Depro Provera

kimmcburnie
kimmcburnie Posts: 5
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there Ladies, I am wondering If any of you have been on this drug and what your experiences with weight gain or loss have been. I have been on it for about a year and have been trying to loose weight for about a year walking 1.5 hours a day to a running program now. I know what I am doing when it comes to diet and exercise, I am a gymnastics coach with education background in Recreation and wellness but I am not loosing any weight. I am thinking about going off this drug but the reason I am on it is because I have low iron and this is a little something that helps because of my terrible and painful friend. If any of you have any input on this please give me your thoughts!!
Thanks!!
Kim

Replies

  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    I've never been on it, but a friend of mine gained something like 30-50lbs from it on her 5'4-ish frame. And it wasn't gradual, it was in less than a year.
  • Dafrog
    Dafrog Posts: 353
    i have gained and lost on depo.
  • kaymd
    kaymd Posts: 470 Member
    I'm interested too. Last time I was on it I couldn't lose a lot of weight but then again I never really tried counting calories combined with exercise. I'm thinking of going back on it for birth control.
  • Amerann
    Amerann Posts: 9
    My girlfriend's daughter gained like 50# in less than a year on this hormone.:(
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    My girlfriend's daughter gained like 50# in less than a year on this hormone.:(

    Most women gain on birth control, but the problem with Depro is that it's in your system for months and there's nothing you can do about it. @ least with the pill or the Nuva Ring and stuff like that you can be on it one day & off it the next.
  • ariellespiller
    ariellespiller Posts: 60
    I used this the first year I was married, and put on about 40 pounds...bad news man! And it also made me a witch. But that's just me!
  • shannonichole
    shannonichole Posts: 126
    The depo shot was wonderful when it came to pain relief and it took a year to start having a period again after I stopped the shot. As for weight gain - I totally blew up like a balloon! :grumble: I gained about 30 pounds after getting the shot and couldn't lose it no matter what I did. I am now off the shot and starting to lose weight. It's good if you have painful periods, but a nightmare if you want to be skinny.

    Have you considered trying any other methods? I'm considering Implanon, but there are also reports of weight gain on it.
  • Aeriel
    Aeriel Posts: 864 Member
    I don't take this shot (I have an IUD) but I know when I was exercising and not losing weight (for a year before starting here), it was because I was eating way more calories than I thought I was. I did not track or weigh my food, and had no idea what a portion truly was. I ate healthy but just way too much. As soon as I started this site and tracking everything, the weight fell off. Make sure you use the site to its fullest potential, be honest with yourself and hopefully your body will adapt to the hormones and start losing weight the way it is supposed to.

    Oh, and in regards to low iron, that is why I went on this Mirena IUD.....the old copper T version with no hormones left me anaemic. Might be something you want to consider. I have had my kids, so I was ready for a long term solution, but not ready to do a permanent one.
  • xxPeppaxx
    xxPeppaxx Posts: 142 Member
    I was on this and gained over 35 lbs. I now have the MIRENA IUD and its been wonderful.....no more crampy periods...only like 1 out of 3 ....way lighter flow....the spotting in the beginning took awhile to get used to but it regulates.
  • michlingle
    michlingle Posts: 797 Member
    I'm not sure about depo, but other, newer forms of bc are usually pretty low in estrogen. They should not affect weight gain at all. A lot of times people gain weight for other reasons while on bc, or maybe it's a mental thing. This comes from my sister who is a ob/gyn, there really isn't much medical reason to gain while on bc especially with the newer forms, it's an old wives' tale at this point. Thought this was interesting after reading an article about a study on the matter....

    Should we all say no to Depo?
    Not necessarily. Only one quarter of the Depo users in our study experienced a significant amount of weight gain. Most only gained a few pounds, the same as the pill or condom users.

    Why do some women gain weight and not others?
    Right now, we don't really know. We're going to focus on that in our next study. We'd like to see if such variables as age, race, exercise, or previous childbirth play a role in weight gain. We found in our study that women who had previously used the shot saw a smaller weight gain than those who used it for the first time. We also know that white women who weren't obese gained significantly more than those who were—yet the same didn't hold true for black women.
  • VCStarr
    VCStarr Posts: 155
    I have been on it.

    I gained weight easily and could not get rid of it.

    On top of that until after I was off of it I wasn't aware that it zaps your calcium. So it effects your bones and teeth. So make sure you are getting a decent amount of calcium in your diet.

    Those weren't my only issues.

