6 years
My breasts are swollen and they hurt like nothing I have ever felt! I have cramps but no period!
I have felt depressed and down since I stopped the shot.
I am 21 soon to be married and wanting to start a family
All the symptoms I have encountered made me believe time and time again that I was pregnant
And each time I would take a home test I would be crushed
I feel that something is seriously wrong with me all the time
I do not have the funds at this time to go to the hospital to get things checked
But I know that is something that needs to be done
I will never recommend the Depo to anyone
It is a nightmare and I wouldn’t wish this pain and unknowingness on my worst enemy!
I’ve been on depo since May 2015. Since then, I’ve had increasingly irregular and painful periods, mood swings, stomach aches, headaches, and sore/tender breasts even when I’m not having or about to have my period. I got my last shot in December. I refuse to get another one. My husband noticed in two years I’ve gotten more depressed, moody, irritable, and sick in general.
I took the depo for about two years. Starting at 18 and ending May 4 2017( my 20 birthday). I did not go back may 4 to get the shot and it’s January 2018 and I have tried everything to try to convince. I’m married now and I’m in tears every month because I never knew what this could do to me. I’m so crushed about how infertile I’ve been. I’m so so crushed. I wish this was never an option for me as a birth control. It has ruined my dreams of becoming a mother.
Hi Amber, Did you finally conceive? I started Depo on June 2017 and got my last shot in September 2017 but upto now i haven’t gotten pregnant.
I have not really had any bad symptoms except weight gain. I am stopping the injections because of what it does to calcium in the body…I hope I can find a safe alternative!
In my own opinion i would also recommend the use of condoms although am not a great fun of them. secondly all All birth control aren’t the same and since most women have a busy schedule to keep up with they tend to forget to take their medication on time.
I was on depo shot from the age of 17 until my late 20’s, in that time I was diagnosed as bi polar and spent years on various mood stabilisers and anti depressants. I also lost my sex drive. It wasn’t until I started researching discussions between other women who were also on depo that I worked out there may be a link with depo and my erratic moods. I came off depo and all anti depressants etc and haven’t had the erratic moods or behaviour since (normal hormonal changes excepted!) The only side effects I was ever warned about were slight weight gain and possible loss of periods. My sex drive still hasn’t returned more than 5 years on and this has a detrimental effect on my marriage. I feel as though I lost at least 10 years of my life because of the depo injection and very let down by all medical professionals involved.
Ive began using depo last year I took three shots every three months i stopped after my third shot because I read somehing on facebook about depo stating the side effects and that it wasnt approved by the FDA which made me consider not taking it afterwards.. my menstruation cycle is ok i didnt gain weight as people say but i have been experiencing the restriction part it sucks it ruins the fun in the sheets i been off depo for 3 months .so i missed two shots so far idk I wish i never considered taking that shit
I never do this, but I feel it is necessary to share my experience with other women, so they know what they’re getting into. I was on the depo shot for a little over two years. I started taking the depo shot because the doctors discovered I have a blood defect that makes me more susceptible to blood clots and cannot take estrogen. For the most part, the depo shot did it’s job. I did not get pregnant while I was on it, and my period was non existent the entire time. I would spot once in a blue moon, but it was rare and a very minuscule amount of blood. However, my hip joints would get almost unbearably sore especially close to the time when I would need to get an injection. The weight gain was horrible. I would gain about 5 pounds with each shot. It was extra hard because before I started taking the shot, I worked my butt off to loose 20lbs. The smallest I’ve ever been in my life. I was so proud of that.
The real reason I’m sharing my story is for a side effect that affected everything about me. The depo shot made me into a zombie. I had all my mental faculties, but couldn’t get excited about anything. It was like I was in a haze and not actually experiencing my life. I am a writer and I felt no desire to write or be creative. The scary part was, I didn’t notice something was wrong until one time I was late on my shot and I felt different. I felt lighter and happy. I realized that I hadn’t actually felt happiness or joy in a long time. That’s when I knew what the shot was doing to me. I talked to my Gynecologist and after lots and lots and LOTS of talking and research, I decided to go on skyla. It is an IUD with a lower dose of hormones. It is also local, so I would have less of a chance to have the same side effect as the depo or the rod since both of them go through the blood stream. I was terrified to get and IUD because I heard of so many horror stories. But I talked with my gynecologist for a very long time and we both decided that this would be the best option. If I didn’t like it, I could just take it out. It’s been 6 months since I’ve stopped the shot and I am no longer a zombie. I feel like I’m alive again. Best of all, the woman my husband fell in love with and had missed so much is back again.
I wish I had known what the depo was doing to me. There was so much of my life I didn’t even know I was missing. The worst part was I was on the depo for my wedding. It breaks my heart that I didn’t get the full experience of my wedding because I didn’t realize it sooner.
I know every woman’s body is different. I just had to write my experience because this is a side effect that people don’t talk about. It wasn’t a depression. It was a sedation. Please do your research. Try different birth controls to see which is the best fit. Do not settle on a birth control because it is convenient or because you’re scared to try something else. Talk to your Gynecologist. Ask every single question you can think of.
I hope this review will help. Good luck to you all.
I was given the shot to help with my heavy irregular periods, they (doctors) told me that it would put my body in a menopause like state, which sounded wonderful. But, my issue wasn’t after I stopped taking it (which I only did once) but happened shortly after having the shot. I was bleeding so heavily and passing such huge clots, that I had to be rushed to the ER twice for loss of blood. The clots were so huge that I screamed when I passed them. I will NEVER take the shot again. I didn’t have issues coming off of it, because my periods were a nightmare to already. Now I’m begging for a hysterectomy or to be blessed with early menopause.
was having serious relationship problems with my husband and it had resulted in him moving out to his friend’s apartment. Everything got worse because he started going to bars and strip clubs frequently with his friend, getting drunk and passing out. He always threatens me on phone whenever I call him because of all the bad advises that his friend has given him. I really love him and we had been dating for 8 years which gave us a beautiful daughter. I had also lost a lot of money on therapists until I was introduced to Dr.Baz by a friend whom he helped to marry her childhood boyfriend; this gave me total confidence and strength to get him back. I did all he asked and after 48 hours my boyfriend called me and rushed back home, things just changed between us emotionally. He has a job and stopped drinking and keeping irrelevant friends. It’s a miracle I never believed was possible because I had lost all hope until I found Dr.Baz. So that’s why I promised to share my testimony all over the universe. All thanks goes to Dr.Baz for the excessive work that he has done for me. Below is the email address in situation you are undergoing a heart break, and I assure you that as he has done mine for me, he will definitely help you too. Contact today : supremespells @ outloom .com
I do blame my doctor. I’m 17 and told her about exactly what I wanted, she recommended depo. I had to stop birth control pills because of abnormal discharge, random bleeding, and extremely sore breasts. Depo has made me bleed for 7 weeks straight now, and my moods are all over the place. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone
I was on depo for a year in1998. It was the worst thing i ever did. I was a healthy laid back person. After less then 6 months i had no sex drive was severely depressed experienced blind with rage that scared the hell out of me. I went from a size12 to a 22. Debilitating migraines. Even after speaking to my obgyn they chalked it up to baby blues since i started taking it after the birth of my child. It nearly broke up my marriage it was so bad. It took me more then a year to recover after stopping it.
I don’t know if anyone else had bone depletion problems but I most def do now. I’m in constant pain in my neck(I HAD the neck of a 90 yr old lady per the spine specialist at 30yrs old) I was diagnosed about 10yrs ago after I had a minor car accident and got whip lash. He looked st my films and said you were on depo for long periods of time right? I said yes, like almost 10 yr consistently. He said the FDA and DEA don’t recommend woman on that for long periods of time at all now. It will deplete your bone marrow. Well it’s a lil too late for that now. Why am I just hearing this? I practically live at my drs office now. I get put thru the ringer just to get my pain medication for my neck like I’m a drug seeker/addict:( completely sad cuz I didn’t do this to myself? The 2 disc bulges I had originally had are now benign tumors in there? Idk what’s going on, I don’t think they do either honestly! They don’t know what to do with me. I’m really scared about the outcome of this. What I want to know is my neck going to continue to get worse, I mean it already has by the month sometimes. I can’t go swim with my kids, go bowling, do push ups when I work out and I’m real careful with sit ups. This is affecting my quality of life and sleep. I’m miserable.
Was on it 10 years. Felt fine until I stopped taking it. I feel like an old woman now. Had to switch to part-time at work because my hips and legs hurt so bad. Got a hip X-ray but dr. Said my bones are fine said possibly its nerves or muscles. Tired all the time. I am wondering why there has never been a class action lawsuit in the United States for this. Why was I given it for 10 years when it is not recommended to be on it longer than 2 years. I am in Wisconsin.
I have been on depo 30 years and this is the first time hearing it should not be taken more than 2 years….no bad experience for me in 30 years, but I am now losing my teeth, just falling out of jaw bone…..
To the woman who says we are responsible to get the facts,We get them from the Doctor! If he knows he should say. Why do we pay them, just for pills and depo that kills people with side effects? Most Doctors don’t even listen, or believe you can feel your own body.
I was on Depo for a year and a half, honestly I had a good experience with the shot. My periods did not happen while I was on the shot, I did gain weight like they said I would, I did experience period symptoms when I was “syncing” with someone. Do it think that more research needs to be done on this, yes. Not every woman is built the same so your body will react differently. Some people have bad experiences with the implant, the IUD, and the pill. You’re going to get bad and good. And I’m pregnant now, a healthy pregnancy, 28 weeks and my last shot was July 2016, I detoxed from birth control, I even used Plan B at some point but we conceived in August 2017. Yes while detoxing I experienced breast tenderness, my period was a little all over the place when it was regulating. Even had one period where I was late for 8 days and then it lasted for 3 days (no I was not pregnant then). I hope that this comment can help. I think Depo needs to be studied more by specific cases so that way we can learn how different women can be affected by the shot. Also, it is not healthy to be on the shot more than 3 years. Don’t do that.
I’ve been on the depo for over 20 yrs. I’ve never been pregnant or had to make that decision. But now at 40 will this injection make changes to my menopause or am I capable of menopause?
Yes it will be harder because,the side effects lingers.this shot is harder on you as you get older trust me .
My 24 yr old daughter went to the dr. For her HPV vaccine and was accidentally given Depo Provera by the nurse. I’m concerned about the side effects
I am on the depo and they won’t let me stop taking it and I’ve had bleeding for about 3 weeks and it is really bothering me. I’m going to the gyno next week and I hope things get better. I hate this.
I thank you for having a site that is educating about the drug. I am in a dreadful nightmare as well. My team of providers never figured out what was going on with me, I had severe panic attacks, heart palpitations, nervous, emotional all the time, extreme fatigue, and body aches, dizziness, just not myself at all! I wish I had known this could happen, I never did my own research because I did not want to become a hypochondriac (but I should have looking back) I felt great with the first shot as it stopped my heavy heavy periods, and by the second shot I started the gradual small things, like loosing my hair, tired, not interested in sex, and just fatigued all the time, but I just figured I have a full time job, mother of 3, that is life. . . by the 3rd shot I was eager to get again, because my period came back after the second shot and the doctor told me to stick with it, normal to have in between bleeding, so I go the 3rd shot and that is when all HELL broke loose. I found myself in the ER for anxiety and panic, and they just put me in the “anxiety bucket” not even putting the pieces together seeing if there was a link. I found out about a week later (after 3frd shot) after my husband and I sat down and really started pin pointed a time when I started all my symptoms and I was completely honest about all my symptoms, as the first one for my husband to recognize is NO SEX DRIVE at all. . . he then looked up Depo-shot and saw that all my symptoms were a match to the bad side effects. I contacted my doctor right away so they all knew (medical doctor and OB) and documented properly in my chart. Now I am starting to feel some fog clear, I had to see a therapist too, to help me with the anxiety that amplified for me. . . NOW, I am patiently awaiting for this Depo drug to wean out of me as providers state that is the only thing I could really do. I am also having other tests ran because is has given me such constant worry and heart palpitations, that I started wondering if I have heart issues, so I am in the midst of that now, but praying for my health, and anyone effected by this drug that has put “the real me” on hold, and I pray to get me back!
Diana please give me an update on how things went coming off of Depo . I to just came home from the hospital from spiked anxiety and heart palpitations. I know I need to stop the shot but I am scared of it making me worse.
I was on the depo shot like 10- 11 years since my son was born but my doctor said it was not good dor my bones and i stopped and got on the merina iud i never had my period on either one or in between either although one thong i did notice is weight gain when i got off depo. Like 30lbs within 1 and a half years i never weighed that much before in my intire life i was 31 years old and 180lbs. Horrible. I never had any other problem i can think of i was not a heavy alcohol drinker so i was in depression but no different than while i was on the depo shot til i started gaining weight Any way. I got off iud cause i got married and it actualy hurt my husband while we had sex i wanted one more child my older one was 11 nd i got pregnant and got my tubes tied i lost weight from breast feeding than after that i got on phentermine and got back to my ideal weight but within a year and a half i gained it all back so im not sure why i didnt change my activity or my eating habbits. I had a tubal ligation after my son and that was first time after 12 years i had my period i had horrible pain first few days every month and bad PMS. So i got back on depo for PMS so far so good first time back on so im hoping to have same effects as when i was younger. I think alot of women blame natural behavior they experienced on the depo being so young and never being that age ypu automaticaly have mood swings and alot of the so called side effects are normal behavior of young female bodys. Thats what i think..
My 16 year old granddaughter has just had her second injection and has had continual bleeding, stomach cramps and told by doctor it is just her body getting used to it , now she is having panic attacks! Has anyone else had these symptoms and any advice in coping till it has worked through her system? I am definitely encouraging her not to continue with them!
This drug was recommended to me by my OB as a way to “regulate” my extremely heavy and painful periods. Now that I have done my research… First, how can a drug be prescribed to “regulate your period” if it will completely irradiate your body’s ability to even have a “real” period. Second, my doctor assured me that if I didn’t like the affects of this drug it would be out of my system in 3 months. She led me to believe that everything would go back to how it was before receiving the shot. We would then be able to consider other options for helping “fix” my painful and heavy periods. Also, not accurate. Now I have to suffer the affects of this drug. It has not helped with my period- just erased all of my body’s hormones and ability to even function. Has left me fighting at times with severe depression, heavy to light spontaneous bleeding, night sweats, a complete eradication of any sexual desires or emotions (well if you don’t want a baby there ya go) and vaginal dryness so severe that even if I wanted to have sex I am terrified of how that would go. This drug has affected mostly myself, but my poor family has been affected as well. My husband and oldest daughter worry to see me so unbalanced and often times fighting depression and my younger children have to deal with losing (hopefully temporarily) the happy balanced mommy they used to have. I would rather suffer the once a month painful hemorrhage like periods I used to have than have ever taken this drug. I will never trust another doctor again. They don’t empower women by shoving these synthetic drugs into us for a quick fix… We need experts to help us understand and learn about our bodies and to give us options other than synthetic birth controls to help us. I have done my own research- reading online articles and several books and I have learned that women do have so many options for preventing pregnancy or gaining hormonal balance (my period problems were obviously caused by an imbalance) that doesn’t involve the horrible side affects of such drugs. Do your research before going to an “expert” you will feel more empowered and will know how to sort through the “advice” your doctor will give you. Anyway, (in my experience) they will only give you birth control or destruction of your uterus as options. I know soon I will wake up from this nightmare and be myself again, but it’s going to be a long battle. Like another person said we just have to stay strong and positive and keep telling our story so that other women don’t have to go through this hell.
I was on depo for 12years and I end up with a new doctor and she recommended I get off the shot. When I decided to have a baby it took me 2years to have one. But at the age of 35 I decided to get back on it and I’m having the most bad experience of the side effects. Night sweats, just sweating a lot during the day, bad cramps, abdominal pain, heavy bleeding in clots and nausea.
Why does she his article not come up when looking for side effects of the depot shot. I think the tags of this should change to make it higher it the data. Before taking the shot for issues with cyst and fibroid my boyfriend and I researched possible side effects only found the simple watered down versions.
I just skipped my last shot because I cannot take it anymore. I have been bleeding since June 2017. I will get a day or two off here and there. There are days that the spotting lasted so long the I would end up with a rash down there. I’m still trying to figure out if it was also because of a reaction to the aAlways Dailies. I had no sex drive, or if I did I was bleeding. Reading these comments confirmed every reason plus some as I why I stop the shot. I has even scared me be I had all the post shot symptoms during the shot. It seems as thought it is going to get worst.
I work in a hospital overnights and I’m a full time student. I thoughts my anxiety depression and suicidal thoughts came from my busy schedule, but I think it was enhances because of the shot.
I have never been an angry person. Usually if I get mad, I cry or just kind of shut down. This shot made me so angry that I saw red. Not anger, pure, unadulterated RAGE. Like I would fantasize about homicide and suicide and stay up all night so pissed off that I couldn’t sleep or do anything without being set off somehow. I’ve been on it 2 rounds. I have endometriosis, PCOS and PID. My doctors won’t give me a hysterectomy saying I’m “too young” (I’m 30), but I’m also trans, gay, and never want children. They are making me go through “every option” before they agree to this procedure. Honestly I’d rather be in physical pain than deal with this out of control rage. I’m starting to worry about suicidal ideation, just to make this stop. At least when I was in physical pain, I knew how to manage it. I would rather bleed for 2 years straight than ever have to deal with this again.
Why isn’t there a law suit against this drug? I have had many issues that I feel are associated with this drug.
I was watching a documentary last night about paedophiles in America and one of them said he’d been given it as an alternative to castration !! I couldn’t believe it, had to pause, then play it again. He was a man, obviously, but couldn’t believe my ears.
After reading this website, I finally feel understood. Insomnia, non stop bleeding, hot flashes, night sweats, no sex drive and depression have been the story of my life since I took my first (and only!) shot a month and a half ago. I just wonder if there’s available statistics on how many women develop these side effects. How can health providers not be aware of them? Why recommend depo when someone can simply take a pill and stop it anytime? Can’t wait to be a normal person again and regain my life.
Yes, me too and im in the same boat as you are in and i just took 1 shot about a month ago on February 21,2018 and i dont even recognize a my periods from all this spotting problems ive been having ever since , this is a monster injection !!!!
Thats good , you know your body well before and after we start up on all this monster medicines and its your rights !!! Im going through tough times too after only 1 depo provera injection and im not the same anyone , i got the shot February 21, 2018 and im still having issues bleeding and all ?!!! Feel free to call me if you need someone to talk to or comfort while goimg through this tough time as i am , i am in houston tx. 346-228-1907 God bless you !!!
My name is Monica , feel free to call me if you need someone to talk to or comfort while going through this tough times being on this depo shot as i am also , im in houston tx 346-228-1907 God bless you !
After 15 yrs. of debilitating pain a laproscopy revealed I had Stage 3 Endometriosis. I too had women bosses that made my life a living hell because they were not sympathetic. The Pill made me violently ill twice so the recommendation was Depo Provera Shot, my period disappeared immediately. After being on it for 20 yrs I am now in menopause and have stopped taking the shots. For me and my body the side effects were easier than the once month pain my body went through. It was definitely the right decision, my quality of life was far more worse than without the Depo shot.
Any problems yet getting off depo. I’ve taken it for 17 years and want to see where I’m at in menopause
I have been on the Depo for nine years and haven’t had a period. Idk if this is healthy or not but I have broken both feet twice and looking at screws being placed in both. This can’t be normal.
Bone density test are ordered. But I’m also told that no other bc would benefit me now that I have been on Depo so long and we don’t want more children I’m 42 urs young.
hello my name is Kaitlyn Bryan I’ve been on the dempo shot for a few months I got my first shot in April and now it’s may 13 and the pain I’ve experienced is horrible, I can’t even deal with it. I’ve had horrible mood swings, anxiety attacks I feel like I’m being rude to any and everyone. I can’t sleep, I have horrible cramps it goes on and on. I’m suppose to get my second shot this Tuesday and I don’t wanna get it. I’m not sure what other method to use, i was only on it because my peiords are horrible.
When considering birth control, I was hesitant because I did not want to be the unlucky 1% who gets pregnant. I did not know about depo provera shot until after I had done my research on birth control. It sounded to be the most effective, least stressful birth control and I didn’t have to constantly worry to take the meditation at a particular time every day. I looked online for the pros and cons of this injection and I was for the most part satisfied. I was worried that I might get an increase in acne, body weight increase (but these were not the case). I had to get the shot after my period was done and the injection itself did not hurt at all. I am not bias, as I am deeply afraid of needles. It was honestly a pinch. I have had the depo provera shot for three months and I have been doing raw sex ever since, and I have not gotten pregnant. The biggest con and the reason why I am not getting this shot again is that I constantly had vaginal bleeding/spotting. I had to constantly wear a liner, and my partner was unable to perform oral sex due to the blood. I was self conscious of potentially meeting someone and them wanting to feel me up, and I would stop any chance of that happening because I did not want them to feel my liner. Also, I had heavy vaginal bleeding the day after I had sex. The pro of this injection would be that it is very effective IF you get the shot at the given time you’re supposed to, which is very three months. You do not have to be in constant fear that you might get pregnant.
Hi, im Monica and i am 38 years old , i have been on the depo shot for 1 month now after i discontinued with the IUD Skyla on February 21, 2018 , after 5 days of being on that injection i started spotting and then a heavy break through bleeding on February 25, 2018 that sent me to the emergency room. They did blood work on me and all and told me ot was tue side effect of swithing from iud to the depo provera and that i was fine and needed to wait it out so they put me on Motrin and blah blah !! So then the spotting never ended after that for up to 2 weeks and then i go to my doctor and he puts me on a birthcontrol pill ( Lo Loestrin fe ) to stop the bleeding/spotting and i took that and the bleeding finally stopped March 12, 2018 . Then i started getting all other side effects because of the birthcontrol pills and had to stop taking them on March 22, 2018 and then now we are still in March still and i start bleeding on the 28 and im not even sure if this is my cycle or what is it omg . Before starting any of these birth control methods i would usually have my periods on the 28 of each month and the latest would be on the 1’st of each month!!! But now i am totally lost and confused because of all this craziness that this injection has brought into my life i cant even tell what is a period or when or if its the bleeding side effect of this Monster Method that i chose ( Depo Provera ) . I clearly asked the doctor about what i need to expect along with this injection and he told me just the weight gain effect is all ? so i thought oh well i can manage that , and now i have to face all this bad things bloody mary and all until this monster medicine leaves from my system and i pray to god it will be soon in jesus name !!! I would not recomend this option for no one at all because you wont know what will happen to you until you’ve already put your foot into ot and then all the regrets start knocking at your door!!! This is the most scariest birth control ever !!!??
I turned to be a different person after I’ve done the Depo shot. It’s disgusting, how you make money of it. I’m just losing my life, was thinking about suicide several times. It ruins my life, my school, job, friends and everything. I been depressed since I started the shot. I cant even stop it.
Please whoever wants to take the shot, be w
Very careful. It will destroy Your life. Trust me.
Has there been any linkage between MLS and prior depo users?
Im on the depo. & honestly this injection makes me feel dizzy, and weak at times. I spottted bleeding the first 2 month and now nothing. Ive put on alot of weight. I went from 125 to 160. I dont recommend.
