Can't lose anything thanks to Depo Provera!!!

Fiercely_Me

When I was on that, my doctors actually told me it in and of itself won't make you gain weight, at least not any more than any other birth control. It actually just increases your appetite which leads to over-eating and that's what causes the gain.

Your doctors are either liars or idiots.

This. I was warned that I could gain up to 25 pounds. The weight gain is from the Depo, not simply from overeating.

StarChanger

Right, but you've also been discrediting almost everyone who commented that eating correctly, and exercising, could prevent the weight gain...which is absolutely TRUE. You've also ignored almost everyone saying that they've LOST weight while on Depo or other hormonal BC.

*shrug*

Take it up with the team of doctors who told her that was what caused it.

She went off of Depo and hasn't had another lump, her menopause reversed and her bone loss stopped.

I have not ignored that people lost weight on it. I have pointed out that just because they lost weight does not mean that everyone can.

Again, anecdotal. Anecdotal doesn't mean that it didn't happen that way....just that it's not a scientifically designed study to eliminate confounding factors that could otherwise influence the outcome.

For the OP, it sounds like her diet may or may not be part of the problem. Maybe her exercise is causing her a net-negative calorie deficit. Maybe she's retaining water. Maybe she's gained some muscle. Maybe her scale is a little off. Maybe she needs to change birth control to reduce her appetite and hormonal water weight gain.

The point is that there are a LOT of factors that play into this and she has to look at ALL of them before "blaming" it on her birth control. As a woman, especially one who doesn't want to get pregnant, I would look at ALL of those factors before just flippantly stopping or changing my birth control because it "might" be causing slow weight loss. If you have GAINED 40lbs shortly after starting a new BC and you can HONESTLY say your diet and exercise have not changed then, yes, you should see your doctor....because there may be any number of things that could be going on.

BTW, you did notice that I never disagreed with the named "side effects"? I am agreeing with you in that respect. I am disagreeing with your presentation of the information.

Fiercely_Me

I gained 25 pounds on Depo. I couldn't lose it until I went off of it. My advice is to switch birth control.

I gained 21 pounds on the Depo shot. I only got one shot, and even after the 3 months I could not lose weight because it took awhile for that mess to get out of my system.

Anyone who is considering getting the Depo shot, Don't!!

StarChanger

BTW, for what it's worth....MUCH of what we do in medicine (especially Obstetrics) is "anecdotal". It is impossible to design and implement moral / ethical scientific studies on many of society's worst disease processes.

We do the best we can based on outcomes of everything that has come before.....

kellijauch

the shot is one of the worst birth contol methods. do something else! it causes weight gain, mood swings, and has a much higher chance of dangerous side effects and infertility. Switch it!

StarChanger

I gained 25 pounds on Depo. I couldn't lose it until I went off of it. My advice is to switch birth control.

I gained 21 pounds on the Depo shot. I only got one shot, and even after the 3 months I could not lose weight because it took awhile for that mess to get out of my system.

Anyone who is considering getting the Depo shot, Don't!!

And this is precisely what I fight every single day. It happened to HER, so she screams at everyone who will listen that it's the worst thing ever....even though it works like a charm for MILLIONS of women.

StarChanger

the shot is one of the worst birth contol methods. do something else! it causes weight gain, mood swings, and has a much higher chance of dangerous side effects and infertility. Switch it!

And this. Depo Provera does NOT cause infertility. It is the SAME hormone your body makes while you are PREGNANT. We actually use progesterone IN INFERTILITY treatments.

It's also used to stabilize heavy bleeding. It is used to INCREASE APPETITE in cancer patients. It's used to supplement the early placenta. It's used to prevent cervical shortening in women with previous preterm labor.

Please, ladies....weight gain is NOT the end of the world. Look at your lifestyle, food intact, and exercise. Could it be your hormonal BC? YES....but it is RARELY the sole culprit.....and it's helluva lot better than unintended pregnancy.

Ok, I'm done here. I feel that I have given enough and everything else would just be tiring redundancy. I beg all of you to talk to your doctors FIRST before just stopping or changing your BC due to weight gain.

rml_16

Again, anecdotal. Anecdotal doesn't mean that it didn't happen that way....just that it's not a scientifically designed study to eliminate confounding factors that could otherwise influence the outcome.

