Depo shot + gaining weight= myth

i wanted to clear the air. i took depo before to not have a period. then my insurance ended but i lost a little weight. i decided to take it again the following year because the pills made me crazy psychotic. all my friends told me that i would gain more weight faster. i had already gained about 10 lbs after starting nursing school. i was already stressed & i didnt want to deal with a period but i didnt want to gain weight either.......... i told my Dr. i wanted to start losing weight. he said the depo shot would increase my appetite but not make me hungry . i didn't understand and he said it meant in a sense food could be more desirable. the medicine itself, even though its a hormone, DOES NOT cause weight gain. neither does it inhibit weight loss. if you watch what you eat, eat appropriate calories, and exercise you should lose weight fine. i told him i lost weight last time. he said without a cycle perhaps i created a more solid schedule because i wasn't worrying about a period. of course all contraceptives have pros and cons but im just putting this info out there. not having a period isn't as bad as people say. most contraceptive put you at a risk of something anyways. i drink red wine from time to time to help prevent blood clots and i cut back on my smoking to. anyways just a little FYI for anyone who was thinking about trying it but feared gaining weight. im 5"0" i lost 13 lbs so far while still eating about 1500 calories a day
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Replies

  • ShandaLeaS
    ShandaLeaS Posts: 136 Member
    In my younger years I was on Depo for about a total of 10 years and stayed the same weight. I didn't gain weight until I got off of it so I could get pregnant.
  • Lysander666
    Lysander666 Posts: 275 Member
    My ex started on depo and gained weight. All to do with depo. Nothing to do with all the pittas.
  • Hopelessone
    Hopelessone Posts: 270 Member
    UM, I gained 60 pounds in three months because of depo :( I had never weighed more then 115 pounds and I was in my 40s!! I am still trying to lose some of that weight
  • Hopelessone
    Hopelessone Posts: 270 Member
    UM, I gained 60 pounds in three months because of depo :( I had never weighed more then 115 pounds and I was in my 40s!! I am still trying to lose some of that weight

    I wanted to add : Everyones body is different and deals with things differently. Just saying
  • honey_bee_keysha
    honey_bee_keysha Posts: 773 Member
    I gained 12 pounds while on Depo. After I stopped, I lost about 20 pounds or so.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    It's true that it is not a weight gain type medication but just like birth control pills, patches and hormonal IUD's they all cause you to 'crave' things more.

    I have gained, lost and maintained on Depo so I can say with certainty that as long as you are living a healthy lifestyle and have a good diet that has proper nutrition and not more calories than you need then you will lose weight or maintain.
  • kdsp2911
    kdsp2911 Posts: 170 Member
    UM, I gained 60 pounds in three months because of depo :( I had never weighed more then 115 pounds and I was in my 40s!! I am still trying to lose some of that weight

    I wanted to add : Everyones body is different and deals with things differently. Just saying

    That's what I was going to say. Literally every BODY is different. Some eating habits work for some, not for others. Some medicines work for some, not for others. Some types of exercise work for some, not for others. It's unfair to generalize the effects of medication in relation to others, just because it doesn't have (or does have) a certain effect on you.

    That said, really glad that it didn't cause any weight gain for you!

    I had the Depo shot as a teenager, and I think it helped further my PCOS. I then tried Mirena, and I think satan himself created that monstrous device. It caused massive cramps that went all the way into my legs, really psychotic irritability, and yes...weight gain. It was terrible. I read up on the forums and a lot of women had the same issues...and eventually even started losing their hair due to the synthetic hormone!
  • jessmart83
    jessmart83 Posts: 283 Member
    I have been on depo for 6 years, the only reason I gained weight is because I decided to shovel fast food in my face like it didnt matter for about 6 months last year. Now that I actually care what is going into my body I have lost 25lbs since January. My weight gain had nothing to do with the Depo.
  • melduf
    melduf Posts: 468 Member
    Obviously, its not the depo shot that makes you fat!! But if you are hungry 24/7, it's a little hard on the good resolutions... That's what happened to me.
  • soniadavisbey
    soniadavisbey Posts: 33 Member
    It's true...my doctor told me the same thing..I had to get on the Depo in order to get my tubes done...I had the Esure method...the shot increases your appetite... the shot itself doesn't make you gain weight...
  • donna_glasgow
    donna_glasgow Posts: 869 Member
    UM, I gained 60 pounds in three months because of depo :( I had never weighed more then 115 pounds and I was in my 40s!! I am still trying to lose some of that weight
    same here I gained all my weight directly due to the depo jab ..... I ballooned from a size 8-18 in 3 months ... the doc told me it would have been due to the depo ... all of our bodies work different ... mine doesn't agree with any form of contraception ... hence the reason i have loads of kids :)
  • I was on depo for almost 4 years during college....I ate like a pig. I lost 20lbs. Why? Because it made me anxious as hell, and I never stopped moving! There is no "this will happen" with ANY medication. There is a "this is possible" "this could happen" or even "a lot of people get...". I HATE it when people say a medication MADE them fat or thin....nope, it didn't. YOU did. The only exception being, if you got edema or another medical condition that caused an excessive buildup of fluid. When you put food in your mouth, what food you put in your mouth, is YOUR decision and responsibility. You can't say "depo made me gain weight"...but you can say "when I was on depo I ate like crazy and gained weight"....
  • :smile:
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    The Depo works by tricking your body into thinking it's pregnant.