This contraceptive should be banned. I had extreme bleeding for months after stopping it and it took me five years to become pregnant. I also developed thyroid problems, which I couldn’t prove were a direct result of this, but I suspect it was. I have only one piece of advice for anyone thinking about having it administered… DONT
I had been on depo 10 years ago for about 5 years and decided to have a break, since then I’ve been on microgynon but then I started to have side effects from it so in Feb this year (20th) I had a shot…I was fine for 2 weeks and then started bleeding heavily with massive clots for about 7 weeks, as I write this I have had 2 ‘dry’ days so far and am hoping I don’t see a period for a while. I just started a new relationship so you can imagine this hasn’t been very good. He has been understanding though although I had to show him an article about the side effects because we had intercourse one night when I u thought it would be safe and when we finished there was blood everywhere, I was so embarrassed. My next shot is due in May and I am thinking of not having it just in case same thing happens again.
I’ve used a number of different oral and injectable hormone preparations because of gender dysphoria. I prefer bio identical horomones. Natural estradiol is normally taken by injection because most of it is destroyed before it gets into the blood stream if taken orally. Ethinyl estradiol is a synthetic hormone which is effective when taken orally and is associated with blood clots and other serious side effects. Provera is a progestin and is not a substitute for natural progesterone. Other people that I’ve talked to don’t like Provera it either.
Getting on the depo shot was the worst decision I ever made…..doctor told me I have to get on some kind of birth control because I can’t get pregnant for the next year I suffered a partial molar pregnancy in February and got the shot in march. in April I started getting constant bleeding spotting and heavy bleeding for weeks and it still hasn’t stopped! I Have mood swings and depression and weight gain and literally lost my sex drive .I only got 1 injection and noticed such a huge change in my body. I told my doctor about all the symptoms I was having and she just told me to try getting another shot early and maybe the symptoms will go away…I will never put that stuff in my body again I regret it so much!
I didn’t read anything about reversing all or any side effects. For all women young and old that it is too late for, what are they to do?
I was on the depo shot when I was younger and don’t remember my side effects being as horrible as they have been for me this time around (I am 39). Loss of sex drive, I am like a desert down there, I’m exhausted, I get headaches, am moody, I feel as if I am going crazy and I have serious cramping issues. I didn’t get my next shot as per my doctor due to my serious side effects and I feel as though they are worse. I haven’t stopped bleeding, I am very bloated and have gained 10 lbs in 3weeks, I have not changed anything… I simply don’t know what to do.
It was during the time I took Depo-Provera I gained about 10 lbs and couldn’t get it off. I also feel that something happened to my colon or gut, because from then on. Almost 20 years I have had loosebowel movements. I took a lot of stool tests but nothing was ever found.
I was given the Depo Provera shot after almost exhausting all other methods of birth control to help me with endometriosis pain. I too will say, if I could go back and decline this method of contraception, knowing all I know now I would. I took the shot out of desperation for healing from pain of endometriosis. Although the shot has worked for the endometriosis. My quality of life has gone downhill times 100! Each time I’ve gotten another injection a new side effect appears. I have also been to the point of anxiety where I feel I am going insane. I have reached a point where I was internally reviewing life and it’s point while on this shot. I have extreme joint pain, experience low sex drive, weight gain after working out my hardest only to feel more joint and muscle pain, bladder issues, moodiness, and insomnia! When the shot wears off I always consider not getting another. But then my estrogen skyrockets and I experience extreme PMS to the point of insanity! I have body aches, nausea, more insomnia, muscle aches, increased sebum in my skin which causes studs in my eyelids, pain again in my pelvis cysts, and sometimes migraines. It is a freaking nightmare. Which sends me down the path to ask for another shot because I cannot hate the side effects. But each time I go through this cycle it takes a larger chunk out of my soul! I feel helpless as to what avenue of approach I should take because on the beginning I think I had an estrogen dominance that was causing me cysts and endometriosis but now I’m much worse. I would have also rather been pregnant 15 times over then go through this it’s been habilitating to say the least. I’ve read comments where ladies are saying don’t blame the doctors or it helped keep you from getting pregnant! I’m sorry to tell you, I personally fought my doctors on every whim about taking this and other methods and rather instead approaching the problem. I was shut down on every occasion! Every! My complaints pushed under the rug and denied, and for those women who have taken this and were not informed and simply took it only for pregnancy are being just as punished when they go to have a baby and cannot because they cannot get back to their usual cycle or are suffering from life altering side effects. You cannot put this on the woman. This is not her fault. I cannot understand how you go to the doctor and it’s supposed to be about choice but these things or medications are shoved down your throat with no option for escape! In my case I’m angry, feel helpless and a littl psych that I have to drag my tired and hurt body from the bed to try and make it through another day like this. It’s unfair and all I can do is keep hope.
Today I don’t even know where to begin. I had an idea that depo wasn’t the safest option but until last night, I had no idea that it was the reason for living in my own personal hell.
I started taking “the shot” when I was 16 to relieve severe symptoms from my period. At the time it was a gift from God. And once I became sexually active it was killing two birds with one stone, what’s not to love?
Had I known then, what I know now…every single morning I wake up to pain coursing through my body. Love the idea that now I will wake up with pain on top of the remorse and regret that I had done this to myself. So now what?
I have been to hell and back trying to explain my deep, unrelenting, constant pain to doctors who eventually saw me as an “addict”. I started to believe them and admitted myself to two failed attempts at rehab. At this point I saw no reason to continue with life. If it weren’t for my boyfriend I would not be here. With his help I was able to detox and move on with my life and it’s been a year since I have taken pain killers. Although I’m very proud of that, I still desire that feeling of pain melting away and then getting on with my day.
Yesterday I shared with my boyfriend that I had been crying all day, for no reason other than I must be getting ready to start my period. But this time was different, I felt empty, alone, worthless, and hopeless. He started doing research, asking more questions and we came to the conclusion that everything I was feeling, physically, mentally and emotionally was because of the depo.
I am devastated. I no longer have insurance but even if I did, I wouldn’t know who to ask for help. This has to stop…this poison should not be available to women of any age.
I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been on depo on and off since I was 18..now I’m 24 after being diagnosed with PCOS and after trying so many oral contraceptive and nothing helped alleviate the pain & bleeding, with my back against the wall my doc decoded to put me on depo provera.
My life had been a living hell..I spot ALOT, NO sex drive whatsoever, spent so much money on pads, it affects my body odor and that has ruined alot of relationships for me and seems to be ruining my current relationship as my ‘bf’ thinks I’m too much drama. I know have major mood swings and it’s hard to deal with at times but it’s not intentional. I don’t want to go out…interact with persons. I’m easily irritated. I’m just at my wit’s end
21 years ago when I was 15 my mom took me to get birth control and we picked the shot because it was more reliable than the pill for an out of control teenager with a history of running away. It majorly affected my mental state. I was afraid of being raped by every man I came across and I was also scared that I had the potential to be a rapist. I Was barely holding it together. When the Depo shot wore off I had a period that seemed to never end, two or three weeks. Finally I went to the doctor and I was given birth control pills to make the bleeding stop. When I felt as though I was losing my mind I did what research I could on the Depo Provera shot, this was pre-internet, and found that it should not be given to anyone under the age of 16.
The deposit shot made me perimenopausal in my early thirties
Could anyone Please recommend a doctor in Chicagoland or the Midwest that is familiar with these issues? My wife and I are so frustrated with doctors that just say that depo has no post use effects and end the discussion there. We are dealing with some bad effects and have become somewhat hopeless until we read this article. Please help.
30 pound weight gain in one month!! Never took another shot and would not recommend it to anyone.
It was the early to mid 1980’s. I thought I was doing the right thing to stave off the effects of endometriosis. The doctor encouraged this treatment as the newest thing for endometriosis. I bled, I bloated, I had dryness, acne, and I was encouraged to continue rather than face the debilitation of endo. By 1985, I had a complete hysterectomy. In 1987, the nausea became worse, and in 1988, I was told my colon had collapsed. Whatever was happening to me emotionally during the course of treatment that ended in 1985, I was alienated for life from family and friends. Everyone I spoke to just thought I was a slacker during the period of time I was on this drug. I have never had any lifestyle habits like drugs or alcohol. I can’t believe this drug has continued to be available. The information I am seeing for the first time all these decades later has, at least, verified what may have been the culprit to a very dark and unforgiving time in my life. I believed when accepting this drug treatment that I would be preserving my reproductive system.
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The depo shot almost destroyed me. It took me 8 months to realize what was wrong with me. I haven’t taken one now in 7 months and I’m still not over it. The one and only time in my life I felt suicidal:( I wish I had known more about the shot before I took it. My main reason was to stop my bleeding. I just wonder how long until I feel I am back to myself again?
I’m looking for woman who experience terrible side effects of depression, mood disorders and psych behavior after withdrawn from depo. Would you be interesting to talk to me.
After using the depo for almost over 2 years. I was diagnosed bipolar. Can we talk more. I’m an artist and looking to talk about this story to the media.
I have been on the depoprovera shot for over 20 years. I had to go on it in order to stop my periods. They were so bad that I actually became anemic from them. I would get my periods for 3-31/2 weeks and I would get a week as a break and then boom it was back. My periods were very heavy and my obgyn ran tests to see what was going on. I started getting my periods when I was 10 years old. At 13 or 14 my obgyn tried having me on the pill but that didn’t help me. I still got my horrendous periods on the pill. When I was 15 years old i had reflux surgery and I couldn’t take the birth control pills because they irritated my stomach so I talked to my obgyn about the depoprovera shot and I have been on it since then. I don’t plan on having any kids. I was told by my obgyn when I was 15 years old that I would have a difficult time getting pregnant and holding a pregnancy. I was told I would have to go on fertility drugs if I wanted to get pregnant but with what all my body has been through and with my multiple sclerosis I know that it is not a good idea to get pregnant. All I can say is that the depoprovera shot has helped me and with me going through premenopausal it’s helping me with that.
I’ve been on the depo for 2 years now, I was 12 stone, fit and healthy, and happy, in the two years I’ve gained 4 stone, I’ve lost my sex drive, I’m moody / depressed…. I suffered with insomnia, now I’m so tired to the point I could fall to sleep standing up sometimes!
I feel drained
No concentration
No motivation
Emotional
I decided today as I’m due my next shot to come off the depo and the doctor has gave me desogestrel, the side effects are as bad….
I’m not off the depo yet I have one week before it runs out…
I’m afraid now, I don’t know what to do.
Is it possible for depo provera to aggravate PCOS symptoms or give you PCOS? I was on depo for 9 months and I’ve off it for 5. My gynecologist recently diagnosed me with PCOS because of my irregular periods, abnormally high testosterone levels, and pelvic pain. My periods before depo were heavy but only lasted a week. Now my periods last 3 weeks and I have to go to the chiropractor once a week for pelvic pain.
I’m 19, and will be 20 in December. I got my first Depo Provera shot a little over a month ago. I had had incredibly irregular periods (once being 3 weeks late) and being on the pill a few years ago didn’t help very much. I was considering the arm implant but I was strongly talked out of it by my mom and my aunt. My mom after she had my older sister was put on the shot and she loved it. She got on it right after my sister, bled for two months straight (postpartum bleeding catching up for lost time haha) and she didn’t really experience any side effects. Her and I are both prone to migraines and since that is a common side effect I asked her about it and she said she didn’t get any. My sister and I are a little bit over two years apart and she had no issues getting pregnant with me after (she told me she got pregnant with me 9 months after getting off the shot so I’m not sure how long she was on it). I was ecstatic so when I was home from college I saw my doctor and got on the shot. She tried to talk me into the arm implant, or the ring, but since my mom had such a great experience on the shot I was adamant. I got the shot on what was supposed to be the second day of my period (again very irregular, almost always at least a week and a half late), and was fully prepared to spend two months bleeding like my mom did. At the same time I got the shot I got back on Prozac because I was noticing my mental health going down hill again.
When I got the shot I hadn’t had sex in almost two months (my boyfriend leaves the country during summer break) and my pregnancy test came back negative.
About a week and a half or two weeks after getting on the shot I started spotting. It was pretty much black which did concern me. A few days before that I started getting a lot of vaginal flatuation and I had been very sensitive down there. I’m talking sometimes wearing underwear is uncomfortable. I emailed my doctor and she said spotting is pretty normal, knew nothing about why the flatuation was happening, and didn’t respond on the sensitivity but said I may need to look into another method and that if the issues continued I may need to come in for an exam. I told her I still thought it was the best method for me and figured my problems would go away.
I think it was three days after the spotting started I had the worst cramps of my life. I took pain relievers, and used a heating pad but nothing helped. When I had to stand to do something I was doubled over and in tears. I’ve had very bad cramps in my life but nothing like that. It was awful. Then I sort of thought it seemed like contractions. They were spaced apart and lasted a certain amount of time and I tried to breathe through them. I ended up going to sleep and at 4ish in the morning woke up to use the bathroom. As soon as I sat on the toilet this huge thing slid out of me. At first I just assumed it was a blood clot and then I realized part of it was a different color/ texture and again it was 4 in the morning, I was sleep deprived, and ended up panicking myself into thinking I had a miscarriage. I took a picture to send to my doctor and shot her another email. At a more appropriate time I ended up texting my mom freaking out, she had me explain and told me she had the same thing happen when she was on the shot and it freaked her out too but it was just the uterus shedding it’s lining and trying to get rid of everything that’s been built up in there to stop periods or make them lighter. When my doctor emailed me back she didn’t even explain what it was, just said it was common.
I still have increased sensitivity, I’ve been spotting for two and a half weeks now, I randomly get very bad cramps, and I still have the flatuation. I haven’t had another huge thing slide out of me but reading this has made me pretty paranoid. Has anyone else had these experiences? What was it like when you stopped getting the shot? Or did you keep getting it and your issues resolved themselves? Again I am only 19 and really don’t want to have a lifetime of issues for trying to protect myself against pregnancy while I’m still in college. Any advice/ insight would be very helpful. (And before anyone says use condoms my boyfriend and I do. But condoms can break and fail so I wanted to be extra protected.)
It’s so strange, any time I looked up people having infertility issues from the shot I never really saw anything…
I took depo, I think I started in 2014-2015 because my mom thought I was having sex ( I wasn’t, I was 15) and I took it till I was 19 . I had a period for 6 months, and then nothing it went back to normal other then my period becoming horrendous puking passing out from the pain, still happens to this day. I have never used a contraceptive with my husband I’ve been with for 6 years and not once have a even been concerned about getting pregnant. I just assumed I was crazy to link the two and just thought I just couldn’t have kids. It’s been 9 years since I’ve taken Depo Provera last. It has made me completely infertile.
I was on the Depo-provera at the ages 25 to 30 and never had a problem. I then stopped taking it and didn’t have any problems either. I am 38 now and first got the shot again in April 2018 and I did get some headaches and a lil rash but I thought it was a different medicine I started taking. So I got the shot again in July 2018 and the rashes came back full force. Every week they get worse. I have headaches dizziness discharge. I am tired all the time. More anxious and angry. Gained weight and bloated all the time. I have acne all over my face and back. This the worst experience and I will never get the shot again.
I was on the Depo-provera at the ages 25 to 30 and never had a problem. I then stopped taking it and didn’t have any problems either. I am 38 now and first got the shot again in April 2018 and I did get some headaches and a lil rash but I thought it was a different medicine I started taking. So I got the shot again in July 2018 and the rashes came back full force. Every week they get worse. I have headaches dizziness discharge. I am tired all the time. More anxious and angry. Gained weight and bloated all the time. I have acne all over my face and back. This the worst experience and I will never get the shot again.
I am only 21 years old and i’ve been on the shot for almost 3 years. When I made my OBGYN appt, I was suffering from severe menstrual cramps, really heavy bleeding to the point where I was nauseous and weak. The Dr. told me about the “minor” side effects, but didn’t tell me about the “major” ones. I was simply blinded by the fact that I wouldn’t be in pain anymore, that I risked my memory taking a hit. I’ve been very forgetful lately. I am extremely tired and depressed, I cry all the time, my partner and I are having more arguments than normal. I have a lower libido/sex drive, which made me realize something was wrong. Like the other ladies are saying, these young girls out here, like me, have no idea about how our bodies are supposed to naturally work. So we jump at the best ideas we believe will fix our bodies’ “problems”. This shot has affected my relationship at home, at work, and at school. I found this blog to be very helpful in my decision to get off BC forever!!
I 💜’d my depo!!!!
I was on it for 10 yrs.
No period at all… so no ovulating.
Doctor suggested I get off after 10 yrs. because it may start a decline in bone strength. So I got off. Took about 6 months for periods to return, like clockwork now.
😊😊😊
I got my first shot in July of this year, and since then I have bleed non stop, mood swings like crazy. The horrible side effects of this birth control are definitely not worth it in the long run! I totally regret ever having this injection! I’m angry at myself and at my doc for not advising me of the possible side effects!! This form of birth control should be taken off the market!!!
I just had the shot and when the nurse put the needle in my hip to inject it the liquid exploded everywhere. 2 hours later dealing with manufacture and insurance just to end up paying full price out of pocket for another one. Hopefully to be reimbursed by the company in a month or so. Good start right ladies.. The nurse put the second go at the injection in my other hip. The side where she messed up the first time is so achy and sore. The second injection went in fine and has no soreness.
The person who said “rejoice that you did not get pregnant ” not all women are on the Depo to avoid pregnancy but to slow the development of endometriosis and ovarian cysts like me. However I have been on this medicine for a while and one big thing is that for 2 weeks after getting the shot I’m horibly Moody my family wants nothing to do with me. Then for the rest of the 3 months until my next injection I feel numb to everything but this crippling depression. I find all the things I had enjoyed before depressing and they aren’t fun anymore. I am going to try the pill again but I’m running out of options and they didn’t warn me about the perimenopausal symptoms you can experience including hot flashes even when I ask my pharmacist what I needed to know and what other side effects are rare but can happen. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. I used to be a social person now I want to just lay in bed and the littlest things send me in to a pit of despair. I already have an auto immune disorder and I’m very sick this depression is making everything worse
Like most of these women I too have been a victim of Depo proverb. When I first got my menstrual cycle; I had soo much pain. I was 15 and the first 3 days for years were horrific. My Doctor would prescribe medication to help me cope with the pain every month until After about 2 years. The nurse called my mom because they knew I was going to be coming in once I started my cycle for the month. My mom took me to my doctor and he talk to us about this new medicine that would “help with the pain and I would miss all of the school” that I did. I hate needles so as soon as he said a shot every 3 months tears start flowing but he and mom as naive as she was assured me that it would be ok. Needless to say I was astounded at the fact that I had no cycle and over joked that i wasnt in pain anymore. Well from age 17-25 I was on these shots. I met my boyfriend at 21 but wasnt sure if he or I wanted kids at that time. I was still in school and we weren’t ready for marriage just yet. We decided that after my 25th bday we would wed and we also decoded we would have children. As far as I knew. I could still conceive because the depo wouldn’t make me infertile; as I was told by the very doctor that first administered the shot. God was he wrong. After 3years of us trying to conceive and test after test on both of us we decided to not go on with it. Not just because of the physical exahution but emotional as well. I am now 35. I have never been pregnant and I am medically capable to carry a child. The only thing my OBGYN can say is that my only option would be invetrofertalization. I was told because I was on the medication for so many years it could had adverse side effects on my reproductive organs. Even though I have a cycle every month that doesn’t mean that I would ever be able to conceive the quote “old fashion way”. I long to have a child on my own. I have two younger sisters that were afraid to tell me when they were pregnant because they didn’t want to hurt my feelings. I hope my story helps someone.
I just got my first shot early this month and am already experiencing major headaches, mood swings, eating alot, no sex drive etc…
Hence I have decided to not go and get my second shot in November after reading all this negative comments from women who have experienced much worse than I have over the years. What I’d like to know is ‘what side effects there’ll be when I stop getting the shot’….
I am amazed by the number of women out there complaining about the side effects of the medication they experienced after the fact. There has been tons of information available about this medication for years. I can’t possibly understand why anyone would be okay blaming someone else for affects they experienced as a result of a decision they ultimately made for themselves. If the information regarding this medication was not available that would be an entirely different story. The fact is the information has been available for years and so many people for whatever reason chose not to do their due diligence in researching the information. Such a shame.
Thank you to all the strong women who shared their testimony about the Depo shot. I decided to not take my first shot. Instead, I will start the birth control pills to treat my condition PCOS. I pray that your health will be restored and renewed strength from God. Xoxo.
I had taken the shot a couple of times worked well. I had severe endometriosis. Had 3 d and c to see it would help. They did not work. I would sometimes pass out from the severe pain. Next time I took the shot I had my cycle so bad. I got very depressed
My cycle lasted 5 months I had to get my uterus removed. The depression was so severe I had to go on medication
I had to change clothes 2 or 3 times a night from sweating so much. I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy.
none of these articles state the age of the person going off the depo shot. i am 53 and i want to know if my estrogen will go back up. my blood tests show i am post menopausal. i am wondering if my hot flashes are so bad because of me being on depo. i would like to see articles of women my age and what happens when they come off of it.
Hi I was on depo for 21 years..I am 47 and went off of it 6 months ago..I got my period 4 months after I stopped and then it was confirmed i had in fact started menopause. I worked in the medical field for 22 years and I’m pretty sure depo provera isnt the hormone used for post menopausal women. I think its straight estrogen. I would ask the doctor.
I had the depo shot three times and stopped after that as it made a huge dent in my leg like it ate my muscle. It is very ugly to look at. I won’t wear shorts anymore. It has been a year and it has not gone away and I’m not sure it ever will. I showed it to my doctor and the the response I got was “that is weird . I have never seen the depo do that. I was experiencing excruciating back pain and non stop bleeding with this drug, and after I stopped taking it I continued with months of misery and abnormal periods. I’m not happy about this drug at all.
Hi! I have the same thing with the dent in my leg. did you ever consult a doctor about this? It is so prominent I can’t wear swimsuits or anything anymore. Wondering if you asked and got any answers?
All the sudden I’m getting easy brushing and I’ve noticed that it’s gotten worse since stopping my Depo shit. It was like it wasn’t there and then a week or so after my time to get the shot I started brushing and it’s only gotten worse. What can I do? Blood test comes back with vitamin d deficiency and it’s scaring me that it did irreversible damage to my bones and effected my blood cells and platelets
My 19 year old daughter has been taken it for a year. That’s the only shot of any kind or medicine of any kind she has taken. Last week she went to walk in clinic and had a little rash on the inner part of her boob. The physician told her it looks like inflammatory breast cancer. We have no cancer in our family. She doesn’t smoke or drugs or booze. This doctor better be wrong. I was wonder if anyone else had cancer from the depo.
I’m sorry to hear of this,,, I know it’s been a few months since you posted this. I hope you’re daughter is well and it wasn’t what the physician said. My question is how can they even say that and scare you before doing any tests, I mean just by looking?? I am suffering sore achy breast to the point they hurt to even touch, I’ve been off depo for 3 months now I never went end of Augest for my shot… my breast also feel lumpy and my obgyn told me it could breast tissue changing due to coming off the shot.. I just wanted to reach out to you and I hope and pray you’re daughter is okay. One more thing I’ve never has any issues with my breast until I started depo and now stopping is worse..
So glad l came across this article. I used the shot 4 years ago and noticed my bones had become weak because l easily fractured which isn’t normal for me. I also suffered mood swings and depression. Recently l decided to try it one more time incase it wasn’t the culprit. I was doing some research about it and boy oh boy, l will stay away from Depo-provera shot. Thanks for sharing
Caya diaphragm, updated silicone version, not the old discontinued style. Most doctors are clueless about it and push hormonal bc. We DO have options. Caya and condoms = no baby. No condom, no sex, the end. Take care of yourself 1st ladies.