This is what makes this instance interesting to me:

She had been on the shot for about 10 years. She lived in three different states over that time and she would make her appointment, go in, get the shot and be sent on her way. The lumps started early and she had three surgeries before she was told
(in a Navy hospital) that this was a known side effect of the shot and since they had all been benign she didn't need to worry about it anymore, though she did grow more over the years.

Well, she went to a new doctor and he said he would not give her the shot until he ran several tests, which uncovered the early menopause and osteo. So why did this one doctor know to do that when all the others didn't?

I've heard more and more common horror stories about Depo than anything else, though Mirena is ctaching up. And it's not just people I know. A quick Google search shows some pretty horrific things that women's doctors are simply dismissing. That it's the same hormone, no matter that it's localized with Mirena, is also interesting.

My own gyno flat-out will not prescribe the shot.

I know not everyone experiences the side effects, but 40% of Depo users do. That's a lot.

Joreanasaurous

Again, anecdotal. Anecdotal doesn't mean that it didn't happen that way....just that it's not a scientifically designed study to eliminate confounding factors that could otherwise influence the outcome.

This is what makes this instance interesting to me:

She had been on the shot for about 10 years. She lived in three different states over that time and she would make her appointment, go in, get the shot and be sent on her way. The lumps started early and she had three surgeries before she was told
(in a Navy hospital) that this was a known side effect of the shot and since they had all been benign she didn't need to worry about it anymore, though she did grow more over the years.

Well, she went to a new doctor and he said he would not give her the shot until he ran several tests, which uncovered the early menopause and osteo. So why did this one doctor know to do that when all the others didn't?

I've heard more and more common horror stories about Depo than anything else, though Mirena is ctaching up. And it's not just people I know. A quick Google search shows some pretty horrific things that women's doctors are simply dismissing. That it's the same hormone, no matter that it's localized with Mirena, is also interesting.i

My own gyno flat-out will not prescribe the shot.

I know not everyone experiences the side effects, but 40% of Depo users do. That's a lot.

It's the internet. Pretty sure you can find horror stories about frozen peas if you wanted to or how hair dye sinks into your brain and causes cancer.

Can you cite the 40% statistic? I would be curious to read that. Depo and Mirena are the only things that work for me personally, so I always try and keep up with studies concerning both, or any other medications I take.

BluddyHolly

EVERYONE REACTS TO BIRTH CONTROL DIFFERENTLY! I don't understand why everyone is getting their panties in a bunch because we all know birth control can cause weight gain, it just depends on the person biology and their habits.

That being said, their are a whole lot of birth control out there you can try! If you are unsuccessful in finding one, then maybe the change in hormones just doesn't agree with you body. If that's the case then you have to decide which is more important: losing weight or having sex.

Good luck!

Briko3

My fiancee and I have been learning Natural Family Planning. It's a great alternative if you do not want to put any chemicals in your body that mess with your hormones. It takes a little more effort and some self control, but it's worth it!

http://www.ccli.org/

You know what they call people that practice Natural Family Planning? Parents.

dare2love81

Oh, we're still at this? It appears even OP has abandoned the post.

rml_16: Okay, we get it. You hate the shot. Noted. Now, can we move on? Continuing to argue with an actual OB is kinda silly.

Bottom line: EVERY SINGLE BC METHOD OUT THERE HAS HORRIBLE REVIEWS. Go ahead, google any brand. There are a million reviews on pretty much every known brand of BC out there, and most of those you will find will be negative. If we were to listen to all the reviews online, I'd never take any form of BC. As Spinderella (and a number of others) have said, each method affects each woman differently, which is why it is up to the patient and their doctor to determine which is best, lots of times (unfortunately) through trial and error - because each woman's response varies so greatly to any given method/brand.

So, having said all of that, I still don't think it was solely the depo that caused the weight gain. I still stand by the fact that OP isn't eating enough - or, since she never opened her diary, maybe she's not logging accurately and is eating more than she thinks? Who knows. But I don't think she (or any woman for that matter) can place all blame solely on their choice of BC. Take a look at your eating/exercise habits and be honest with yourself - and if nothing has honestly changed, then take a trip to the doc.

babydiego87

When I was on that, my doctors actually told me it in and of itself won't make you gain weight, at least not any more than any other birth control. It actually just increases your appetite which leads to over-eating and that's what causes the gain.

