Depo provera and weight loss?

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  • jessica22222
    jessica22222 Posts: 375 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    anyway...*rolls eyes* someone had their cereal pissed in.

    I am not hangry...I eat lots of food and lose my weight even on depo.

    and depo does not validate that it causes hypoglocemia...period otherwise it wouldn't be used to treat people with POD and hypoglocemia.

    You go ahead and share your personal experience but don't go spouting "beliefs" as fact as they are not.

    otherwise you get called out for the BS that it is.

    I just have issues with grown "adults" looking for an excuse for not losing weight or gaining when in fact it's all them putting too much food in their mouths...

    and no increased appetite does not lead to increased hunger...wow...appetite <>hunger.
    must be your hypoglocemia kicking in to be so upset someone is calling you out on something you are so sure is "truth"...but won't argue and derail the thread any longer...

    I don't need to prove I am right...science.

    I'm so surprised you said this! I have reactive hypoglycemia and I just got a blood test to check it and my blood test was normal while on depo. Interesting. I thought it just went away, but this may have fixed it hmmm
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Like I said it increased my appetite (desire to eat) which in turn increased my " need/requirement to eat"because it caused hypoglycemia. When blood sugar is low you have to eat. I don't need your validation or approval to post my story about my personal experience with depo. Not sure why you think my story is discouraging her when I am openly speaking about my experience. Why the hell are you so concerned with my depo story? Do you work for them? I've clarified a million times that it's my personal experience. Me thinks you are just hangry and wanting to start a debate over nothing lol.

    I don't have to put you on ignore. What are you the forum police? Lol. I can share MY PERSONAL experience all day long and the original poster is free to make her own choice. It doesn't bother me one bit either way. Depo even backs up my claim of it increasing appetite and weight. Depo is validating my story whether you like it or not. Stop being so hangry about my personal story.

    1) How does increased appetite cause hypoglycemia? Why would your body dump sugar simply because it wants some extra noms?

    2) Of all of the horrible risks and side effects listed with any hormonal birth control, I would think something scarier, like, say, risk of stroke would be a better candidate for being hidden than something like low blood sugar. If a woman (such as myself) finds it worth the risk of stroke, hypoglycemia is a small matter.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    When depo causes an increase in appetite and when you actively try NOT to eat because you've already gained weight while on the shot, it causes the blood sugar to plummet because you are not feeding it the calories. Plus hypoglycemia even to this day isn't considered a big deal because all you have to do is eat in order to raise blood sugar. No need for fancy pills or extensive studies to treat it. You have to be blind to blindly trust pharmaceutical industry to list every single side effect that could possibly happen. If you haven't dealt with these side effects, then good for you! I did. I don't need your validation. After all you aren't a doctor. Also thank goodness I've never suffered a stroke while on birth control but I'm sure the women who have can vouch for birth control not being safe and doctors not thoroughly explaining how it can affect your health. Oh and let's not mention blood clots! Thank goodness I've never experienced that either while on birth control but I do feel that they have every right to share their story also.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    NotGnarly wrote: »
    When depo causes an increase in appetite and when you actively try NOT to eat because you've already gained weight while on the shot, it causes the blood sugar to plummet because you are not feeding it the calories. Plus hypoglycemia even to this day isn't considered a big deal because all you have to do is eat in order to raise blood sugar. No need for fancy pills or extensive studies to treat it. You have to be blind to blindly trust pharmaceutical industry to list every single side effect that could possibly happen. If you haven't dealt with these side effects, then good for you! I did. I don't need your validation. After all you aren't a doctor. Also thank goodness I've never suffered a stroke while on birth control but I'm sure the women who have can vouch for birth control not being safe and doctors not thoroughly explaining how it can affect your health. Oh and let's not mention blood clots! Thank goodness I've never experienced that either while on birth control but I do feel that they have every right to share their story also.

    So, to the bolded, you're saying that because your appetite increases, you starve yourself and THEN become hypoglycemic? That's not the same as depo causing hypoglycemia, or increased appetite causing hypoglycemia.

    Also, there are plenty of stories of women suffering blood clots and strokes while on birth control. No doctor will prescribe it without at least throwing you a pamphlet.