Wow !!! I read all the comments. I was on depo provera for extreme uterine fibroids and was unable to have any children. I was on the depo shot for 21 years and stopped 6 months ago because I’m 47 now and wanted to see if I started menopause. After 3 months I started having normal periods and nothing abnormal. I am definitely blessed.
You are skipping over one very important act – that Depo Provera is a first choice treatment for women with endometriosis and allows many of us to live lives as close to pain free as possible. I currently have no active disease because of Depo, and as a woman who wouldn’t be able to have children anyway, Depo is the reason I have any quality of life. Please don’t vilify a drug outright without looking at who might be benefiting from it as well. I was told if I ever wanted to come off Depo I would need to be on a progesterone only pill for a year and then back off the hormones slowly. Of course withdrawal from a high dose hormone is going to cause side effects! If women aren’t going to educate themselves about what they are putting in their bodies they can’t expect anyone else to be advocating for them.
I never myself used Depo-provera, but I was in Kenya when they were testing it on the poor Africans there, in 1984, of course not mentioning side effects or showing illiterates written info in languages unfamiliar to them. Big Pharma is real. I was a test subject for Fansidar, in Canada, as a student. Slimy lot these people who create and sell these poisons.
Hello my friends. I am requesting your help. I would like you to share my story. I am attempting to find women who have had the same experience as me. I developed meningioma ( a brain tumor) in 2021 due to depo provera injections. Long story short I should be dead but luckily I had great medical professionals family and friends to support me. I am looking to find Canadian woman who developed this tumor because of depo provera. My neuro surgeon informed me that in the Moncton area I am the 5th woman he personally treated. I know their are more women who have suffered because of this medication. My intent is to make sure that no other woman develops this tumor because of depo provera. I am looking to file a class action lawsuit to prevent this from happening to any other woman. I would like Phizer the company that makes this medication to add a black label warning on there product. Please share and distribute as wide as possible. Anyone who wishes to contact me can do so at Mstreppa5@gmail.com or here on Facebook Joanna streppa. I thank you in advance and truly appreciate your assistance in this matter.
I’ve only been on the depo shot for not even 3 months and these have been 3 of the worst months ever. I’ve been living with frequent stomach cramps and sharp stabbing pain, there’s times when I feel that nauseous that I’m bed ridden for days, I’m losing way more hair then I use to, I have constant headaches and my eyesight has become worse, I’m irritable and I swear I’m always yelling at people . That’s just a handful of what’s been going on, I honestly wish that I never got it.
Depo was the worst for me . I only got it once my period changed . I bleed heavier than I already am , I get my period 2 times a month . I only stay off my period for literally 1 week and after that I get my period again for another 2 or 3 weeks and it starts all over again for months and months . I was almost 90 something pounds last week about to hit 100 pounds . The next week I’m 70 something pounds .. this been so depressing for me and it’s crazy . I rather get pregnant than use this depo honestly.. never again ever!!
I took the Depo-Provera when I was 17. We couldn’t afford the hormonal IUD (Kaiser didn’t cover it) so at the same appointment I got the shot. Once my periods stopped I didn’t enjoy missing the NATURAL security that my body was healthy.
I quit after the first shot. TWO YEARS later my periods are finally a little better. I had EXTREME; mood swings, huge clots, and very sore breasts, menstrual being 8-10 days long continuously HEAVY. All of these were problems from stopping it. Also, my periods were a 28 day cycle like clock work.
Since then I’ve been a 35 day cycle on average. DEPO FUCKED ME UP! I want to be pregnant some day. I hope the shot didn’t ruin my chances of starting a family after college. I never would’ve taken it knowing the other possible effects. I’m the person that decides to be safe than sorry, but I’m not a virgin either.
I don’t trust BC anymore. I’ll let my body do its thing because DNA is literally biological instructions passed down and it has worked on its own.
Why mess it up? Doctors are suppose to look out for us. Maybe there’s a bigger plan in progress here. I believe Depo-Provera is to make women infertile to alleviate the issue of our high population.
I first took depo when i was 17 til 18 then 19 i had my first of five children. I bled continuously after my first shot but after my second shot ot stopped an did not return til after i stopped taking the shot. Growing up with painful and irregular periods i hated the first 3 months of it but it was so freeing not having to buy tampons, pads, have horrible cramps like i had to before. True the first 3 months after the shot was bad but it was so worth it in the end. Now I’m 20 years and 5 children wiser with my youngest being months old getting my 2nd round of depo in days and it was just like i remember it back then. The bleeding subsided a couple weeks ago an of course i was doubting my decision beforehand but like most things it just had to run its course.
Took it, bled bled bled, stopped an never started til i stopped then had kids…lots of kids lol. No health issues, all my kids are perfect and i was already fluffy 😊 My point is, i do recommend the depo shot especially if you don’t want a period, PERIOD
I am being forced to get the depo shot by my mother. I keep reading all of these negative things. I want to have kids in the future and I don’t want this to mess it up. and I also do NOT want to bleed nonstop like a lot of people are saying will happen when you stop the depo shot. Should I be nervous, should I try to talk my mom out of it?
My 21 yr old daughter received a Depo shot, HPV shot & a flu shot all at the same time in January. She has been constantly ill with upper respiratory infections & colds that last beyond a month I am afraid that she might get pneumonia. She has been bleeding ongoing non-stop, it may stop for 3 or 4 days then she will continue to bleed for 3 to 4 weeks she was a 146 lbs now she weighs 115 I am watching her dwindle away right before my very eyes. What can I do to get her healthy again, will a low dose birth control pill stop the bleeding. I think that the ongoing bleeding has weakened her immune system. She had to quit her job. She did not consult with me before this happen, she had never been on any type of birth control before. She has never experienced any weight gain only continued weight loss due to all the heavy bleeding. I was out of state on a work-related project, she never had any prior issues with her health. She only went for a yearly physical when they talked her into getting the Depo, HPV and flu shot all at the same time. The doctors told her she by bleed for up to a year and it has been 10 months. She is very fragile week & constantly ill, she has become angry with a lack of appetite. Can someone give me advice I am afraid & concerned re: my daughter’s health
I need help and i dont know where else to go
I had my depot shot on August 3 and after august 15 i started to feel nauseated my breast are sore basically all pregnancy system but i have taking 4 urine test and one blood test and they all negative could i be pregnant and the depot shot affect my result or can my pregnancy be only in my head please help
Depo…I decided it was the” best and quickest” option after my postpartum checkup. I believe it was the worst idea. I have been depressed at times where I cry at the most random things.very low sex drive.. literally have to force me to concentrate because it’s so hard to focus. Once I focus it’s fine. but I do feel bad that husband has to try so hard for me to get interested..other problems…I had a fight with my mom and then I message her saying I’m sorry and next I’m outraged because I don’t have an answer right away!. That is when I noticed that wasn’t me. I try to calm down and talk my self down and try to not go off on people. I am sure it’s the depo shot. I also lost a lot of my hair. It’s horrible how this shot is given without letting you know exactly what can happen. I was trying to do my hair to head to the fair and I burst out crying because I was trying to hide my bald spots. I suffer from insomnia and I can never catch up on my sleep. I am always tired even if I do sleep. I am currently taking omega 3 and biotin and I actually feel a little more active but will definitely stop depo.I took the shot in September.. and I’m due November 12th but I already set up an appointment this month for an IUD with no hormones. I used it when I had my daughter and it worked so I’ll go to what I know. I tried IUD with hormones and I had terrible migraines and cysts in my ovaries. So apparently me and hormones from contraceptives are not compatible. I really hope more people come forward with the problems they are having.
I started Depo for horrible PMS, periods, cramps, mood swings, etc. First couple of years, it worked great, lowered symptoms. Lately I’m having progressively worse IBS symptoms, increasing headaches, abdominal cramping, some rectal bleeding, and other things of concern. I have a very stressful life (live-in caring for two elders with dementia) and a metabolic problem. I can’t tell if these recent symptoms are related to Depo or “just” to stress and aging (early 50s) and possibly peri-menopause. I can’t afford to gain more weight because at highest weight I was pre-diabetic or to have suicidality, etc., because I’m a primary carer and with depression and anxiety since childhood I’ve worked damn hard to leave those symptoms behind. Please tell me there is at least a chance that I can quit Depo without having all these terrible effects. I’ve treasured these few years without cramps and horrible bleeding and raging mood swings and I do not want to return to those problems, now or ever. I didn’t know birth control could cause gallstones, and I had my gallbladder removed 20 years ago, now wonder if I’m having Depo side effects or bile acid problems, who knows? It’s very frustrating when no doc will admit that BC meds can cause these side effects, including weight gain, which I now find is a huge reported problem with Depo, tho I was told it should not be affecting me that way, and all docs seem to think all my problems are “merely” stress related, like it’s easy to manage stress when it’s 24/7/365. I want to keep my sanity AND improve my bodily health. I also don’t understand: what is the difference (if any) between BC hormones and “bio-identical” hormones and should I pursue the latter? Thanks!
I started the depo shot in 2013 and got off 2016. As soon as I got my first shot my sex drive went completely away 100% and ruined my relationship. Everything went downhill and now we’re back together now but I still have no sex drive and it’s been 2 years since I’ve been off of it! I am desperate for help. I want my old self back. Will my sex drive come back at all?? Has anyone else experienced this and did your sex drive come back ?? I’m trying to stay positive but starting to lose hope that I will never be able to satisfy my boyfriend the way I naturally did as BEFORE I got on birth control.
At this point I just need someone to talk to about this. I keep it to myself, it’s just embarrassing. I lost my sex drive at 17 and a half years old and I’m now 22 and feel like I already have been through menopause. I just don’t know what to do or how to feel. Someone please help me
I have taken the Depo shot once, back in March of this year. Since then, my periods have been so abnormal and I’ve experienced weight gain in the worst areas, which has been concerning to me since I have been a tiny person all of my life. I read all of this because I didn’t know if any of this was normal. But I guess it is?
I don’t think that anyone of us is arguing that Depo Provera hasn’t fulfilled its purpose of preventing pregnancy or that there aren’t other birth control options available. However it is unfair for persons to trivialize our experiences. I work in sexual and reproductive health for over 14yrs and I know how depo provera works. My knowledge and insight of the method by no means prepared me for the horror story that’s now my life. The bleeding!!!! OMG totally affected my self confidence. You’re never sure when you’ll bleed. During sex, after you pee, sitting at your desk and just feeling a warmth; just spontaneous bleeding. It’s awful. I have experienced every side effect listed for this drug… EVERY SINGLE ONE. I’ve been off depo now for three months after only having 3 shots. I am no way relieved of the side effects. Nothing has changed. Reading this blog made me angry because Depo Provera continues to be considered an approved birth control option with new acceptors (victims) every day. I want to add my voice and make the conversation louder. Depo Provera should be recalled.
Ive had the shot twice, the first time i had it, the first two months were okay. Its the last month that REALLY gets you. I wouldnt know when I would bleed, because the first two months, i didnt even spot. The abdominal pain is absolutely awful, to where I can’t get out of bed somedays, and can’t sleep at night because my body is just weak and hurting. There’s been times where I really was convinced me dying, would be better then having to deal with this pain. But it got so bad, i got hospitalized. When I told my obgyn about the symptoms, she brushed it off like it was nothing, and said the second shot won’t be anything like the first. WRONG! The second shot is 100x worse, when I got the shot I weighed 127lbs, i now weight 105lbs. I throw up because of the excruciating pain, and can’t even eat somedays. The shot is awful, and this round is the last rpund of ANY birth control I’ll ever take.
Hi, I have been bleeding nonstop since March 2018 after the Depo shot. I was aleeady anaemic and taking iron injections regularly before depo. I was prescribed depo for pelvic pains. Dr’s prescribed this assuming I had endometriosis. Now I bleed nonstop and it’s affecting my work and social life as my working hours doesn’t permit more than one break in the morning and afternoon and an hours lunch. So I can’t use the loo too often to change pads. Please let me know if you manage to find a solution 🙁
I’ll be honest, I read these before the shot and was terrified.
I used to have no control over my hormones and often ended up suicidal with a few attempts under my belt due to lack of hormonal control with no actual solution due to what the issue was. I dealt with major depressive episodes and struggled with other various mental health problems. I also started having chronic, hospital-inducing Migranes in High School that followed me up until I got the shot. I also was on the border of being diagnosed with an ED because of my weight despite eating 4-5 balanced meals a day to try to gain, and I dealt with IBS symptoms on to of that, which made my Endo and heavy periods worse if an episode triggered during them.
I tried the pill growing up, it never did anything for me, and I tried 7 different types both brand name and generic. One of them made my period lighter and cramps slightly better, but I lost more weight on it and I was constantly lethargic so I immediately went off them.
Then, when I went to my first PP appointment, I decided to use the shot while I decided on if I wanted an IUD so that I would have some form of protection, since when they tried to insert it they found out I’d need to be put to sleep.
Now?
My only issues is my bone density, which is probably the cause of my carpel tunnel and my knee issues.
Everything mentioned above with my past problems is either on a minor and manageable scale, if not gone at all, and that all changed after about a week on the shot. Nothing every really helped before, it literally changed my life.
Stopping my period stopped the majority of my IBS episodes and regulated the hormonal imbalance that I’ve had since I was a kid, and helps me manage my BPD and Depression, which makes PTSD triggers way easier to handle. I’m now a normal weight for my age, less lethargic which is making me active, and my boyfriend even said when I started it I actually started wanting it more often than he did. My migraines only have a lack of sleep trigger now, which is pretty easy to avoid, when they used to happen if even a light flickered in a funny pattern, still hospitalizing when they do come on though.
It’s not for everyone by any means, and I don’t know what the effects will be like when I’m off them long term (I missed this one by a week and I’m having withdraw symptoms admittedly, so it’ll be a long process if I decide to come off them, I currently don’t plan to, probably similar to when I moved out of the C8 water, since I had a very similar reaction.) But in the now, it’s the only reason I can properly function in the day, when nothing else could help.
I thought I would put out my current experience to tell people what it can do, and the adverse effects I’m already dealing with. There’s pros and cons to everything, it just depends on if you want to deal with those pros and cons, and it’s always best to research beforehand.
The depo shot has to be worse than giving birth. The pain I feel from it, id MUCH rather had 18 kids right now. Depo is the worst possible thing anyone could do to their body, and I wouldn’t recommend it to even someone I hate.
Hi I’m 16 years old and have been on the shot for about a year and I’m just now experiencing the side effects.. My stomach pain is unbearable, there’s a feeling of fullness in my lower abdomen, I’m nauseous, dizzy, tired, and my breasts have gotten smaller and my bones are weaker.. My anxiety awful, I’ve begun to think i’m pregnant because of the side effects!! I’m very active and play many sports and have seen a huge difference in my body since taking the shot.. Worst experience ever.
I’m 21 years old and had the injection in June 2018. Later on the day I received the shot my mood was completely thrown off. I felt happy one second, sad the next and then no emotion and then back to happy again, repeated cycle. My emotions were all over the place. Aside from that I felt completely disconnected from my boyfriend (which is crazy because we’re insanely in love with each other). My boyfriend noticed after day 1 that my mood swings were noticeable. After about a month I was severely depressed with no reason, I just cried all the time and felt sad about life. Anxiety hit an all time high as well. I actually felt insane and so insecure. The anxiety and depression put my relationship at risk, which, the whole reason why I got this injection was so that we could have fun and not worry about adding a +1. Luckily our bond is very strong and he heard me out during the entire 3 months and even now since we are waiting for this drug to leave my system completely. I feel myself slowly returning back to normal now after 5 months, I’ve finally had a normal period for the first time and I don’t have severe mood swings. I still do have them but definitely nothing compared to before. After the 3-4 month mark my breasts were EXTREMELY tender, hurt like crazy and I had EXTREME hair loss. The after effects and mood swings during the 3 months were nothing I was notified about by my doctor. Which is saddening since I am studying to be a doctor. I would never prescribe a drug without explaining to my patient all possible symptoms and how likely those symptoms would be. My doctor only told me about possible weight gain, which I had none. I would expect my doctor to tell me these things as a healthCARE provider.. because after all, I am the patient and isn’t that what doctors are here for? To care for our health? This has given me an entirely different prospective on what some doctors actually care about. I would NOT recommend this drug to my worst enemy. Ladies, please choose a different form of birth control. I know that after this experience I will never take any other form of hormonal birth control again. I prefer the way I am naturally, feels so much more freeing to be yourself and not have a drug control your emotions.
Wow I have only been on it for2months now and I have been experiencing some side effects really bad depression,feeling mad botherd and no sexdrive ect.tomorrow morning I’m making a call to remove it I’m hoping I will go back to being me again!!!
I had my first Depo shot back on the last week of August this year. Had some light spotting for three days a week after which stopped and the rest of September and October were fine, no pain and no period. November 1st hit and since then it was constant brown discharge, which has amped up to heavier red discharge as of Friday last week with bad cramps. My doctor yesterday has prescribed me Naproxin for four days twice a day and put me back on the birth control pill for the bleeding. I also have an ultrasound booked on the 3rd of December just to check it is only the side effects being the issue, which I hope it is.
I just got off depo provera and I’m so happy!! I can’t believe people had this shot approved as a type birth control it’s horrible!! I almost lost my boyfriend, I gained 30+ pounds in 3 months I lost most of my friends because all I wanted to do is sleep and not talk to anyone. I hope they get depo provera off the market because it’s literally so cruel that they’re doing that to women like me and other I loved this article because everything on it was true and I can agree on everything !
I was given depo to help with endometriosis. While I was on the medication it seemed to help. However; the longer I took it the sicker I got. When I stopped depo completely, I was hit with a ton of issues. I am now allergic to things I had never even heard of, as well as some I had. I now have an anaphylactic response to soy, latex, sulfites, palm, most plastics, just to name a few. I did not have any allergies prior to starting depo. My hormones are still trying to recover and it has been years. I can not possibly explain the nightmare that this drug is. It is hands down the worst decision I made in regard to taking a medication and putting a drug in my body. Please please avoid at all costs.
I came of injection a few months ago not sure when but only had one injection in July I think towards the end October i had bleeding I went on pill but couldn’t take came off that only about a week now on implant but been bleeding since off injection not std as not seeing anyone had std weeks ago and clear . I got acne and headaches with the injection it’s good I did reading these comments . I have been advised to give a few weeks to see if settle down but been told you can bleed with implant so if i don’t stop or get less bleeding will come off that and may go on patch I need contraception as am dating a will be meeting soon and if go well will be bf
Well now I’m really scared. I got the first shot only a month before finding out from a blood test that I have Factor 5 Leiden meaning estrogen is very dangerous and can cause me to throw clots. I got the second shot because it’s progesterone and that’s not dangerous. Now I know going off of it will be…
I know it’s important to know but I’m incredibly scared. In February I’m supposed to get an implanon… just hoping that helps maybe but I just don’t know and apparently docs dont think of it either. I wish I had just stuck to condoms and dealt with the practically unbearable periods.
Taking Depo for me has given me a break from the horrible dealings of PCOS. Shutting my ovaries down for 3 months at a time has been worth it all for me. Suffering from PCOS is something else. My next option is to have my ovaries removed. Trying to hold out until I’m 50. I’m 42 now. Ladies have to deal with a lot. Hormonal imbalances has to deal with the foods we eat as well. Vitamins do aid with the effects of some issues with anxiety, etc. I’ve tried it all. I wish you all healing and inner peace.
I came to this sight wondering if this nightmare of a drug had a class action law suit or not. Depo ruined my life! I was an energetic, fun loving dancer gymnast and cheerleader. I didn’t get on this shot because I wanted to prevent pregnancy I wasn’t given any other choice to control mennoraghia (excessive bleeding). I was just a teenager and this drug was new on the market. I went from being a sweet soft spoken girl to someone who was angry and combative. I even thought of suicide I was so miserable. I gained a total of 117 pounds and was told there was no way Depo caused that to happen. I was always thin and I didn’t change my exercise routine at all. Fast forward a few years and I am married I have been in the emergency room several times with excessive bleeding the longest lasting 96 days straight stopped for two days and started back up again. I have had fertility problems even trying fertility treatment with no success. Depo stold my dream of being a mother. I’m not affectionate with my husband at all I feel like a failure as a woman. If I could do anything over again I would say no to this life stealing drug. I would rather suffer with a heavy period. I wish I could say its gotten better for me over the years but it hasn’t. I am 37 years old now with no children just PCOS and regret.
Anyone who only got one shot, please respond. So I got one shot back in May, and I bled for 2 months straight. I was supposed to get another in August but never went back. I still have abnormal bleeding and absolutely no sex drive. How long does it take before my sex drive comes back???
I am in the SAME exact boat. I only got one shot. Lost my sex drive. 3 years later, it still hasn’t come back.
Before I got the shot, I had a perfectly healthy, awesome, exciting sex drive. After I got it, I noticed a difference in my body, and it’s been that way since. 🙁 I am so incredibly frustrated and heavily regretting ever getting that shot.
Good day to all,I was on depo for a little over a year and I recently stopped but the pain I am having is so severe that I honestly felt like I am have a baby,this pain is so unbearable ,my gynecologist never warned me about this .
[…] Depo User […]
I’ve gained weight, I have MAJOR mood swings, I have high blood pressure, my bones hurt,my hair falls out. Its like EVERY side effect you “could” get I’ve got! I cant stand being on the depo but it does the job that I started getting it for. I just wish there wasnt sooooo many side effects! My own family tells me I need to get off of it because it’s not worth the damage that is being done… I would definitely inform women about what I’ve been going through for 3 years now if I was asked I wouldn’t not recommend it because it does what its suppose to do but it just does a lot more as well. I think the two main things I’ve had to deal with is depression and weight gain 😔 wish I could of been one of the women that are on it and dont have any side effects lol but wasnt that lucky….
I have been getting the depo shot for 15 years now and never had any side effects. After the first shot my period stopped. Never had any bleeding or spotting. I think each person is different and needs to make a decision on their own. It is not all bad, I had good results with it. I am healthy and have no problems and get a complete physical each year.
I’m happy you have no bad experience. I was on the depo for years and had the same experience as you and felt 100000% fine. However, I recently had my bones scanned and I have osteopenia in my spine due to the depo which I am now off. it’s worth getting checked 🙂
The depo shot has honestly ruined my life, I used to be the sweetest girl I’m only 20 and I took it for two years and had no problem I went off it for 2 years and had gotten it again because of my good experience with it the first time, the cramping pain while spotting is intense I can’t even move sometimes without crying, I can’t go to work or move out of bed I can’t even eat without wanting to vomit everytime I eat there’s a constant bloating pain in my stomach 24/7 the doctors say I’m just rejecting the depo and I have to wait it out of my system I have taken midol, Tylenol, ibuprofen nothing is working to relieve this cramping pain!
I am 25 years old and had the depo injection from age 16 until earlier this year. I never had one period or any adverse effects the whole time I was on the depo.
The past two years I had my first two hospital trips ever for broken bones. It didn’t seem right to me so I asked for a bone test and it turns out I have weak bones all over and I have osteopenia in my spine. My doctor confirmed this was due to the depo injection. This was all after doing my own research and requesting/paying for the bone test myself.
I’ve moved to three different countries since my first depo and every new doctor was told how long I’d been on it and never mentioned anything to me. The only reason I thought about it myself was when I was 18 a nurse said to me “I should let you know they’re doing tests on this medication because it may affect done density”.
When I came off the depo I had no period for a while, then my period lasted a whole month, now they’re pretty regular.
