posted
For those looking into the different methods of birth control to find what's right for them, here's one of several threads where users can report their experiences with a given method so that other users can get a more personal idea of what using a given method is like when they're looking into what might work best for them.
If you have used or do use Depo-Provera, please report on it in the following format:
Pros: List what you have experienced as the pros or benefits -- the good parts -- of using this method.
Cons: List what you've experienced as the downsides or cons of using this method.
Ease of use: Talk about how easy -- or not -- it's been for you and/or your partner to use, access and afford this method, how it's worked out in your relationships, etc.
Effectiveness: Talk about how well this method has protected you from pregnancy, and if it ever has failed, note that, including any explanation of how or why, if you know or suspect how or why.
Feel free to also add any extra notes, hints or tips!
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • S.E.X: Get my book! Knowledge is power. Information is power. The secreting or hoarding of knowledge or information may be an act of tyranny camouflaged as humility. - Robin Morgan Posts: 39747 | From: Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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posted
Pros: the absence of my period (i actually liked that it was gone, after a couple months of being on it..), my body was reacting very well to it (after being on the pill prior to it and not everybody gets a positive reaction to this method), affordable (just a tad bit more expensive than the pill, but i was willing to try out this and pay the difference so it wasn't a problem for me), sex drive shot up a bit after being on the pill, no more pregnancy scares (that happened the last few months of being on the pill on and off) Cons: well there are a few side effects to this method, but I didn't really experience much. Only the absence of my period, and some weight gain. I believe you experience more side effects if you have been on it for more than two years.
Ease of use: it was very easy and reliable for me and my partner. It was inserted in my left arm every 12 weeks (or three months). I liked how it took one shot and you were protected for this window of time and that it was effective right away if you got the shot the first time during your period week. My partner and I were thrilled to be on this method. It was probably the best birth control method I used and was very comfortable with it. The shot had a very positive effect on me and my partner sexually.
Effectiveness: The shot was very effective at protecting me from getting pregnant. I have no pregnancies to report. I was on this for just a little over two years. The only reason that I made a withdrawn from this method was that my gyno had advised me that FDA was finding more red flags with this method and was now strictly allowing this be in use if customers can not use any other form of birth control for sexual use at all and of course if you have had kids. So since I was withdrawn from that method, I returned to the Pill which I was on before the shot. It was probably a good timing anyway, I would have probably experienced more cons with the shot had I been on it longer but I don't regret that I had the option to use the shot with the window of time that I had with it. It was nice to experience something else other than the Pill and of course the common use of condoms.
posted
I was on Depo for 2 years and started it cause I have a very hard time taking my pill at the same time every day/remembering it. The first year and a half was great. (or so I thought) No period I didn't have any side effects... that I knew of.
I was extremly moody.. my sex drive was none exsistant. When I did have sex I was extremly dry and it hurt a lot. The last 6 months got worse. Way worse. I became emotionally unstable. Crying hysterically for no reason at all... starting completely out of the blue. My mood swings were drastic and uncontrollable. I gained 30 pounds in a matter of weeks. My sex drive was completely gone.
Took me 4 months to get my period back.. which came back black as tar and lasted for 2 weeks. I would then get it every 2 weeks until I started the patch. My mood swings eventually got better, I stopped crying. My sex drive has come back... and am no longer dry during sex.
Depo was a nightmare. I have 5 friends who have had identical symptoms as I did. There are warnings out to doctors to be very careful when prescribing it.
My suggestion to EVERYONE. Stay far far away from Depo. There are SO many alternatives to the pill now a days. There is no need for this damaging drug!
Posts: 3 | From: Ontario Canada | Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
I've been on Depo for almost a year, now, and I love it.
Pros: One shot, every three months. I don't have to remember to take a pill every morning, and I can easily keep track of when I last had a shot and when I'm due for another in my journal. Also, no period. I'm someone who gets really bad cramps, and I've been on ever increasing pain killers as a result. The pill wasn't working to alleviate my cramps (I tried 3 different brands), and my body builds up resistances to drugs quite quickly. Depo has really saved my liver, in that regard! Also, I have depression, and birth control can have a negative effect on that. The risk of depression-related side effects are lower with Depo, compared to the combination pill, because Depo just has one hormone in it. It's also a real money-saver. I have drug insurance, so Depo costs me 35 cents a shot. Pads and tampons cost a hell of a lot more than that! As a student on a budget, that extra money is really handy.
Cons: I can be a little irritable for the first week or so after getting a shot. This was especially noticeable when I started Depo, but isn't, anymore. The spotting was annoying, too, until I totally stopped bleeding. I might have put on a little weight, but it's not noticeable. Also, my arm will hurt for a few days after getting the shot. Really, I'm having a hard time coming up with cons for this method.
Ease of use: Very easy. One shot, every three months, and it costs me 35 cents under my drug plan. The only trick is remembering when I had my last shot, but thanks to my journal, that's not a big issue, for me.