    So yes, it might put on some weight. (Unless you're the magical kind of woman who doesn't gain weight when they get pregnant????)

    I got back on it after a decade. First week, almost 7 pounds of water weight. Cracked back down on exercise and water, it came off.

    But yes, it can mess with your hormones (which can regulate weight, hunger, metabolism.)

    Any woman worth her salt (or out of her teens) on hormonal birth control should know that. And even moreso, she should NOT be chastising women for how their bodies physically react to an influx of hormones being injected into your *kitten*.
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    It's true that it is not a weight gain type medication but just like birth control pills, patches and hormonal IUD's they all cause you to 'crave' things more.

    I have gained, lost and maintained on Depo so I can say with certainty that as long as you are living a healthy lifestyle and have a good diet that has proper nutrition and not more calories than you need then you will lose weight or maintain.
    AND THATS EXACTLY WHAT THE DR. TOLD ME :) AS LONG AS YOU CAN MAINTAIN SELF CONTROL YOU'LL BE FINE. BUT LIKE I SAID THIS IS AND FYI FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TRY IT BUT ARE SCARED. YOU CAN DO IT AS LONG AS YOU CAN MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE BECAUSE OF THE NEW "CRAVING" OTHER ASPECTS CAN AFFECT IT THOUGH LIKE AGE AND METABOLISM. "PERSONALLY " AFTER ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS I MENTALLY PUSHED PAST THAT AND IT HASN'T AFFECTED ME AT ALL WITH LOSING WEIGHT.
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    I was on depo for almost 4 years during college....I ate like a pig. I lost 20lbs. Why? Because it made me anxious as hell, and I never stopped moving! There is no "this will happen" with ANY medication. There is a "this is possible" "this could happen" or even "a lot of people get...". I HATE it when people say a medication MADE them fat or thin....nope, it didn't. YOU did. The only exception being, if you got edema or another medical condition that caused an excessive buildup of fluid. When you put food in your mouth, what food you put in your mouth, is YOUR decision and responsibility. You can't say "depo made me gain weight"...but you can say "when I was on depo I ate like crazy and gained weight"....
    :wink: Second tht cuz its soo true plus i think a DR knows a little something about what he tells his patients. but hey if its not for you then dont take it. tht simple. only you know what you can and cant handle. i had to teach myself self control for the first few months
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    UM, I gained 60 pounds in three months because of depo :( I had never weighed more then 115 pounds and I was in my 40s!! I am still trying to lose some of that weight

    I wanted to add : Everyones body is different and deals with things differently. Just saying

    That's what I was going to say. Literally every BODY is different. Some eating habits work for some, not for others. Some medicines work for some, not for others. Some types of exercise work for some, not for others. It's unfair to generalize the effects of medication in relation to others, just because it doesn't have (or does have) a certain effect on you.

    That said, really glad that it didn't cause any weight gain for you!