I went through a depressive period for the first time in my life after coming off the depo which I honestly never linked to the injection until reading this blog post.
I now have very painful/stiff joints in my fingers which is difficult as my work involves a lot of computer/phone work. I wonder if this is osteoarthritis because of my weak bones or if it something that will alleviate in future.
I 100% regret my Depo shot. I completely lost my sex drive, and it’s still gone to this day, 3 years later. I have no interest in sex, none. This happened ever since I got that shot. Before I got that shot, I had an amazing, exciting, perfectly healthy & normal sex drive.
I would have MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH rather gotten pregnant, than to completely lost my sex drive the way I did.
I am devastated that I took this shot. Shame on me for not doing my research, and just blindly trusting.
I’m 20 years old and started this in November of 2017 so it’s been just over a year. I started this in the hopes of no longer having periods, and my doctor said that this would stop my periods with the side effects of weight gain and spots. At the time I wasn’t fussed about that as I’d never had spots before so really how bad could it get?
Well let me tell you, I’ve pretty much now got constant spots all over my chin and some of it I’m pretty sure is cystic acne as it’s really deep down and red and sore to the touch. This is the one thing that is making me want to stop taking this, but after reading all the comments about the side effects from stopping I’m afraid to stop. I had my most recent injection 3 days ago (21st December) and I’m now wondering if that should be my last?
Because yes, it stopped my periods just like I wanted but at what extra cost? I’m getting spots all the time and I think I may have gained depression from this injection too because in the first few months of having it I found myself crying all the time and having every little thing getting to me, I isolated myself and didn’t want to talk to anyone and often found myself feeling comfort in the thought of death. That only lasted the first few months and for my last 3 months before the shot I had recently I was fine, however today I had somewhat of another episode and after looking at all these comments I am feeling it as a cause for concern.
I started on the pill years ago when I first got my period as they were so heavy and long lasting that they caused me to become anaemic, however the pill caused me severe migraines so I had to stop it, but my periods never became regular so I went back on the pill suffering through the migraines but at one point I decided I had enough of suffering for days on end and finally stopped. I told my doctor I want something to get rid of my periods and not cause me a headache and this was the answer he gave me. It was either this or I told him I was ready to sell my eggs, however apparently in the UK it isn’t exactly legal so I couldn’t do that so I started this shot. Now I can’t say I have noticed much weight gain but that could possibly be due to the fact that I’m already a little overweight and I don’t like stepping on the scales. But after reading all these comments I want to stop and look for alternative ways of stopping my periods without all these adverse side effects but I’m also now scared of stopping incase I sink into that depressive state again or start bleeding for weeks on end because I don’t think I’d be able to handle it. I’m lost at what to do and I’m not sure if my doctor would know what to do either? I’m sure it’s worth going to see them aboht it but I’m scared. Please if anyone knows what I could or should do, or what you’d recommend, let me know.
Does Depo cause bad acne I’ve been getting a while after I started yrs ago . I was in my early 20s and now 37 . I don’t remember gaining weight but could it put weight around my arms or waist area? I’m curious if I come off it will my acne go away and will I loose weight ? Will my period retun I was hoping to use it till my period goes away could it do this ,
I just found this searching for some info on the DP shot. My two daughters 25 & 27 have both been on this on & off for a couple years. I’m forwarding this info to my 27 yr.old who Hope’s to have children in the next year or two. My urgent fear is that my 25 yr.old just discovered she was pregnant and had been given the depo and a morning after pill when she was all ready pregnant and drs gave her a neg.preg.test. Does the hormonal disruption of the shot or the morn.after pill. Affecting the already developing fetus. Would love some feedback on this. Thank you.
I’ve been on the shot for 2 going on 3 months. I know it only last for 3 months and I’m afraid of what the affects might be for me once I go off. I’ve been experiencing mild cramping and spotting since the day after I got the shot. NOT a fan. The doctor told me about the spotting and that I may not have a period but didn’t tell me anything else other than the bone density. However I can say that this experience has been slightly better than when I was in the pill but I think I’m giving up on birth control and hormones all together.
I wouldn’t wish taking this depo shot upon my worst enemy if i had one. It was one of the biggest mistake of my life and its effecting my body in terrible ways. prolonged bleeding for over 16 weeks, painful cramping, and not to mention its changed my mood and the way i talk to people and the list just keeps going, Depression to the point were i think about suicide .I feel like i’m going crazy and i know its not me. I still cant believe this drug is legal. Its destroying women’s body’s all over the world and taking the chances for women to have baby’s and destroying women’s bones if you take it for more than a year. i feel hopeless and my obgyn cant see me till the end of the month.
I think this is a very unfair way to talk about depo. Not every woman has terrible stories of this birth control, and, if you look hard enough, you can find the same stories about many other controceptive methods. Some of these stories are at the fault of the “victim” (ex. You aren’t supposed to be on depo for more than 2-3 years – one story said she was on it for 7). I, along with 2 of my friends, have been on depo for a year and have not had any life altering side effects so stop scaring everyone who wants to try it out.
Grace,
It’s wonderful you and your friends have had a good experience with Depoprovera, however; the point is many of us were not properly warned about the negative effects. Just like any other medication can affect different people in different ways because our body chemistry is not the same, pharmaceutical companies are required to list ALL potential side effects. In my case, being on Depo for 6 months I was informed and researched extensively, but; I still was not prepared for the magnitude of these side effects. Had I known how many lives would be impacted negatively by my taking this shot I would have NEVER taken it. I have made negative life changing decisions I would never have made if my body wasn’t chemically altered to act out of character. Simply on Depo, I am not me. I would not wish this shot on my worst enamy because it would likely bring out the worst in her and make life for all who communicate with her a living hell. Everyone I know that has had Depoprovera and/or Depolupron has a different horror story.
I wouldn’t trade your positive experience with my negative experience because I don’t hate you. So please don’t chastise those of us who share our negative stories to help other women become well informed of the potential negative side effects of Depoprovera. What was truly unfair was the partial information we received about Depoprovera.
Because of this forum, I am now better informed of the potential side effects of coming off Depoprovera. As a result, I’ve contacted a counselor to help me deal with the guilt of the negative, nonreversible life changing, relationship and career altering decisions I’ve made that are totally out of my character as I suspect my character may temporarily become worse when I cancel next weeks shot. My morals simply will not allow me to keep this information to myself.
Laura
Laura I want to thank you for sharing your story. I’ve been depo provera from over 3 years and I was not told about all the other side effects such as mood swings, loss of sex drive and the irritability is off the charts. It just made me feel like I’m not alone. This has been hard for me.
I’ve only taken 2 shots of Depo. My first shot was on September 23,2018. I’ve been bleeding every since, I’ve probably only had probably 3 months of no bleeding but it just comes & goes . It’s affected me so much Sometimes when After have sex the Cramps are unbearable. I have heat flashes , cold sweats , shivers .. etc and that feeling last at least 5-10mins. I’ve taken estrogen vitamins anything I could think of that would help but it didn’t I’m currently on the pill.
I was on the depo shot for nine years after my second child was born….I developed panic attacks and anxiety I am nervous all the time fatiqued all the time tired weak…my heart seems to be racing at all times…the hair in the center of my head keeps falling out..I have a lot of bone pain especially in my hands and fingers..I am dizzy all the time it’s as if at any moment I might pass out all these symptoms started Feb 2018…I realised that my symptoms go away each time I get the shot so I finally decide to stop depo in August 2018 my life has been crazy since….I walk around like a zombie at times it’s as if I am crazy I freak out for nothing…please I am telling anyone who is reading this don’t get this shot it will mess up your life
When I went in to get depo provera I was under the impression it would be just like the pill except you dont have to remember it every day. I was told in the appointment that it can cause irregular bleeding and most people stop getting their period. But that sounded like a good thing if my period stopped showing up regularly or if it stopped completely I would have been over the moon.
Instead what happened is I bled a heavy period non stop every day for over two months straight. I couldn’t have sex because of that and I lost thousands of dollars to not being able to go to work. I turned up to my appointment for the 2nd shot at the 3 month mark and I told them about this non stop bleeding. They told me at this point yes sometimes prolonged spotting occurs but usually only in the first 3 months and that since I had at last stopped bleeding (briefly!) it was unlikely to happen again. So I took the 2nd shot…
And that very same day as taking the shot my period began and lasted months every single day just like the first time I had taken it. And no it wasnt at all prolonged spotting it was like a normal heavy period that just would not end. I was actually terrified I might become Anemic from so much blood loss, I destroyed so so so many of my clothes with the unmanagable unending bleeding as well as lost so much money from not being able to work and if I had’ve had a boyfriend at the time Im sure I would have lost him by not being able to have sex for 6 months until I learnt not to go back to the doctor again.
Depoprovera is ruining my life. It has greatly suppressed my endometriosis pain but I don’t feel like myself at all. I’ve lost my ambition, it’s hard to get out the bed in the morning. I’m short tempered with everyone and I’ve been cursing since my first shot. Every little mistake my husband makes drives me crazy. I want to be alone, I no longer desire to be a wife or a mother. I feel like a liar when I tell my family I love them. Sex with my husband is repulsive, it’s only for him I cry afterwards feeling violated. I’ve developed a near uncontrolable desire for an ex from over 20 years ago. I’ve become feisty and suddenly enjoy making people upset. I’ve had several thoughts of ways to retaliate against people who have hurt me in the past. I really want to start dating and sleeping around despite being happily married for over 18 years prior to depoprovera. I want to start drinking and partying specifically with strangers.
I’m one of those women who was raised to be a “good Christian girl”. It’s like depoprovera has totally flipped my personality opposite of the normal me.
I know my career has suffered, my “I don’t care” attitude has led to my family suffering. I’m now procrastinating and I struggle several times daily not to ask my innocent husband for a divorce. Depoprovera has replaced my character with someone else’s. I’ve gained 25 lbs in 6 months and my hair is 2/3 thinner than was prior to the shot. In don’t look feel or act like me. I feel like Depoprovera is punishment for my sins, this shot is my karma it’s like a living hell. I want to be happy again, but as long as I’m on Depoprovera I won’t ever be happy .
I should have listened to my mother because the same thing happened to her she almost died from blood loss she was sent to the hospital I feel like it would be obvious that since I’m her daughter, her blood that my body would react the same. I do regret not taking her words into consideration. After depo my periods have never been the same I don’t have a “schedule” I never know when my menstruation will start and some times it’s never but unlike the majority I don’t experience excessive bleeding no I barely bleed I’m lucky to even get a period. It has really been messing with my emotions and I don’t personally feel like myself when my body is not doing what it is “supposed” To do it really bothers me. I’m only 17 and I feel like I don’t know what to do I just wish I had a regular, on time menstrual cycle.
I did forget to mention that I too did have a very heavy flow during the depo but after it was barely even considered “spotting”
I am 17, my parents forced me to take the shot and I am absolutely angry at them for this. I received the shot in September and was supposed to get the next shot in December. Throughout the entire three months I experienced major mood swings, irregular and unexpected bleeding, loss of motivation, anger, and anxiety. These side effects caused many inconveniences and problems in my life. Also in the beginning of the last month I started bleeding, it has now been over two months of nonstop bleeding. I am also experiencing the side effects of the hormones and it is taking a great toll on my mental health. I do not recommend this form if birth control. Parents, please please please do not force or allow your daughters to receive the Dep-Shot.
I went on the Depo about 2years ago now. I only had two jags. I was told it was the best, safest contraceptive to take especially if I wanted to get pregnant with in the next two years.
I came off it because I had put on so much weight out of know where, I became extremely depressed, felt like I had turned into a horrible human as I didn’t like my behaviour.
I struggled to get out my bed and through a normal day.
I nearly gave up my job as a personal trainer as now I’m over weight and feel a fraud, I have no energy and struggle to walk due to sore joints and bones all the time.
I’ve researched in to hormones over the last year and a half because the doctors wouldn’t help me. They kept passing me off saying that there was nothing wrong and it wasn’t to do with the depo.
I do everything to lower my stress levels, eat lots of veg, sleep when I can, stopped training for a while ( to lower stress levels), but now doing light weights and steady cardio. It’s made me lose my passion for training but luckily not helping other people.
Anyway doing this and a bit more my period started again after 13months of nothing. I then continually had it for 6months and now I’m at about every couple of weeks. Slowly getting there.
I hate it’s happening to more people but I’ve never been more relieved to know I’m not going crazy and just talk about it knowing others understand and not just think your swing a drama queen.
As I read your story tears rolled down my eyes. My soon to be ex told me he couldn’t deal with the drama, when he said that I felt like I was numb inside, I know I haven’t been easy to deal with but it’s like I’m not myself and he is the reason I started back on as he doesnt want to use a condom
I’m 18, my mom had me put on the 3 year Nexplanon implant when I was 15, I didn’t have a period for 3 months before the implant, I was on it for a little over 2 years knowing that I permanently bowed it in January of 2018, lost my first kid March of that year, only my boyfriend and I at the time knew I was pregnant, had another miscarriage in September and got the implant taken out the following month, October. I started the Depo shot the same day and just got my second shot today 1/14/19… my doctor and I discussed that the shot might not be working right because I had 1 random period a week and a half after my first shot and problems with pain, headaches, cramps, thickened mucus, severe nausea, increased mood swings, sore breasts, and now easily dislocated finger joints. My hormonal levels and Iron levels have stable out, but with the risk of inheriting osteoporosis, reproductive problems, and other disorders I don’t know if I should stop getting the shot so my body refocuses or what… Advice from other young women please!?!
I took Depo as a way to help with the symptoms and pain of endometriosis. My doctor told me it was the best option for me, at the time. I read upon it and decided to try it. I got regular shots for years, until I started getting “sick.” I noticed each time I got the shot, I would feel worse and worse. I stopped taking the drug and that is when the real nightmare started. I have become allergic to so many things. Anaphylactic allergic. I can’t prove it, but I have never been more sure, that Depo is responsible. I want my life back. I want to feel like me again. By the way, it doesn’t help endometriosis, it just masks it. Do NOT take this drug. My hormones have never recovered and I have a list of new issues because of it. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
What other symptoms are you having? I am in the same boat as well
I got my first depo shot 2 months ago and I have never felt this depressed or even crazy. I spend some days crying all day, or I’ll be fine and randomly be hit by emotions of anger and sadness and will cry out of nowhere. Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a haze or a fog because of the constant intense emotions running through my head. It’s became a lot to deal with at this point so I thought the simple choice is to quit but now that I’m seeing so many women’s side effects became worse after stopping I’m scared to even do that.
I have had two shots of Depo so far and honestly i regret it . Me and my boyfriend are bad terms now due to my mood changes , i get cramps out of no where , i get sick so bad , i don’t want sex anymore , and i have been depressed. My doctor didn’t tell me any of the symptoms i’d have on it or off it other that i might have spotting . i told her about the depression and she prescribed me another medication for it and that causes me to get angry out of no where . i wouldn’t recommend this to anybody .
Here in 2019 , got off depo shot on November 2017 . Recently having issues with my uterus really heavy bleeding went to the hospital and was diagnosed with dysfunctional uterine bleeding ! I hope no one ever experiences this
My mother took Depo-Provera after giving birth to me. She said it was the reason my parents got divorced. It made her crazy! She told me it is what they give to male sex offenders to curb their sex drive. I’m finding out no women are taking it as long term birth control. Don’t do it! My mother struggled her entire life because of that stuff, it should be banned!
I am 47 years old. Previous to ONE single depo shot in an emergency situation I was happy, motivated, and healthy. I had a massive haemorrhage I now understand was due to regular use of Gingko Biloba for circulation and having a uterine fibroid. I always had easy cycles my whole life, barely every experienced PMS. I’ve always been the same weight. For the last 18 years of my life, I have taken great care with my health. Since having the depo shot, I have experienced severe digestion issues and bloating. Metabolism slowed so much and still incredibly slow nearly 7 months later. I’ve gained very close to one full stone despite exercise and a super healthy, low carb diet. Fatigue. No motivation. Disconnection, all the things I loved, do so little for me now. In the first 2 months I felt suicidal. I feel differently with intimacy and my husband, which upsets me so much. I’ve become anti social preferring to stay at home. I’m depressed a lot of the time and fearful that I’ve fucked the rest of my good life up! I said no several times because I knew it was a dangerous drug but they told me it would save my life and I have a 13 year daughter. This was a lie. I found out there was no reason for them to have used the depo. I hate my body. A horrid drug in my experience. For 6 months straight I bleed mostly in gushes. So much I could not get my iron levels up and struggled with anaemia. In the past 4 weeks I have had much less bleeding, mostly spotting but then yesterday in 30 minutes I filled a full super pad! At 47, I feel like this drug has induced menopause and ruined what was seeming to be a smooth gradual transitioning.
I am posting for a second time to ad some more important information. When the gynaecologist was telling me I needed depo provera shot to help stop the bleeding after a massive uterine haemorrhage I was not given any information about possible side effects including bleeding complications. I went on to bleed like a heavy period, only in gushes every 12 to 24 hours, for 6 months straight! I kept declining, I asked for them to wait a few hours but no. They felt it was urgent. I was told it would make me feel great, like when I was pregnant… WHAT?! I felt amazing during my pregnancy and I went on to have a pretty incredible home birth. The depo was nothing like pregnancy, it was hell and I blew up with so much fluid, still struggling with that 7 months later and depression. In my case, yes, I accept responsibility for agreeing BUT I was bullied, lied to, and misinformed! I was later told depo is no longer used in these emergencies because it doesn’t help and the side effects are so bad..
I’ve been bleeding for 7 months straight now, I got the second injection as I was told the bleeding would most likely stop after my body got used to it. At this point a tampon causes internal pain and using pads so often causes rashes and soreness. I hate sex because of the pain during and after, it’s straining my relationship. It’s been 4 months since my last injection and i’m still bleeding as heavy as i was at the start. I have to take iron tablets because i’m so exhausted and my mood swings are an absolute joke, never regreted anything more in my life, 7 months of shit
I have a question. I myself have took the shot but I started getting irregular periods they would skip every 1-3 months and I didn’t know why. Come to find out it caused hormonal imblance for me. It has been happening since I was 18. Took the shot when I was 14-15 years old. Why did it wait for four years to catch up with my body? And secondly can birth control pills balance my hormones back out and i can start having regular periods? Because I so wanna be over hormonal imbalance.
My name is Sierra, and i am 19 years old. When i was first told about the shot, the only major thing my doctor told me what that i possibly could experience depression and odd menstruated periods. of course i had thought, “oh! that must not be so bad! i’m sure it won’t affect me too highly.”
but i was wrong. very wrong.
During the first month i experienced depression, low sex drive, ( i couldn’t even have an orgasm when i was in the mood) and i bled for three weeks straight. i also had extreme vaginal dryness and i was always tender down there. i felt like i had a UTI most of the time and sex only made my symptoms worse. Not to mention the emotional problems i had as well, i lost all attraction for my boyfriend at one point, i started hearing voices every other minute telling me how i didn’t love him, all this other extra crap that tore apart my mind everyday. we were completely fine before the depo messed everything up. then i started noticing i had attraction for other men , and i didn’t know why. my boyfriend is so perfect and good to me it didn’t make sense. i had gotten a job with him around this time and i couldn’t handle it because it made me even more depressed and i kept having several urges to go mess with his coworker. it didn’t help that i felt no love towards my boyfriend either, it’s been a constant struggle… and was/is always on and off or it’s never there at all. i just keep telling myself that when this shot wears off i hope i find my real feelings and i will know what i actually want.
By the second month, i was dealing with a depression so bad i couldn’t get out of bed 85% of the time. my boyfriend always tried to get me to go somewhere and i never went. i stayed on the couch. i had anxiety every day all the time. i woke up with it, i went to sleep with it. i couldn’t breathe and it would make me freak out and start harming myself. now i am extremely under weight because i barely eat one meal a day if that.
during the second month that was also when the emergency room visits started. i wasn’t able to have sex at all. if i did, i would bleed black blood that smelled like super strong medicine. i experienced EXCRUCIATING pain in my pelvic area, and it would switch every couple of hours, (my pain) to either my lower back and it would feel like it was being crushed and my bones were deteriorating, and then my pain would move to my vaginal area and my walls inside me would feel like someone was constantly punching me down there and i felt like there was literally a fire inside of me. i can’t tell you how many times a night i would scream my head off because of the pain. and it would only happen after sex. i would still be in pain, but not NEARLY as bad. one time after we had intercourse it led me to calling an ambulance EVERY day for a WEEK because i couldn’t stop screaming and thought i was about to die. i had gotten CT scans, piss tests, STD tests, ultrasounds, even the one where they insert a camera in you. i had several of those tests done multiple times and each time my pain would get worse everytime there would be contact down there. hell, i couldn’t even clean down there without it sparking up for days. i thought i was going to die several times, i cried to my boyfriend everynight cause i thought i wouldn’t make it n whatever that was causing my pain would kill me. the tests always showed nothing. i had no hope. my boyfriend is the one who’s gotten me through this because he’s been keeping tabs on me and really none of this started until i got on the depo. i had recurrent UTIS every week before i got on the shot and if i had gotten a kidney infection then it would’ve shown up at the hospital. my white blood count or cell count, is always fine. my boyfriend tells me if the docs can’t find anything then it is definitely the depo.
But now, i have not gone in for my shot for the past two weeks. i was suppose to go but i am not. i only got it once and it wrecked me.
now i go through mental breakdowns 2 times a night. one time last week my boyfriends brother accidentally ashed his cig in my drink and i cried for hours about it and my mood was completely ruined and i wanted to die. because of that. just that. THAT. like i couldn’t just get another drink? i lash out in my boyfriend all the time everytime something goes wrong too and i always try not to. i run away from him when he tries to help because my mind tells me in the moment that i don’t deserve his help and i need to deal with it on my own. plus he hasn’t been getting much sleep lately, so when i’m in a terrible mindset it fucks with me even more and i feel bad about every little thing n it makes me feel bad FOR ANYTHING. my emotions are so crazy all the time i can’t control them at all! it’s gotten even worse lately because i try to hurt myself every single night. i debate on whether or not i need to go to a mental institution because my mind is harrassing me everyday. my depression is only getting worse. everyday. this drug has not helped my mental state AT ALL!!!!! Also this week has been the first time where i experienced homocidle thoughts. i want to kill my boyfriend sometimes, i want to kill myself, i want to kill his dad, i have thoughts of raping others , literally anyone i’m in a room with, and randomly ill get scared that my old attacker is coming after me. i get triggered all the time when i try to please my boyfriend. i have never felt so out of control and like a damn LUNATIC AND MENTALLY INSANE until i GOT THE DEPO!!! i have to struggle everyday with my mind when all i try to do is push the thoughts away but they always come back. me and my boyfriend argue often because i feel like my thoughts are telling me something that’s true. maybe i can’t love him, maybe it wasn’t meant to be, maybe that’s why the depo is affecting me this bad emotionally because it’s bringing out everything i’m dealing with inside, or maybe it’s bringing out other mental disorders i might have and it could be making it worse. because everyday i feel like i’m a huge manipulative bitch, and i’m a user, and i’m using him for sex, but??? now that i’m not in a depressed state atm, how does that make sense? we haven’t had sex in over a month because of my pain and i always please him everyday. so why are my thoughts doing this to me 🙁 and how am i manipulator if i’m always honest with him? i’m constantly overthinking EVERYTHING. when i have no connection to him sometimes that does not help me either. this drug completely mind fucks me everyday. and actually, as i typed this out, i realized that every single bad thought i have… is fears.
fears.
and they taunt me. everyday. all the time. because of the depo. i just wish this would end😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I WANT IT TO END ALREADY!!! PLS IF ANYONE READ THIS PLEASE PLEASE DO. NOT. GET. THE. DEPO. IF YOUR ALREADY MENTAL. DO NOT.
