Yet another ladies' only question...

[starrzone]

I just got my first Depo shot on Friday after having been using the Nuva Ring for the past 9 months. Can anyone give me their experiences with it? Did anyone really gain 10 lbs, or experience significant mood swings? Did you regret your choice of BC? I chose to switch for both price and convenience (have NO plans to have kids any time soon!).

Thanks for your help!

 

[princess momma]

I used Depo for about almost 2 years, probably around 15 years ago. I did gain weight. I didn't menstruate while on Depo and for almost a year after stopping. That always made me a little nervous. I honestly wouldn't recommend Depo to anyone I know. I had a lot of friends using Depo at the time, and most of us were not pleased with it.

 

[TaraLee4]

I've been on it for 3 years now. I it!!

I did gain weight, about 15 pounds. However, my periods have stopped and i had the. worst. periods. ever.

We're talked 4-5 days of severe cramping to the point i couldn't stand up, and then a period that lasted 8-10 days

for me it was a godsend. One of the side effects is loss of bone density, so make sure that you're drinking milk/eating cheese, yogurt, etc... Get enough calicum!!

 

[AshleyW]

I was on depo for two years. I DID gain weight - about 20 lbs, but I wouldn't say for certain that it was the depo that caused it. It WAS nice to not have a period. After I stopped the shot, I went on the pill and it took about 2 months for my period to start being regular again, even while on the pill. I got off the shot because apparently you're only supposed to be on it for 2 years, unless for some reason you can't take any other form of birth control. I think it has to do with the amount of bone density that you lose.

Anyway, I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone I know. The health risks and side effects can be a lot worse than the pill, and really it doesn't bother me taking a pill every day.

 

[savannahcat]

I was on Depo for several years in my mid-late twenties. I was married and neither of us wanted kids. I loved Depo - I had no side effects and no periods - it was wonderful. When I was 28, my father passed away, and my whole perspective on kids/family changed. It took more than two years to conceive thanks to the after-effects of Depo. It was the longest two years of my life!

For this reason alone, I would not recommend Depo to anyone. I am proof positive that things can change no matter how sure you are that you don't want to conceive.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I have personally never used Depo, but I do have a friend who was on it for 7 years. She loved it for the time that she was using it, but her doctor told her she had to switch BC methods because she had the bones of a 80 year old woman. Even now, several years later, she is not able to take normal birth control pills because the Depo messed with her bone density and it takes a long time to build it back up.

As I've said, I have no personal experience with the Depo shot, but with a family history of oesteoperosis, I would not try it, myself!

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I was on Depo for around 5 or 6 years (through college and grad school). I loved not having a period to worry about, but I did gain a lot of weight (30 lbs) while on it. The effectiveness of it was a plus and I liked that you only had to "remember" it four times a year. I have read about women having difficulty getting pregnant after being on it, but I was able to get pregnant with my first child six months after my last shot.

I also had really bad headaches occassionally while I was on it, and don't know if it was directly related, but haven't had the same ones since I have been off it.

 

[Crankyshank]

Depo seriously messed up my body. I was on it for 7yrs, and experienced horrible mood swings, weight gain, headaches, bone density issues, and some other issues.
I didn't realize just how crazed depo made me until I got off of it. 5yrs after I have gotten off depo, my periods are still irregular. My endocrinologist blames the onset of my PCOS on extended depo use. I'll be lucky if I'm able to get pregnant at this point - all because I was on depo for so long.

 

[Lanie]

I was on it for 2 years, which is the amount of time recommended before switching any anticonceptional method.

No weight gain, no cramps, no headaches (my prementrual symptom), a little bit of spotting, and my period came back after 3 months... I really liked it! Did much better than the pill on it.

 

[KandD]

I'm sorry to go off topic a bit but how did you like NuvaRing? I have been on it a couple of months now and without being too personal, removing it is really a pain in the neck but the convenience of not having to take a pill is wonderful. I don't know anyone else on it so I was just curious as to whether or not you liked it or had any problems.

 

[kim929]

I used Depo years ago I loved it, no periods, I gained weight but I really don't think it was just due to the shot. I will however tell you to be extra careful the week before you go and get another shot. The effects are not as strong that week. I have an 8 yr old due to this, I know it's a long shot but it does happen. and the only reason I found out was I missed my shot appt. due to being sick. When I rescheduled, they do a mandatory preg test it came back posititve. So just use a little extra protection that week.

 

[starrzone]

I'm sorry to go off topic a bit but how did you like NuvaRing? I have been on it a couple of months now and without being too personal, removing it is really a pain in the neck but the convenience of not having to take a pill is wonderful. I don't know anyone else on it so I was just curious as to whether or not you liked it or had any problems.