Your doctors are either liars or idiots.

can i see your doctorate?

collingmommy

condoms and nonoxyl 9 works! no horomones, no side effects, no prickly needles, just a trip to WALMART pharmacy.

Yeah.... No. Condoms break. They should never be someone's sole contraceptive.

I have never had weight gain from BC, so I can't really give you advice on that. However I do agree with everyone else suggested you upper your calories. 1100 seems way too low.

NoNonoxyl 9 is the back up, in case the condom breaks, we've been using them for eight years as our sole choice of bc excerpt for when I was pregnant, and he was planned, and nothing. If u use the n9 and condom combo, it ups the chances of not getting pregnant and lowers the risk of disease. No bcPILL can do that. Any way.. this ship had sailed, and maybe she should eat more

jkestens63

When I was on that, my doctors actually told me it in and of itself won't make you gain weight, at least not any more than any other birth control. It actually just increases your appetite which leads to over-eating and that's what causes the gain.

Your doctors are either liars or idiots.

So other than increasing appetite, does birth control add extra calories to everything you eat?

*sigh*

Really. I don't need a strike today. Go away.

Where did you get your MD and do your internship????

Joreanasaurous

condoms and nonoxyl 9 works! no horomones, no side effects, no prickly needles, just a trip to WALMART pharmacy.

Yeah.... No. Condoms break. They should never be someone's sole contraceptive.

I have never had weight gain from BC, so I can't really give you advice on that. However I do agree with everyone else suggested you upper your calories. 1100 seems way too low.

NoNonoxyl 9 is the back up, in case the condom breaks, we've been using them for eight years as our sole choice of bc excerpt for when I was pregnant, and he was planned, and nothing. If u use the n9 and condom combo, it ups the chances of not getting pregnant and lowers the risk of disease. No bcPILL can do that. Any way.. this ship had sailed, and maybe she should eat more

If you say so. was under the impression that it INCREASES the chance for diseases. Wasn't there a study in Aftrica and those who used it were 50% more likely to get HIV?

homerjspartan

Carry on, I am just here to remove the dead from the battlefield.

When my wife talks about vaginas and hormones and stuff I just put my chin in my chest, stare at the ground, and say "yes, dear."

As far as birth control, a tubal ligation worked well, since she can't get pregnant and no one had to slice open my punching bag. Then again we have been together 16 years, so abstinence is working great too.

x_cinder_x

The greatest irony of Depo Provera? This is the drug used to chemically castrate males. Can you guess what one of the side effects is listed as? Oh you know it...weight gain due to hormonal changes.

I cannot bring myself to believe that a drug that is given to men to basically change their personality into a submissive non-sexual creature is just fine and dandy for women.

Regardless the irreversible bone loss side effect seems a hell of allot more concerning then the weight issue.

spfldpam

When I was on that, my doctors actually told me it in and of itself won't make you gain weight, at least not any more than any other birth control. It actually just increases your appetite which leads to over-eating and that's what causes the gain.

Your doctors are either liars or idiots.

I also asked my ob/gyn about this. I had to stop my shot due to having weight loss surgery, gastric sleeve in June 11 , 2011. I got back on the shot in Sep 2012 and I asked her if I would gain weight or have a hard time loosing weight still. She said no. I asked her if it just makes you gain weight or do you have to actually consume the food to gain the weight and she said yes. The shot doesn't cause you to gain 10 pounds but it can stimulate appetite sometimes but you have to actually consume the calories to gain or not loose. I can say I still averaged loosing 10-11 pounds after getting back on the shot and now that at my personal goal weight have been maintaining under 130 for 3 months now.

jonnythan

The greatest irony of Depo Provera? This is the drug used to chemically castrate males. Can you guess what one of the side effects is listed as? Oh you know it...weight gain due to hormonal changes.

I cannot bring myself to believe that a drug that is given to men to basically change their personality into a submissive non-sexual creature is just fine and dandy for women.

Regardless the irreversible bone loss side effect seems a hell of allot more concerning then the weight issue.

Those silly fitness experts keep recommending that I consume the same chemical they use for WATERBOARDING at GITMO.

I cannot bring myself to believe that a chemical applied to prisoners for the express purpose of torturing them is just fine and dandy for me to consume on a daily basis.