    The real reason I finally go off of it is different. I was told that it would make my periods shorter to non-existent. Not true at least in my case. As a matter of fact I had my period for 4 straight months, had one week off, then had it again for 6 straight MONTHS (Not weeks). I couldn't take the bleeding any more. My iron was already low and I was bleeding it all away. Now that may be simply how my body reacted, but I didn't like it at all.
  • udallmom101
    udallmom101 Posts: 564 Member
    I gained about 30 pounds when I went on it after my 3rd baby. It was hard to deal with. I really am glad I have no need for a Birth Control now! That Depo did me in!
  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
    I was on the Depo for nearly 8 years. I only recently came off it nearly a month ago.

    It was great as there's only spotting. Made my life easy. I did find however, that it increased my cravings, and so I ate more but didn't gain a huge amount of weight AND my mood swings were horrendous :explode: !! Solution to mood swings, my doctor told me to take 1000mg of Primrose Oil supplements to balance out the hormones. The supplement has definitely helped! I suppose it affects everyone differently.

    My reason for changing though is :blushing: it killed my libido especially since I was taking it for a long time.
  • Healthyby30
    Healthyby30 Posts: 1,349 Member
    I was on it for a year and I gained about 80 lbs in that time. It's HORRIBLE! LOL I know others who have gained a lot on it as well.
  • JillTwiss
    JillTwiss Posts: 139 Member
    I was on it for over four years and stopped about 12 years ago. I didn't notice the weight coming on because it was slow, but once I stopped getting it, I lost about 25-30 pounds in a matter of a few months without changing anything.
  • melnman2
    melnman2 Posts: 9
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/137512-depro-provera

    NO DO NOT TRY THE IMPLANON I WAS ON IT FOR 2 YEARS AND I GAINED SOOOOOOOO MUCH WEIGHT AND IT MADE ME VERY VERY MOODY I WAS A STRAIGHT ***** <EXCUSE MY FRENCH> BUT ITS THE TRUTH...PLEASE DO NOT TRY THE IMPLANON IT IS HORRIBLE!!!
  • SlipperySlope
    SlipperySlope Posts: 34
    I'm on Depo now for the second time (I've done many different kinds over the past few years) but I came back to Depo because it's so easy--you don't have to remember to take a pill or switch a patch.
    The medication itself will not make you gain any weight; as someone said above, there's nothing in modern BC that will add pounds to you. However, it can increase cravings and it's important to pay extra attention to what you eat while you're on it or any new medication.
  • RachM
    RachM Posts: 113 Member
    Ok so this has sparked me to ask if anyone has gained on the evra patch?? I JUST got a prescription for it and I am changing from alesse if all goes well. Thanks!!
  • tessjordan88
    tessjordan88 Posts: 201 Member
    I was 112 pounds when I graduated high school, and went on the pill. I gained 14 pounds within just a few months. After I was married for a year and a half, I went off the pill (to get pregnant with my first child). We had 2 babies within 22 months, and decided it was time for a little break. I went on Norplant for 7 years after my 2nd baby, and gained over 50 pounds, and believe me, the cravings were so hard to fight!!. After careful consideration, I decided to have a 3rd child, and had the implants removed. I dropped 40 pounds in just a couple of months before I finally got pregnant. I have never gained or lost weight as fast as I have switching on & off hormone birth control. I think the hormone levels in Depo are comparable to Norplant, but Norplant was discontinued due to high risk of pregnancy and miscarriage, and that it was a brain cancer risk for women with migraines. (I was in on a class-action law suit against the makers for that reason... didn't develop brain cancer - that I know of, but the migraines were much more severe.)

    Long story short, after the 3rd baby, I got my tubes tied... no hormones, no headaches.
  • WalkingGirl1985
    WalkingGirl1985 Posts: 2,046 Member
    I've been on it for 7-8 months, and have lost weight due to eating right and exercise.:happy:
  • ivyjbres
    ivyjbres Posts: 612 Member
    I wasn't trying to loose weight when I was on it (right after my pregnancy, was just on it for the one shot to ensure that I wasn't preggers when they put my IUD in), but I felt awful the whole time. I had a rough pregnancy, and Depo was like being pregnant for another 6 months (except I was bleeding the whole time...sorry for the TMI, but you should be aware, sometimes Depo and IUDs mix poorly).
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
    I've never been on the shot myself, but my roomate Christina was. She gained 30 pounds being on it and said she felt hungry all of the time. She also had trouble taking the weight off afterwards and had trouble get back on a regular period (which makes it difficult if you ever decide to have a baby.)

    I'm on the nuvaring and I love it! You get the same freedom of mind as the shot, except rather going every three months for an injection, you just take the ring out and put a new one in once a month. You don't have to worry about anything on a daily basis. Plus, it's more effective than the pill because the hormones are delivered consistantly. The only thing that could harm effectivness is antinbiotics, but that's the same with any method you can use.