My name is Sierra, and i am 19 years old. i chose getting the depo shot because of my recent miscarriage in september of 2018. my doctor suggested it going on the depo, she actually highly recommended it because me and my boyfriend weren’t being careful and she knew my pregnancy wasn’t planned. When she first told about the shot, the only major thing my doctor told me what that i possibly could experience depression and odd menstruated periods. of course i had thought, “oh! that must not be so bad! i’m sure it won’t affect me too highly.”
but i was wrong. very wrong.
During the first month i experienced depression, low sex drive, ( i couldn’t even have an orgasm when i was in the mood) and i bled for three weeks straight. i also had extreme vaginal dryness and i was always tender down there. i felt like i had a UTI most of the time and sex only made my symptoms worse. Not to mention the emotional problems i had as well, i lost all attraction for my boyfriend at one point, i started hearing voices every other minute telling me how i didn’t love him, all this other extra crap that tore apart my mind everyday. we were completely fine before the depo messed everything up. then i started noticing i had attraction for other men , and i didn’t know why. my boyfriend is so perfect and good to me it didn’t make sense. i had gotten a job with him around this time and i couldn’t handle it because it made me even more depressed and i kept having several urges to go mess with his coworker. it didn’t help that i felt no love towards my boyfriend either, it’s been a constant struggle… and was/is always on and off or it’s never there at all. i just keep telling myself that when this shot wears off i hope i find my real feelings and i will know what i actually want.
By the second month, i was dealing with a depression so bad i couldn’t get out of bed 85% of the time. my boyfriend always tried to get me to go somewhere and i never went. i stayed on the couch. i had anxiety every day all the time. i woke up with it, i went to sleep with it. i couldn’t breathe and it would make me freak out and start harming myself. now i am extremely under weight because i barely eat one meal a day if that.
during the second month that was also when the emergency room visits started. i wasn’t able to have sex at all. if i did, i would bleed black blood that smelled like super strong medicine. i experienced EXCRUCIATING pain in my pelvic area, and it would switch every couple of hours, (my pain) to either my lower back and it would feel like it was being crushed and my bones were deteriorating, and then my pain would move to my vaginal area and my walls inside me would feel like someone was constantly punching me down there and i felt like there was literally a fire inside of me. the only pain i could relate it to was my recent miscarriage. it was almost the same if not worse. i can’t tell you how many times a night i would scream my head off because of the pain. and it would only happen after sex. i would still be in pain, but not NEARLY as bad. one time after we had intercourse it led me to calling an ambulance EVERY day for a WEEK because i couldn’t stop screaming and thought i was about to die. i had gotten CT scans, piss tests, STD tests, ultrasounds, even the one where they insert a camera in you. i had several of those tests done multiple times and each time my pain would get worse everytime there would be contact down there. hell, i couldn’t even clean down there without it sparking up for days. i thought i was going to die several times, i cried to my boyfriend everynight cause i thought i wouldn’t make it n whatever that was causing my pain would kill me. the tests always showed nothing. i had no hope. my boyfriend is the one who’s gotten me through this because he’s been keeping tabs on me and really none of this started until i got on the depo. i had recurrent UTIS every week before i got on the shot and if i had gotten a kidney infection then it would’ve shown up at the hospital. my white blood count or cell count, is always fine. my boyfriend tells me if the docs can’t find anything then it is definitely the depo. and one thing we have noticed during my last third month of being on the depo , which was a couple weeks ago, is that now i’m able to clean down there, i can even relieve oral without ending up in the hospital the next day. i still hurt s lot and i cry forever but my pain only lasts a day. that’s how i know it really is the depo.
But now, i have not gone in for my shot for the past two weeks. i was suppose to go but i am not. i only got it once and it wrecked me.
now i go through mental breakdowns 2 times a night. one time last week my boyfriends brother accidentally ashed his cig in my drink and i cried for hours about it and my mood was completely ruined and i wanted to die. because of that. just that. THAT. like i couldn’t just get another drink? i lash out in my boyfriend all the time everytime something goes wrong too and i always try not to. i run away from him when he tries to help because my mind tells me in the moment that i don’t deserve his help and i need to deal with it on my own. plus he hasn’t been getting much sleep lately, so when i’m in a terrible mindset it fucks with me even more and i feel bad about every little thing n it makes me feel bad FOR ANYTHING. my emotions are so crazy all the time i can’t control them at all! it’s gotten even worse lately because i try to hurt myself every single night. i debate on whether or not i need to go to a mental institution because my mind is harrassing me everyday. my depression is only getting worse. everyday. this drug has not helped my mental state AT ALL!!!!! Also this week has been the first time where i experienced homocidle thoughts. i want to kill my boyfriend sometimes, i want to kill myself, i want to kill his dad, i have thoughts of raping others , literally anyone i’m in a room with, and randomly ill get scared that my old attacker is coming after me. i get triggered all the time when i try to please my boyfriend. i have never felt so out of control and like a damn LUNATIC AND MENTALLY INSANE until i GOT THE DEPO!!! i have to struggle everyday with my mind when all i try to do is push the thoughts away but they always come back. me and my boyfriend argue often because i feel like my thoughts are telling me something that’s true. maybe i can’t love him, maybe it wasn’t meant to be, maybe that’s why the depo is affecting me this bad emotionally because it’s bringing out everything i’m dealing with inside, or maybe it’s bringing out other mental disorders i might have and it could be making it worse. because everyday i feel like i’m a huge manipulative bitch, and i’m a user, and i’m using him for sex, but??? now that i’m not in a depressed state atm, how does that make sense? we haven’t had sex in over a month because of my pain and i always please him everyday. so why are my thoughts doing this to me 🙁 and how am i manipulator if i’m always honest with him? i’m constantly overthinking EVERYTHING. when i have no connection to him sometimes that does not help me either. this drug completely mind fucks me everyday. and actually, as i typed this out, i realized that every single bad thought i have… is fears.
fears.
and they taunt me. everyday. all the time. because of the depo. i just wish this would end😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I WANT IT TO END ALREADY!!! PLS IF ANYONE READ THIS PLEASE PLEASE DO. NOT. GET. THE. DEPO. IF YOUR ALREADY MENTAL. DO NOT.
My wife took this shot and it has been hell for her, they should get this shit out of the market. Doctor’s are to blame because they don’t explain to their patient the side effects. Please ladies don’t take this f—k shit you will regret it.
The Depo Shot has changed my life drastically. After each shot, I have felt more and more anxious/depressed. I am finally going to quit the Depo (thank god!). I haven’t had a history of mental health issues, so this came as a complete shock. I highly advise you to thoroughly consider the shot. If it works for you, I am so happy that it does, but if it doesn’t, it can be the worst thing ever.
I’m glad there is a platform to discuss the Depo. It makes me feel better to know that other women have experienced the same feelings/thoughts as me! I should have taken the side effects more seriously… if I could go back in time, I would have never put it in my body.
It has been about two months since my last depo shot and I am doing a lot better today than I was then.
Thankfully, every day I improve, which is reassuring. I will have more updates soon!
I have still been struggling with the side effects, yet it has improved since January. I still experience anxiety and mood swings, but it’s toned down a lot. Hopefully in a month I’ll get even better. The Depo has changed my life, but I think I’m getting closer to my normal self! Stay positive!
It has been a month since I’ve been off the Depo, and my hormones are still all over the place. I have felt better, but I still struggle and I have some bad days, but I am going to see a doctor soon to look at my imbalance. It can take 6-18 months for my period to come, and I still haven’t got it yet, so my system needs to normalize. By then I should feel much better!
I hope you continue to feel better. I’m also taking the initiative to come off the shots. Im due for another shot on May 17 but I’m tired of feeling this way, it did do what it was suppose and prevent pregnancy but it’s not worth the torture I’ve been going though
It has been 4 months since the Depo has been officially out of my system and I feel so so much better. I got my period in July – so that’s when I first saw a huge difference in my mood. Unfortunately, I still have bad days, but I think as time goes on I’ll improve even more. I know it’s hard right now, but know, it does get better so stay positive and strong.
Had my first depo shot 1 month ago and have bled continuously ever since! Went straight into depression that has basically made me feel completely mentally ill and in need of help.
It has also caused extreme vaginal dryness and makes it very sore and uncomfortable! I am. NOT taking my second shot or any time after that!!! Worst experience ever!!!
Took depo for 2 years haven’t had a period in a year .. was told the only side effects was spotting and having a period for a little longer than usual..after 2 shots I had a period for 4 months and called and nurse said it was normal !!! I had migraines before but gave me a migraine several days a week numbness in the back of neck and bone pain really bad knee pain.. I could hardly take care of my two toddlers and felt like a failure as a mother I told my husband no more depo it makes me crazy moody I feel horrible and I am NOT taking it no more .. been a year and a half since I’ve been off and still no period migraines aren’t as bad and thank God no numbness or pain on the back of the head and neck but in constant pain with my right knee .. I wished I had never took the depo and I tell everyone who is looking for a birth control method of all I went Thur and to really research and think about the right one for you currently not on any but the pill was great good luck to every one looking for hope and God bless
I took Depo-Provera shots on-and-off in my mid 20’s (I am early 50’s now). I believe I had the shots for a year, then stopped when I broke up with a boyfriend, and then restarted the shots a year later when I started dating my husband – so probably less than 3 years worth of shots.
For years during and after the shots, I suffered sporadically from severe cases of uticaria (hives) and severe swelling of my tissues/joints. The attacks came out of nowhere (I kept journals of everything I ate and did and found no trends). There were days where I couldn’t leave the house because my body was covered with itchy/painful whelts, big lumps under my skin, and face swelling that made me unrecognizable. My eyes were almost swollen shut, and my knee joints were so swollen it was difficult to walk. I went to allergists and dermatologists and they could not figure out what caused this autoimmune response. One time I had a severe attack with throat swelling and difficulty breathing so went to the emergency room. I was prescribed anabolic steroids which helped, but had some pretty bad side effects.
After discontinuing Depo-Provera, these reactions/flare-ups gradually lessened (though it took years). I had no issues during pregnancy, however I had minor uticaria postpartum and also when I weaned all my children from breastfeeding. This is when the lightbulb finally went off (for me, not any doctors) that my symptoms were all hormone-related, and that I had some sort of autoimmune response where my body had a severe allergic reaction caused by estrogen fluctuations. I believe this was precipitated/caused by the Depo-Provera shots, though I have yet to find anything in the literature case studies about any of this.
I have had no health issues for 15 years, as I my hormone levels have stabilized after child-bearing, so I hope I am “cured” of this condition.
Also, other than these issues, I have had no other health problems. I was also raised by parents who didn’t believe in pharmaceuticals, just holistic, natural treatments so I was never given medication when growing up. To this day, I rarely take a pill. Depo-Provera (and the subsequent steroid treatment) are the only long-term prescriptions I’ve ever taken. Once I started taking Depo-Provera, I developed a decades long hormonal influenced severe allergic response.
I have been in depo for 6 years and I am telling you this the worst birth control ever I am getting off of it because of the mood swings and not only that the withdrawal process is worse then the side effects I’m always sleepy don’t want to do nothing or go no where I would not recommend nobody to get the shot
I got on depo and I haven’t had a period since I stopped I still have back pain and headache but nothing about a period. Is it bad for me to say I miss it? Depo was the worst thing ever never get on it all I was in was pain and I was sick alll the time. It’s been almost a year and no period
I’m 19 years old in the UK I took the depo injection in November 2018 I stopped the depo because I had pain during sex it felt like a thousand razer blades, it was so bad at times I would cry in pain. I stopped the depo January 2019 never had a second shot and the pain hasn’t gone away I’m scared it never will. I feel so depressed my breasts hurt, I’m constantly angry or upset I can’t control how I feel, I cried the other day for spilling my cup of tea. I constantly have awful headaches to the point I nearly pass out, I’m always feeling like I’m gonna vomit all the time, it’s unbearable. It’s turned my life upside down I just wish I knew if the pain during sex will go and my headaches, depression and mood swings etc. I can’t stand to be like this any longer does anyone know if it will eventually go and be normal again. I need to get back to normal me, I am constantly tired or fatigue, this is hell.
Depo-Provera was absolutely awful for me. It did what it was supposed to do in stopping my periods but my mental health went through the floor. My depression became so bad that I nearly committed suicide. The only reason I didn’t was that it got so bad is stopped eating. I hadn’t eaten in three days and so I was too weak to climb over the fence on the top of the building and I couldn’t face the physical pain involved with slashing my wrists.
Once I realised it was the depo causing my much worsened depression I gritted my teeth and managed to hold on for the next six months as it left my system and I gradually began to feel better mentally.
Eight months after I got the shot my period came back. It was as heavy as ever and it lasted from mid May to mid October non-stop. It took a furthere three years for my hormones to go back to what passes as normal for me. During that time I was constantly too hot and sweating even at zero Celsius.
If I could go back in time and tell my younger self not to get that shot I would. It put me through absolute hell mentally and the physical side effects were no joke either.
I unfortunately became pregnant at 17 and had to go through the experience of having an abortion. Shortly afterwards, i asked my GP for an appointment to have an implant and they said it was over a months wait. The hospital clinic was 2 months wait and the sexual health clinic was 2 months wait. I had already tried the pill for 3 months at 15 and hated every minute of it. The doctor at my GP suggested that i get the Depo injection while waiting to get the implant and i felt like that was my only option as i didnt want to get a coil. I had the worst experience on the injection. I was happy most of the time but as soon as one little thing made me unhappy I would have a breakdown and would cry for hours. I had such bad mood swings and about a week after i got the injection I had a 10 day heavy period that started out of nowhere in the middle of a class at school. I had constant period pains and headaches throughout the entire time. I had a few random episodes of heavy bleeding for a couple of hours and then it would stop. It was awful. My boyfreind and I had such a strained relationship due to me being sad all the time and breaking down over the littlest of things. I was definetly not prepared for the severity of the side effects of the injection. I feel like i have messed up my body and im super scared i will never be normal again .
I wanted to give my positive experience with depo. I have been using it off and on for 13 yrs, probably ~6 yrs total. I am one of those weird people who responded completely opposite. I had long, irregular heavy periods (menometrorrhagia) that caused anemia prior to starting depo. My theory on why I react differently is that my body makes too much estrogen at baseline, so the estrogen suppression is actually beneficial for me.
So, I had spotting maybe the last 2 wks before my next shot, but when I started getting the injection the earliest date I was allowed, that stopped. My weight while on it was healthy and steady (BMI 22).
I stopped the first time after 2 yrs because my doc recommended that due to bone loss concerns. When I went on the pill, I gained 40 lbs in 10 mo (BMI 28). I said screw that and went back on depo.
After 6 months I had lost the 40 lbs. My doc then talked me into a low estrogen pill. I gained 10 lbs in 2 months and again said nope and went back on depo. I lost the weight in a month.
I was on it about 2 yrs the 3rd time without issues. I honestly don’t remember whether or not my doctor warned me about the delay to fertility, but I had done my own research over the years and was aware of it. I was in a physician assistant program, and I knew I wanted to work a year after graduation before trying to get pregnant. So shortly before graduation, I began to explore my options. I decided to give nuvaring a try hoping the estrogen would act more locally and cause less weight gain. I gained 10 lbs in a year which to me was tolerable.
So at the point I came off nuvaring, I was 15 months post my last depo shot, so exactly one year from when it would have been due. I got pregnant the first month we tried.
After my daughter was born, I was exclusively breastfeeding, so I wasn’t overly concerned about getting pregnant but was ok with it if I did. I went back on depo when my ex and I started having serious relationship issues, and I knew pregnancy wasn’t in anyone’s best interest.
It actually just now occurred to me that depo was likely what caused my milk to dry up. I just stopped producing. I’m not sure about the exact timing or how gradual the onset was. But one day she just stopped nursing, and I ultimately knew it was because I dried up because I never got even slightly engorged when she quit. But she was 10 months and eating sufficient table foods, so I didn’t worry about it too much.
I was on it maybe 1.5 yrs that time. My ex and I had separated and I was in a stable relationship with a man who is unable to have kids. So I figured why dose my body with hormones unnecessarily because the only benefit was not having the terrible heavy periods I had when I was younger, and also I was concerned about bone loss.
I had no issues coming off it. I did still have pretty irregular cycles (21-30 days), but they only lasted 3-5 days vs the 7-10 days I had previously. I didn’t use any birth control for about 3 yrs.
Well, I have narcolepsy and POTS, and I began to notice my symptoms are very much affected by hormone fluctuations. So for about a week around my cycle, I couldn’t do much more than go to work and sleep, and since my cycles were often 21-23 days, it was really hard to work full time and take care of my family. So we decided to see if birth control helped. I also have a connective tissue disorder (ehlers danlos syndrome – EDS), and my rheumatologist is also my PCP. So I asked her thoughts about depo vs the pill that you take for 3 months straight because I figured a week every 3 months would be tolerable. She expressed concern that my weight gain with the pill would be bad given my already failing joints (BL shoulder tears and multiple complex tears of R hip at 31) from EDS. So we agreed on 6-9 months with the depo to see if my symptoms improved then transition to mirena or similar IUD if they did. I am about 4 months in and it’s definitely helped. I will want to transition off depo soon again because of the bone loss concern. At baseline, people with EDS have lower BMD and bone quality than controls. Per my last dexa, my BMD isn’t up to par with my age group, but it isn’t any worse than others my age with EDS. But I really don’t need to risk making it worse. Otherwise, except the breastfeeding issue which wasn’t a big deal to me, I have done really well with it, and it has easily been the best option for me over the years.
I am staying in Lesotho and not much was said to me when I first went for a Depo shot, it’s been 6 months after my last shot and my breast are painful as though I have a lot of milk inside. I last had my periods in January and I am still waiting to be normal. I feel like depo is very harmful and the side effects of stopping it should be properly discussed before it being given
FUCK DEPO!!!
I was on depo provera from 1999 to 2009. I was vulnerable when advised to go on it as i had just had a very premature baby which i had conceived on the pill. I also had 2 other children under 5 the last thing i wanted was to get pregnant again! I was advised it could take a year to get pregnant again but that was last thing on my mind having to travel to hospital everybday visiting my poorly baby. Anyway things were ok didnt have any periods which was ok with me but id put weight on and struggled to lose it. I split with my husband in 2006 then met someone new in 2008. By the end of 2009 we had decided we wanted to try for a baby so i came off depo. I was 39 by now so not much time left. Notning happened by 2010 so was referred for fertiliry checks my new partner was fine and i was fine they said they just needed to wake my ovaries up so was prescribed clomid fir 6 months. This didnt work so offered fertility at a cost that we couldnt afford so just thought maybe it will happen on its own. I was wrong i never got pregnant im now 48 and im so angry and sad that they never told me ii could be infertile! Id never advise anyone to go on this drug.
I had bad experience of depo shot …i got one and last injection on August 2017 but untill now I am struggling to get pregnant.
I took the depo shot at premier Community healthcare in zephyrhills Florida. All the doctor told me was to take vitamin D supplements. I took it 3 times and after I stopped taking it I lost all but 7 teeth in a years time. And my menstal cycle has all but stopped. And it has caused massive mental problems as well. I wish I was told of how dangerous the depo shot could be cause if I knew a little of what I know now I never would have taken it. It completely changed my life. The benefit of birth control from the depo shot is not worth the life changing mind altering effects that it caused in my life.
I took the depo shot at premier Community healthcare in zephyrhills Florida. All the doctor told me was to take vitamin D supplements. I took it 3 times and after I stopped taking it I lost all but 7 teeth in a years time and what’s left there just pieces and about to come out. And my menstal cycle has all but stopped. And it has caused massive mental problems as well. I wish they would take it off the market so this don’t happen to another person like me. If I knew a little of what I know now I never would have taken it. It completely changed my life. The benefit of birth control from the depo shot is not worth the life changing mind altering effects that it caused in my life.
I took the depo shot at premier Community healthcare in zephyrhills Florida. All the doctor told me was to take vitamin D supplements. I took it 3 times and after I stopped taking it I lost all but 7 teeth in a years time and what’s left there just pieces and about to come out. I feel extremely nuases all the time and hot flashes and I can’t eat most of the time. And my menstal cycle has all but stopped. And it has caused massive mental problems as well. I wish they would take it off the market so this don’t happen to another person like me. If I knew a little of what I know now I never would have taken it. It completely changed my life. The benefit of birth control from the depo shot is not worth the life changing mind altering effects that it caused in my life.
I have been on depo for 15 years and it has been amazing. i have no period, haven’t for 15 years, and love that fact. i stopped for a coupe of years to switch to an iud, mirena, but it cut me inside so i went back to depo. when i stopped depo i was fine. a bit crampy that’s all. organ health %100 fine up to this day. i have no problems with weight, mood, sexual desire or anything. i believe for every 100 women that experience a problem with it, there are 1000 that dont. just because you see a hundred complaints, think about the thousands that are just fine. 100 complaints may seem like a lot, but it’s not compared with the statistics of use. it’s not like problems are rampant and everybody using depo will have problems they just aren’t told about. everyone is different, and i know lots of other women that take it and are just fine. some gain a little weight, or get crampy, thats about it. im sure its not right for everybody, but you just have to find the right one for you. every single treatment for everything in the world affects a percentage of the ppl using whatever it is adversely. you cant just put a blanket statement of “thats bad dont even try it” on something unless it’s doing the same bad things to pretty much everybody using it and big pharma just isn’t telling you about it. just do your homework on your own body before you let a doctor stick you with a needle, find whats right for you, and you’ll be fine. as for not being told about side effects, thats not the same for every doctor. i was told the whole shebang, side possible effects, taking a while to get pregnant after stopping, etc. like i said, do your homework. if you want a baby sometime in the future, maybe don’t take it. if you never want one again, then if you stop or miss a dose all is well. if your doctor isn’t telling you what you need to know, or doesn’t know themselves, get a better doctor.
*and to whomever wrote this article, the point about the 13 y/o that had one treatment then was never the same again is a one time thing. something like that is pretty rare, just because one person had long term effects from one dose of something doesn’t mean it will do that to anybody else. one dose isn’t enough to do that to just aybody, and you’re just fear mongering by putting something like that in the article.
Firstly thank you so much for your blog as it is the only one that has given me any information about the Depo shot.
I gave birth to my second son last November and was put on the mini pill after. In January, due to continuing bleeding I went to my GP to see if he could give me something more suitable, mainly to stop the bleeding. He advised that due to my age (I’m 40) to have the injection, never at any point did he mention any of the effects that I would experience.
Since the beginning of February I have been constantly bleeding, my hair is falling out, I’ve put on weight, at night I sweat so badly that I literally soak the bedding. I have depression because of this and I’m now at the stage where I feel that I cannot carry on. I’ve completely had enough. My partner is, fortunately very understanding considering that my sex drive has taken a complete nose dive. I feel so dirty and I have no idea when the bleeding will stop. I can’t carry on like this.
I’m furious with the GP who gave me the shot, especially as I went to him for something to stop the bleeding, I feel so betrayed. I’m angry with Myself also for being dumb enough not to check out the effects either but then I trusted that the GP would prescribe the best thing for my problem.
I’m due to have another shot in two weeks time (April 4th) but instead, I am demanding that I be referred for sterilisation as I don’t want another baby.