Effectiveness: Well, I'm not pregnant! I've been sexually active while one Depo, and my partner and I don't use condoms. I really trust it to keep me baby-free. Also, it's completely done away with any of my period-related woes, by my not having a period.
I know the person who posted above me had negative experiences on Depo, but I've had nothing but positives. I think it's different for every woman, and I do highly recommend this method to anyone who wants to stop having a period every month, and/or has a hard time remembering to take a pill every day.
posted
I used a 1 month shot called mesygine... I dont know where to put my experience so I'll write it here. I don't think its available in the US. I got it cause it was cheaper than the patch which I was using at the time and didn't really like it.
It lowered my sexdrive and made me extremelly dizzy for about a week the first time I got it, the second it was in me and for the following week the world would spin. I've only used it three times since it made me feel a bit dizzy the second and the third time I fainted. I guess it lowers your blood pressure a bit and since I have low bp it just took me over the edge.
It made my period come every 2 weeks more or less but it was more or less like spotting and brown. It was like I got a strong period and then 2 weeks later a weaker one. As for cramps and that, there are very few. But the fainting and dizziness did it for me and my boyfriend. He doesnt want me taking it any more
Posts: 43 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Pros:I love Depo because there is nothing to remember to have to take or do everyday, just every three months. And even then if you forget, you have a few days to remember and you are OK. Plus, you don't get your period (if anything, a little spotting right before you are due for your shot)which is the whole reason I went on the shot in the first place. I have diabetes and when I got my period, it would cause my blood sugars to go so high I would have to go to the hospital so they decided to try Depo and it worked so I have been on it for 11 years now with really no complaints. Cons: low sex drive, your butt hurting after you get the shot...can't really think of anything Ease of Use:it isn't that difficult...my doctor's nurse calls me, I go in, she gives me a shot in my butt and we call it a day and I go back and do it again in 3 months. Effectiveness: it must be pretty effective since I don't have any kids yet
-------------------- Jenny Posts: 1 | From: Kenosha, WI | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
pro : So convient. Made sex alot better (no condom hassle)
Cons: moody, lowered sex drive (extremly during the first year), second year, dry during sex (when not on period), almost non stop period, gained 20 pounds in a matter of weeks (although i mantained a normal diet, and exercise daily)
Ease: The shot was a breeze, easy and convenient.
Effec. : I am definetly not pregnant
I would HIGHLY recomend not taking this shot. my experiance was terrible. I have had my period for A MONTH AND A HALF right now. I feel depressed, i look terrible havig gained all this weight. I want off NOW...
Posts: 6 | From: NY | Registered: Jan 2008
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posted
Pros: There is really no thinking involved. You go to the doctor once every three months and your good. It's nice to not have to worry about taking a pill every day, or forgetting to take it.
Cons: I loved depo for the first year I was on it then all of the sudden my body started hating it. I gained 40lbs in about a month and a half. Then I started getting so emotional. I would cry at anything, even things that weren't sad. I lost my period after the first couple of doses. At first it was nice, but I've been off of depo for over two years and I still don't have a regular period.
Ease: Crazy easy. I'm not sure about how expensive it was because my mom paid for it.
Effectiveness: It worked very well. I never got pregnant.
To be really honest I tell everyone I know to go on any birth control but depo. In my experience and speaking with many friends this method has the some of the worst side effects. I would definately say don't take it.
Posts: 3 | From: Texas | Registered: Jan 2008
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posted
I've been on and off and back on the shot for the past 4 years. I never had any side effects except acne and the heavy brown/black irregular periods when I wasnt on the shot. I went back on a year ago to stop the brown bleeding and since then i've notice all the side affects, mood swings, depression, hair loss, sore body, nasuea, idegestion, everything except bleeding and weight gain. I'm not going on the shot again when I do get my period it will probably be horrible and take at least a year for my cycles to be normal again.
My fiance and I have now decided we want to have a baby soon and I'm leaving it up to nature to see how long it takes, I have a feeling it wont happen soon though... the horror stories I've read about women who cant get pregnant at all are everywhere. Even more horror stories of side affect that happen to women after the first or second year of taking it... it might seem dandy at first... but the side affects will come!
All you women who claim to love this drug... be aware that you are stopping your body from doing a NATURAL FUNCTION and it's going to affect your body! If you want to have kids one day I would suggest NOT taking this drug.
Posts: 1 | From: Santa Barbara CA | Registered: Jan 2008
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posted
(MandyMoon, I just want to clear something up here- the shot does not cause infertility. While it can take a long time- 6 to 12 months- for your cycles to return to normal and to be able to become pregnant, this is not by any means a long-term issue.)