    If you have questions about the ring, just ask. I'd recommend that before the shot!

    Shannon
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Been there, done that! Between it and like 3 other meds that they gave me trying to deal with my crazy cycles, I gained 100 pounds in a year! I was working as a personal trainer at the time too, and I'm sure there were people who saw my weight gain and thought I was the worst trainer on the planet, but it was all the medications and not the workout or diet. I had to get off of everything and spend 2 hours a day in the gym to get the weight off. I also had an endometrial ablation to end the crazy cycles and that has been the greatest thing ever! You can't have kids after an ablation, though, so it is kind of a last resort option before the hysterectomy. Good luck!
  • teresaelliott
    teresaelliott Posts: 7
    It is really hard to make a decision based on everyone elses opinion...I think if you are really concerned that this is the reason why you can't lose weight, you should discuss it with a Dr. or a dietician. My personal opinion is yes you will gain a few lbs like with any birth contraol, however, I have read all the other comments and I find it hard to believe that a person can gain anywhere from 50-100 lbs and blame it solely on birth control. That is not realistic. The calcium part can be an issue, but it is mostly young girls on Depo that have to be careful As you get older it becomes less of a problem. Good luck with your decision.
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
    I agree with teresaelliot who just responded. I would talk to your physician. I've been on depo for probably 15+ years (between the ages of about 33-48). I've had no problems that I can attribute to depo--I got married soon after I got on it, and slowly gained weight (but I attribute that to making larger meals and being not as active as I was before). I went on Atkins about 11 years ago, and lost weight no problem. Then, I did the usual thing, went off that specific diet, and have gained an average of about 6 pounds per year over the past 10 years.

    I went to my obgyn this last time, and he indicated that women, on average, gain 5 pounds per year on depo.

    I have since started on MFP and have easily lost 12 pounds in the past month, mostly by lowering caloric intake, and I'm still on depo.

    I have found it to be a vast difference between Atkins and what I'm doing now, because I'm actually counting calories, and seeing a big difference. Even though I lost weight on Atkins, I couldn't last on it. This time, I am committed--lowering caloric intake is working, and perhaps if you examine your calories, that may help determine why you're not losing.
  • emills88
    emills88 Posts: 28 Member
    Keep in mind that this is not meant to be a long term solution for birth control, my gyno told me (After getting my last shot a few months ago) That I had been on it for over 2 years. She said it is recommended that DP only be used for up to 2 years because it can increase your risk for osteoporosis, create hair loss, and can affect your body in other ways. I had somewhat figured this out on my own since I had been having terrible mood swings, although I wasn't sure what had been causing it, I had been on DP for a while at that point with no problems. I stopped taking birth control now to try for a baby. Although that causes more problems with that than I thought...I have been off of DP for 6 months (counting from when my last shot was due, which I did not recieve, not the last shot given) and I am still waiting for my cycle to regulate so my body will get pregnant. I think I am going to try Mirena after this, my insurance will cover it now and a friend says it is pretty decent.
  • kimmcburnie
    kimmcburnie Posts: 5
    Well thank you everyone for your thoughts!! I am sure everyone is different, my thoughts are if this many people feel they have gained weight on Deprovera ( whether it is from increased appetite or the drug itself) I still feel that I will go off of it and see. I am not taking it for birth control, I take it because I have low iron and my menstrual cycle makes this worse and is very painful. I am hoping that the running program I have started will help slow it down and decrease the pain and give me more energy!! I will keep the topic updated as we go and see what happens. I find it hard to believe though that I haven't lost a single pound since I have been on it. I had a fear of gaining weight when I went on it so I started walking everyday. I was up to about 10 K and then played soccer in the summer and did Zumba. I was eating way less calories because at one point I thought I wasn't eating enough. I am now counting calories and running 3 times a week and doing Zumba once a week and still not loosing weight. It's got to be something because I wasn't really active at all before going on DP.
  • Claudia007
    Claudia007 Posts: 878 Member
    I am a little late on this but I am as over weight as I am becuse of Depo. Maybe it affects everyone differently but I remember sitting there eating and eating and eating and wondering WTF?!? How can I be eating all this? I gained TONS of weight (don't know excactly how much as I never weighed myself) but I KNOW for a fact it was because of it. I got off it and went back on the pill for a bit but now have an IUD because I had a hard time remember to take it. Good luck :)
  • kimmcburnie
    kimmcburnie Posts: 5
    Okay ladies, I have been off Deprovera for 1 month today and have lost 6 lbs. Coincidence.....I think not!!!
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