I would never recommend the injection to anyone and judging from the comments here, I am surprised that it’s still an option for women. It has totally messed up my life and I’m left wondering if I will ever return to normal.
I am 21, currently on the depo shot, a month in and hating myself for it. I have never been so miserable in my life. I was so fed up and seeking ways to reverse the negative side effects when I found this article. I can testify with every bad experience listed and agree strongly with the concerns expressed. This article is so spot on. I shared it to my social media to spread the word. Birth control/depo sucks! Ladies and men need to be aware of the god awful truth about birth control and the depo shot.
This shot has saved my life (and saved my wallet) I was having cysts on my overies that would rupture every month left and right. Puking, high fever, always worrying when it’s on my right side if it’s my appendix. I’ve had no problems with it except the occasional pregnancy like symptoms like crying and hot flashes for a week and then I’m good..I do get mild cramping but then I’m good and healthy.
I feel bad for people that have had bad experiences but this has saved my life because I could be very very ill if the ruptures got too much.
Got my 4th depo shot yesterday. She has trouble getting it out of the syringe wether it was air or it was cold she didnt know what was wrong but she kept trying eventually sticking me hard and deep it felt like she hit a nerve. And I could feel somthing didnt feel right. Now 24hrs later i Walked in there perfectly fine for my shot yesterday and now I’m lying in bed shaking, in pain, hot and cold flashes, insomnia and profuse vomiting. 1 more day of this and I will be going back up there
Almost lost my intimate sexual life because of depo provera. My sexdrive was very low and I was spotting all through. Thanks for continuing to help the blind.
Am glad I’ve found this web coz I really feel so disappointed with the fuckin depo vera n I feel soooo bad about; I took a 3 months shot but resulted into a blighted ovum n what’s really going on to those manufacturers of the killer drug?? I just can’t lmagine how am gonna spend the rest of my life regretting on the day I took the shot that killed my little one. To hell they rot in there
Hello I’ve been on depo for nearly four years and my experience isn’t goo, I’m always tired and lack of energy, insomnia, lack of sex drive, mood swings, emotional, night sweats feel weak frustrated with it
I had terrible periods and for the 3 years I was on it they stopped my periods but one day my doctor told me that she believed my depo shot was making me bleed from my cervix! I would never suggest this to anyone!!
It made my liver count go up sky high. I always feel tired and depress.
Bless you all for bringing this subject to light. I began depo at age 15 and just stopped using it this year. I am now 36 and have NEVER had a normal period. I know this contraceptive caused my weight gain and inability to lose it along with diastolic hypertension since age 33. I’m at a loss as to who to turn to. Especially now, due to my distrust of doctors. Rightly so, with my history. I won’t go into the horrors I’ve survived being on this shot. I only need to express my great thanks to you all!! For so long I was so alone in this matter and now I do not feel that anymore. I pray for some naturalization. I don’t want children, just a healthy life lived along side the love of my life, my hubby. – Praying for you as well in Kansas.
I took depo for the first time 3 months ago and I’m so agitated I can’t even stand to write this. I’m on edge and so irritated all the time. It’s damaged my marriage because I don’t want to be intimate or even be touched too much. It’s debilitating!!! And now coming off of it is worse. I’m having horrible nightmares and I’m anxious all the time and have high anxiety. I’m living a mental nightmare!!!
I have been on the depo for 10 years and am 53 years old, and was recently told by my doctor to stop taking it. I have now been off of it for 7 months, with my last one being Sept. 2018. I have been having alot of problems, I still have not started my period, i have major breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, exhaustion. Major mood swings, anxiety so bad my doctor put me on xanax. And the weight gain, omg! It is terrible. and this was my family dr. that left me on it so long. So i am currently seeing an obgyn and she is putting me thru a serious of testing, blood work to monitor hormones, bone density testing and on and on. So i might have to go thru hormone therapy to get back on track. So yeah if i had a do-over I would not choose the depo.
Can we sue.
Has anyone along with anxiety, depression experience depersonalization..like they don’t feel like their selves, or nothing is real as it once was things just are different inside you
Hello this was interesting to read through a bit sad and relatable.
I have been on the depo for almost six month and I am suffering…but after reading this I am now scared to come off the depo, because it sounds like more hell to go through. But I am so depressed so very much so ( and I have a history of depression ) this shot makes me want to kill myself and I am just so upset. The bleeding won’t stop it hasn’t stop I feel week and in a daze every day! What should I do? Are there other options I can look into? I need help please I can’t take much more of this…..I am almost 21 idk if that is important or not but please anyone what should I do?
Hi Madeline,
I think you should get off of the shot. My symptoms have improved, but I still struggle since now I am undergoing an “estrogen storm”, but the good thing is that I am letting my body and hormones normalize after being suppressed by the Depo for 1 year. If you continue the shot, it’ll only worsen symptoms and prolong healing.
I received one shot 2 months ago and it is ruining my life. I constantly feel anxious, severely depressed, and bad at the world. I feel foggy. My back hurts. I have heart palpitations. My head hurt constantly. My vagina is dry and my sex drive is low. I’m so mad at myself for getting this!!!!! I feel like I’m going freaking crazy 😭😭😭😭
I regret ever taking Depo-Provera. Nobody told me in 1995, when it was fresh on the market, that it would make me infertile. Each year, as more studies came out, still nobody warned me of the irreversible side effects (bone density loss, etc.).
DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG! It is poison and will hurt the health and quality of life of any woman who takes it!
I’ve been going crazy for a long time or so I thought. I smoke weed and drink alcohol but I’ve done this before and I wasn’t this sad. I’m so sad I can walk into a room and make people ask what’s wrong. I KNOW IT’S DEPO that’s the only thing I constantly put into my body. My sex life is nonexistent and I live with my boyfriend. I know it’s not me
Before I used the Depo my periods were terrible. They were so heavy and I cramped so badly I couldn’t go to school/work for at least a week. My quality of life was horrendous! I wanted to be active, I had taken up running but it’s no good if you can’t do that for 2 weeks of a month! I went on the Depo at the start of 2016, I was due to run a half marathon and I wanted to try and train properly for it. At first I had continuous bleeding, but it was light. It was bearable. I could do everything I wanted to do. My nurse was great and we gradually worked back from the 12 week recommendation down to 10 weeks. With this I would still occasionally have one or 2 weeks light bleeding before my shot but still nothing bad. Now, just over 3 years on, I have nothing. I’ve also lost 3 stone in weight. I was informed that it doesn’t make you gain weight, it increases your appetite. So long as you eat well, you shouldn’t gain weight. Sometimes I feel a little low for a few days post shot, but I put that down to the sudden increase of hormone. All in all, my quality of life has improved massively. I’m now a running coach and I honestly could never have done that when I was having periods. I won’t come off it unless I absolutely have to, and I guess then I will have to deal with whatever that throws at me. I was given plenty of information about the return to fertility coming off it (up to 2 years) and was warned about excessive bleeding aswell. I feel like I’ve made the right choice in doing this. We have to live for the now, not for ‘what might happen’.
it’s truly do sad. I’m reading this and i can relate to every word. I was given an abortion without my consent. The doctor messed it up and i ended up bleeding for a month, hemmoraging and having to get an emergency blood transfusion and d&c. After the procedure i was given Depo this was in March 3 and i haven’t gotten a period, I’m nauseous 24/7, Crampy, my bones hurt, i have hot flashes every night and wake up soaked and freezing, headaches. I’d rather risk being pregnant right now and almost Dieing again than be on this shot. i feel so bad and trying to keep up with my 6 month old feels like I’m in the Olympic Games. It’s not something I’d do again. I’m not taking bc anymore once this is over
Hi I almost five years ago I had my daughter and she had failure to thrive and a feeding tube which put a lot of stress on my husband and I.. I kept forgetting to take my oral birthcontrol pills so my Dr suggested the best thing for me is depovera from the start it became a nightmare for the first few months I had no period after that for months I was bleeding dark brown to black it’s almost 5 years and my cycle has never been the same I don’t ovulate anymore if i have a period I’m lucky usually now I’m given provera for 10 days to induce a period.. I have been trying to have a sibling for my daughter and because I’m messed up I’m not getting pregnant please if you can don’t ever use this depovera..
I’m sorry but I have to say this… I was on it for 9 years because of severe endometriosis. This injection helped me live again. So it had side effects, like ALL drugs. It is your responsibility to research the things you are given, NO ONE ELSE’S. I’m sure there are a lot of women who it didn’t help but you do not talk about the women it did. You have to realize that you are in control of your body so how can you expect other people to take responsibility for YOUR OWN decisions. Sure this medication has some terrible side effects but every single one of them is listed and accounted for. It is your duty to research your own medications or you have no business being on them. GROW UP LADIES and realize that just because you had a bad experience with this does not mean it should be made to look like friggin arsenic. This entire article is just ridiculous and people react differently to medications… it is YOUR OWN responsibility to know the risks and benefits. If you can’t do that then the only one you should be blaming is yourself!
I am dealing with severe anemia from excess bleeding from depo shot. I had to have a blood transfusion and now am on iron supplements to get my levels back to normal.
I took Depo and within days I became depressed and suicidle. I also experienced many other unpleasant side effects including loss is sexual function and severe night sweats. I am now recovered but I believe this drug is very dangerous. I was given no warning by my GP and I felt very betrayed. I had to take anti depressants while I waited for depo to leave my body. I believe this drug should be illegal.
I stopped my depo shot a month ago (when I was supposed to get my last shot) that I was on for over 6 years. I started it at 33 and stopped at 39. For me it started with the breast tenderness, it hurt to even just put my bra on. I have gained some weight maybe 10-15 pounds. I’ve been getting the feeling of wanting to cry for no reason out of no where and some dizziness but I dont know if the dizziness is from the sadness causing anxiety. The headaches have been awful. I thought I was going to get my period right away but I have not but makes sense that it takes more time. I’m not planning on having more kids but I’m sorry for anyone who is and going thru the issues of not being able to now. So thats my first month of no shot. We’ll see what the 2nd month has to bring.
Replying to the women having trouble with irregular periods and crazy levels of pain: you might try something called FertilityCare. Rather than trying to correct your symptoms by flooding your system with hormones, they look at what’s going on with you vs. what a normal menstrual cycle is like and get to the bottom of what’s happening. I’ve had friends who had all that awful bleeding and pain, and went for Fertility Care, had a minor surgery, and then they were fine, normal, functional. Another friend with infertility issues, her doctor told her to do IVF, instead she went for FertilityCare, they looked at her charts, and all it was was deficiency of Vitamin B! Took over the counter Vit B for a month and got pregnant. She’s got three healthy kids now. Another friend had multiple miscarriages, went to FertilityCare, turned out she was deficient of progesterone and estrogen. Supplemented that for her and she’s got two healthy kids now. I feel it’s so much better to get to know our bodies rather than just masking symptoms with medications, especially when we pay such a high price when we mess with our hormone levels. I’ve been married 13 years, have three kids, all planned, and we use Natural Family Planning. No side effects, is basically free (just paper charts and a thermometer, although honestly, I don’t bother with the temperature anymore, the other signals are so obvious after you learn what your body’s normal is), it means my husband has to take responsibility for our combined fertility, instead of it all being on me, and i can track what’s going on with my body rather than having no idea how it works and constantly trying to work against it.
This May will make it one year my own nightmare set in. I will be 51 years in July. It started with insomnia, serious one. Then migraine that goes on for 3 days at a stretch, vomiting, dizziness, depression, breast pain, and pre-menopausal symptoms including hormonal imbalance. So the first 8 months I thought it was Pre-menopausal symptoms but other women assured me they never suffered like me before their menses stopped so I had to continue the research myself. The nightmare could keep me 3 weeks indoors and useless and one week of relief. Some months it starts a week or few days before menses and continues for another week or two. Each month brings new set of symptoms, especially when I have found my way around the previous ones. Like for this last period, I experienced headache not like the migraine I used to have, fever, high blood pressure as a result of lack of sleep, painful knees, vomiting, fatigue, fainting, heartburn. Please note that I had never had a high blood pressure before now, and apart from the acute headache I had when I was diagnosed of typhoid fever in my teens, I never had headache as I take a lot of water. It got to a point that I felt it was better dead than alive as my body refused to respond to treatment. Only 2 months ago did I start confessing that I would dream again, sing and dance again. I started going out of the house and believing God that I will live another 50 years in good health. Till now, my doctors are still confused with my case. I have taken my destiny in my hands. Although, I am still taking my routine medication judiciously, they don’t help at all at least not to my notice. Since I discovered the real problem, my hope of recovery has increased. It is about 2 years I stopped the injection. I actually took it over 8 years. I enjoyed it, it served its purpose but if anyone had told me that I would be useless for a year, I would not have gone for it. My menses run between 5 to 7 days. Mostly 5 to 6 days and heavily. I am overweight now. If it was Pre-menopausal as I thought, I would have started skipping my menses. God help Women.
I decided to go on depo-provera after having an abortion in October. At the time it felt like the best option for me as I’m not someone who’s great at remembering to take tablets. My doctor discussed some of the side effects with me, mentioning weight gain, bone density, and that there could be some irregularities with my cycle until my body was use to the drug. The last thing I was told before getting the injection, was that I had to get my next one no later than 12 weeks after my first. Which was all totally fine, I could deal with all that.
Not once was I told about the awful mood swings, the crippling depression, or the migraines. But I didn’t get pregnant, and at the time that mattered more to me than any of the side effects, so I stuck with it.
When I phoned to make an appointment for my second injection (two weeks before it was due) I was told that they couldn’t fit me in until the week after my injection was due, which I questioned before they put me through to a nurse, who explained to me that as long as I receive it between 10 and 14 weeks after my last injection, it’s would be fine. So going from what a health care professional had told me, and what I’d read on the NHS website, I felt confident that it would be okay.
On the day of my appointment, I told the nurse about the side effects I’d been having, and it was just sort of brushed off as “your body just isn’t quite use to the drug yet” which I just went with, I mean no one had really told me very much about this drug, and I had no reason not to believe it when a professional was telling me this. She asked me when my last period was, and I told her, I’d had no bleeding since the abortion, which she said was totally normal for this contraceptive. But not once was I asked if I could be pregnant.
I then had my third injection exactly 12 weeks after the last one. Again, the nurse went through all the same questions, and again, didn’t ask if I could be pregnant.
Today, one week since I received my injection, I woke up with horrific stomach cramps, but I didn’t think anything of it and went off to work. It wasn’t until I went to the bathroom and saw all the blood that I realised something was seriously wrong. One of my colleagues took me to a&e, where I found out that I’d had a miscarriage. I was confused, how could this have happened? I was protected, I’d had my injections. I’d been promised by my doctor that less than 1 in 100 women still got pregnant either depo-provera. And then the anger hit me. Why hadn’t the nurse asked if I was pregnant? And if I hadn’t had a period, why hadn’t I been asked to take a test? I’d been told it was normal not to have any bleeding whilst on depo-provera, I thought it was totally normal, not once did it occur to me that I could have been pregnant. And then I just cried. I cried because it all felt so unfair.
I went on depo-provera to avoid the risk of pregnancy. I listened to my doctor and the nurses because they’re health care professionals, I trusted them. I was told by the doctor I saw in a&e that the depo-provera could have been the cause of the miscarriage, but it could have been caused any number of things as I had no idea I was even pregnant. I was 13 weeks. And to find out that you were pregnant, and that you’ve had a miscarriage all in the space of 5 minutes, it’s a gut wrenching feeling, then to find out on top of everything that it could have been due to your contraceptive, which was administered without even checking for pregnancy. This has really made me lose faith in the NHS and their ability to properly inform their patients of what they’re putting in their bodies, and what affects these drugs can actually have. The inconsistency of the information actually given to patients is also deeply worrying. I feel like this could have been entirely avoided if I’d had my second injection 12 weeks after my first, but I trusted what I was told by a nurse, not realising that I really I was just decreasing the effectiveness of the drug.
Unpopular as it may be, I do plan on sticking with depo-provera, however I will be making sure to get my injections 10-12 weeks after the previous one. The side affects are something I can cope with for the most part.
However I do adamantly believe that the health care system needs to change in order to better protect women from things like this happening.
Doctors and nurses need to better inform their patients of exactly what they’re putting in their bodies and how these drugs are going to affect them, in the short term and the long term, as well as making patients aware of the affects of coming off of these drugs, and offering them support and possible solutions to deal with these affects.
Today I lost my faith in the NHS, in its doctors and nurses, and in its ability to properly care for its patients.
The system is broken, and it needs fixed.
All I’ll say is, I started the depo shot at 15 years old. My periods and cramps were terrible for my age and the doctors didn’t want me on pain medicine and I’m terrible at remembering to take a pill. I went from being 125 pounds to 228 pounds within a year, being on the shot. My doctor just kept reassuring me it wasn’t the depo shot causing the weight gain. But I had been thin and tall all my life. And what’s funny is, when I stopped taking it after the first year, within the next 3 years, my body dropped all the weight without me exercising or changing my diet at all. I will never recommend the depo shot to anyone.
My symptoms after stopping the shot after 2 years were very minimal. However I did lose half of my hair and after stopping the shot over 15 years ago my cycle is still extremely irregular if for months non existent. Not to mention I truly believe the shot cause my not temporary infertility like they warn but permanent infertility. No one warns you that could happen.
I have endometriosis and degenerative disc disease. I started depo to help control my endo symptoms before and after my 360° lumbar fusion, and the subsequent hardware removal. I was on it for about a year.
That year included a trip to the ER because I began bleeding black. Not a dark red, Black. My parents and I were terrified. It was the depo. I became extremely physically depressed, fatigued, hormone flux, cloudy minded, constantly crying. My doctor told me these symptoms weren’t due to the shot, but I removed myself from the shot on my own after not getting much support from my obgyn. Though the fatigue, weight and depression went away, I now have a new set of problems such as no periods. Ever. Pelvic floor dysfunction, the endo continued growing despite the shot, ear aches, hormone fluctuations continued. I am very scared I will not be able to have a child. My doctor’s answer to these issues and the endo pain is take out my uterus, change contraceptives, or live with the pain..orilissa is $800+++/month. I wish I had not had the shot.
Hi, I got the shot and I started get seizures and severe mood swings. I got off it and now way over weight, severely depressed and having to go to Vanderbilt for seizures.
Since i stopped the injection,i have been having serious chest and backpain.doctor dont seem to diagonise anything,i attribute this to depo provera.
Abstinence. The most effective birth control.
Be fruitful and multiply.
I started the depo shot in June of 2018, mostly as a way to help with the migraines I experienced with my periods, it has help to eliminate those. However my periods have been truly erratic and today I had to have an endometrial biopsy because I’ve been passing HUGE clots for over a week. Had a transvaginal ultrasound in the ER last Wed night due to filling pad after pad in an hour. Honestly hoping for abnormal or cancer cells so I can get a hysterectomy and be done with it.
My daughter is having intense anxiety and feels like she is going crazy after getting the shot. I am angry and feel helpless, as I did not know the depth of the risk until after.
My mom has felt the same way. I am 21 and I struggled with the same thing as your daughter. The mental side effects of the Depo are awful, and it’ll take awhile for these symptoms to decrease. I’ve been off this BC for about a month, and I feel a lot better, but I still struggle. I think after a couple more months I will return to normal. I’m sorry she is going through this – but it’ll get better.
I had pannic attacks for 2 years after taking this drug. I was shaking uncontrollably.praying to god to end tjese horrible pannic atyacks.i would swet to the point that my make up would not stay on.all day all nigjt facial swetting. Now its been 5 years and i still cant stip the sweting.aloe helps temporally.by rubbing the aloe juice onto the face. Besides that i hate hate hate this birth control. I would never sudgest it to anyone.
I have been taking the depo shot for about 10 years. I haven’t had any major issues. I do have tender breast and lower back pain, but the lower back pain could be associated with my age.
I’m about to be 40 and I think I’m going to stop getting this shot. Sometimes I ache badly from my back down. I am scared of the bone loss issue. I’m afraid I may be one of the depo users who may not be able to walk. I do not plan to have any kids, never wanted any. I do not want to try any other birth control method. I pray that I do not experience some of these side effects that have been mentioned. I do think the dr’s should explain more about the pros and cons of this shot.
My 18 year old daughter was on Depo for 2 years and last week was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer). It may not be proven where the cancer came from but I highly suspect the Depo shot.
Depo ruined my life honestly when i first got in it i bled for 3 weeks straight.Blood just gushing out my body i don’t crave sex anymore, my vagina doesn’t even really get wet .. it’s just depressing seriously i would not recommend!
This shot has left me a shell of my former self. I took this shot only once in early December of 2018. I have been bleeding continuously since. Less than a week after having the shot I was in the hospital. I was in severe pain, nauseous every day, had diarrhea and a disgusting bright yellow discharge continually gushing out of me from this shot. The hospital supposedly gave me a shot to reverse this terrible drug, but I’ve yet to stop bleeding heavily and am still in severe pain. Not only do my ovaries feel like someone is continuously kicking them, my stomach is just as bad. Everything I eat makes me bloat and feel sick. I’m thirsty and just drinking a bottle of water makes me feel like I’m going to barf. Five months of my life I can’t get back. I want a child now, and I can’t get pregnant. I have to bleed day in and day out. I bleed so bad I have to wear adult diapers. Not only have I lost my job, my dignity, I am so depressed. I keep sinking deeper and deeper in sadness. I never wanted to kill myself before, now I’m flooded with depressing thoughts of just wanting to end it. I’m so weak from blood loss, I can barely stand, and now I’m terrified I’ll be permanently infertile, as the doctors don’t know how to stop the bleeding. I was told by Planned Parenthood that this shot was the safest method of birth control out there. How I was lied to! I would never of got this shot had they told me it would take away my fertility and leave my life a living hell of constant heavy bleeding and pain months after the shot was supposed to “wear off”. Saying the shot is only effective for three months is a cruel joke! Five months and I can’t get back to normal! Now I hear some people don’t get better until after TWO YEARS?! What the hell are we putting into our body with this shot? I’m not my normal self and I’m amazed my husband hasn’t divorced me yet over this. I know he has to find my constant bleeding repulsive. Our intimacy has been ruined by this. I just want this nightmare to end! I am so so sorry I ever used birth control! I wish I would’ve just gotten pregnant! Now I may never get the chance to be a mother. I just want to be normal again. I’m at my wits end, my nerves are fried, and I don’t know what to do. I ruined my life. Please don’t make my mistake. I wish to God I could take it back.
Wow, I’ve been looking for this for so long! I got the shot as a teenager after I had my son. My son is my only child. I have been infertile, battling cancer, as well as hormonally imbalanced ever since.
I have always felt this was related to Depo, even though my doctor denied it. It feels good to have some affirmation. I could feel the change in me after I was administered Depo. I bled so profusely that I was severely fatigued. This lasted for several months.
The hardest thing for me to understand is I only had one dose. I refused to have another because of the side effects.
Please, understand. I’m not talking about some minor issues that inconvenienced me. Im talking about severe side effects. They interfere with, and obstruct activities of daily living.
Thank you for having this discussion. I am really relieved to know this information is out there for anyone thinking about this method of birth control.
I received one depo shot last year in April. I have yet to have a period. I also have PCOS. I have had my blood taken to check my hormone levels, all are normal. Will my period ever come back?