Cons: For me, the depo shot has been nothing but a nightmare. I’ll be on the shot for 6 months at the end of the month. I have no intention on getting my third injection. In the first three months, I didn’t notice the side effects so bad. Towards the end I was getting headaches but I figured that was normal: I’ve been having headaches every day from 13 to approximately 17. I’m on medication to make them less frequent. I also noticed that sex was a little uncomfortable. The nurse told me to try lubricants. After my second shot I became incredibly depressed. The uncomfortable sex turned into extremely painful sex even with lubricant. When I tried to have intercourse with my boyfriend, I bled worse than when I lost my virginity. I noticed my hair falling out, but I figured it was stress related. I started to look up personal stories of the depo shot and I found many that talked about hair loss. I don’t know if mine’s related. It’s not enough hair to be alarmed, though. I didn’t notice it until I decided to reflect on the past few months but I have been really moody. I cry randomly and for hours. I get annoyed really easily. And feel the need to lash out. It has been an emotional roller coaster. At first I lost some weight but I’m sure I’ve gained it all back and some. It’s probably no more than about 12 pounds. I don’t necessarily blame the shot for my weight gain but I definitely hold it accountable for the painful sex and the excruciating and constant headaches. I’ve been nothing but miserable for the past 3 months.
Ease of use: Yes it is easy, but it’s not worth it.
Effectiveness: Well, I’m not pregnant. So it is working. I switched from Loestrin ((which I used successfully for a year)) to Depo Provera because I was getting frequent urinary tract infections and wanted protection while I was on antibiotics. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I researched side effects but NEVER came across the ones that plague me. I’m very annoyed that I wasn’t adequately informed of the side effects. When I complained of painful sex at my second appointment why didn’t the nurse suggest not using it anymore? It’s very annoying and I believe that women considering using these kinds of long-term drugs should have the risks explained more thoroughly.
Posts: 1 | From: Here | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
I'd like to say about medic_meg's concerns: while it's good to know about the range of side effects for Depo, lots of people find it fine, so I think a blanket 'stay away!' isn't really appropriate. As long as someone is aware of all the possible outcomes, it's their choice to make. And ultimately each woman's body will react differently to any hormone-based contraceptive, so you can't know how someone else will react to Depo. </rambling>
Pros: You only have to remember it every 3 months! I loved this. It's great not to have to think about it all the time.
It doesn't interfere with sex. (Not directly, anyway.)
Its effectiveness rate is pretty good.
I believe I'm right in saying that no medications interact with Depo, meaning that nothing decreases its effectiveness. Another thing less to worry about.
Also having an upset stomach doesn't affect it. It usually makes periods light to non-existant, which can be a pro depending on how you look at it.
It's excellent for people who are more anxious about effectiveness, as it's pretty much foolproof.
I haven't noticed much in the way of side effects, apart from irregular bleeding. I have actually lost quite a bit of weight while on Depo (not in an unhealthy way; I was intending to as part of a healthier lifestyle...)
Where I am, Depo is free, so that's a definite plus for me, though I realise I'm lucky.
I didn't get the lowered sex drive issues people have mentioned; on the contrary, once I didn't have to worry so much about contraception (I switched from the pill) my sex drive was much improved.
Cons: Once it's in your body, you can't take it out, so any side effects you have can last a while.
It is a fair old whack of hormone all in one go, and there is a range of side effects; I believe weight gain is fairly common on Depo.
For me, Depo didn't stop periods altogether; I get irregular light spotting, usually for a week or two weeks at some point during the three months. This unpredictability can be irritating. When I first went on Depo, I didn't bleed initially, then I had a full month of periody bleeding. Which was pretty bleuch. Thankfully, that was a one-off.
I also had extremely minor lactation when I first went on Depo, which was actually barely noticeable, but once I had noticed it, it was worrying until I could get to a doctor for reassurance.
I believe it takes a while after coming off Depo for fertility to return.
One of the things I found with Depo is that healthcare professionals don't seem to know that much about it; I've been told contradictory things by different doctors and nurses about interactions, bone density and weight gain on Depo, which left me quite confused. I may just have been unlucky on this, but Depo hasn't been around for a very long time, so perhaps the knowledge and understanding of it isn't widespread.
The bone density thing is potentially a big decision-maker with Depo; again, it's unclear as to whether calcium supplements help or not, but the potential higher risk of osteoporosis with Depo puts lots of people off. For me personally, I've been on Depo for three years now, and I'm looking to come off it because of the bone density issue, especially as I'm vegan and maybe don't have as high a calcium intake as some.
Effectiveness: I did use Depo both on its own and in conjunction with condoms, and I didn't get pregnant, so.
I'd recommend Depo for anyone who likes not to have to constantly think about contraception, or who wants a low-maintenance backup method to condoms etc. You do have to be able to accept, though, that initially you might get side effects which may well fade with time, or may not, and Depo, once you've had a shot, is with you for 3 months.
Posts: 20 | From: europe | Registered: Oct 2009
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