    You keep bringing up "validation." It's got nothing to do with validation. It's about trying to understand what you're talking about.
  • jessica22222
    jessica22222 Posts: 375 Member
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    NotGnarly wrote: »
    When depo causes an increase in appetite and when you actively try NOT to eat because you've already gained weight while on the shot, it causes the blood sugar to plummet because you are not feeding it the calories. Plus hypoglycemia even to this day isn't considered a big deal because all you have to do is eat in order to raise blood sugar. No need for fancy pills or extensive studies to treat it. You have to be blind to blindly trust pharmaceutical industry to list every single side effect that could possibly happen. If you haven't dealt with these side effects, then good for you! I did. I don't need your validation. After all you aren't a doctor. Also thank goodness I've never suffered a stroke while on birth control but I'm sure the women who have can vouch for birth control not being safe and doctors not thoroughly explaining how it can affect your health. Oh and let's not mention blood clots! Thank goodness I've never experienced that either while on birth control but I do feel that they have every right to share their story also.

    No that doesn't sound right. I have hypoglycemia and I crash after a meal. It's not from not eating. I have to eat foods on a low glycemic index similar to diabetes to control it. Small frequent low GI meals helps hypoglycemia.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Haha you find my story discouraging because I'm sharing my personal story about how depo was bad for my health. Not sure why me being open and honest about some of the negative experiences I have had with depo would warrant such combativeness. Heck I even said my sister lost weight but she did have a non stop period for years while on it. I guess the drug companies just like the food industry sends its shill to forums to attack anyone who speaks out negatively about their product.

    Writing this again, hopefully will not be deleted. It took 15 years for the damage from hormonal birth control to accumulate for me. It does not always happen immediately. Over time it reduces your good gut bacteria, messes with your neurotransmitters...I could go on but there are lots of resources online you can check out for this. I totally agree with NotGnarly, think about the fact that the drug companies make millions of dollars off a drug sold to HEALTHY people! Then, on top of that, they get to sell you other drugs to deal with the side effects, all the while you are being told it is safe. Does that make sense?!

    Thank you! When I posted my response I had no clue that people would get this offended over me sharing my experience. Most women tend to have horror stories about some form of birth control but I see now why they don't share their personal experience. I've been on different birth control pills (mini pill, ortho tricyclen, Yasmin...). I've also used the iud, nuva ring, patch, and shot. Most women at some point down the line end up switching the type or brand of birth control because of unwanted side effects. Not sure why my experience was so taboo especially considering I wished the op luck. Oh and I totally agree with what you said. It all comes down to money and not keeping you healthy. The medical establishment would go broke if everyone was in optimal health.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    I guess it's sort of like the debate about high fructose corn syrup or msg. Both can cause hypoglycemia in certain individuals, whereas others don't seem to have a problem. If you are the one experiencing the adverse affects you don't need a science paper to back up your point. I personally have made it very clear that it is my personal experience and as a matter of fact my doctor switched my birth control and that's the reason why I only had 2 shots. They switched me to the pill and I dropped 30 pounds because my appetite went back down. Had I been able to not give into my appetite increase, then who knows but we can't just act like not eating is easy especially when your body believes it is starving. There's a reason why 95% (I think that's the number) of dieters end up gaining back most of the weight that they lost. Most people can only fight the increased appetite for so long and it's been proven. I believe this is the reason for weight gain on depo.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    Hypoglycemia can happen hours after a meal. So what I said still stands true.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    Eating organic only has gotten rid of my hypoglycemia. Now I'm raw vegan so no hypoglycemia. I can go hours without eating and blood sugar stays the same. Matter of fact I can do a 24 hour fast since switching to organic. This was unheard of years ago when I had to eat every 3 hours or else feel panicky and dizzy.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    Depo even acknowledges increased appetite and weight gain as their side effects. Depo backs up my claim.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    I was on Depo for two years and didn't experience any weight issues. Itching on the side of my body that received the shot and an awful sneezing session immediately after, but no weight issues. Overall, I had no major issues and will probably return to it when my Nexplanon is removed.
  • KombuchaKat
    KombuchaKat Posts: 134 Member
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    erinc5 wrote: »
    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Haha you find my story discouraging because I'm sharing my personal story about how depo was bad for my health. Not sure why me being open and honest about some of the negative experiences I have had with depo would warrant such combativeness. Heck I even said my sister lost weight but she did have a non stop period for years while on it. I guess the drug companies just like the food industry sends its shill to forums to attack anyone who speaks out negatively about their product.

    Writing this again, hopefully will not be deleted. It took 15 years for the damage from hormonal birth control to accumulate for me. It does not always happen immediately. Over time it reduces your good gut bacteria, messes with your neurotransmitters...I could go on but there are lots of resources online you can check out for this. I totally agree with NotGnarly, think about the fact that the drug companies make millions of dollars off a drug sold to HEALTHY people! Then, on top of that, they get to sell you other drugs to deal with the side effects, all the while you are being told it is safe. Does that make sense?!