I am 42 and have been on depo for around 20 years. I was never made aware of the issues I might face coming off the shot. At this late date, would I be better to wait until there’s a better chance I would be in menopause? Or if I go off of it and have miserable symptoms is it going to cause havoc in my body if I go right back on it? Thank you
There were many birth control experiments in the name of social services that has been done. The consequence was bad and almost unexpected. The women were the primary object of those experiments has to suffer. I hope this case may not be put in perspective again.
I put my niece [not a birth niece, a heart niece who’s birth parents – dad died/mom not in pic] on this at the recommendation of the doctor at the clinic after she ran away. We’ve got custody of her and has been exposed to alot and we’re having to teach her better lifestyle choices.
The doctor at the clinic did NOT discuss any side effects with me. I was made to leave the room and she discussed this with my 15yo niece. What she remembers is that she would “drip some.”
I didn’t realize it – but she was out of tampons last week- and i was like – what are you doing with them – giving them away at school? she’s been “dripping” for 60 straight days. She’s been using a tampon every day for 60 straight days. No counseling on this from the NP at the clinic. her mood swings are horrendous and after reading more about this – i find that it can intensify depression. She ran away b/c she was depressed and this stuff just jacked it up several notches. Now we’re stuck with this for another month and looks like it just continues after you come off of it. Thank you so much for this website. I would never have put her on this if I’d been given the info on it.
I had the shot a month ago; I can barely walk without running out of breath! at first i thought i had issues with my breathing only for my doctor to run all tests testable to find nothing. it all came down to depo; i hate it its taken my walking freedom away; I can’t wait for it to wear off! I think it should be banned
Did your breathing get better once you were completely off the depo? I am having the same exact problems as you are mentioning and I have NEVER in my life had any problems with breathing until now when I took my 1st depo shot!
I’ve been off of depo for a year now and my body is still recovering so my periods are irregular but I noticed how much more painful they’ve gotten since I stopped the shot. They were never this painful before and I also noticed I’m having painful orgasms when I’m coming close to my next period. That’s never happened before either and I spoke to a nurse about it but she told me she never heard about depo causing painful orgasms. Has anyone else experienced this? I know the different kinds of pain I’m experiencing has to be from of the shot because this only happened after I stopped! I’m only eighteen and I feel like I shouldn’t be dealing with painful orgasms at this age. But It’s crazy how doctors don’t discuss the side effects of stopping depo! Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?
Depo Provera caused me to require a blood transfusion due to constant heavy bleeding. I don’t consider this a minor side effect.
Hi my name is keily so everything started in June 2017, when I decided I wanted to start depo provera , I even hate mentioning that name, brand whatsoever. Everything was fine I use to bleed maybe the first 3 months on and off and the my period stopped at all, I was kinda happy yay no period, but also concerned because I know that’s something important for us women to have so I asked my gynecologist if it was normal so she told me it was. A year later June 2018 I started gaining weight I went from 118 to 130 so I decided I was going to get a bbl(liposuction with fat transfer) as you know when you are going to do those kinda procedures you have to stop any tips of contraceptives so I did my last shot was on November 2018 I was supposed to get my next round of shot on February 7th 2019 but I didn’t my surgery date was April 29 ,2019, but I could go day before I start feeling really sick headaches, my face was so round and fat , I went to my primary doctor thinking maybe I had sinuses due to my bad migraine and full round face specially my cheeks. He tested me for that everything came back negative, he also tested me for thyroid everything came back normal , so I told him I had stopped depo and he told me to go see my gynecologist, I did but she said there was no way depo could cause me any of my symptoms, by that time not did I only had headaches and fat round face i was gaining more weight I was 145, stretch mark under my arms under thighs my abdomen, severe acne , hair everywhere you could imagine on my body including face it’s been horrible, so I went to the internet and kinda search my symptoms and stumbled upon Cushing’s syndrome so I went to see and endocrinologist, he tested me for several things but most came back normal , but my cortisol, acth plasma , and hdea sulfate came back really really low , and my prolactin came back super high. I know doctors say it’s not depo but I think it’s is , as soon as a month that I stopped depo I used to wake up nauseous, I felt really weak I would have bad headaches and everything just started getting worst and worst as today june4th 2019 I’m doing really bad my appearance is awful. Also I haven’t seen my period for almost one year and half till today . I’m waiting for my endocrinologist to contact me , hopefully everything resolves for me and for you guys too
Okay, so I had very regular periods that lasted 28 days and I knew exactly when I would be on and when I would ovulate before. I tried an estrogen pill and it didn’t work for me because of my migraines and I began having extreme drops in blood sugar and it got worse from there. When I went to my OB she recommended Depo Provera because of my migraines. On the shot my period became irregular and then nonexistent at times, plus I had severe abdominal pain and we couldn’t find the cause. Going off of the shot per my doctor’s recommendation after four or five injections I began to bleed every day for sixty days. When it stopped I was relieved until I didn’t have a period for over 3 months. When my period did return it came back longer than the typical week and I have had it twice a month for the past three months. They warn about bone density and that it could take 1-2 years for your period to return, but not that it could cause severe abdominal pain, that when your period does return it will be highly irregular, or that the time you spend bleeding day after day will outnumber the days you don’t bleed. Also, the breast tenderness, nausea, and fatigue are long lasting side effects from transitioning off of the shot. Additionally, there should be an extra warning for all patients that have hypothyroidism or are symptomatic and have borderline test results because this shot is very bad for them. To the makers of Depo Provera please do more research and include a more detailed side effects list for both the time when the shot is administered and when a patient ceases taking it. To all future birth control users please check all possible options and don’t freak out like I did and decide you must be on something by your wedding day.
I was on depo over 12 years/ my main complaint was weight gain- I was over 50 pounds over weight on depo and looked pregnant! I stopped and used mini pills afterwards to “be careful” / when I stopped the depo- I lost 50 pounds in a matter of months! I am now 55 and have not had a period since 47 and a half- I used mini pills after the depo just to “be careful” // as I did not want to terminate a pregnancy for the 3rd time! I wish doctors would be more open minded about tube tying,personally! that would be great but they make a woman go through too many hoops and loops!
I started on the depo shot after my birth control pill stopped working and I was regularly spotting. After starting the depo shot I was SO much happier. I hadn’t even realized the pill was causing depression and horrible mood swings. The shot solved all of that. Also, my migraines are practically gone. Maybe 1 every couple of months. My doctor informed me to not take the shot longer than 2-4 years and after that time period I should think about switching to something else SOLELY for bone health.
Before I was starting any birth control i had severely heavy periods and chronic migraines.
Depo Provera made a normal life possible for me. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as a possibility. Beforehand I was an emotional wreck three weeks out of four; so much pain, heavy bleeding that was difficult to manage. My whole life revolved around managing my period! After depo provera, I could just get on with things and have a ‘normal’ life. There were no side effects other than the wonderful loss of my period. I stayed on it for 25 years. Coming off it, which I am doing now, is releasing me into a menopausal state, which is not much fun, but completely expected. As I no longer have periods naturally, I feel no need for it any more. I did also come off the depo twice in order to conceive and had absolutely no trouble doing so. Within a couple of months of stopping, each time, I became pregnant. I found depo after trying a number of other contraceptives, all of which screwed me up completely. Each body is different and you need to find the thing that works for you. There is plenty of information out there on all of them. It is your responsibility to educate yourself.
I am 42-years old and I have been using Depo Provera for 21 years. I have not had a menstrual bleed since. My experience using the drug has been great. I read about the bad long-term effects and stopped using the drug. Everything went wrong. Weight gain, fluid retention, irregular bleeding, mood swings, flushes and painful cycles, and the list goes on. It was all so bad I went straight back onto the drug. Is it safe to continue using it? What alternatives are there? Am I destined to be on Depo Provera for life or suffer the withdrawal symptoms? Are the withdrawal symptoms permanent?
Leigh,
I am 49, depo since 19…no bad experiences…. no fat, nothing. Been having my teeth literally fall out… which brought me to this site… not sure if it’s related, but…. what will withdrawal be like? I met a pathologist in 2007 that had studied DEPO, he told me to stay on it until I was 55 and then over a 2 year period gradually wean off with no side effects. My dr. Which has given it to me since approved by FDA,other clinics pryor, says NO stop at 50!
I have just done exactly this, I couldn’t cope with the withdrawal symptoms, although I didn’t link the withdrawal symptoms to the injection until reading this! I was offered anti depressents just yesterday, before I read this post, I self referred myself for therapy and CBT, I’ve been that bad.
All of the information in this article was very interesting to read, especially after being told that Depo is the only thing that will work for me after it caused me internal bleeding once coming off. I had to go into endoscopic emergency/exploratory surgery after bleeding so much for a solid 4 months (after stopping my depo injections) that i started “back” bleeding and blood was filling up my abdomen for at least 2 months! looking back on it now i can truly say i thought my irregular period bleeding was normal after coming off the drug, and the pain i was feeling was simply severe cramping. I got into see my OB and explained everything to him.. i was told to go to the hospital because they thought my appendix was going to burst. The hospital did an exam after my OB had just did one as well (very uncomfortable) and an ultrasound, only to discover my appendix was “fine” so they gave me some painkillers and sent me on my way after at least 5 hours. Over the next week i visited the hospital 3 seperate times and my OB 4 each time recieving more exams, more drugs, and no answers. I have never been in more pain in my life and there were multiple points where i didnt think i would make it through at all. Then we scheduled my “exploratory” laparoscopy which turned into emergency surgery to drain all the blood from my abdomen that no one knew was there! I lost a month of my life and when i wouldnt stop bleeding weeks after my surgery i was told i HAVE to go back on Depo. I went back without giving it much thought because i was desperate to feel better at this point and only after a few days i finially stopped bleeding. It has been almost 2 months since being back and i am remembering again now why i stopped in the first place. My mood swings have been out of control and i fear im driving my partner away, i have gained weight, my skin is worse than ever, and i am very worried that i might have to be back on this terrible drug for a while now. Im seeking a second opinion soon when i have more money but im afraid to go through the process of trial and error once again testing out a new method of birth control that will actually help me. Sending positive vibes out there to all the women suffering from Depo. I hope that you can all find your answers too, and i deeply hope none of this happens to anyone else.
I had my third shot on January 28. I will not get another shot. I went on them because of heavy periods and PMDD. I am not trying to prevent a pregnancy. I have dealt with neck pain and leg cramps since going on Depo. I thought maybe it was allergies or Lyme Disease. After my last shot I bled for six weeks straight, into March. I have not had a period since and I have been experiencing extreme pain from head to toe, constant fatigue, and a lot of panic attacks. I hate this drug and I can’t wait until these withdrawals are over.
Is it possible that the majority of women who had bad side affects is because they’ve had a pregnancy that already affects your body’s hormones.. I’ve never been pregnant and have been on the shot for past five years.. it’s helped a lot..I’ve lost weight. Most people I know who took it complained about having bad side effects yet they already had children before using.. I think more research should be done and women with children shouldn’t use it.. that’s what it seems to the problem.
While I was on Depo Provera I experienced no bleeding for a while which i enjoyed but was also cautious of it as well seeming as I feel that it’s healthy to get your period every month. Then I started having light constant and random bleeding everyday for months at a time sometimes. I also experienced mood changes and cramping sometimes but the cramping wasn’t bad compared to my period.After I got off of Depo Provera I all of a sudden had no bleeding at all for a year exacty ! I didn’t like that because it made me feel like if I wanted to try to have a baby that I wouldn’t be able to…..I wasn’t able to get pregnant until years later after Depo Provera (that coulfd’ve just been a coincidence but i don’t know). I definitely wouldn’t recommend anyone to use it after my experience.
I had this injection in 1993 and it cost me my marriage. I instantly lost my sex drive, stopped wanting to go out and was depressed.
I’m horrified that it’s still in use as there was meant to be a COURT CASE over the amount of women affected by the implant and injection siting depression as a major side effect. Of course the court case didn’t happen, big pharmaceutical companies wouldn’t allow that!
My life has been hell over the last few months since I stopped having the injection, I’ve been suffering mental health problems, anxiety, depression, racing heartbeat, insomnia, weight gain,periods every other week! I actually self referred myself yesterday for therapy, yes I do have a tough life but I’ve always been strong until I stopped the injection. I didn’t link my mental health problems to the injection until I came accross this post, and, have since just had the injection again as I can’t cope with the way it makes me feel. Thank you for making me aware!
I suggested my daughter try depo provera and within a few days she went from being a confident happy 17 year old to having debilitating anxiety and depression. The first month and a half have been intense anxiety. She it still anxious and now also depressed, crying every day and feeling hopeless with a complete lack of pleasure in life (she used to be so full of life). She can’t think straight and has brain fog all of the time. She is wondering what the point of life is. I am furious that these side effects weren’t clearly explained to us before she went on this.
[…] swings, heavy bleeding, and weight gain arising from the “estrogen storm” that often occurs when Depo-Provera is discontinued. The popular IUD is also not as safe as you might think. Yes, the horror stories of insertion pain, […]
I have a 28 year old, nonverbal autistic daughter, and I was advised 2 years ago by her primary care doctor to allow her to get the depovera shot to “help” alleviate her menstrual pain during her cycle, and I reluctantly allowed the shot. After 2 years of receiving it, (and after doing my own personal research of the side effects), I decided that it was time to stop giving her depovera, and both our lives have been negatively impacted since the withdrawal process started.
My daughter doesn’t enjoy walking around the neighborhood anymore for exercise. Her sleep patterns are not the same. She wakes up in the middle of the night in tears, when she does sleep, and some nights she won’t sleep at all. Her appetite is inconsistent now, when before she would eat anytime that food was offered to her. She has many mood swings and won’t allow me to comfort her at all. Her menstrual cycle is inconsistent and when she does have a period, it’s short and doesn’t seem to be what it was before taking the depovera. She doesn’t want to attend school (at least once a week now), and some weeks she miss multiple days.
And being that she’s nonverbal, I have no way of specially addressing what is bothering her. That in itself has been torture. If not for the women taking the time to post the side effects that they are experiencing, I would not have had a clue to what my child is going through, and I’m so thankful for their personal stories.
I feel extremely guilty and I regret ever allowing them to inject her with this poison.
The after effects (mentally and physically), have taken a toll on both of our lives, because when she suffers I suffer. When she doesn’t sleep, I don’t sleep, and when she miss school, I can’t work. If I had known what this drug was really about before I allowed it, I would’ve never let them give it to her. I did my own research after the fact, and now I really regret now doing it before they convinced me that it was the right way to combat her menstrual pain. I hope one day soon that this drug is totally out of her system, so that she and I will no longer have to suffer like we have suffered this last 12 months. Thank you so much ladies for sharing, because if not for your stories, I wouldn’t know anything at all about what my daughter has been going through, both physically and mentally. Thank You all!!
My daughter was on the depo shot for 2 yrs, when she stopped the depo shot, she has been experiencing headaches, moodswings, off balance(equilibrium), visual problems and she has been to so many rd and paid a lot in medical expenses for them to tell her that they cant find anything wrong with her. They put her on norethindrone, and it is not working either. What does she do next, it is so bad that it is putting a strain on her body and a relationship that she is in.
Hi there. My name is Sophie and I’m 17 from the UK. I went on the Depo shot a few months after my 16th birthday. (June 2018) After 2 shots I had my third and final in late November 2018, I believe it was. I had been on the pill since the summer of 2017 and experienced some slight weight gain and decrease of sex drive but nothing I couldn’t handle. (At the time I thought this was really bad, so looked for another option.) (I would rather take the pill for the rest of my life than ever look at the depo again.) My doctor gave the usual speech of the more common side effects such as weight gain and lowered sex drive but really down played them and said side effects are rare and it’s super cool because no periods and no babies yay! Which obviously appealed to me as a 16 year old girl. (In a very steady and stable relationship that I am still in to this day.) Point is, I already didn’t have periods because of being on the pill. I came onto the depo, got some bad side effects. I was extremely tired, was getting almost daily migraines, my sex drive was non existent, I had no periods, no discharge, I was moody AS FUCK and my depression skyrocketed. So I came off. I’ve been spiraling downhill since. I very VERY suddenly put on 2 stone between November 2018 and January 2019. That is only 2 months. My weight gain slowed down but didn’t stop and I was 3 stone heavier after coming off the depo shot by 17th birthday in March 2019. I hate myself. My body makes me feel sick. I am still gradually putting on weight to this day. I was 13 stone 3 when I went on the shot, I am 5’8. I am now 16 stone 3. I was a UK size 12 dress size, now I’m an UK size 18 or a 20 in trousers and size 16 in tops. I am distraught. I am covered in stretch marks. My boobs have tripled in size. My nipples constantly hurt, if I or anyone else touches them (including my dog knocking into me etc.) it hurts so bad that my eyes well up with tears. I am an absolute whale. Due to the extreme and fast weight gain i’ve lost almost all strength. I have really bad back pain and my bones and joints are weak. I dislocated my knee at the start of the year. I did this because of the depo provera shot. I am not strong enough to carry my own weight. I literally SNAPPED at the knee because of it. I wouldn’t wish the depo provera shot on my biggest enemy. It has ruined my life.
I wish I would of knowen about the fertility issues after taking depro. I started taking it in 2006 and stayed on it for 3 yrs. Before depro never had fertility issues. After depro had fertility issues. Never was able to conceive after it. I also hit pre menopause at early age at 40. No my doctor did not tell me about these side effects. If only if i would of been told. I would never taken it
I was given the Depo shot April 2019. I was not receiving the shot for birth control, but because my physician felt it would help my Anemia and lessen my cycles. Two weeks after receiving the shot, I began to bleed, I have currently been bleeding for 8 weeks straight, week 5 was the scariest, because it became very heavy. I recently had a D&C because they saw two areas on ultrasound that looked questionable, when they were in there, they didn’t find anything but a very think uterine wall. The Gynecologist who did the surgery said the Depo Shot is causing the bleeding. It has totally backfired with helping my Anemia symptoms. I have gained weight and I am tired of wearing dark clothes. This was the worst decision I have ever made and no I am stuck “waiting it out.”
Depo left me with 3 giant holes in my thigh, in the injection sight.I have been so devastated that I’ve considered cosmetic surgery,and that is not in my character. I’m so insecure,and very stressed that no one ever told me this could be a side affect till after it happened.
I absolutely love Depo, have been on it for over 16 years and never plan to come off. YMMV, as they say.
I am 46 yrs old, i have taken depo provera on june 8th 2019, for 10 to 12 day i did not have spotting at all, 24th june i am everyday little bit of bleeding, what is the cause, should i continue taking depo provera after few months or stop it.
I have been using depo for a month. The side effects are too much for especially the abdominal pains, depression and breast tenderness. I’ll stop using it.
I didn’t get the injection for birth control I got it because I had terrible anemia cause by heavy periods over a long period of time (since I was 16). My doctor suggested the injection to stop my periods and help my body heal. I am 53, the women in my family have late in life babies and even later menopause (my last baby was at 48). It has been three months and I am still bleeding, I have been to the emergency room twice for very heavy bleeding. I have terrible PMS and now I am worried that I am going to be thrown into depression as I wait for this hormone to leave my body and my body to level out. My anemia is worse. My doctor told me that some women complain of a little irregular bleeding the first shot but most women don’t have a period at all. I also just spent a year losing 40 pounds to improve my health and in three months put on 14 pounds, I am bloated all the time and feel like I have PMS food cravings that are not controllable. I am doing my best to eat healthy but my body shape has changed very quickly, not just weight gain but the way fat is distributed. My cup size increase and my breasts are heavy and painful like they were in the first months of pregnancy. There has not been one positive with this injection. Now my doctor wants to do an ablation to stop the bleeding and I can’t, I don’t trust her. I know she didn’t do this on purpose but the feedback is obvious, every internet search I do talks about how awful this injection is. I didn’t do my research because I got the injection the day I had a biopsy, she recommended it because she said she was worried that one more heavy period would tip the anemia. It was a fast office decision and the way she told me about the side effects gave me the impression that it was rare and not a problem.
I toke the shot years when I was 17 – 19 years of age . I’m 41 now . That shot first I got pregnant on the shot so guess I was the 1 out of 100. Because of where I didn’t know I was 3 months pregnant the doctor gave me injection why I was pregnant had formed a cyst on my liver . To where I was highly observed thru my daughter’s birth. But second of all I have had multiple surgeries on my liver cyst. To where 3 flare ups of the cyst has almost killed so I have had so many surgeries on my liver. That I am on Pittsburgh liver donation list because there is no cure for my liver . So please please all moms an teens thinking of getting this shot .
Please I’m 41 years old have almost had my life takin away multiple times. Please don’t take this shot . It’s a killer ..
I was 7 months postpartum( and breastfeeding)when my period came back with vengeance. And had a really long period! that lasted about 2 ¹/² weeks. After having another long heavy period the following month. I’ve decided to go see my OBGYN. About a month prior to the visit I was terrified of all the bleeding that was happening. I was seen at the Emergency department. After all the blood work and ultrasound everything was normal. I have a history of ectopic pregnancy and also had a lost at full term. Me thinking I had an ectopic again had me rushing to the ER.So back to the OB visit in Feb. 15, 2019. The doctor had told me that “oh sounds like you just had a period from hell”. And so she recommended Depo Provera and I had agreed. She explained how it “could” help me with the bleeding. After I had recieved the shot my life has been hell! I bled for over 3 months! My sex drive took a nose dive. I had horrible stomach pain and diarrhea. My hair fell out so much. I was breaking out on my jawline. Slowed down my milk production! I was even more tired then I already was. My lower back would hurt like hell. I retained water! Just a 10min shower my fingers would be wrinkly. Dryness down there. I was so depressed! After the spotting went away for about a good 6 weeks. I finally started to feel a little normal. I never went back for for my second shot. As of today July 6, 2019 the stomach pain and diarrhea has gone. Forgot to mention after having an orgasm (tmi) I noticed bleeding starts up again. Mid June I had a light period for 5 days. And its stopped for 4 days. Had sex again the big O Then! I had my period for 9 days. I had a 5 day break the out of nowhere bam! Period again Now I’m going on my 6th day and it’s been a little heavy. Maybe having orgasms isn’t helping. Although it is contracting the uterus. I somewhat have my sex drive back. My hair is finally growing back. I’ve been taking 5000 units of vitamin D. Somedays I would take a multivitamin instead. And it’s only been 5 months since my first and very last shot! I wouldn’t recommend this contraceptive to anyone. Especially if you’re going through postpartum!
Update from my post… from the july 6th Jen… still bleeding! not as heavy. I’ve scheduled an appointment to talk about the side effects I’ve been having. I’m so depressed. Crying all the time wanting to go back to normal! If they suggest more synthetic hormones I’m not taking it. This has been a horrible experience. I wish there was more updates or if there is an End In Sight!. For everyone having going through this I feel u girl. Ur not alone. I’ve been reading through this every other day to keep mind calm about all these symptoms. It’s sad how we have to come to this website for try and figure out what is going on with our body’s after taking this shot.