No problem at all! The Nuva Ring (NR from now on!) isn't even covered in some BC information packets, so I'm more than happy to share my experience.

I really liked the NR. It was soooo nice not to have to remember to take a pill every day; to be quite honest, I didn't trust myself to remember to do so (the NR was the 1st form of BC I ever went on). In for 3 weeks, out for 1, predictable and reliable AF...wonderful! My AF before the NR was regular, but it was lighter with the NR. I agree that removing and putting in was a pain in the neck, but overall I would say that if I don't like the Depo shot, I'm going back to the NR in January (i.e. after the 3-month Depo shot wears off).

I DID notice some side effects at first; a bit of moodiness, a tiny bit of cramping, some (TMI)............. light discharge, but after the first few weeks that disappeared. Without going into details, (TMI)........ my partner got used to it after the first bit and even told me he forgot it was there. As I said earlier, if I decide that the Depo shot isn't for me and I don't like the side effects, I'm definitely going back to the NR. It only costs me about $15 for 3 rings outg of pocket (i.e. after insurance), so it's very affordable too. Oh, and if you have any other questions, feel free to post or even PM me...I'm glad to help

 

[DWGal210]

I was on Depo for 3 1/2 years and it messed with my body, BIG TIME.

I've gained about 50 lbs in that time frame. I had my last shot in June 09, and they say it takes anywhere from 3-18 mos to work itself out of your system. I never had any spotting or cramping during those 3 1/2 years, but the other side affects made me say enough. (I took it for endo pain, not BC)

My doctor told me that everyone of his patients has gained weight on depo.

Now I am trying to lose that weight and it's very hard; the drug still isn't out of my system and even though I watch what I eat and exercise, still nothin'.

I would have a hard time recommending this to one of my friends.

 

[DWGal210]

Depo seriously messed up my body. I was on it for 7yrs, and experienced horrible mood swings, weight gain, headaches, bone density issues, and some other issues.
I didn't realize just how crazed depo made me until I got off of it. 5yrs after I have gotten off depo, my periods are still irregular. My endocrinologist blames the onset of my PCOS on extended depo use. I'll be lucky if I'm able to get pregnant at this point - all because I was on depo for so long.

Sorry to hear about your experience, Jenn. I've been off for about 6 mos now and although I still can't lose weight to save my life, I do feel better emotionally, I can tell that for sure.

 

[starrzone]

Holy crud...the stories have all been pretty against Depo! I'll try it for these 3 months, but I'm seriously thinking about going back to the Ring after reading your ladies's experiences...

 

[KAMKIM]

I just got my first Depo shot on Friday after having been using the Nuva Ring for the past 9 months. Can anyone give me their experiences with it? Did anyone really gain 10 lbs, or experience significant mood swings? Did you regret your choice of BC? I chose to switch for both price and convenience (have NO plans to have kids any time soon!).

Thanks for your help!

I was on depo for 5 years. I did not get my period at all while on depo. I did not gain weight, but could not lose weight either. I did experience mood swings, sometimes severe. After 5 years I began to lose my hair (alot of hair!) and switched to the pill.

 

[johnsontrio]

An RN in the ObGyn office told me that Depo works because you just don't want s*x anymore... and I have to say I think she was right...

After discontinuing it, I noticed that all of a sudden I was noticing all kinds of good looking men and realized I hadn't even noticed them while on it. I think it just zaps all interest....Perfect for teenagers!

 

[wvjules]

HATED IT! Yea the no periods was great but the mood swings, weight gain and lack of libido weren't worth it. Things are much better since being off of it. Still haven't lost the weight yet even with watching what I eat and going to the gym.

 

[KAMKIM]

An RN in the ObGyn office told me that Depo works because you just don't want s*x anymore... and I have to say I think she was right...

After discontinuing it, I noticed that all of a sudden I was noticing all kinds of good looking men and realized I hadn't even noticed them while on it. I think it just zaps all interest....Perfect for teenagers!

Yep this was true for me too!

 

[RadioNate]

Depo was the worst birth control mistake I ever made.

It destroyed my fertility. After 2 shots, I didn't have a period for more than 2 years. It took round after round of BC pills and strait progesterone to get me back to a regular cycle. After that it took me another 4 years to have a successful pregnancy (which took clomid and progesterone support) with several miscarriages in between. Including 1 second trimester miscarriage. My last two OB/GYNs (in Texas and here in Orlando) won't even prescribe depo anymore because they have seen too many women with fertility problems after taking it.

I would urge any friend who asked me to not to take it.