Has Anyone Ever Been on Depo Shot? (Worried)

I was on Depo for some time and it was horrible for me. I gained a LOT of weight, and probably had other side effects (this was about 10 years ago). I had to stop using it. I ended up getting on the pill. I was really attracted to it because I always would forget my pill, but it just wasn't for me. Oh, and I didn't have a period very often as well, so that is normal.

Might want to look into another form of BC....have you thought about an IUD? That's what I will be getting after I give birth to my third. I don't want to have to think about it.

I didn't read your responses, but I was on the depo shot after having my daughter and it was horrible! I forget if I had 2 doses or 3. Instead of getting light periods or none, it made me get mine constantly, I also became really depressed, but this creeps up on you gradually and so I didn't realize how bad it had become for awhile. Just stopping the shot did not fix either my period or my depression, eventually (about 6 months later) I went on the pill for a few months, and everything quickly straightened itself out. When you regain your "normal" mental state, it's scary to see how awful it had been on and after depo. I recommend taking the pill either long enough to straighten your system out, or as your form of birth control. I realize some brands/types of the pill can create mood swings as well, but nothing IMO can be worse than depo. Good luck!

I've never been on Depo. I would suggest you use a non hormone birth control method (like condoms and/or spermicide) for a few months until your system gets back on track. That way you aren't stressing over being pregnant on top of the rest. I'd also check with the doctor. Maybe the pill would help regulate things, it is worth asking.

The tiredness, headaches, pulyuria (excessive urination) could be signs of diabetes. Has your doctor checked your blood glucose levels? Hormones are all intertwined, and medicine is only scratching the surface of how the endocrine system works.

The only time in my entire life (almost 35) that my periods have been regular were during 5 months of chemo. It was like clockwork. Now that I'm 18 months out from treatment, I'm back to my wacky hormones.

If you're concerned, get another opinion - any good doctor will respect that you're taking control of your own health. I had to do it with my OB/GYN who wasn't excited about a swollen lymph node on my collarbone that ended-up being cancerous. I had to do it to my Oncologist when I wasn't sure about moving to radiation therapy (ended-up going against his advice and hoping I don't regret it).

First of all, stop worrying! Part of this may be due to stress. Next, speak to your doctor about your concerns, and he or she can walk you through it all. It does take some time to get "back to normal" after stopping depo. Even though you need maintenance shots every 3 months, it actually stays active in your system much longer than that, so seeing its effects for some time is normal. Call your doctor and put your mind at ease.

Hi there. I was on the Depo shot for almost 10 years with no problems. It doesn't sound right that you're having all these problems. I don't think you're pregnant. Maybe you should try to come down a bit, it sounds like you're very stressed out and I feel bad for you. Try to relax, you would not be having all these symptoms from pregancy at such early pregnancy stage even if you were pregnant. Your cycle should be back to normal fairly quickly after the shot especially since you only had one, but every body is different. I got off the depo after 10 years, got my cycle back within 2 months and got pregnant withing 3 months (desired pregnancy). But it just depends. If you don't like it, definitely don't get it again. I never heard of it causing any harm to any of my friends who took the Depo for years. Try not to worry so much, I'm sure your body will regulate itself and you will be just fine.

I have been on Depo for almost 5 years now. I understand the side effects. I too gained some weight (needed to), had headaches, had mood swings..etc.

When I got off Depo June of '05 to get my system back to normal after being on various BC since '92. I was told I would not get a regular period for 6-9 months or even be able to get pregnant for 18 months. Well I got my first period that following August and got pregnant that November...lol.

After I had my daughter, I got on back on Depo. It was great the two years. No periods, no PMS, gained some weight, and the headaches weren't too bad.

Now after almost 4 years..I am loosing weight, headaches are real bad, and the mood swings..let me tell you..I can't get away from myself fast enough! I even have to take the day off from work that time of the month for society's sake...lol. My Doctor told me that since I starting smoking more from stress, the Nicotine is adversely effecting the Depo and that's why my symptoms are getting worse.

Get a blood test done by a Doctor and get checked out to see what's going on if you are not pregnant.

I agree w/ the natural family planning. I went on Ortho Cyclin - it made me sick as a dog. I then tried Ortho Novum - still sick. Next it was Low Estrin. That worked better, but I was still nauseus. My doctor recommended Depo. I did the shot 3 times (I think) and decided the weight gain wasn't worth it. So I decided to do a Progesterone only pill. bad idea - you bleed at any given time for unspecified amounts of time on Progesterone only. Condoms aren't fun and I'm allergic to Spemicide. I checked into a site called Naturalmethods.com and bought one of their monitors. Wasn't cheap initailly, but they have payment plans and I was able to use the monitor to 1) prevent pregnancy and then 2) to tell when I was fertile to conceive. I have been incredibly happy w/ the monitor. Their customer service is excellent! It's easy - you just take your temp under your tongue 1st thing each morning and it tells you which days are "safe" and which days you should not "play" w/out a back-up method. I have used the monitor successfully for 3 years and will continue to use it. My periods are never regular - most women don't have what doctors say are "regular" periods and taking a pill that makes your body have a period every 28 days (or so) isn't natural. Pills also cause bad mood swings. If you're in such a bad mood that your man doesn't even attempt intamace w/ you then I guess the pill was effective - LOL. Hope this helps. This was a huge hurdle for me to over come.

Have you ever looked into use Natural Family Planning??? There are NO hormones, no condoms, it's all natural. The way it works is, depending on which method you choose to use, you monitor your natural body rhythms to monitor your fertility. You take your temp. in the morning and chart it. Your temps are elevated at/right after ovulation until your next period. You monitor your mucus after the bathroom. No mucus, some mucus, lots of mucus... It is 99% effective and there are no side effects. www.ccli.org www.nfpandmore.com