Depo Provera weight gain

DawnieB1977 wrote: »

I'm more concerned that the OP wants to be 85lbs. Unless you're short, 138lbs sounds healthy anyway.

However, why not try a different birth control method? I was on the pill for about 10 years and it didn't make me gain weight.

For those saying depo doesn't make you gain weight...my GP said it's the only birth control method proven to cause weight gain. I asked when I had my 6 week check after my last baby. You'd gain more weight pregnant than on birth control though lol.

Mine told me the same thing.

I have a copper iud. No hormones. Highly recommended, if you can get it/is suitable. I've not had any kids either, you don't have to have had kids already to have one.

If she stops depo then she will need another form of BC, since pregnancy will certainly cause weight gain!!!

Not everyone has the same experiences on hormonal birth control, as everyone's body is chemically slightly different. Think about how people get prescribed different drugs for the same issues regularly (not to mention that there are a zillion forms of hormonal birth control - slight differences in levels of estrogen and progesterone, some completely without estrogen, some formulated to only be necessary once every 3 months, and so on).

Because of that, no two people will react identically to Depo, and no one can say definitively that it will always cause weight gain or always cause bleeding or complete lack of bleeding, etc. However, my personal experience with Depo over the past year has been a very negative one, and for the sake of sharing information to help others make the right choice for themselves, I wanted to post something here.

I started Depo in May. I initially stopped bleeding completely, but started gaining a bit of weight. I was also going to the gym 2-3 times a week for circuit training, doing an aerial class, and eating below calories every day. I at first thought it was just water retention from working out, but even after drinking more, I was losing MUCH more slowly than I should have been. This continued all summer, and I did not change my habits other than supplementing the gym with home-based equipment. I'm in several challenges on here as well, which means that I'm certainly getting my exercise minutes in and I am not overeating.

Come the end of July I was due for another shot and began spotting, then a full-on period, then spotting again, which hasn't stopped as of today. That's not the question being asked in this thread, of course, but in consulting with my gynecologist, I was told that the "textbook" answer is that "some women spot or bleed for up to 6 weeks or longer" during the first year and "some women gain weight". I researched more--a LOT more--to find out why this was and whether it was commonplace. The journal article in 2009 did state that women gained an average of 11 pounds over three years, and while it didn't give a definitive reason for that, I also learned that many progesterone-only forms of BC have a similar effect. This is NOT about overeating, though some women may also eat more while on these forms of birth control, which heightens the effect.

The many, many websites and forums about this topic give a lot of different answers. Some people (as above) claim that "the shot doesn't make you gain weight - it's that you're eating more than you think" - this, no offense meant, is simply not true in my case. I know what I'm eating.

Depo is also stored IN your fat cells, which is why it can be time-released over that 12 week period between injections. This also means that it will take some time to leave your body after you stop taking it. From familyplanning.org: "Depo-Provera can stay in the system of a woman for six to eighteen months after the last shot. This is because Depo-Provera is stored in the body's fat cells; it can take a while for the medication to completely leave the system. "

TL;DR - I'm one of those who are experiencing the negative effects of the shot. I've gained weight despite staying under calories and being active. I've also bled a lot and am often lethargic as a result, and I've decided that I'm stopping the shot. I expect to still be experiencing heightened water retention and gain for at least 6 months.

Postscript: I don't know if you're a person who considers herbal supplements and vitamins, but the reading I've done has led me to believe that cleansing the liver (detoxing), taking fertility vitamins, and using natural diuretics can help with speeding recovery. I'm often skeptical of this stuff, so I don't make this suggestion lightly, but every bit of research on dandelion root both indicates that it's a good dietary supplement in general as well as an aid in liver cleansing. I figure a little dandelion isn't going to hurt anything, so I've ordered some.

I got the shot for the first time on Friday; it wasn't planned, I was after the implant and the doctor suggested this, and I thought 'what the hell'. After reading up on it I am extremely nervous about what may happen. I'm under 5 foot and even a few extra pounds is a lot of padding for me.

I can't find any where a scientific explanation as to why all these women gain so much weight; surely testimonial after testimonial of women insisting they made no changes to their life style can't all be wrong?

Really concerned I've made a blunder and am going to gain 3 stone over the next 3 months.

Can you not come off it OP?

