DEPO Shot - Dallas,TX

I was on it for several years and it wrecked my health. I would not recommend it even to my worst enemy.

I had ZERO sex drive, and I gained about 15 lbs the first 3 months.
I bled for the first 4 months straight which was a deal breaker for me.

I do know some people who loved it though. Just didn't work for me.

You do realize that depo provera is injectable progestin, right? Basically depo provera is a 3-month shot of birth control pills so I'm not certain why your gynecologist would recommend it if you have a history of blood clots. Go to this website:
http://www.depoprovera.com/
and scroll down to "certain people should not use depo provera"

Perhaps better alternatives would be to read about fertility awareness/natural family planning, use spermicide (gel, cream, film, suppository with nonoxynol-9) or suggest your husband/partner get a vasectomy.

I never tried the DEPO shot, but had friends that HATED it. They suffered with weight gain and zero sex drive. Quiz your doctor some more. The two of you will come up with a suggestion.

I personally haven't had the depo shot, but a lot of my cousins are on it and they all love it. My aunt has actually been on the shot for like 12 years or something & says all good things about it. One of my cousins said she gained some weight the first year, but then evened back out. I've taken a few of the different pills, and even with those I've had some back & forth weight fluctuation as well.

You will find that whenever you ask about something being put into your body you will get a vast array of answers, some positive, lots scary-negative. I can tell you all about myself being on Depo for 5 years, not getting any periods at all (scary at first, wonderful once I got used to it, NO medical reason why we need to have a period at all despite what some non-doctors will tell you), I did gain a little weight which was absolutely impossible to lose, etc., etc., etc., but the truth is this: EVERYONE REACTS DIFFERENTLY. Seriously, it's like trying to tell someone what it's like being in labor, or what it's like having sex. It's different for all of us so there's really just no possible way to tell you what it will be like for you. Talk to your doctor, make sure you completely understand what the possible side effects could be & make an informed decision for yourself. You know your body better than anyone, trust your gut.

You just might be preventing any and all blessed surprises if you do go on Depo. Scary to read....gut wrenching to actually have to live with that. I have secondary infertility thanks to Depo. How do I know well secondary infertility is infertility that occurs after one already has a child. I had no problems getting pregnant with my first son but 2 shots of Depo and our second son took over 4 yrs and many doctors,tests,and hormones later to get pregnant with. Sadly we only have two children and it doesn't look like we will have anymore since even though we have tried for 9 years now. Our second son will be 11 later this year and I haven't been on any form of BC since he was a year old.
In those years I have come across many other women who made the choice to use Depo and sadly many of us have dealt with infertility and other health issues that many of us didn't have before Depo.
As for condoms have you tried all the various kinds out there. There are several different ones made from different materials that you might not be allergic too. You should also check to make sure the lube or spermicide that is on some condoms. You might have had a reaction to that instead of the actual condom.
As one person pointed out Depo isn't normally suggested for those with a history of blood clots.
You can also look into the book Taking Charge Of Your Fertility.

Never used it myself but remember the depo shot does have Synthetic Hormones in it which and you don't have a cycle regularly either on them which is not healthy either I mean we have cycles for a reason . Have you tried the natural lamb condoms they are not made with latex. I really advise people against any of those types of birth controll. I know a few girls that used the depo shot and it really messed them up.

First - it is horomonal birth control, so if you have an issue with horomones you really want to think this through because once you've had it there's no going back, unlike the pill or nuvaring that you can just remove.

Second - a few people mentioned weight gain/loss of sex drive, which I had but weren't really troublesome. The really bad part about depo for me was the psychotic anger, and I'm not alone in this - google depo anger and you will find a ton of stories of people who had uncontrollable rage while on depo. It took a couple years for my moods to even out after I stopped depo (did shots for 2 years). I almost lost my job & my marriage because of it.

Depo can't be undone - so be absolutely sure it's the best thing for you before you do it.

I got the depo, and was a raving lunatic for 4 months.

It made my sex drive go into negative numbers. It made my co-worker gain quite a bit of weight. If it's temporary and your only option, then as long as you know these might happen, you can be on the lookout for them and do what you can to mitigate them.

good luck!

i have never been on it personally, but i had two friends that took it, and one friend started growing hair on the top of her nose! she had to pluck them every few days, it was kinda gross, and she had her period almost every other week! She hated it!

The other friend did the same as one girl mentioned in a previous post, her sex drive went bye bye.... caused major problems for her and her husband and she didnt get her period for two years! She always thought she was PG! But, as you know, it will affect people in different ways.... good luck!

I LOVED the depo shot!! The pill was a hit or miss and since it was usually a miss - I ended up with all over the place hormones and a ruptured ovarian cyst. Depo was one shot every 3 months - not hard to remember - and the progesterone only is easier on most women's bodies. I had ZERO spotting and no periods. I was on it off and on (mostly on) for about 12 years. The 2 shots I couldn't afford to get (6 months time) was the time I got pregnant with #1 - so it doesn't stay in your body as long as they counsel you.

Common myths about depo:

I DID gain weight, but that was due to bad food and exercise choices... not due solely to the depo.

I had already been diagnosed with depression, so I didn't get that from depo and the shot did NOT make it worse.

Sex drive has always been high... didn't change at all while on depo.