    I had the Depo shot as a teenager, and I think it helped further my PCOS. I then tried Mirena, and I think satan himself created that monstrous device. It caused massive cramps that went all the way into my legs, really psychotic irritability, and yes...weight gain. It was terrible. I read up on the forums and a lot of women had the same issues...and eventually even started losing their hair due to the synthetic hormone!
    OMG i hope it didnt affect you too severely . that must have been such a scary experience. my friend had it for a while and got rid of it because of the horrible cramps and all the stories she heard. anyways i hope your body is ok now and you found a good one for yourself.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    It does cause weight gain for some people, just because it didn't for you doesn't meat it won't for everyone. We are all different.
  • lozloz85
    lozloz85 Posts: 10
    i lost 1st on the depo but i will say it made me a psycho lol
  • beckslite
    beckslite Posts: 125 Member
    Everyone is different and will be affected slightly differently. It was a nightmare for me. I spent 12 months loosing weight, then went on it, then within 3 months I'd put it nearly all back on again. Having your appetite increased is no joke for some people. It was ridiculous. So yes for me it made me put the weight on as I was unable to control my appetite. And why should anyone have to anyway. Trying to loose weight is hard enough without increasing your appetite. Didn't suit me, and would never have it again. But it does work for others. Like I said, everyone is different. But for me yes I piled the weight on :)
  • beckslite
    beckslite Posts: 125 Member
    It does cause weight gain for some people, just because it didn't for you doesn't meat it won't for everyone. We are all different.

    Well said :)
  • I'm currently on it and I've lost two pounds with it. :)
  • cOOkieLpX
    cOOkieLpX Posts: 63 Member
    This is true. My sister didn't gain weight at all and I took it for 6 months and packed on 60 lbs like the other person did. I was always in a hormonal rollercoaster and I blame this medication for my husband and I separating, everything cleared up when I stopped taking it and our relationship could not be better. My OBGYN told my husband, "Sorry for injecting her with witch juice" replace the W with a B.
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
    I am sick and tired of people blaming their birth control for their weight gain. "I was on birth control and I gained Xlbs"

    birth control does NOT cause you to gain weight.
  • I am sick and tired of people blaming their birth control for their weight gain. "I was on birth control and I gained Xlbs"

    birth control does NOT cause you to gain weight.
    AGREED. It INCREASES your appetite to make you want food more, but you don't have to eat it just because you want it
    Workout and stay within a healthy calories deficit and you won't gain weight.
  • KatieSChaisemom
    KatieSChaisemom Posts: 79 Member
    It does depend on your body. Spome people get very lucky and never gain any weight from it or not much. I was 13 and decided to get on depo for skin problems, period problems etc. Before I ever started on depo I was 117 lbs. The first shot I gained 50 lbs. The second shot I gained another 20 then the third shot I got I gained another 10. Thats an 80 lb weight gain in a year. I decided to stop taking depo after that. I lost the weight slowly and got back down to my previous weight. If that weight gain wasn't due to depo then call me Mary Poppins.
  • cOOkieLpX
    cOOkieLpX Posts: 63 Member
    I don't know about you but gaining 60 lbs in 6 months is not normal. Yes the cravings were there but I never "pigged out" and as soon as I saw the first 10 lbs come on I really watched what I was eating.. it didn't matter. I kept gaining, I even went for the 2nd round and took the shot again trying to give it the benefit of the doubt.. nope, i just packed on some more weight.

    I think the depo works in two ways, changes stuff so you don't get pregnant and you can't get pregnant if you don't want to have sex..ever.. like EVER... EEEVVEEEERRRRR!! Takes the sexy right out of ya..it did for me anyway.
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
    "Hormonal birth control is often associated with weight gain. According to the Mayo Clinic,*** however; hormonal birth control doesn't actually cause weight gain. Instead, it causes you to temporarily retain water, which makes you feel like you've gained weight. It can also increase appetite in some women, which leads to weight gain, but this isn't true for all women.*** The University of Illinois McKinley Health Center reports that women gain an average of 3.5 pounds within the first year of using the Depo Provera shot and eight pounds total after the second year. Although some women do gain weight on the shot, it doesn't have to be the case for you. With a few tweaks of your daily routine, you can lose weight on the Depo shot."

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/99811-lose-weight-depo-shot/#ixzz2Rc6Ux0Vq
  • Mtleiker
    Mtleiker Posts: 160
    " It can also INCREASE APPETITE in some women, WHICH LEADS to weight gain, but this isn't true for all women.*** it doesn't have to be the case for you. With a few tweaks of your daily routine, you can lose weight on the Depo shot."

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/99811-lose-weight-depo-shot/#ixzz2Rc6Ux0Vq
    :drinker: Cheers well put
  • Rockmyskinnyjeans
    Rockmyskinnyjeans Posts: 431 Member
    The Depo shot aggravated my PCOS, which in turn did not help my metabolism issues and I did gain around 40-50 lbs when I went on it at the age of 19. I think birth control affects everyone differently.