    Pros and cons to everything. Pregnancy causes a lot of side effects, too - one of them being approx. 18 years of a freeloader taking up your time, money, emotions, etc... And lets not forget the toll being pregnant takes on your body, okay.

    I totally get not wanting to have a baby. I'm 37 and do not want children by choice. I have managed this long to avoid getting pregnant both on and off hormonal birth control. We are not uncivilized animals that cannot resist our urges so much that we have to compromise our health to avoid unwanted pregnancy. And getting pregnant is totally natural for women, synthetic hormones are not.
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I was on depo for 4 years, and didn't gain anything. I believe it prevented me from gaining weight, because I was underweight.
  • KombuchaKat
    KombuchaKat Posts: 134 Member
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    NotGnarly wrote: »
    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Haha you find my story discouraging because I'm sharing my personal story about how depo was bad for my health. Not sure why me being open and honest about some of the negative experiences I have had with depo would warrant such combativeness. Heck I even said my sister lost weight but she did have a non stop period for years while on it. I guess the drug companies just like the food industry sends its shill to forums to attack anyone who speaks out negatively about their product.

    Writing this again, hopefully will not be deleted. It took 15 years for the damage from hormonal birth control to accumulate for me. It does not always happen immediately. Over time it reduces your good gut bacteria, messes with your neurotransmitters...I could go on but there are lots of resources online you can check out for this. I totally agree with NotGnarly, think about the fact that the drug companies make millions of dollars off a drug sold to HEALTHY people! Then, on top of that, they get to sell you other drugs to deal with the side effects, all the while you are being told it is safe. Does that make sense?!

    Thank you! When I posted my response I had no clue that people would get this offended over me sharing my experience. Most women tend to have horror stories about some form of birth control but I see now why they don't share their personal experience. I've been on different birth control pills (mini pill, ortho tricyclen, Yasmin...). I've also used the iud, nuva ring, patch, and shot. Most women at some point down the line end up switching the type or brand of birth control because of unwanted side effects. Not sure why my experience was so taboo especially considering I wished the op luck. Oh and I totally agree with what you said. It all comes down to money and not keeping you healthy. The medical establishment would go broke if everyone was in optimal health.

    It makes me sad that women still feel the need to attack each other. Society seems to build it into us from a young age. We should show each other compassion and listen. Just because one woman has had not issues does not mean that will be true for everyone. And like I said in my other post, it took years and years of depleting my vitality in the name of reproductive freedom for me to feel the effect. But when the day of reckoning came it hit me hard. Personally I feel we will hear more about this in the coming years. Thyroid issues and other autoimmune diseases are hitting women much harder than men and getting worse...I just have to think it has something to do with us disrupting our hormones. Anything that messes with that hormonal balance is going to mess with your endocrine system and it's just a cascade effect from there.
    Even if people get defensive we need to keep talking about this. It is incredibly important!
  • KombuchaKat
    KombuchaKat Posts: 134 Member
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    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Like I said it increased my appetite (desire to eat) which in turn increased my " need/requirement to eat"because it caused hypoglycemia. When blood sugar is low you have to eat. I don't need your validation or approval to post my story about my personal experience with depo. Not sure why you think my story is discouraging her when I am openly speaking about my experience. Why the hell are you so concerned with my depo story? Do you work for them? I've clarified a million times that it's my personal experience. Me thinks you are just hangry and wanting to start a debate over nothing lol.

    I don't have to put you on ignore. What are you the forum police? Lol. I can share MY PERSONAL experience all day long and the original poster is free to make her own choice. It doesn't bother me one bit either way. Depo even backs up my claim of it increasing appetite and weight. Depo is validating my story whether you like it or not. Stop being so hangry about my personal story.

    1) How does increased appetite cause hypoglycemia? Why would your body dump sugar simply because it wants some extra noms?

    2) Of all of the horrible risks and side effects listed with any hormonal birth control, I would think something scarier, like, say, risk of stroke would be a better candidate for being hidden than something like low blood sugar. If a woman (such as myself) finds it worth the risk of stroke, hypoglycemia is a small matter.

