Depo-Provera side effects

I have been taking depo for about a year and half now and 3 months ago i started having horrible GI problems. I have gotten to a point where i can't eat or be away form the bathroom for more than 30 mins. i was put in the hospital and ran EVERY test possible for GI problems and every test showed nothing. my internal medicine doctor suggested going off the depo and see if it makes me feel better. so i plan on it but for now i have to let the deo run its course. after reading this website I found out that less than 1% can have the problems i have been having so i plan on going off it. so if you are on the depo shot and are having GI problems then depo may be the problem

Well ladies, I don't really have much to add. Weight gain, depression, anxiety, loss of sex drive and as many of you have said the mental problems are the worst.
In high school I tried "the pill" despite my better judgment. Ironically the female doctor I had requested did not believe me when I told her my regular migraines were caused by estrogen. Predictably I became extremely aggressive and angry.Since then I had been taking a pill with no estrogen, a once a day birth control pill, the kind you have to take at the same hour every day.
I changed over to Depo-Provera because I don't trust myself to take a pill with in an hour window. And because with out some sort of birth control I'm worried I might bleed to death. During the short period between the once a day pill and the shot I bled through two tampons and a pad in under five minutes.
I pushed through all of the horrible side effects of the first year, weird bleeding weird discharge. All the ups and downs.
I am glad to say I have no more period.
But I don't know what to do, I'm losing my friends, my life, and myself.
I'm starting to feel like this whole birth control thing is just one big joke. Or worse some sort of sick punishment.
I don't understand how these medications get passed inspection.

i took one shot of Depo last year, and i still say i never should have, in fact i still wish i hadn't... side effects i got were: daily bleeding for the 3 month span, weight gain, nausea, plus breathing issues, etc.
but the main problem was my moods and mental health, i was either crying or enraged all the time and had very bad anxiety. also, i just did not feel like myself, i had no idea who i was anymore. so i got off it, then 6 months later another doctor suggested i try the lowest possible dose of the pill. well i only took i think 2 doses, because it ended up giving me morning sickness... waking up puking at 6am. but i think that those 2 doses somehow combined with the not-yet elapsed dose of Depo i'd had... it can take a year to wear off... because i am still feeling the mental and mood effects. i'm beginning to think it's taken a permanent toll on my mental health or something, or that maybe i'm just crazy, or hormonally off balance. i feel like i should be on sedatives or anti-depressants, or both, because i'm still very stressed/worried/nervous/anxious all the time. the other problem is that i don't have health insurance. Planned Parenthood gave me the Depo, and a Women's Clinic hospital doctor put me on the pill... i haven't seen my actual doctor in a long time. so i really need help but feel like i don't know how and would have no way to get it.

*** i've posted this on the "Depo Provera Contraceptive" thread, as well as in response to other people's horror stories... the reason i've been posting the same account multiple times is that i am really in dire need of some answers... if anyone can tell me anything that i should or could do to alleviate this mental state, i would greatly appreciate it.
please & thanks,
JesoftheEast

I took depo for a total of 6 months (1 shot/3 months) and gained 90 lbs in the first month. I started having a period only one every 3 months. I talked to my doctor and she said that Depo would not cause the weight gain, but my eating habits did not change, nor my daily activities. This was about 11 years ago. Since then, I have been unable to lose the weight, my periods are VERY inconsistent. I might have one every month, twice a month, or go for a year between. I also very with how much I bleed during them, sometimes very light, no side effects, sometimes very heavy, with cramping, nausea, etc. Sometimes on the months when I do not have a period, I get a "morning sickness" type illness, and I end up missing 1-2 days of work because of it. After 11 years of not taking any kind of BC and I am still not back to a normal cycle, I would avoid taking Depo at all costs. I was a healthy 17 year old before taking Depo, and now I am an "Obese" 28 year old because of Depo.

