Depo Provera & BC patch

The depo shot "makes women gain weight" because it increases their appetite. Every bc affects your hormones & the depo affects the hormone (idk what it's called) that makes you want to eat more. With exercise & a healthy diet, you should be good. Have you been on it before? I ask because with me, it messed up my period. I got spotting sometimes & other times I got very light periods that lasted weeks! They say after your third shot, if you're lucky, your period will go away completely... unfortunately I wasn't lucky. I've been on mine for over 2 weeks now so talk with your doctor about that. On the other hand, my sister was on it for years & had no problems with her period other than random spotting that eventually went away. Just a heads up! It could be the medication I'm on mixed with the shot.. don't want to worry you.

danieb462 wrote: »

Yep... Another post about this form of birth control. But my questions are a little different. In two weeks I am going to get this shot as my form of birth control. My gyno said that this would be better seeing how I am over weight and all. I've attacked this healthier lifestyle and exercise regimen (love it!) like its going out of style. However after reading forum after forum I've noticed that a lot of women are gaining weight like crazy. Well that's the complete opposite of what I want to happen. It said that 1/4 of women will gain weight. I was wondering if I watch my eating, exercise and take a metabolism boosting supplement will this help? Also, I sweat a lot when I work out. If I were to opt for the BC patch would it sweat off?! What about placement? Have any of you ladies tried the BC patch and had any side effects?

I've been on Depo over two years. I always maintained easily, and have lose easily on it. Like many other medications, you need to be mindful of your intake, and not eat over maintenance. I've lost 20+ lbs since I started trying to lose in March, and the entire time I've been on it, I haven't had any issues with controlling my appetite or gaining large amounts of weight.

My NP has also advised me to take calcium as well while I'm on it. Talk to yours to see if you should be supplementing your intake with calcium supplements, as Depo can be linked to lost bone density. Personally, I love Depo. It's one of the few options that has worked for me very well! I'm sad to switch over to a new method soon, since it's not one you should stay on for more than a couple years.

danieb462 wrote: »

Me too! I'm half Italian so I know all about carb over load. Are you worried about the whole "bone density" thing being an issue. I want this shot to work for me and not against me cause I'm determined to lose about 80 lbs by my birthday in April

Not really. I get my regular check ups and a density scan every once in a while, having suffered through two calcium-sucking children (LOL). Scans come back well within the normal range without supplementation. Of course YMMV. All the women in my line have been workhorses with strong backs and stronger opinions. Looks like I got their genes and their hips.

Depo is more risky than other methods, because if you find it affects you adversely, you can't just stop and try something else. You have to wait 3 months. I only took 2 shots and gained 30lbs and ate the same way. I do feel like it messed my metabolism up, it was deft harder to lose weight after that. And is hard to lose after getting my IUD out. I lost weight just fine while on the pill. Thankfully after 4 kids my husband had a vasectomy so now I can just concentrate on getting the old me back.

edited: I just saw you said there are monthly options for the shot now. If you DO decide to try Depo, deft go for that version that way if at any point you decide it's not worth it you can quit and go for a different method.

I used depo for a long time and back on it after using Mirnea for 7 years...no issues losing weight at all....Yes there are side effects...increases appetite is one, water retention is another....but appetite doesn't equal hunger...and water retention well we all get that without BC anyway...

Here is my two cents, I see both sides of the issue since I am working on loosing weight, and I was a 10 plus year depo user and I am a nurse. Depo did cause me some weight gain but I was looking for as bullet proof of a way to prevent pregnancy and It worked. At the time I had to stop competitive sports due to work issues and that may have been some of the weight gain issue as well. Hormones will mess with your metabolism. Also some of the pills, patches and rings are not as effective for women who weigh more than 200-250 lbs. Have you suggested to your doctor an IUD?? They have both hormonal and non hormonal versions of it and it is just as effective as depo. Its some thing to look in to as a possible choice. There are doctors who will implant them in women who have never had children, you just have to advocate for your self. I had issues for years trying to convince some of the OB/GYNs I saw to do a tubal ligation on a never pregnant woman as I have never wanted to be a mother. I was finally able to have my tubes tied at age 34 due to having a good doctor who listened to me and what my reasons are and that I had made this decision at 18 and had never changed my mind. A good doctor/ nurse practitioner will listen to their patients and give you the knowledge to help you make the right choices for you. Have you looked in to a diaphragm or cervical cap? They are non hormonal as well. Just some stuff to think about. Also you said the condoms were bothering you. Is it possible you are allergic to Latex or you have a reaction to spermicide?? Try a non latex condom next time or a condom with out spermicide and see if that may be the issue as well? Good Luck to you and keep up the good work you can do it!!!

Log what you eat and continue to exercise. No need to waste money on any "supplements" for your metabolism.
Just remember to log honestly and accurately. I was on the depo shot for 9 months and I lost weight. I stopped because, unlike most women, I still got my period. In fact, I had a light period a majority of the time. It was ridiculous. I now have the Mirena, and I don't mind it. Try out the depo, if you don't like it you can always try something else.

Hormonal birth control makes me crazy hungry ALL THE TIME. I gain weight like I'm pregnant if I use anything hormonal. And I am a big gainer during pregnancy.

I was on Depo for about 4 years. Some months I would gain weight, and some months I would lose weight and if I remember correctly, most of it was appetite - some was a hormonal issue. I stopped having periods and around 3 years into it I started becoming very hormonal and just a wreck. So I got off of it. With that being said whether it was appetite related or hormone related I gained about 60 pounds in that 4 years. But I also never watched what I ate and I never exercised either. So I'm sure if you're watching those things and you're getting in some exercise, you'll be fine.

pincushion14 wrote: »

I love Depo. Nearly 14 years on it, no periods, no cramping, no pms, no bloating. Also no weight gain that I didn't do to myself. I have no problem losing the weight once I get my head on straight and get down to business. .

Same here. Been on it for about 10 years and definitely love it.

I bled for 3 months straight on Depo. Not extremely heavy bleeding but a consistent enough flow. I also gained 30lbs even though I did NOT eat more (I was maintaining at that point in time and was highly conscious of every aspect of my health). HOWEVER, every single birth control method that I have used (and believe me... I've gone down the entire list in the past 15 years), other than Mirena, has had some sort of severe starting-out side effects on me. Mostly rapid weight gain.