    Hypoglycemia is not a normal state of being. It shows that we have completely lost touch with what is healthy that this would be dismissed as something trivial. It shows that there is something wrong with your hunger/satiation hormones and your body is likely not processing sugar effectively. If a medication is causing that to happen when it did not happen before I think it would be wise to listen to this early warning sign.
  • NotGnarly
    NotGnarly Posts: 137 Member
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    NotGnarly wrote: »
    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Haha you find my story discouraging because I'm sharing my personal story about how depo was bad for my health. Not sure why me being open and honest about some of the negative experiences I have had with depo would warrant such combativeness. Heck I even said my sister lost weight but she did have a non stop period for years while on it. I guess the drug companies just like the food industry sends its shill to forums to attack anyone who speaks out negatively about their product.

    Writing this again, hopefully will not be deleted. It took 15 years for the damage from hormonal birth control to accumulate for me. It does not always happen immediately. Over time it reduces your good gut bacteria, messes with your neurotransmitters...I could go on but there are lots of resources online you can check out for this. I totally agree with NotGnarly, think about the fact that the drug companies make millions of dollars off a drug sold to HEALTHY people! Then, on top of that, they get to sell you other drugs to deal with the side effects, all the while you are being told it is safe. Does that make sense?!

    Thank you! When I posted my response I had no clue that people would get this offended over me sharing my experience. Most women tend to have horror stories about some form of birth control but I see now why they don't share their personal experience. I've been on different birth control pills (mini pill, ortho tricyclen, Yasmin...). I've also used the iud, nuva ring, patch, and shot. Most women at some point down the line end up switching the type or brand of birth control because of unwanted side effects. Not sure why my experience was so taboo especially considering I wished the op luck. Oh and I totally agree with what you said. It all comes down to money and not keeping you healthy. The medical establishment would go broke if everyone was in optimal health.

    It makes me sad that women still feel the need to attack each other. Society seems to build it into us from a young age. We should show each other compassion and listen. Just because one woman has had not issues does not mean that will be true for everyone. And like I said in my other post, it took years and years of depleting my vitality in the name of reproductive freedom for me to feel the effect. But when the day of reckoning came it hit me hard. Personally I feel we will hear more about this in the coming years. Thyroid issues and other autoimmune diseases are hitting women much harder than men and getting worse...I just have to think it has something to do with us disrupting our hormones. Anything that messes with that hormonal balance is going to mess with your endocrine system and it's just a cascade effect from there.
    Even if people get defensive we need to keep talking about this. It is incredibly important!

    Totally agree! I think the use of birth control and how it can effect your health is still something that hasn't been fully tested. Heck we are all still Guinea pigs in this huge experiment. I haven't used birth control in 4 years. My husband had a vasectomy after our 3rd child was born. The vasectomy was great for about a year or 2 and then he started to suffer from low testosterone, low sex drive, emotional, fatigue, high blood pressure, andropause, etcs. Well if you dig deep into studies on how vasectomies can in fact screw with a mans biological functions, you start to realize that vasectomies and tubals are horrible for health. I also want to clarify that I'm not saying that everyone who has undergone a tubal or vasectomy will suffer these side effects but some do. There's a reason why blood flow is so important and when you disrupt that by cutting and then burning the ends of the tubes, it can cause a negative chain reaction over time. Scientist are finally just now realizing that "post tubal ligation syndrome" is in fact real. Same with routine hysterectomies, causing no libido. As a whole we can't just act like this stuff doesn't happen. I actually pray that most people are fine and go on in perfect health but for those very few it can be detrimental and most are forced into not sharing their story. Needless to say my husband had a vasectomy reversal and all of his symptoms went away! Some men aren't as fortunate because some docs cut the tubes really short and they can not be reattached. I'm not advising anyone to stop taking birth control but if you are having adverse affects then possibly switch to another form and see if that helps. Good luck to everyone.
  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
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    erinc5 wrote: »
    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Haha you find my story discouraging because I'm sharing my personal story about how depo was bad for my health. Not sure why me being open and honest about some of the negative experiences I have had with depo would warrant such combativeness. Heck I even said my sister lost weight but she did have a non stop period for years while on it. I guess the drug companies just like the food industry sends its shill to forums to attack anyone who speaks out negatively about their product.

    Writing this again, hopefully will not be deleted. It took 15 years for the damage from hormonal birth control to accumulate for me. It does not always happen immediately. Over time it reduces your good gut bacteria, messes with your neurotransmitters...I could go on but there are lots of resources online you can check out for this. I totally agree with NotGnarly, think about the fact that the drug companies make millions of dollars off a drug sold to HEALTHY people! Then, on top of that, they get to sell you other drugs to deal with the side effects, all the while you are being told it is safe. Does that make sense?!