I was on the Depo shot for almost 2 1/2 years after I had my second child. I always thought that my bad attitude and mood swings was because of all of the stress that I was under with being a single parent of 2 little kids. I was due to get the shot again in January and I didn't get it, at first because I didn't have the money for it at the time, but then I started to realize that I was in such a better mood. I was actually happy and had the energy to play with my kids. I did love not having a period, but I don't mind having one now that I'm actually able to enjoy spending time with my kids. I've been off of the shot for about 4 months now and just now had a period. It has lasted for over a week now and I'm not sure when it is going to stop. Right now I'm in the process of trying to find another form of birth control, but I'm not sure what to try because I also have endometriosis so I need something that will help with that. My doctor wants me to try the Nuvaring, but after I've read all of the complaints on here, I'm not sure I want to try it at all. And I was trying to lose weight, but I discovered that it was just about impossible while being on the shot because I had such a huge appetite. I've been eating less now and have lost a few pounds already. I also had a drastic loss of sex drive while on the shot. I always thought that the reason sex was so painful for me was because of the endometriosis, but since I've been off of the shot, I've been able to actually enjoy sex again, with no pain. I'm almost afraid to try any other birth control because I do not want to go back to being the person that I was when I was on the Depo shot.

I am 24 and was on "the shot" for 2 1/2 years, I always had problems with spotting and felt really depressed (would cry easily, very sensitive). I was pretty much bleeding daily but didn't do anything about it. I was really out of touch with reality - it was really alarming when my doctor said casually that I should do a bone density test because taking it for more than 2 years could decrease your bone mass. What caused my to get off of the shot was that my provider quit carrying it in their office and not realizing it when I set up an appt. I was to late to get it...etc. I felt especially depressed after that. Finally after a several months of not being on it, I started to feel back to normal. This was just my personal experience and I would not recommend using depo.

thank god for this site...I'm not trying the shot either...........gosh is there no good b/c out there??? no patch no ring no pills and now no shot......what is left????

I first had this shot the first of August before my wedding. My doctor told me that my period would stop and may have some spotting after my wedding on the 25th, I started bleeding a normal period a week before my wedding and it lasted to almost three weeks, even on my wedding night!!!! At the end of September my period came back and lasted for about 3 weeks and the same with October, but hey now I can say that I haven't had a period since! I did not go back in November to get another shot because I have had SO many problems. I have gained 30 lbs. since the first and only injection and still continuing to gain, I have cut back on eating almost completely but I have to eat something because with it regulating my blood sugar I will get very light headed and dizzy! I WILL NOT go back and get this shot EVER again and nor would I ever recommend it to ANY one!!!!!!

I had the depo for about 3 years. depo isnt a good idea if u have problems with mood swings , depression, and a lowerd sex drive. when i was on the depo these side effects caused problems between my family and boyfriend, i will never get on the shot again !

I was promised that my periods would stop after 4years my periods became longer and heavier until I was bleeding through superplus tampons overnight maternity pads and 4 pairs of shorts a day I became anemic passed out at work and ended up in the hospital my dr. wantedto regulate me with pills too I said no depo causedme to miscarry my first pregnancy 6 months later I became pregnant again and only after having that baby did I regulate.

I am experiencing a long term effect from taking Depo that I would not wish on anyone. I was on Depo for 1-2 years about 10 years ago. Prior to depo, I had a normal cycle. Post-depo, I NEVER returned to getting a normal period. Doctors put me on oral contraceptives to 'regulate' me which in hindsight just masked my natural cycle. I am now married and trying to conceive. I cannot ovulate or get my period on my own and am now taking cycles of assisted ovulation (which involve nightly injections, almost daily ultrasounds and bloodwork, and much anger and stress). My cousin is experiencing the same thing - was on depo for a few years about 5 yers ago and STILL cannot ovulate on her own.
Bottom line - if you ever plan to conceive, stop taking depo immediately. Who knows how long, if at all, it will take you to get a natural cycle again.