Any information on even later in life after taking this…
I too was on this Depo Provera shot in the 90s. In between having my 3 children. So I may have been on it a total of 5 years. I was only married 10 years and had the 3 children in between those 10 years. After the third child , I then had my tubes tied after the c section I had. When my last child was at about 15-17 months old I had 7 weeks of constant bleeding and globs and globs of blood coming out of me , at times I couldn’t leave the toilet, I was SO scared. I felt So week from loosing so much blood. After about 7 weeks of this I had made a Doctor appointment and was gonna have a procedure done , but I backed out right in the Drs office because of what he said could happen from THAT procedure. My bleeding had finally subsided. But till this day I tell my daughters , their friends of my situation, and highly recommend them, to not do it. There is something NOT RIGHT with that shot. Gladly my daughters will not use it🙏🏻
The depo injection has totally ruined my life. My whole body has changed, I gained so much weight and excersized DAILY, I eat totally normal, a variety of fruit/veg, stay away from most fatty things but treat myself to a take away now and again, and still did not see a difference. My mood swings were terrible, the list is endless. I recently came off the injection I am nauseous every single day, my taste buds are basically at the highest they’ve ever been but where everything tastes totally different, I have 0 appetite, I could sleep for 20 hours solid and still feel like I want to go back to bed, I have massive headaches, may I add they also doubled me up onto the levest pill, same week my injection was due and I wanted to change, made me absolutely terribly ill, I couldn’t even get up and go and drive, I feel as though I hate the whole world, everything is properly getting right on my nerves, facing the day is so hard, sweating like crazy, either absolutely boiling or freezing, even after 1 week of being off that terrible crazy injection I have noticed I am fitting into my jeans differently, my body just looks/feels different. I read an article that you can roughly gain 18pounds of water retention from this thing that can stay in your system for months. It is DANGEROUS. I’ve been on it 4 years with no break, I advise every single women who is struggling with it to stop it right now, and find a new method no matter what it takes!
I can only have 3 birth controls. My meds counter act with the other birth controls. My choices are depo, arm implant or the vaginal one. So I chose the depo because there is no procedure to get off of it. Starting depo I bled for 6 months straight. Now after 2 years I haven’t bled. Before I was on the med that conter acted with other birth controls I would constantly bleed on them. I normally have heavy and painful periods. On any birth control they were way lighter than my usual periods. Granted they were more speratic. My normal periods were more on time. But I’d bleed through heavy pads within a few hours with the first few days of the starting of my regular period. Considering the side effects they weren’t as bad as the antipsycodics I’ve been on that have caused me random bladder spasms, vomiting all the time for months, trying to physically hurt people, lactating where i could squirt stuff across at my bf and eatting all the time or having a panic attack if I didnt. Birth control side effects haven’t been as severe as my antipsycodics. So I’ve never had a problem with them. I may get small inconvent side effects but they didn’t make living hard or effect me as severely as the antipsycodics. All meds have side effects and you have to weigh out the pros and cons. Some cons you just have to decide if they are worth it for what you want. I’ve learned that with all the meds I’ve had to take over the years. What can you live with and what’s too much.
What an absolute nightmare, having a period for three months after the Depo shot😱
I’m a 40 year old woman from the UK. I’ve been on the Depo injection since the birth of my first daughter who is now 20. I have 2 other children which I came of the Depo for one took 7 months and the next just over a year. I don’t bleed I have it every 11 weeks due to if I don’t I seem to have tender breast and bad stomach aches. I do suffer with headaches but I don’t put that down to the Depo it’s my sinusitis. So for 20 years a really good shot to prevent pregnancy, I now however am feel my bones aching but will check with the doctor as I would hate to have to come off it. Not everything is down to the Depo maybe it’s another symptom of something else so make sure ladies you get checked out and not just assuming it’s the Depo. My daughter has been on it since she was 13 to control her heavy periods to the point she was passing out. She did bleed not as heavy for a full year but says her quality of life is so much better now her periods have stopped completely. No more passing out and no worries of in wanted pregnancy.
I have been on the depo shot for now almost five years in November I got it right after I gave birth to my younger daughter I didn’t want anymore kids and wanted to be sure…. also had bad I mean bad pains when I was on my monthly…. since I have had the shot I haven’t had a period at all. But one bad thing is I used to be so skinny I wasn’t really worried about gaining the weight but it’s kinda getting out of hand and I’m very active person…. I used to be 110 and kept that weight for years and now I’m at my heaviest 177 and I’m a bit unhappy I wanna loose this weight all they do is say exercise I DO… and even dieting too but nothing helps NOTHING…. please if anyone knows what I can do to help let me know. I don’t want to get off of the depo because there isn’t any other option for birth control I can’t remember to take the pill and I don’t want anything inside me…
I took depo for three years after my 10 year old was born. I already had a hormonal inbalance before I had begun to take the shot and the pill had already put me in the hospital after my 12 year old was born. I did what extensive research I could do with the information available in 2009 and with my obgyn and my family pushing, at 23 years old I received my first shot. Coming off it was a nightmare, but my insurance no longer covered it and I couldn’t afford it. Now I’m 31 and have had five miscarriages since I stopped depo, my body attacked itself and I have not only the Hashimoto’s (hyperthyroidism) I had as a teenager but now Graves disease (hypothyroidism) my thyroid has attacked my body and today I had yet another miscarriage. My partner and I have been trying to concive for three months and yesterday I was told I was 10 weeks. I know depo did this to me, and I hate that I ever put it in to my body. I haven’t used any form of birth control since stopping depo, except the pill to “get back on track” my cycle varries from 26 to 35 days and sometimes it only lasts 24 hours. I’m 31, and the possibility of having another child almost doesn’t exist anymore for me. My partner doesn’t know what to do for me and frankly neither do I. I can’t afford to pay for a fertility specialist either. My daughter wants a little sister so badly, and I can’t even tell her when I do get pregnant, because it never lasts. I want so badly to have two more, and though I’m lucky and blessed to have the two I do have, it’s so painful that I have to tell them they’re it, my two babies and they don’t understand why.
I have been on Depo for 22 years. No doctor has advised me to stop after 2 years. It was a nurse last year who was shocked about how long I had been on this treatment. I stopped treatment last year, but after 12 months of bleeding with the occasional 2 day break I gave up and am back on it.
How can I reduce the bleeding and other nasty/painful symptoms? Heroine users have Naltrexone, does h.r.t. help? I am now 42, and just found out it causes bone calcium issues…just great.
P.s. whilst I am quite upset right now, I am truly grateful for your informative ‘non drug company’ biased post.
I started depo at 15 years old and continued it for 3 years. At 18 I stopped the injections. I hadn’t had a period at all those 3 years of use. After the drug was out of my system it took 6 months for a period to return but thankfully it returned regularly. At 20 years old I met someone and couldn’t figure out which birth control I wanted, my doc said how about you go back on the shot and it’ll give you 3 months to decide on something else. That was sept of 2018. I never decided on another birth control, because as of right now I’m not fertile. It’s 2019 and almost August. I have gained so much weight despite exercising and dieting, I have hot flashes always, and I’m scared. I’m scared that I might not be able to have kids.
I am in nursing school now and getting educated on how these hormones can effect ones body. My doctor never told me what this drug does. My doctor never explained to me the side effects I could experience during the injections or after stopping them.
I am currently experiencing an issue caused from getting off the depo whenever I have my period it lasts weeks on end it’s heavy but not to the point where I’m changing pads or tampons every hour all the doctors would do is mostly tell me go on birth control pills which didn’t work to well and I have been prescribed to take 2 of the 200 mg ibuprofens every 8 hours which kinda helps I was not warned to well about side affects my foster mom forced me on it when I was 18 was on it for a year I’m now 22 and as I said off of it I want to have children someday and fear for my life that I won’t be able to and can’t afford to see any more doctors right now not sure what else to do
Can you contact me? After getting off the depo shoot, I was bleeding for three months after. I also witness my first psychosis and was diagnosed with bipolar. This resulted to life changing injuries and trauma. I don’t have any mental illness in my family line. I believe the side effects of withdrawal from depo shot was bipolar symptoms from hormones levels etc. Please contact me if anyone else was diagnosed with bipolar, mood disorder or depression or even sych symptoms. I’m also an artist and I often explore women issues too. Regards !
Hi, my name is Lisa and I was on depo for 11+ years, from the age on 19 til 30’s. I’m now in my 40’s and I’m really concerned about my bone density and other side effects of long term use of this drug will be. I was never informed at the time of use that it was only meant for short term use. I already have dental issues, with teeth cracking, breaking and have to have a few teeth removed already. I definitely feel uneasy about what my future will hold.
Hi Lisa
I have been on depo for 33 years give or take a few months when I stopped for investigative work due to abnormal smear.
I had a bone density test when I turned 50 and all was well. I am having another on the 19th so fingers crossed. I only found out a couple of years ago that no one should be on it for more than 5 years but it wasn’t stopped and I was happy to continue.
I just want to reassure you that it’s not a given fact that all people on depo will suffer issues with bone density. I am proof of that up to this point.
If you like to walk I’d up it and as for your teeth, try eating coconut oil and gargling with it too. Also black seed oil, take it on an empty stomach every day.
Sending positive vibes for a welcome outcome for you 🙂
If I had a tubal why would my RA doc give this to me knowing I was close to menopause
This just broke my heart.
I’m 23 years old and this is my 1st month off Depo-Provera since I was 13 years old.
I thought I was crazy and over-emotional. This is so sad.
I never knew of the side effects the doctor spoke to my mother about it(as I did not understand) and I never thought to question it.
for the past year, there has not been a day that has gone by that I am not vomiting with or just feeling so sad.
Thank you for making me understand now
I have used depo for one year now.BT now stopped. ma breasts are in pain…though have never received my menses…just blood spotting. I don’t have a baby though.
I started Depo last year and now I am coming off of it and going back on the pill. I havent experienced any withdrawal side effects yet, but I did experience a 4 month period while on it. I lost so much blood while on the shot that I am now on iron pills to replenish my red blood cells. I do not recommend this form of contraception to anyone. I am now having lab work done to see if I have developed a POLYP on my cervix. Steer clear of this birth control, as the side effects are worse than you could even fathom. I recommend the pill, if any birth control as all of them take a toll on your body.
I took depo for almost 7 years. I stopped this awful drug in hopes to become pregnant. I have been off the this depo for 4 years. I can’t get pregnat. I will never have a baby of my own. I will never know what it means to have a child. I want a baby so bad. I have dreamed of being a mom my entire life. That dream will remain just that. I hate this evil, awful drug. PLEASE NEVER RECIVE THIS EVIL AWFUL INJECTION THE WAY I DID. You will never have a child of your own. I cry so much. I’ve tried everything. The pain of being broken will never end. I wanted a baby with my husband. We wanted a baby so bad. We would have loved it more than life itself. Please pray for us. This drug has broken our entire life.
I am sorry this is happening to you. Why do you say that you will never have a baby of your own?? Did the doctor diagnose you with anything that depo could have caused? Are you not getting your monthly cycle? Please let me know as I am trying to get pregnant now and have been off the depo for almost a year.
Hello, I am looking for people like you with a similar story like mines. Please email me ariestrimone@icloud.com
I have taken the depo shot for 6 years and never had a period..great right? Well I have been off of it for almost 6 months and still no period. I am having horrible mood swings and kiss of sex drive..I may never want more children but I would like to have a menstrual cycle so I know my body is recovering from the shot. I see my doctor today and I hope for some answers.
I have been taking Depo-Provera since my daughter was born in 1986. I was 21 and I am now 54. Apart from having to come off it due to issues with my smears in the early 1990’s for circa 3 months, I have never had any other break from the drug.
I am not sure if I have been through the menopause or I am going through it, I feel no different but I am undergoing tests on my bone density of which the results are not yet back. I have had a full blood count taken and tested and all is well but I am suffering a little with pain in the joints of my hands. I have been told this may be a sign of the menopause and unlikely in relation to the Depo. I could come off the injection but I went on it initially purely because I suffered with Endometriosis and then it became useful as I had decided I didn’t want to have anymore children. I may be too old to have children at 54 but I’m a tad concerned that if I do come off the Depo, I might a) get pregnant, b) suffer with the endometriosis again or c) go through what some of the other ladies on this thread have been subjected to.
So I am hesitant on many counts. I am active, walk a lot, have two amazing grandchildren and can keep up with most things they do. My only issue physically at the moment is the joint pain in both hands. However, I did have a car crash last year so it could be the effects of that.
I can’t say I have ever felt any adverse effects from taking this contraception but that’s not to say I won’t encounter any when I stop! Eek.
I’ve been menopausal for the last 5 years . I was on depo for 20 year im now going through hell.! I’ve been going to Dr’s. specialists.. lots of meds that don’t help me. Most of them made symptoms worse.. hot flashes anxiety,I’m just not functional for about 5 days a month…paid a ton of money on rx nothing is helping and no answers from the Dr’s.
I got on this website to see if maybe if the the depo shot could help me feel back normal again and found out that this is probably causing my issues. Don’t know where to turn now.. I’m miseramble. If someone has any answers , please… help me, . I just want to be back to old self again
I’ve been off of Depo for about 4 years now after taking it for about 6, seen my doctor many times with hormone complaints. I have different symptoms such as: cystic acne (never had it before), hair loss, weight gain, mood swings, as well as not being able to conceive (3 years trying). I did enjoy not having a period for 6 years what I’m devastated about is the problems related to stopping the contraception. I would like my doctor to believe me when I say I’m not exaggerating or making up my symptoms instead of just saying there’s nothing wrong with you.
You know, nature is nature. Whether we like it or not. If you try to stop anything in nature you won’t win. Everything is meant to happen NATURALLY. Trusting all of these modern-day scientific methods probably WILL make your body worse, because our bodies were made to reject chemicals. Chemicals aren’t part of nature, so I see why we aren’t getting along well with these methods.
I have osteoarthritis in the spine. I’m just realizing I had been taking depo month prior to all of it coming forth. I had stopped taking it because my nails were falling apart when naturally they were very strong. The blood drained from my face when I saw what it does to your bones 😓
I am 48 and have finished having children. Depo has been excellent at stopping irregular periods altogether. I’m up to about my 4th shot. The only side effects are stiff fingers and the constant itching. My skin feels different.I have been to my GP about it the itching and it was dismissed as dry skin and I was advised to use a good moisturizer. Anyone else having this symptom?
I thought it would be important to share my experience. I was on the depo shot for almost three years, and coming off of it had more psychological repercussions than coming off of an SSRI. Needless to say, that is not even my main complaint. For the past three years since coming off of the depo shot, I had no period, I honestly assumed I was menopausal at that point. It only came back a month ago, and is now irregular, with worse cramps than I ever used to have. Even still, not my main complaint. What has “taken the cake” in my experience has been the intense dyspareunia. Three years. Three years of apologizing, explaining to my SO that I do love him and want him, but it just hurts too much right now. I’ve been to my OB several times, and they cannot tell me any reason why I am experiencing this. It wasn’t until today that I realized this problem is a possible side effect of the depo provera. I don’t know if I will ever get better; it has been over three years. I think every woman should know that this is a distinct possibility. My guess is this is due to the thinning and drying of the vaginal wall. I am only 21, and I am truly sad to be experiencing this in “the peak” of my life. While my period has returned, normal discharge and moisture still evade me. Please stay informed. I would not wish my experience on any other woman. I just want my body back.
Hello – Can i just say that this forum i have spent quite possibly everyday day staring at and reading. Thank you so much everyone for posting their experiences and to a few who have actually returned to post updates! I have had quite possibly the worst 9 months ever in terms of feeling nothing like myself and resulting to thinking i was dying. I was put onto the injection when i was roughly 15 years old as my body rejected all forms of contraception (Implant had to be removed, tablets stopped. this was down to bleeding all the time and also migraines) and i was on and off for years due to break ups etc and never really had bad withdrawals just a bit of irregular bleeding but it was be max 6 months between shots i would come off and on so i guess not much chance was given. I loved the depo and never had issues using it, besides when it was close to being due i would start to bleed slightly, i never got concerned as i never got periods on the injection for years so when it happened the odd time when it was due i didnt mind. I finally met prince charming and with the bleeding becoming an issue around dec 2018 and jan 2019 i decided not to get my injection in feb 2019. I also was getting severe cramping at this point and believed my body was rejecting the injection finally (my moods also swinged up and down but i do have anxiety and depression and i hated my job at the time etc so didnt think much of it) and we proceeded to go on holiday for valentines. This is when the bleeding became a problem. I started to experience pain, ALOT OF PAIN, at all points, sometimes in the night would i would wake up unable to breathe or i would be sick and the bleeding wouldn’t always reflect this (only light when the pain was horrendous and it felt like it should be heavier to reflect this) and i was going through many tampons and pads. Being in a relatively new relationship i was embarrassed and hid this from my partner best i could till it became appear i was comnstantly on my period. He is a lovely guy and understands and said its okay maybe time will help and my body will get back to normal but to stay off of contraception till it does and we will just use condoms. We did this but the sex began to get less and less due to my being on and off bleeding (More so on) sometimes light sometimes heavy, sometimes id have pain sometimes not too bad. I have IBS also so when i was bloated a lot it didnt really concern me too much as i am used to monitoring this and know what to eat or not to eat or to take to help. Till it started to become unbearable. I bleed now so so so heavy everyday all day, sometimes at night and i wake up covered in blood because it caught me off guard. I convinced myself i have cancer and that i was dying and all the other symptoms people put on here about sickness, headaches, bloating, UTI’s, acne, weight GAIN, mood swings and so so much more (not hair loss) and oily skin and spots places i never would normally. My boobs are HUGE and so so sore, my boyfriend laughs because they are just so heavy and big but so so sore. I have all the pregnancy symptoms but have taken maybe 7 tests since march 2019 till today aug 2019. i am at my wits end. But by reading this forum all day everyday some people noted down vitamins and pills etc. I took note of EVERY single one and researched them all to death. I forgot to mention i am so so tired and fatigued no matter what i do and struggle with day to day life because of it now too. i have now bought pregnenolone, B12 iron, evening primrose oil and fultic acid, i started these 3 days ago and the bleeding has just suddenly come to a hault today. No bleeding over night and the odd SPOT today but nothing else. I suddenly feel happy (ish) after crying all day everyday for so long, i dont feel quite as sick, my dizziness is starting to stop, i dont know what worked the most or if any of it did a thing ive not clue but all i know is THE BLEEDING STOPPED TODAY. I may come back on tomorrow and cry my eyes out but today i feel a bit better to just stop bleeding for a few hours as the past few days it was unusually heavy (changing pad every two hours). I have a phone consultation with the GP monday which i made a few weeks ago out of being so scared and angry and at my its end. So will discuss more then. I also have a gynecology appointment next month ive waited 4 months for (my gosh) so fingers crossed im okay and havent got anything serious or that could ruin my chances of babies in the future. I hope this helps someone out there whos trying to help themselves as this forum has given me hope there is light at the end of the tunnel and if the bleeding does come back tomorrow at least these vitamins/tablets have helped me a little in terms of some of the withdrawal effects. I wants babies in the next two years i think so i will NEVER EVER go on anything every again, condoms only im afraid as i feel if this happened again i would be at my wits end.
I originally went on Depo to get reprieve from painful uterine pain caused by endometriosis. Wow! It SEEMED like the answer. I had a great experience at first with the shot. My pain lessened, my hormones balanced out, I did gain weight (30+lbs), but then…
I noticed I was feeling pain in my joints; knees, neck, wrists, foot, etc. I had no idea what was happening to me. Depo had taken most of my cramping away and my period, but I exchanged that for pain EVERYWHERE! I did a little research after going to different doctors several times, several years to attempt to figure out what was happening. After all, I was only 30’ish. Surprise!!! Achy joints are a side effect that others had experienced.
This is when it all went down hill.
As others have experienced, when I went off, I was in horrible uterine pain and constant bleeding, heavy and clotted. I bleed for months, and I did the thing that I regret most…I went back on the dang shot! It was the only thing that helped me to “balance” out.
Fast forward, the side effects from the shot compounded to add lost sex drive, and vaginal dryness. I spoke to my gyno and she said, with no trepidation, ” Oh yeah, and it can be permanent”. What!?!
I recently stopped depo, never to return. I am now, as you say, quietly suffering from intense pain, uncontrolled bleeding, noise bothers me, moods swings, depression, and I could keep going on. The good news, I’ve regained moisture in my body and I’ve been trying bio identifications. My body is taking on a more female form and my skin is looking younger.
I try to stay in shape, but I couldn’t fight depo. It wins! I eat healthy, exercise and stay active, but I gained just looking at a slice of pizza.
This journey to get my body in healthy feminine order has been a struggle. Not sure where to go from here. I don’t trust the medical industry to care, or help me to a place of knowledge or freedom from pain. I refuse to take chemical hormones or pain pills, so… what are Drs. going to do. Idk.
I have had the symptoms for my period for two years: yellow and white discharge, breast tenderness, pubic and armpit hair. Then for the last week I have had other symptoms: Cramps, Headache, Bloated, Tired. But I still haven’t had my period. This would be my first so it is not “late” when is it going to come. I am very anxious.
I am sorry for those women who were young, and in their fertile years who struggled with the after affects. For me, Depo-Provera was actually good. I had horrible periods all my life (started when I was 10)…horrible cramps, bleeding uncontrollably, it was horrendous having my monthly period. And I had it right up until I was 50 (40 years of horror). I never had children, so for me it was a waste for those 40 years of hell. I wanted and prayed for menopause, but nothing. When I was 50, I sought out advise from my doctor who told me about this. I took monthly injections for 6 months, and it actually worked and put me into menopause. Now I feel so much better. So it works for some people that want it, not all negative stories.
I’m really upset with this Depo Shot ,I’ve only had 3 shots!! Coming off is absolutely insane, the crazy symptoms would get most woman to the edge!! As I am now on the edge in all aspects of my life,but All praise be to God I come out of this a sane mother,agent as my job ,and most of all feeling great again!!!
Thank you for this insightful, open post. I actually just went to the doctor today for period-related issues. I’m a teenager and got my first period about a year ago. I only got it again five months later and I haven’t gotten it since. My MD dismissed my lack of period
I’m 5’7 and 107 pounds, which I realize is pretty thin but this is just my body’s natural size.
I exercise about five times a week and eat pretty healthily (including things like pasta and milkshakes but in moderation).
But I just got back from a three week vacation where I didn’t work out at all and ate ALL the delicious foods hahahah and didn’t get period, so it can’t be that anyways.
Any thoughs? Thanks so much!
I was due for my shot in June. My partner and I decided it was time to quit hormones. The last two months I have entered the worst depression of my life. Sudden anxiety attacks. Nonstop episodes of crying. Uncontrollable binge eating. My mood swings have impacted my personal relationships and almost my work life. Quitting depo is the most difficult thing I have had to do – next to getting sober from drugs and alcohol. Last week I had my period for the first time in years. I was so happy. I have faith my period will regulate itself and I am so happy to be on the path of fertility and hormone free birth control. I have a copper iud now and I LOVE it. I will always warn women of the path that Depo takes you. On the shot my sex drive was so decreased and I was so irritable. Now off the shot my sex drive insanely high – more than I thought possible. Unfortunately, I have such episodes of mood swings, anxiety and depression that I’m afraid of the long term toll it may be causing in my romantic relationship. It is such a relief to find this website and participate in a community such as this. It’s important to keep spreading our message of education and caution about the depo shot.
I started taking the depo injection as a method for stopping my periods due to having severe anaemia. I started having the injection roughly October 2015 and in summertime 2016 I started to develop mental health difficulties, including symptoms of depression, anxiety and agoraphobia. I stopped having the injection in October 2018. In July this year I had either four periods in as many weeks (each with about a one day respite between them), or one long four week period with a few days of no bleeding. I have also started to develop the same symptoms of depression and anxiety. Does this match anyone else’s experience?
I have been on the depo for 10 years with a year and a half break in between as wasn’t in a sexual relationship , in that time I never had a period , I have not experienced any bleeding at all or mood swings the only problem I have now is wanting to come off it and not knowing what step to use next and fear as it’s been around 6 years since I had that break the effects I may have mood wise , having another baby is something I don’t want also