    Pros and cons to everything. Pregnancy causes a lot of side effects, too - one of them being approx. 18 years of a freeloader taking up your time, money, emotions, etc... And lets not forget the toll being pregnant takes on your body, okay.

    I totally get not wanting to have a baby. I'm 37 and do not want children by choice. I have managed this long to avoid getting pregnant both on and off hormonal birth control. We are not uncivilized animals that cannot resist our urges so much that we have to compromise our health to avoid unwanted pregnancy. And getting pregnant is totally natural for women, synthetic hormones are not.

    I'm glad you've managed not to get pregnant since you didn't want to. The pros of depo over other birth control methods (hormonal and non-hormonal) make it the right choice for me and many others.

    I understand wanting to share your story/experience with depo so that others asking questions about it can make an informed decision.

    Oh wait. You've admitted that you've never even been on depo, so why are you in this thread again?

    To answer OP's question - YES you can maintain a healthy weight (and even lose weight) while you are on depo!
  • KombuchaKat
    KombuchaKat Posts: 134 Member
    edited April 2016
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    erinc5 wrote: »
    erinc5 wrote: »
    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Haha you find my story discouraging because I'm sharing my personal story about how depo was bad for my health. Not sure why me being open and honest about some of the negative experiences I have had with depo would warrant such combativeness. Heck I even said my sister lost weight but she did have a non stop period for years while on it. I guess the drug companies just like the food industry sends its shill to forums to attack anyone who speaks out negatively about their product.

    Writing this again, hopefully will not be deleted. It took 15 years for the damage from hormonal birth control to accumulate for me. It does not always happen immediately. Over time it reduces your good gut bacteria, messes with your neurotransmitters...I could go on but there are lots of resources online you can check out for this. I totally agree with NotGnarly, think about the fact that the drug companies make millions of dollars off a drug sold to HEALTHY people! Then, on top of that, they get to sell you other drugs to deal with the side effects, all the while you are being told it is safe. Does that make sense?!

    Pros and cons to everything. Pregnancy causes a lot of side effects, too - one of them being approx. 18 years of a freeloader taking up your time, money, emotions, etc... And lets not forget the toll being pregnant takes on your body, okay.

    I totally get not wanting to have a baby. I'm 37 and do not want children by choice. I have managed this long to avoid getting pregnant both on and off hormonal birth control. We are not uncivilized animals that cannot resist our urges so much that we have to compromise our health to avoid unwanted pregnancy. And getting pregnant is totally natural for women, synthetic hormones are not.

    I'm glad you've managed not to get pregnant since you didn't want to. The pros of depo over other birth control methods (hormonal and non-hormonal) make it the right choice for me and many others.

    I understand wanting to share your story/experience with depo so that others asking questions about it can make an informed decision.

    Oh wait. You've admitted that you've never even been on depo, so why are you in this thread again?

    To answer OP's question - YES you can maintain a healthy weight (and even lose weight) while you are on depo!

    Depo-provera is just a long acting synthetic hormone. Both the shot and the pill are forms of progesterone. So its all synthetic hormone birth control, just a different delivery method. As a side note depo-provera is also used for chemical castration. Doesn't that sound great? You're getting the same shot as men who are pedophiles. Any wonder why hormonal birth control also comes with diminished libido?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    erinc5 wrote: »
    erinc5 wrote: »
    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Haha you find my story discouraging because I'm sharing my personal story about how depo was bad for my health. Not sure why me being open and honest about some of the negative experiences I have had with depo would warrant such combativeness. Heck I even said my sister lost weight but she did have a non stop period for years while on it. I guess the drug companies just like the food industry sends its shill to forums to attack anyone who speaks out negatively about their product.

    Writing this again, hopefully will not be deleted. It took 15 years for the damage from hormonal birth control to accumulate for me. It does not always happen immediately. Over time it reduces your good gut bacteria, messes with your neurotransmitters...I could go on but there are lots of resources online you can check out for this. I totally agree with NotGnarly, think about the fact that the drug companies make millions of dollars off a drug sold to HEALTHY people! Then, on top of that, they get to sell you other drugs to deal with the side effects, all the while you are being told it is safe. Does that make sense?!

    Pros and cons to everything. Pregnancy causes a lot of side effects, too - one of them being approx. 18 years of a freeloader taking up your time, money, emotions, etc... And lets not forget the toll being pregnant takes on your body, okay.