I've gained weight on a pill form of the same med. about 20 lbs in 4 years. But I've also had mobility issues in that time. I don't know which affected me more. But it's a side effect listed about everywhere for this medicine.

enterdanger wrote: »

I did depo for a year in college. It didn't make me gain weight. However, I think it really works by making you act so crazy that no one would want to have sex with you cause I was a raging bi-atch when I was on it. I literally felt out of control. My roommate would go stay with his parents for two weeks each time I got the shot.

I do nuva ring now and I'm just normal crazy.

I had the same experience on depo. I was absolutely out of control angry 24/7 to the point I got depressed because I couldn't even manage my reactions/emotions and I felt completely at a loss for how to steer myself anymore.

I also ate a lot more. So I gained weight. Because I ate a lot more. I know this because when I stopped taking the shot, I kept eating the same way, and didn't lose until I got myself back in control with my habits.

I've been on my pill for years now and I'm very very happy. I've also gained and lost on said pill, but because of my eating habits. The end.

Elab78 wrote: »

I got the shot for the first time on Friday; it wasn't planned, I was after the implant and the doctor suggested this, and I thought 'what the hell'. After reading up on it I am extremely nervous about what may happen. I'm under 5 foot and even a few extra pounds is a lot of padding for me.

I can't find any where a scientific explanation as to why all these women gain so much weight; surely testimonial after testimonial of women insisting they made no changes to their life style can't all be wrong?

Really concerned I've made a blunder and am going to gain 3 stone over the next 3 months.

Can you not come off it OP?

Small amounts of weight gain will almost certainly be water retention - not a whole lot can be done about that. Large amounts of weight gain will be as a result of overeating. That you can control if you know to watch what you eat. If you're already tracking properly, you'll be able to see if you start eating more.

The problem with relying on testimonials is that almost none of those women are likely to have been tracking their intake by weighing their food. How likely do you think it is that they would notice an extra 1/10 (let's say) of everything they eat and drink? Especially since their most likely measure of 'how much they eat' is how hungry they feel. Yet that's plenty to have significant weight gain over months. ETA: especially when compounded by water weight gain

Self-reporting calorie intake is notoriously unreliable. As is self-reporting compliance with medical treatments.

I've been on Depo for almost 5 years. Have I gained while on it? Yes. Did I eat like crap the entire time? Also, yes.

In that 5 years, I gained somewhere in the range of 40 pounds (at 5'11"). I was already obese when I started it. After joining MFP, I just logged what I normally ate for a few days to get an idea of where I was at. I was easily taking in 2500 calories a day (one day I was up to 3400!!!).

So yeah, I gained weight on Depo, but I also ate terribly, so I feel like the Depo didn't have nearly as much to do with it as most people like to think.

55 days on MFP (49 days of actually trying to stay under my calories) and I'm down just over 35lbs (and I'm still on Depo).



Now the spotting... Don't get me started on the spotting.

My gyno told me that the shot DOES NOT cause weight gain, but can increase appetite, which causes weight gain. I chose not to get on the shot, but the pill instead for other reasons. My little sister, however, went with the shot and did, in fact, gain 20 pounds in six months. However, she was also eating whole family sized bags of chips, entire boxes of macaroni, and huge fast food meals 1-2 times a day. She became a basket case of emotions and ate to soothe them. The shot can't make you gain weight if you eating at, or below your maintenance calories. The shot can increase your hunger, but it can't "make" you gain weight unless you chose to eat more than you need.

arb037 wrote: »

thorsmom01 wrote: »

Its a myth. You do not gain weight just by using the depo shot. I've had it the entire time. The side effect is increased hunger , which can cause people to over eat. When someone eats at a surplus ,they gain weight.
Use the search function and you'll quickly see this topic gets brought up daily here.
Birth control does not cause weight gain alone. One must eat at a surplus to gain weight. If you've gained weight( besides water weight ) from depo, its because you've eaten at a surplus.
To lose weight , eat at a deficit. Cico.
Definitely use the search function and see all the depo shot threads

Sorry but it is not a myth. Everyone does not respond the same to chemicals, whereas it may have not effected you it does in fact effect many other.
Research from the University of Texas branch

http://contraception.about.com/od/depoprovera/f/depoweightgain.htm

Results revealed significant increase in appetite as a result of taking depo provera.

Fixed it for ya!