    I totally get not wanting to have a baby. I'm 37 and do not want children by choice. I have managed this long to avoid getting pregnant both on and off hormonal birth control. We are not uncivilized animals that cannot resist our urges so much that we have to compromise our health to avoid unwanted pregnancy. And getting pregnant is totally natural for women, synthetic hormones are not.

    I'm glad you've managed not to get pregnant since you didn't want to. The pros of depo over other birth control methods (hormonal and non-hormonal) make it the right choice for me and many others.

    I understand wanting to share your story/experience with depo so that others asking questions about it can make an informed decision.

    Oh wait. You've admitted that you've never even been on depo, so why are you in this thread again?

    To answer OP's question - YES you can maintain a healthy weight (and even lose weight) while you are on depo!

    Depo-provera is just a long acting synthetic hormone. Both the shot and the pill are forms of progesterone. So its all synthetic hormone birth control, just a different delivery method. As a side note depo-provera is also used for chemical castration. Doesn't that sound great? You're getting the same shot as men who are pedophiles. Any wonder why hormonal birth control also comes with diminished libido?

    Might that be because the hormones in Depo affect men differently?

    you have never used depo Correct?

    Mirena also has long last hormones...I haven't seen you on those threads...

    Diminished libido is a possible side effect doesn't mean it's always in the mix

    http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-depo-provera lists all side effects and pros and cons.

    It is up to the individual person to decide. People coming in here and telling horror stories are doing a disservice to people thinking about it esp considering some of the horror stories aren't even related to the depo shot.

    and if you have never used depo not sure what the deal is.
  • Amerane
    Amerane Posts: 136 Member
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    erinc5 wrote: »
    erinc5 wrote: »
    NotGnarly wrote: »
    Haha you find my story discouraging because I'm sharing my personal story about how depo was bad for my health. Not sure why me being open and honest about some of the negative experiences I have had with depo would warrant such combativeness. Heck I even said my sister lost weight but she did have a non stop period for years while on it. I guess the drug companies just like the food industry sends its shill to forums to attack anyone who speaks out negatively about their product.

    Writing this again, hopefully will not be deleted. It took 15 years for the damage from hormonal birth control to accumulate for me. It does not always happen immediately. Over time it reduces your good gut bacteria, messes with your neurotransmitters...I could go on but there are lots of resources online you can check out for this. I totally agree with NotGnarly, think about the fact that the drug companies make millions of dollars off a drug sold to HEALTHY people! Then, on top of that, they get to sell you other drugs to deal with the side effects, all the while you are being told it is safe. Does that make sense?!

    Pros and cons to everything. Pregnancy causes a lot of side effects, too - one of them being approx. 18 years of a freeloader taking up your time, money, emotions, etc... And lets not forget the toll being pregnant takes on your body, okay.

    I totally get not wanting to have a baby. I'm 37 and do not want children by choice. I have managed this long to avoid getting pregnant both on and off hormonal birth control. We are not uncivilized animals that cannot resist our urges so much that we have to compromise our health to avoid unwanted pregnancy. And getting pregnant is totally natural for women, synthetic hormones are not.

    I'm glad you've managed not to get pregnant since you didn't want to. The pros of depo over other birth control methods (hormonal and non-hormonal) make it the right choice for me and many others.

    I understand wanting to share your story/experience with depo so that others asking questions about it can make an informed decision.

    Oh wait. You've admitted that you've never even been on depo, so why are you in this thread again?

    To answer OP's question - YES you can maintain a healthy weight (and even lose weight) while you are on depo!

    Depo-provera is just a long acting synthetic hormone. Both the shot and the pill are forms of progesterone. So its all synthetic hormone birth control, just a different delivery method. As a side note depo-provera is also used for chemical castration. Doesn't that sound great? You're getting the same shot as men who are pedophiles. Any wonder why hormonal birth control also comes with diminished libido?

    Check your facts. Hormones function differently in men than in women. Also, not all birth control pills are the same. Some have both estrogen and progesterone, some have only progesterone. The presence or absence of estrogen can make a huge difference. Depo-provera is progesterone only.

    Great to see that you lament women attacking other women and yet still can't resist attacking those who get the shot. Am I supposed to feel bad that male pedophiles are getting the same chemical that I am, albeit in a very different context, dose, etc?

    Hormonal birth control does not always result in diminished libido. I personally felt more frisky during the first few months on the shot and I certainly haven't slowed down from my pre-shot norm.

    Everyone reacts to birth control differently because we all have slightly different bodies. It's ok. Some people have negative reactions, some positive, some neutral. It's good to hear about every person's story as long as it's relevant to the question being asked (in this case experience with Depo-Provera specifically).